Fantasy Zoo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Setup
• Components Explained
  • Animal/Enclosure Cards
  • Secret Goal Cards (advanced mode)
  • Open Goal Cards (advanced mode)
• Round Structure
  • Drafting
  • Construction and Placement
    • Building Enclosures
    • Placing Animals
    • Animal Card Effects
  • Checking Open Goal Cards
  • End of the Round
• Winner of the Game
  • Scoring Secret Goal Cards
  • Zoo Values
  • Determining the Winner
• Icon Explanation
• Examples of Icons
  • Icons on Animal Cards
  • Goal Card Icons

Game Components

• 6 Character Sheets
• 6 × 3 Value Markers (red, green, yellow cubes)
• 106 Animal/Enclosure Cards
• 14 Secret Goal Cards
• 18 Open Goal Cards
• 1 Rulebook

Setup

1. Prepare the Animal/Enclosure Cards. Shuffle the Animal/Enclosure Cards and form a draw pile. Place the pile in the center of the table with the enclosure side facing up.

   If you are playing the beginner mode, do not use the Secret or Open Goal Cards. In this case, skip to step 4.

2. Prepare the Secret Goal Cards (advanced mode). Separate the goal cards into Secret and Open piles based on their backs, then shuffle each pile. Deal 2 Secret Goal Cards to each player and return the remaining cards to the game box.

3. Prepare the Open Goal Cards (advanced mode). Reveal 6 Open Goal Cards and place them face-up in the center of the table. Return the remaining Open Goal Cards to the box, as they will not be used during the game.

4. Distribute the Character Sheets and Value Markers. Each player selects a Character Sheet, which shows the entrance to their zoo. This is where they will start building enclosures. Place one cube on the 0 space of each scale: Dangerous, Cute, and Rare.

Components Explained

Animal/Enclosure Cards

Double-sided cards with an animal on one side and two enclosures on the other. The enclosures can be of the same or different types, with a walkway in the center separating them.

• A card can be used as an enclosure where animals can be placed later.
• A card can also be used as an animal, which can be placed in an already-built enclosure.

Secret Goal Cards (advanced mode)

At the start of the game, each player receives two Secret Goal Cards. These define the strategies players should follow while building their zoos. The arrow on the card indicates the reward to be earned if the condition specified on the card is met by the end of the game. These often involve having "the most of something," as indicated by the TOP symbol.

• Only one of the two cards can be evaluated at the end of the game. If both conditions are met, the player chooses which card to use.
• In all cases, having "the most" is required, so in the event of a tie, the card's condition is not fulfilled.

Open Goal Cards (advanced mode)

Open Goal Cards present challenges that all players can attempt to achieve. At the end of each round, check whether any player has fulfilled the condition on an Open Goal Card.

Round Structure

A round consists of three phases: Drafting; Construction and Placement; Checking Open Goal Cards.

Each phase is played simultaneously, in this order: all players work on selecting cards, then build their zoos, and finally they collectively check if any player has fulfilled the conditions of the Open Goal Cards.

Drafting

1. Deal 4 cards from the draw pile to each player.
2. Each player selects one card from their hand and places it on the table in front of them (for later use).
3. Everyone passes the remaining cards to the player on their left.
4. Repeat this process until all cards have been passed and chosen.

Pay attention to both sides of the cards! There is no point in selecting an animal if you will not be able to place it in an appropriate enclosure later.

During the drafting phase, wait until all players have finished selecting their cards before passing the remaining cards. This helps avoid mixing up reserved and passed cards. Patience is key!

Construction and Placement

This phase is played simultaneously: each player independently decides how to use the cards they have previously selected.

• Each card can be played either as an enclosure or as an animal.
• Once placed, enclosures and animals cannot be moved or rearranged later.
• Players must use all but one of their cards: one card may be reserved for the next round, while all other unused cards must be discarded.

Building Enclosures

• Start building your zoo from one edge of your Character Sheet.
• Enclosure Cards must be placed upright, forming a horizontal row of cards.
• Adjacent enclosures do not need to be of the same type.
• Once an enclosure has been placed, it cannot be moved for the rest of the game. New Enclosure Cards can only be added to an open end of your zoo.
• The size of your zoo is unlimited: you can build as many enclosures as you wish.

Beginner mode: Paths between enclosures do not need to connect.

Advanced mode: Paths between enclosures must connect precisely, making it more challenging.

Placing Animals

Each Enclosure Card contains two enclosures.

• One enclosure is at the top and the bottom (these are treated as separate enclosures).
• Animals can be placed above or below an Enclosure Card, to the appropriate area.
• An animal can only be placed in an enclosure if its habitat matches the type of the enclosure:
  • Forest enclosures: forest animals.
  • Mountain enclosures: mountain animals.
  • Desert enclosures: desert animals.
  • Water enclosures: aquatic animals.
  • Mystic enclosures*: any type of animal.

* Joker: any type of animal can be placed here.

Placing animals with the same name: Animals with the same name can be placed in the same enclosure, stacked on top of each other, but the total number of cards must remain visible.

Animal Card Effects

When animals are placed in enclosures, their card effects are activated: apply the effect immediately to your zoo's scores.

Example: If you place this Animal Card in an enclosure, it increases the Rare score of your zoo by two but decreases its Dangerous score by one. Immediately adjust your zoo's scores by increasing Rare by two and decreasing Dangerous by one!

Checking Open Goal Cards

Advanced mode.

• The six Open Goal Cards placed at the start of the game are checked one by one.
• If a player meets the condition on a goal card, they immediately receive the points indicated by the arrow on the card.
• Example: If a player has at least 4 forest animals in their zoo, they instantly gain the reward shown on the card, such as two dangerous points.
• If multiple players meet the condition on a goal card simultaneously, each may choose one of the two rewards shown on the card.
• The goal card is then discarded.
• If no player meets the condition on a goal card, it remains in play and will be checked again during the third phase of the next round.

End of the Round

• After checking the Open Goal Cards, the round ends.
• A new round begins, and the game continues following the steps described above.

Winner of the Game

• The game consists of 5 rounds in total. (With 6 players, the game is shortened to 4 rounds.)

Scoring Secret Goal Cards

Advanced mode.

• After the 5th round, all players reveal their two Secret Goal Cards.
• Each player may evaluate only one of their Secret Goal Cards.
• The points are added to their final zoo score.

Zoo Values

• Each zoo has three distinct values: Dangerous, Cute, Rare.
• The final score is determined by multiplying the two lower values; the highest value is disregarded.
• Example from the rulebook illustration: 4 × 9 = 36.

Determining the Winner

• The player with the most points is the winner.
• In case of a tie: the player who has housed more animals in their zoo wins.

Icon Explanation

• Increase icons (Dangerous, Cute, or Rare symbol): increase your zoo's score by one point according to the icons (increase the corresponding value by the number of the icons).
• Decrease icons (crossed-out Dangerous, Cute, or Rare symbol): decrease your zoo's score points according to the icons (decrease the corresponding value by the number of the icons).
• Crossed-out icons indicate a reduction in the specified value. Some values can decrease below 0 but cannot go lower than -3 points.
• Habitat icons (desert, mountain, forest, water): animal habitat types.
• Enclosure icons (desert, mountain, forest, water, mystic/joker): enclosure types.
• TOP symbol: You should have the most of something.
• Animal icon: Animal-related instructions.
• Open Goal Cards: they count during the rounds of the game.
• Secret Goal Cards: they count at the end of the game.

Examples of Icons

The following are just examples to show how the icons work.

Icons on Animal Cards

• Increase your zoo's Cute score by 2 points, and decrease the Dangerous score by 1 point.
• If your zoo's Rare score level is not higher than 2, increase the Rare value by 2.
• If you have at least 4 desert animals (including this one), increase your zoo's Rare value by 1 point and Cute value by 2 points.
• Large animal placement: A large animal can only be placed if two adjacent enclosures of its habitat type (or jokers) are available.
• Increase your zoo's Dangerous value by as many points as you have mountain enclosures when placing the animal.
• Increase your zoo's Cute value by as many points as you have forest animals when placing the animal (including this one).
• Exchange points: Decrease one of your zoo's scores by 1 point and increase another by 1 point.
• Choose one of the two options to increase your zoo's score by 1 point.

Goal Card Icons

• At the end of the game, have the most animals with the same name in the same enclosure.
• Have the most animals at the end of the game.
• At the end of the round, have at least 10 enclosures of any type (5 cards).
• At the end of the round, have at least 2 enclosures of each habitat type.
• At the end of the round, have at least 2 animals from each habitat type.
• At the end of the round, have at least 10 animals of any type.
• At the end of the round, have at least 3 animals of the same name in a single enclosure.

Important: The values shown on Animal Cards are immediately applied when the animal is placed.