Varuna Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Card's anatomy
• Round of play
  • Phase 1 - Reveal a card from each deck
  • Phase 2 - Select a card, sustain potential damages and perform the action of the selected card
  • Phase 3 - Gain the bonus of the selected card
• End of the round
• Actions
  • Moving your submarine
  • Using your sonar
  • Discovering dinosaurs
  • Studying dinosaurs
  • Upgrading your submarine
  • Other actions
• End of the game and scoring
• Solo game rules
• Appendix
• Credits
• Mission Record
• Achievements

Components

• 7 double-sided Species tiles
• 75 Action cards (15 of each color)
• 100 Player sheets
• 12 double-sided Objective tiles
• 1 double-sided Objective board (multiplayer / solo)
• 8 Discovery tokens
• 1 rulebook in 2 languages (English, French)
• Bonus: 2 Objective tiles for Demeter

Setup

1. Sort the Action cards per color to form 5 decks of 15 cards each. Place these 5 decks at the center of the play area. Remove from the game 2 cards from each deck without looking at them: they will not be used for this game.
2. Take the Objective board and place it at the center of the play area. Select randomly 4 Objective tiles and place them on their golden side above the Objective board, from A to D. Return the remaining Objective tiles to the box: they will not be used for this game.
3. Randomly select 4 Discovery tokens and place them face up below the Objective board, from A to D. Return the remaining Discovery tokens to the box: they will not be used for this game.
4. Place the 7 Species tiles on their golden side next to the play area, in any order.
5. Each player takes a score pad and a pen (or a pencil) then highlights one of the three submarine starting positions (Dsungaripterus / Dimorphodon / Ichthyosaurus), then circles the dotted area inside the species tile next to the starting position they chose: this indicates this species has now been unlocked. To finish the setup, each player colors a part of their choice of that type of Dinosaur.

Example: David chooses to highlight the submarine starting position in the Ichthyosaurus environment, unlocking this species. He then colors a part of an Ichthyosaurus.

IMPORTANT: You cannot Discover or Study a dinosaur if you haven't unlocked that species earlier in the game via a Move your submarine or a Use your sonar action.

Card's anatomy

Each Action card shows an ACTION icon (the effect you perform when you select the card) and a BONUS icon (the bonus you gain when you resolve that card during Phase 3).

Round of play

A game of Varuna lasts 13 rounds. Each round is divided into 3 phases:

1. Reveal a card from each deck.
2. Select a card, sustain potential damages and perform the action of the selected card.
3. Gain the bonus of the selected card.

Phase 1 - Reveal a card from each deck

A player draws a card from each deck and places the 5 cards face up in their corresponding discard pile. These are the 5 available cards for this round.

Phase 2 - Select a card, sustain potential damages and perform the action of the selected card

Simultaneously, each player selects one of the 5 available cards (without taking it) and resolves the following steps in order:

1. Circle the leftmost square in your action area that corresponds to the color of the selected card.

Example: David chooses the purple card this round: he circles the leftmost space of his Action area that corresponds to the purple cards.

2. Sustain potential damages on the non-selected cards. Add up the damage symbols visible on your 4 non-selected cards. This sum indicates the amount of damage your submarine has to deal with. Subtract the amount of protection you gained (see Increasing your protection level) from that value to know how much damage you must tick on your damage track. Then, starting by the top of your damage track, tick that number of damages.

In case a player ticks the last space of his damage track, his submarine is sunk and that player is immediately eliminated from the game.

Example: This round David selects the purple card and therefore avoids the damages from this card. The total amount of damage on David's non-selected cards is 4. As the protection level of his submarine is 2, he ticks 2 spaces on his Damage track.

3. Perform the action indicated at the top of the card.

IMPORTANT:

• Multiple players may select the same available card during the same round.
• Once a player has selected 4 cards of the same color, that player cannot select a card of this color anymore.
• If there are several action symbols on the card, perform these actions in any order. If there are several symbols separated with a "/", choose only one of them.
• Perform entirely your action before triggering any bonuses that could be gained via this action.

Example: On a later round, David performs the action of this card: coloring 2 dinosaur parts.

Phase 3 - Gain the bonus of the selected card

Each player colors the square they just circled during the second phase above and gains the bonus indicated inside the square (see below for all bonuses rules).

• Move your submarine bonus: move your submarine 1/2/3/4 times.
• Use your sonar bonus: use your sonar 1/2/3/4 times.
• Study dinosaurs bonus: study dinosaurs 1/2/3/4 times.
• Upgrade your submarine bonus: upgrade your submarine 1/2/3/4 times.
• Wildcard bonus: gain any bonus among the four above, but apply it only once, regardless of the number of times you selected a grey card.

End of the round

Flipping species tiles: If at least one player discovered an entire species (see below: Discovering dinosaurs), flip the corresponding species tile on its silver side. From now on, if other players discover that species entirely, they score 2MP less.

Flipping objective tiles: If at least one player validated an Objective during this round, flip it on its silver side. From now on, if other players wish to validate that Objective, conditions to fulfill are more difficult.

End of the game: If the 5 decks are not empty, play another round. If the 5 decks are empty, this is the end of the game and players tally their Mission Points to get their final score for the game.

Actions

Players perform actions several ways:

• During Phase 2 of each round: when they select a card.
• During Phase 3 of each round: when they resolve the bonus of their selected card.
• During Phases 2 and 3: when they gain a bonus on their score pad as indicated in a bonus square.

The 5 main actions you will be able to perform in Varuna are the following:

• Moving your submarine
• Using your sonar
• Discovering dinosaurs
• Studying dinosaurs
• Upgrading your submarine

Moving your submarine

Your submarine moves by highlighting lines on your score pad.

The first time you move your submarine, you must do it from the starting position chosen during setup: highlight a line adjacent to this starting position.

Then, you must highlight a line adjacent to another line already highlighted or adjacent to your submarine starting position.

IMPORTANT:

• When you highlight a line connected to a Species tile symbol, circle it. This indicates you have just unlocked this species: you will now be able to Discover and Study that species.
• Lines connected to Species tiles are considered adjacent.
• When all lines around a bonus square have been highlighted, immediately gain that bonus.
• Some bonuses are scored at the end of the game.

Example 1: David can highlight one of two lines, because they are connected to the Species tile he circled at the beginning of the game. This is also his submarine starting position. If he highlights the line at the bottom, he also unlocks the Mosasaurus species by circling it.

Example 2: David highlighted all lines around this bonus. He gains that bonus after having entirely resolved his Moving your submarine action.

Using your sonar

When you Use your sonar, circle the sonar space of your choice or the sonar space closest to a sonar space already circled.

Circling a sonar space unlocks the species living in this environment in order to allow you to Discover and to Study them later in the game. An environment corresponds to the area of your score pad where dinosaurs of the same species live.

When you reach the last sonar space of an environment, circle the sonar bonus space: at the end of the game, dinosaurs you discovered in this environment will score MP for the total you will indicate in the sonar section.

IMPORTANT:

• If you Use your sonar multiple times in the same round, you may use it in different environments, as long as you color an available space closest to a sonar space or the sonar space itself.
• After performing this action, in the case you colored bonuses indicated in a bonus square, trigger these bonuses in the order of your choice.
• A sonar space can also be circled with the Move your submarine action: this helps you save a Use your sonar action!
• ATTENTION: you cannot highlight a line adjacent to a sonar space you unlocked via a Use your sonar action if that sonar space is not adjacent to another highlighted line.

Example 1: David uses his sonar 3 times: he first unlocks the Dunkleosteus species by circling the species tile. Then, he continues to use his sonar in this environment to color a bonus that allows him to increase the protection level of his submarine.

Discovering dinosaurs

Choose a dinosaur from a species you unlocked earlier in the game. Color a dinosaur part that corresponds to the symbol(s) indicated on the card or in a bonus square box. A wildcard symbol lets you color any unlocked dinosaur part. If there are several symbols separated by a "/" on the card or in the square box, choose only one of these symbols.

When you color a dinosaur, do not color the symbol in it. These symbols may be useful to score during the game.

Once you color entirely a dinosaur, it is discovered! You will have the opportunity to Study it later in the game.

Completing a species: If you have discovered an entire species (by coloring all dinosaurs of that species), score MP equal to the corresponding Species tile. Write these MP in the corresponding section of your score pad. If this is the first time this species is discovered, its tile must be flipped on its silver side at the end of the round, so that other players will score 2 MP less if they discover that species later. If several players discover the same species during the same round, they all score the same amount of MP.

Example: David colors two parts of an Ichthyosaurus. This makes him complete the species before other players so he scores 8MP. At the end of the round, he will flip the Species tile on its silver side: his opponents will score 6MP instead of 8MP once they complete the Ichthyosaurus species later in the game.

Studying dinosaurs

Highlight the corresponding amount of study symbols. You may only highlight symbols from discovered dinosaurs. Symbols in excess are lost.

When you highlight all the study symbols around a bonus, gain it:

• Immediately after your action if the bonus is inside a bonus square or if it is an Objective, or once you have studied both symbols adjacent to the bonus if this is the case.
• At the end of the game: if this is a sonar/scoring value.

Example: David studies the rightmost Dimorphodon twice: he highlights two study symbols. This helps him to study 2 dinosaurs and to perform a Move your submarine action.

Upgrading your submarine

When you Upgrade your submarine, tick as many spaces as symbols indicated on the card or on your score pad. Your submarine is divided into two main parts:

Rooms #1 to #4: Tick the space of your choice in one of these rooms. Once you have ticked all spaces, you have upgraded that room and now benefit from the permanent ability of that room. Each room's ability can only be triggered once per round:

1. Engine room: when you Move your submarine, highlight an additional line.
2. Rest room: when you Study dinosaurs, highlight an additional study symbol.
3. Control room: when you Use your sonar, use it an additional time.
4. Laboratory: when you Discover dinosaurs, you may change a symbol into a wildcard.

Example: David upgrades his submarine twice. He chooses to tick the last two spaces of the Engine room, therefore completing it. For the remainder of the game, he will perform the Use your submarine action more efficiently.

Rooms #5 to #7: When you upgrade one of these rooms, you must start by the starting space. Then, you must tick a space adjacent to an already ticked space. After performing this action, in the case you colored bonuses indicated in a bonus square, trigger these bonuses in the order of your choice.

5. Propeller: when you tick the 1st space, increase your protection level. When you tick the leftmost space, color two dinosaur parts, and when you tick the rightmost space, Move your submarine.
6. Periscope: when you tick the 2nd space, Study a dinosaur. When you tick the leftmost space, you Make a discovery.
7. Commander's Quarters: when you tick the 2nd space, Use your sonar. When you complete that room, activate its bonus.

Example: David chooses to upgrade the propeller of his submarine. He must start by the starting space that makes him increase the protection level of his submarine.

Other actions

Increasing your protection level: When you gain a protection bonus, you increase the protection level of your submarine. Tick the leftmost available space in your submarine area. When you resolve damage, reduce the amount of damage you take by one for each space you ticked during the game.

Example: David studies an Ichthyosaurus that increases his submarine protection level by one. He ticks a space in his submarine area.

Making a discovery: When you gain a discovery bonus, you make a discovery. Choose a Discovery token (A/B/C/D) (without taking it) you have not already chosen earlier in the game and tick the corresponding letter in your Discovery area. If there is a bonus on the token, trigger it after resolving your main action. A Discovery token scores MP at the end of the game.

Example: David made a Discovery by studying a Dunkleosteus. He chooses Discovery A that allows him to Move his submarine and to gain a symbol for the end of the game.

Validating an Objective: When you validate an Objective, you must immediately score its MP depending on the conditions indicated on it. Score these MP by writing them in the corresponding area at the top of your scoring pad.

• A: you may validate it by ticking all 3 spaces of the Mission Commander's Quarters OR by studying Ichthyosaurus.
• B: you may validate it by highlighting all symbols around this Objective OR by studying Ichthyosaurus.
• C: you may validate it by highlighting all symbols around this Objective OR by studying Ichthyosaurus.
• D: you may validate it by studying Ammonoidea OR by studying Ichthyosaurus.

IMPORTANT: you cannot score the same Objective twice!

Column bonus: This is an immediate bonus gained when a player circles the last square of a column. Gain that bonus before performing the action of the card!

• When a player completes their 1st column, they immediately gain a bonus.
• When a player completes their 2nd column, they immediately gain a bonus.

Example: David selected the purple card this round. He completes the first column and gains its bonus: a symbol. He then resolves his turn normally.

End of the game and scoring

At the end of the 13th turn, players score Mission Points this way:

Objectives: MP from validated Objectives (A, B, C and D) that should have already been written in this area during the game.

Completed species: Add the MP value of all the Species you discovered entirely.

Example: David entirely studied the Mosasaurus. He scores 2MP for each protection level of his submarine and 2MP for studying 2 symbols.

Species diversity: Each Discovery token gained by Making a discovery gives you MP equal to the amount of different species for which you colored at least one dinosaur.

Example: David discovered 4 Discovery tokens and colored at least a dinosaur from 5 different species: he scores 4x5=20MP for species diversity.

Sonar: For each environment where you reached the end of the Sonar track, multiply the indicated sonar value by the number of Dinosaurs you discovered and write the result in the sonar section of this environment. Add up the results of all your environments and report this value in the corresponding space of your score pad.

Example: David used his sonar at its maximum in the Dunkleosteus environment. As he discovered both Dunkleosteus, he scores 4x2=8MP.

Studied fishes: Score 1MP for each fish you studied.

Studied dinosaurs: Add up the MP indicated in the bonuses you have validated by highlighting all the symbols pointing toward them. If you circled the wildcard with your submarine, add these MP in this section.

Example: David completely colored both Ichthyosaurus and Mosasaurus species: he scores 8+7=15MP for completed species.

Submarine damages: Report here, based on the level of damages sustained during the game by your submarine, the MP lost during the mission.

Example: David ticked 12 spaces on his damage track: he loses 8MP.

Add up all categories: the player with the most Mission Points wins the game! In case of a tie, tied players share the victory.

Solo game rules

All rules from the game apply, except for:

• Use the solo side of the Objective board.
• When you discover all dinosaurs of the same species, score 1MP less than indicated on the gold side of the Species tile.
• When you validate an Objective, discard the Objective tile instead of flipping it.
• At the beginning of rounds 10/11/12/13, in case you have not validated them yet, flip respectively Objective tiles A/B/C/D on their silver side.

Appendix

Bonus: Color a wildcard or a symbol for each symbol you have selected at that moment of the game.

Study notebooks:

• Score 1MP for each fish you studied.
• Score 2MP for each Discovery token you gained.
• Score 3MP for each completed column in your Action area.
• Score 2MP for each completed line in your Action area.
• Score 2MP for each wildcard you selected at the end of the game. Score 4MP.

Objectives: Each Objective rewards you with 0MP, 5MP or 10MP when you activate it.

The four Objective conditions are, respectively:

• Total Sonar level in your environments.
• Number of spaces ticked in your Discovery area.
• Total MP value of your completed species.
• Protection level of your submarine.
• Number of upgraded rooms in your submarine.
• Number of dinosaurs you discovered.
• Number of different species of which you discovered at least one dinosaur.
• Number of study symbols you highlighted.
• Number of wildcard, and other symbols you colored.
• Number of symbols you colored.
• Number of dinosaurs you studied.
• Number of discoveries you made.

Discovery tokens:

• Gain 2 study symbols at the end of the game.
• Gain 2 wildcard symbols and 1 protection symbol at the end of the game.
• Move your submarine and gain 1 wildcard symbol at the end of the game.
• Use your sonar and gain 1 wildcard symbol at the end of the game.
• Study a dinosaur and gain 1 wildcard symbol at the end of the game.
• Upgrade your submarine and gain 1 wildcard symbol at the end of the game.

Bonus Objectives for Demeter:

• Number of blue and red cards selected at the end of the game.
• Number of yellow and purple cards selected at the end of the game.
• Number of grey cards selected at the end of the game.
• Number of Buildings.

Credits

• Designer: Matthieu Verdier
• Illustration and Graphic: David Sitbon
• DTP: Good Heidi
• Development: Sorry We Are French
• Rules writing: Matthieu Verdier
• Translation: Alexandre Figuière & Matthieu Verdier
• Producer: Emmanuel Beltrando

Thanks: The SWAF team, for their trust, playtests and rules improvements.

Mission Record

Admit it… Did you play 15 turns instead of 13?

• 85+: Varuna has no secrets for you! As the writer of an acclaimed spatio-aquatic paleontology treaty, you will lead the expedition to colonize Varuna.
• 80-84: The results of your mission are brilliant, but it was the least we expected from you! You earn the scientific medal of Demeter and are authorized to go back on Varuna to counsel Emmanuel, the director of the colonization mission.
• 70-79: Your mission is a success! The information you collected helped to study Varuna from top to bottom. In a few months, a settlers ship from Ganymede will take off and we will start the colonization.
• 60-69: Like your friend Ross, you're not the best paleontologist, but this is enough to collect information and to help for a human colonization… but not before years, when we will know more about it!
• 50-59: You accepted to participate as an assistant pilot to that scientific mission you knew nothing about. Despite your adaptation skills, you were not prepared enough and you are sent back to Demeter to learn more about spatial paleontology.
• 31-39: No, wearing a swimsuit was not mandatory for this mission!
• -30: You can still pretend you were seasick...

Achievements

Solo and multiplayer variants are noted where they differ.

• Light-hearted: Winning a game and scoring at least 70MP without upgrading rooms #1 to #4 of your submarine.
• Independant: Winning a game and scoring at least 70MP without validating an Objective.
• Disciplined: Winning a game and scoring at least 30MP with validated objectives.
• Diversified: Winning a game and scoring at least 28MP with Species diversity.
• Reckless: Winning a game by losing 13MP with submarine damages.
• Un dos tres: Winning a game by selecting at least 3 types of cards exactly 3 times.
• Completist: Winning a game by entirely discovering at least 5 species.
• Monomaniac: Winning a game by selecting the same type of card during the first 4 rounds of the game.
• Color them all: Winning a game by discovering a dinosaur of each species before the end of the 9th round.
• Bounty Hunter: Winning a game against a member of the SWAF team.