Jupiter Rescue
Jupiter Rescue Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 20 Colony Module tiles
- 1 Evacuation Pod tile
- 3 Game Reference tiles
- 7 Player pawns
- 7 Core chips
- 36 Rescue cards
- 49 blue Colonist markers
- 60 red Creep markers
- 8 green Super Creep markers
- 1 six-sided die
Setting Up
- Remove the Evacuation Pod tile from the tile stack and set it to the side.
- Shuffle the tile stack.
- Place 19 colony module tiles in a spiral order from the center (Diagram A). The rotation of the tile is not important. Use whatever orientation the tile is in when you flip it over.
- Put the last remaining colony tile back in the box. It will not be used this game.
- Place a blue Colonist marker on every available space on the interior seven tiles. The green power plants on Module 3 and the radar dishes on Module 4 are not spaces, so do not place colonists on them. (Diagram B)
- Shuffle the Rescue deck and deal 2 cards to each player. These can be shown to other players. If any cards dealt are "Setback" cards, put these at the bottom of the deck and replace them with a new card from the top of the deck.
- Each player chooses a color and takes a pawn and a ring of that color.
- Each player chooses one of the cards they have been dealt to be his or her "core" ability (usable every round). The player's ring is placed on top of the card they choose.
- Place all player pawns on the Evacuation Pod tile.
- Decide as a group who goes first.
- Decide as a group where to initially dock the Evacuation Pod. Any exposed edge of the colony is a valid docking location. (Diagram C)
Play
Goal: Get 28 colonists off the colony before the creep invasion tears it to pieces. Oh yeah, also save yourselves!
The steps that occur on a player's turn are Player Actions, Conversion, Invasion, and Draw.
Player Actions
Each player gets a total of 5 Actions they can perform on their turn. The actions can be any combination of the options in the following list:
- Move: You can move yourself one space.
- Shoot: You can shoot a Creep that is on the same tile as your pawn.
- Command: You can move a Colonist that is on the same tile as your pawn or is on an adjacent tile.
- Trade: You can give or take any number of cards to another player that is within your command range.
Additionally, some cards grant you new or modified actions (see the card list for full details).
Movement
Each colony dome on a tile is a space that can be occupied by a player, a colonist, or a creep. These spaces are connected to each other by bridges. To move from one space to another, there must be a visible bridge between them. If there is no bridge between two spaces they are not considered adjacent and movement between them is not possible without finding another route. (Diagram D)
There can be only one piece per space, and pieces cannot move through other pieces. So be careful where you leave your pawn or you may end up blocking other players or colonist evacuation routes.
The Evacuation Pod is a special case. The tile is treated as a single space, but it can hold up to 7 colonists or player pawns. Pieces inside the Evacuation Pod do not block the movement of any other piece into or out of the pod.
Attacking
You can shoot a creep that is on the same tile as you, even if the spaces are not adjacent. However, if a creep is one space away but is on another tile (Diagram E), the module clamping mechanisms get in your way, and you can't make the shot (unless you are a Sniper).
Commanding
The Colonists are pretty confused and helpless, so you'll need to shout at them a lot to get them to actually move anywhere. Your Command Range is usually the tile you are on and any adjacent tile. You can move a Colonist out of your Command Range, but once there, he's stuck until you move closer or someone near him tells him to move.
You need to get the Colonists off the colony in batches of seven. As soon as you move the seventh colonist onto the Evacuation Pod, it launches and carries them to safety. Move the Evacuation Pod tile away from the colony, remove the Colonist markers to a "saved" pile, and keep the Pod tile. By default, it stays undocked until the beginning of that player's next turn, when you get to choose a new docking location.
Trading
When you trade, there is no limit to how many cards that can change hands or how many other players you trade with. However, any card you receive cannot be then given to someone else. To take a card and then give it to a different player would require two trade actions. All players you trade with must be within your command range when you take your trade action.
Conversion
After you have used all of your actions, if any Creep is adjacent to a Colonist, that colonist is converted into a Creep. Colonists on the Evacuation Pod are immune to Conversion.
Invasion
After converting any colonists to creeps, the player rolls the die. If the result is 1-5, add a Creep marker to each corresponding tile that is on the edge of the colony. If the result is a 6, add a Creep marker to every tile that already has a Creep marker.
Creep Placement: If there is an open space on the edge (Diagram F), the Creep must be placed there. Otherwise, place the creep in any open space of your choice. If there are no open spaces but there are Colonists on a tile, replace a Colonist with a Creep. If you place a Creep adjacent to another Colonist, it does not convert until the Conversion step on the next player's turn.
If a tile completely fills with Creeps, it self destructs and the tile goes away, exposing interior tiles to Creep invasion on later turns. A player pawn on a tile can prevent it from self-destructing. If all critical colony modules (3 & 4) are destroyed, the entire colony is lost. (See Winning & Losing for details)
If the colony becomes divided by modules self-destructing, any sections or islands remain in play. Separated areas can be bridged by the Evacuation Pod or the Teleport card.
Draw
The last step for each player is drawing a card. If the card is an ability card, it goes into your hand and can be played on your next turn. If the card is a Setback card, you must follow its instructions and then discard it. Complete descriptions of each type of card will be given in the next section.
Not counting your "Core" ability card, you have a base hand limit of 4. If you end up with more than your hand limit at the end of your turn, you must discard down to the limit.
After putting the card in your hand or following Setback instructions, play passes to the player on your left.
The Rescue Deck
Rescue cards allow you to do extra things or modify your actions during your turn. Typically, you discard a rescue card after using it, but the one card you choose at the beginning as your Core Ability stays with you for the entire game. This is what a Rescue card looks like (Diagram G).
Each card is printed with a Title, an Ability Type icon, a Standard Scope icon, a Core Scope icon, and a Description.
Ability Type
This gives some indication as to what it does or when you would use it.
- Move: The card's ability has to do with moving yourself.
- Command: The card's ability has to do with moving Colonists.
- Attack: The card's ability has to do with attacking Creeps.
- Misc: The card is used for some other unique circumstance.
Standard Scope
This lets you know how long you gain its benefits.
- Single Action: On your turn, the card lets you take the special action once, and then it is discarded.
- Single Turn: On your turn, you may use the effects of the card for every action if you like. The card is discarded at the end of your turn.
- Single Event: The card is used during a single, non-action-related event on your turn.
Core Scope
The benefits are modified by when this is your permanently installed ability.
- Every Action: You can choose to gain the benefits of this ability on every relevant action you take.
- Once Per Turn: You can only use this ability once on your turn, though you still can use it every turn.
The Cards
Boost: Misc | Single Turn | Once Per Turn Take one extra action this turn.
Bullhorn: Command | Single Turn | Every Action Extend your command range over the entire colony.
Data Core: Misc | Single Event | Once Per Turn Discard your Core ability and replace it with another card that you have in your hand.
Follower: Command | Single Turn | Every Action Each time you move a Colonist one space, you can move an adjacent Colonist into the space vacated by the first.
Grenadier: Attack | Single Turn | Every Action When you kill a creep, also kill one adjacent to it at no extra action cost.
Heat Seeker: Attack | Single Action | Once Per Turn Kill a Creep anywhere for 3 actions.
Juggernaut: Move/Attack | Single Turn | Every Action You can move into the same space as a Creep. This kills it.
Kinesis Field: Command | Single Turn | Every Action You may move allies or creeps within your command range as if they were Colonists. (Creeps cannot be moved onto the Evacuation Pod)
Module Control: Misc | Single Event | Once Per Turn Move a tile with at least two consecutive open edges to any other location at the edge of the colony.
Phase Shift: Misc | Single Event | Once Per Turn Reroll the die once and use the new result.
Pilot: Misc | Single Event | Once Per Turn Launch or dock the Evacuation Pod immediately (instead of waiting for those events to trigger automatically).
Rocket Boots: Move | Single Action | Once Per Turn Move any number of spaces in a straight line for 1 Action. You may jump over Colonists, but not Creeps.
Sniper: Attack | Single Action | Every Action Kill a Creep on an adjacent tile for 1 Action
Suppressant: Misc | Single Event | Once Per Turn After rolling the die on your turn, you can prevent Creeps from rising or spreading on a tile of your choice. (You may play this card after rolling the die or after drawing a Setback card)
Swap: Move | Single Turn | Every Action You can trade places with an adjacent Colonist, Creep, or Player for 1 Action. (Combined with other cards, this may include non-adjacent pieces)
Teleport: Move | Single Action | Once Per Turn Move to any open space for 3 Actions
Setback Cards and Super Creeps
Green Super Creeps on the board have an effect on all players, depending on where the Super Creeps are.
The effect of Super Creeps covering Power Plants is cumulative. The more Power Plants that are covered, the smaller the hand limit. It's even possible for the hand limit to be zero. If the hand limit is reduced, players do not have to discard down until the very end of their turn.
The effect of Super Creeps covering Radar Dishes is always the same. Whether there are 4 Radar Dishes or only 1 Radar Dish covered, players get a base of 4 actions per turn instead of 5. If a player frees the last covered Radar Dish, that player immediately gets access to their fifth action.
Super Creeps will never rise on a tile that has a player pawn on it. That tile is "guarded" by the player. Likewise Super Creeps can be prevented from being placed by using Suppressant. Super Creeps will never spawn extra creeps if a 6 is rolled. Super Creeps on a Power Plant or Radar Dish are never considered adjacent to any other space and cannot be moved with a Kinesis Field. If a tile with a Super Creep on it fills up and is destroyed, any effect that particular Super Creep had is lifted.
Power Grab: Add a Super Creep to all unguarded Power Plants. Hand limit for all players is reduced by 1 for each Power Plant holding a Super Creep.
Signal to Noise: Add a Super Creep to all unguarded Radar Dishes. Actions-per-turn for all players is reduced by 1 while any Radar Dish is holding a Super Creep.
Surge: Add a second Creep to all tiles you already added a Creep to this turn.
Using Multiple Rescue Cards
There is no limit for how many cards you can play on your turn, or even on a single action (aside from your hand limit). You might be able to use Single Action or Once Per Turn abilities multiple times per turn if you have multiple cards. Here are a few ways in which you may play cards together to accomplish even more interesting effects.
Boost + Boost: Do even more! Since there are two of these in the deck, in theory you could get up to 7 actions in one turn.
Juggernaut + Teleport: Move into a solid cluster of Creeps and kill the one you land on.
Juggernaut + Rocket Boots: Kill a straight line of Creeps of any number.
Swap + Rocket Boots/Teleport: Move across the board into a group of Colonists, putting the Colonist in your destination space back where you started from.
Bullhorn + Kinesis Field + Follower: Move several Creeps and/or Allies from anywhere on the board.
Pilot + Pilot: Launch the Evacuation Pod to empty it and immediately redock it at another location.
Grenadier + Sniper/Heat Seeker: Kill two creeps that are next to each other on another tile.
Grenadier + Juggernaut: Automatically kill a creep adjacent to one you just ran over.
Teleport + Teleport OR Heat Seeker + Heat Seeker: You can only use the ability once this turn, but the action cost becomes 1.
Winning & Losing
Players win the game as soon as they have A) Rescued 28 Colonists, and B) Gotten themselves off the colony.
Players can lose the game in one of two ways.
- Enough colonists get converted that it becomes impossible to save 28 of them. This number can vary depending on which tiles are in the center of the colony (3 and 4 tiles have one less space), so keep track of how many colonists remain!
- The Power Plants on Module 3 are required to keep the colony hovering at a stable altitude. The Radar Dishes on Module 4 are required for the Evacuation Pod to be able to navigate to and from the colony. If all Module 3 tiles OR all Module 4 tiles are destroyed by Creeps, the game is lost.
Credits
Game Design: Mark Major
Graphic Design: Christina Major, Mark Major
Playtesters: Anna Pow, Sam Pow, Skylar Lenox