Earth Express Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• Overview
• Components
• Shared Setup (1-8 Players)
• Individual Setup
• Card Information
• Round Overview
• Playing the Game
  • Round Start
  • Step 1: Plant Cards
  • Step 2: Choose an Action
  • Gaining Seeds
  • Gaining Sprouts
  • Adding and Spending Sprouts
  • Gaining Growth
  • Adding and Spending Growth
  • Step 3: Activate Your Tableau
• Activating Abilities
  • Interpreting Abilities
• Step 4: Check for Completed Fauna Objectives and Convert Sprout Tokens
  • The Beginner Game
  • The Standard Game
  • Convert Sprout Tokens
  • Round End
• Optional Bonus Actions
  • Anytime Conversions
  • Step 1 Conversions
  • Refresh
  • Germinate
• End-Game Scoring
  • Ecosystem Objectives
  • Tiebreakers
• Safety Note
• Solo Mode
  • Solo Setup
  • Using Demeter's Victory Track
  • How to Play Solo
  • Resolving Abilities That Benefit Your Opponent
  • Step 4: Check for Completed Fauna Objectives (Solo)
  • Round End (Solo)
  • End-Game Scoring (Solo)
  • Optional Bonus Actions (Solo)

Objective

The objective in Earth Express is to score as many Victory Points (VP) as possible. The game ends at the end of the 5th round, after all players have completed their tableau by planting their 9th card.

Players will score points for the value of Flora and Terrain cards they've planted, for Sprouts and Growth placed on their Flora, and for end-game scoring bonuses earned by completing Ecosystem and Fauna objectives.

Finding synergies between the cards you plant and the objectives in play is key to maximizing your score!

Overview

In Earth Express, each player will draft a total of 9 cards, planting them in their play area to create a 3x3 tableau.

Each planted card will grant you a combination of one or two coloured abilities and/or Terrain benefits. The Action tiles will allow you to trigger these abilities over the course of the game, generating resources to complete objectives and optimize each card's end-game scoring potential.

At the end of the 5th round, scoring takes place. The player with the most VP wins!

Components

• 306x Earth cards
  • 224x Flora
  • 82x Terrain
• 33x Ecosystem cards (double-sided)
• 21x Fauna cards (double-sided)
• 8x Player aids
• 3x Action tiles
• 1x Ecosystem board
• 1x Fauna board
• 1x Scorepad
• 1x Demeter score track (for solo play)
• 134x Growth pieces, as follows:
  • 80x Trunks
  • 54x Canopies
• 98x Seeds, in these denominations:
  • 68x worth 1
  • 18x worth 5
  • 12x worth 10
• 72x Sprouts
• 24x Sprout tracks (8 brown and 16 green)
• 16x VP Leaf tokens (2 per player colour)
• 1x Rulebook

On the punchboard, there are additional Trunks (representing either 2 or 4 Trunk pieces) and Canopies which can be used if the supply runs out. In addition, there are Sprout Tokens which will be used during the game to keep track of the Sprouts you gain from other player's.

Shared Setup (1-8 Players)

Place the Fauna board 1 in the center of the table within view of all players. For a simpler game, use the beginner side of the board, marked with a Fauna icon in the center.

Shuffle the Fauna cards 2 and place one (with a random side faceup) in each of the two card slots to the left and right of the Fauna board. The remaining Fauna cards will not be used for this game and should be returned to the box.

Create the general supply by placing all Seeds 3, Growth (Trunks 4 and Canopies 5), Sprouts 6, and a small handful of Sprout tokens 7 next to the Fauna board.

Shuffle all Earth cards 8 and place them in a facedown draw pile (or piles) within reach of all players to form the Earth stack(s). Leave space for a discard pile next to the stack(s).

Shuffle the 3 Action tiles 9, and place them in a stack with their coloured sides facedown, near the Fauna board.

To include Ecosystems (optional): These are objectives which score VP at the end of the game, depending on how well you've satisfied their requirements.

• Place the Ecosystem board 10 in the center of the table within view of all players.
• Shuffle the Ecosystem cards 11 and place one (with a random side faceup) on each of the two spaces on the Ecosystem board.
• Deal two Ecosystem cards to each player. Simultaneously, each player must choose one of these Ecosystem cards to keep, and select which side of the card to use by placing it faceup in their play area.
• All remaining Ecosystem cards will not be used for this game and should be returned to the box.

Hand out a player aid 12 to each player. These outline the iconography you'll encounter as you play, the bonus actions you may take, and how the game will be scored.

Individual Setup

Each player takes 2 Leaf tokens 13 and the Sprout track 14 of the same colour, 2 green Sprout tracks, and 3 single Seeds, creating a personal reserve.

Each player should place their 3 Sprout tracks in front of them, with enough space between them to fit a card.

Each Sprout track is double-sided, with both a horizontal and vertical track orientation. Players may choose which orientation to use; however, all Sprout tracks in a player's tableau must be oriented the same way.

Lastly, each player draws 7 cards from the Earth stack to create their starting hand.

Card Information

Lettered labels refer to the Flora card diagram in the printed rulebook:

• A: Card type
• B: Card name
• C: Habitat
• D: Growth capacity
• E: Growth space
• F: Canopy completion VP
• G: Base victory point value
• H: Maximum Sprout number
• I: Ability colour(s)
• J: First ability effect
• K: Second ability effect

The action/ability icon (a small symbol in the corner of each ability) is simply there to help any players who have difficulty differentiating the various action colours.

There are four different types of cards in the game:

• FLORA and TERRAIN cards are in the Earth deck.
• FAUNA cards are next to the Fauna board.
• ECOSYSTEM cards are on the Ecosystem board.

Every card is unique, so not all options are present on every card.

• Flora cards: Flora with two or more classifications count as each listed type when resolving card abilities and for scoring. For example, if a player had a card with both a Tree and Bush classification, they could choose to count it as a Tree for one objective and a Bush for another.
• Terrain cards offer end-game scoring opportunities (p.10).
• Fauna cards earn VP at the end of the game for completing its objective during the game (p.10).
• Ecosystem cards score VP at the end of the game based on how well you completed objectives (p.10).

Some cards like the "Everglades" Ecosystem have white arrowheads around the edges of the objective; these visual aids are reminders for objectives with directional/placement scoring.

The percentage (xx%) in the lower right-hand corner of some cards represents the percentage of cards in the game that meet the listed requirements.

Round Overview

Each round, players complete these steps, in order:

• Step 1: Plant cards
• Step 2: Choose an action
• Step 3: Activate your tableau

Steps 1-3 are performed simultaneously. This means each player performs these steps independently, at the same time.

Once all players have completed steps 1-3 on their own, resolve step 4 together.

• Step 4: Check for completed Fauna objectives and convert Sprout tokens

Ending a round: Once all four steps have been resolved by all players, the round ends.

At the beginning of rounds 2-5, each player passes their hand of 5 unplayed cards to the player on their left. Each player then draws 2 cards from the Earth stack, bringing their hand back up to 7 cards.

Playing the Game

Round Start

Reveal the top tile from the Action stack, ensuring it is visible to all players. (When the Action stack is empty, shuffle the 3 Action tiles and create a new stack.)

Step 1: Plant Cards

From their hand, each player chooses which cards to plant in their tableau.

• Rounds 1-4: Plant 2 cards
• Round 5: Plant 1 card

When planting a card, it may be placed anywhere within the 3x3 grid, but it must be in an empty space. Once planted, the card is "locked" in that position. Cards in your tableau cannot be moved or discarded from play.

Flora cards have coloured abilities, the majority of which trigger during step 3.

These abilities will often cause you to gain or spend Seeds/Sprouts/Growth. Finding synergies between the cards you choose to plant, and where to plant them, is important because your tableau must be activated in a specific order (see p.7).

If you plant a card with a BLACK ability, it must be resolved before proceeding to step 3 (see p.7).

Step 2: Choose an Action

Each player, individually, chooses and resolves one of the two coloured actions displayed on the Action tile that was revealed at the beginning of the round.

Once chosen, each colour-coded action grants an immediate benefit as follows:

• RED action: Gain 2 Seeds
• BLUE action: Gain 3 Sprouts
• YELLOW action: Gain 2 Growth

Throughout the course of the game, players will gain benefits. Some, like those rewarded by Action tiles, are free, while others (found on Flora cards) have costs that must be paid in full before receiving the benefit.

Any time a player earns a benefit, provided they have paid the required costs, they may choose to take the benefit in full, partially, or not at all.

Gaining Seeds

Whenever you gain a Seed, either as a result of an Action tile or card ability, it is added to your personal reserve.

There is no limit to the number of Seeds you may have in your personal reserve. Throughout the game, Seeds may be spent to trigger card abilities and to take bonus actions (see p.9) by returning them to the general supply.

At the end of the game, any remaining Seeds in your personal reserve will score 1 VP each.

Gaining Sprouts

Whenever you gain a Sprout, either as a result of an Action tile or one of your own card abilities, it must be added to a Sprout track next to a Flora card in your tableau.

Only Flora that show a Maximum Sprout number (card label H) may have Sprouts added to their track, and the maximum number of Sprouts that may be assigned to that card is indicated by the listed capacity (between 1 and 6). If a player gains Sprouts but does not have the space to add them to Flora, the excess Sprouts are immediately lost and returned to the general supply.

At the end of the game, each Sprout cube is worth VP equal to the value shown next to the space it occupies on its Sprout track.

Adding and Spending Sprouts

Adding Sprouts. Use the track next to each Flora to indicate the total number of Sprouts it has.

If you wish to add a Sprout to a Flora card and its track does not already have a Sprout cube, take a Sprout cube from the general supply and place it in the "1" space.

If that track does have a Sprout cube, move the cube up the track one space per Sprout you wish to add. Although all Sprout tracks go up to 6, each Flora has its own maximum Sprout capacity (from 0 to 6). A Flora's Sprout cube may not exceed that limit.

Example:

• The Winter Daphne does not have the Sprout icon, and cannot have any Sprouts added to it.
• The American Sycamore has 4 Sprouts, the maximum allowed as indicated by 4.
• The Northern Highbush Blueberry has 2 Sprouts, while the card's maximum is 5 as indicated by 5.

Spending Sprouts. If you wish to spend Sprouts, move the Sprout cube down the track one space per Sprout spent. If the cube should move to "0," return the Sprout cube to the general supply. The Sprout cube may be regained by adding a Sprout to the Flora card in the future.

You may spread Sprout gains or losses between different Flora cards unless specified by a card's ability.

Gaining Growth

Whenever you gain Growth, either as a result of an Action tile or card ability, it must be assigned to a Flora card in your tableau.

("Growth" is the collective term for both Trunks and Canopies.)

Only Flora with a Growth space may have Growth assigned to them, and the maximum number of Growth that may be assigned to that card is indicated by the listed capacity (between 1 and 8).

If a player does not have the space to assign Growth, any excess is immediately lost and returned to the general supply.

At the end of the game, each Growth space with a Canopy will score the completion VP listed. Any Growth spaces without a Canopy will score 1 VP per Trunk placed there.

Adding and Spending Growth

Adding Growth. Take Trunks 1 from the general supply and place them onto any Growth space in your tableau. The last Growth piece placed on each space is a Canopy 2, not a Trunk. Although the Canopies are different colours, they are all treated the same for gameplay and end-game scoring. Flora with a maximum Growth capacity of 1 will only have a Canopy, no Trunk pieces.

Spending Growth. If you wish to spend Growth, return them (Trunks and/or Canopies) to the general supply.

You may spread Growth gains or losses between different Flora cards unless specified by a card's ability.

Step 3: Activate Your Tableau

After receiving the Action tile's benefit, each player may activate the card abilities in their tableau that match the colour of the Action they selected (BLUE, YELLOW, or RED).

In addition, multicoloured abilities (which are made up of BLUE, YELLOW, and RED) are also triggered by taking the BLUE, YELLOW, or RED actions.

The abilities on each card can only be activated once per round, and your tableau must be activated in order, row by row, left to right, starting from the top left.

If a space in your tableau is empty, or a card does not have a matching or multicoloured ability to activate, or you simply wish to forgo activating a card's ability, skip it and proceed to the next card.

Activating Abilities

Each card has one or two coloured abilities: BLACK, BROWN, RED, BLUE, and/or YELLOW.

Cards with two ability colours, and/or with multicoloured abilities may count as any of the colours shown when resolving card abilities and for scoring objectives.

For example, if a player had a card with both a RED and a YELLOW ability, they could choose to count it as RED for one objective and YELLOW for a different objective.

• BLACK abilities are triggered as soon as the card is planted. If the ability rewards you based on your neighbour's tableau, it is resolved after they've finished planting their card(s) that round.
• BROWN abilities give the opportunity for end-game scoring bonuses.

Neither BLACK nor BROWN abilities will trigger when activating your tableau. However, they do count as distinct ability colours for all purposes.

Card abilities grant three types of benefits:

• Those that generate resources (example A: Gain 2 Growth)
• Those that allow a player to convert their resources (example B: Spend 1 Growth then gain 2 Seeds)
• Those that give the opportunity for end-game scoring (BROWN)

Interpreting Abilities

• A colon ":" separates the resource(s) to spend on the left from the benefit on the right. Spend the indicated resource(s) on the left of a colon to gain the benefit on the right. A colon represents a one-way conversion, and may not be performed in reverse. Example: Spend 1 Seed and 1 Growth, then gain 4 Sprouts.
• A slash "/" scales the benefit on the left according to the condition on the right. Example: For every Flora with 2 or more Growth, you will gain 2 VP at the end of the game.
• Select one of your neighbours' tableaus (the player to your right or left). Example: For each Tree in one of your neighbours' tableaus, you gain 1 Growth.
• A vertical bar "|" separates the benefit for the player activating the card (on the left) from the benefit for the other player(s) (on the right). The player activating the card gains the benefit on the left of a "|" while the other player(s) gain the benefit on the right. Example: You gain 3 Growth, and all other players may gain 1 Sprout.
• Choose an opponent. Example: Spend 2 Sprouts to gain 4 Growth, then choose one opponent to gain 1 Sprout.
• Only other players may gain the benefit. Example: Gain 4 Seeds, then all other players may gain 2 Sprouts.

When an ability grants Sprouts to other players, announce it out loud. All players receiving the benefit should take Sprout tokens from the general supply, placing them near their play area. These act as a reminder of the Sprouts you will gain at the end of the round in Step 4.

Cards take themselves into account when resolving their abilities. Example: By triggering this YELLOW ability, both the Giant Club Cactus and the Siberian Elm gain 1 Growth.

The Golden Rule: If a card ability does something that goes against the rules, the card has priority and its abilities can be applied (if desired).

Step 4: Check for Completed Fauna Objectives and Convert Sprout Tokens

In every game, there will be two Fauna cards in play. These cards represent certain conditions a player's tableau must fulfill in order to create a suitable habitat for that Fauna. Doing so will reward players with VP.

You may only claim each Fauna objective once, even if your tableau satisfies its requirements multiple times.

Once you fulfill a Fauna card's objective, the claim cannot be lost, even if you no longer meet the requirements at a later time.

For example, if you needed "5+ Flora, each with 1+ Growth," and after fulfilling that objective you spent Growth, dropping below the requirement, you would not lose the claim or the VP.

The Beginner Game

First-time players or those looking for a friendlier game can use the beginner side of the Fauna board. For each Fauna objective you have completed, take one of your Leaf tokens from your personal reserve and place it on the 10 VP space between the Fauna cards.

The Standard Game

For each Fauna objective you have completed, take one of the Leaf tokens from your personal reserve and place it on the highest available scoring space next to the card. If more than one player completes the same Fauna objective in the same round, the players stack their Leaf tokens on the same scoring space. At the end of the game, players will earn the full amount of VP listed next to the scoring space their Leaf token occupies, regardless of whether or not they share the space with other players. The sooner you fulfill a Fauna card's objective, the greater the scoring potential. Once a scoring space has been filled, it becomes unavailable. The lower the scoring space, the less VP it awards.

Convert Sprout Tokens

Return all Sprout tokens in your play area to the supply. Then, gain an equal number of Sprout cubes using your tracks as normal. Any Sprouts that cannot be added are lost.

Round End

If players have completed their 3x3 tableaus by planting their 9th and final cards, proceed to end-game scoring (p.10).

Otherwise, begin a new round.

Optional Bonus Actions

Anytime Conversions

At any time, except during the activation of a card's ability, players may gain Seeds using the following conversions:

• Spend 2 Sprouts, then gain 1 Seed
• Spend 2 Growth, then gain 1 Seed

Players may perform these conversions as many times as they wish and can afford to do so.

Step 1 Conversions

During Step 1 of a round (Plant Cards), players may take the "Refresh" and/or "Germinate" bonus actions, if desired. These bonus actions may be taken before or in between planting cards.

Refresh

To Refresh, spend 2 Seeds by returning them to the general supply, then discard any number of cards from your hand (1 to 7) and immediately draw an equal number of cards from the Earth stack, returning your hand to 7 cards.

Players may perform the Refresh action once per round.

Germinate

To Germinate, spend 3 Seeds by returning them to the general supply, discard 1 card from your hand, and name one card feature out loud. The feature must be one that advances your progress toward a Fauna objective, Ecosystem objective (if in play), or a Terrain in your tableau.

Once named, the feature you are searching for cannot be changed.

Turn the Earth stack faceup, making the bottom card visible on top. Reveal cards from the top one by one. You must take the first card that matches the named feature and place it in your hand, discarding all other revealed cards.

If no card with a matching feature is found in the Earth stack, you must search the discard pile. If the matching feature still cannot be found, the Germination fails and you retrieve your 3 Seeds (retrieved Seeds are immediately available for use).

If the draw pile empties during the search, shuffle the discard pile to form a new Earth stack.

Players may perform the Germinate action as many times as they wish and can afford to do so.

End-Game Scoring

Earth Express is played over 5 rounds. The game ends at the end of the 5th round when all players have completed their 3x3 tableau (9 cards). After the final round, players add up their victory points (VP) and the player with the most VP is the winner!

We recommend calculating each player's score on the scorepad row by row. Be sure not to "clean up" any play areas, or return anything to the supply, as you may need them for tiebreakers.

Record VP on the scorepad for the following:

1. All cards planted in your tableau score their base VP (card label G). (Note: some cards have negative VP!)
2. Each Seed remaining in your personal reserve scores 1 VP.
3. Each Sprout cube scores VP equal to the value shown next to the space it occupies on the Sprout track.
4. Each Growth space with a Canopy scores its completion value (card label F). All other Growth spaces with Trunk(s) score 1 VP per Trunk.
5. Each Terrain scores the VP indicated by its objective if you have met the conditions.
6. Each Leaf token on the Fauna board scores the amount of VP indicated by the space it occupies. Leaf tokens remaining in a player's personal reserve score 0 VP.
7. Each Ecosystem scores VP as indicated by the card (if in play, see below).

Ecosystem Objectives

When playing with Ecosystem objectives, there will be two cards in play on the Ecosystem board (shared between all players) and one card in each player's own play area (available only to that player).

There are three rows on the scorepad to record VP for these Ecosystem objectives.

Tiebreakers

In case of a tie, the victory goes to the tied player who has the most Seeds remaining in their personal reserve.

If the game is still tied, the victory goes to the tied player with the most Growth pieces in their tableau, then the highest Sprout cube value, then whoever has earned the most VP from Terrains, then Fauna, then Ecosystems (if in play).

If a tie still persists, players share the victory!

Safety Note

Please note that although we did our best to keep all the information and photographs as accurate as possible, we are not botanists, and the game should not represent any sort of field manual or identification aid.

Please check with local and national authorities before interacting with any natural environments or species. Thank you!

Solo Mode

The solo mode follows most of the same rules as the multiplayer game; however, in this version of the game you will be playing against an automa named Demeter, the goddess of the harvest.

Solo Setup

Follow the shared setup instructions on page 2.

Complete the individual setup for yourself, but do not draw any cards.

In a solo game, Ecosystem objectives are required. After completing the setup as normal, you will have 3 Ecosystem cards in play. However, Demeter will not take or score any Ecosystem objectives herself.

Then complete Demeter's setup as follows:

1. Create Demeter's 3x3 tableau by planting 9 cards faceup, taken from the Earth deck.
2. Place Demeter's VP track near her tableau, and place 2 Leaf tokens on the "0" space.
3. Place 2 additional Leaf tokens next to her VP track. These will be used to claim Fauna objectives.

Using Demeter's Victory Track

When Demeter scores VP, move one Leaf token up the track to show the VP earned.

If this token should exceed "9," reset it to "0" and place the second Leaf token on the "10" space. For every additional 10 VP Demeter earns, advance the second Leaf token one space. Her total score is the sum of both Leaf tokens.

Example: Demeter's score is 114.

How to Play Solo

Round Start. Reveal a new Action tile as normal.

Step 1: Plant Cards. Select cards to plant in your tableau by taking them from Demeter's tableau. Afterwards, refill all empty spaces in her tableau.

Demeter does not activate any cards (including those with BLACK abilities) or gain any immediate rewards when this planting occurs.

Step 2: Choose an Action. Choose one action from the Action tile and gain its benefit for yourself, as normal. Demeter does not gain any resources, and instead gains 3VP.

Step 3: Activate Your Tableau (then Demeter's). Activate the card abilities in your tableau that match the colour of the action you selected.

Then, Demeter activates whichever coloured ability she has the most of in her tableau. (If tied, you choose.)

In rounds 1-4, her tableau is activated once, as normal. In round 5, her tableau is activated according to your chosen difficulty level.

Important: Demeter never gains or spends resources. Instead:

1. Calculate how many resources the ability would gain.
2. Subtract any resources it would cost.
3. Demeter scores VP equal to the result, which should be tracked immediately on her VP track.

Example 1: This ability generates 2 resources, and has no costs. Demeter scores 2 VP.

Example 2: This ability generates 3 resources at a cost of 1 resource. Demeter scores 2 VP.

When Demeter activates a card ability with directional arrowheads, any cards in the indicated positions are automatically considered to have met the requirement.

Resolving Abilities That Benefit Your Opponent

You or Demeter may trigger abilities that benefit one another.

• If you trigger an ability with the "Choose an opponent" icon, Demeter gains VP equal to the number of resources produced as described above.
• When either you or Demeter trigger abilities with the neighbour-tableau icon, refer to the other's tableau. You gain the benefit as normal, while Demeter gains VP equal to the number of resources produced as described above.
• If you trigger an ability with the "Only other players" icon, Demeter gains VP equal to the number of resources produced as described above.
• If Demeter triggers abilities with either the "Only other players" or "Choose an opponent" icons, you gain the benefit as normal.

Step 4: Check for Completed Fauna Objectives (Solo)

Demeter will automatically claim Fauna objectives in the listed rounds based on your chosen difficulty level. To do so, place one of the Leaf tokens from beside her VP track in the highest available scoring space. The first time this happens, you may choose which objective she claims.

Difficulty	Rounds
Normal	Rounds 3 & 4
Hard / Expert	Rounds 2 & 3

If you complete a Fauna objective in the same round as Demeter, you place her Leaf token on the scoring space below your token.

Round End (Solo)

The end game conditions remain the same. If you have not completed your tableau, begin a new round. Otherwise, proceed to end-game scoring.

End-Game Scoring (Solo)

You will score as normal, whereas Demeter adds to her score as follows:

• All base VP (card label G) in her tableau are considered to be positive values.
• Each BROWN and BLACK ability scores 10 VP.
• She scores Fauna objectives as normal.
• She'll gain additional VP based on your chosen difficulty level:
  • Normal: Demeter activates the colour she has the most of twice. For example, if the majority of her card abilities were RED in the 5th round, Demeter would trigger all of her RED abilities twice.
  • Hard: Demeter activates the colour she has the most of three times.
  • Expert: In addition to the above, Demeter doubles the value of all base VP (card label G) in her tableau.

Record this in an Ecosystem section of the scorepad.

• She collected no resources and therefore scores no VP from Sprouts, Growth, or Seeds.

Optional Bonus Actions (Solo)

Anytime conversions may be performed as normal. To Germinate, spend 3 Seeds by returning them to the general supply, then search for a card feature as normal. No cards are discarded from any tableau, and if the Germination is successful, you are required to plant it in your tableau.

You may only perform the Germination action if you have not planted all of your card(s) for the round. This means in rounds 1-4 it may be taken up to twice, and only once in the 5th round.

To Refresh, spend 2 Seeds by returning them to the general supply, then discard cards from Demeter's tableau (between 7 and 9) and immediately draw an equal number of cards from the Earth stack to refill the empty spaces.

As in the standard game, you may perform the Refresh action only once per round.