Snollygoster is a space themed card game of survival, teamwork, and a little sabotage. The goal is to escape an alien planet before the food supply runs out. Your actions are guided by a hidden agenda given to you at the beginning of the game. Pushing your agenda earns you points, but push too hard and players may turn on you. Everyone shares a potentially hazardous food supply that your awful teammates might try to sabotage. End each turn by drawing from the Event Deck in the hopes of acquiring fuel. The more fuel you have the better. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.
SETUP
1) Pick a dealer. Whoever ate bacon last is a great choice. Dealer, read carefully.
2) Organize the cards into decks based on the colored borders on the backs of the cards.
3) Shuffle these decks and place them in the center area of play.
4) Organize the Tag Cards by character. Let each player pick a character to play with or decide for them. It's up to you, almighty dealer. Players take their Tag Cards and keep them nearby.
5) Deal each player one Hidden Agenda Card. These cards will determine how you play the game. Only you can look at this card. Place this card next to your tag cards so you can reference it.
6) Deal everyone a hand of four cards from the Action Deck. Players can look at these cards.
7) Pass the Event Deck around twice. Each player selects a Food Card from the deck, safe or unsafe, and places it in any stash. (Example: There should be 8 food on the table for a four player game)
PLAYING THE GAME
The player left of the dealer goes first.
There are three stages in a turn: Draw, Action, and Event.
1) Draw: Draw from the Action Deck until you have four cards in your hand. Don't draw if you already have four cards.(Example: If you are holding one card, then draw three)
2) Action: Play as many cards as you like and/or discard as many cards as you like.
3) Event: End your turn by drawing two cards from the Event Deck. Choose the one you want and place the other card on the bottom of the deck. If you chose a Fuel Card, place it next to your player tags. If you chose a Food Card place it in anyone's stash. (Don't let anyone else see this card) If you chose a Hunger Card, show it to everyone, and eat the required amount of food from your stash.
Play continues clockwise around the table.
Player Stash: Every player has a personal stash in front of them to store Food Cards. It holds up to three Food Cards.
Using Food Cards: Hungry and Starving Cards will instruct you to use one or two Food Cards, respectively. To do so, first select a Food Card from your Player Stash and have every player acknowledge your selection. Then reveal the Food Card. If it is safe you live to see another round. If it is unsafe you are now in Quarantine. (Continue reading to learn about Quarantine) If there is a shortage of Food Cards available to you, you have died of starvation.
Quarantine: If you eat a contaminated food, you are now in Quarantine. You lose all food in your stash and can no longer add any food to the table. (We can't have you contaminating everything) You continue to play as normal. You can continue to collect fuel, but you still have to eat. If you draw two food cards, you must place both in the discard pile. Unfortunately for you, you can not leave the planet while under quarantine. To get out of Quarantine, place a pair of Fuel Cards in the discard pile.
Inspecting Food: During your Action Stage, play an Inspect Card. Select an untagged Food Card, privately view it, and return it face down. Place one of your Tag Cards on the Food Card as safe or unsafe. You can lie your pants off.
Fuel: Fuel is required to launch the escape pod. Whoever plays a Launch Card can select goes with them, but there has to be enough total fuel between you to meet the required amount. Each player can hold up to a maximum of five fuel. Fuel is also a bargaining device. You can barter fuel with others to get yourself out of a jam. You also have the option to give a player one fuel to eat any one food from their stash. Fuel is also how you get out of Quarantine, by discarding two fuel.
You Lied: If it's ever revealed you incorrectly labeled a Food Card (even a Food Card you used), you must discard your hand immediately.
You Died: If a player dies by starvation, they no longer get a turn, but can still win if they accumulate enough points at the end. Their hand is placed on the Action Deck along with the discard pile and the deck is reshuffled. Without looking at the Food Cards in their Player Stash, place them on top of the Event Deck along with the discard pile, any Fuel Cards they had, and then the deck is reshuffled. Any food they tagged remains in play.
Ending the Game: For the game to end, one of two things needs to happen: either a Launch Card is successfully played or everyone has died. A Launch Card can be played at any time as long as the required amount of fuel is met.
Survivors get a point for each Fuel Card they contributed to the launch. Then all Hidden Agenda Cards are revealed and the points are tallied. Whoever acquired the most points wins! In the event of a tie, whoever played the Launch Card wins. If everyone died and there is still a tie, who ever died last wins.
Special Cases:
If you use all five of your Tag Cards, you cannot inspect anymore food until a Tag Card is returned to you.
If you draw two Fuel Cards and you already have five Fuel Cards, discard both and draw again.
If you draw two Food Cards and all stashes are already full, discard both and draw again.
TEAM GAME RULES:
If you have four or more players, you have the option to play in teams. Comrades vs Rogues. Your team affiliation will be stated on your Hidden Agenda card. You still cannot show other players your Hidden Agenda card. Your points will be added to your teams total at the end of the game and whichever team has the most points wins. The teams do not need to be of equal size.
Bluffing, Card Game · Hand Management, Open Drafting, Take That
More ▾
View on BGG ↗
