Ice and the Sky
Ice and the Sky Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents of the Box
The game contains 66 cards as follows:
9 Set-up Cards
- 3 Element Identification cards: Air, Earth and Water.
- 3 Compass Identification cards: West (W), North (N) and East (E).
- 3 Start of game cards
8 Score Cards
- 4 Ice cards (values of 3, 2, 1 and 0)
- 4 Sky cards
- 1 Firstplayer card
36 Generation Cards
- 12 First Generation cards
- 12 Second Generation cards
- 12 Third Generation cards
The 12 cards of each generation consist of 4 Air cards, 4 Earth cards and 4 Water cards. Each of these 4 cards has a Biosphere value equal to 0, to 1, to 2 and to 3.
On certain cards, there is a carbon dioxide (CO2) molecule: this molecule is found on 2 of the First Generation cards, 3 of the Second Generation cards and 4 of the Third Generation cards!
Also, there are 3 methane molecules (CH4), one per generation (for expert mode, page 10).
12 Target Cards
- 6 Identification Target cards: Air, Earth, Water, East, North or West.
- 6 Biosphere Target cards: 3, 4, 4, 5, 5 or 6.
Aim of the Game
You play as a team to change during 3 generations an Earth where the biosphere must be balanced with the air, earth and water and where the human ecological footprint is kept to a minimum.
Set-up
Place the 6 Identification cards and the 3 Start of game cards in the centre of the table as shown on the example on the next page: this will be your play area.
Place the score cards above this area: the 4 Ice cards in a pile in decreasing value (3 on the top and 0 on the bottom) and beside them place the 4 Sky cards face up.
Independently shuffle the 6 Biosphere Target cards and the 6 Identification Target cards and place them in 2 piles, face down, on the table.
Independently shuffle each of the 3 piles of 12 Generation cards and place them side by side on the table, face down.
Equally deal out the 12 First generation cards to all the players. For 2 players, you will have 6 cards each, for 3 players, you will each have 4 cards and if there are 4 players, you will each have 3 cards. Look at your cards, this will be your hand.
Each player then takes 2 Target cards: a Biosphere card and an Identification card. You must in no case look at these cards, place them in your hand with the backs of the cards facing you as can be seen on the example on page 6. The other players will be able to see your target cards and you will be able to see those of all the other players!
Game Set-up Example
Ice cards, Sky cards, Identification Targets, Biosphere Targets, and the Generation cards (First, Second, Third Generation) are placed around a central Game Area containing the Element Identification cards (Air, Earth, Water), the 3 Start of Game cards, and the Compass Identification cards (W, N, E).
The combination of the 2 Target cards gives the total value of the Biosphere which must be exactly obtained on a row (Air, Earth or Water) or a column (E, N or W) at the end of this generation.
Example of the hands at the start of a game with 3 players: Here, I can see the Targets of my 2 playing partners and I know that we need a Biosphere equal to 6 points for the Air line (Claude) and 4 points for the North column (Francis). For the time being, I do not know my Target (but, by deduction, I know that it is not Air or North and that its value is not 6).
The Game
The last person to have placed his/her hands in the snow takes the first player card: this player will play first during the First Generation.
The players will then each play in turn in clockwise direction. In turn, the player must place one of his/her Generation cards where s/he wishes but on the right level (Air at the top, Earth in the centre and Water at the bottom). One card can be placed on top of another already in place only when the 3 places on the row concerned (Air, Earth or Water) are taken up. The cards are then played above those already placed throughout the rest of the game.
A card which has been put down can never be moved; it must be covered by another card. You can look at the card under a card already put down.
At all times in the game, when the placing of a card reaches the Target of one or more players or, on the contrary, invalidates this Target, this is declared. These are the only clues that can be given!
Example: Here, Claude has placed this Air 2 card. We then all say that her Target has been reached. From this, he deduces that his Target is Air 6 or East 5.
When it is his turn, Francis places this Water 2 card above the Water 1 card. As this action (which has modified the values of the East column and of the Water row) does not modify the fact that Claude's Target has been reached, Claude deduces that his Target is Air 6 and not East 5.
At the same time, Francis and Claude tell Luc that his Target is no longer obtained. Luc (who estimated that his Target was Water 4 or North 4) deduces that his Target is Water 4!
When the 12 cards of the First generation have been put down, the players reveal their Targets by placing them face up in front of them. The first set of data is then recorded with the score cards...
End of Generation Scoring
1 – Ice: If at the end of the generation one or more CO2 logos are visible, turn over the same amount of Ice cards. Obviously, visible CO2 logos must be avoided and therefore you must try to play these cards at the very beginning of the Generation so that they can then be more easily covered. Pay attention, if the Ice 0 card appears, the game is lost!!
For example, if at the end of the First generation, there is a visible CO2 logo, the first Ice card is turned over (value 3) to then reveal the card with value 2.
2 – Sky: We add the number of Targets reached and subtract the number of those which are not reached to obtain a value. A new Sky card is placed to the right of the previous one and opposite this value so that the change in the greenhouse gas ratio in the sky can be seen.
For example, with 3 players and at the end of the First generation, if Franci's and Claude's Targets are reached but not Luc's (+2 − 1 = +1), the Sky card is placed opposite the +1 of the previous card. The third Sky card will be placed after the Second generation and so on.
Each player places his/her Target cards in their respective piles that are again shuffled. The first player gives the First player card to the player on the left.
The playing cards of the First generation are left in place. The Second generation will start exactly as for the First generation and then, finally, the Third. From the Second generation, the cards will be placed over those already in place.
If, at the start of a Generation, certain players have already reached their Targets, the other players will say so.
End of Game and Counting of Points
After the Third generation, the game is over and all data is revealed to get to know the scores. For this, the points of the 3 aligned Sky cards are added up and multiplied by the Ice value as shown in the example on the next page. To win, a score at least equal to 1 must be obtained. The higher your score, the better you are!
(score scales on page 10)
Example of end of game with 3 players: Targets of the players at end of Third generation: Target reached = +1 Sky point, Target not reached = −1 Sky point, Target reached = +1 Sky point.
Third generation Sky total: +1 − 1 + 1 = +1
CO2 = −1 Ice point
Score cards: Ice = 1 point × Sky = 2 points (−1 + 2 + 1). Score of the game = 2 points (1 × 2). You win!
Score Table
| 2 players | 3 players | 4 players | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | Lost! |
| 1 – 5 | 1 – 8 | 1 – 11 | Short victory |
| 6 – 9 | 9 – 14 | 12 – 19 | Promising victory |
| 10 – 17 | 15 – 26 | 20 – 35 | Excellent victory |
| 18 | 27 | 36 | Perfect victory! |
Variants
Expert Mode
When you have achieved a perfect victory, you must add a small additional challenge.
The game is played in exactly the same way as before but you consider in addition to the CO2 the methane molecules CH4! There is one in each generation (therefore 3 in all) which will make the task considerably harder... Good luck!
Young Future Generations Mode
You play with the basic rules but hold in your hands only the Target cards (always facing away from you). Your Generation cards are placed in front of you so that everyone can see them.
Junior Mode
Play with the previous mode without taking the CO2 logos, therefore the Ice, into account. Play only with the Sky score.