KuZOOkA Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Game Setup
• Goal of the Game
• Sequence of Play
  • Phase 1: Preparation (omit for Round 1)
  • Phase 2: Communication Between Animals
    • A) Suggest Escape Plan
    • Optional: Use Your Animal's Ability
    • B) Suspend the Escape
  • Phase 3: Evaluation
• Unlock Experience Levels
• End of Round
• End of Game
  • Successful Escape
  • Failed Escape
• Communication
• Variant: High Security Zoo
• The Zoo Animals
• Credits

Game Components

• 1 double-sided gameboard (front: standard game; back: High Security Zoo variant), each side with an Escape Zone
• 51 Item cards in 6 colors: 6 Popcorn Box, 7 Ice Cream Spoon, 8 Popsicle Sticks, 9 Coins, 10 Scarves, 11 Balloons
• 1 Megaphone
• 10 Animal cards (front: brief explanation of the animal's special ability; back: plain)
• 20 Experience Stars (15 Value-1 and 5 Value-5)
• 10 Experience cards, Level 1 through Level 10 (each shows the number of Item cards dealt and the number displayed faceup at that level)
• 3 Difficulty Level cards: Easy, Normal, Difficult
• 6 Overview cards
• 6 Universal Tool cards
• 120 wooden Animal tokens (12 per Animal)

Game Setup

1. Place the gameboard faceup in the center of your play area with the standard game side faceup.

2. Players choose 1 Animal card and an Overview card, and then place them faceup in front of themselves.

   Recommended Animals for your first game

   • 2 Players: Eagle and Snake
   • 3 Players: + Chameleon
   • 4 Players: + Seal
   • 5 Players: + Sloth
   • 6 Players: + Parrot

   Note: Of course, you can also randomly deal 1 card to each player.

3. Take the 12 Animal tokens that match your Animal card and place them in front of you.

4. Prepare the Experience Deck: Place the Level 10 Experience card facedown (back side up). Then place the Level 9 Experience card facedown on top it, followed by the Level 8 Experience card and so on. The Level 1 Experience card will be on top. Now turn over the top card and place it faceup to create a stack of cards. For a 5-player game, reveal the first 2 cards with the 2nd card on top (the 1st card won't be used). For a 6-player game, reveal the first 3 cards with the 3rd card on top (the 1st and 2nd cards won't be used).

5. Select a level of difficulty (Easy, Normal, or Hard) and place the selected Difficulty Level card faceup next to the gameboard.

6. Place 1 Animal token from an Animal not being played on space 1 of the Round track.

7. Place the 6 Universal Tool cards faceup in a stack next to the gameboard.

8. Give the Megaphone to the player who last visited a zoo. They will start the game.

9. Shuffle all 51 Item cards. Then, beginning with the start player and continuing clockwise, deal the number of cards as directed by the top faceup Experience card: 20 in a 2-4 player game, 21 in a 5-player game, or 22 in a 6-player game. Place the remaining Item cards in a facedown deck next to the gameboard. For a 5- or 6-player game, you will also deal 1 or 2 cards faceup next to the gameboard (as directed by the faceup Experience card).

   Note: Depending on the number of players, some players may receive a different number of cards. Don't worry, this isn't a problem.

Goal of the Game

As a group, you are trying to escape from the zoo within 7 Rounds.

On your turn, you may place 1 of your Animal tokens in a space on the gameboard's path through the zoo. You must always place a new Animal token in a space ahead of the furthest advanced Animal token already in place on the gameboard's path.

Or you could choose to suspend your escape. In this case, everyone reveals all their Item cards. If your faceup cards now contain at least as many items with the same color as the space with the furthest advanced Animal token, you gain experience. This will allow you to deal out more cards in future rounds.

If you have an Animal token in one of the 6 spaces in the Escape Zone at the end of the path and there are enough matching cards faceup, you succeed in escaping and immediately win the game.

Sequence of Play

Important: You may never discuss the cards in your hand.

You play a maximum of 7 Rounds. Each Round consists of the following 3 Phases:

• Phase 1: Preparation
• Phase 2: Communication Between Animals
• Phase 3: Evaluation

Phase 1: Preparation (omit for Round 1)

Shuffle all 51 Item cards and any Universal Tool cards you may have gained. Then deal out the number of cards as directed by on the top faceup Experience Card, beginning with the player with the Megaphone. Once you have unlocked Experience Level 2, you will draw additional cards as indicated and place them faceup next to the gameboard.

Example: Once you are at Experience Level 3, you will deal out 22 Item cards (beginning with the player with the Megaphone) and then you will deal 2 additional Item cards faceup next to the gameboard.

Phase 2: Communication Between Animals

The player with the Megaphone starts, and players take Turns in clockwise order until 1 player chooses Option B: Suspend the Escape. On your turn, you must choose 1 of 2 options:

• A) Suggest Escape Plan
• B) Suspend the Escape

You may also use your Animal card's ability once per Round.

A) Suggest Escape Plan

Place 1 of your Animal tokens in a space on the path through the zoo in accordance with the following:

The path through the zoo is divided into zones with 5 or more spaces that differ in light or dark background colors. The last zone highlighted in white is the Escape zone.

Place the very first Animal token in the first Round on one of the 5 spaces in the first zone, which is next to the Start sign.

If there's already 1 or more Animal tokens on the path, place your Animal token on a space of your choice ahead of the furthest token already in place. This space must be in either the same zone or the next zone immediately following it. You are not allowed to skip any zones.

Note: Placing your Animal tokens usually tells the other players something about the cards in your hand–perhaps not the exact number, but at least the color.

Example: Jessy starts the game. She has 2 yellow Popcorn Box cards, 4 green Balloons cards, and 1 red Ice Cream Spoon card. She would like to indicate she's holding Balloons cards by placing 1 of her Eagle tokens on the green 2.

Katja's turn is next. She has 1 blue Coins card, 1 yellow Popcorn Box card, 1 green Balloons card, 2 red Ice Cream Spoon cards, and 2 orange Popsicle Sticks cards. Katja would like to place her Chameleon token on an orange space. However, she isn't allowed to place in the orange 1 space, as it is behind the token on green 2. She doesn't want to place it on the orange 2 space because it is a large jump ahead and she would rather leave more space for the other players to give useful hints. For the same reason—and since she has 2 red cards and only has 1 green card—she places her Chameleon token on the red 1 instead of on the green 3 since it doesn't skip any spaces.

Now it's Amir's turn. Amir has 3 blue Coins cards, 1 yellow Popcorn Box card, 1 green Balloons card, and 1 purple Scarves card. Amir could put one of his Snake tokens on the green 3 since he can support this escape plan. However, because he has so many blue cards, he wants to strongly recommend this escape plan instead. Amir isn't allowed to place his token on the blue 3, as this would cause him to skip over a zone. He decides to place his Snake token on the blue 2.

Optional: Use Your Animal's Ability

Once per Round, you can use your Animal's ability. Simply follow the instructions on your Animal card. Then flip your Animal card facedown to indicate you've used its ability this Round.

A complete overview of all of the zoo Animal cards can be found under "The Zoo Animals" below.

B) Suspend the Escape

You suspend the escape attempt. Immediately take the Megaphone and then continue with Phase 3: Evaluation.

Note: You usually don't have enough cards to escape, especially in the first few Rounds. Sometimes you need to suspend the escape in order to get more Experience, which gives you more cards.

Phase 3: Evaluation

Now everyone reveals all the cards in their hands. The color of the space with the furthest advanced Animal token is your Escape color. The number in this space is your Escape value.

Now count how many cards you have all revealed in the Escape color (including those that were already faceup. In a game with 4 or fewer players there will be no additional faceup cards in Round 1).

• If you have at least as many cards in the Escape color as the Escape value specifies, you gain Experience Stars (except for the first spaces along the path without them). The number of Experience Stars you gain is depicted in the star next to the space with your Escape color and value. Place the Experience Stars gained next to the Difficulty Level card.
• If you have exactly as many cards in the Escape color as the Escape value specifies, you also gain a Universal Tool card (including the first few spaces on the path where you don't receive Experience Stars). Place this card facedown on top of the Item deck.
• If you have fewer cards in the Escape color than the Escape value specifies, you won't gain a Universal Tool card or any Experience Stars this Round.

Universal Tools

Universal Tools help you in your escape attempts. Universal Tools are wild cards that count for all colors, which means they always count for the Escape color. In other words, you always count all faceup cards in the Escape color plus all Universal Tools from your hands or that are faceup next to the gameboard.

Example: In Phase 3, you have a total of 26 cards in your hands. Another 5 cards have been placed faceup next to the gameboard. Katja suspends the escape attempt, which triggers the Evaluation. The furthest advanced Animal token was placed on the yellow 6. Now check whether there are at least 6 yellow cards (including any Universal Tool cards) among the 26 cards from your hands and the 5 faceup cards.

Unlock Experience Levels

After each Evaluation, you may spend your Experience Stars to unlock your next Experience Level. Your Difficulty Level card shows how many Experience Stars you need to spend to unlock the next Experience Level. After spending the Stars, reveal the next Experience card and place it faceup on the previous card. The new card indicates how many cards you will be dealt in the following Round and how many cards you will display faceup.

Note: You may unlock multiple Experience Levels per Round if you have enough Experience Stars to pay for them. The final Experience Level is 10.

End of Round

If none of the End Game conditions have been met, advance the Animal token 1 space on the Round track and continue with Phase 1: Preparation.

Flip your Animal card faceup if you used its ability last Round.

End of Game

Successful Escape

If the furthest ahead Animal token is in one of the last 6 spaces of the Escape zone at the end of the path through the zoo and you have at least as many cards in the Escape color as specified for the Escape value during Evaluation, you have successfully escaped and immediately win the game.

Failed Escape

The game also ends after the 7th Round. If you haven't escaped by this point, you lose the game.

Communication

If you want to be strict with the rules, you aren't allowed to talk to each other about the game except by placing your Animal tokens and using your Animal's ability. In practice, you may want to discuss why certain decisions were made and find your own level of permitted communication. Play in a way that lets you enjoy the game.

Variant: High Security Zoo

Use the reverse side of the gameboard. You will need more cards to successfully escape. Since you won't have the required number of cards to escape for any color in the deck at the beginning of the game, you'll need to acquire some Universal Tools first.

We suggest using this variant only after you've won a few games with the front side of the gameboard.

The Zoo Animals

Your Animal gives you a special ability you may use once per Round. The exact timing is explained below. Flip your Animal facedown for the remainder of the round after using its special ability.

Eagle: You may ask another player if they have at least X cards of a certain color at the start of your turn. (You can use any number of your choice for X.) If the person asked has at least as many cards as you just asked, they must answer your question with yes, otherwise with no.

Example: Stefan asks Annie: "Do you have at least 3 yellow Popcorn Box cards?" Since Annie has 4 yellow cards, she answers the question with "Yes."

Lion: You may place 1 card from your hand facedown under your Lion card at the beginning of your turn. Then flip the Lion over as a reminder. This card returns to your hand at the beginning of the next Round in Phase 1 instead of being shuffled back into the deck. This way you'll have 1 additional card in your hand after the cards have been dealt for the next Round.

Monkey: Give 1 of the cards in your hand to another player. That player must now give you 1 card from their hand (including the one you just gave them). You may use this ability at the beginning or end of your turn.

Rhinoceros: If you choose the Suggest Escape Plan option, you may simultaneously place 2 Rhino tokens. These tokens must be placed adjacent to each other following the normal placement rules.

Note: The token furthest ahead will count for the Evaluation.

Chameleon: You may draw 1 card from the deck and add it to your hand at the beginning or end of your turn. Then you must discard 1 card from your hand facedown.

Parrot: If you choose Option A) Suggest Escape Plan, you may place your Animal token in the space with the player's Animal token that is furthest ahead on the zoo path.

Elephant: You may designate the player who will play next at the end of your turn.

Seal: Once per Round, you may place your Animal token on a zoo path space without paying attention to the zones.

Note: This card can only be used if there are 4, 5, or 6 players.

Sloth: You may pass and do nothing instead of choosing A) Suggest Escape Plan or B) Suspend the Escape. It's the next player's turn.

Snake: At the beginning of your turn, you may discard all the cards in your hand facedown. Then draw 1 card less than you discarded from the deck to refill your hand.

Credits

Designer: Leo Colovini | Illustrations: Bartłomiej Kordowski Graphic Design: Jens Wiese | Realization: Sebastian Hein English Translation: Ralph H Anderson

Pegasus Spiele GmbH, Am Straßbach 3, 61169 Friedberg, Germany, under license of studiogiochi. © 2022 Pegasus Spiele GmbH.