ExoFauna/Duo
ExoFauna/Duo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Set Up
Place the 2 double-sided starting Watering Hole cards (1 blue and 1 yellow) and the Action card (set to the First Action side) in the middle of the play area between the 2 players.
Take the 48 Organism cards and separate them into 2 decks (blue and yellow). Choose a starting player. The chosen starting player takes the blue Organism deck, the blue Reference card, and the Action card and places those cards in their play area. The other player takes the yellow Organism deck and yellow Reference card and places those cards in their play area. Note that both decks are identical aside from their identifying color.
Each player shuffles their 24 card deck, draws a starting hand of 4 cards from their deck, and places their remaining deck Organism side up in their play area. While each player's hand is kept secret from the other player, each player's deck is always face up.
The game begins with the blue player taking the first turn.
[Setup diagram: the Watering Holes sit in the middle of the play area, with dotted lines representing the 8 "spaces" around each Watering Hole. Each player's play area holds a Hand, a Deck, a Reference Card and an Action Card. The diagram is an image in the source and is not reproduced here.]
Organism Cards
Each player begins the game with a deck of 24 Organism cards in their color (8 unique Organisms, 3 copies each). Each Organism card has a NAME, 1 of 3 INSTINCTS (Predator, Swarming, Scavenger), and an ADAPTATION.
While each player begins the game with a deck of Organism cards in their color, over the course of the game, a player will end up with Organisms of the other player's color in their own deck and hand. The implications of this are covered later in the rules.
Throughout the game, players will draw, play, discard, and manipulate Organism cards to the sides of the 2 Watering Holes. While it is only important after a Watering Hole is resolved, the back of each Organism card features a Watering Hole.
Watering Holes
The game begins with the 2 starting Watering Holes in play. Throughout the game, players will draw, play, discard, and manipulate Organism cards to the sides of the 2 Watering Holes. There will always be 2 Watering Holes in play. When a Watering Hole is resolved and claimed, it is replaced with a new Watering Hole.
Each Watering Hole is either yellow or blue, corresponding to the 2 player colors and has 8 spaces around it where Organism cards can be played. While each Watering Hole bares a player color, players may play Organisms of either color to either Watering Hole. Playing Organisms to Watering Holes is covered later in the rules.
When an Watering Hole has 8 Organisms, that Watering Hole is resolved and the player with the most Organisms in their color at that Watering Hole claims that Watering Hole. The first player to claim 2 Watering Holes wins the game.
Reference Cards and Action Card
Each player has a Reference card that features play order on 1 side, and resolving Watering Holes on the other.
The Action card is passed between players to keep track of their 2 Actions each turn.
Playing and Winning
ExoFauna/Duo is played over a series of player turns. Each turn, the player will receive 2 Actions to play Organism cards from their hand to either of the Watering Holes. At the end of a player's turn, if either player has claimed 2 Watering Holes, that player wins the game.
For a how to play video, please visit smallboxgames.com/exofauna
These rules exist to give an overview of the game set up, structure, and components; the majority of game play and interactions are dealt with on the cards themselves. When in doubt, use these rules as a backdrop; do what the card says and follow the text on the reference cards.
Player Turns
On a player's turn, they receive 2 Actions. For each Action, they must play 1 Organism card from their hand next to either Watering Hole. Once they have used their 2 Actions, their turn is over and if neither player has won the game, the other player takes a turn. As combos are prominent in this game, the player should use the Action card to keep track of their Actions as they use them!
Each Watering Hole has 8 "spaces" where Organisms can be played. An Organism is "next to" another Organism if it is orthogonally next to that Organism. There can never be more than 8 Organisms at a single Watering Hole.
While each Watering Hole features a player's color, each player may play Organisms to either Watering Hole, regardless of color. The color of a Watering Hole is used for determining which player wins ties when that Watering Hole is resolved.
When an Organism is played to a Watering Hole, the player must first use that played Organism's INSTINCT ability text.
- SWARMING - The player draws the top card of either deck.
- SCAVENGER - The player discards any number of cards from their hand and then draws that many cards plus 1 from their deck.
- PREDATOR - The player moves an Organism that is next to their played Organism to their hand, and they discard 1 card from their hand.
Then, if the played Organism is the only Organism of that name at that Watering Hole, the player may use its ADAPTATION ability. If a player is able and chooses to use a played Organism's Adaptation ability, the text is followed to the best of the player's ability.
Several Adaptation abilities allow the player to play additional cards from various places. Cards played as a result of an Adaptation ability follow the above sequence, but do not count towards the player's 2 Actions for the turn.
Additionally, several Adaptation abilities allow the player to move or exchange Organism cards in play at Watering Holes. Moving or exchanging Organisms never counts as "playing" and the above sequence is not followed.
Discarding and Player Colors: There is no discard pile in this game. When a player is prompted to discard a card, it is moved to the bottom of their deck, face up, regardless of its color. As a result, a player may end up with cards in their deck (or hand) of the other player's color. A player may play a card of the other player's color from their hand, or as a result of an Adaptation ability.
After the player uses an Action (and all resulting Instinct and Adaptation abilities), if there are 8 Organisms at a Watering Hole, that Watering Hole is resolved (see Resolving Watering Holes below).
After a player has used their 2 Actions for their turn, they draw cards from their deck until they have 4 cards in their hand or they discard cards from their hand until they have 4 cards in their hand. Then, if neither player has won, the other player takes a turn.
Example
The yellow player uses their 1st Action and plays a yellow Primu card from their hand to the blue Watering Hole. They use its Instinct, Predator. There are no Organisms next to it, so no Organism is moved to their hand, but following the Instinct, Predator ability text, they still must discard 1 card from their hand (which goes to the bottom of their deck). There is no other Primu at this Watering Hole, so they can use its Ambush Adaptation. They discard the blue Yikyik to the bottom of their deck. There are not 8 Organisms at this Watering Hole so it is not Resolved.
They then use their 2nd Action for their turn and may play to either Watering Hole.
Resolving Watering Holes
After using an Action, if a Watering Hole has 8 Organisms around it, that Watering Hole is Resolved and a single player will claim that Watering Hole.
The player with the most Organisms in their color claims the Watering Hole. In the event of a tie, the player whose color matches that Watering Hole claims it. When a player claims a Watering Hole, they move that Watering Hole card to their play area.
Each player moves each Organism of their color at that Watering Hole to the bottom of their deck.
The player who did not claim the Watering Hole places the top card of their deck face down to form a new Watering Hole.
When a Watering Hole is resolved, it has no effect on the other Watering Hole.
Example
It is the blue player's turn. They use their 1st Action to play a yellow Yikyik card from their hand to the blue Watering Hole. They use its Instinct, Scavenger. They discard 0 cards and draw 1 card from the top of their deck. There is another Yikyik at this Watering Hole, so they cannot use the Yikyik's Adaptation ability. But, after using their Action, there are 8 Organisms at this Watering Hole, so it is Resolved.
There are 4 yellow Organisms and 4 blue Organisms at this Watering Hole. It is a blue Watering Hole, so the blue player wins ties. The blue player claims this Watering Hole and moves it to their play area. The blue player moves the 4 blue Organisms from this Watering Hole to the bottom of their deck. The yellow player moves the 4 yellow Organisms from this Watering Hole to the bottom of their deck.
The yellow player places the top card of their deck face down in the middle of the play area, forming a new Watering Hole. The blue player takes their 2nd Action for their turn.
At the end of a player's turn, if either player has claimed 2 (or more) Watering Holes, that player wins the game.
Quick Game
Players wanting a quicker game may opt to play until a player has claimed a single Watering Hole, with that player winning the game!