Game Objective

Set in the 60s, the game places players in a Soviet race to explore the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, using the DP6 capsule. However, the mission faces grave problems: the crew descended too far and they are not alone.

Your goal is to keep your Scientists safe from the attacks of the Aberration and manage to place as many of them as possible inside the Escape Pod before it is launched.

Setup

1. Escape Pod: Place the Pod in the center of the table and set the counter to position 5.
2. Room Cards: Each player receives a set of 5 cards (one of each type: Flooded Room, Tool Room, Control Room, Aberration Room, and Cryogenics Room).
   • Remove the Aberration Room.
   • Shuffle the remaining 4 and place two face down in the first two positions of the room track.
   • Reshuffle the remaining cards along with the Aberration Room and place them face down in the three remaining positions of the track.
3. Doors: Place the doors randomly between the rooms and between the fifth room and the Escape Pod, all in the closed position.
4. Crew Members: Each player takes the Crew Members of their color and places 2 standing in front of their first room. The other 2 Crew Members and the Aberration remain outside the play area.
5. Tilt Markers: Each player takes 2 Tilt markers and places them next to their Crew Members in front of the first room.
6. Programming Markers: Place 2 Programming markers outside the play area; they will enter the game when the Control and Tool rooms are revealed.
7. First Player: Everyone rolls the die; the player with the highest result starts the game, proceeding clockwise.

Game Flow

The game occurs in a succession of turns. Each turn consists of two main stages:

1. Player Turn: The player must perform up to 3 actions with their Crew Members.
2. Aberration Turn: If the Aberration is already in play, it performs 2 actions.

Actions and How to Play

Crew Actions

The player can choose from the following actions (spending one action for each):

• Move: Move a Crew Member to an adjacent room.
  • If the room is unrevealed, it is flipped over and the Crew Member must enter it.
  • Movement is free between adjacent rooms if the doors are open.
  • Flooded Room: Holds only 1 Crew Member at a time and requires an extra Move action to cross.
  • Secret Passage: If the Control and Tool rooms are revealed, it is possible to Move from one to the other via air piping.
  • Escape Pod: Once inside the Escape Pod, the Crew Member becomes Inactive, cannot return to the room track, and their only possible action becomes Decode.
• Decode: Use of the die to open or close doors.
  • Changing the position of a door affects ALL doors of the same number for other players.
  • The result can be ignored, unless it is the last action of the turn or the result is 6.
  • Result 6: This is the code to progress the release of the Escape Pod. It can never be ignored.
• Interact: Used to collect markers available in a room or to wake up a Crew Member in the Cryogenics Room (placing them standing up so they become active).
• Activate: Used to utilize marker effects (spending one action per marker):
  • Tilt Markers: Allow the player to choose the die result during decoding (to open/close doors or advance the Escape Pod).
  • Programming Markers: Allow the player to add or subtract 1 from the die result.
  Note: The Activate action must be chosen after the Decode action. If Decode is the last action of the turn, the result cannot be altered.

Aberration Actions

The Aberration performs 2 actions from the following:

• Move: Moves to an adjacent room (if the door is open). The Aberration does not spend extra actions in the Flooded Room, but cannot use the piping between the Control and Tool rooms, nor enter the Escape Pod.
  • Movement Priorities: 1. Direction of a Crew Member in its line of sight (ignores if there is a closed door); 2. Direction of the nearest Crew Member; 3. Direction with the highest number of Crew Members; 4. Direction of the room closest to the Escape Pod.
• Devour: Devours a Crew Member in the same room, removing them from the game.

Room Types

• Control Room and Tool Room: When revealed, a Programming marker is placed in them. Both are connected via piping.
• Cryogenics Room: When revealed, 2 Crew Members are placed lying down (inactive).
• Aberration Room: When revealed, the Aberration meeple is placed in it.
• Flooded Room: Has a space restriction (1 Crew Member) and double movement cost.

End of Game and Scoring

The Escape Pod needs five Decodes of value 6 to be launched. After reaching the 6th position, one more activation is required to launch the Escape Pod, which serves as one of the triggers for the end of the game.

Consult the manual for details on final scoring and specific victory and defeat criteria.

Tips for Winning

• Door Management: Remember that when you Decode and change a door, you change it for all other players; use this strategically to block or clear paths.
• Marker Use: Save your Tilt and Programming markers to ensure results of 6, which are essential to advance the Escape Pod and save your Crew Members.
• Safety: Place your Crew Members inside the Escape Pod as soon as possible, as they do not attract the Aberration's attention while inside.