Drôles de Zèbres
Drôles de Zèbres Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- A 30-square board representing the savannah, divided into 6 territories (2 of three squares, 2 of five squares, and 2 of seven squares) separated by rivers.
- 30 animal tokens, in two colors (one for each player), with values from 0 to 6. (These values represent the animal's attractivity for tourists.) In each color, animals are distributed as follows:
- 6 Gazelles with value 2
- 5 Zebras with value 6
- 2 Crocodiles with value 0
- 1 Elephant with value 5
- 1 Lion with value 1
- 1 guardian token (the famous Cathala-Jones).
- 1 Inauguration token.
- 1 rulebook.
Goal of the Game
Attract as many tourists as possible.
- First, by taking control of the most attractive territories: When the board is completely full, each territory will be controlled by the player with the most tokens of their color in that territory. This player will score the points for ALL animals in that territory.
- Secondly, by being the fastest: When a first territory is completely full, the Inauguration token goes to the player who triggered this event. The Inauguration token gives a 5-point bonus on the final score!
Setup
- Place the board in the middle of the table.
- Each player takes the 15 animal tokens of their color and places them numbered side up in front of them.
- Place the Inauguration token aside from the board.
- Choose the first player the way of your choice. This player receives the guardian token.
Game can now begin.
How to Play
During his 1st turn, the first player places the guardian on the patrol path, facing the row (line or column) of their choice.
Then, each player, starting with their opponent, will perform the following 2 actions on their turn, in the indicated order:
1. Place an animal on the board: During this step, the player MUST place one of their remaining animals on the empty square of their choice in the row facing the Guardian token. Special effects related to crocodiles and lions are discussed below.
2. Move the guardian: During this step, the player must move the guardian token 1, 2, or 3 spaces clockwise.
Once the guardian has been moved, the next player moves on, and so on until the board is completely full.
Important: the next player must ALWAYS be offered a placement solution:
- If at least one of the 3 next rows allows a placement solution, then the guardian is moved as indicated above (if only one solution remains, this solution is mandatory).
- If the next 3 rows (or more) are already completely filled, then the guardian is moved directly to the next row (line or column) allowing an animal to be placed.
Please note: At the end of the game, it may happen that only one player still has animal tokens. In this case, this player continues to place all their tokens until the board is completely full.
Inauguration
When a first territory is completely filled, the Inauguration token goes to the player who just triggered that event, regardless of whether or not they have the majority in this territory.
This token gives them a 5-point bonus for the final score, which can really make the difference!
Animals — Special Effects
Zebra — Value 6 points
This is the emblematic animal of this location. You must therefore be very careful to prevent them from falling under the opponent's control.
WARNING: Zebras are afraid of Lions! As soon as a Lion appears on a neighboring square (vertically or horizontally), the Zebra hides (its token is turned face down). It is no longer worth any victory points. Similarly, if you place a Zebra on a free space next to a Lion (vertically or horizontally), you MUST place it face down.
Rivers have no effect on the Zebra – Lion interaction.
Gazelle — Value 2 points
This animal is as friendly as it is a bit silly, and remains less attractive than the Zebra.
WARNING: Gazelles are also afraid of Lions! As soon as a Lion appears on a neighboring square (vertically or horizontally), the Gazelle flees: the Gazelle's token comes back in front of its owner. They will have to play it during one of their next turns. Similarly, if you place a Gazelle close to a Lion (vertically or horizontally), you MUST place it face down.
Rivers have no effect on the Gazelle – Lion interaction.
Lion — Value 1 point
This vain animal is convinced that he is the King of all Animals. He is feared by everyone… Well… by almost everyone!
When a Lion is placed on the board, check if there are any Zebras and/or Gazelles on the four neighboring squares (vertically or horizontally, even if it's on the other side of a river):
- Any Zebras present there are turned face down.
- Any Gazelles present there come back to their owners.
Other animals (crocodiles and Elephants) are not affected by the Lion.
Elephant — Value 5 points
Elephant is a safe bet. He knows he is the true Animal King, so he is not afraid of the Lion, and he does not have to hide when he's near it.
Use him wisely: you only get one!
Crocodile — Value Nothing!!
This animal is as voracious as it is despised by its peers.
It is irresistibly attracted by Gazelles, which it would happily eat as a snack: when it is placed on the board, if a Gazelle is present on the other side of a river bordering the crocodile's square, you MAY CHOOSE to swap the position of the Gazelle and Crocodile's tokens (the crocodile lunges voraciously at the Gazelle, but since it is agile, it manages to escape by leaping).
If several Gazelles are present, the Crocodile can choose which one to attack.
There is no interaction between a Crocodile and a face-down Gazelle token (the crocodile cannot see a hidden Gazelle).
End of the Game — Scoring
The game ends when the whole board has been filled.
In each of the 6 territories:
- Check which player has the most tokens of their color (face-down tokens are taken into account to determine majority).
- The majority player scores ALL the points in that territory (animals of their color + opposing animals; face-down tokens do not score any points).
Each player adds up the points of the territories they control. The player with the Inauguration token adds their 5 bonus points.
Highest total wins!
Scoring Example
In this territory, White gets the majority (4 white tokens against 3 green tokens). He therefore scores 20 points for this territory: 11 points for white animals + 9 points for green animals.
Crocodile Example
It's White's turn. He chooses to place a Crocodile in the indicated square. He then has two choices:
- Either not to use the Crocodile's ability and leave it quietly on this square.
- Or to swap position with one of the two Gazelles A or B located on the other side of a river. (The Crocodile cannot swap position with Gazelle C located just above it, because it is not on the other side of a river.)
White finally chose to swap position with Gazelle A. He thus definitively secured a majority in the 5-square territory!
Lion's Example
It's White's turn. There is only one remaining space in the column facing the guardian's token. White must place one of his animals there. He chooses to place… his Lion!!
On squares horizontally and vertically adjacent to the Lion:
- The Elephant is not affected.
- The two Gazelles fled: players get back their tokens in front of them.
- The Zebra hid (it has been flipped face down). It is no longer worth any victory point, but will be taken into account to determine who has the most tokens in this territory.
From now on, anyone wishing to place a Gazelle or a Zebra on squares marked with a lightning bolt must place them face down!
FAQ
Is it possible to make several Crocodile-Gazelle swaps in a row?
YES!! After an initial swap, you can make a new one with another Gazelle located on the other side of a river. And so on…
Who wins the Inauguration token when the last animal placed is a Lion, making a Gazelle flee from this territory?
NO ONE! When a Lion is placed, Gazelles flee immediately. The Inauguration token is only awarded when the very first territory is COMPLETELY filled at the end of a player's turn.
Who wins the Inauguration token when the last animal placed is a Crocodile, then swapped with a Gazelle belonging to the opponent?
The player who placed the Crocodile wins the token, because they are the one who triggered the event.