MoonQuake Escape Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the Game
• Contents
• Board Set-up
• Zartaclaton Out of Control
• More About the Board
• The Deck and Your Hand
• How to Earn More Cards
• Player Set-up
  • Distribute Aliens and Cards
  • Hide Your Alien
• Card Types
• Game Play
  • Phases in a Round
• Basic Game Rules
  • 1. MoonQuake Phase
  • 2. Escape Phase
  • Basic Rules Terrain Table
  • Conquering Craters
  • 3. Action Phase
  • Key Actions Table
  • 4. Guard Phase
• Winning the Game
  • How to Launch the Rocket
• Game Play Examples
  • MoonQuake Phase
  • Escape Phase
  • Action Phase
  • Guard Phase
  • Winning the Game
• Two-Player Optional Rule
  • Alien Accomplices
• Advanced Rules
  • Advanced Guard Movement
  • Aiming
  • Decoys
  • Hidden Equipment
  • New Terrain
  • Advanced Rules Terrain Table
• Sudden Death Shootout
• Card Glossary
• Game Summary
  • Set-up (pg 2-5)
  • Main Game Objectives
  • Phases in a Round
  • Winning the Game (pg 10)

Goal of the Game

Navigate the treacherous prison planet, gather cards that will confuse other players or provide useful items, reach the only remaining rocket on the Launch Pad, and Escape the MoonQuake!

Contents

• Rulebook
• Prison Planet Parts: Board; Unstable Molten Core; Gravitational Stress Arm; Moon Spinner Post; Moon Spinner; Base Structure; 3 Two-sided Surface Rings; 1 Launch Pad
• Moon Orbit Token
• Quake Die
• 1 Guard Cutout and Stand
• 1 Rocket Cutout and Stand
• 87 Cards
• 6 Status Cards and Clips
• 6 Alien Cutouts and Stands
• Phase Token

Board Set-up

1. Board: Unfold and place board in play area.
2. Unstable Molten Core: Connect the Unstable Molten Core to the center of the board.
3. Gravitational Stress Arm: Place the Gravitational Stress Arm around the Unstable Molten Core. Ensure it moves side-to-side freely.
4. Moon Spinner Post: Slip the sleeve of Moon Spinner Post onto the end of the Gravitational Stress Arm.
5. Moon Spinner: Place the Moon Spinner (plastic ball) on the Moon Spinner Post. You will move the Moon Spinner in front of a player during the first round.
6. Base Structure: Place the Prison Base on top of the assembled Unstable Molten Core.
7. Two-sided Surface Rings: Place the three surface rings over Base Structure. Use the B sides for a Basic game.
8. Launch Pad: Secure the Launch Pad piece on top (B side in Basic) and then starting from the top, line up the pipes that cross each ring.
9. Moon Orbit token: Place the Moon Orbit token with the "Clockwise" side face-up on the Moon Orbit token board space.
10. Quake Die: Place the Quake die in the Die-solation Cell.
11. Guard: Place the Guard Cutout in the Guard Tower.
12. Rocket: Place the Rocket Cutout on the Launch Pad.

Each side of every ring and Launch Pad is labeled A or B. The pipes line up.

Zartaclaton Out of Control

You've just built Zartaclaton, the desolate prison planet of MoonQuake Escape. Let's look at its main features.

Surface Rings: The MoonQuake is creating chaos on the surface. Each ring rotates to a new position every round.

Moon Orbit Token: Shows which way the Moon is moving.

Moon Spinner: The Moon, which is causing the MoonQuake, is a spinner. Use the Moon Spinner to determine how many charges each player gains each round to use on actions.

Moon Spinner Post: The Moon moves erratically at the start of each round, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. It moves from in front of one player to another, designating the Moon Player who'll act first in every phase that round.

Quake Die: Determines how the MoonQuake changes the board. Each level may spin differently.

Rocket: Rests on the stable Launch Pad. Make your way quickly and launch, there's only room for one!

Guard: Relentlessly hunts for players, intent on immobilizing them. It moves towards the Launch Pad.

Phase Track: Use the Phase Token to track the current phase. Players advance through four phases in a round–MoonQuake, Escape, Action, and Guard–before checking to see if the Rocket launches.

More About the Board

Each board ring has six spaces. Pipes separate each space. Every space has a Terrain Type and a Bonus Action icon.

The Basic game introduces two main terrain types, Plains and Craters. Both affect how a player may move. You may move to a Plains space freely, but in the Basic Game it's more difficult to enter a Crater space.

Board key:

1. Two-sided Ring Mark - Marks either side A or B.
2. Finger Grip - Use when rotating a ring.
3. Pipe - Separates spaces. Pipes always line up after you move a ring during a MoonQuake.
4. Bonus Action Icon - Use in Action phase.
5. Plains Space - Easy to enter these spaces.
6. Crater Space - In Basic Game, difficult to end a move here without special circumstances.
7. Force Fence - Drains a charge.

When the board rings are set correctly, the pipes joining each level will always align so that a space below touches two spaces in the level above.

The Deck and Your Hand

1. All cards (except Aliens) are shuffled to make the deck.
2. Used cards go into the discard pile. If the deck runs out, reshuffle the discard pile.
3. Your hand is part face-down and part face-up. Face-down cards are Hidden, including your Alien card. Hidden cards turned face-up are Exposed, and are acted on before being discarded. Face-up cards are Equipment cards to help you. Cards don't switch between face-down or face-up.
4. Your Status card has a slider to track how many charges you have, and you'll place Equipment cards to each side to indicate if they are ready to use: left, ready; right, unready.
5. You can look at your Hidden cards at will, but you can only change their placement during the Escape phase or when you add another Hidden card.
6. Keep your Alien Hidden, or you'll be immobilized until you re-hide during your next Escape phase.

How to Earn More Cards

There are four ways to add cards to your hand during the game:

Right Away

• Draw one card from the deck if you Expose another player's Alien card when you use a Zappp action. You gain, they're delayed: a win-win for you.
• Draw one card from the deck when you use the Scan action.
• Take one unready Equipment card from a player when you use the Steal action.

Not Right Away

• In the Escape phase, draw three cards from the deck instead of moving when your Alien card is Exposed.

There's no limit to the number of cards you may have in your hand and since most face-down cards breaks a tie to win, collect as many as you can!

Player Set-up

Distribute Aliens and Cards

1. Choose an Alien: Choose two identical Alien cards (there are no game play differences between Aliens). Place the matching Alien Cutout into a stand.
2. Choose a Spot: Select one of the six empty exit spots and place your Alien Cutout there.
3. Pick a Status card: Add a sliding clip and set it at "0" charges. Tuck the 2nd Alien card face-up under your Status card as shown to remind everyone which Alien Cutout on the board belongs to which player.
4. Set Aside Unused Components: Return any extra Alien cards and player pieces to the box, they will not be used.
5. Get One Free Energy Shield: Give one Energy Shield card to each player. Place the Energy Shield card face-up on the Ready side of the Status card.
6. Shuffle the Deck: Shuffle the rest of the cards together to form the deck. Deal four cards to each player.

If this deck is ever exhausted, shuffle the discard pile.

Hide Your Alien

1. Secretly look at the four cards you just received.
2. Place any Equipment cards (Blue) face-up on the Not Ready side of the Status card.
3. Add your Alien to the cards in your hand, mix it in, and place all cards face-down separately in front of you.
4. Place the Energy Shield card on the Ready side of your Status card over a Hidden card.

You can look at your face-down cards whenever you need to.

Example hand in set-up: Alex has placed her starting Energy Shield on the Ready side of her Status Card. Her hand contained two blue cards, a yellow and green card. She has sorted her hand and placed two blue Equipment cards on the Not Ready side of her Status Card. Her Alien and the two other cards are now face-down. She places her ready Energy Shield to protect one. Is she protecting her Alien?

Card Types

Cards have a colored background to indicate what kind of card it is:

• Red: Alien cards. Never discard your Alien.
• Yellow: Hazards that make your situation worse when Exposed.
• Green: Trap cards that impact your attacker.
• Purple: Good to hide with, but sometimes trigger Moon effects.
• Blue: Useful equipment to help you. You may use a Ready Equipment card. Move an Equipment card from the Not Ready to Ready side of your Status Card by spending the number of charges indicated on the card.

An Energy Shield card is particularly useful. Place a Ready Energy Shield over a face-down card to protect it. A player must use one Zappp action to remove the Energy Shield and a second Zappp action to Expose the Hidden card beneath. Use an Energy Shield card to protect your Alien card or to lure players away from it.

When other players Zappp you, they get to Expose a card of their choice from your hand by flipping it face-up. When resolving a Zappp action, the Attacker performs the Zappp action and the Defender owns the card being Exposed. When a card is Exposed, it is flipped up for all players to see. The Attacker reads the card out loud and performs the action unless otherwise indicated in the card text.

See Card Glossary (pg 14-15) for details on every card.

Game Play

Phases in a Round

The game is played over a series of rounds. One game round contains four phases plus a check for a winner. All players take a turn in the Escape and Action phases.

Phase Order: 1. MoonQuake, 2. Escape, 3. Action, 4. Guard.

1. MoonQuake Phase

• 1st turn: See MoonQuake Phase details (pg 7).
• Resolve Reverse Orbit cards and move Moon to new Moon Player.
• Moon Player spins Moon Spinner unless there is a Lunar event. All players receive that many Charges.
• Moon Player rolls Quake die for each ring and moves them accordingly.

2. Escape Phase

Moon Player goes first; all other players take a turn in Moon Orbit order.

• If your Alien is Hidden you must move to an adjacent space in the next higher ring. See Terrain Table for effects.
• If your Alien is Exposed draw 3 cards from the deck, or 4 cards on the Launch Pad.
• All players may rearrange Hidden cards in their hands and move ready Energy Shields to protect them.

3. Action Phase

Moon Player goes first; all other players take a turn in Moon Orbit order.

• Determine Bonus Action based on the icon in your board space at the start of your turn.
• Take actions by spending Charges and using your Bonus Action. Multiple actions are OK:
  • Zappp (1) - Expose and resolve one Hidden card in another player's hand OR return the Guard to the Guard Tower.
  • Zippp (1) - Move up to 2 spaces on your current level ring.
  • Ready (per card) - Ready an Equipment card. Use it for free any time after it's ready.
  • Spy (1) - Secretly look at one Hidden card in another player's hand (not under an Energy Shield).
  • Steal (1) - Take an unready Equipment card from another player in your space.
  • Scan (3) - Draw a card from the deck to add to your hand. Rearrange cards if added face-down.

4. Guard Phase

• If no Aliens are on the Guard's ring, the Moon Player moves the Guard to the next higher ring.
• If the Guard did not move, it will Zappp every Alien on its level. Discard Zappped cards without resolving them.

Check for a Winner

• If no winner, start another round.

Basic Game Rules

1. MoonQuake Phase

Move the Moon, get charges, and change the board.

Each round starts with the MoonQuake phase.

1st Round Only: Determine Where Moon Starts

• For a Basic game, make sure all two-sided rings are on Side B.
• Each player spins the Moon Spinner, highest number wins. Continue spinning to break a tie.
• Move the Moon Spinner to the player winning the final spin. This player is the first Moon Player.
• Use the winning spin number as the number of charges for the first round.
• Skip to Step #4, Change Board.

After the first round, resolve the MoonQuake phase using the following steps:

1. Change Orbit Direction: See which way the Moon moves this round.
   • For every Orbit Reverses card on the Moon Orbit token, flip the token and discard the card.
   • For this entire round, player turns go in the direction of the Moon Orbit.
2. Move Moon: Move the Moon Spinner to the next player in the Moon Orbit direction.
   • Each round the Moon moves from one player to another.
   • For the round, this player is the Moon Player who goes first in each phase.

Moon Player:

• The player with the Moon is the Moon Player.
• The Moon Player conducts the MoonQuake and Guard phases and starts the others.

3. Charge Batteries: The Moon Player spins the Moon Spinner.
   • All players add the resulting number of charges to their battery, increasing the total indicated by the clip on their Status card.
   • Players cannot set the charge indicator higher than 5 – any charges over 5 can't be stored, so they are lost.

Lunar Events: If either a Lunar Eclipse or Lunar Glow card is face-up on the Moon Orbit token use its value instead of spinning, then discard it.

• If more than one of these cards are on the Moon Orbit marker, use the top one and leave the rest for the next MoonQuake phase.

4. Change Board: The Moon Player rolls the Quake die once for each board ring in any order.
   • The Quake die will show a number (0, 1, 2, or 3) and an arrow direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise).
   • Rotate the ring as indicated. Make sure to line up the pipes that cross each ring as you rotate them.

If all players are on the Launch Pad, you may skip the Change Board step during this phase.

Example Quake die roll in MoonQuake phase: The Moon Player, Bailey, rolled a 2 clockwise for the 1st ring, a 2 counter-clockwise for the 2nd ring, and a 1 clockwise for the 3rd ring. As he rolled, Alex moved each ring.

2. Escape Phase

Hidden Aliens move closer to the Rocket while Exposed Aliens hide.

The Moon Player goes first and all other players take a turn in Moon Orbit order.

Hidden Alien: If your Alien card is face-down your Alien is Hidden, and you must move to a space on the next level up.

• You will move to one of the two spaces on the next level up that touches your current space.
• For the Basic Game, it is difficult to move to a Crater space. You may move freely to a Crater space if you started in a Crater space. If you start in a Plains space and both spaces on the next level up are Crater spaces, you may choose one of these to move into.
• See Conquering Craters below on other ways to enter a Crater space in the Basic game.

Example: Chris is on the 2nd ring. She can move her token to the Plains space on the next level to her left, but the space on that level to her right is blocked by the Crater. She has no ready Hazard Suit or Gravity Boots so she moves to the Plains space.

Exposed Alien: If your Alien card is face-up, your Alien is Exposed and you cannot move up a level. Instead, stay where you are and hide your Alien.

• Draw three cards (or four cards on the Launch Pad). Players with Exposed Aliens draw while Hidden Aliens move.
• Place Equipment cards face-up on the Not Ready side of the Status card. All new equipment is unready.
• Add your Alien and your other face-down cards to the remaining cards in your hand. Arrange your hand face-down in front of you.

All Aliens: All players may rearrange their face-down cards during this phase and move ready Energy Shield cards to cover Hidden cards as they see fit.

Basic Rules Terrain Table

Basic Rules Terrain Types	Immediate Effects	Additional Effects
Plains	—	—
Crater (Basic)	—	Bottomless: Cannot move into from a Plains space, but may Zippp across. (See Conquering Craters)
Force Fence	-1 charge to cross	—
Launch Pad	—	Extra Debris: Draw four cards in Escape phase

Conquering Craters

Unless there's no choice, enter Craters only in certain situations.

• When moving to the next level up, you can move into a Crater space if you started your move in a Crater space.
• You may use a ready Hazard Suit or Gravity Boots card to end your move in a Crater space.
• The Tractor Beam may move you into a Crater.
• If you suffer a Moon Slide, you may choose to end your move in a Crater space.

3. Action Phase

Spend your charges and take your Bonus Action to Zappp and Spy on other Aliens, Ready and Steal equipment, Zippp to a new space, and Scan for more ways to hide.

In the Action phase, players each take a turn to perform actions either for free or by spending charges, starting with the Moon Player. Save unspent charges in your battery for future use.

In Orbit Direction order, spend charges to take as many actions as you see fit and can afford. Your possible actions and the associated charge costs are:

• Zappp (1): Expose a card from another player's face-down hand, defeat an Energy Shield, or dispatch the dangerous Guard to the Guard Tower.
• Zippp (1): Move to another space on your level up to 2 spaces away.
• Ready Equipment (per card): You can't use an Equipment card until it's ready.
• Use Equipment (0): It's free to use an Equipment card once it's ready.
• Scan (3): Add a card to your hand from the deck.
• Spy (1): Secretly peek at a single face-down card in another player's hand. Cannot Spy under an Energy Shield card.
• Steal (1): Take an unready Equipment card from another player in your space. It comes to you as unready.

In addition to taking actions by spending charges, you're granted one free Bonus Action to take during your turn:

• Each space has an action icon. Your Bonus Action is the icon on the space you occupy when you start your turn in the Action phase.
• This action costs nothing to use, but you only get one even if you move to a new space during the Action phase.

After you've taken all your actions, play passes to the next player in the Moon's Orbit direction. Continue until everyone gets a chance to act this turn.

Key Actions Table

Zappp (A Player or Guard): Spend 1 charge to Expose an opponent's Hidden card looking for an Alien card.

• Select any player with a Hidden Alien as the Defender.
• For each charge spent as Attacker, remove and discard a Defender's Energy Shield covering a Hidden card or Expose a Defender's unprotected Hidden card. Turn it over for all to see and apply its effects.
• Discard the Exposed card after resolving its effects, unless it is an Alien card. If you Exposed an Alien card, immediately add a card like a Scan action. The Defender must keep the Alien Exposed until the next Escape phase.

Zippp: If your Alien is Hidden, spend 1 charge to move to another space on your current level up to two spaces away. Apply the Terrain Effects (see Terrain table) of the space where you end your move.

• You may take the Zippp action more than once per turn, but you must evaluate Terrain Effects after each Zippp.
• In the Basic game, if you start in a Plains space you may Zippp through a Crater space but not stop there. If you start in a Crater space, you may Zippp to a Plains but only to another Crater if it is adjacent.

Ready: Spend charges as marked to move an Equipment card from the Not Ready to the Ready side of your Status Card.

• You may use ready Equipment immediately or later.
• When you ready an Energy Shield card, immediately place it over a Hidden card in your hand.

Scan: Spend 3 charges to draw one card from the deck.

• Depending on the card type, add it to your hand as a Hidden card or as unready Equipment.
• If adding a Hidden card to your hand, you may rearrange all of your face-down cards and move any Energy Shield cards already covering Hidden cards as you see fit.

Your Alien card remains face-up if it was already Exposed.

Ready Equipment cards shown in the Key Actions Table:

• Energy Shield - Protect face-down cards.
• Grenade Launcher - Easily defeat Energy Shield cards.
• Repair Kit - Save equipment, fix guns, or make decoy.
• Extra Battery - A safe charge for when you need one.
• Gravity Boots - Avoid moving backwards, or make decoy.
• Hazard Suit - Ignore terrain effects, or make decoy.

Use Decoys in Advanced game. See Card Glossary (pg 14-15) for details.

4. Guard Phase

The Guard Zappps everyone on its level or moves to find players.

In the Action phase, Guard cards move the Guard to different player locations. But, you can send the Guard to the safety of the Guard Tower with a Zappp action.

No Aliens on Guard's Ring: If no Aliens are on the Guard's ring, the Moon Player moves the Guard to any space on the next higher ring and this phase ends.

Aliens on Guard's Ring: If the Guard did not move, it will take a Zappp action against every Alien on its level:

• The Guard Zappps players in the same order as the previous Action phase. Skip players that are not on the same ring as the Guard.
• The next player in the direction of the Moon Orbit acts as the Guard and takes a Zappp action against the previous player.
• When you act as the Guard, do not resolve the Exposed card's effect before discarding it, unlike a normal Zappp action.
• The Guard will take a Zappp action against you even if your Alien is already Exposed. It has no effect if you have no ready Shield or Hidden cards.

If on the Launch Pad, the Guard will remain there unless Zappped back to the Guard Tower. If in the Guard Tower, the Guard will always move onto the first ring and the phase ends.

After this phase, check to see if there is a winner!

Winning the Game

After the Guard phase, if you've survived the other players, dodged the Guard, and arrived at the Launch Pad, then launch the Rocket to win the game!

How to Launch the Rocket

Must have all three:

1. Your Alien cutout must be on the Launch Pad,
2. Your Alien card must be Hidden, and
3. You must have at least one charge available to power the Rocket.

If no one can launch, begin a new round with the MoonQuake phase.

If two or more players are able to launch, whoever has more face-down cards wins.

If there is still a tie, each player uses the Moon Spinner and the higher result wins. Re-spin until there's a victor.

REMEMBER: Entering the Launch Pad through a Force Fence costs a charge, so plan carefully.

Launching the Rocket means you've won—a MOONQUAKE ESCAPE!

End of Basic Game Rules.

Game Play Examples

Three-player example of a Basic game, with players Alex, Bailey and Chris.

MoonQuake Phase

Starting a Basic game, Alex, Bailey, and Chris first check to make sure the two-sided rings and Launch Pad are on their B-labeled sides, and then each spins the Moon Spinner. Alex and Chris tie with spins of "5", and each spins again. Alex wins and becomes Moon Player with a "3", so moves the Moon to her and everyone sets the clip on their Status Cards to "3". Then Alex rolls the Quake die three times, once for each board ring.

Later, a MoonQuake phase begins with the Moon in front of Bailey and an Orbit Reverses card on the Moon Orbit token. He discards this card and flips the token. Since it is now on its counter-clockwise side, he moves the Moon to his right. Chris becomes the Moon Player and completes the MoonQuake phase.

Escape Phase

Chris, the Moon Player, goes first. Her Alien card is Exposed, so she draws three cards instead of moving and adds them to her hand. She places new blue Equipment cards face-up on the Not Ready side of her Status card, and adds the other cards to her face-down hand.

The Moon Orbit token is counter-clockwise, so Alex is next. Her Alien is Hidden on the 2nd ring below a Crater and a Plains. She decides she'd like to be safer from a Steal action in the next Action phase, so she discards her ready Hazard Suit card and moves to the Crater space, a difficult space for others to enter.

Next Bailey completes his turn and then all players decide that they want to rearrange their Hidden cards and currently ready Shields before the Action phase.

Action Phase

In this Action phase Alex is the Moon Player with a clockwise Moon Orbit. Alex begins with a Scan Bonus Action icon in her space. She takes this free action first and draws a new card, a blue Energy Shield card, which she places face-up on the Not Ready side of her Status card. She spends one charge to make it ready and picks a Hidden card to protect. For another charge, she Zappps Chris. She exposes her Alien and earns a card which she draws immediately and adds to her hand. She wants to save her last charge and decides to use the safety of her Extra Battery card. So she moves her clip to "0" and readies the Extra Battery, ending her Action phase.

Next in order is Chris with four charges. Her space's Bonus Action is Spy. She has a Yellow Moon Slide card in her hand, so she decides to make her Gravity Boots card ready. She'd like to Zappp Alex, but decides to use her free Spy first and looks at one of Alex's unprotected Hidden cards. With this information she guesses Alex is hiding her Alien card under an Energy Shield, so she Zappps once to remove and discard the Energy Shield. She Zappps again to reveal the card underneath. Chris saves her last charge and passes the turn to Bailey. He takes his actions, ending this Action phase.

Guard Phase

The Guard phase begins with the Guard on the 3rd level with Bailey and Alex, while Chris is on the Launch Pad level. The Moon Orbit is clockwise. The Guard will Zappp both Bailey and Alex once—Chris is safe. Alex is to Bailey's left so she acts as the Guard and decides to Zappp an Energy Shield card over a Hidden card. Bailey discards a ready Repair Kit and keeps the Energy Shield card as unready instead of discarding it. Chris is to Alex's left so she acts as the Guard and decides to Zappp one of Alex's Hidden cards. It's a yellow card, but since the Guard exposed it, it's discarded with no effect and this phase ends. Had the Moon Orbit token been counter-clockwise, the player to the right would have acted as the Guard this round.

Winning the Game

All three players and the Guard are on the Launch Pad. Bailey and Chris have already completed their turns in the Action phase. Alex begins her Action phase turn. She surveys the situation: She has three charges plus a ready Extra battery card and her Alien is still Hidden amongst two other cards. Chris has a face-up Alien—no threat to launch the Rocket this round. Bailey, on the other hand, has five Hidden cards and two Energy Shield cards over one of them. If the game were to end now, he would win the first tie breaker with more Hidden cards! Alex will use her ready Extra Battery for the Rocket, so decides how to use her three charges. Will she Zappp Bailey's two Energy Shields and the Hidden card they protect? Or, will she risk Zappps on Bailey's other Hidden cards to reduce his number of face-down cards? Will she Zappp the Guard or risk it finding her Alien in the Guard phase?

What would you do?!

Two-Player Optional Rule

Alien Accomplices

Play with two players normally, or use this variation to create more fun with the Moon Orbit and more threats to counter!

How to add: Each player gets two different Aliens and two separate hands to manage. These Aliens are Accomplices.

How to play: All rules apply normally with these exceptions:

• The player owning the Alien that launches the Rocket wins the game. Only one Alien will launch the Rocket.
• If one player has both Aliens facing off alone in a tie situation to launch, that player wins.
• A player may direct one Alien to use a Zappp action on its Accomplice, but to do so, the second player will select the card. The revealed card affects the 1st player, not the 2nd player.

Advanced Rules

The following sections provide ways to make MoonQuake Escape more dangerous and exciting! Combine additional rules as desired; when played together, they are the "Maximum Security" rules.

Advanced Guard Movement

How to play: When the Guard moves towards the Rocket, the Moon Player chooses a space on the next level up, then rolls the Quake die to move the Guard like the Tractor Beam. Neither the Defense Gun nor Tractor Beam spaces affects the Guard, but it is subject to Aiming rules in Craters.

Aiming

How to add: No changes to setup.

How to play: Players may now end a move in a Crater space without needing a Hazard Suit or Gravity Boots, but it hinders your ability to target other players. The Crater terrain obscures line of sight and disrupts all players' ability to use Zappp and Spy actions in it. Therefore a player here can't Zappp or be Zappp'd nor Spy or be Spied by anyone or anything that is not in the same Crater. Aim rules affect all players, the Guard, the Defense Gun and the Tractor Beam. If the Guard cannot Aim at any players that are on its same level, it behaves as if no players are on that level and moves towards the Launch Pad instead.

Decoys

How to add: No changes to setup.

How to play: You may convert a face-up Hazard Suit or Gravity Boots card on the Ready side of your Status card into a Hidden card by using a Repair Kit card. During your part of the Action phase, discard the Repair Kit card and add the Hazard Suit or Gravity Boot card to your face-down hand. You may then move any Energy Shield card already over Hidden cards as you see fit. Hidden Equipment rules apply to the Decoy.

Hidden Equipment

How to add: When drawing new cards, including during game setup, you may choose to play Equipment cards face-down instead of being forced to reveal them face-up as unready Equipment cards.

How to play: If you choose to play an Equipment card face-down, you cannot later choose to place it face-up as an unready Equipment card. If used face-down, when an Attacker finds it during the Action phase, the Attacker gets it as Ready and may use it immediately. Equipment cards gained in this way or with the Steal action may not be placed face-down.

New Terrain

How to add: Choose the alternate terrains, e.g. ring Side A, during the board setup. You may also use sides A or B in any combination to make 16 possible boards. You'll use Advanced Crater rules on Side B in these combos.

How to play: Spaces have additional effects and Bonus Actions. Zippp, Zappp, and Use are available as Bonus Actions in the Action phase. Earn the Use action on the Defense Gun or Tractor Beam space and Aim it yourself. See Terrain Effects table for more details.

Advanced Rules Terrain Table

Advanced Rules Terrain Types	Immediate Effects	Additional Effects
Crater (Advanced)	—	Movement: Can freely enter. Cannot Aim: Cannot Zappp or Spy into nor out, but may if in same space (Aim rule). Inefficient Charging: -1 charge in MoonQuake phase.
Magnetic Flux	Move ready Shield cards to unready	Cannot Use Shields: Cannot make Shields cards Ready.
Lava Flow	Destroy unready Equipment	Cannot Repair: Cannot save unready Equipment cards with Repair Kit cards when entering.
Radiation	—	Cannot Save Charges: Set Battery to "0" at end of your part of the Action phase. A ready Extra Battery card is safe.
Ion Storm	—	Cannot Use Scanner: Cannot use Scan or Spy actions. Safe from Spy actions by others.

Sudden Death Shootout

Players will be eliminated one at a time during the Shootout. The last player remaining launches the Rocket to win the game.

How to add: No changes to setup.

How to play: If two or more players are still tied to launch after counting face-down cards, instead of a Moon Spinner Spin-Off, these players resolve the tie in a sudden death "Shootout." Other players are eliminated.

Before the Shootout all remaining players may move any Energy Shield cards already over their face-down cards as they see fit and then the Shootout begins starting with the current Moon Player and proceeding in order of the previous Action phase:

• If the Guard was already on the Launch Pad, move it to the Guard Tower.
• The current player adds 1 charge and takes actions against the other players, if desired.
• Revealed card effects happen after each Zappp action:
  • If a Guard card is turned face-up, the Guard appears and Zappps all remaining players once before returning to the Guard Tower. No one wins if the Guard finds all players in the same round.
  • If a Stasis Gun Jams card is turned face-up, the Attacker may not use the Zappp action until after the next round of the Shootout. Attacker may ignore by using a Repair Kit card.
• Play proceeds as above with the next player in order.

Players are eliminated immediately and lose if any of the following occur:

• Their Alien card is revealed face-up
• They run out of charges (a ready Extra Battery counts as a charge)
• Their Alien cutout gets knocked off the Launch Pad.

The last player remaining successfully launches the Rocket—a MOONQUAKE ESCAPE!

Card Glossary

Alien (6, 1 per player): When exposed, the Defender cannot move during the next Escape phase. The Attacker immediately draws a card. The Defender keeps the Alien card face-up until the next Escape phase, when the Defender will hide the Alien card instead of moving to the next level. Never discard an Alien card. The Alien card under each player's Status card has no impact on game play, it is just a reminder of which Alien cutout belongs to which player.

Aftershock (3): The violent shaking of an Aftershock forces all players to move one Equipment card of their choice from the Ready to the Not Ready side of their Status card. This may be a ready Shield. No effect if no Equipment cards are Ready.

Defense Gun (3): When exposed, the Defense Gun attacks the Attacker in the same fashion as the Guard. The Defender acts as the Defense Gun and Zappps the Attacker, exposing a hidden card or removing an Energy Shield. Show the exposed card to all players, but do not resolve the card's effects, if any. The exposed card and the Defense Gun card are both discarded, but an exposed Alien card remains face-up until the next Escape phase as normal. If the Defense Gun cannot Aim at the Attacker, ignore and discard it.

Energy Shield (12): Once the Energy Shield card is Ready, immediately place it over a hidden card in your hand. If your only card is your Exposed Alien, place it over the Alien card. You may stack multiple Energy Shield cards to protect a single hidden card. An Energy Shield prevents the Spy action from targeting the hidden card it protects. You may immediately move all ready Energy Shield cards in your hand as you see fit anytime you add a new card to your face-down hand (when you expose another player's Alien card, perform a Scan action, add a Decoy, etc.), or at any time during the Escape phase.

Extra Battery (3): Costs one charge to ready during the Action phase. Use and discard the Extra Battery card to spend 1 charge for free either to perform an action during the Action phase or to launch the rocket. An Extra Battery is immune to Lucky Shot and the Terrain Effects of the Radioactive Zone.

Gravity Boots (4): Costs one charge to ready during the Action phase. If the Gravity Boots card is Ready, you may discard it to ignore the effect of a Moon Slide or Tractor Beam card or in a Basic game, to move from a Plains to a Crater space. You must choose to use the Gravity Boots before rolling for the Tractor Beam's effect. You may also create a Decoy (see Advanced rule).

Grenade Launcher (3): Costs one charge to ready during the Action phase. When ready, you may discard it during the Action Phase to take two free Zappp actions on a Defender's Energy Shield card plus the card directly under it. For example, if two Energy Shield cards are stacked over a face-down card, the Grenade Launcher removes the two Energy Shield cards but does not expose the hidden card. You may use the Grenade Launcher on a single hidden card or the Guard, and you can use it when your Stasis Gun is jammed.

Hazard Suit (3): Costs one charge to ready during the Action phase. Discard a ready Hazard Suit to ignore the Terrain effects of your current space until you leave it, or in a Basic game, to move from a Plains to a Crater space. You get the Bonus Action granted by that space as normal. A Hazard Suit will not protect you against the Defense Gun nor Tractor Beam (neither cards nor board spaces), but will protect against a Force Fence.

Lucky Shot (3): The Defender immediately loses a charge when exposed. No effect if the Defender has no charges. This will not affect an Extra Battery, only charges stored in the battery on the Status card.

Lunar Eclipse (1): When exposed, place this card on the Moon Orbit token space on the board. During the next MoonQuake phase, instead of spinning the Moon Spinner, treat the spinner result as a 2 and discard the card. If anyone plays a Lunar Glow over this card in the same round, use the top one in the next MoonQuake phase and keep the other to use in the following round.

Lunar Glow (1): When exposed, place this card on the Moon Orbit token space on the board. During the next MoonQuake phase, instead of spinning the Moon Spinner, treat the spinner result as a 5 and discard the card. If anyone plays a Lunar Eclipse over this card in the same round, use the top one in the next MoonQuake phase and keep the other to use in the following round.

Moon Slide (2): The Defender must move away from the Launch Pad to any space (Defender's choice) in the next lower level. In the Basic game, the Defender may end on a Crater space without a Hazard Suit or Gravity Boots. This movement costs nothing and ignores Force Fences, but the Defender must immediately apply the Terrain Effects of the new space. The Defender does not earn a new Bonus Action if one was already earned. No effect if the Defender is already at an Exit Spot.

Nothing (12): No additional effect. Discard immediately.

Orbit Reverses (3): When exposed, place this card over the Moon Orbit token. During the next MoonQuake phase, flip the Moon Orbit token so the Moon orbits around the board in the opposite direction. Player order follows Moon Orbit direction. Resolving a second Orbit Reverses card in one MoonQuake phase will flip the Moon Orbit token a second time, effectively cancelling out the first Orbit Reverses card.

Prison Guard (6): Move the Guard from its current location to either the Defender's or Attacker's space as specified on the card. The Guard takes no action until the Guard phase.

Repair Kit (6): Costs no charges to ready during the Action phase. You may use a ready Repair Kit to do one of the following:

• Ignore the effect of a Stasis Gun Jams card.
• Ignore the requirement to discard your Equipment card (either through using an Equipment card or someone Zappping your Energy Shield) by discarding the Repair Kit instead. Move the repaired Equipment card to the Not Ready side of your status card.
• Create a Decoy (see Advanced rule, pg 12).

A Repair Kit card cannot save Equipment destroyed by the Lava Flow space (see Advanced Terrain, pg 13).

Ricochet Shot (3): The Attacker immediately takes a free Zappp action against the Defender. Resolve the effects of any cards exposed by the free Zappp action as normal.

Stasis Gun Jams (4): The Attacker cannot take the Zappp action for the remainder of this Action phase. The Attacker may use a ready Repair Kit to ignore this card. A player with a jammed stasis gun may still use a Grenade Launcher.

Tractor Beam (3): When exposed, the Tractor Beam targets the Attacker. If the Attacker is on the Launch Pad, the Attacker is moved into a Force Fence and loses 1 charge (Extra Battery is safe). Elsewhere, roll the Quake die and move the Attacker as indicated. In a Basic game, this may move a player onto a Crater space. Once resolved, or if the Tractor Beam cannot Aim at the Attacker, discard it.

Game Summary

Set-up (pg 2-5)

1. Build the board, and choose ring sides (A and/or B). For the Basic Game use the B side of all three rings and Launch Pad.
2. Choose an Alien. Take the Alien cards, the matching Alien cutout, and a stand. Place the Alien cutout in the stand on any empty exit spot on board.
   • Take one Alien card into your hand.
   • Place the second Alien card face-up next to your Status Card to remind everyone which Alien is yours.
3. Choose a Status Card and clip. Set the clip on the Status Card at 0 Charges.
4. Deal one free Energy Shield card face-up and four additional cards face-down to all players.
5. Prepare your hand.
   • Place the free Energy Shield card face-up on Ready side of Status Card.
   • From the four cards just received, play all other blue Equipment cards face-up on the Not Ready side of the Status card.
   • Alien card and any other cards in your hand are Hidden by arranging them face-down in front of your Status Card. Place your free Energy Shield to protect one Hidden card.

AR Hidden Equipment (pg 12)

Main Game Objectives

1. Stay Hidden to keep advancing
2. Get more cards to help you
3. Get to Rocket and Launch

Getting More Cards

• Expose another player's Alien
• Scan Action
• Steal Action
• If you are Exposed when the Escape phase starts

Phases in a Round

1. MoonQuake (pg 7)

• First turn: All players spin the Moon Spinner to determine initial Moon Player. Reroll ties. Use final winning spin as charges in the first round.
• Resolve Reverse Orbit cards and move Moon to new Moon Player.
• Moon Player spins Moon Spinner unless there is a Lunar event. All players receive that many Charges.
• Moon Player rolls Quake die for each ring and moves them accordingly.

2. Escape (pg 8) Moon Player goes first; all other players take a turn in Moon Orbit order.

• If your Alien is Hidden you must move to an adjacent space in the next higher ring. See Terrain Table for effects.
• If your Alien is Exposed draw 3 cards from the deck, or 4 cards on the Launch Pad.
• All players may rearrange Hidden cards in their hands and move ready Energy Shields to protect them.

AR Hidden Equipment, New Terrain (pg 12-13)

3. Action (pg 9) Moon Player goes first; all other players take a turn in Moon Orbit order.

• Determine Bonus Action based on the icon in your board space at the start of your turn.
• Take actions by spending Charges and using your Bonus Action. Multiple actions are OK:
  • Zappp (1) - Expose and resolve one Hidden card or remove a ready Energy Shield card from another player's hand OR return the Guard to the Guard Tower.
  • Zippp (1) - Move up to 2 spaces on your current level ring.
  • Ready (per card) - Ready an Equipment card. Use it for free any time after it's ready.
  • Spy (1) - Secretly look at one Hidden card in another player's hand (not under an Energy Shield).
  • Steal (1) - Take an unready Equipment card from another player in your space.
  • Scan (3) - Draw a card from the deck to add to your hand. Rearrange cards if added face-down.

AR Aiming, Decoys, Hidden Equipment, New Terrain (pg 12-13)

4. Guard (pg 10)

• If no Aliens are on the Guard's ring, the Moon Player moves the Guard to the next higher ring.
• If the Guard did not move, it will Zappp every Alien on its level. Discard Zappped cards without resolving them.

AR Aiming, Advanced Guard Movement (pg 12)

Check for a Winner

• If no winner, start another round.

Winning the Game (pg 10)

• A. After the Guard phase, if you're on the Launch Pad and your Alien card is Hidden, spend 1 Charge to Launch and win the game.
• B. If more than one player can Launch, the one with more Hidden cards wins. Resolve ties with a Moon Spinner Spin-Off.
• C. If no player can Launch, start a new round with the MoonQuake phase.

AR Sudden Death Shootout (pg 13)

AR = Advanced Rules.