Ocean Crisis Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Map Setup
  • Land Board
  • Ocean Board
  • River and Beach Indicators
  • Location Tiles and Markers
• Standard Rules
  • Game Object
  • Starting a Game
  • Number of Meeples
• A Game Round
  • 1. Setup Phase
    • Garbage Tiles at the Beach
    • Garbage Tiles at the River
    • Round Example
  • 2. Planning Phase
  • 3. Action Phase
    • I. Eco Movement
    • II. Garbage Cleanup
  • 4. River Flow
  • 5. Ocean Current
• Ending the Game
• Appendix
  • Location Tiles
    • 1. Eco Enhancement
    • 2. Mobilization
    • 3. Town
    • 4. Research Center
      • a. Garbage Research
      • b. Research Acceleration
    • 5. Water Purification Center
    • 6. Dock
  • Enhancement Cards
    • Card Description
• Game Difficulties
  • Beginner Game
  • Difficult Game
  • Impossible Game
  • Random Game
• Missions & Scenarios
  • Game Object for Missions and Scenarios
  • Mission I. Dolphin Rescue
    • Object and Setup
    • Additional Rules
    • Effects
  • Mission II. Quest for Hermit Crabs
    • Object and Setup
    • Additional Rules
    • Effects
  • Mission III. Sea Turtle Nesting
    • Object and Setup

Components

• 20 Defense Team Meeples
• Game Markers
• Location Tiles
• 1 Ocean Vacuum
• 4 Animal Meeples
• Garbage Tiles (with a cloth bag)
• Road Tiles
• Animal Tiles and Tokens
• 3 Mission Cards
• 17 Round Cards
• 3 Scenario Cards
• 5 Enhancement Cards
• Land Board
• Ocean Board
• Start Player Token
• Number Die
• Pip Die

Map Setup

Land Board

• a. Road Tiles: Stack all the Road Tiles facedown here.
• b. Research Result Area: Place researched Garbage Tiles here.
• c. Enhancement Cards: Shuffle the 5 Enhancement Cards and place them facedown here.
• d. Round Cards: Arrange the Round Cards in order, with Round 1 on the top, and place them face up here.
• e. River: The River is divided into three sections. Place the matching number of Garbage Tiles on the River according to the Round 1 card. The picture depicts an example of the Standard game.
• f. The 6 areas indicated by a die symbol are Herons Habitat Areas. No Road Tiles can be placed here.
• g. Ocean Vacuum: Place the Ocean Vacuum here when activated.

Ocean Board

• h. Ocean Current Disk: According to the Round 1 card, randomly place the matching number Garbage Tiles on the Ocean Current Disk as indicated by the arrow.
• i. Great Pacific garbage patch: Also known as the Garbage Island. Contains 6 spaces.
• j. Eco Base: Try to use the Road Tiles to connect to important locations on the Land Board to activate their functions!

River and Beach Indicators

• Midstream
• Downstream
• Estuary
• Beach

Location Tiles and Markers

Place the tiles and wooden markers on the corresponding spaces on the map.

• Place the 5 Enhancement Tiles on their matching spaces.
• Place the 2 Mobilization Tiles with the Dumpster side facing up.
• Place the Water Purification Center Tile with the inactivated side facing up.
• Place the Research Center Tile with the inactivated side facing up.
• Place the Ocean Vacuum on the Dock.
• Place 1 and 2 white meeples in the towns correspondingly.

Reminder: Please refer to the Appendix (page 14) for the abilities of the Location Tiles.

Standard Rules

Game Object

Ocean Crisis is a cooperative game where players must work together to stop the pollution from further destroying the environment. In the Standard game, players must survive 6 rounds and prevent the garbage from filling all 6 spaces of the Garbage Island. The fate of the ocean is in your hands!

Starting a Game

1. Set up the game board according to the previous page.
2. Each player picks a color and receives a number of meeples in that color according to the player count.
3. Place all the Garbage Tiles in the bag.
4. Randomly give the Start Player Token to a player. That person is now the start player.

Number of Meeples

Depending on the number of players, each player receives a certain number of meeples.

• 2 player game: Player A has 2 meeples, Player B has 2 meeples (each of two colors, x2 each), and the neutral members of the team (white) have 2.
• 3 player game: Players A, B and C have 3 meeples each; the neutral members of the team have 1.
• 4 player game: Players A, B, C and D have 2 meeples each; the neutral members of the team have 2.
• 5 player game: Players A, B, C, D and E have 2 meeples each.

Reminder: The game always starts with 10 meeples. The white meeples are neutral team members. They are always placed in the Eco Base and only used by the start player.

A Game Round

Each round is separated into 5 phases, in the following order:

1. Setup Phase
2. Planning Phase (a. Place meeples on the Eco Base. b. Place a meeple on a Garbage Tile.)
3. Action Phase
4. River Flow
5. Ocean Current

1. Setup Phase

At the start of each round, place Garbage Tiles on the River according to the current Round Card. Tiles are always placed beginning with the first available spot of the lowest number. Except for the first round, tiles are always randomly drawn from the bag, and begin to fill up from the Beach and going up the River.

Garbage Tiles at the Beach

Garbage Tiles at the Beach are placed on the Ocean Current Disk in the direction indicated by the arrow. Each section may only contain 1 tile.

Note: Garbage Tiles are initially placed with the starting side facing up. If the Garbage Tile has been researched, it will enter the game with the reduced side facing up. See more information on page 15.

• Starting Side
• Reduced Side

Garbage Tiles at the River

The x2 symbol doubles all the Garbage Tiles at that section. i.e. If the section has 3 tiles, then 3 more are placed there.

Round Example

This example will explain what will happen when there is not enough space to place the Garbage Tiles.

As indicated by the Round 3 Card:

1. 3 more Garbage Tiles are placed at the Beach.
2. The number of Garbage Tiles at the Estuary is doubled, so 4 more tiles are placed. Since there is not enough space, the extra tile flows to the Beach instead.
3. 3 more Garbage Tiles are placed in the Downstream.
4. 3 more Garbage Tiles are placed in the Midstream.

If there is not enough space in a section to place all the tiles, the extra tiles are placed in the next section instead, and so on and so forth. Beware! If the Ocean Current Disk is completely full, the extra tiles will be placed on the Garbage Island!

2. Planning Phase

All players place their meeples on either the Eco Base or any of the Garbage Tiles on the River or the Beach area at the same time. All meeples must be placed before moving on to the next phase.

Reminder: There is no limit to the number of meeples that may be on the Eco Base or a single Garbage Tile.

You may not place a meeple on any Garbage Tile on the outer part of the ocean. (A meeple may be placed on the inner part of the Ocean Current Disk; a meeple may not be placed on the outer part.)

3. Action Phase

After all the meeples are placed, perform the following actions in order:

I. Eco Movement

Connect the Eco Base to important spots on the board to activate their functions! For every meeple placed at the Eco Base, that player draws a Road Tile. The start player draws all the Road Tiles for the neutral meeples. (The Eco Base is 2 pieces wide in one direction and 1 piece in the other.)

Beginning with the start player and going clockwise, each player places all the Road Tiles in their hand before the next player. Road Tiles may not be moved once placed. Follow the rules below when placing:

• a. A tile must connect to the Eco Base, or to another tile that connects to the Eco Base.
• b. At least 1 end of a road has to remain open for connection.
• c. Road Tiles may not be placed in reserved areas.
• d. If connected to a Location Tile, you may continue the next section of the road on any adjacent space.

Note: Activate any functions of the connected Location Tile immediately! See the Appendix for more information.

II. Garbage Cleanup

The meeples on a Garbage Tile may attempt to clean up the garbage by rolling the Number Die. Point out the tile first and then roll the die to determine if it is removed or reduced. Retrieve the meeple after the cleanup.

The number on the Garbage Tile represents the difficulty. Roll the Number Die and add the result to the number of meeples on that Garbage Tile. If the sum is equal to or greater than the difficulty, remove the Garbage Tile from the board.

• Example: difficulty 4 tile, 1 meeple, die roll 3: 3 + 1 = 4. If the sum meets the difficulty, the tile is removed.
• Example: difficulty 3 tile, 1 meeple, die roll 2: 2 + 1 = 3 (shown with a reduced-side tile): if the sum does not meet the difficulty, the tile is reduced instead. Flip the tile to the reduced side.
• Note: A Garbage Tile can be reduced only once!
• Multiple meeples may be placed on the same tile to increase the chance of removing the tile! (Example: 2 meeples, die roll 2: 2 + 2 = 4, removed.)
• If Garbage Tiles are removed from the Beach, they may be placed in the Research Center. Refer to the Appendix for more information.
• Note: Even if multiple meeples are on the same tile, the die is still rolled only once.

4. River Flow

Garbage Tiles are moved to the next section according to the chart.

1. Estuary to Beach
2. Downstream to Estuary
3. Midstream to Downstream

Note: If the Ocean Current Disk is full, the tile is placed on the Garbage Island instead.

5. Ocean Current

The start player rolls the Pip Die. Move the Ocean Current Disk counterclockwise equal to the result of the roll.

If a Garbage Tile stops next to an arrow, it will drift into the Garbage Island. If the Ocean Vacuum is activated, then a Garbage Tile that stops next to it will be removed instead.

Note: You don't need to roll any die for the Ocean Vacuum; the Garbage Tile will not be placed in the Research Center either.

Pass the Start Player Token to the next player. Discard the topmost Round Card to move on to the next Round.

Ending the Game

A Standard game lasts for 6 rounds. After the Ocean Current phase of the 6th round, if there is at least 1 empty space on the Garbage Island, then Ocean Defense Team has succeeded in protecting the ocean!

Appendix

Location Tiles

When a Location Tile is connected from the Eco Base via Road Tiles, the corresponding functions will be activated:

1. Eco Enhancement

There are 5 Enhancement Tiles on the board. Once connected, the player who connects them removes the Enhancement Tile from the game and draws the topmost Enhancement Card, which will enhance that player's team members.

Note: Refer to page 16 for the Enhancement Cards.

2. Mobilization

Near the middle of the Downstream section and the top of the Estuary are 2 Dumpster Tiles. Once connected, immediately flip them to the other side and instantly remove all Garbage Tiles from the corresponding Downstream or Estuary areas.

Note: This action can only happen once per tile, and it must be used immediately when the Dumpster Tile is connected.

3. Town

There are 2 towns on the map with potential teammates. Once connected, the player who connects them instantly adds the white meeples to his or her team. Unlike the Neutral Meeples, these meeples belong to the player who placed the Road Tile that connects the town, and can be placed on Garbage Tiles as well (not just Eco Base).

Note: These white meeples do not benefit from Enhancement Cards.

4. Research Center

Garbage research is an important process in Ocean Crisis. Every Garbage Tile removed from the Beach can be placed in the Research Center (place the Garbage Tiles from the Beach in the Research Center spaces).

a. Garbage Research

When all the spaces at the Research Center are filled, choose one of the Garbage Tiles from the Research Center and place it at the Research Result Area with the reduced side facing up. Instantly flip all Garbage Tiles of that type on the board to its reduced side. From now on, all Garbage Tiles of that type enters the board with its reduced side facing up. Discard all other Garbage Tiles at the Research Center to start a new research.

Note: Each Garbage Tile may only be researched and reduced once.

b. Research Acceleration

When the Research Center is connected, flip the tile to its activated side, and place the Accelerator Tile on the Research Center. From now on, players will only need 4 Garbage Tiles to complete a research.

Reminder: If there are 5 Garbage Tiles in the Research Center when acceleration begins, choose 1 to keep for the next research.

5. Water Purification Center

When the Water Purification Center is connected, flip the tile to its activated side. Starting from the next round till the game ends, 1 less Garbage Tile is placed in the Midstream.

6. Dock

When the Dock is connected, place the Ocean Vacuum on the indicated spot on the Ocean Board. See page 13 for more details.

Enhancement Cards

When an Enhancement Tile is connected, the player draws 1 Enhancement Card, obeying the following rules:

• a. The player who places the last Road Tile that connects to the Enhancement Tile draws the Enhancement Card. He or she places their color indicator on the card.
• b. Only the meeples that share the same color as the color indicator gain the ability of that Enhancement Card.
• c. Each color of meeples (except white) can only have 1 Enhancement Card. If the player draws a second Enhancement Card, he or she chooses 1 to keep and discard the other.
  • Reminder: In a 2 player game, each player may have 2 Enhancement Cards as each player will control 2 different colors of meeples; each meeple will only benefit from their corresponding card.
• d. The Enhancement Card's effects take place immediately, except for Environmental Organization.

Card Description

• Environmental Organization: Your meeples may be placed on 2 orthogonally adjacent Garbage Tiles. Roll the Number Die only once and apply the result separately to both tiles. The meeple counts toward both Garbage Tiles.
• Biodegradable Material: Once per round, your meeples may choose to reroll the Number Die for the Garbage Tiles you are on. Reduce the Garbage Tile before rerolling.
• Recycling: If you got a 0 on the Number Die, treat it as a 5.
• Coastal Cleanup: Your meeples count as +2 instead of +1 when cleaning up the Garbage Tiles at the Beach.
• Reusable Products: Your meeples reduce the Garbage Tiles they are on before rolling the Number Die.

Reminder: If multiple meeples are on the same Garbage Tile, all the enhanced effects can be applied to the tile. The enhanced effects are not applicable when accompanied with the Dolphin or the Hermit Crab.

Game Difficulties

Beginner Game

When playing with beginners or young kids, we suggest trying out a Beginner game first.

Differences:

1. The Beginner game only has 4 rounds.
2. The following tiles and functions are not used:
   • a. Water Purification Center
   • b. Ocean Vacuum
   • c. Research Center (including the research process)

Use the Beginner Round Cards (Round 1 to Round 4).

Difficult Game

Want a bigger challenge? Try out the Round Cards of a Difficult game to experience the real world crisis that our ocean is currently facing.

Impossible Game

For players who feels they have mastered the ocean, they may replace the Round 1 card of the Difficult game with the Round 1 Card of the Impossible game for the greatest challenge!

Random Game

For a less predictable game, shuffle the Round 2 to Round 6 cards of the same difficulty for a different experience!

Reminder: Be aware that the difficulty might decrease for this game.

Missions & Scenarios

Game Object for Missions and Scenarios

Beside from the basic game, Ocean Crisis includes several missions and scenarios that players can try to mix and match. Missions will offer rewards, while scenarios add additional victory conditions. They must be decided before the game starts. To begin with, we suggest playing with 1 scenario and 1 mission at a time.

Mission I. Dolphin Rescue

Object and Setup

The Dolphin is stranded on the Beach and needs your help! Bring the Dolphin back to the hospital within 3 rounds to rescue the poor creature! During setup, place the Dolphin somewhere on the Beach.

Additional Rules

1. Planning Phase: Players may place their meeples next to the Dolphin to try rescue them.
2. Action Phase: Saving the Dolphin from the Beach has a difficulty of 5 (cannot be reduced and Enhancement Cards do not apply). Roll the Number Die and add the number of meeples as normal. Once succeeded, the Dolphin is moved to the hospital. Players may attempt to rescue the Dolphin again on the next round with a difficult of 3.

Note: If the Dolphin is not moved to the hospital by the end of round 3, the poor creature will never be saved.

Effects

Once the Dolphin is saved from the Hospital, they can now help you clean up the garbage. Every round during the Planning Phase, the Start Player may put 1 of his or her meeples along with the Dolphin on any Garbage Tile on the outerseas of the Ocean Current Disk. The Dolphin and the player meeple provide a +2 total to the die roll when cleaning the garbage.

Note: Enhancement Cards do not apply with the Dolphin.

Mission II. Quest for Hermit Crabs

Object and Setup

The Hermit Crabs are hidden among the Garbage Tiles. Try to look for them when you are cleaning up the garbage!

Shuffle the 6 Hermit Crab Tiles into the bag after finishing setup for Round 1.

Additional Rules

1. Setup Phase: Beginning with Round 2, if Hermit Crab Tiles are drawn from the bag, place them on the Mission Card, and draw a new tile as replacement.
   • Reminder: If you draw Hermit Crabs in this phase, redraw Garbage Tiles until it meets the Round Card requirements.
2. Action Phase: Every time a Garbage Tile is removed due to a successful die roll, the player gets a chance to draw a single tile from the bag. If a Hermit Crab Tile is drawn, place it on the Mission Card; otherwise, put the tile back into the bag.
   • Note: Garbage Tiles removed due to the Mobilization Action or the Ocean Vacuum do not count.

Effects

Once 3 Hermit Crab Tiles are found, the players gain the Hermit Crab companion. During the Planning Phase, the Start Player may take the Hermit Crab with their meeple on any Bottle Cap Garbage Tile. During the Action Phase, that tile will be removed without rolling the die.

Note: Enhancement Cards do not apply with the Hermit Crab.

Mission III. Sea Turtle Nesting

Object and Setup

Sea Turtles need to find a clean spot along the Beach to nest. Players must clean up the Beach and protect the eggs until 2 Sea Turtles are hatched.

During setup, place the Sea Turtle at the rightmost Beach section.

Additional Rules

1. Lay Eggs

   • Succeed: At the end of the Action Phase, if there are no Garbage Tile on the Ocean Current Disk next to the Sea Turtle, take 1 Sea Turtle Egg Token and place it at the Beach. The Sea Turtle then advances forward 1 space.
   • Fail: If there is a Garbage Tile on the Ocean Current Disk next to the Sea Turtle at the end of the Action Phase, then the Sea Turtle advances forward 1 space without laying an egg.

2. Hatch Eggs

   During the Planning Phase, any player may place a meeple next to a Sea Turtle Egg Token to protect it. During the Action Phase, the protected egg immediately hatches! Flip the token to the other side and place it on the Mission Card.

   Note: At the end of Round 4, the Sea Turtle goes back to the ocean. If 2 eggs have not hatched by then, then the mission fails.

Effects

When 2 Sea Turtles have hatched, the mission succeeds! Their cute faces help to raise awareness for the protection of the Beach, and all Garbage Tiles at the Beach are instantly removed.

Note: Garbage Tiles removed this way are not placed in the Research Center.

Scenario I. Crab Protection

Object and Setup

The habitats of the Crabs are under serious threat! You must protect the creatures to prevent them from extinction. During setup, place the Crab Tokens with the 2 Crabs side facing up on the number 6 and 7 spaces of the Estuary and Downstream.

Additional Rules

1. At the end of each Action Phase, if a Garbage Tile would be placed on a space with the Crab Token, flip the token to the 1-Crab side.
2. If the token is already flipped, remove the token and place it on the Scenario Card instead.

Additional Victory Condition

At the end of the game, at least 1 Crab must be alive.

Scenario II. Save the Herons

Object and Setup

The Herons are occasionally trapped by fishing nets in their habitats! Players must send and offer help if needed.

Additional Rules

1. Planning Phase: During the Planning Phase, players may send their meeples to the Herons Habitat Areas on the game board (spaces indicated by a Pip Die symbol in the corner). Each space cannot contain more than 1 meeple.

2. Action Phase: After the Garbage Cleanup action, the Start Player rolls the Pip Die twice, and place Heron Tokens on the corresponding areas. If a meeple is present at the same area, a Heron is saved! Flip the Heron to the untrapped side and place it on the Mission Card.

   Reminder: Herons may appear in the same location more than once. If a player meeple is present there, 2 Herons are saved!

Additional Victory Condition

At the end of the game, at least 3 Herons must be saved.

Scenario III. Shark Defender

Object and Setup

Sharks lives at the top of the food chain in the ocean. As the amount of garbage increases, the environment becomes more and more hostile for Sharks, which can greatly affect the ecosystem of the ocean!

During setup, place a cube at the 12 spot of the HP track on the Scenario Card, indicating full HP of the Shark.

Additional Rules

During the Ocean Current phase, after the Ocean Current Disk moves, perform the following steps in order:

1. The Start Player rolls the Pip Die, and the result represent the location of the Shark on the Ocean Current Disk.
2. If a Garbage Tile is present, the Shark eats the garbage. Move the tile onto the Scenario Card.
3. The current difficulty number of the Garbage Tile represents how many HP the Shark loses. Move the cube on the HP track accordingly. When the Shark reaches 0 HP, the game is over.

Note: If there are no Garbage Tile at the Shark's location, then nothing happens.

Additional Victory Condition

At the end of the game, the Shark must still be alive.