Pandaï
Pandaï Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 1 rulebook
- 52 cards (26 Plains, 26 Forests)
- 1 game board
- 24 Panda figures, including 4 with a hat (6 Pandas per colour)
- 24 Pandaï tokens (4 for each Pandaï)
Goal of the Game
To win at Pandaï, be the first player to make 4 babies, or be the last player to still have a Panda in play.
Setup
(Diagram labels: Panda reserve; Pandaï tokens; Plains and Forest cards.)
Shuffle the Forest cards together on one side and the Plains cards together on the other, and form 2 draw piles, face down.
Each player chooses a colour and takes the Pandas of that colour. The player places their Hat Panda and 2 other Pandas on their starting zone. Their other Pandas form their reserve.
With 2 players, the players set up in opposite corners of the board. The youngest player begins.
How to Play
On your turn, move one of your Pandas to an adjacent square and apply the effect of the card on that square.
If there is no card on the arrival square yet, draw a Plains or Forest card and place it face up on that square before placing your Panda there and applying its effect.
When an effect tells you "End of turn", the player to your left plays next.
The Starting Zone
When your Pandas leave their starting zone, they may move to any adjacent square, but they cannot return to it, nor move onto an opponent's starting zone.
Priority Rules
- The effects of cards revealed on the board are triggered each time a Panda arrives on them.
- You cannot move onto a square occupied by one of your own Pandas.
- If you arrive on a square occupied by one or more opposing Pandas, you remove them from the board before applying the card's effect. Return those Pandas to the reserve of their owner.
- If your Hat Panda is eliminated, by a Tiger or by another player, choose another of your Pandas still in play to become the new Hat Panda: replace its figure (put it in your reserve) with the Hat Panda figure.
- If you have no Panda left in play to replace it, you are eliminated from the game.
Card Effects
Each card effect is shown with two numbers. The green number is how many Plains cards carry that effect, and the dark number is how many Forest cards carry it. (Translator's note: the rules do not spell this out; it is read from the icon layout, and the totals check out at 26 Plains and 26 Forest cards.)
The Chair (Chaise). Calm, nothing happens… End of your turn.
The Porcupine (Porc-épic). A Panda cannot stay on a Porcupine. If your Panda arrives on a Porcupine, you must move it again.
The Fruits. You may move another of your Pandas. If you do not do so, your turn ends. Note: If the other Panda also lands on a Fruits card, you may move your first Panda again.
The Cage (Cage). When one of your Pandas arrives on the Cage, you cannot play it on your next turn. You may play your other Pandas if you have any. End of your turn.
The Tigers (Tigres). When your Panda arrives on a Tiger card, it runs away. Return it to your reserve. If it is your Hat Panda, it takes the place of another of your Pandas of your choice (see Priority Rules). Caution: when the White Tiger is drawn, after its effect it is shuffled back into the Forest draw pile… End of your turn.
The 6 Pandaï (Les 6 Pandaï). When your Hat Panda arrives on a Pandaï card, if it has not already made a baby with this Pandaï, add a Panda from your reserve to this card. Then take the matching Pandaï token. You can only make babies with different Pandaï. End of your turn. The printed "x2" marker sits above the group of six Pandaï cards. The rulebook text does not explain what it doubles, so it is recorded here as printed.
The Hat (Chapeau). When one of your Pandas arrives on this card, you may swap its place with your Hat Panda. If your Hat Panda is the one that arrives on this card, you may swap its place with any one of your other Pandas in play, of your choice. End of your turn. Note: After the effect of the Hat card, you cannot make a baby simply by placing the Hat Panda on a Pandaï. It must arrive on the Pandaï card during its movement in order to make a baby.
Card Composition
Plains (26 cards). There are no Tigers in the Plains, but there are Cages, many Chairs and just 3 Pandaï. So nothing risky happens, but you will not move quickly and you will not be able to win…
Forests (26 cards). Forests are riskier, but every type of Pandaï is found there!