Escaping Extinction: Based on a True Story Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• The World
• Objective
• Gameplay
• Rocket Docket
• Dino Cards
• Dino Abilities
• Trading
• Damage, Health & Healing
• Earthquake!
• Earthquakes, Cont.
• Special Terrain Tile - Tarpit
• Special Terrain Tile - Volcano
• Special Token - Lava Flow
• Special Tokens - Secret Caves
• Tips from Dr Velo C. Raptor
• Notes on the Sheet

Components

• 19 Terrain Tiles
• 4 Dino Tokens
• 4 Dino Cards
• 4 Reference Cards
• 1 Meteor Track
• 1 Meteor Mini
• 16 Meteor Cards
• 12 Rocket Docket Cards
• 30 Exploration Cards
• 1 Die
• 16 Vine Tokens
• 20 Wood Tokens
• 30 Food Tokens
• 5 Connectable Rocket Parts
• 1 Launchpad
• 2 Cave Tiles
• 2 Lava Flow Tiles
• 1 Escape Plan
• 5 Stands
• 4 Health Sliders
• 1 Sticker Sheet

Setup

1. Place the Oasis Tile in the center of the play area.
2. Shuffle the 18 other terrain hex-tiles and place them facedown around the Oasis (see page 3).
3. Place the Wood, Food, Vines and Rocket Part tokens in separate piles. This makes up the Supply.
4. Place the Lava Flow and Cave tokens next to the Supply.
5. Shuffle the Rocket Docket deck then place it next to the Supply.
6. Shuffle the Exploration deck and place it next to the Supply.
7. Place the Meteor track in view of all players, then place the Meteor deck next to it.

The Meteor deck is shuffled in a special way, shown below.

1. Remove the 3 EARTHQUAKE cards and place them to the side. Shuffle the rest of the cards.

2. Split those cards into 3 facedown piles (two piles of 4 and one of 5 cards).

3. Take the EARTHQUAKE cards and shuffle one into each of the piles.

4. Place the 3 piles, one on top of the other, with the 5-card pile on the top.

5. The Meteor deck is now ready to play, be careful not to shuffle it again!

6. Place the Launchpad at the end of the Meteor track.

7. Place the Dino cards in front of the player(s) controlling them.

# of Players	Dino Setup
4	Each player controls one Dino
3	Each player controls one Dino, the extra can be controlled together by all other players or allocated to one to control
2	Each player controls two Dinos
1	Control all Dinos by yourself

10. Take Food tokens from the Supply and fill up your Dino cards' Food sections, one token per slot. Then, take the corresponding Dino token and place it on the Oasis tile.
11. Once everyone is ready to play, place the Meteor at the start of the track and reveal the first Rocket Docket item.

The World

The 19 hexagonal terrain tiles (18 terrain tiles plus 1 Oasis tile) represent the World. Whenever you place them out they must always make the same shape (shown here) with the Oasis in the center.

At the start of the game, all the terrain tiles are set facedown randomly surrounding the Oasis. To discover what those tiles are, Dinos will need to Travel (page 5) to those tiles and reveal them.

Whenever a terrain tile is revealed, flip it over so it is face-up. Then, if the tile shows a resource symbol, take one of the matching tokens from the supply and place it onto that tile. This represents resources available in that area of the World that the Dinos can collect when they Explore there (page 5).

Once a resource token is removed, do not replace it. The only way the resource will be replaced is through an EARTHQUAKE (pages 10-11).

The board at the beginning of the game: the 19 hex tiles surround the Oasis in the center.

Objective

The aim of the game is to help Dr Raptor build the Rocket at the Oasis to escape Earth before the Meteor reaches the planet.

To do this, you must work with the other Dinos to explore the World and retrieve Rocket Parts from the Rocket Docket, as well as gather Wood to help hold the Rocket together.

Win Conditions: Once 5 Rocket Parts and 8 Wood are on the Launchpad and all 4 Dinos have returned to the Oasis tile at the same time, the players win!

Gameplay

Rounds and Turns: The game takes place over a series of Rounds, which start with each Dino taking a turn in order and ends with the drawing of a Meteor card.

Play Order: Each round the 4 Dinos will take their turns one after the other, with a Dino's turn completely finishing before the next starts. The player whose age is closest to dinosaur times will go first, with play continuing clockwise. The order that Dinos take their turns in remains the same every round, so whoever goes first will always be first each round.

Actions: On their Turn, Dinos are allowed up to two Actions per turn which they can spend, one at a time, to explore the world and gather essential resources. The types of actions Dinos can choose from are:

Travel (Move): Spend one Food token to move your Dino to an adjacent terrain tile. If the tile you are Traveling to is not yet revealed, you reveal it by flipping it over. Make sure to put the matching resource token on the tile if it is required. If you do not have any Food tokens to spend, then you cannot Travel and remain stuck on that terrain tile until you acquire Food.

Explore: If there is a resource token on the terrain tile this Dino is on, take it and add it to their Dino card. Then, draw and read an Exploration card. If there is no resource token currently on the tile, then just draw and read an Exploration card. Tiles with no resource icon at all can still be explored, but will only yield a card. The Oasis tile and Volcano tile cannot be Explored.

Resupply: In one single action, a Dino refills their Food from the Supply, moves any Wood from their Dino card to the Launchpad, and if they are carrying a Rocket Part, place it on the Launchpad. This action can only be performed by a Dino when their Dino is on the Oasis tile.

There are other specific types of actions on some cards (for example: retrieving different Rocket Docket items) that can be performed as described on that card. Unless otherwise stated, Dinos can perform the same type of action multiple times on their Turn (for example, Travel Travel or Explore Explore).

Rocket Docket

The Rocket Docket cards represent Dr Raptor's strange demands for very specific parts he needs to build the Rocket. The game starts with one card revealed. Leave this card face-up next to the deck.

Rocket Docket cards state exactly how and where to gather the next Rocket Part. Once a Rocket Part is collected, take any one of the Rocket Part pieces and place it onto the Dino card of the Dino that found it. Each Dino can only hold one Rocket Part at a time. Once a Rocket Part is collected, flip the corresponding Rocket Docket card facedown so everyone knows it no longer needs to be searched for.

When a Dino holding a Rocket Part uses the Resupply action at the Oasis, they can place it directly onto the Launchpad. Doing this allows the players to take the top card of the Rocket Docket deck and flip it over, revealing the next instruction from Dr Raptor.

Note: There are more total Rocket Docket list cards than Rocket Parts, which means there may be more revealed cards than remaining parts. All face-up Rocket Docket cards are viable ways for a Dino to collect a Rocket Part, but when the final (5th) Rocket Part is collected, flip over ALL face-up Rocket Docket cards. No more Rocket Docket cards are drawn as no more items need to be found. Get them back to the Oasis!

Dino Cards

The four playable Dinos are each unique, with their differences represented on their Dino cards.

1. Dino portrait: Your ugly mug.
2. Energy: Food tokens are placed here. Remove Food from here when Traveling, and refill to full when Resupplying at the Oasis. Food cannot be added if this section is full.
3. Satchel: Collected Wood tokens and Vine tokens are stored here until used/transferred to the Oasis. If there is no room to add a collected resource, you may discard items from your Satchel to make space or just discard the collected resource. Food or Rocket Parts cannot be stored in the Satchel.
4. Rocket Part Bag: Collected Rocket Parts are placed here and not in the Satchel, only one can be stored at a time.
5. Health Meter: Used to track Health of the Dino, move the slider down/up when taking damage/healing (page 9).
6. Special Ability: Each Dino's unique action/ability is named here.

Dino Abilities

Professor P. Terry - Draw Another Exploration Card: Once per turn, when drawing an Exploration card (during an Explore Action), you may choose to discard that card and draw another instead. Useful for when you draw a bad card, but be careful. You must follow the second card once you have drawn it, no going back to the first!

Captain Rex - Extra Energy: You have the largest Energy section, meaning you can travel the furthest before needing to Resupply at the Oasis. Very useful for scouting areas of the board, and escaping the Tarpit if needed!

Sergeant Sara - Heal Teammates: You can spend 1 Action on your turn to heal all Dinos that are on the same tile as you for up to 3 Health. That includes yourself! A much better way to Heal than using Vines. If anyone needs help, then head Sara's way!

Lieutenant Long Neck - Resource Die Roll: Double or nothing! When picking up a resource from a tile during an Explore Action, you can choose to roll the die: Green - gain one extra of whatever that resource was. Red - discard that resource instead of picking it up. Taking a chance can be a good way to gain twice as many Wood, Food or Vines from a tile, but there's just as good a chance of gaining nothing. Will you roll that die?

Trading

Sometimes one Dino has something that another Dino needs, but luckily transferring things is simple. When a Dino is on the same terrain tile as another Dino, those two can Trade. This means they can transfer any number of items from one of their cards to the other and vice-versa. This includes:

• Food
• Wood
• Vines
• Rocket Parts (remember, limit of 1 per Dino)
• Held Exploration cards

A Dino can trade any number of items with any number of Dinos on their tile, without using one of their actions. Dinos can also trade even if one of them is injured (but not both).

Damage, Health & Healing

Some cards or tiles can cause Dinos to take Damage. When a Dino takes Damage, reduce the Health meter on that Dino's card by the amount of Damage dealt.

If a Dino's health reaches zero, they have been Injured. That Dino's turn immediately ends. They can no longer take actions until their Health is increased back above zero. That needs to be done by Healing.

To Heal, a Dino (on their turn) can spend Vines in their Satchel to restore Health to themself or another Dino on their tile. For each Vine spent, that Dino's health is increased by 1. Healing does not cost an action, only Vines.

Once a Dino's Health is increased above zero, they are no longer Injured and can take actions as normal.

If a Dino becomes Injured in the process of collecting a Rocket Part, they do successfully gain the part and add it to their Dino card before ending their turn.

While Injured, a Dino can Heal themselves using Vine in their own Satchel, however it will need to be done on their next turn after becoming Injured.

Earthquake!

Throughout the game, players will encounter a type of Meteor card called the EARTHQUAKE. This card mixes up the terrain tiles and might mess up your plans, so look out!

When an EARTHQUAKE card is drawn, players will flip over all terrain tiles - EXCEPT the Oasis and tiles that are occupied by any Dinos - re-shuffle them, and place them facedown around the Oasis.

Make sure to leave the Oasis and other occupied terrain tiles in the same position on the table still flipped face-up.

Any resource tokens that are on the terrain tiles that get picked up are put back in the Supply, you missed your chance to grab them for now!

Once the picked-up terrain tiles are shuffled, place them back randomly on the board around the tiles that are still face-up. Make sure that the final pattern still matches the standard shape of the World. You must again Travel to these tiles to reveal important locations around the World!

EARTHQUAKE card: "There's been a tectonic shift! Thankfully it's moved the planet further away from the Meteor's path. Flip and shuffle all tiles except the Oasis and any containing Dinos. Retreat Meteor 1 space."

Earthquakes, Cont.

EARTHQUAKES are an important part of the game that players should attempt to prepare for.

Things to think about while playing are:

• There are 3 EARTHQUAKE cards in the Meteor deck, 1 in the first 5 cards, 1 in the middle 4 cards and 1 in the last 4 cards.
• Once a resource token has been collected by Exploring a tile, the only way it can be replenished is through that terrain tile getting shuffled away during an EARTHQUAKE and being revealed again by a Dino.
• Terrain tiles that are occupied by a Dino are unaffected by an EARTHQUAKE. You can use this to lock in the location of an important tile, but remember that the tile's resource (if any) will not have a chance to be replenished.
• The Meteor gets moved backwards on the Track by a space when the EARTHQUAKE card is drawn. So while one might disrupt your current plans, it does give you a little bit more time to build the Rocket.

Special Terrain Tile - Tarpit

One of the areas you will find when exploring is the Tarpit tile.

Traveling onto the Tarpit tile has no special effect, however Traveling away is tricky due to it sucking Dinos in. When a Dino wants to Travel off the Tarpit tile, they must spend 2 Food tokens instead of the normal Travel cost of 1.

If Dinos are low on Food and don't want to spend 2 tokens, they can attempt to push themselves and Travel using only 1 Food. However, when they do so the player controlling them must roll the die. If they roll a 3 then they are successful and can move to their chosen adjacent tile, only spending 1 Food. However, if they do not roll a 3, the attempt has failed. The Dino remains on the Tarpit tile, and the Action and Food token spent are wasted.

Special Terrain Tile - Volcano

Another dangerous area you will find while exploring is the Volcano tile.

When a Dino Travels onto the Volcano tile (including when the tile is revealed), the player controlling them must roll the die, taking damage equal to the result. Traveling out of the Volcano to another tile does not cause damage, and uses 1 Food token as normal.

Special Token - Lava Flow

One of the Exploration cards instructs the player to place the Lava Flow token onto the terrain tile they are currently on. This makes that area dangerous to traverse. When a Dino Travels onto the tile that contains the Lava Flow token, they take 1 damage. Traveling out of the tile with the Lava Flow does not cause damage, and uses 1 Food token as normal. During an EARTHQUAKE, if the tile containing the Lava Flow is flipped over and shuffled, return the Lava Flow token to the Supply.

Special Tokens - Secret Caves

One of the Exploration cards instructs the player to place down the two Secret Cave tokens. These make faster travel across the World possible.

One token is placed at the Dino's current terrain tile, and the player controlling them then chooses another terrain tile to place the second token on. A Secret Cave token can be placed on a tile even if it is facedown.

A Secret Cave token cannot be placed on the Oasis tile.

When a Dino is on a tile containing a Secret Cave token and they take the Travel action, they can choose to go through the Secret Cave. The Dino moves directly to the terrain tile containing the other Secret Cave token, and does not have to spend the normal Food token needed to Travel.

If the tile moved to is facedown, remove the Secret Cave token and flip the terrain tile face-up as you would normally when moving to a facedown tile. Then, place the Secret Cave token onto the now face-up tile. If a Dino is on the Tarpit tile and wants to use the Secret Cave as described above, they must spend 1 Food token for the Travel.

During an Earthquake, if a tile containing the Secret Cave is flipped over and shuffled, do not return the token to the Supply. Instead, temporarily remove the token while terrain tiles are being shuffled, then place the token onto the facedown tile in the same physical location as before.

If an Exploration card instructs you to place down the Secret Cave tokens and they are already placed, you can change their locations.

The diagram on this page shows the terrain tiles laid out around the Oasis.

Tips from Dr Velo C. Raptor

Below is my list of my tips and tricks to help you build the Rocket in time.

• When I acquire a Rocket Part, I immediately take it back and Resupply at the Oasis so I can flip over the next Rocket Docket Card as fast as possible. This helps speed up the process of finding Rocket Parts.
• Make sure to explore the World and flip over as many terrain tiles as possible until you find the places I've told you hold a Rocket Part.
• If I flip over a tile with Wood, I'm exploring it!
• Each Dino has a special ability, so play to their strengths.
• Remember there are 3 EARTHQUAKES that will reset/replenish the board. So if there hasn't been one in a while, it's probably coming up and you should plan accordingly.

Notes on the Sheet

The rules sheet does not describe the Escape Plan, Stands or Sticker Sheet components. The text of the Exploration and Rocket Docket cards is not printed in the rules sheet and is not transcribed here.