VLADIMÍR SUCHÝ

THE NEXT FRONTIER

The earth is overpopulated. The colonization of Mars is always four decades away. Only one avenue is open for human expansion: the
world under the sea.
Players compete to build the best underwater nation – an archipelago of undersea cities connected by a network of transportation
tunnels. Kelp farms and desalination plants will provide your people with food and water. Laboratories will give you the knowledge you
need to run everything more efficiently. Perhaps you will even be able to build symbiotic cities, fully integrated with the underwater
ecosystem.
Beginning as a single city, you will expand your network, connecting it with the coastal metropolises. At a time when hunger has
exceeded agricultural output and water shortages strain the bonds of the Federation of Nations, you will build a nation that is self-sus-
taining, perhaps even someday exporting your products to those who have been left ashore.
This is your task.
This is your destiny.
The world’s hopes lie in your underwater cities.
 GAME OVERVIEW
Players work to build underwater cities, a transportation network
that connects them, and various facilities that support them. In IOR
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IN VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS
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UW Cities-lama karta 182x95mm v2.pdf 1 20.08.2018 19:08:18
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IN VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS IN VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS IN VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS
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 CITIES (DOMES) BUILDINGS RESOURCES RESOURCES RESOURCES RESOURCES
TUNNELS (KELP) (SCIENCE) (BIOMATTER)
(USE 13 SYMBIOTIC CITIES (STEELPLAST)
IN A FOUR-PLAYER GAME)

 VARIOUS COMPONENTS
YELLOW ACTION SLOTS
ΠMAIN GAME BOARD
RESOURCES
(CREDITS)

Ž ERA I, II AND III CARD DECKS

GAME SETUP - PART II.

GAME SETUP - PART I. RED ACTION SLOTS
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS ‘ SPECIAL CARDS
ΠPlace the main game board in the center (USE THESE SPACES ONLY DURING
ADVANCED GAME WITH GOVERNMENT Special cards represent specialists you can hire for
of the table. The board is two-sided. The side
CONTRACTS.) your underwater endeavors. Each has a cost near
shown here is used for a 3 or 4-player game.
Use the other side for a 2-player game. the upper left corner.
PLAYER-ORDER
FEDERATION
 The various components that represent TRACK
TRACK
ERA TRACK
Separate the Special cards into two groups:
zz A group that costs one or two credits.
cities, tunnels, buildings, and resources
should be kept in a common supply. zz A group that costs three credits.
If necessary, you can keep the supply ‘ SPECIAL CARDS THREE-CREDIT SPECIAL CARDS
in two places so that everyone can reach the Shuffle the deck of one-or-two-credit
components easily. Special cards and place it on the main
ACTION-CLONING TILE board. Turn the top card face up.
Ž Cards with divers on the back are sep- (ONLY USED IN 4-PLAYER GAME)
arated into 3 decks, one for each era of the
game. The Era II and Era III decks can be set
aside right now. Shuffle the Era I cards face
ONE- OR TWO-CREDIT
SPECIAL CARDS DECK
 PLACE THE
ERA MARKER ON
down and place the deck on the main game WITH TOP CARD FACE UP
Shuffle the three-credit Special cards
THE FIRST SPACE
board, as shown. Note: Thorough shuffling OF THE ERA and deal 6 face up to the corresponding
is very important for this game. You don’t TRACK. spaces in the center of the game board.
want same-colored cards to be clumped ALWAYS-AVAILABLE ACTION SLOT Return the rest of the three-credit deck
together. to the box. These 6 are the only
three-credit Special cards that will be
 Place the era marker on the starting available during this game.
space of the era track. SCORING TRACK
 PLACE ONE
 Place one score marker for each player SCORE MARKER
FOR EACH PLAYER
on the zero space of the scoring track.
ON THE STARTING
SPACE OF THE
GREEN ACTION SLOTS SCORING TRACK.

SETUP FOR 2 OR 3 PLAYERS

When setting up the game for fewer than four players, make two changes:
1. Leave the action-cloning tile in the box.
2. Use fewer symbiotic cities (purple domes):
a. With two players, use 7 symbiotic cities.
b. With three players, use 10.
A four-player game uses the action-cloning tile and all 13 symbiotic city domes.
4 5
 PLAYER SETUP PLAYER CARDS (CARDS FOR THE FIRST ROUND)
ACTION TILES
FINAL At the start of the game, you draw 6 cards from the Era I deck. Choose
SCORING 3 to keep, and discard the other 3.
CARD THESE STARTING RESOURCES
If you are new to the game, try to keep one card of each color. And don’t
SITES OFFER
REWARDS worry about this decision too much – every card offers interesting choices,
BLUE METROPOLIS TILE
BROWN FOR BUILDING and you will be getting more cards very soon.
METROPOLIS ON THEM
TILE
PERSONAL
ASSISTANT EXPANSION SITE
CARD BUILDING SITE GAMEPLAY CARDS
PLAYER Here is a quick summary of how the game is played: The cards in your hand repre-
TUNNEL SITE
INFO sent personnel you have at your
CARD
STARTING CITY
ąąPLAY ORDER disposal. On each turn, you will play
one of these cards as you choose
CITY SITE CONSTRUCTION WINDFALL
Players take turns choosing actions. They play in the order depicted on ICON EFFECT that turn’s action. This represents
the play-order track, and this order does not change during the round. DEPICTS
NAME sending your personnel out to
TIMING
OF FFECT
complete that assignment.
 ONE-STAR BOARD
ąąA TURN You begin each turn with exactly
FOR BASIC GAME You always start your turn with 3 cards. On your turn, you play one card 3 cards. During your turn, you play
and simultaneously choose one of the available action slots. That is, exactly 1 of these, while simultane-
ILLUSTRATION ously choosing an action slot.
you choose a slot that no one else has chosen this round. (There is also a
Each player chooses a color and takes the 3 action tiles, the Personal
Assistant card and final scoring card in that color. Although the Personal ORDER OF PLAY special slot, explained later, that is always available.) You place one of your If the color of the card does
action tiles on the slot to indicate that you have chosen it. This makes the not match the color of the slot,
Assistants have different illustrations, they all have the same effect. DESCRIPTION OF EFFECT
Two tracks determine the order of play. The play-order track shows the slot occupied and not available for the rest of the round. then you ignore the card and just
Each player should also take a player info card. order of play for the current round. The Federation track is where players perform the action. However, if
If the color of the card you played matches the color of the slot you chose, If you have at least 5 connected cities, the color matches, then you get
Each player starts with 1 kelp, 1 steelplast, 1 science, and 2 credits. jockey for position for the next round.
you also get to perform the card’s effect. If the color does not match, you you may build a desalination plant for free.
to resolve the card before or after
(Some players may get additional resources once order of play has been For the first round, place the play-order markers on the play-order track
determined.) just take the action and discard the card with no effect – you assigned some 146
performing the action.
randomly. Then, on the Federation track, the markers should be placed personnel to the job, but it was not their area of expertise, so they just did
in the opposite order, as shown, and those who play third and fourth get CARD NUMBER (NO GAME EFFECT)
the job without accomplishing any additional tasks.
 additional resources. Specifically:
At the end of your turn, you always draw 1 card. It’s also possible to draw
1. The player on space 1 of the play-order track will play first in the first karty-3-faze-rbx-v8-ENG-print.indd 45 23.08.2018 21:57:14
The three colors have different power levels:
round. On the Federation track, his or her marker will start below the additional cards as part of an action or card effect. If you end up with more
zz Green cards are the strongest, but you get their benefits only when you
than 3 cards, you will have to discard down to 3. You may discard any time
ąąPLAYER BOARD SETUP track, on the space with the matching color.
2. The player on space 2 plays second. His or her other marker will start before you take your next turn.
play them on green action slots, which are the weakest.
zz Red cards and action slots have a moderate power level.
Each player takes a different player board, chosen at random. on space 4 of the Federation track. zz Yellow cards are the weakest, but the yellow action slots are the
Your nation’s infrastructure begins with a city in the lower right corner 3. The player on space 3 will also start on space 3 of the Federation track
and will start with one extra credit.
ąąA ROUND strongest.
of your board. There are two types of cities – symbiotic and nonsymbiot-
4. The player who plays last will start on space 2 of the Federation track Players continue until each has taken 3 turns. As cards are played, slots S ome cards have an instant effect. All others can be claimed for later use,
ic. Your starting city is a nonsymbiotic city represented by a white dome,
and will start with 1 credit and 1 steelplast in addition to the usual will be occupied, making them unavailable for those who play later in the as explained below. All five types of cards are described in this section.
as shown.
starting resources. round. The number of available slots will diminish. When everyone has taken
Separate the brown hexagonal metropolis tiles from the blue ones. Mix
The first round is the only round that starts this way. In later rounds, play 3 turns, it is the end of the round. The end of the round is described in detail
up the brown ones and randomly give one to each player. Then mix up
the blue ones and randomly give two to each player. order and initial position on the Federation track will be determined differ- on page [15].
ently.
Your brown metropolis goes on the hexagonal space in the upper left
corner. The other two should be randomly assigned to the remaining two PLAYER-ORDER TRACK ąąTHE ERA MARKER
spaces. FEDERATION TRACK At the end of each round, the era marker advances one space along the era
The player boards are two sided. For your first game, use the side track. When it reaches a Production space, there is a Production phase.
depicted above (# 1-4, ). Later, for more variety, you can try the other Purple plays first. Purple‘s
side, which has more asymmetry (# 5-8,   ).
deska-hrace-6-v5.pdf 1 20.08.2018 15:30:03
marker starts on the purple ąąPRODUCTION
space below the Federation
track. During Production, your underwater network will produce various resourc-
PLAYER-ORDER MARKERS es. At the end of Production, each of your connected cities will consume
Orange plays second and
starts on the fourth space 1 kelp. Details are on page [16].
of the Federation track.
C Blue plays third. His marker ąąAN ERA
is on the third space of the
M

An era consists of 4 rounds in Era I and 3 in Era II and Era III. The end of
Y

CM

Federation track, so Blue

MY

CY

each Production phase marks the end of an era. New cards will come into
CMY

will start the game with

K

FEDERATION MARKERS
1 extra credit. play, as explained on page [16]. The game has a different deck of cards for
Black plays last, but starts
each era. At the end of Era III, the game is done.
the game on the second
6
space of the Federation ąąFINAL SCORING
 ASYMMETRIC SIDE track, with an additional
6 1 credit and 1 steelplast. At the end of the game, players score various aspects of their underwater 7
network, and the player with the most points wins.
 In general, credits, science, kelp, steelplast, and biomatter are used to pay
CARDS DISCARDING SPECIAL CARDS costs. Kelp is also used for feeding your people (there are other ways to feed
people, but kelp is the most efficient). Cards, of course, are useful because
When one- or two-credit Special cards are discarded (for example, they give you more choices on your turn. And points are how you win the
ąąINSTANT EFFECTS If you make room for a new action card by discarding one that is when you are discarding down to your hand limit) they should be im- game. So anything you gain is sure to be useful to you sooner or later.
available, you may immediately use the discarded action. It is as though mediately returned to the bottom of the Special card deck.
When you play a card with this symbol, if its color matches
your new action card also came with an instant effect that lets you use the
your chosen action slot, you resolve the card’s effect imme- When you play a one- or two-credit Special card: EXAMPLE:
discarded available action card.
diately before or after you perform your chosen action. If the zz If the color does not match the chosen action slot, return the card The player who chooses this action slot will
color does not match, you ignore the card’s effect. to the bottom of the Special card deck. take 2 steelplast tokens and 1 kelp token
In either case, these cards are discarded to the discard pile on the main PERSONAL ASSISTANT zz If you choose not to pay to play the Special card, return it to the from the supply and keep them near his or
board. bottom of the Special card deck. her player board.
PERSONAL
ASSISTANT During setup, each player received zz If the color matches and you pay to play it, then you keep it.
a Personal Assistant. This is an action card If it has an instant effect, keep it under your player board after
ąąCLAIMING A CARD that is already claimed and in play at the performing the effect to ensure that it will not re-enter play.
Four types of cards do not have instant effects. When you play such a card, beginning of the game. It follows the same If it is not an instant-effect card, claim it in the usual way.
if its color matches your chosen action slot, you claim the card by placing it rules as any other action card. When you
use the action, you decide whether to gain Three-credit Special cards have no way to re-enter play. Generally, BLACK OPS TEAM SEA VENT FACTORY
near your player board. It thus becomes a permanent part of your underwa- they are too valuable to discard, but if one is discarded, you can return
ter nation. 1 steelplast or 1 credit.
“Yes. Brilliant analysis. Except that one plus it to the box.
one does not, in fact, equal three.” It could also be discarded within the
If the color of the card does not match the color of the slot, you cannot
“Limit of four” rule.
claim the card. It goes to the discard pile. EMBASSY AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS

ąąPERMANENT EFFECTS
karty-S-karty-rbx-v9-ENG-print.indd 51 23.08.2018 22:19:52
ACTION SLOTS AND CARD EFFECTS
Cards marked with this symbol have a permanent effect.
ąą PRODUCTION CARDS On your turn, you choose an action by placing one of your action tiles on an BIOMECH CONSTRUCTION CREW
You gain the card’s benefit if you claim it, as described above. Cards with this symbol are production cards. Your claimed action slot. Slots that have already been chosen this round are occupied and
Permanent effects take various forms. Some permanent ef- production cards take effect during the Production phase, cannot be chosen again. Slots that have not yet been chosen are available.
When you choose an action slot that
fects trigger whenever a certain event happens. Others might which happens three times during the game. Some produce You can organize yourgain claimed
1 steelplast. cards by type. The icons on top allow
The two sides of the main board have different action slots. One side is de- does not match your card,

give you a discount in certain situations. Some offer a special resources directly. Others may modify your production based This effect does not apply when you
you to lay them out compactly, as shown.
signed for a two -player game. The other side is designed for three or four. choose the always-available slot.
ability that you can use every turn. on what is connected to your network. 57

A key for action slots of each board can be found on page [20].
14

It is legal to use the permanent effect even on the turn in which you claim When you place your tile on an action slot, you must also play a card from During Production, one of your connected

the card. ąą END-SCORING CARDS your hand. The action slots and the cards come in three colors. If the color
Whenever you advance
to the third space of the Federation track, laboratories may produce 1 steelplast and

Cards with this symbol are end-scoring cards. Your claimed of your card matches the color of the action slot, you may resolve the card’s LIMITED AND UNLIMITED COMPONENTS
gain 1 additional
karty-1-faze-rbx-ENG-v11-print.indd
35
27 credit. 23.08.2018 21:55:44
36
1 kelp instead of 1 science.
karty-1-faze-rbx-ENG-v11-print.indd 113 (An upgraded23.08.2018
still produces 1 additional steelplast.)
lab 21:56:08

ąąACTION CARDS end-scoring cards can give you points at the end of the game.
Some give you points based on some aspect of the network
effect before or after you perform the slot’s action. If the colors do not
match, you ignore the card and only perform the slot’s action.  Whenever
Credits, kelp, steelplast, science, and biomatter tokens are
Cards with this symbol are action cards. Your claimed action you have built. Others may allow you to convert certain re- not intended
you build a connected city‘s
to
It is legal to use only part of an action or card effect. For example, if an second 69 be
desalination
karty-1-faze-rbx-ENG-v11-print.indd plant,limited.
gain 1 credit. If the
23.08.2018 supply runs low, you
21:55:56 can use higher
cards offer additional actions your underwater nation can sources to points.
karty-1-faze-rbx-ENG-v11-print.indd 71 23.08.2018 21:55:57

action slot allows you to build a city and a tunnel, you can choose to build denominations and the multiplier tiles to represent the amount of
58

perform. To use an action card, you must use an action slot or

a card effect that allows you to do so. only the tunnel, if you wish. resources you have. You can make change freely at any time.
Details of particular card effects can be found on page [19]. However, you are not allowed to choose an action slot without using at
 Building115tokens are 23.08.2018
least part of its effect. For example, if you do not have enough resources to karty-1-faze-rbx-ENG-v11-print.indd not intended
21:56:08 to be limited. If you run out of
EXAMPLE: build 1 tunnel, you cannot choose the action slot that allows you to build a particular type, you can usually substitute a different colored token.
If you choose this action slot, you ąąSPECIAL CARDS 2 tunnels. For example, if players have lots of upgraded farms, the supply might
may use one of your action cards Card effects are always optional, so it is legal to play a matching card and run out of green tokens. You can get more in the supply by replacing
The cards you draw from the regular deck are unknown to you until you
and gain 1 steelplast. not use its effect at all.
draw them. But some cards start the game face up for all to see. These are the bottom tokens of some upgraded farms with a color you have
called Special cards. In this section we will illustrate core gameplay concepts with action slots, lots of. The green token on top is sufficient to remind you that it is an
Special cards cannot be drawn in the usual way. The only way but these rules also apply to many of the card effects as well. upgraded farm.
EXAMPLE: to get one is to use the action slot marked like this.
If you play this instant-effect card This action is explained on page [20]. ąąRESOURCES  Tunnels and nonsymbiotic cities are limited. The supply
DEMONSTRATION
on a green slot, you may use one of starts with 47 tunnels. When they are gone, no one can build tunnels
your action cards before or after The Special card remains in your hand. It can be played just Underwater Cities has many resources that players can gain or spend.
like any other card. If it does not match your chosen action The gaining of a resource is represented by a simple icon: anymore. Similarly the game has only 17 nonsymbiotic city domes, and
performing the slot’s action.
slot, then it is discarded and returned to the bottom of the Special card no more than this may be built.
deck with no effect. If it matches, then it has an effect only if you pay the Gain 1 credit. That is, take a
It is legal to use an action card even on the turn in which you claimed it. cost depicted near the upper left Gain 1-credit token from the supply  Symbiotic cities are limited. The limit depends on the number
Each action card is limited to one use per era. After use, rotate it corner. 1 steelplast. and keep it near your player of players:
90 degrees to the right to show that it has been used and is no longer board. zz In a two-player game, use 7 symbiotic city domes.
available. At the end of the era, after Production, all action cards are
Gain 1 card. That is, draw a zz In a three-player game, use 10.
restored to the usual orientation to show that they will be available
again in the new era. FEDERAL PRIORITY Gain card from the current era’s zz In a four-player game, use all 13.
Note: There are a few instant-effect cards which allow you to make 1 kelp. deck. Do not take any of the
Special cards from the board.  The era deck is not limited. If it runs out of cards, shuffle
an used action card available again. This can allow you to use an its discard pile to make a new deck.
action card more than once in the same era. EXAMPLE:
Gain 1 point. Advance your
You may use one of your action cards.
The player must pay 3 credits Gain  You should not run out of one- or two-credit Special
ąą LIMIT OF FOUR 1 science.
point marker one space on the
cards. Whenever these are “discarded” they return immedi-
to play this card if she wants its scoring track.
You are limited to 4 action cards (and your Personal Assis-
69

special benefit. ately to the bottom of the deck.

tant [see on the top] counts as one of the 4). If you already
have 4, then you must discard one before you claim a new  Three-credit Special cards are limited. Only six are
action card. The discarded card can be one that has been Gain 1 biomatter.
-2-faze-rbx-v7-ENG-print.indd 5 23.08.2018 21:56:11 available in the game.
used this round or one that is still available.
8 183
9
ąąCITIES ąąBUILDINGS EXAMPLE:
Cities provide the habitat for the people of your underwater nation. At the Buildings are special facilities that help to make your underwater nation The cities, buildings, and tunnels on this
end of the game, every city connected to your network will be worth points. self-sufficient. You can build 3 types of them: player board have all been built legally.
There are 2 types of cities. Possible sites for the next new city are
Build a city: highlighted in green. If the player were to
build a city in the upper left corner, then
the remaining two city sites would
zz Build a farm. This costs 1 kelp. immediately become legal to build on.
zz Build a desalination plant. This costs 1 credit. The city site in the lower left
Pay 2 steelplast, 1 kelp and 1 credit for a nonsymbiotic city (white dome); zz Build a laboratory. This costs 1 steelplast. corner is a legal site for a new city.
When you build a building, pay the cost (which is depicted on your player Therefore, its empty building sites
info card) and take a token of the corresponding color from the supply. are legal sites for new buildings.
Place the building token on an empty building site. The site you choose for The player has already built a
or pay 1 steelpast, 1 kelp, 1 biomatter and 2 credits for a symbiotic city your new building must be adjacent to an existing city or adjacent to [laboratory] on one of these
(purple dome). a site on which you could build a new city. building sites.
When you build a city, pay the usual cost and take the corresponding dome The different buildings produce different things during Production. They
from the supply. Place the dome on an empty city site on your player board. will produce more if they are upgraded (upgrades are explained on page
The site you choose for your new city must be adjacent to an existing city. [12]). Also, certain cards may have a conditional effect that only applies if
In other words, the new city must have a tunnel site that could connect it to you have certain buildings. Buildings have none of these beneficial effects
an existing city. It is legal to build new cities before building the connecting until they are connected to your network. To connect them, you will need to
tunnels. build tunnels and cities. See YOUR NETWORK on the opposite page.
Symbiotic cities are a little more expensive (biomatter is difficult to get) EXAMPLE:
but they can produce points during Production. Nonsymbiotic cities are ąąTUNNELS Legal sites for a new tunnel are high-
a little easier to build (if you have the steelplast) but they do not produce Tunnels connect your cities to your underwater network. lighted in green. Note that all three
points. Both kinds of cities can give you points at the end of the game, and existing tunnels are connected to
Build a tunnel. This
both require kelp to feed them at the end of Production. Whenever a rule or the starting city, as required.
costs 1 steelplast and
effect applies to a city, that means “a symbiotic or nonsymbiotic city.”
1 credit.
When you build a tunnel, pay the cost and take a tunnel tile from the sup-
ply. Place it on a tunnel site with the non-upgraded side up. The tunnel in
EXPANSION SITES the illustration above is non-upgraded.
Each city has an additonal building The site you choose for your new tunnel must be connected to your
site that is generally off limits. You starting city. Tunnels are connected if you can trace a path along the
can build on this site only if you play tunnels back to your starting city. The path can go through cities or through ąąYOUR NETWORK zz A city is connected to your network if there is a chain of tunnels from
it to your starting city. Because all your tunnels are connected, any city
a card with an effect that specifically empty city sites, but not through empty tunnel sites.
We have seen that tunnels must be connected to your starting city, but with a tunnel leading to it is connected and a city with no tunnels is not
allows you to build on an expansion
buildings and cities do not have to be. This gives you freedom in how you connected.
site (and only if it is adjacent to an
existing city or a site on which it is choose to expand. However, you eventually want everything on your board zz A building adjacent to a connected city is connected to your network.
legal to build a new city). to be connected to your network.
Your network is all the structures and cities and empty city sites that are
connected to your starting city:

Buildings and cities that are not connected do not produce during
zz By definition, your starting city is always connected to your network.
Production. They do not consume kelp at the end of Production. They do
COSTS zz All your tunnels are automatically connected to your network because not count during final scoring.
The usual cost for building a city, building, or tunnel is depicted on your building a tunnel that is disconnected is not legal.
player info card. This is the cost you pay when you build something by
choosing an action slot. STEP-BY-STEP EXPANSION
Certain card effects also allow you to build things. If the card does not EXAMPLE:
You build your tunnels, buildings, and cities one-at-a-time. For exam-
specify a cost, you pay the usual cost. However, if the card specifies ple, if you choose this action slot, you first build one tunnel on a legal The city in the middle and its building
a cost, you pay that cost instead of the usual cost. tunnel site and this could open up one or more new legal sites for the are not connected because there is
second tunnel. no tunnel leading to the city. The
building in the lower left corner is not
connected because it has no city.
Everything else is connected and
thus part of the network.

 Biomatter is a remarkable substance, somewhat more rare than the other resourc-
es. In addition to being essential for building symbiotic cities, biomatter can also be
a universal building material. Only when building a tunnel, building, or city, any part

= of the cost that requires kelp or steelplast can be paid with biomatter instead.
EXAMPLE:
A nonsymbiotic city normally costs 2 steelplast, 1 kelp, and 1 credit. But you could
10 build it with 1 steelplast, 2 biomatter, and 1 credit. 11
ąąUPGRADING STRUCTURES When an action slot or card effect allows you to advance 1 space on this The always-available slot allows you to
TIMING
track, move your marker 1 space ahead. If there is a bonus depicted beside gain 2 cards and 2 credits.
Buildings and tunnels are called structures in this game. Structures are
that space, immediately gain the depicted resource. If you move ahead Note: Some Special card effects allow
different from cities in that structures can be upgraded. There is a card Some effects have multiple parts. The parts of an effect can be resolved in
more than 1 space, gain the bonus of each of those spaces. you to use the action depicted at an action
that will let you turn a nonsymbiotic city into a symbiotic city, but this is an any order.
exception. If your marker ends up on an occupied space, place it atop the other mark- slot. These effects apply only to the colored
ers which are already there (being atop other markers means you will play slots, not to the always-available slot.
To upgrade, you need a card or action slot with a depiction like this: This action allows you:
ahead of them in the next round).
1. Use one of your action cards
Even when you have advanced as far as possible, you can still gain benefits 2. Build a structure for its usual price
from “advancing” more. If you advance when you are already on space 1, put 3. Pay 1 science to upgrade just built
Upgrade 1 structure. Pay 1 science. your marker atop any others on space 1 and score 1 point for each space you structure
were supposed to advance.
Whether upgrading a tunnel, a farm, a desalination plant, or a laboratory, ąąTHE ACTION-CLONING TILE (4 PLAYERS) We have already mentioned this action and it means, that you may build
the usual cost is 1 science. However, the card effects offer you special cost In a four-player game, the any structure for its usual price and then to upgrade it immediately by
opportunities. important action slots become paying 1 science. In addition you can use one of your action cards. Accord-
occupied quite quickly. The ing to the order of playing individual parts of this action, you can first use an
action-cloning tile (which is action card which gives you for example 1 credit and then you can pay this
available only in a four-player credit and 1 science to build and immediately upgrade desalination plant.
Use 1 of your action cards. Pay game) gives players a second
the usual cost to build a struc- 4
Be careful!! You must resolve all card effects and then all actions from


chance at one of these slots.
ture. Pay 1 science to upgrade the an action slot or vice versa. Resolving these 2 sets of actions simultane-
structure you just built. ously is not allowed.
[3-4 players] On your turn, instead of choosing an available action slot, you may do the EXAMPLE:
following:
1. Pay 1 credit.
2. Take the action-cloning tile.
3. Choose an action slot occupied by another player.
Gain 2 science; or upgrade 1, 2, BUILD FARM OR DESALINATION PLANT BIOMECH CONSTRUCTION CREW

or 3 structures, paying 1 science

Your action tile goes on the slot you chose, on top of the other player’s tile.
for each upgrade. You also play a card, as usual, and you gain the benefits of the card if its
The structures do not all have to color matches the chosen slot. Note that you cannot choose a slot that is
be the same type. EXAMPLE: already occupied by your tile.
[1 – 4 players] Orange takes an action allowing her to advance 2 spaces. She moves ahead Note on card effects: In a four-player game, “any slot occupied by another
only 1 space, because that is the end of the track. However, she scores player” actually means “any occupied slot not occupied by you”. The idea is
2 points: 1 for moving onto that space and 1 for “advancing” off the track. that if you have already placed a tile on that slot, a card that allows you to
Her marker is placed atop any other markers that are already on space 1. use “any slot occupied by another player” will not allow you to use that slot
again. So a slot occupied by you and another player does not count as a “slot

Gain 2 cards. Upgrade 1 structure

ąąDRAWING SPECIAL CARDS occupied by another player”.
Build a farm or a desalination plant Whenever you build a connected city‘s
by paying 1 science or gain 1 kelp.
This symbol indicates that the action slot allows you to take a
ąą ONE-TIME USE for the usual cost. Gain 1 card. second laboratory, gain 1 credit.
[2 players]
Special card. Many Special cards are available face up in the Once the action-cloning tile is used, it cannot be used again for the rest 34 34 37 37

center of the game board. of the round. The player who used the tile keeps it as a reminder that this
option is no longer available. The tile is returned to its place on the main
board at the end of the round. Suppose, that you have card with permanent effect no. 37 and action
karty-1-faze-rbx-ENG-v11-print.indd 67
When you take a Special card, you either: card no. 34 and you decide to23.08.2018
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play a21:55:56
card to the red action 73 23.08.2018 21:55:58
slot described
When you upgrade a building, take the corresponding above. In your supply you´ve got 1 steelplast and 1 science. You don´t have
zz Take one of the three-credit Special cards (it is not replaced).
token from the supply and stack it atop the structure you
zz Or take the top card from the deck (the one-or-two-credit deck) and ąąSUMMARY OF CHOOSING AN ACTION SLOT any credits, but you would like to build a desalination plant. Here is the
are upgrading. To upgrade a tunnel, flip the tile over to the 1. Place one of your action tiles on an unoccupied action slot or on the
turn the next card face up. description of how to do this with the resources and cards you have. First
upgraded side. always-available slot.
zz Or turn the top card face down, move it to the bottom of the deck, and of all, pay 1 steelplast and build a laboratory. You have built your laboratory
An upgraded tunnel still counts as a draw the next 3 cards. Choose one of these 3 to keep and return the 2. Play a card from your hand. to a connected city and it is the second one, so because you claimed card
tunnel, an upgraded farm still counts as a other 2 to the bottom of the deck in either order. Then turn up the new 3. If the color of the card does not match the color of the slot, perform no. 37 before you gain 1 credit immediately. Then you have to pay 1 science
farm, etc. It is not possible to upgrade any top card. the action and discard the card with no effect. The always-available and upgrade the laboratory you´ve just built (the whole action has to be
structure that is already upgraded. zz Once a Special card is in your hand, it is mostly like any other card. The slot has no color and cannot be matched. performed i.e. “build and upgrade” not just “build” or just “upgrade”). Now
Upgraded structures produce more during Production, and certain cards differences are discussed on page [8]. 4. If the color of the card matches, then you choose one of these: you can resolve the other part of the action slot that allows you to use one
may provide benefits for having upgraded structures. a. Either perform the action, and then resolve the card’s effect. of your action cards . You will pay 1 credit, which you´ve gained to build a
b. Or resolve the card’s effect first, and then perform the action.
ąąUSING ACTION CARDS desalination plant. And then you draw a card.

ąą THE FEDERATION TRACK Action cards are a certain type of card you claim and keep near your player
board. They have actions which can be used during the game, but only when PLAYER PERFORMS ACTION
We have explained how to build your underwater nation, but you also
you use an action slot or a card effect with this symbol: IN UPPER PART OF ACTION SLOT.
need to build a good reputation with the world government! You do that
by choosing actions or playing cards with this symbol:
You may use 1 of your action cards.
The rules for using action cards are on page [8].
Advance 1 space on the Federation track.
PLACING OF THE ACTION TILE.
THIS ACTION SLOT IS OCCUPIED.
Before the first round, players’ markers are placed on
separate spaces of the Federation track in reverse play ąąTHE ALWAYS-AVAILABLE SLOT
order, as explained on page [6]. At the beginning of subse- One action slot is always available, even if another player has already cho-
quent rounds, the markers begin below space 4, as sen it this round. It has no color, so when you choose it you ignore the effect
12 explained on page [15]. of the card you play. 13
In this case there are two limitations with regard to resolving effects: The metropolis tiles offer various benefits that apply only if the metrop- happens 3 rounds after that, just before final scoring. In all, you will play
1. If a new effect triggers, resolve it immediately, even if you haven’t fin- BONUSES FROM BUILDING olis is connected. Your brown metropolis can give you points during final 10 rounds and have 3 Production phases. Each Production phase marks the
ished the effect which triggered it (as with card no. 37 above). scoring. The blue ones either have an instant effect or an instant effect and end of an era.
2. You have to resolve a card effect and the action of the chosen action Your player board depicts certain bonuses you may gain from building. a production effect.
slot separately and completely before resolving the other. Every board offers different bonuses. When you build a structure or a city ąąYOUR NETWORK’S PRODUCTION
on a site marked with a resource, you gain the resource.
END OF TURN All players can handle their Production simultaneously. Every tunnel
adjacent to a city and every building in your network will produce some-
At the end of your turn you always draw 1 card. This is in addition to any thing. Upgraded structures will produce more. Symbiotic cities will produce
Building on a site marked with this cards you may have acquired during your turn. Because you played only 2 points!
symbols allows you to advance 1 space 1 card, you now have at least 3. Nonsymbiotic cities have no production of their own, but they are still
on the Federation track and draw one If you have more than 3 cards, you must discard down to 3. However, useful because they connect buildings to your network.
card from current Era deck. you can think about this decision while others are playing. Officially, this You also gain a slight production bonus when you have 2 upgraded build-
decision is made at the beginning of your next turn. In practice, it is okay to ings of the same type at the same city.
discard as soon as you have made up your mind.
The production of your network is depicted on your player info card.

END OF THE ROUND

You gain the bonus even if the city or building you build on that site is not
EXAMPLE:
yet connected to your network. These bonuses are triggered effects, which During the course of one round, each player will get three chances to play
are resolved immediately, even in the middle of an action: Each farm next to a connected city pro-
a card while choosing an action slot. The action slots will fill up with action
duces 1 kelp.
EXAMPLE: tiles. At the end of the round, everything needs to be reset.
Suppose you can legally build on the site 1. Return all action tiles to their owners.
28 19
shown here. You choose the action that 4 players: In a four-player game, the player who took the action-clon-
allows you to build 2 tunnels. You pay ing tile should return it to the middle of the table at this time.
1 steelplast and 1 credit to build on this site and immediately gain 1 steelplast. 2. Reorder the play-order markers according to the order of the markers
EXAMPLE: You may use this steelplast (and 1 more credit) to build your second tunnel. on the Federation track. The player farthest ahead on the Federa-
tion track will go first next round. The next player will go next, etc. If EXAMPLE:
Kate chooses this red action and plays this red card no. 28. She also has this
markers are in a stack, each marker is ahead of any markers below it.
action card no. 19, which she claimed on an earlier turn. ąąMETROPOLISES Among markers below space 4, relative play order does not change.
If this farm next to connected city is
upgraded, it also produces 1 point.
Suppose she has 1 steelplast, 1 credit, 1 science, no kelp, and no upgraded You also gain benefits from expanding your network out to connect with 3. Once you have determined the next round’s play order, place all Federa-
tunnels. She is on space 4 of the Federation track. coastal metropolises. tion track markers on the colored spaces below space 4.
The Seafood Collection effect is of no use to her until she has an upgraded To connect this metropolis, you need to build a tunnel on the adjacent 4. Advance the era marker. If this is the end of the era, there will be a
tunnel, so she decides to resolve the action slot first. The action slot allows tunnel site. Production phase before the next round.
her to build and upgrade a tunnel. She pays 1 steelplast and 1 credit to build EXAMPLE:
Note: Be sure to determine the new play order even if this is the end of the
it and 1 science to upgrade it. She can’t use Seafood Collection now because final round. This final order is the tie-breaking order. If you have at least 2 upgraded
she has not completely resolved the action slot’s effect. farms at the same connected city,
The other part of the action slot’s effect allows her to use her Build A Struc- they will also produce 1 additional
ture card. Kate has no resources for building, but she can use the second kelp and 1 additional point.
part of the effect first. Kate advances 1 space on the Federation track. She
immediately gains 1 credit (effects on the Federation track are also triggered ąą THINGS THAT DO NOT PRODUCE
effects which must be resolved immediately). Now she can spend that credit zz A city will not produce if it is not connected to your network.
to build a desalination plant, using the first part of the action card’s effect. zz A building will not produce if it is not adjacent to a connected city.
Both parts have been resolved, so the action card is resolved. And thus, the zz A tunnel will not produce if it is not adjacent to a city (a tunnel
To connect this metropolis, you need to build tunnels on both adjacent


entire action slot has now been resolved.
tunnel sites. connecting a metropolis with a Production effect will allow the
Now, and only now, can she use Seafood Collection. She has an upgraded metropolis to produce, but the metropolis does not help the tunnel
tunnel, so she gains 1 kelp.
produce).
There was no way for her to use this kelp to build a farm instead of a desali-
Think of it like this: The connected cities are the places where people can
nation plant. The action slot and all its triggered effects had to be resolved
live. It is the people who are doing the productive work. So a disconnected
completely before she could use her card.
city will not produce because no one lives there – they can’t move in until
Of course it would have been legal to use the Seafood Collection card before you complete a tunnel to it. Similarly, a building next to an empty city site or
considering the action slot. In Kate’s situation, it would have been useless, a building next to a disconnected city does not have anyone there to run the
but if she had already built an upgraded tunnel on an earlier turn, she could operation. And tunnels that are not attached to any of your cities do not see
have gained the kelp before resolving the action slot. enough traffic to produce.
EXAMPLE:
It is the end of round 2. Black and Blue did not advance on the Federation ąąPRODUCTION FROM CARDS AND
track, so they will go last in round 3. Their relative order does not change, so
Black will play ahead of Blue. On space 2, the tiebreaker is the order of the METROPOLISES
stack. Because Orange is on top, Orange will go first. If you have claimed any production cards, or if
you have connected your network to any
metropolises with a production effect, you apply
PRODUCTION their effects at this time. When evaluating a
production effect that depends on your cities
TIMING OVERVIEW or buildings, you always ignore cities and
buildings that are not attached to your network.
The era marker moves one space on the era track at the
Some production cards have no production of their own.
end of each round. After 4 rounds, it will move onto a
Instead, they can modify the production of your tunnels, build-
Production space, reminding you that it is time for your ings, and cities. Such cards are evaluated when your network
first Production phase. The second Production phase produces, and they do not apply to tunnels, buildings, and
14 happens 3 rounds later. The final Production phase 15
cities that do not produce.
 The two farms produce 2 kelp. FINAL SCORING
ΠThe upgraded farm also produces 1 point.
The two desalination plants produce ąąFINAL-SCORING TILE ąąSCORING YOUR NETWORK
’  2 credits. Neither has been upgraded, Your points are based on the number of different buildings next to each
so they produce no biomatter.
connected city:
 Two upgraded laboratories at the same city
The metropolis in the upper left corner of your
zz 2 points for a connected city with no buildings.
Œ Ž produce 3 steelplast and 2 science.
player board will give you points if you have
connected it to your network with both tunnels. zz 3 points for a connected city with 1 type of building.
” Three tunnels are adjacent to cities, so zz 4 points for a connected city with 2 types of buildings.
 “ they produce 3 credits. One is upgraded, zz 6 points for a connected city with all 3 types of buildings.
so it also produces 1 point. The fourth
‘  tunnel is not adjacent to a city. It produces
 nothing, but it does connect the metropo- ąąEND-SCORING CARDS ąąSCORING YOUR RESOURCES
lis to the network. Cards marked with this symbol can give you points at the Now, many of your remaining resources can be converted to points:
 The symbiotic city is connected to the end of the game. Some cards reward you for certain 1. First, sell all your biomatter for 2 credits each.
 network, so it produces 2 points. accomplishments. Others let you spend resources to buy
Πpoints. You should spend as much as you can Рthere is
2. Then buy 1 point for every 4 credits, kelp, science, or steelplast you
‘ The production card produces 1 credit. nothing else you can buy, and buying points via a card is
spend, in any combination. (For example, 3 kelp and 1 steelplast is
 One metropolis is connected to the net-
TRADE SURPLUS
always more efficient than keeping the resources and 1 point; 1 science, 2 steelplast, and 1 credit is 1 point; etc.)

“ ’ work. It produces 2 points. converting them into points after everything else has been Leftover resources do not count. Convert all that you can, and ignore the
scored. remainder.
After counting up production, the player
Ž must feed all cities connected to the
“ network. Only two are connected, so the E
 player pays 2 kelp. C
The unconnected city is ignored during
Production. Because no one lives there, its
” laboratory does not produce anything and
ąąEND OF THE ERA it requires no kelp. D
A
After everyone has resolved all production from all sources, it is time to 185 B
resolve the end of the era with the following steps:
1. Rotate your action cards to the usual orientation to show they can be
used in the next era (this step is unnecessary at the end of the final
ąąFEEDING CITIES karty-S-karty-rbx-v9-ENG-print.indd 9 23.08.2018 22:19:35
A
era).
2. Feed your cities (explained on the right).
3. Remove the old era’s deck and discard pile from the game. Players keep
any cards from that era that they currently have, but no more new
ones will be drawn.
4. Shuffle the next era’s deck and place it on the game board. This is the
new draw pile. Each player draws 3 cards from the new era, adding
them to any cards already in hand. From this hand of 6 or more cards, FINAL-SCORING EXAMPLE:
choose 3 to keep and discard the rest. (Discarded cards from the At the end of Production, each city in your network must be fed 1 kelp (sym- 1. Because the brown metropolis is connected to the network by 2 tunnels, it can give points. Looking at the players‘ upgraded structures, we see 2 connect-
new era go to the discard pile. Discarded cards from the previous era biotic cities have the same requirements as nonsymbiotic cities). Return ed farms, 3 connected desalination plants, 3 connected laboratories, and 3 tunnels adjacent to cities. This counts as 2 full sets of qualifying upgraded
should be returned to that era’s deck.) Skip this step at the end of the this kelp to the general supply. If you have more cities than you have kelp, structures, so the metropolis gives 8 points.
final era. you spend all your kelp to feed those you can and then feed the remaining 2. The player has 2 end-scoring cards that allow her to buy points. She spends 6 science to buy 9 points. She spends two pairs of kelp and steelplast to buy
5. Advance the era marker. cities according to this chart: 2 points. This is 11 total points from end-scoring cards.
Once everyone has discarded down to 3 cards, you are ready to play the 3. Now she counts points for cities and their structures. She scores 6 points for each city with 1 building of each type.
For each unfed city, pay 1 biomatter. If any cities are still unfed, you feed
next era with the new deck; or if you have completed the third era, you are them by paying points – 3 points per city at the end of each Production. If A She has 2 of these, so that‘s 12 points. B Her city with two types of buildings is worth 4 points. C Her city with one type of building is worth
ready for final scoring. you lose all your points and still have unfed cities, just leave your scoring 3 points. D And her city with no buildings is still worth 2 points because it is connected. Her unconnected city E is ignored. No one lives there, so
marker at 0, but it would be extremely unlikely to lose this many points it cannot give her points. In total, her cities give her 21 points.
unless you are deliberately trying to do so. 4. Her leftover resources can be converted to credits, or she can do this in her head. She has 16 credits, plus 2 more for steelplast, plus 1 more for science,
plus 6 more for biomatter because those count as 2 credits each. Total credits is 25, which converts to 6 points. 1 credit is left over, but it will be ignored.
Only cities in your network require food. Cities that are not connected do If a tiebreaker is necessary, it is determined by what her position was on the Federation track at the end of the final round.
not count as cities because they do not have people in them yet.

ąąFINAL SCORING WINNING THE GAME

UNDERSEA SERVER FARM
Your underwater nation will score points throughout the course of the Whoever has the most points wins. If there is a tie, break the tie according to the tie-breaking play order that was determined at the end of
game, sometimes as the effect of certain cards, and sometimes during the final round (politics pays).
HAND LIMIT SUMMARY: Production. At the end of the game, you may score points for a metropolis But regardless of who has the most points, take the time to appreciate the extensive network of underwater cities you have built.
You must discard down to 3 cards at the beginning of your you have connected to or for specific cards you have claimed. And finally, Because of your efforts, millions of people now have food, water, and shelter. Great work!
turn and at the beginning of each era. At any other time, it you will score points for the overall composition of your network and for
is okay to have more than 3. your resources.
If a card increases your hand limit by one, then you must The order of final scoring is depicted on your final scoring card. Author: Vladimír Suchý Testers: Vojta, Karolína, Katka, Vodka, Manu § Michele, Miloš Procházka, Vlaada, Zdenka, Marcela, Kretén, Jana Z., Vítek,
discard down to 4 cards at the beginning of your turn and Illustration: Milan Vavroň Pogo, Jarda Kovařík, Lama, Kendy, Jindra, Láďa Smejkal, Klub deskových her LEGIE, Dan Frejek, Robert, Richard, Medvěd,
at the beginning of each era. It is still possible that you
will start one or more turns with only 3 cards, because
this effect only alters the way you discard, not the
 Graphic design: Radek Boxan
Production: Kateřina Suchá
Kew, Jirka Bauma, Petr Holub, Fanda Horálek, Rumun a Monika; players from gaming nights in Podmitrov, Beskydských
zimních hrátek, Trachtace, Klub DoUPě Olomouc, Gamecon, Warcon (Youda, Pítrs, Ella, Elnie, Tomík, Zachi, Fuchso).
Thanks to: Derek S., Robert R., Diogo S., Leonard M., Angrod V., Mike P., Jiřina
16 way you draw. Rules: Jason Holt Special thanks: Marco Ferrari, Petr Čáslava, Opčík, Filip Murmak. 17
 When you build a city on this site, you must pay
FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED RULES a surcharge of 3 steelplast and 3 credits. A con- NOTES ON CARD EFFECTS
nected symbiotic city on this site produces 6 points
Players sometimes overlook the following details: during Production (instead of 2). A nonsymbiotic Your cards affect your own board during your own turn. Your production cards apply only to your own production. There is nothing that can affect another
zz The number of symbiotic city domes available in the game depends on city does not produce points by itself and yields no player’s board. None of your cards’ effects apply during another player’s turn.
the number of players – two players, 7 domes; three players, 10 domes; bonus on this site. The production bonus does not
zz ANY AVAILABLE SLOT: This includes the always-available slot. zz IF YOU ARE ON THE THIRD SPACE OF THE FEDERATION TRACK:
four players, 13 domes. apply to any buildings or tunnels.
zz You play in the order shown on the player-order track. This usually This applies if your marker is on the space with the 3. This does not
zz ANY SLOT OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER PLAYER: This is any occupied
means you are not playing in clockwise order. When you build a tunnel on this site, you must pay
apply if your marker is on any other space.
slot, except those occupied by your action tiles. This does not
zz If you claim an action card and you already have 4 action cards, then a surcharge of 1 credit. A tunnel on this site produces include the always-available slot, because it is never considered zz MAY: A card’s effect is always optional. On certain cards, such as
you must discard one of the old ones. If you discard an available action three times during Production if it is adjacent to
to be occupied. In a four-player game, a slot occupied by you and those that require payment for an instant effect, we use the word
card in this situation, you may use its action immediately. a connected city. This means that a non-upgraded tunnel
zz When you build a structure or city, you can use biomatter as a replace- would produce 3 credits and an upgraded tunnel would another player does not count as a slot occupied by another player “may” to remind you of this rule, but the effect is optional even
ment for kelp and steelplast. produce 3 credits and 3 points. (because it is occupied by you). when the word is not used.
zz Special cards do not have a discard pile. One-or two-credit Special
zz AT THE END OF THE GAME, GAIN 1 POINT FOR EVERY 3 CONNECTED zz ONCE PER TURN: This always refers to your turn. There are no
cards return to the bottom of the deck if they are discarded. Discarded
three-credit Special cards simply leave the game.
This production bonus applies only if you have built both FARMS YOU HAVE: As above, count up all your connected farms, cards that refer to other players’ turns or other players’ boards.
tunnels. And, as usual, it applies only if the tunnels are divide by three, and round down. That´s how many points you gain.
zz When you pay to play a Special card with an instant effect, it does not zz PAY: Many cards allow you to pay a cost to get a benefit. As you
adjacent to a connected city. In that case, you gain an extra
return to its deck. Instead, you keep it under your player board. 2 credits when the tunnels produce during Production. This zz BUILD: Anything you build must be built on a legal site. would expect, if you can’t pay the cost, you do not get the benefit
zz During Production, tunnels produce only if they are adjacent to a city. extra production does not depend on whether the tunnels (however, you may play the card with no effect). If not otherwise
are upgraded. zz BUILDING: A building is a farm, desalination plant, or laboratory.
specified, you pay the cost and gain the benefit only once. Cards
VARIANTS Tunnels and cities are not buildings.
that allow you to pay more to gain more will say so.
zz CITY: If it is not otherwise specified, this refers to nonsymbiotic
ąą1) GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS When you build a tunnel on this site, you must pay
a surcharge of 1 credit and 1 steelplast. During cities and symbiotic cities.
zz PERFORM THE ACTION IN A SLOT: This allows you to perform
a second action. You do not play an action tile on this second slot
Production, the connected metropolis produces
Use these cards to give your game intermediate
an additional 2 points. This bonus does not depend
zz CONNECTED: This always means “connected to your network”. For and you do not play a second card.
goals that players can compete for. Shuffle the deck on the tunnel‘s production. example, “If you have at least 3 connected desalination plants ...”
of contract cards and draw 3 at random. Place them zz SPECIFIED COST: Some cards specify how much you pay to build
means that the effect will trigger only if the desalination plants are
on the spaces of the main board at the beginning of a structure or city. In this case, you do not pay the usual cost; you
in your network. Your network is explained on page [11].
the game. Return the remaining cards to the box. When you build a city on this site, you must pay a pay the specified cost instead.
During play, any player may claim a government con- surcharge of 2 science and 2 credits. You immedi- zz DISCOUNT: If it is not otherwise stated, the discount is subtracted
from the usual cost. However, it is legal to apply several discounts zz STRUCTURE: A structure is a farm, desalination plant, laboratory,
tract as soon as he or she meets all its criteria. The player keeps the card ately gain 6 points, whether the city is connected
or not. and to combine them with a card that lets you pay a special cost. or tunnel. Cities are not structures.
and immediately gains its benefits. Claimed contracts are not replaced.
Discounts cannot take a cost below “free”. For example, if you zz USUAL COST: The usual cost is the cost printed on your player info
ąą2) THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLAYER BOARDS ąą3) SOLO GAME
have a discount of 2 credits on a tunnel that costs 1 credit and card. It is the cost you usually pay to build the structure or build the
1 steelplast, you treat it as a discount of 1 credit and simply pay city.
The other side of the player boards is for experienced players. The cities To play Underwater Cities by yourself, use the
have variable numbers of building sites. The black-and-red sites are places 1 steelplast.
advanced side of a player board and the two-player zz WHENEVER AN ACTION SLOT GIVES YOU AT LEAST 1 STEELPLAST,
where you must pay surcharges - extra resources to build. They can give side of the main board. The number of symbiotic zz DURING PRODUCTION, 1 BIOMATTER PRODUCED: If you have noth-
you immediate bonuses or increased production. If you decide to try this GAIN 1 POINT: If the slot allows you to choose between gaining
domes is not limited in this variant. Set up the game ing that produces biomatter during Production, this effect cannot
other side, everyone in the game should use it. steelplast and doing something else, you gain the point only if you
as you would for two players, except do not use this be applied.
metropolis tile (shown here). choose to gain the steelplast. The effect is not triggered by steelp-
ąą SURCHARGES Take three tiles in a non-player color and use them zz DURING PRODUCTION, YOU PRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL 1 KELP FOR last gained from other sources. For example, the action slot that
Some sites may have surcharges for building on them (these are not on to occupy the rightmost action slot (first slot, if you EVERY 3 CONNECTED LABORATORIES: Count up the total number allows you to advance 2 spaces on the Federation track cannot trig-
the side of the player board recommended for your first game). A sur- move around clockwise) of each color. Next time you of laboratories connected to your network. Divide by three. Round ger this effect, not even if the advancement gives you 1 steelplast.
charge is applied after any discounts or cost reductions you may have. can occupy second, third etc. action slot of each color. You are going “first”, down. That’s how much kelp you gain.
For example, if an effect allows you to build on a site for free, you still must so your marker should start below space 4 of the Federation track. You will zz WHENEVER YOU BUILD A CONNECTED CITY’S SECOND LABO-
pay the surcharge if you choose a site that has one. not need your player-order track marker. zz EXCHANGE: This is just like paying, except the effect can work RATORY: If it is not connected, the effect will not trigger. A third
either way. For example, you may pay 1 kelp to gain 1 steelplast or laboratory will not trigger this effect.
The surcharge applies only to building on the site – it does not also apply to
upgrading. ąą GAMEPLAY pay 1 steelplast to gain 1 kelp. You cannot exchange more than the zz WHENEVER YOU BUILD THE SECOND TUNNEL ON THE SAME TURN:
Play your round as usual. At the end of each round, you take back your specified amount. For example, a card that allows you to exchange This triggers on any turn on which you build at least two tunnels. It
ąą PRODUCTION MULTIPLIERS action tiles and move all non-player action tiles one space clockwise. 1 for 1 does not allow you to exchange 2 for 2. triggers immediately after you build the second tunnel, even if you
Production multipliers indicate that the usual level of If you did not advance on the Federation track, play your next round with are still in the middle of resolving an effect.
production is produced multiple times. More specifically,
zz EXPANSION SITE: Each city has a special building site that can
a fourth occupied slot determined by this way:
the two-times multiplier shown on the side means that the only be built on if you play a Survey card. Expansion sites follow the zz WHENEVER YOU COMPLETE A CONNECTED CITY’S SECOND
1. Flip over the top card of the current era’s deck. Add its digits together
structure produces the usual amount one extra time. For to get a number. usual rules – the chosen expansion site must be adjacent to a city UPGRADED FARM: The city must be connected. It must have
example, two upgraded desalination plants at a connected 2. Starting with the first green action slot (as “1”) count around clockwise or to a city site on which it is legal to build. at least two farms, but it may have more. It must already have
city will normally produce 3 credits and 2 biomatter. If one of them has this until you get to that number. Place the new action tile on that slot, exactly one upgraded farm. As soon as you upgrade
multiplier, it will produce an additional 1 credit and 1 biomatter, for a total of zz FARM, DESALINATION PLANT, LABORATORY, TUNNEL: Upgraded
if it is empty, otherwise, move the action tile clockwise to the first a second farm, the effect triggers immediately.
4 credits and 3 biomatter. structures still count as structures. For example, an upgraded farm
empty slot.
As you can see from the example, the multiplier counts as a farm.
The 3 non-player tiles of the same color always move one space clockwise. zz WHENEVER YOU USE THE DEPICTED ACTION SLOT: This
applies to the usual production of an upgrade, but The fourth tile is always placed randomly, and only if you did not advance on effect triggers when you choose the slot as your action for
zz FOR FREE: If a cost is free, the card will say so. Once a cost is free,
not to any additional production associated with the Federation track during the round. discounts have no further effect. the turn or when you are using the slot as the result
the site.
of a card effect. The triggered effect modifies the rules
Multipliers are not applicable outside the Produc- ąą GOAL zz GAIN THE PRODUCTION FROM 1 UPGRADED STRUCTURE ADJA- of the action slot for the duration of your turn.
tion phase. For example, if a Trial Run allows you to gain the production You win if you finish with at least 7 connected cities and at least CENT TO A CONNECTED CITY: Pick one upgraded structure at
from an upgraded desalination plant with this multiplier, you gain only 100 points. Track your score and try to beat your previous best. a connected city. On your player info card, look up what one of zz YOU MAY UPGRADE 1 OR 2 FARMS: For each, pay 1 cred-
1 credit and 1 biomatter. But during Production, it will produce those, by itself, produces. Gain those resources. This does not it or 1 science. To upgrade 2 farms, you could pay
18 2 credits and 2 biomatter. Note: It is not possible to play the solo game with the government con- 19
tracts. impact on its production during the Production phase. 2 credits, 2 science, or 1 credit and 1 science.
 KEY
ąąFOR 3 OR 4 PLAYERS

Gain 1 science, Build 2 tunnels. Use 1 of your action Build 1 city and Gain 2 science; or upgrade 1, 2, or 3 structures,
1 steelplast, and 1 kelp. cards. Draw 1 Special 1 building. paying 1 science for each upgrade.
card. The structures do not all have to be the same type.

Build 2 farms. Build 1 tunnel and 1 city. Gain 2 steelplast and Build 2 laboratories. Use 1 of your action cards. Pay the usual cost to build
1 kelp. a structure. Pay 1 science to upgrade the structure
you just built.

Advance 2 spaces on Build 2 desalination Either build 1 city; Use one of your action Either build 1 tunnel; or advance 1 space on the
the Federation track. plants. or gain 1 kelp. cards. Gain 1 steelplast. Federation track and gain 2 cards and 1 credit.

ąąFOR 1 OR 2 PLAYERS

Use one of your action Build 2 farms; or build Build 1 tunnel. Use one Draw 1 Special card. Build 1 city. Gain 2 cards. Upgrade
cards. Gain either 2 laboratories (you of your action cards. 1 structure by paying
2 resources (they can´t cannot build 1 farm and 1 science or gain 1 kelp.
be of the same type). 1 laboratory).

ąąMETROPOLISES SUMMARY
At the end of the game, score At the end of the game, score 4 points for each set of 4 different upgraded
3 points for each metropolis structures. Count only buildings that are connected and tunnels that are adjacent
connected to your network (this to a city. In other words, you count whatever you have least – upgraded tunnels
includes the brown and blue adjacent to a city, connected upgraded farms, connected upgraded laboratories,
metropolises you started with, or connected upgraded desalination plants – and multiply that by four.
as well as any metropolis tile you
may have gained during play). ąąSPECIAL CARDS SUMMARY
Instant effect. If you con-
At the end of the game, score nect to this metropolis,
points for tunnels connected to Player gains 2 points for
immediately gain 1 kelp. every upgraded lab.
cities: 5 points for eight tunnels,
7 points for nine, or 9 points for
ten or more (don‘t forget that Production effect. If this Player submits up to
upgraded tunnels also count as metropolis is connected, 14 steeplast. For every
gain 2 points during each steelplast he gains
tunnels).
Production phase. 1 point.
Player receives 3 points
At the end of the game, score
for every two of sub-
points based on the number
of connected cities you have: ąąICON SUMMARY mitted kelp. It could be
done max. 5 times.
4 points for five cities, 8 points Pay resources/
for six cities, or 12 points for Exchange Player submits directly
credits
seven or more. 15 credits. He gains
Gain / If you 13 points for it.
Metropolis
At the end of the game, score have, gain...
Player gains 2 points
2 points for each Special card you Build End of turn for every symbiotic city,
played and paid for. This includes he has built.
not only your claimed Special In one turn / In Any available/
Player receives

cards, but also those with instant the same turn unused slot
3 points for every two
effects. This does not include
Once per turn

Any used slot of upgraded farms.
any Special action cards that you
discarded. Example: Player has
20 Discount Or built 7 upgraded farms
- he receives 9 points.