Panda, Gorilla & Co
Panda, Gorilla & Co Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 59 animal tiles (17 large, 15 medium-sized and 27 small animals)
- 74 path cards
- 36 animal chips (3 large, 3 medium and 3 small in each of the four colours)
- 4 score markers
- 1 game board
Setup
The game board is laid out where everyone can reach it. The path cards are shuffled well and placed as a face-down draw pile next to the game board. The top card is turned face up.
Each player chooses a colour and receives their score marker, which they place on the "Start" space, and the nine animal chips of their colour.
The animal tiles are sorted by size and placed face up next to the game board.
Game Sequence
The player who was in the zoo most recently begins the game. They take a path card and place it on the game board.
See action "Card".
Afterwards, they may also place an animal chip on the path card they just placed.
See action "Proposal".
If a zoo area has been completed, it is scored.
See action "Scoring".
Once all spaces of the game board have been covered with cards, the game ends.
See "End of the Game".
Action "Card"
When a player is on turn, they may place a path tile on the game board. When selecting the tile, each player has a choice:
- they take the face-up card, or
- they return it to the box and turn over 2 path cards from the face-down pile. From these two they then choose one.
The card that is left over is then available again to the next player. If a player has chosen the face-up card, the next player only has the option of turning over 2 new cards.
When placing a new path card on the game board, it must meet the following conditions:
- The card must be placed either on a space with a sign, or adjacent to other cards.
- Cards may only be placed on an empty space of the game board or on a pond (see below).
- The path of an adjacent card must be continued, i.e. it must not end in a zoo area of the new card.
- A dark zoo area may not border a light zoo area, and vice versa. This also applies to diagonally adjacent cards!
The following examples illustrate the placement rules:
- The first card (A) must be placed on a space with a sign. The starting player has chosen the space to the right of the entrance area. The placement is allowed, because the card was placed on a space with a sign and the path continues into the entrance area.
- The second card (B) was placed below the entrance area. The placement is allowed, because the card was placed on a space with a sign and the path continues into the entrance area. The upper right light area of the new card borders diagonally on the light area of the card already lying there (A). Both areas are (still) separate (and may therefore even contain identical animal chips).
- The third card (C) may not be placed at the bottom right. Placement there is not allowed for two reasons: the path of the left adjacent card (B) is not continued, but ends in a dark area of the new card; and the dark area of the new card meets the light areas of the adjacent cards at the top and left. Since the placement is not allowed, the player must place the card at another location. For example, the space (D) below card (B) would be allowed; for this the new card (C) need only be rotated by 180 degrees.
During the course of the game it can happen that a card cannot be placed. In this case the card is placed face down (pond) on any free space of the game board. If a path card later fits at that spot, the pond may be built over again.
Action "Proposal"
- After placing a card, the player may make a proposal for the future animals of a zoo area of this card. This is also possible if the card has completed the zoo area in question.
To do so, they take one of the animal chips in front of them and place it on the desired zoo area of the current card.
Important: In each zoo area, at most one animal chip may lie for each animal size.
If an animal chip of the desired size already lies in the area to which the card was placed, no second chip of the same size may be placed in this area. If there is not yet an animal chip of a size in an area, it may of course be placed. However, only one animal chip may be placed per card placed.
It can happen that, when two originally separate zoo areas later grow together, several animal chips of the same size end up in one area. In this case each participating player receives the points earned (see also action "Scoring").
After the player has placed an animal chip (if they choose to), their turn is over. The action "Card" for the next player follows. If, however, a zoo area has been completed, i.e. is fully enclosed, the action "Scoring" is carried out first.
How Much Space Does an Animal Need?
Each zoo card is conceptually divided into 4 quarters. A large animal requires a space of 6 connected area quarters (3 x 2 quarters). A medium-sized animal occupies 4 connected quarters (2 x 2), and a small animal needs only 2 connected quarters.
Example: With the card placed (A), the player on turn has completed the dark green zoo area in the centre of the picture (because it is "fenced in" on all sides, i.e. bounded by a path or the edge of the game board). The zoo area consists of 7 quarters.
Action "Scoring"
A zoo area counts as complete when it is bounded by the wall of the game board, by the entrance area, and by paths.
If one or more zoo areas have been completed with the placed card, the newly completed areas are scored one after another. First the animal chips are set aside, and they are returned to the players after scoring. Then the animals move in. However, the large animals with the greatest space requirement are placed first. Then come the medium-sized animals, and finally the small ones.
If an animal of the proposed size fits into the area, the player who placed the animal chip of the corresponding size in the area receives the points (see also the overview on the entrance area), and advances their score marker on the score track.
- An animal with a large space requirement (6 quarters) scores 5 points each.
- An animal with a medium space requirement (4 quarters) scores 3 points each.
- An animal with a small space requirement (2 quarters) scores 1 point each.
A matching animal is taken from the supply and placed in the completed area. If further animals of the same size fit in, they are placed as well. Each of them also scores the corresponding number of points.
If gaps remain, the player who made the proposal for the next smaller size may try their luck. If they can accommodate one or more animals of the proposed size, they also receive the corresponding points. In doing so they may move the animals already lying there and so optimise the gaps left behind. However, they may not change the number of animals already present.
If there are still gaps for a possibly present third (small) animal chip, the corresponding player may now place small animals using the same procedure.
Note: Exceptionally, several animal chips of the same animal size may be present in one area. This is the case if and only if two (or more) initially separate areas grow together during the game. Then each participating player receives the corresponding points.
After the scoring, the players may again use the animal chips involved, regardless of whether the proposals could be implemented or not.
Example:
In the example shown (completed dark green zoo area), a player can score different numbers of points, depending on which animal chips they have used.
- Variant: All 3 groups were proposed. Result of the scoring: one large animal (e.g. giraffe) finds room (5 points); the other animal chips come away empty-handed.
- Variant: The medium and the small sizes were proposed. Result of the scoring: one medium-sized animal (e.g. a seal) (3 points) and one small animal, e.g. an armadillo (1 point), find room.
End of the Game
The game ends when:
- all spaces are covered with face-up cards, or
- all spaces are covered with face-up and face-down cards (pond), and a regular turn is no longer possible (the player on turn cannot cover any pond).
Now all zoo areas in which animal chips still lie are scored. No animal may be placed on the ponds. They count in the same way as paths or the edge of the game board as a boundary.
The player who is furthest ahead on the score track at the end of the game wins. In the case of a tie, there are several winners.