Spółka ZOO Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• What Is This About?
• Course of Play
• Action Phase
• Types of Action Tokens
  • Share Trading
  • Fruit Trading
  • Hiring a Helper
  • Lobbying
  • Speculation
  • Duplicate
• Market Phase
  • Step 1: Resolving the Company Decks
  • Step 2: Dividing the Fruits
    • Example of Dividing Fruits
  • Step 3: Regaining Action Tokens and Changing the First Player
• End of the Game
• FAQ
• Influence Cards
  • Icons on Influence Cards
• Helper Market
  • Icons on Helper Cards
• Additional Modules
  • Modules and Bots
  • Events
  • Hidden Goals
  • Intrigues
• Solo Mode and Bots
  • Bot Deck
  • Choosing a Share/Fruit
  • Bots and Helper Cards
  • Bot Markers
• Tips on How to Play
• Rules Summary

Components

• Rulebook
• Warehouse board
• 3 Company boards
• Double-sided Help card
• 3 Share Price tokens
• 3 Fruit Price tokens
• 30 Action tokens (6 in each colour). Action tokens come in 5 colours (the same as the Share tokens). The colour white used in this rulebook merely shows that there are 6 types of them.
• 40 Share tokens (8 in each colour)
• Fruit tokens: 17 apple tokens, 17 lemon tokens, 17 pineapple tokens
• 85 coin tokens in 4 denominations
• Round marker
• First Player marker
• 5 Bot markers
• 27 starting Company deck cards (65x100 mm)
• 48 Influence cards (65x100 mm)
• 36 Helper cards (65x100 mm)
• 13 Bot cards (65x100 mm)
• 5 Event cards (65x100 mm)
• 7 Hidden Goal cards (65x100 mm)
• 24 Intrigue cards (65x100 mm)

Setup

1. In the middle of the table lay out three Company boards next to each other (in random order). Then on space 1 of each of them place a Share Price token in the colour matching the colour of the Company board.

2. Prepare the Company decks. They are made up of the starting Company deck cards, which in the upper right corner of the front are marked with a fruit icon and a number. The fruit icon denotes belonging to a given Company. The numbers (from 2+ to 5) tell from what number of players the given card takes part in the game. Take those that will be needed and put the rest back in the box; they will not take part in the game. Shuffle the decks and place them face down under the Company boards corresponding to them.

   Example: In a three-player game each starting Company deck will consist only of cards marked 2+ and 3. Put back in the box all cards with the numbers 4+ and 5.

3. Above the Company boards place the Warehouse board. On the spaces with the value 1 place the three Fruit Price tokens (match the token colours to the corresponding tracks).

   Then on the top floor of the Warehouse place the following number of Fruit tokens (of each of the three fruit types):

   • for 2 players: 8 of each
   • for 3 players: 11 of each
   • for 4 players: 14 of each
   • for 5 players: 17 of each

   Put unused Fruit tokens back in the box; they will not take part in the game.

   At the bottom of the Warehouse board there is a round track. Place the round marker on its first space.

4. Prepare the Influence deck. Shuffle all cards with the shown card back (except those making up the starting Company decks and those discarded in step 2) and place the face-down deck to the right of the Warehouse board. Draw 3 top cards from it (4 cards in a four- and five-player game) and place them face up next to the deck.

5. Prepare the Helper market. Shuffle the cards with the shown card back and place the face-down deck to the left of the Warehouse board. Draw 3 top cards from it (4 cards in a four- and five-player game) and place them face up next to the deck.

Done! You can start playing.

REMEMBER! You can make your game more varied by using additional modules (more on pp. 22-23) and/or Bots (more on pp. 24-25). Especially in a two-player game or when experienced players sit down to play, we recommend using all 3 additional modules.

What Is This About?

In Spółka ZOO the players take the roles of merchants whose task is to run their business so as to gain as much recognition as possible among the inhabitants of Animal Valley, expressed in Glory points.

Moving in the world of animal trade is not an easy thing. There are 3 Companies on the market (the Apple Company, the Lemon Company and the Pineapple Company). They bring profits in the form of Fruits (apple, lemon and pineapple tokens). But in order to take part in the division of a Company's profits, a player must be its Shareholder, that is have their Shares in it. Not every Company brings measurable profits at a given moment, so it is worth deciding carefully in which of the Companies it pays to buy Shares and from which to withdraw as quickly as possible.

Equally important is who you work with. By hiring Helpers, a player not only adds to their Glory, but can also use their special abilities to achieve even greater success.

Of course, no resourceful merchant leaves everything in the hands of the invisible hand of the market, but through manipulation, speculation and lobbying tries to influence the Company decks and bring about a situation in which they themselves will gain the most.

Course of Play

The game lasts five rounds. Each round consists of two phases: the Action phase and the Market phase.

In the Action phase each player plays three Action tokens of their choice (four tokens in a two-player game). With them they will trade Shares and Fruits, hire Helpers and influence the operation of the Companies.

In the Market phase the Companies will generate profits in the form of Fruits, which are then divided among their Shareholders. At the end of the Market phase the First Player changes, and players regain their used Action tokens. Then the next round of the game begins.

After the fifth round ends, players sell all their Shares and Fruits, and every 5 coins is converted into 1 Glory point. The player who gathers the most Glory points becomes the winner.

The following pages contain a detailed description of both phases of the round.

Action Phase

The Action phase proceeds as follows.

Each player has their own pool of Action tokens. All players simultaneously and secretly choose one of their available Action tokens. Then the First Player reveals their token and plays it, performing the action connected with it. The resolved token must be set aside. It becomes unavailable and cannot be used again in the current round of the game. When the First Player finishes resolving the token, the next player (clockwise) reveals and plays their Action token.

When all players have resolved their chosen first Action token, repeat the above steps two more times so that each player plays 3 of their 6 Action tokens in this phase (4 tokens in a two-player game).

REMEMBER! A player is not obliged to perform the action of the Action token they have just chosen. But it still counts as playing an Action token.

When each player has played 3 Action tokens (4 tokens in a two-player game), the Action phase ends and the Market phase begins.

Types of Action Tokens

Below is a detailed description of how each of the 6 Action tokens works.

Share Trading

With this Action token a player may perform up to two transactions involving Share tokens of which they are the owner.

Within one transaction a player may buy or sell one Share. They may perform two different transactions (a purchase and a sale) or two identical transactions (2x purchase or 2x sale). They may also perform only one transaction or decide not to perform any.

What is not allowed within this action is two different transactions in the same Company. For example: you cannot, with the first transaction, buy a Share in the Lemon Company in order to sell a Share in the Lemon Company with the second transaction (or vice versa).

REMEMBER! Transactions are performed one after another. A. A player wishing to buy two Shares in the same Company will pay more for the second Share than for the first, because buying the first Share raised its price. B. A player wishing to sell two Shares in the same Company will receive less money for the second Share sold than for the first, because selling the first Share lowered its price.

BUYING A SHARE IN A COMPANY consists of the player adding a Share token from their pool to the chosen Company board. The player pays the Bank as much money as the current price of a Share in that Company (shown by the Share Price token). After buying a Share, move the Share Price token on that Company's board one space to the right (max. 10). A player who buys at least one Share in a given Company becomes its Shareholder (see p. 16). Share tokens are placed on the upper floor of the Company board.

SELLING A SHARE IN A COMPANY consists of taking one of the player's Share tokens from the chosen Company board and putting it back in their pool. The player takes from the Bank as much money as the current price of a Share in that Company (shown by the Share Price token). After selling a Share, move the Share Price token on that Company's board one space to the left (min. 1).

Depending on the type of transaction, the Share Price token moves to the right (purchase) or to the left (sale).

REMEMBER! Base Share prices range from 1-10, but may be higher than 10 as a result of some Influence cards or Helper cards.

Fruit Trading

With this Action token a player may perform up to two transactions involving Fruits (represented by Fruit tokens) located in their pool or in the Warehouse.

Within one transaction a player may buy or sell one Fruit. They may perform two different transactions (a purchase and a sale) or two identical transactions (2x purchase or 2x sale). They may also perform only one transaction or decide not to perform any.

What is not allowed within this action is two different transactions involving the same Fruit. For example: you cannot, with the first transaction, buy a pineapple in order to sell a pineapple with the second transaction (or vice versa).

REMEMBER! Transactions are performed one after another. A. A player wishing to buy two identical Fruits will pay more for the second Fruit than for the first, because buying the first Fruit raised its price. B. A player wishing to sell two identical Fruits will receive less money for the second Fruit sold than for the first, because selling the first Fruit lowered its price.

SELLING A FRUIT consists of taking one chosen Fruit from the player's pool and adding it to the Warehouse board. The player takes from the Bank as much money as the current price of that Fruit (shown by the corresponding Fruit Price token on the Warehouse board). After selling a Fruit, move that Fruit Price token on the Warehouse board one space to the left (min. 1). Sold Fruits are placed on the top floor of the Warehouse board.

BUYING A FRUIT FROM THE WAREHOUSE consists of taking one chosen Fruit from the Warehouse board (if one is available) and adding it to the player's pool. The player pays the Bank as much money as the current price of that Fruit (shown by the corresponding Fruit Price token on the Warehouse board). After buying a Fruit, move that Fruit Price token on the Warehouse board one space to the right (max. 5).

BUYING A FRUIT FROM ANOTHER PLAYER. A player may buy a Fruit that is in another player's pool (even if a Fruit of that type is currently in the Warehouse). The buyer then pays the seller as much money as the current price of the given Fruit + 2 coins. Buying a Fruit from another player also raises its price (move the appropriate Fruit Price token on the Warehouse board one space to the right; max. 5). IMPORTANT! A player may not refuse to sell a Fruit from their pool to another player.

Depending on the type of transaction, the Fruit Price tokens move to the right (purchase) or to the left (sale). (The marker on the track is the Fruit price indicator.)

REMEMBER! Base Fruit prices range from 1-5, but may be higher than 5 as a result of some effects in the game and Influence cards and Helper cards.

Hiring a Helper

With this Action token a player may hire one Helper from among those whose cards lie face up on the Helper market (depending on the number of players, there will be 3 or 4 cards).

To hire the chosen Helper, you must pay its cost. This cost is expressed in Fruits and is visible at the top of the Helper card. A player hiring a Helper pays with Fruit tokens from their own pool, which they put on the top floor of the Warehouse board. The player places the acquired Helper in their pool. There is no limit to the number of Helpers owned. After buying a Helper, refill the market by drawing and revealing a new Helper card. Hiring a Helper does not affect Fruit prices in any way.

A detailed description of the Helper cards is on page 21.

Lobbying

With this Action token a player may influence the content of a chosen Company deck.

The player takes 2 coins from the Bank. Then they must choose one of the face-up cards in the Influence deck area (depending on the number of players, there will be 3 or 4 cards) and shuffle it into a Company deck of their choice. Finally, refill the Influence deck area by drawing and revealing a new Influence card.

A player may use this Action token also with respect to a Company in which they currently have no Shares.

Example: The blue player is the Majority Shareholder in the Apple Company. They see that in the Influence deck area lies a card whose effect gives a bonus to the Majority Shareholder. The player decides to use Lobbying. They take 2 coins from the Bank. Then they shuffle the chosen Influence card into the Apple Company deck. The last step is to refill the Influence deck area with a new card.

A detailed description of the Influence cards is on page 20.

Speculation

With this Action token a player may influence the order of cards in a Company deck and move cards between Company decks.

The player takes 1 coin from the Bank. Then they may look at the 4 top cards of any one Company deck. They do not show them to other players. The player may place 1 card of their choice on the bottom of any Company deck (including the one from which they drew it), and puts the remaining 3 cards in any order on top of the Company deck from which they drew them.

If the player does not want to, they need not move any card to another Company deck and may place all 4 cards in any order on top of the Company deck from which they drew them.

A player may use this Action token also with respect to a Company in which they currently have no Shares.

Example: The green player has Shares in the Pineapple Company. Wanting to achieve the greatest possible benefit from the nearest division of Fruits, they decide on Speculation. The player takes 1 coin from the Bank. Then they draw the 4 top cards of the Pineapple Company deck. They do not show them to other players. They look at them, and then decide to move 1 of them to the bottom of the Lemon Company deck. The remaining 3 cards they put, in an order of their choosing, on top of the Pineapple Company deck.

Example: The blue player currently has no Shares in the Apple Company, but plans to acquire them. At the same time they want to find out whether the nearest division of Fruits in this Company could bring them any benefits, so they decide on Speculation. They take 1 coin from the Bank. Then they draw the 4 top cards of the Apple Company deck. The player looks at the drawn cards (not showing them to other players). One of them is a card with the end-of-deck icon, which the player decides to put on the bottom of the Apple Company deck (so as not to finish resolving this deck too quickly in the future), and the remaining 3 cards they put, in an order of their choosing, on top of the Apple Company deck.

A detailed description of the Influence cards is on page 20.

Duplicate

With this Action token a player may copy the action of the last Action token they played. This applies only to the token played immediately before playing the Duplicate and only in the current round. A Duplicate cannot be played as the first Action token in a round.

Example: As the first Action token in the round the red player played Hiring a Helper. As the second token they would like to play it again, but cannot do so, because a given token can be used in the current round only once. So they decide to play the Duplicate, thanks to which they have the opportunity to use the action provided by the Hiring a Helper token again.

If a player has Helpers whose abilities activate after resolving the effect of the duplicated Action token, they may use them in the same way as if they were resolving that Action token right now.

Market Phase

When each player has resolved 3 Action tokens (4 tokens in a two-player game), the Action phase ends and the Market phase begins.

REMEMBER! Both resolving the Company decks and dividing the Fruits always proceed from the left to the right Company. To avoid mess, it is best to entrust carrying out the Market phase to the First Player.

The Market phase consists of three steps:

• STEP 1: Resolving the Company decks.
• STEP 2: Dividing the Fruits gathered in the Companies among the Shareholders.
• STEP 3: Regaining Action tokens and changing the First Player.

The following pages describe the course of each of these steps in detail.

Step 1: Resolving the Company Decks

Company decks consist of Influence cards. Resolving a Company deck consists of successively drawing its top cards and resolving the effects on them. Cards are resolved until the end-of-deck icon appears on them for the second time, or until the cards in the deck run out. The card bearing the second revealed end-of-deck icon must also be resolved.

After finishing resolving the deck, shuffle all the cards (resolved and unresolved, if any remain) and form a new, face-down Company deck. Players may not look at cards that were not resolved.

REMEMBER! It is forbidden to shuffle a Company deck before starting to resolve it.

Example: The players proceed to resolve the Lemon Company deck.

1. The first revealed card orders one lemon token to be placed on this Company's board.
2. The second revealed card orders another lemon token to be added to the Company. In addition, it bears the end-of-deck icon.
3. The third revealed card again orders a lemon token to be added to the Company. It too bears the end-of-deck icon.

Since this is the second revealed end-of-deck icon, at this moment the resolving of this Company's deck ends. The First Player shuffles all the cards (resolved and unresolved) and forms from them a new, face-down Company deck.

Fruits added to the board are placed on its lower floor.

Unless stated otherwise, the effect of cards applies only to the Company to which the given deck belongs and to its Shareholders. When resolving a card, carry out as much of the effect described on it as possible. It is not always possible to resolve a card's effect in full (there may be a lack of Fruits in the Warehouse, or a Share price cannot be raised/lowered any further). In such a situation players carry out as much as they can (ignoring the rest), or ignore the card entirely if they cannot carry out the effect described on it to any degree. A card must also be ignored when it is not possible to determine which player is the Majority Shareholder (more on determining the Majority Shareholder on p. 16). The end-of-deck icon on a card must never be ignored.

After resolving the first Company deck, resolve the next ones in a similar way. After resolving all three decks, players proceed to the division of the Fruit tokens located on the Company boards.

Step 2: Dividing the Fruits

The division of Fruits in a Company takes place among its Shareholders (that is, players who have at least one of their own Share tokens in the given Company). The number of Shares held decides in what order and how many Fruits each Shareholder will receive.

The player who has the most Shares in a Company, or who is the only one holding any Shares in it, becomes its Majority Shareholder. The other players who have any Shares in that Company are its Minority Shareholders.

The division of Fruits proceeds as follows:

1. First, the Majority Shareholder takes Fruits from the given Company's board and puts them in their pool. They take Fruits freely chosen by themselves in a number equal to the Shares they hold in that Company. If there are not enough Fruit tokens on the Company's board, they take as many as they can.

2. The remaining Fruits (if any are left) go to the Minority Shareholders (if there are any). The order and number of Fruits taken in this case is also decided by the number of Shares held in the Company. Second, the Minority Shareholder who has the most Shares takes Fruits into their pool. They take as many (of any type) as they have Shares, or as many as they can if there are not enough Fruit tokens on the Company's board. After them the next player does the same, until every Shareholder has taken Fruits.

The division of Fruits in a Company ends when at least one of the 3 following conditions occurs:

• every Shareholder has taken at least 1 Fruit from the Company,
• the Company has run out of Fruits,
• a tie occurred that cannot be resolved.

If after the division is finished some Fruits remain in the Company, they carry over to the next round.

Resolve each of the three Companies in this way in turn.

RESOLVING TIES DURING THE MARKET PHASE When determining the Majority Shareholder or establishing the order in which Minority Shareholders take Fruits, ties may occur. They are resolved as follows:

1. If two or more players have the same number of Shares in a given Company, the tie is won by the one who has gathered the most Glory points on all the Helper cards they own.

2. If after applying point 1 some players still tie, the one who has more Helper cards in their pool wins.

3. If after applying points 1 and 2 some players still tie, the tie is considered unresolved. All Shareholders who have not yet taken Fruits from this Company take 3 coins from the Bank. The division of Fruits in the given Company is ended (even if some Fruit tokens remain on the Company's board, and even if no Fruits were taken because a Majority Shareholder could not be determined).

Example of Dividing Fruits

Company 1. In the Company there are two Shareholders. The blue player has more Shares and becomes the Majority Shareholder. The green player is the only Minority Shareholder. First, the blue player takes three Fruits of their choice (because that is how many Shares they have in this Company). They decide to take 2 of one Fruit and 1 of another. The green player has one Share, so they take only one Fruit token (they take the only available token). Each of the Shareholders has taken at least one Fruit token, so the division of Fruits in this Company ends. Proceed to resolve the division of Fruits in the next Company.

Company 2. In the Company there are three Shareholders. The Majority Shareholder is the green player, because they have the most Shares here (3). And it is they who first take three Fruits from this Company (they decide to take 2 of one type and 1 of another). The remaining Fruits go to the Minority Shareholders. First to take Fruits is the yellow player, because they have 2 Shares here (the red player has only 1 Share). They may take two Fruits of any kind from the board, but only 1 token is left, so they take only that Fruit. Unfortunately for the second Minority Shareholder (the red player) there were no Fruits left and they leave empty-handed. The Fruits have run out, so the division of Fruits in this Company ends. Proceed to resolve the division of Fruits in the next Company.

Company 3. In the Company there are three Shareholders. The blue and red players have the same number of Shares (2). Which of them becomes the Majority Shareholder is decided by the number of Glory points on the Helper cards held by each of them. It turns out, however, that each of them has the same number of Glory points. Next, the tie is resolved by the number of Helper cards each of them has. Unfortunately, again it turns out that each of them has the same number of Helpers in their pool. A Majority Shareholder cannot be determined, therefore each of the Shareholders present here (also the green player) takes 3 coins from the Bank. Because the tie could not be resolved, the division of Fruits in this Company ends. The Fruits located on the board remain on it for the next round.

Step 3: Regaining Action Tokens and Changing the First Player

The last step of the Market phase is passing the First Player marker to the person to the left of its current holder and moving the marker on the round track to the next space. Players regain all Action tokens they used in this round.

If the game uses the Events deck and/or Bots, shuffle them before the next round of the game begins.

End of the Game

After the fifth round is played, the game ends. To determine the winner, resolve the following steps:

1. The abilities of Helpers whose cards contain the "ability does not work at the end of the game" icon cease to work. Glory points from these cards are counted normally.

2. All players simultaneously sell all the Shares and Fruits they own at their current prices (taking into account any abilities of active Helpers). This sale no longer causes any changes to the prices of either Shares or Fruits.

3. Every 5 coins owned by a player is converted into 1 Glory point.

4. Players add up all the Glory points they have (from Helper cards and those obtained for money).

The holder of the greatest number of Glory points is declared the best merchant in Animal Valley and wins the game. In case of a tie, the winner is the holder of the larger sum of money that was not converted into Glory points. In case of a further tie, the player with the greatest number of Helper cards wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

FAQ

What if there is a contradiction between the rules in the rulebook and those written on cards? The rules on the cards take precedence.

When an Influence card orders a Fruit to be added to a Company board, can I do so if the Fruit type is different from the type of the Company? For example, can I add a lemon to the Apple Company board? Yes, all Fruits can be added to Companies regardless of their type.

Can I also remove starting Company deck cards from the deck or move them to other Company decks? Yes.

Can I look through the decks available in the game at any time? You may not do this unless some effect allows it.

Does moving or exchanging Shares or Fruits affect their prices? No. Moving and exchanging Shares/Fruits is not the same as buying or selling them.

What if all the cards are removed from some Company deck? This is unlikely, but in such a case skip the step of resolving the deck of that Company and go straight to resolving the next Company deck. The division of Fruits (if there are any) in the Company whose deck has run out takes place normally.

Some Helpers' abilities allow lowering the price of purchased Fruits or Shares even to 0. Does this mean I can acquire them for free? Yes, in such a case they are acquired for free.

The effect of the pictured Influence card orders lowering the Share price by 2 spaces. What if I cannot do this or can lower the price by only 1 space? Do I still have to remove this card from the game? Yes, the card must be removed from the game.

Can players voluntarily give each other money or Fruits? No, the only thing permitted is buying a Fruit from another player.

What if I must move a Price token (Share or Fruit) in a given direction, but it is already on the extreme space of its track on the board? In such a situation the position of the Price token on the board does not change.

An effect in the game orders me to discard money or Fruits. What if I do not have enough of them or have none at all? You discard as many as you can or ignore the effect.

Are the money, Fruits, Helpers and already played Action tokens that players own open information? Yes.

What if money runs out in the game? This is the only game component that we consider unlimited. In such a case replace it with anything else.

Is there a limit to the Fruits I can have in my pool? No.

Influence Cards

Influence cards are present in two types of decks of the game: the Influence deck and the Company decks. As a result of playing Action tokens and the action of Helper cards, cards from the Influence deck will be placed in the Company decks.

Influence cards have varied effects, which are resolved during step 1 of the Market phase. The entire effect written on a card must always be resolved, unless this is not possible. Then as much as can be is resolved. If the effect of a card cannot be resolved in any way, it must be ignored. The end-of-deck icon must never be ignored.

When some effect in the game allows a player to look at or discard Influence cards (all or chosen ones), this must be done covertly, that is, the contents of the cards must not be shown to fellow players, unless the rules of the effect explicitly say otherwise.

Influence card effects can be combined with the abilities of Helper cards.

When some effect orders refilling the Influence deck area, reveal the missing cards from the face-down stack of Influence cards.

Starting Company deck cards are also counted as Influence cards. These cards have in the upper right corner a fruit icon and a number (from 2+ to 5), which denotes belonging to a specific Company and the number of players at which the given card takes part in the game.

All rules concerning Influence cards also apply to the starting Company deck cards.

REMEMBER! Buying or selling (a Share/Fruit) as a consequence of an Influence card effect also affects the price level of the given element (moves its price marker).

Icons on Influence Cards

• Money (its equivalent is indicated by the number next to this icon). Money is taken from or paid to the Bank.
• Fruit tokens.
• End-of-deck icon: the appearance of a second such icon ends the resolving of a Company deck.

(Diagram: an example Influence card, showing its front (effect of the Influence card) and back.)

Helper Market

The Helper market consists of Helper cards. A player may hire a Helper by paying its cost (expressed in Fruit tokens). The appropriate Action token is used for this. Helpers give a player, among other things, a certain number of Glory points (needed to win and taken into account when resolving ties during the Market phase).

Helpers also have abilities. Some work automatically from the moment they are hired, others are optional. Helpers whose abilities trigger after resolving a (specific or any) Action token work from the moment they are hired, that is, they can be used right after resolving the Action token with which the player acquired that Helper. Helper abilities can be combined with each other and can be activated in any order. Helpers can be used both in the Action phase and in the Market phase. Some Helpers are also active when resolving the end of the game.

The action of Helper cards can be combined with the effects of Influence cards.

Some Helpers' abilities can be activated after resolving an Action token (a specific or any type). In such a case it always concerns the token resolved by the player who owns the given Helper, and refers only to the last resolved token in the given round. If a player plays an Action token but does not use its effect, they also cannot use Helpers' abilities.

When some effect orders refilling the Helper market, reveal the missing cards from the face-down stack of Helper cards.

Icons on Helper Cards

• Money (its equivalent is indicated by the number next to this icon). Money is taken from or paid to the Bank.
• Fruit tokens (apple / lemon / pineapple).
• Any Action token.
• A specific Action token (from the left: Share Trading, Fruit Trading, Lobbying, Speculation).
• Helper's ability does not work at the end of the game (icon switching off the Helper's ability at the end of the game).
• Company deck card.
• Glory points.

(Diagram: an example Helper card, showing the Helper's hiring cost, the Helper's ability, the Glory points, and the back of the card.)

REMEMBER! Buying or selling (a Share/Fruit) as a consequence of a Helper card's ability also affects the price level of the given element (moves its price marker).

Additional Modules

Besides its basic rules, the game offers 3 additional modules that make play more varied. They are: Events, Hidden Goals and Intrigues. The additional modules make the game more unpredictable and extend into new areas the scope of competition between players. The modules can be freely combined with each other; you can play with only selected ones or with all at once. For beginner players we suggest first playing a few games with only the basic rules and turning on the modules only after getting to know the game and its specifics. Advanced players can use the additional possibilities provided by the modules right away. Especially in a two-player game we recommend using all 3 modules.

Below is a detailed description of how to use the modules.

Modules and Bots

The modules can also be used in a game with Bots. Whenever the rules of individual modules or their cards refer to "players", Bots are included among them. The only exception are the Hidden Goal cards and Intrigue cards. Bots do not receive these cards at the start of the game; instead each Bot receives 20 coins (40 coins if both of those modules are used).

REMEMBER! The terms exchange and swap of Shares or Fruits are not the same as buying/selling them. Such actions do not change the prices of these elements.

Events

This module introduces more unpredictability as regards Fruit and Share prices. From now on their value will be influenced not only by the players' actions, but also by external factors. This module consists of 5 cards forming the so-called Events deck.

At the start of a game with this module, shuffle the Events deck and place it face down near the Warehouse board.

At the end of each Market phase (also in round five) the effects of 2 Event cards must be introduced into the game.

The First Player draws the top card of the Events deck, reads it aloud and introduces its effect into the game. Then they set it aside and draw the next Event card. They resolve it in a similar way.

The effect of a card is resolved in full, and if that is impossible, as much of the effect as can be is resolved. Partially resolving an Event card's effect is also treated as having resolved the card.

If the First Player is unable to apply the effect described on the card in any way (even partially), they set it aside and draw the next one. The player draws and resolves Event cards until the effects of 2 Event cards have been introduced into the game.

When this happens the First Player returns all set-aside cards to the Events deck, shuffles it and places it face down near the Warehouse board.

Hidden Goals

This module introduces Hidden Goal cards, the fulfilment of which will bring players additional Glory points at the end of the game. This module consists of 7 cards forming the so-called Hidden Goals deck.

At the start of a game with this module, shuffle all Hidden Goal cards and deal one face-down card to each player. Bots do not receive Hidden Goal cards; instead each Bot receives 20 coins. Put unused Hidden Goal cards back in the box; they will not take part in the game.

Players read the cards they received and keep them secret from the others for the rest of the game. Players may look at their goal cards at any time, but must not reveal their contents to fellow players.

At the beginning of the End of the Game stage, players reveal their Hidden Goals and check whether they managed to fulfil them. If at the end of the game the condition described on the Hidden Goal card is met, its holder gains the number of Glory points indicated on it.

Intrigues

Intrigues add another portion of unpredictability and even more negative interaction. This module consists of 24 cards forming the so-called Intrigue deck.

At the start of a game with this module, shuffle the Intrigue deck and deal each player a specified number of face-down Intrigue cards.

• 2 players - each player receives 5 Intrigue cards.
• 3-5 players - each player receives 3 Intrigue cards.

Bots do not receive Intrigue cards; instead each Bot receives 20 coins. Put unused Intrigue cards back in the box; they will not take part in the game.

Intrigue cards can be played only in the Action phase. A player may play one Intrigue card for each Action token they choose. This means that in one round a player may play up to 3 of their Intrigue cards (up to 4 cards in a two-player game).

An Intrigue card may be played both before and after an Action token is revealed or resolved. An Intrigue card cannot be played during the resolving of an Action token.

Using an Intrigue card is not an action. This means that playing it has no effect on the number of Action tokens a player may resolve in a given round. If a player is unable to carry out the effect of a played Intrigue card in full, they carry out as much as they can.

A played and resolved Intrigue card must be removed from the game; players do not draw new cards during play.

Intrigue card effects can be combined with the effects of Influence cards and the abilities of Helper cards.

Buying or selling (a Share or Fruit) triggered by an Intrigue card causes changes in the prices of those elements.

Solo Mode and Bots

Solo play follows the same rules as multiplayer play. The exception is the use of the Bot deck, which will simulate the action of another player. Bots can also be used in a multiplayer game when players want to add a virtual player to the game. Both in solo mode and in a multiplayer game, a maximum of 4 Bots can be used. The total number of players and Bots cannot exceed five.

Carry out the setup according to the description on pages 5-7 of this rulebook, counting the Bots used in the number of players. For example: in a game in which two players and one Bot take part, prepare the game as for a 3-player game. Before starting the game, players should determine a place for each of the Bots, that is, establish after which player the given Bot will take its turn. A Bot may take its turn directly after another Bot's turn. For the purposes of various effects, a Bot is considered a player.

Most of the same rules apply to Bots as to other players (including those concerning starting money and Fruits and Share tokens, from which a separate pool must be created for each Bot). A Bot may become the First Player. A Bot may become a Shareholder (also a Majority Shareholder), and also takes part in the division of Fruits from the Companies. Influence card and Helper card effects referring to players also work on Bots. A Bot may become the winner of the game. A Bot is always handled by one of the players adjacent to it.

Bot Deck

Bots do not use Action tokens; they are replaced by the Bot deck (consisting of 13 cards). When in the Action phase it is a Bot's turn to resolve an Action token, instead the player adjacent to that Bot reveals and resolves on its behalf the top card of the Bot deck. Bot cards have one or two effects (at the top of the card). If at least one effect from the card cannot be resolved in full, the player discards it and draws the next one. They do this until at least one effect of a Bot card can be resolved. If a Bot card contains two effects and it is possible to fulfil both, both must be carried out.

If players use several Bots in the game, all of them use the same Bot deck, but each Bot resolves its turn separately. If during resolving cards the deck runs out, shuffle the discarded cards, form a new deck and continue drawing. The deck should be shuffled only when it runs out or the current round of the game ends. Do not reshuffle the Bot deck after a given Bot has finished resolving it.

(Diagram: an example Bot card, showing the first effect, the second effect, the additional ability (resolved if the condition described there was met), and the back of the card.)

REMEMBER! Buying or selling (a Share/Fruit) as a consequence of a Bot card effect also affects the price level of the given element (moves its price marker).

Choosing a Share/Fruit

Whenever a Bot is to draw/discard or buy/sell a Share or Fruit of its choice (regardless of whether it concerns the Warehouse board, a Company, or its pool), it makes this choice based on the order of the Company boards in the given game (always from the left to the right Company).

Example: The game proceeds in the following configuration: 2 players and 1 Bot. It is the Market phase and the players are resolving a Company deck. The just revealed Influence card says that the Majority Shareholder takes a chosen Fruit from this Company into their pool. In the Company there are the following Fruit tokens: 3 apples, 1 lemon and no pineapples. The Majority Shareholder in this Company is the Bot, so it chooses one of the Fruits and adds it to its pool. Which Fruit it will be is decided by the order of the Company boards, which in this game looks as follows: first is the Apple Company, second the Lemon Company, and third the Pineapple Company (drawing below).

According to this order, as the first Fruit the Bot should take an apple, but since there is no such Fruit in the Company being resolved, the Bot checks the next one (that is, the lemon). There is 1 lemon on the Company's board, so the Bot takes that Fruit into its pool.

REMEMBER! All disputed situations must always be resolved on the basis of the order of the Company boards.

Bots and Helper Cards

A Bot may hire Helpers, but never uses their abilities. Only at the end of the game does it add up the Glory points on their cards.

A Bot may hire a Helper through the effect of some cards from the Bot deck. Like a player, the Bot must pay the cost of the given Helper with Fruit tokens from its pool.

When hiring a Helper it always checks the face-up cards of the Helper market, starting with the one lying closest to the Helper card stack. After the purchase, refill the Helper market. If it cannot afford to hire any of the laid-out Helpers, it hires nobody.

Example: The Bot has the following Fruit tokens in its pool: 3 of one type and 3 of another. First it tries to hire the Helper laid out closest to the Helper card stack. It does not have the required Fruit token to do so. In the case of the next card it also lacks a Fruit token. Fortunately, it is able to hire the third of the laid-out Helpers (it has the right number of the needed Fruit tokens). The player handling the Bot puts the required Fruit tokens from its pool in the Warehouse, takes the hired Helper card into its pool, and finally refills the Helper market.

Bot Markers

They serve to identify a Bot and mark its pool. Use the marker in the same colour as the colour of the Share tokens assigned to the Bot.

Tips on How to Play

• If you wonder which Companies to invest in, it may help to look at the laid-out Helper cards. If a specific Fruit appears in large numbers in their cost, perhaps it is worth investing in the Company that produces it.

• Remember that the starting Company deck cards include some that will let you buy Shares in the Company being resolved during the Market phase. Try to have capital prepared with which you will buy an additional Share and thereby strengthen your own position in the given Company.

• Observe which Action tokens are used by Helpers belonging to other players. This way you will be able to more easily predict their plays and counter them, or use this knowledge for your own purposes.

• Note that Companies produce a limited number of Fruits. You can take over the entire production of a given Company if you hold a large enough number of Shares in it.

• Using the Speculation Action token, move cards producing Fruits to the Company in which you have the most Shares. It is nice to be in a Company that produces every type of Fruit.

• Hiring Helpers is a great way to guarantee yourself a certain number of Glory points at the end of the game. You then do not need to worry so much about fluctuations in Share and Fruit prices.

• Playing with Event cards, use them for your own purposes. Note that they usually cause a rise in the price of those Fruits of which there are the fewest in the Warehouse, and vice versa. If you want, for example, to trigger a stock market crash, you can artificially push prices up, counting on a card that will lower the Fruit price by the maximum value.

• Need cash? Try playing for a tie (e.g. when determining the Majority Shareholder), that is, bring about a situation in which the division of Fruits in a Company will be ended prematurely. Fruits remaining in the Company may encourage others to acquire Shares in it, which will drive their price up. And this may be the best moment to sell your Shares and invest the money obtained in something else.

Rules Summary

Round sequence:

1. ACTION PHASE (players choose and resolve their Action tokens).
2. MARKET PHASE (resolving Company decks and dividing Fruits from the Company boards).

Icons on cards:

• Money (its equivalent is indicated by the number next to this icon).
• Fruit tokens.
• Any Action token.
• A specific Action token (from the left: Share Trading, Fruit Trading, Lobbying, Speculation).
• Helper's ability does not work at the end of the game.
• Company deck card.
• Second such icon ends the resolving of a Company deck.
• Markings of the starting Company deck cards.
• Glory: decides the victory in the game and serves to resolve ties during the division of Fruits from the Company boards.

Types of Action tokens:

• SHARE TRADING - used to perform 2 purchase/sale transactions of Shares.
• FRUIT TRADING - used to perform 2 purchase/sale transactions of Fruits.
• HIRING A HELPER - used to acquire a Helper card.
• LOBBYING - adds an Influence card to a Company deck; the player takes 2 coins from the Bank.
• SPECULATION - affects the order of cards in a Company deck; the player takes 1 coin from the Bank.
• DUPLICATE - copies the action of the last Action token played by the player.

Remember! You may buy a Fruit from another player by paying them 2 coins more than the current price.

Company decks and the division of Fruits are always resolved from the left to the right Company.

The Majority Shareholder in a Company is the player who has the most of their Shares in it. In case of a tie, first the number of Glory points from Helper cards is considered, and in case of a further tie, the number of Helper cards. If that is not enough, the tie remains unresolved.

When an effect allows looking at or removing (a card/deck), the player does so covertly, unless the effect explicitly says otherwise.