Game Objective

In Ghostbusters: The Board Game, players take on the roles of the Ghostbusters in an apocalyptic New York. The goal is to work together as a team to capture ghosts, seal portals to the Spirit World, and unlock new abilities. The game is cooperative, meaning everyone wins or loses together. Victory is achieved by completing the specific conditions of each scenario, such as closing all portals or capturing a boss ghost.

Setup

To set up the game, follow these steps:

1. Assemble the board using the game tiles as indicated on the scenario card.
2. Place the Psychokinetic Energy (PKE) Meter near the board.
3. Position the Ecto-1 miniature in the starting zone indicated on the scenario.
4. Each player chooses a Ghostbuster and receives the corresponding miniature, the character card, five proton beam tokens, an experience marker (XP), and a proton die.
5. Place the slime tokens, the movement die, and the event die next to the board.
6. Determine who will be the first player and proceed clockwise.

Game Flow

The game is divided into rounds, where each player takes their turn. The sequence of a round is:

1. Each Ghostbuster takes their turn, spending their actions.
2. Resolve any end-of-round effects.
3. Roll the event die to determine random events, such as the emergence of new ghosts.

Actions and How to Play

Each Ghostbuster has two actions per turn (three if they are level 3 or higher). The available actions are:

• Move: Move 1 or 2 spaces, respecting terrain restrictions.
• Drive: Move the Ecto-1 up to 6 spaces, without diagonal movement.
• Deposit captured ghosts: Send captured ghosts back to the Spirit World.
• Remove slime: Remove a slime token from an adjacent Ghostbuster.
• Combat: Fire a proton beam at a ghost or portal.

In addition to actions, players can perform maneuvers, such as transferring captured ghosts or entering/exiting the Ecto-1.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the victory or defeat conditions of the scenario are met. Victory usually involves closing all portals or capturing a boss ghost. Defeat occurs if there are no ghosts in the Spirit World when one needs to emerge. Experience points (XP) are earned by capturing ghosts or closing portals, and each Ghostbuster gains 1 XP for each proton beam they have on target.

Tips for Winning

• Work as a team to remove slime from teammates, as this restores lost actions.
• Focus on closing portals quickly to prevent more ghosts from entering the map.
• Use the Ecto-1 strategically to move quickly across the map and deposit captured ghosts.