Algae BOOM!

Algae BOOM! is a WIP educational board game meant to teach players about the various methods used to combat algae blooms. 1-4 Players will choose to either work together or compete to cleanse a lake overgrown with algae.

!RULES!

Algae Boom Rules

Setup:

* All players draw 4 cards for their hand and grab a 4 & 6-sided dice.

* Roll the D6 dice to determine the start player, the highest number goes first.

* Give the starting player the Starting Player Card.

* Each player places 3 Green, 3 Red, and 3 Blue Algae Tokens anywhere in the lake.

Game Pieces:

Boom! Cards: Cards that players draw and discard from their hand to remove algae from Lake Tiles. Boom Cards will have patterns on them and players have to use them on Algae tokens that match the cards’ pattern. If a player cannot play any of their cards, then they must discard and remove only 1 Algae Token from the board.

Algae Tokens: These are the Green, Red, and Blue pieces on the Lake tiles. Using the Boom! Cards, players will collect Algae Tokens to be used as currency for Wetlands Cards in the Shop. Collected Algae Tokens go onto a Player’s playmat.

Wetlands Cards: Bought at the shop using Algae Tokens, players can customize their gameplay style by using different kinds of Wetlands. All Wetlands are worth points and are the main objective of the game. Basic Wetlands are worth 1, Super Wetlands are worth 2, and Ultra Wetlands are worth 3 points.

Start Player Card: This is given out after everyone rolls to decide turn order. Every Player Turn, this card is passed around the table clockwise allowing other players to go first on turns.

Dice: Players are given 2 different dice. D4, which determines which color of Algae is being spread. D6, which determines the amount of that color Algae being spread +2. It doesn’t matter what order you roll them in, they just tell you what to do.

D4 Colors:

1 = Green

2 = Red

3 = Blue

4 = Any Color

Turns:

In Algae Boom! There are two different types of turns; Game Turns, and Player Turns. 

Game Turns: These are the turns that happen when every player takes their own Player Turn.

Player Turns: An individual’s turn to play Boom! cards, Buy Wetlands, and Use those Wetlands to clean the lake from Algae

For every new Game Turn, players must pass around the Start Player Card and then commence the Spread Phase. During the Spread Phase, everyone grabs and rolls their Dice to spread Algae. Once the Spread Phase is over, the player that was just passed the Start Player Card gets to take their turn.

 Phases:

In each type of turn, there are phases that players must follow: 

Game Turn Phases:

Spread Phase: This happens before the player with the Start Player Card goes first. Players roll their two dice. Depending on what they roll, each player will take turns placing those algae in the same order that they take their turns.

Player Turn Phase: The phase in which players take their turns. Once each player has taken a turn, this phase ends.

Pass the Card Phase: This is when the Start Player Card is passed to the player that is left of the previous card holder.

Player Turn Phases:

Action Phase: This phase allows players to Buy Wetlands, use Boom! Cards and activate Wetlands Effects*. (*Wetlands that have Passive effects activate at the end of your turn after you draw. Growing/Super Growing and others similar.)

End Phase/Draw Phase: This is when a player draws a Boom! Card, ending their turn,

Wetlands Shop, Zones, & Cards:

Shop: Right below the Boom! Deck, Boom! Bin, and Reserves is the Wetlands Shop. Every turn a player must shuffle the Wetlands Deck and put the top 3 cards into the Shops’ Inventory. When a player makes a purchase, restock the shop by taking the top card off of the Wetlands Deck and into the spot of the Wetlands card that was just purchased. Only 1 Wetlands Card can be purchased in a turn.

Zones: On each players’ playmat, they have what are called Wetlands Zones. There is one Zone for activated Wetlands, and another for Non-Activated Wetlands. Meaning, players can keep an inventory of Wetlands and save them for a further time in the game. Only 1 Wetlands Card can be activated in a turn.

Cards: Wetlands Cards, different from Boom! Cards stay on a player’s playmat AT ALL TIMES after purchase. Each card does something different and players can strategize with the Wetlands that they purchase. Each card has a cost which is listed on the cards in the Wetlands Shop. Some Wetland Cards can be upgraded with the use of Algae Tokens to create powerful effects that can change the tide of a game. Most of the time, when an upgrade happens, the original Wetlands Card is thrown back into the Wetlands Deck for someone else to purchase.

 

How To Win:

Buying and Activating Wetlands are the main goal of the game. Different tiers of Wetlands provide points to the players. Whoever has the most points by the end of Game Turn 8 or when The Lake is completely cleared of Algae wins. If a tie happens, whoever has the most Algae Tokens Wins. The scoring for the Wetlands Card Tiers goes as follows: Basics = 1, Supers = 2, Ultras = 3.

FAQ’s:

Q: How long does it take to play a game of Algae Boom?

A: Anywhere between 30 - 45 min with 4 players. Although the first few games will be longer until everyone gets a hang of the rules.

Q: What happens if a tie between Wetlands points and Algae Tokens happens?

A: Those who tie in Wetlands points and Algae Tokens will have to roll their dice to decide the winner.

Q: What happens to a deactivated Wetlands?

A: Wetlands that get negated are flipped over on that player’s playmat. They keep the Wetlands Token and other Tokens relating to that Wetlands on the board. The points from the negated Wetlands card are reduced to 0.

Q: What happens if you negate a Counter Wetlands?

A: The effect of it gets negated. Meaning, that the negated Wetlands that the negated Counter Wetlands is next to is no longer negated and may be flipped back over.

Q: The game is taking too long to finish. How can we speed it up? A: Ideally, each Player turn shouldn’t take more than a minute unless it’s the final few turns where decisions can be very crucial. You could possibly set a 1-minute timer for each player turn to add quickness and more pressure to the game.