The Trash Travelers
The Trash Travelers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Components
- Setup
- Player's Turn
- Move The Trash Traveler
- Provide Trash to Artists
- Assign Tasks to Volunteers
- Perform Tasks with Volunteers
- Volunteer for Underwater Cleanup
- End of a Turn
- Interaction of Existing Trash with Nature
- Production of Waste by Humans
- Preparation of Volunteers for New Tasks
- Optional Actions
- Enlist a Specialist
- Rescue an Endangered Animal
- Discover a Solution
- Achieve a Goal
- Initiate an Underwater Cleanup
- Use Ability Tokens
- End of the Game
- Streamlined Variant
- Semi-Cooperative Variant
- Appendix
- Quick Reference
Overview
In The Trash Travelers, you take on the role of a volunteer hiking with The Trash Traveler. On your turn, you must execute a sequence of mandatory actions: move The Trash Traveler, assign tasks to volunteers, and perform those tasks. At the end of your turn, a series of effects unfolds: existing trash interacts with nature, humans produce waste, and volunteers prepare for new tasks.
The Trash Travelers is played over an undefined number of consecutive turns in a clockwise direction until one of the end game conditions is met: either reaching the mountain at the end of the hiking trail or triggering one of the immediate defeat conditions.
Components
- 1 Main board (double sided)
- 7 Individual boards (double sided)
- 1 Solutions board (double sided)
- 5 The Trash Traveler figures (2 parts each)
- 4 Art piece figures (1 per type / 2 parts each)
- 12 Volunteers (3 per type)
- 4 Specialists (1 per type)
- 20 Movement tokens (5 per type)
- 5 Ability tokens
- 10 Discussion tokens
- 33 Solution tokens (3 per type)
- 32 Animal tokens (8 per type / double sided)
- 200 Trash cubes (50 per type)
- 4 Fishing gear trash cubes
- 1 Die
- 28 Event cards
- 20 Goal cards (10 hard / 10 easy)
- 1 Bag
Anatomy of the main board
- Upper regions - city A
- Central regions - forest B / mountain C
- Lower regions - beach D
- Hiking trail H
- Artists' zone T
- Whale W
- Ocean floor O
- Underwater cleanup zone U
- Fishing boat F
Anatomy of the individual board
- Player count P: 1 player, 2 players, 3 or 4 players (the number of specialist icons shown)
- Backpacks M
- Animals N
- Specialists S
NOTE - Hiking trail H
The Trash Traveler follows a hiking trail with 40 numbered spaces that winds through all 12 regions of the main board. Some spaces serve as bridges and are marked with larger numbers.
Setup
General setup
- Place the main board in the center of the table.
- Assemble 1 The Trash Traveler figure of your choice by correctly connecting its 2 parts. Place it at the trail's starting point in the top-left corner of the main board.
- Mix the discussion tokens and place 1 at random in each designated round space of the main board, illustrated with 2 volunteers.
- Sort the solution tokens by type. a. Place the 3 corresponding "ocean monitoring" solution tokens in the underwater cleanup zone of the main board. Additionally, place the die in this zone as well. b. Mix 1 solution token of each type in the bag and randomly draw 1 for each designated round space on the main board, illustrated with an exclamation mark. Place each drawn solution token along with the other 2 of the same type.
- Sort the trash cubes by type/color and create a general supply within reach of all players: a. Microplastics (red). b. Single-use plastic bags (green). c. Single-use plastic bottles (blue). d. Cigarette butts (yellow).
- Mix 7 trash cubes of each type/color in the bag to determine the initial distribution of trash in nature. Draw at random and place the following in the different regions of the main board: a. 3 cubes in all 4 upper regions (cities). b. 2 cubes in all 4 central regions (forests and mountains). c. 2 cubes in all 4 lower regions (beaches).
- Place the fishing gear trash cubes in the general supply.
- Place the solutions board near the main board.
- Display the movement tokens on a grid by color and number.
- Display the ability tokens near the movement tokens.
- Shuffle the event cards and create a face-down deck.
- Sort the goal cards by type based on their back. a. Shuffle each type separately and create 2 face-down decks: easy and hard. b. Reveal 3 easy goal cards and 2 hard goal cards (with a shark on the reverse side), keeping them face-up.
- Assemble the art piece figures by correctly connecting the 2 parts of each.
- Sort the animal tokens by color and create 4 stacks, with the negative value (-10) face-up.
Player setup
a. Provide each player with an individual board according to the number of players. The player count is shown in the top right corner of the individual boards.
b. Give each player an animal token of every color. Each player places the animal tokens on the designated hexagonal spaces of their board, with the negative value (-10) face-up.
c. Mix the 4 specialists in the bag and draw randomly based on the number of players.
- 4 players: Provide 1 specialist to each player.
- 3 players: Provide 1 specialist to each player. Place the remaining specialist within reach of all players.
- 2 players: Provide 2 specialists to each player.
- 1 player: You keep the 4 specialists.
d. The player who loves sharks the most is the first player and places the 12 volunteers near their individual board.
For an easier first play, you may start with just 1 cube per beach region rather than 2. This simplified setup offers a more approachable experience than the standard setup, which reflects a more realistic and challenging scenario.
Why does the game start with trash already in play?
Because it mirrors our real-world situation: Earth is already heavily polluted. Since the 1950s, humans have produced over 8.3 billion tons of plastic, with 79% accumulating in landfills or nature. Each year, we generate 2 billion tons of waste globally, and at least 33% is mismanaged - polluting our oceans, rivers, and landscapes.
Player's Turn
The Trash Travelers is played over an undefined number of consecutive turns until one of the end game conditions is met. On your turn, you must execute a sequence of mandatory actions:
- Move The Trash Traveler (page 5).
- Assign tasks to volunteers (page 6).
- Perform tasks with volunteers (page 7).
At the end of your turn, before the next player begins, a series of effects unfolds:
- Interaction of existing trash with nature (page 9).
- Production of waste by humans (page 10).
- Preparation of volunteers for new tasks (page 11).
Depending on certain conditions, you may perform optional actions during your turn:
- Build an art piece (page 11).
- Enlist a specialist (page 12).
- Rescue an endangered animal (page 12).
- Discover a solution (page 13).
- Achieve a goal (page 13).
- Initiate an underwater cleanup (page 14).
- Use ability tokens (page 14).
Move The Trash Traveler
Your turn always starts by moving The Trash Traveler figure. As the active player, you must choose 1 movement token from those available on the display and move The Trash Traveler figure forward on the hiking trail the indicated number of spaces.
Anatomy of a movement token
- Number of spaces to move (M).
- Type of trash to collect (T).
Example 01 - Move The Trash Traveler: You choose the movement token "Yellow Two" to move The Trash Traveler forward two spaces and collect all the yellow trash (cigarette butts) at the arrival region.
Each movement token depicts one of these 4 types, showing The Trash Traveler's intention to collect that type of trash after traveling to the next segment of the hiking trail.
After you move The Trash Traveler figure, The Trash Traveler collects all trash of that specific type from the region where they stopped. If The Trash Traveler ends on a bridge, they collect all trash of that specific type from both regions adjacent to the bridge.
The movement token you used is flipped to its reverse side, keeping its place on the display but becoming unavailable to all players for the rest of the game.
Collect trash of a single type
There are 4 types of trash represented in the game, all commonly found on beaches worldwide:
- Microplastics (red).
- Single-use plastic bags (green).
- Single-use plastic bottles (blue).
- Cigarette butts (yellow).
Provide Trash to Artists
All trash collected by The Trash Traveler is provided to artists to create art pieces, aiming to inspire people and raise awareness about environmental problems.
There are 4 different art pieces under construction in the artists' zone, each composed of a single type of trash. Every time The Trash Traveler gives trash to artists, place the collected trash cubes in the corresponding trash track. As soon as a trash track is completely filled, the artists build that art piece (see chapter "Build an art piece" - page 11).
Assign Tasks to Volunteers
When The Trash Traveler stops at a certain point on the hiking trail to collect trash, all available volunteers join that region. As the active player, you must assign an individual task to each volunteer. Start from the current region (city, forest, or beach) and distribute all available volunteers one by one, moving either clockwise or counterclockwise around the main board.
If you return to the starting region while distributing volunteers, simply continue around the main board, assigning tasks to each volunteer as before. You must assign 1 volunteer to each region without skipping any, with 2 options for placement:
- Assign the volunteer to collect trash;
- Or assign the volunteer to discuss a solution.
Alternatively, you may choose to assign a volunteer to an underwater cleanup.
Example 02 - Assign tasks to volunteers: You choose to assign a blue volunteer to discuss the solution of the "reusable water bottle".
NOTE - Starting region
If The Trash Traveler is on a bridge, you may choose either of the 2 adjacent regions as the starting point and proceed clockwise or counterclockwise from there.
Assign a volunteer to collect trash
When assigning a volunteer to collect trash from a region, you must select 1 of the available volunteers who matches the color of a trash type in that region and place them next to the corresponding trash cube. If there are multiple trash types in the region, you may choose which trash cube to assign a matching volunteer to.
Each volunteer assigned to collect trash will perform their task after all volunteers have been given individual tasks (see chapter "Collect trash" - page 7).
NOTE - Mountain regions
Only The Trash Traveler collects trash in the mountain regions. When assigning volunteers to collect trash, you must never place them in the two inner central regions of the board. If The Trash Traveler is in a mountain region, you may choose any other region (city, forest, or beach) to start assigning volunteers to tasks.
You choose volunteers to collect a single cube of trash of their own color.
Assign a volunteer to discuss a solution
When assigning a volunteer to discuss a solution in a region, you must select 1 of the available volunteers who matches one of the types/colors in the discussion token for that region and place them on top of the token without covering other volunteer requirements. If both requirements are still available, you may choose which one to assign a matching volunteer to.
Each volunteer assigned to discuss a solution will try to perform their task after all volunteers have been given individual tasks (see chapter "Discuss a solution" - page 8).
Assign a volunteer to underwater cleanup
If none of the available volunteers match the trash type or discussion requirements in a region, you must assign them to the underwater cleanup zone on the main board. However, even if a volunteer matches available tasks in a region, you may choose to assign them to an underwater cleanup instead. Nevertheless, you must never skip a region without assigning a volunteer.
Each volunteer assigned to underwater cleanup will try to perform their task after all volunteers have been given individual tasks (see chapter "Volunteer for underwater cleanup" - page 8).
You assign a remaining "blue" volunteer to the underwater cleanup.
Perform Tasks with Volunteers
After all volunteers have been given tasks, each will try to complete their assignment. Volunteers collecting trash are always able to perform their task and must do it. However, those discussing solutions or preparing for underwater cleanup depend on the presence of others to succeed. As a result, they may or may not be able to complete their task in the same turn it was assigned.
Once a volunteer completes their assignment, they are removed from the board and become available for the next player turn. If a volunteer fails to meet the requirements for their assigned task (either discussing a solution or performing underwater cleanup), they remain in place for the next player turn. Volunteers only become available again after the necessary conditions are met.
Collect trash
Unlike The Trash Traveler, who collects all trash cubes of the same type and provides them to the artists immediately, each volunteer is only able to collect 1 trash cube of their matching color and store it temporarily in their backpacks.
Your individual board displays 4 backpacks, each designated for storing 1 specific type of trash. During your turn, all trash collected by volunteers must be stored in your backpacks, with each trash cube added to its corresponding backpack.
The capacity of the backpacks is the same for all players but varies depending on the number of players. When any of your backpacks reaches full capacity, you may choose 1 of 2 options:
- Enlist a specialist (see page 12);
- Or rescue an endangered animal (see page 12).
After completing their assignment, volunteers who collected trash become available for a new task. They are removed from the board and placed near the next player's individual board.
Example 03 - Collect trash: You collect 2 red, 1 yellow and 1 blue trash cubes from the main board with the respective volunteers and you store them in the corresponding backpacks on your individual board.
Discuss a solution
Each discussion token on the board pairs with a solution token, representing a specific problem that 2 volunteers are trying to solve. If only one volunteer is present on a discussion token when performing tasks with volunteers, they remain in place for the next player's turn. However, when both volunteer requirements on a discussion token are met, you discover a solution (see chapter "Discover a solution" - page 13).
Example 04 - Discover solution: You assign a green volunteer to discover the solution for mobility. Since there is already a blue volunteer discovering the same solution, you now met the requirement to collect one of the three mobility solution tokens.
Volunteer for Underwater Cleanup
To participate in an underwater cleanup, at least 4 volunteers must be assigned to the underwater cleanup zone. If this minimum requirement is not met when performing tasks with volunteers, the assigned volunteers remain in place for the next player's turn. However, when this requirement is met, you initiate an underwater cleanup (see chapter "Initiate an underwater cleanup" - page 14).
Every time you assign a volunteer or a group of volunteers to the underwater cleanup zone, even if this results in meeting the minimum volunteer requirement, you must first roll the die. Place it in the corresponding numbered space in the ocean area depicted along the bottom edge of the main board. This will result in either a whale sighting or a fishing boat sighting.
Whale sighting
When you roll a number from 1 to 4, you spot a whale surfacing to breathe in the ocean area matching the rolled number.
The whale swallows all trash cubes of the predominant type in the adjacent beach region. In case of a tie for the majority, players cooperatively choose which of the tied trash types the whale swallows. If that beach region is free of trash cubes, the whale safely returns to the ocean.
Place each swallowed trash cube on the track next to the whale, which represents its maximum trash capacity. Once eaten, this trash cannot be removed. If the whale's track fills up completely, you trigger an immediate defeat condition and lose the game.
Example 05 - Whale sighting: At the end of your turn, you decided to get one remaining volunteer to the underwater cleanup area. You then rolled the die; the number 1 was rolled, so you spotted a whale at the adjacent beach of number 1. After performing the mainland cleanup with all the assigned volunteers, the whale will swallow all the cubes of the majority color still remaining at the adjacent beach: in this case, two red cubes.
Fishing boat sighting
When you roll a 5 or 6, you spot a fishing boat losing dangerous fishing gear and polluting the ocean.
Take a fishing gear trash cube from the general supply and place it in the leftmost empty space of the corresponding track above the illustrated fishing boat on the main board. Once released, this trash cannot be removed. If this track fills up completely, you trigger an immediate defeat condition and lose the game.
Ghost gear: Lost or discarded fishing gear, known as "ghost gear," is a major contributor to ocean plastic pollution and continues to trap and kill marine life in the open ocean.
Example 06 - Fishing boat sighting: At the end of your turn, you decided to get one remaining volunteer to the underwater cleanup area. You must then roll the die. The number "6" was rolled, so you spot a fishing boat losing one black fishing gear trash cube near the beach.
End of a Turn
At the end of your turn, a series of effects occurs before the next player's turn:
- Interaction of existing trash with nature.
- Production of waste by humans.
- Preparation of volunteers for new tasks.
Interaction of Existing Trash with Nature
Throughout the game, trash flows from one location to another, starting in the city and eventually reaching the ocean.
At this stage, all trash moves one step downward, as follows:
- Trash in the beaches (lower regions) flows to the ocean.
- Trash in the forests and mountains (central regions) flows to the beaches (lower regions).
- Trash in the cities (upper regions) flows to the forests and mountains (central regions).
As trash enters the ocean, it accumulates on the ocean floor. Whenever a trash cube reaches the ocean, place it in the corresponding trash track on the main board. This trash remains there until the end of the game unless removed during an underwater cleanup. If any of these tracks fills up completely, you trigger an immediate defeat condition and lose the game.
As trash accumulates on the ocean floor, the game's pace increases. Each trash track features 3 points where movement tokens are removed from play, representing this acceleration. When a trash track reaches one of these points, all available movement tokens of a specific number are flipped to their reverse sides. They keep their place in the display but become unavailable to all players for the rest of the game:
- 3rd trash cube - all #1 movement tokens.
- 6th trash cube - all #2 movement tokens.
- 9th trash cube - all #3 movement tokens.
NOTE - Trash flows
As trash flows, you must start from the lower regions (beaches), then proceed to the central regions (forests and mountains), and end with the upper regions (cities), always moving each trash cube one step downward.
Example 07 - Interaction of existing trash with nature: At the end of your turn, the trash interacts with nature. Starting from the beach, 1 yellow cube from the beach flows one step down and enters the ocean; 1 yellow cube and 1 red cube flow one step down from the mountain to the beach; 1 red cube and 1 green cube flow down towards another beach; 1 green cube and 1 blue cube flow downward from the city to the mountain; 1 blue cube flows downward from another city to the forest.
Production of Waste by Humans
As time passes, humans continue to produce trash. To determine the waste distribution during your turn, reveal 1 event card from the events deck for each of the 4 designated spaces above the cities on the top margin of the main board.
Each event card depicts 2 to 4 trash cubes. The trash shown on the newly revealed cards enters the corresponding upper regions representing the city. For each region, take the matching type and quantity of trash cubes from the general supply and place them in that region.
After all revealed event cards take effect, they remain in place to show the produced waste. At the end of each player's turn, remove all revealed event cards to a discard pile next to the events deck. Then, reveal 4 new event cards from the events deck. When the events deck is depleted, shuffle all cards from the discard pile to create a new face-down deck and continue as before.
Example 08 - Production of waste by humans: At the end of your turn and after the trash moving one step down towards the ocean, new trash is produced in the cities by humans. After revealing 4 new event cards, you place the corresponding trash cubes in each city adjacent to each event card. From left to right, 2 red cubes and 2 yellow cubes enter the first city; 2 green cubes and 1 red cube enter the second city; 1 green cube and 3 blue cubes enter the third city and 2 yellow cubes enter the fourth city.
Why does trash flow to the ocean? In the real world, trash from land sources like homes, factories, and farms makes its way to the ocean through wind, rain, and rivers. This game mirrors this natural process, showing how waste flows from land to sea, presenting you with another real-life challenge to tackle.
Preparation of Volunteers for New Tasks
To end your turn, lay down all volunteers that remain on solution tokens and in the underwater cleanup zone. This allows you to track your current turn's steps and verify where each volunteer was assigned per region.
All volunteers who successfully performed actions during your turn become available for the next player. With this preparation complete, the player to your left may now begin their turn. If no movement tokens remain to continue the hike, you trigger an immediate defeat condition and lose the game.
Example 09 - Preparation of volunteers for new tasks: At the end of your turn the blue volunteer stays at the "Reusable Water Bottle" solution token waiting for a yellow volunteer to join on a future turn. You lay down the blue volunteer so it helps the next player tracking the future steps.
Optional Actions
Build an art piece
Every time The Trash Traveler gives trash to artists, they store it in the corresponding trash track. As soon as a trash track is completely filled, move all its trash cubes to the general supply. The artists finish that art piece and its corresponding figure must be placed on the main board. The decision on which region to assign the art piece figure is made cooperatively.
Once built, an art piece must never be moved or removed from the board until the end of the game. Upon construction, an art piece provides a continuous effect in the region where it is present. Since each art piece is made of a single type of trash, its effect only applies to trash cubes of that type.
At the end of your turn, when the existing trash in nature moves one step downward, if it enters a region with an art piece figure already present, remove 1 trash cube matching the art piece's type/color to the general supply.
Example 10 - Build an art piece: After moving The Trash Traveler, you deliver the trash collected to the artists. 2 green trash cubes are stored in their corresponding trash track. The green trash track is now completely filled, and the corresponding art piece is now built! You now place the art piece in one region of the board, remaining there until the end of the game. (You may now move all the green cubes used to build the art piece to the supply).
NOTE - Art piece effect
If no trash cubes of the matching type of an art piece enter the region, the art piece's effect is simply ignored for that turn. Additionally, an art piece only affects trash cubes introduced into the region after its construction, so it has no effect on trash cubes already in the region at the time of its construction.
At the end of the game, each art piece built by artists and placed on the main board raises 25 awareness points, which contribute to meeting the victory requirements.
Inspire people by building art pieces: The Trash Traveler transforms collected trash into art, often collaborating with other artists to spread environmental awareness. Art has unique power to capture attention, evoke emotions, and inspire change in ways that facts and figures cannot. These creative pieces turn waste into powerful statements about pollution while demonstrating how trash may become a valuable resource. Art sparks meaningful conversations, educates communities, and motivates people to take action, helping connect science and everyday life.
Enlist a Specialist
When one of your backpacks reaches full capacity, you may enlist a specialist if you have one of the same color on your individual board. To do so, move that specialist from your board to join the group of available volunteers near the next player's board. Once unlocked, specialists join the hike with volunteers and may be assigned tasks as usual.
Specialists excel at collecting trash, gathering 2 cubes of their matching type instead of 1 and storing both in your backpacks. However, they have no special abilities when discussing solutions or preparing for underwater cleanup, performing these tasks just like regular volunteers.
After successfully enlisting the specialist, empty your corresponding backpack by moving all trash cubes of that type from your individual board to the general supply.
NOTE - Specialists based on the number of players
In a 3-player game, there is a specialist in the supply that may be unlocked by any player.
NOTE - Rescue an endangered animal
When you enlist a specialist of a specific type due to your corresponding backpack being completely full, you cannot rescue an endangered animal of the matching type in the same turn. You must choose either to enlist a specialist or rescue an endangered animal.
Example 11 - Enlist a specialist: You filled completely your red (microplastics) backpack. You now choose to enlist a specialist of the same color. On a later turn, you collect two red cubes at once with that specialist.
Rescue an Endangered Animal
When one of your backpacks reaches full capacity, you may rescue an endangered animal if you have an animal token of the same color with its negative value (-10) side face-up on your individual board. To do so, flip that animal token to its reverse side showing a positive value (+10). Then, you must choose one of these options:
- Release the rescued animal into the ocean by moving its token from your individual board to the ocean on the main board, without covering any relevant information. You must then take another animal token of the same type from the supply and place it on your individual board with the negative (-10) value side face-up. This allows you to later rescue another animal if the same backpack reaches full capacity again.
- Keep the rescued animal on your individual board, maintaining the positive value (+10) face-up until the game ends, without taking a new token from the supply.
NOTE - Enlist a specialist
When you rescue an endangered animal of a specific type due to your corresponding backpack being completely full, you cannot enlist a specialist of the matching type in the same turn. You must choose either to rescue an endangered animal or enlist a specialist.
After successfully rescuing the endangered animal, empty your corresponding backpack by moving all trash cubes of that type from your individual board to the general supply.
Example 12 - Rescue an endangered animal: You have completely filled your blue backpack (representing single-use plastic bottles). You now decide to rescue an endangered dolphin. Flip the dolphin token to its positive (+10) points side. You can now choose to either release it back into the ocean or keep it on your player board.
NOTE - Inspire people by rescuing endangered animals
By rescuing endangered animals, you inspire people and raise awareness, which contributes to your success in winning a game of The Trash Travelers.
Discover a Solution
When both volunteer requirements on a discussion token are met, you discover a solution. To do so, take the solution token from the main board and place it on the solutions board. For detailed information about each solution, refer to the appendix "Solution tokens" - page 19.
If you do not have a matching solution token on the solutions board yet, place it in the leftmost space of the next empty row. If you do, place it in the next empty space of the row with the matching solution token.
For solutions discovered in the underwater cleanup zone, take the solution token from the main board and place it in its corresponding row at the bottom of the solutions board.
Discovering different solutions is important, not only for achieving goals (see chapter "Achieve a goal" - page 13) but also for cleaning existing trash in nature. As shown on the solutions board, when you discover the 5th unique solution, you may remove 1 trash cube from any region on the main board and return it to the general supply. Similarly, upon discovering the 8th and 10th unique solutions, you may immediately remove 2 trash cubes instead.
After completing their assignment, volunteers who discovered a solution become available for a new task. They are removed from the main board and placed near the next player's individual board.
Example 13 - Discover a solution: Both volunteers match the requirements to discover the solution "Environmental Movies". You then add the solution to the solutions board and remove the volunteers from the discussion token, making them available for the next player.
The importance of solutions
Cleaning helps highlight the trash pollution issue but is not the ultimate solution. The focus is on finding long-term solutions such as reducing waste, reusing materials, repairing items, and promoting a circular economy. While cleaning addresses symptoms, it does not tackle the root cause. The real challenge lies in preventing plastic and waste from entering the ocean by changing how we produce, consume, and manage materials.
The game is not about cleaning the planet - it is about raising awareness of the systemic changes needed to protect the ocean. By presenting solutions, the game encourages players to think critically about creating a more sustainable world with less waste.
Achieve a Goal
When you fulfill all requirements on a goal card, you achieve that goal. Take the achieved goal card and place it near your individual board. For detailed information about each goal, refer to the appendix "Goal cards" - page 20.
While achieving a goal may require a specific number of trash cubes, most requirements are tied to previously discovered solutions. Discovering solutions is vital not only for current goals, but for future ones too. Once discovered, solution tokens are never spent to achieve goals - they simply need to be present on the solutions board.
After achieving a goal, reveal a new one from the matching deck - either easy or hard.
Anatomy of a goal card
- Benefits B.
- Goal G.
- Requirements R.
Types of goals
- Hard (values from 25 to 80).
- Easy (values 10 or 15).
NOTE - Inspire people by achieving goals
By achieving goals, you inspire people and raise awareness, which contributes to your success in winning a game of The Trash Travelers.
Example 14 - Achieve a goal: At the end of your turn you collected all the necessary solution tokens to achieve this goal: the creation of the environmental documentary "Butts": 2 Environmental Movies tokens, 2 Awareness Music tokens, and 3 Portable Ashtray tokens. You have now raised awareness of 40 more people, and you can reveal another goal from the corresponding hard goals deck. After taking the new goal card you realize that you also fulfill its requirements - combo effect, adding it to your achieved goal cards pile and you take another goal card of the same type (easy or hard).
Initiate an Underwater Cleanup
After resolving the effect of assigning volunteers to the underwater cleanup zone, you initiate an underwater cleanup if you have met the minimum requirement of 4 volunteers. As a group, these volunteers collect 1 trash cube from the ocean floor. They collect a cube of the trash type matching the color of the majority of volunteers. In case of a tie for the majority, you may choose which of the tied trash types to collect a cube from.
NOTE - Underwater cleanup
Regardless of how many volunteers participate in the underwater cleanup, they always collect only 1 trash cube from the ocean floor as a group.
The trash cube collected during an underwater cleanup is provided to artists for creating art pieces. Place the collected trash cube into the corresponding trash track in the artists' zone, which may result in completely filling up a trash track.
In such cases, follow the standard rules for building an art piece (see chapter "Build an art piece" - page 11).
Every time an underwater cleanup is completed, you discover its matching solution. Proceed as described in the chapter "Discover a solution" - page 13.
After completing their assignment, volunteers who participated in the underwater cleanup become available for a new task. They are removed from the main board and placed near the next player's individual board.
Example 15 - Underwater cleanup: At the end of your turn there is a minimum of 4 volunteers in the underwater cleanup area. The majority color is green, so you proceed to remove a green trash cube from the ocean, immediately delivering it to the corresponding track in the artists area. You also collect an Ocean Monitoring solution token and add it to the solutions board. The 4 volunteers that took part in the underwater cleanup are now available for the next player.
The importance of underwater cleanups: The underwater cleanups in the game mirror real ocean pollution challenges. While some plastic waste floats on the surface, a significant portion sinks to the ocean floor, including "ghost gear". These items pose a deadly threat to marine life that can last for years. Every ocean floor cleanup demands immense effort, and even large-scale initiatives may recover only a small fraction of waste. That is why in the game, an underwater cleanup removes just one trash cube, reflecting these real-world limitations. Rather than focusing solely on cleanup, this activity emphasizes the urgent need to address ocean pollution at its source by reducing waste before it enters the ocean.
Use Ability Tokens
During your turn, you may use one or any combination of ability tokens to enhance your actions. However, each ability token may only be used once throughout the entire game. For detailed information about each ability, refer to the appendix "Ability tokens" - page 22.
End of the Game
The Trash Travelers is played over an undefined number of consecutive turns until one of the end game conditions is met: either reaching the mountain at the end of the hiking trail or triggering one of the immediate defeat conditions.
How to win?
When The Trash Traveler figure reaches the mountain at the end of the hiking trail, you must ensure you have inspired enough people to raise the required number of awareness points. This requirement varies based on the current player count, as indicated on the solutions board. Calculate your awareness points as described below.
Awareness points
When you reach the end of the hike without triggering any defeat conditions, you immediately gain 100 awareness points. Add up the awareness points from all achieved goal cards, rescued animal tokens, and built art pieces. Subtract negative points from any endangered animals on individual boards that were not rescued in time. Finally, check if you have reached the required awareness points to win the game:
- 1 player - 400 awareness points.
- 2 players - 340 awareness points.
- 3 players - 300 awareness points.
- 4 players - 260 awareness points.
Example 16 - Final scoring: At the end of a 4 player game you sum the positive awareness points and subtract the negative ones. You reached the end of the hike, which is a winning condition, and you win 100 awareness points for that. You managed to fulfill 7 easy goals (90 awareness points) and 2 hard goals (70 awareness points). You also managed to rescue 7 animals (70 awareness points), but you still missed to save 9 of them (-90 points). You also created an art piece that is worth 25 awareness points. You reached a total of 265 awareness points, and you won the game!
How to lose?
The game ends immediately in defeat if any of the following conditions occur:
- Any of the trash tracks on the ocean floor becomes entirely filled.
- The whale's track becomes completely full of trash.
- No movement tokens remain to continue the hike.
- The fishing gear track reaches its maximum capacity.
Additionally, you lose if you reach the end of the mountain trail without fulfilling all the necessary winning conditions.
Streamlined Variant
The streamlined variant of The Trash Travelers is a quicker version recommended for children or if you just want to learn the game's basics before diving into its full version.
Streamlined Setup
- Place the main board in the center of the table on its reverse side.
- Assemble 1 The Trash Traveler figure of your choice and place it at the trail's starting point.
- Mix 1 of each solution token (except the "ocean monitoring") in the bag and randomly draw 1 for each designated round space on the main board, illustrated with an exclamation mark.
- Mix 7 trash cubes of each type/color in the bag to determine the initial distribution of trash in nature. Draw at random and place the following in the different regions of the main board: a. 3 cubes in all 4 upper regions (cities). b. 2 cubes in all 4 central regions (forests and mountains). c. 2 cubes in all 4 lower regions (beaches).
- Place 1 fishing gear trash cube next to the 4 colors that represent the trash types below the artists' zone. Additionally, place the die in this zone as well.
- Assemble the art piece figures.
- Mix all remaining trash cubes in the bag (except the 3 fishing gear trash cubes).
- The player who loves sharks the most is the first player and receives the 12 volunteers.
- Return all unused components to the game box, as they will not be needed in this variant.
Player's Turn (Streamlined)
The general gameplay follows the same rules as the cooperative mode, with a few exceptions.
Move The Trash Traveler (Streamlined)
To move The Trash Traveler figure, you may choose to advance any number of spaces along the hiking trail instead of using a movement token.
To determine which trash type The Trash Traveler collects, you must choose one of the available trash types below the artists' zone and cover its color with the fishing gear trash cube. After the first turn, you will have only 3 available types to choose from, as you are not allowed to select the trash type covered by the fishing gear trash cube.
After moving The Trash Traveler figure the desired number of spaces, they collect all trash of the specific type you have chosen from the region where they stopped. As usual, the trash cubes collected by The Trash Traveler are provided to the artists' zone.
Use Ability Tokens (Streamlined)
There are no ability tokens in this version of the game. However, once per game you may ask an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) for help during your turn and collect all trash cubes of all types from the region where The Trash Traveler figure stopped, as indicated on the main board below the artists' zone.
Perform Tasks with Volunteers (Streamlined)
Collect trash
Volunteers collect trash in the same way as usual, with one exception: instead of storing the trash cubes temporarily in their backpacks, all trash cubes collected by volunteers are removed from the main board and placed in the general supply.
Discuss a solution
Since there are no discussion tokens on the main board, any volunteer may be assigned to discuss a solution in a region. When any 2 volunteers are discussing a solution, you discover that solution.
Volunteer for underwater cleanup
Since there is no underwater cleanup zone on this side of the main board, when none of your available volunteers match the trash type in a region or you do not want to assign them to discuss a solution, you may use any number of volunteers to roll the die once. After resolving the outcome, those volunteers become available and are placed near the next player for their turn.
Whale sighting
When you roll a number from 1 to 4, you spot a whale surfacing to breathe in the ocean near the beach area matching the rolled number. The whale swallows any 1 trash cube from the beach region of any type chosen cooperatively.
Initiate an underwater cleanup
When you roll a 5 or 6, you initiate an underwater cleanup. As a group, volunteers collect 1 trash cube from the ocean floor of any type chosen cooperatively and provide it to the artists.
End of a Turn (Streamlined)
Production of waste by humans
To determine the waste distribution during your turn, draw at random 3 trash cubes from the bag to place into each of the 4 upper regions (cities) of the main board. If the bag becomes empty during this process, mix all trash cubes from the general supply back into the bag.
End of the Game (Streamlined)
How to win?
To win The Trash Travelers in the streamlined version, you must achieve 3 goals:
- Reach the mountain at the end of the hiking trail with The Trash Traveler figure.
- Build all 4 art pieces into the main board.
- Collect all 10 solution tokens from the main board.
How to lose?
The game ends immediately in defeat if any of the following conditions occur:
- You reach the end of the hiking trail without achieving the 3 winning goals.
- Any of the trash tracks on the ocean floor becomes entirely filled.
- The whale's track becomes completely full of trash.
Semi-Cooperative Variant
The semi-cooperative variant of The Trash Travelers is recommended if you want to pursue a personal objective while still working toward a shared one. While players still collaborate, you will not cooperate fully at every step.
Semi-Cooperative Setup
Set up the game as you would for the cooperative mode, with these 3 exceptions:
- Place the solutions board near the main board on its reverse side.
- Return the goal cards to the game box, as they will not be needed in this variant.
- Each player places the art piece figure matching their specialist's color near their individual board.
Semi-Cooperative Player's Turn
The general gameplay follows the same rules as the cooperative mode, except for how you discover solutions, collect solution tokens from the main board, and build art pieces.
Discover a solution (Semi-Cooperative)
When you meet the second volunteer requirement on a discussion token during your turn, you discover a solution. Then, take the solution token from the main board and place it near your individual board.
Collecting solution tokens is a competitive aspect of the semi-cooperative variant. Solution tokens collected during your turns raise your awareness points at the end of the game.
Build an art piece (Semi-Cooperative)
When a trash track is completely filled in the artists' zone, an art piece is built as usual. If the art piece figure that matches your specialist's color is built, you raise 25 awareness points at the end of the game. This makes building art pieces a competitive aspect in the semi-cooperative variant.
End of the Game (Semi-Cooperative)
How to win?
To win The Trash Travelers in the semi-cooperative version, you must achieve 2 goals:
- Cooperatively - Reach the mountain at the end of the hiking trail with The Trash Traveler figure.
- Individually - Raise the most awareness points from your collected solution tokens, rescued animal tokens, and from your art piece figure. Calculate awareness points as follows.
Awareness points (Semi-Cooperative)
Score awareness points based on your collected "ocean monitoring" solution tokens, if any:
- 3 tokens - 20 awareness points.
- 2 tokens - 10 awareness points.
- 1 token - 5 awareness points.
Add up awareness points for sets of the remaining 10 solution token types, as follows:
- 10 different solution tokens - 20 awareness points.
- 3 solution tokens of the same type - 10 awareness points.
- 2 solution tokens of the same type - 5 awareness points.
- A single solution token - 1 awareness point.
Score awareness points based on your rescued animal tokens and subtract any endangered animals remaining on your individual board. Additionally, earn 25 awareness points if your art piece figure is built on the main board.
If you cannot win individually, you may withdraw from the game. Other players may continue normally, and only active players' awareness points count toward determining the winner - if victory is achieved.
Solutions board (reverse side).
Appendix
Solution tokens
- Activism - raise your voice to inspire change: Through collective actions such as protests, petitions, and strikes, people raise awareness and encourage governments and corporations to embrace sustainable practices.
- Mobility - choose eco-friendly transport for a cleaner future: Sustainable transportation options like cycling, walking, and public transit reduce carbon emissions and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Environmental movies - watch, learn, and act to protect our planet: Documentary films about environmental issues educate and motivate people to take action, raising awareness about pressing challenges.
- Zero waste - say no to waste and yes to reuse: The zero-waste movement promotes buying unpackaged goods and reusing materials to minimize waste generation, reduce plastic pollution, and lower environmental impact while preserving natural resources.
- Awareness music - turn up the volume for our planet: Songs have the power to raise awareness, inspire action, and unite communities for environmental causes.
- Ocean monitoring - protect our ocean with vigilant monitoring: Data on water quality, species health, pollution levels, and other key parameters helps safeguard ecosystems and supports conservation efforts through informed decision-making.
- Green ideas - think green, innovate for change: We need innovative green solutions to tackle environmental challenges. These range from individual actions that impact your personal life and community to sustainable business practices, eco-friendly technologies, and systemic changes. Together, we may all be change-makers.
- Portable ashtray - small acts matter, carry a portable ashtray: A cigarette butt contains plastic and thousands of toxic chemicals that seep into the environment. Small actions create big impacts and using a portable ashtray is a simple yet powerful solution.
These solutions represent just a small selection designed for gameplay and basic understanding. Real-world solutions for ocean issues and climate change are far more numerous and complex. Your journey starts here! Explore new ideas, take meaningful action, and help build a better world...
Goal cards - easy
Transcriber's note: each card's requirement icons are artwork on the card face and are not reproduced as text in the source PDF; the point values and printed card text are transcribed here. Promotional calls to action and web links printed on the cards are omitted.
- Create the microplastic type font (15 points). This font is designed using small plastic pieces collected during beach cleanups along Portugal's coast. Once installed on your computer, it raises awareness about microplastics in a fun way. To earn points for this card, find the "reusable tote bag" solution and collect 10 red trash cubes (microplastics). Players may combine the trash cubes from their backpacks to reach the required amount, after which the trash cubes return to the supply.
- Create the cigarette butts type font (15 points). This font is designed using cigarette butts collected from various Portuguese cities. Once installed on your computer, it raises awareness about improper litter disposal in a fun way. To earn points for this card, find the "portable ashtray" solution and collect 10 yellow trash cubes (cigarette butts). Players may combine the trash cubes from their backpacks to reach the required amount, after which the trash cubes return to the supply.
- Embrace a circular economy (15 points). Move away from the "take, make, dispose" mindset toward a system where resources are reused, repaired, and shared to extend their life. Recycling serves as a last resort to minimize waste while protecting resources and our planet. By choosing durable products, sharing items, and supporting sustainable businesses, you can help create a zero-waste world.
- Become a solution expert (10 points). Collect 3 solutions of the same type to become an expert in that area. As an expert, you will gain deep, specialized knowledge to solve complex problems and tackle challenging questions. You can guide others by sharing your insights through workshops, discussions, and creative projects. In the real world, experts are essential human resources who drive focused action on specific environmental challenges.
- Stop the trash flow (15 points). Take action to prevent trash from reaching our oceans by supporting innovative solutions that capture waste at river mouths. Through barriers and collection systems, we can intercept trash before it enters the sea. As these solutions evolve and improve, they help keep our waterways clean and protect marine life. Preventing trash from flowing into the ocean is crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems, and each effort to implement these strategies contributes to the fight against pollution.
Goal cards - hard
As above, requirement icons are shown on each card face and are not reproduced as text; promotional calls to action and web links are omitted.
- The Trash Cycle (40 points). The Trash Traveler built a bicycle entirely from second-hand parts, giving new life to items others had discarded as trash. He cycled 2,370 km across Portugal with just a refillable water bottle. This journey highlighted the urgent need to rethink consumption and reuse existing resources. The project gathered signatures supporting a deposit return scheme in Portugal, helping NGOs advocate for a circular economy.
- The Plastic Hike (40 points). In 2020, The Trash Traveler walked all 832 km of Portugal's coastline in 58 days, joined by 600 people and over 80 NGOs to raise awareness about plastic pollution. While they collected 1.6 tons of trash, the hike demonstrated that cleanup efforts alone are not enough. The journey was about inspiring action and sparking a movement for change. By walking with just one refillable water bottle, The Trash Traveler proved that single-use plastics are unnecessary when we embrace sustainable choices.
- BUTTS (40 points). The ocean starts with our actions. In just 2 months, The Trash Traveler worked with 600 people and 70 environmental projects to collect 1.1 million cigarette butts across 38 Portuguese coastal cities. Cigarette butts, the world's most littered plastic item, contain toxins that harm the environment. This project was not just about cleaning; it was about inspiring action and demonstrating how small efforts create big change.
- Advocate for refill solutions (30 points). Support refill and deposit systems to reduce single-use packaging. These systems let you dispense products - like beverages and household goods - into reusable containers. Encourage local businesses to install refill stations, choose refillable products when shopping, and help others understand why refill systems matter.
- Embrace renewable energy (60 points). Renewable energy sources - solar, wind, and hydropower - are essential for a sustainable future. While no energy source is completely impact-free, renewables offer a much cleaner, greener alternative to fossil fuels. By choosing renewable energy, you help shift the world toward long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains.
- Protect the ocean (80 points). The ocean is more than just water, it is Earth's life force. A healthy ocean regulates climate, stores carbon, and produces 50% of the world's oxygen. Yet pollution, overfishing, and climate change threaten marine life and disrupt this vital ecosystem. We must restore what has been lost and ensure the ocean can continue to support life on Earth.
Ability tokens
- Skip it: When assigning volunteers to tasks, you may skip over one region without placing a volunteer there. Continue placing the remaining volunteers normally.
- Change the route: When assigning volunteers to tasks, you may change the direction of placement at any point and continue in the opposite direction. Continue assigning the remaining volunteers normally.
- Go back: When moving The Trash Traveler figure, you may move it backwards once. Choose one movement token and move back on the hiking trail that number of spaces. Collect all trash cubes of the matching color in the region where you stop. The trash cubes go to the artists, as usual. In subsequent turns, The Trash Traveler will resume moving forward toward the end of the hiking trail.
- Reuse and give it a second life: You may reuse one movement token that has already been used or flipped over due to reaching a certain trash level on the ocean floor. After selecting your desired movement token, play normally: move the given number of spaces and collect all trash cubes of the matching color in the region where you stop. The trash cubes go to the artists, as usual.
- Ask an NGO for help: Once per game, you may remove all trash cubes from a single region and deliver them to the artists. You may use this ability at any point during your turn. While The Trash Traveler normally collects trash cubes of only one color in a region, this NGO helps you remove all cubes from a region regardless of their color.
Quick Reference
Player's turn
Mandatory actions
- Move The Trash Traveler
- Collect trash of a single type
- Provide trash to artists
- Assign tasks to volunteers
- Assign a volunteer to collect trash
- Assign a volunteer to discuss a solution
- Assign a volunteer to underwater cleanup
- Perform tasks with volunteers
- Collect trash
- Discuss a solution
- Volunteer for underwater cleanup
- Whale sighting
- Fishing boat sighting
Optional actions
- Build an art piece
- Enlist a specialist
- Rescue an endangered animal
- Discover a solution
- Achieve a goal
- Initiate an underwater cleanup
- Use ability tokens
End of a turn
- Interaction of existing trash with nature
- Production of waste by humans
- Preparation of volunteers for new tasks
How to win?
- The Trash Traveler reaches the end of hiking trail.
- Inspire people and raise awareness points.
How to lose?
- Whale's track completely full of trash.
- Fishing gear track reaches maximum capacity.
- Any trash track on the ocean floor full.
- No movement tokens to continue the hike.
- Do not fulfill the winning conditions.