Drop Drive Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Using This Rulebook
• Overview & Components
  • Card Anatomies
• System Setup
• Player Setup
  • Meet the Captains
  • Explore Cards
• "Dropping" Rules
  • Launching Pirates
• Gameplay
  • 1. Activate Pirate (or Launch Pirate)
  • 2. Activate Drop Drive (Optional)
  • 3. Activate Rocket Drive
  • Stacked Objects
• Encounters
  • Encounters with Pirates
• Battle
• Damage
• Repair
• Landing on a Planet
• Explore Cards
• Game End
• Glossary (Alphabetical)
• Anomaly Rules
  • Overview & Components
  • 3 Ways to Use Anomalies
  • Game-Modes
  • Game-Mode Modifiers
  • Special Anomaly Rules (Alphabetical)
  • Rules Clarifications
• Specimen Scoring Effects

Using This Rulebook

The left and right columns (such as this one) mostly contain rules clarifications and examples. As you proceed through this rulebook, primarily focus on reading the center areas from top to bottom, and reference the left and right columns as a secondary layer. The rules will explicitly state when to consult a column for rules or information pertinent to the section you're reading.

Overview & Components

Drop Drive is a unique, drop-style "sandbox" game for 2-4 players (expandable to 5 players), playable in 45 to 60 minutes. Bank the most credits before the market demand tokens run out and win the game!

• 10 ship front cards
• 10 ship back cards
• 60 explore cards (6 of these are special "Precursor Tech" cards that are part of one of the game's anomalies. Remove these cards from the main deck and only use them when instructed to do so. These 6 cards can be distinguished by looking for a special icon and illustration in their upper-left corner)
• 12 anomaly cards
• 1 sun
• 5 planet tiles
• 4 captain tiles
• 4 player ships
• 4 pirate ships
• 4 battle dice
• 5 planets
• 30 asteroids
• Nav tool links: 4 ends, 24 links
• 3 folding space walls and clips
• 55 credit tokens
• 6 salvage pieces
• 7 fuel canisters
• 18 market demand tokens
• 3 anomaly tokens

You will find additional components in your game box, which are detailed in the Anomaly Rules. You do not need to use those components or read those rules until you have played your first game or two.

Card Anatomies

Ship front and back cards

• A. Card type icon and place of origin (also on explore cards)
• B. Drop drive rating
• C. Battle rating
• D. Explore rating
• E. Rocket drive rating
• F. Cargo bays
• G. Specimen slots

Explore cards

• H. Passenger destinations
• I. Specimen vitals: Number of eyes / weight / number of limbs
• J. Explore card ability / drop-off bonus / scoring details

Planet tiles

• K. Planet name, culture name, and planet type
• L. Reminders: Deliver passengers and identify salvage
• M. Market area
• N. Planetary facility effect
• O. Reminders: Explore surface or repair ship
• P. Pirate's hold

Anomaly cards

• Q. Short-Range Scan effect details
• R. Long-Range Scan complexity scale and reminder

System Setup

1. Assemble the space walls so they stand upright in the center of the table, forming a hexagonal play area, referred to as "the system."
2. Place the 5 planet tiles outside the system. Randomly choose 2 of them to place with their "Homeworld" sides face-up (place the other 3 with their "Edgeworld" sides face-up). For your first game, use only the Homeworld sides.
3. Place 4 market demand tokens per player in a pile near the planet tiles (e.g., in a 3-player game you will use 12 market demand tokens). Return the remainder to the game box.
4. Place the credits in a pile near the planet tiles.
5. Place the sun in the center of the system.
6. Big Bang! Gather all the asteroids, planets, salvage, fuel, and anomaly tokens, shake them in your hands, and drop them over the sun (so the objects bounce off of it), from a height of about 4 inches (high enough so the objects spread relatively evenly throughout the system, without too many clumped together close to the sun or against the walls). Feel free to re-do this step if your play group agrees the initial drop was not ideal.

Optional advanced setup rule — Gradual formation of the initial system: Just before step 6 of system setup, give each player 1 asteroid of each color and 1 salvage piece. Set these objects aside, and do not drop them during step 6. At the start of each player's first turn, they drop the set-aside objects into the system (over the sun, just as with step 6 of System Setup).

Player Setup

1. Shuffle each deck of cards and place them outside the system.
2. Each player draws a random captain tile, which identifies their home planet, player color, and unique captain bonus. See Meet the Captains below.
3. Take the player ship, battle die, and pirate ship matching your player color. Place your player ship on your home planet (the planet matching your player color) in the system. Keep the battle die and pirate ship in front of you.
4. Each player draws 2 ship front and 2 ship back cards. Players choose 1 of each, combining them to form the player's ship. For your first game, draw just 1 of each type of ship card.
5. Each player draws 3 explore cards, keeping 2 and discarding 1 (place discards in a face-up pile to the right of the explore deck). Upgrades are immediately installed on your ship (placed in between your ship front and back cards), passengers are placed face-up next to your ship, and specimens are placed face-up below any of the available specimen slots on your ship front and back cards. See Explore Cards below.
6. Each player assembles their nav tool, using an amount of links equal to their ship's rocket drive rating (the last link should be an "end" link). Note: Throughout the game you may add and remove links from the general supply to reflect changes to your rocket drive rating, as appropriate.
7. Collect the fuel canister nearest to your ship and place it in one of your ship's cargo bays. If Captain Ara Kane is being played, she drops her ship near her home planet (so it hits the table within 1 inch of the planet) and collects the 2 nearest asteroids.

The player who most recently felt the effects of a quantum anomaly is the starting player (or you can choose randomly). You are now ready to begin the game!

Meet the Captains

• Murk Fizz: Gain 2 credits each time you use your drop drive.
• Har Tack: +1 specimen slot.
• Bo Metric: +1 to your battle and explore ratings.
• Ara Kane: See Player Setup step 7.

Expand the game to 5 players and add another playable captain with the 5th Captain Pack!

Explore Cards

There are 3 standard types of explore cards, denoted by the icon in their upper-left corners: Upgrades, Passengers, Specimens. See the full Explore Cards section below for details.

"Dropping" Rules

You will need to "drop" or "re-drop" objects many times throughout the game. Unless otherwise noted, you should always drop the indicated objects over the sun (try to position your hand so you don't favor any particular side of the sun), from a height of about 4 inches (at least the height of one of your ship cards).

Note: Some objects may get bumped around as new objects are dropped - this is normal. Leave all the objects exactly where they fall, EXCEPT when a ship gets knocked off a planet - in this case, move the ship back to where it was.

Launching Pirates

To launch a pirate into space:

1. Drop the pirate ship into the system.
2. Move the pirate to the nearest cargo in space (asteroid, fuel, or salvage).
3. Place the cargo in the pirate's hold, on the planet tile matching the pirate's color.

Note: Each player is responsible for controlling the pirate ship matching their player color during the game, but that doesn't mean a player will never be in conflict with that pirate! Players will, however, make all decisions for the pirates as necessary.

Gameplay

Players take turns proceeding clockwise around the table. A player's turn is made up of 3 steps:

1. Activate pirate (or launch pirate, if it is not currently in space).
2. Activate your drop drive (optional).
3. Activate your rocket drive.

1. Activate Pirate (or Launch Pirate)

If the pirate ship matching your player color is in space, activate it (this will not be the case on your first turn). When activated, pirates always "target" the nearest cargo or ship (player or pirate, even if the ship is currently landed). Move the pirate ship directly to that target object and proceed as follows:

• If the pirate's target is cargo: The pirate "steals" the cargo and places it in their hold on the planet tile matching the pirate's color.
• If the pirate's target is a ship: Stack the pirate ship on top of the other ship. The pirate approaches that ship with a posture of "Arm Weapons." Resolve this as defined in Encounters below.

If the pirate ship matching your player color is not in space, launch it instead. See Launching Pirates above.

2. Activate Drop Drive (Optional)

You may activate your drop drive once per turn. Unless otherwise noted, activating your drop drive requires you to "use" a fuel. To activate your drop drive, proceed as follows:

• Re-drop a fuel canister from your cargo. See "Dropping" Rules above.
• Decide where in the system you want to drop your ship, based on your available drop drive rating icons (this is one of the few times in the game when you will drop an object somewhere other than over the sun, though you still need to drop from the standard height of about 4 inches):
  • A rocket icon means you may drop your ship "near" any other ship (player or pirate). Make sure your ship hits the table no more than 1 link (nav tool link) away from the other ship.
  • A dice/orbit icon means you may drop your ship near any planet.
  • An infinity icon means you may choose to drop your ship anywhere in the system, without restriction.

3. Activate Rocket Drive

You will activate your rocket drive once on each of your turns. Be sure that your nav tool length matches your ship's rocket drive rating. Position the nav tool horizontally, with one end touching your ship (it does not matter which direction your ship is facing). Bend the nav tool as you see fit to form your "flight path," and then begin moving your ship toward the other end of your nav tool. You may stop movement at any point.

As your ship moves along its flight path, you must interact with each object underneath or touching your nav tool, in the order they are encountered, as follows:

• Sun: You cannot set a flight path that would cause you to fly over or touch the sun.
• Cargo (asteroids, salvage, fuel): Collect the cargo object and place it in one of your ship's available cargo bays. If you have no cargo bays available, you must choose a cargo to "jettison" (either an existing cargo or the newly collected one). Jettisoned cargo is re-dropped as normal.
• Ship(s) (player or pirate): Pause your movement along the flight path and immediately encounter the other ship(s) (even when landing on a planet, where you must encounter each stacked ship before landing, in the order of your choosing). Following the encounter(s) you may continue to move along your set flight path (unless you are landing on a planet, in which case you will proceed to planetary landing procedures). See Encounters below.
• Planet: End your movement for the turn and proceed with planetary landing procedures. See Landing on a Planet below.
• Anomaly: End your movement for the turn. Re-drop the anomaly token and draw a card from the anomaly deck. Execute the "Short-Range Scan" effect detailed on that card, unless you are playing with full Anomaly Rules. Discard the anomaly card after it has been resolved. If the draw deck is empty, reshuffle the discarded cards to form a new deck. For your first game: Play using the Short-Range Scan effects only.

If you end your rocket drive movement touching a ship or planet, indicate the connection by stacking your ship on top of that ship or planet. See Stacked Objects below.

Stacked Objects

When your ship ends its movement touching a ship or planet, you stack your ship on top of that ship or planet. Place your ship piece physically on top of the other object.

When you activate your rocket drive, you must fly away from any objects stacked with your ship, and you do not automatically encounter those objects as you fly away. While you may circle back to encounter a ship you were previously stacked with, you may not take off from and land on any planet in the same turn.

Example: The green player starts their flight path by collecting a salvage, then encounters the blue pirate, then collects 2 blue asteroids, and finally ends their movement by landing on the Dusters' (pink) planet.

Encounters

Encounters occur when your ship flies into another ship (player or pirate), whether in space or while landing on a planet. When this happens, you must make a choice regarding the "posture" you use to approach the other ship: Hailing Frequencies or Arm Weapons. The other ship will then decide how to respond to your posture:

If you approach the other ship with a posture of Hailing Frequencies, the other ship may respond with either:

• Open a Channel: Gather the 2 nearest cargo. Starting with you, both ships choose 1 to keep.
• Arm Weapons: You must counter-respond, proceeding below...

If you approach the other ship with a posture of Arm Weapons, OR if that ship responded to YOUR posture of Hailing Frequencies with Arm Weapons, the possible responses are:

• Surrender: The ship that armed weapons may board and steal 1 cargo of their choice from the surrendering ship.
• Battle Stations: Start a battle (proceed below).

Encounters with Pirates

When a ship (player or pirate) encounters a pirate, the pirate always responds to the approaching ship's posture as follows:

• If the approaching ship's posture is Hailing Frequencies: The pirate responds with Open a Channel.
• If the approaching ship's posture is Arm Weapons: The pirate responds with Battle Stations.

Example: The green player encounters the blue pirate along their flight path. The green player approaches with Hailing Frequencies, and the pirate responds with Open a Channel. Result: The two ships share the nearest 2 cargo. Alternatively, if the green player approaches with Arm Weapons, the pirate responds with Battle Stations. Result: The two ships start a battle.

Example (encounter with a player, continued): The green player encounters the pink player along their flight path. Unlike pirates, when encountering other players those players are able to strategically choose their desired response. Sometimes this will force the active player to "counter-respond," as in these examples: The green player approaches with Hailing Frequencies, and the pink player responds with Arm Weapons, so the green player must counter-respond with Battle Stations. Result: The two ships start a battle. Alternatively, the green player approaches with Hailing Frequencies, the pink player responds with Arm Weapons, and the green player counter-responds with Surrender. Result: The pink player steals 1 cargo of their choice from the green player.

Battle

When a battle occurs, regardless of which ship started the battle, proceed as follows:

• Each ship rolls a die, adding the result to their battle rating. If one ship is a pirate, its controlling player rolls for them (pirate ships lack battle ratings, so you will add nothing to their die roll).
• The difference in the totals determines how much damage the winning ship (the ship with the higher total) does to the losing ship. See Damage below. If the totals are tied, neither ship takes damage and neither is considered the winner or loser.

Reroute power: A player may always re-drop a fuel from their cargo to re-roll any die. This ability is most commonly used during battle, but it may be used whenever you roll a die for your own captain or ship, even during final scoring (such as with the "Unknown" specimen). Pirate ships never reroute power, even if there is fuel in their hold.

Example: The green player and blue pirate are in a battle. They each roll their battle die, and the green player adds their +2 battle rating bonus: green rolls a 2 (+2 = 4) vs. the pirate's 6. The pirate wins by 2. For the first point of damage, the green player flips their only undamaged upgrade. For the second point of damage, the pirate steals 1 cargo from the green player.

Example: Once again, the green player and blue pirate are in a battle. Their battle rolls are as follows: green rolls a 5 (+2 = 7) vs. the pirate's 5. This time the player wins by 2, so they steal 2 cargo from the pirate. Because the pirate received damage, it will be destroyed (even though there is still cargo in its hold). Re-drop any remaining cargo, then remove the pirate ship and give it to its controlling player, who will relaunch it on their next turn.

Damage

Ship damage is normally caused when 2 ships battle one another, but it can also be caused by anomalies (such as Space Mines) and other game effects. When a ship receives damage from any source, proceed as follows:

1. Player ships only: Hull damage: For each point of damage received, flip 1 of your face-up upgrade cards face-down. A face-down upgrade card cannot be used and has no effect on the game until it is repaired (any objects or other cards on that upgrade cannot be used; they remain "frozen," but will return to play as soon as the upgrade is repaired).
2. All ships: Lose cargo: If you are unable to flip a face-up upgrade, you must lose 1 cargo for each additional point of damage received. If the damage was caused by another ship, that ship chooses and steals the lost cargo for themselves (in the case of a pirate, its controlling player chooses which cargo the pirate ship steals). Otherwise, you choose which cargo is lost and then re-drop it. Ignore any excess damage.
3. Pirate ships only: Pirate destroyed: A pirate ship that receives any amount of damage (1 or more) is automatically destroyed (even if the ship had enough cargo to lose in the previous step). Re-drop all remaining cargo in the pirate's hold and remove the pirate from the system by giving it to its controlling player. They will re-launch the pirate into the system during their activate pirate step, just like they did at the beginning of the game.

Repair

You may repair hull damage by landing on a planet and choosing not to explore. See Landing on a Planet below.

When you repair your hull, flip all your damaged upgrades back to their normal, face-up sides.

Landing on a Planet

When your ship flies over or touches a planet, your rocket drive movement ends and your ship will land. Important: You may never both take off and land on a planet in the same turn (even if it is a different planet).

When you land on a planet, stack your ship on that planet and proceed as follows:

1. Deliver passengers: You may discard any number of passengers whose destinations include the planet you landed on, in any order. Immediately gain the passengers' indicated bonuses.
2. Identify salvage: You may re-drop any number of salvage pieces. For each piece re-dropped, draw and keep exactly 1 explore card. See Explore Cards below. These cards will take effect immediately following this step.
3. Sell asteroids: You may sell any number of asteroids that match any asteroid types shown in the planet tile's market area, as follows:
   • Asteroid prices on each planet fluctuate throughout the game. When selling, each asteroid sold of a given type will sell for the same amount, equal to the value of that asteroid's leftmost uncovered market space.
   • Gain the appropriate amount of credits and then re-drop all the sold asteroids.
   • Place a market demand token on the leftmost uncovered market space for each asteroid TYPE you sold, indicating the new price for selling those types of asteroids at that planet.
   • Note: If a planet's market area has no available market spaces for a given asteroid type, you may still sell those asteroids for 1 credit each (as indicated on the planet tiles).
4. Activate planetary facility: Edgeworld planets and some anomalies include planetary facilities that offer unique benefits. Refer to the planet tile or anomaly rules card for details.
5. Explore surface OR repair ship (choose one):
   • Explore surface: Draw a number of explore cards equal to your ship's explore rating. Choose ONE of those cards to keep and discard the others. See Explore Cards below. Hint: The next player can take their turn while you decide which card to keep.
   • Repair ship: Flip all your damaged upgrades back to their normal, face-up sides. See Repair above.

After landing on a planet, your turn is over. You must leave that planet on your next turn, without encountering any other ships that are stacked on that planet.

Example (deliver passengers and identify salvage): The green player landed on the pink planet. She delivers 2 eligible passengers, gaining their bonuses. She then identifies 1 salvage from her cargo, re-dropping it and drawing 1 explore card.

Example (sell asteroids): Still at the pink planet, the green player wants to sell 3 blue asteroids and 1 yellow asteroid. The pink planet is currently purchasing blue asteroids for 5 credits each and yellow asteroids for 4 credits each. After gaining 19 credits (5 x 3, plus 4 x 1), she re-drops the 4 asteroids she sold and places market demand tokens on the 2 market spaces she used.

Endgame trigger: If you place the last remaining market demand token, you may continue to sell your asteroids as normal (use extra market demand tokens from the game box as needed). Finish your turn and then immediately proceed to the Game End section.

Explore Cards

The explore deck contains 3 types of cards:

• Upgrades: Upgrades grant your ship powerful abilities, and they also soak damage. See Damage and Repair above. Upgrade cards are placed face-up between your ship front and back cards, and their abilities are active immediately (as long as they remain undamaged). There is no limit to the number of upgrades you may have on your ship.
• Passengers: You can make a lot of money by shuttling passengers to their desired destinations. Passenger cards are placed face-up beside your ship. There is no limit to the number of passengers you may have. When you deliver passengers to their destinations, you will gain their indicated drop-off bonuses. See Landing on a Planet above.
• Specimens: Specimens can provide massive endgame credit bonuses, if the ones you collect synergize well with one another. These cards are placed face-up below unused specimen slots (if necessary, you may discard specimens to make room for new ones). See specimen scoring examples below.

Example (specimen scoring 1): The Giant specimen synergizes with others that weigh between 16 and 20 units. You will gain 3 credits FOR EACH of your specimens (including this one) in this weight range.

Example (specimen scoring 2): The Prismatic and Phase Shifting specimens each grant 2 base credits, AND they also count as a specimen of ALL types (places of origin) or weights, respectively.

Note: All specimen scoring effects are listed on the back cover of this rulebook, and are reproduced in Specimen Scoring Effects below.

Game End

The end of the game is triggered as soon as the last market demand token has been placed. The active player finishes their turn as normal, and then all players proceed as follows:

1. Emergency landings: In turn order, all players whose ships are not currently landed immediately land on the nearest standard planet (one of the five main planets). Ignore interactions with any objects on the path between the ship and the planet, and ignore any ship encounters and special anomaly effects. Perform all normal planetary landing procedures, but do not place any market demand tokens.
2. Final scoring: Players calculate their specimen bonuses and collect the appropriate credits. The player with the highest final credit total wins the game! In the event of a tie, the tied player with the most undamaged upgrades wins. If still tied, the tied players share the victory!

Glossary (Alphabetical)

Cargo: Objects that can be placed in a ship's cargo bay, such as asteroids, fuel, and salvage, are cargo. Cargo can be jettisoned (re-dropped) and collected by any ship.

Drop / Re-drop: Unless otherwise noted, you always drop/re-drop objects over the sun (try to position your hand so you don't favor any particular side of the sun), from a height of 4-5 inches (at least the height of one of your ship cards).

In Space: An object is "in space" if it is not landed on a planet, docked at a station (used in some anomalies), or otherwise removed from the system.

Object: An object is any game component that can be dropped or re-dropped in the system. This includes all cargo, ships, anomaly tokens, and even planets. Game cards and planet tiles, as well as anything else outside the system, are not considered objects. Note: Even though the sun is inside the system, it does not count as an object and is never dropped.

Stack: When you end your turn touching an object in space, stack your ship on top of that object (physically place your ship on top of the object). During your next rocket drive movement, you MUST fly away from the stack without encountering any objects in that stack.

System: The hexagonal play area (within the space walls) is referred to as the system.

Anomaly Rules

You don't need to read these rules until after your first game or two! This section covers special anomaly rules used in the full game experience. We recommend you wait to read and integrate these rules until after you have played your first game or two using the base game rules. However, once you're ready to expand your mind and your horizons to limitless possibilities, you will never want to go back to the base game!

Overview & Components

Now that you've played your first game or two of Drop Drive, it's time to crank up the signal-to-noise ratio! Adding anomalies to your game and utilizing their "Long-Range Scan" options will introduce unique, immersive, and thematic experiences. Let's get scanning!

• 6 anomaly rules cards
• 6 explore cards
• 1 3D Dyson Sphere
• 10 space mines
• 9 anomaly tokens
• 16 bonus scenery tokens (assorted)

Assembling the 3D Dyson Sphere:

1. Carefully punch out the Dyson Sphere token and the 3 pylon pieces.
2. Gently push the pylon pieces into the slots on the Dyson Sphere token.
3. The assembled Dyson Sphere should be able to fit perfectly around the sun (for when you are playing with this anomaly).

3 Ways to Use Anomalies

There are 3 distinct methods (that can be mixed and matched as you see fit) for adding anomalies to your games, as follows:

1. Short-Range Scan: This method is covered in the base game rules: Simply draw a random anomaly card and execute the Short-Range Scan effect exactly as it is written.
2. Long-Range Scan: This method also uses a randomly drawn anomaly card, but rather than executing the Short-Range Scan effect, you instead find the corresponding anomaly rules card (and related components) and follow its instructions.
3. Start of Game: This method allows for the same deep gameplay as the Long-Range Scan, but in this case 1 or more specific chosen anomalies will be in play as of the start of the game (rather than upon encountering an anomaly token).

Methods 2 and 3 are described in detail on each anomaly rules card. The Game-Modes section will help you determine how and when to implement each method, allowing you to mix and match anomalies to your liking.

Anomaly complexity ratings: The lower left corner of each anomaly card shows a gauge that indicates the relative complexity of its Long-Range Scan effect. For example, a complexity level-1 anomaly has a Long-Range Scan effect that is very simple to execute; three purple boxes represent the highest complexity anomaly.

Deeper anomalies available: The base Drop Drive game includes 6 relatively simple anomalies, but there are many more available in various expansion packs, such as Drop Drive: Strange Signals. These anomalies are designed to provide a more in-depth and thematic experience, utilizing unique components and significantly altering gameplay.

Game-Modes

This is the standard game-mode that makes full use of anomalies:

• Use Long-Range Scan for the first 1 or 2 (your choice) anomalies drawn, and then use Short-Range Scan for the remainder.
• Optionally "stack the deck" so that the first anomalies drawn will be of a specific desired complexity rating.

Additional game-mode options are found below. You may utilize similar concepts to construct your own game-modes as well:

• Scaled anomalies based on game progress: When you draw an anomaly card, use the Long-Range Scan only if half or more of the market demand tokens are still available. Otherwise, use the Short-Range Scan.
• Scaled anomalies based on order of appearance: Before the game starts, separate the anomaly cards into 3 decks based on complexity rating. Draw a complexity level-3 anomaly for the first anomaly, complexity level-2 for the second, and complexity level-1 for the third. Then use only Short-Range scans from there.

Game-Mode Modifiers

You may use these modifiers with any game-mode:

• Predetermined anomalies: Start with any assortment of desired anomalies already in play at the start of the game (using the ALTERNATE SETUP rules on the anomaly rules cards). Just keep potential game length in mind, and make sure everyone is in agreement. Other than that, the choice is yours - create the galaxy of your dreams!
• Extended game: Want more turns to enjoy the various anomaly effects that came out? Add another market demand token to the supply each time a Long-Range Scan is used. You may optionally add 1 more token if it was a complexity level-3 anomaly (which typically benefits from more time to play out and enjoy to its fullest).

Drop Drive is a "sandbox game": Ultimately Drop Drive is a "sandbox" style game, meaning this is YOUR experience to control. Be as creative with these game-modes and modifiers as you wish - just make sure your play group is aware of how everything will work for each game. There are also bonus scenery tokens which you can use to create your own rules or anomalies - let your creativity flow!

Instant Space… Infinite Possibilities!

Special Anomaly Rules (Alphabetical)

• Bonus explore items: You will often be instructed to add items, such as explore cards and crew tiles, face-up next to a planet tile. When you land on that planet and choose to explore (rather than repair), you may keep one of these bonus items in addition to your normal exploration rewards. Note: If that planet is ever destroyed, move any remaining bonus items to the next-nearest planet.
• Crew tiles: Tiles with this icon in their upper-left corners represent crew. Crew tiles are placed next to your captain tile and immediately grant the indicated bonus.
• Flick: To flick an object, use one finger to tap or hit the object in the desired direction. Hint: There are no re-dos, so be careful to use a proper amount of force.
• Flip (movement): To "move a token 1 flip," lift the token up on one end, keeping the other end touching the surface. Flip the token over so it has moved its full body length toward its target.
• Gear cards: Cards with this icon in their upper-left corners represent gear. Your captain and each crew may carry 1 gear card each. Gear cards are placed below an available captain or crew tile and immediately grant the indicated bonus.
• Heavy cargo: Heavy cargo is treated the same as normal cargo, except that you may only have 1 heavy cargo your ship at any time.
• Objects (metal): To prevent damage, we do not recommend dropping metal objects (such as the one found in Phase Shift Games' Limited Promo Pack) onto the wooden sun. Instead, temporarily drop a different component, such as a market demand token, and then swap that component out for the metal object.
• Objects (punchboard): Some anomalies will put punchboard (cardboard) tokens into the system. While these tokens are considered objects in space, they are generally not intended to be dropped or re-dropped over the sun. When a game effect would cause this to happen, drop them in a manner consistent with the anomaly's setup instructions (usually dropping them somewhere other than over the sun), and/or temporarily drop a different component, as with metal objects.
• Stations: Stations work like planets, with one key difference: You may take off from and dock with a station in the same turn (even the same station). You may also take off from a planet and dock with a station in the same turn (or vice versa). If you are docked with a station when the game ends, you still perform an emergency landing on the nearest planet as normal.

There are only a few crew tiles and gear cards available as of Drop Drive's initial release. Look for future expansions!

Rules Clarifications

Flying near the sun: Just as player ships cannot fly over or touch the sun, neither can anything else in Drop Drive. If you are ever instructed to move an object in space such that it would move over the sun, have it instead take the shortest path around the sun.

Cargo with special "homes": Some cargo have a special place they return to when used or sold (such as Coaxi and Zest, from the Drop Drive: Strange Signals expansion). These cargo may still be re-dropped (when jettisoned or lost due to damage) as normal, treating them as standard objects in space until they are collected.

Re-dropping planets and stations: When a game effect causes a planet or station to be re-dropped, you will also re-drop any ships that are landed/docked there. After being re-dropped, those ships will no longer be landed/docked.

Component limitations: Except for credits, components are limited to the provided quantities. If there are not enough components to resolve an effect, it does not occur.

Specimen Scoring Effects

• Gain the indicated credits for each specimen on your ship from the indicated place of origin (including this specimen).
• Gain the indicated credits for each specimen on your ship within the indicated vitals range (number of eyes, weight, or number of limbs, including this specimen).
• Gain the indicated credits for each upgrade on your ship.
• Gain the indicated credits for each other specimen on your ship.
• Gain the indicated credits for each Zest crystal in your cargo (expansion content).
• Counts as: Counts as a specimen of ALL types (places of origin) or weights, respectively. These specimens also grant a base amount of credits.
• Counts as 2 specimens with the same details: Counts as having 2 identical specimens, each with the same vitals and place of origin.
• Roll: Roll a die and gain a number of credits equal to the result.
• Each different: Gain the indicated credits for each different place of origin among the specimens on your ship (including this specimen). Note: The Prismatic specimen only counts as having ONE place of origin (of choice) for this specimen's scoring.