AQUARETTO

OBJECTIVE OF AQUARETTO: The objective of Aquaretto is to have the most Victory Points when the game comes to an end.  

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 5 Players 

MATERIALS: 10 Large Expansion Boards, 10 Small Expansion Boards, 5 Depot Boards, 5 Delivery Trucks, 5 Water Zoo Boards, 30 Coins, 16 Coworkers, 10 Coin Tiles, 88 Animal Tiles, 16 Offspring Tiles, 1 Round Wooden Disc, and Instructions 

TYPE OF GAME: Set Collection Board Game 

AUDIENCE: Ages 10 and Up 

OVERVIEW OF AQUARETTO 

In Aquaretto, the players will manage their zoo, selecting animals to fill their water themed zoo. Players attempt to win the most victory points by attracting the most customers! Players randomly choose animals of a variety of types to fill their zoo with, hoping for a rare concoction! Animals have to have their own space, so the zoo cannot be overcrowded! Who can make the biggest and best zoo in the game? 

SETUP 

To begin setup, remove a certain number of tiles, depending on how many players there are in the game. If there are five players, all of the tiles can be used. With four players, one type is removed. If there are three players, there are two types removed. All of the offspring tiles are then placed in the center of the playing area. Any other tiles are shuffled, with fifteen being removed and placed to the side, with the wooden disc on top.  

Several other stacks are created using the shuffled cards. Each player will collect a player board, a depot board, two large expansion boards, and two small expansion boards, and they will place them in their player area. They are then given a coin. All of the coworker tiles are placed on the table, creating a supply.  

The first player is randomly chosen by the group. The game is then ready to begin! 

GAMEPLAY 

The game is played over the course of numerous rounds. During their turn, a player will complete an action of their choice. The player may choose to carry out a money action, collect a delivery truck, or add a tile to a delivery truck. Once a player has completed an action, the turn will rotate to the next player, continuing in a clockwise order around the group. 

If the player chooses to add a tile to a delivery truck, then they may do so by placing the top tile from a stack on an unoccupied space of a delivery truck, facing up. The maximum number of tiles that can be on a delivery truck is three, and if there are more, then the play may not occur. If the player chooses to collect the delivery truck instead, then they will collect it from the center of the table and place it into their playing area, including the tiles.  

When a player chooses to take a money action, they must pay for it. They may purchase it with coin tiles or coins, using any combination of these that is necessary. The players may choose to move, expand the zoo, or purchase or discard a tile. Certain placing rules should be followed for each of the money actions that can be taken. Moves cost one coin, purchases and discards cost two points, a large expansion costs two coins, and a small expansion costs one coin.  

Once every player has a delivery truck, the round comes to an end. Any empty delivery trucks are then placed into the center of the playing area to begin a new round. The last player to receive a delivery truck will become the first player in the new round. Whenever a player draws a card from the stack of cards with the wooden disc, this signifies the final round.  

END OF GAME 

The game will come to an end once all of the players have taken a delivery truck in the current round. Final scoring is then completed. Each player will determine their own scores, tallying up their profits and losses for their zoo. For every animal they have, the player will win a point, and they will win more points for help that they have within the zoo. For every animal type, the player loses two points, but if they have a manager, they only lose one point.  

After the players have tallied their points, they will announce the winner! The player with the most points wins the game! 

Ellie Phillips
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