# Hellapagos: Big Box

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2020
- **BGG Rating**: 7.1
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 3-12 (Best with: 8, 9)
- **Duration**: 20 min
- **Weight**: 1.71 / 5
- **Designers**: Laurence Gamelin, Philippe Gamelin
- **Artists**: Jonathan Aucomte
- **Publishers**: Gigamic, 999 Games, Ghenos Games, Hachette Boardgames USA
- **Categories**: Bluffing, Negotiation, Party Game
- **Mechanics**: Events, Lose a Turn, Player Elimination, Semi-Cooperative Game, Set Collection, Take That, Turn Order: Progressive, Variable Player Powers, Voting

## Verdict
If you enjoy party games with lots of interaction, bluffing, and a healthy dose of betrayal, Hellapagos: Big Box is the perfect choice to liven up your group.High player interactionIntense bluffing and negotiationExcellent replayabilityEasy to learn rulesGuaranteed group funPlayer elimination can be frustratingNot everyone enjoys betraying friendsDepends on the group to shineRECOMMENDED

## Description
Hey everyone! Get ready for a thrilling adventure in Hellapagos: Big Box. Just imagine: you're shipwrecked on a desert island, a hurricane is approaching, and your only hope is to build a raft. Sounds simple, right? But here's where it gets tricky! Hellapagos is a 'co-opetition' game, meaning you need to work together to survive and gather the necessary resources, but deep down, everyone is looking out for themselves. As the days pass and water and food start to dwindle, friendship gives way to distrust. Who will be the first to be thrown to the sharks (metaphorically, of course, or maybe not!) so the others can have a chance?

Diplomacy, cunning, and even trickery are valid tools to ensure your survival. Decisions are made by voting, so be prepared to bluff, negotiate, and perhaps even betray your 'friends' to get what you need. The game throws unexpected events at you that can be a blessing or a curse, and the turn order can change, adding another layer of unpredictability.

This Big Box edition is the cherry on top, combining the Hellapagos base game with the 'They're No Longer Alone' expansion. This means more content to spice up your island experience even further! There are twenty new character cards, thirty additional event cards, and twenty more shipwreck cards. The cool thing is that you can use everything together or add elements gradually, customizing the level of chaos and fun. With variable player powers for the characters, each game is a new story of survival (or not!).

## How to Play
Game Objective
After a shipwreck, a group of survivors takes refuge on an isolated island where food and water are scarce. The players' goal is to build a giant Raft to escape the island before a dangerous hurricane hits the location. Only the castaways who manage to escape the island win the game; otherwise, everyone loses if no one survives.

Setup

    Place the 6 wooden balls in the bag.
    Position the game board in the center of the table and create a stack of the 12 Raft Cards near it.
    Shuffle the Debris Cards (54 cards, or 74 if using the expansion) and distribute:
        
            3-8 players: 4 cards each.
            9-12 players: 3 cards each.
        
    
    Place the remaining Debris Cards face down in the Card Holder.
    Assemble the Weather Deck: shuffle the Hurricane Card with 5 other Weather Cards to form the base. Shuffle the remaining Weather Cards and place them on top of this base.
    Place the wooden marker on space 0 of the Raft Track.
    Position the water marker and the food marker on the Survival Track, according to the number of players (e.g., 3 players = 5 food/6 water; 12 players = 20 food/24 water).
    Create a stack of the 12 Status Cards near the board.
    The player who looks most like a castaway (or decided randomly) receives the Starting Player Card.


Game Flow
The game proceeds clockwise. During the phases, players may discuss, negotiate, trade cards, and threaten one another.
A round follows this order:

    Pass the Starting Player card: The Starting Player Card passes to the player to the right (skip this phase in the first round). If the starting player is eliminated, they pass the card immediately to the right.
    Reveal a Weather card: The starting player reveals the top card of the Weather Deck, exposing the precipitation side.
    Each player performs an Action: Starting with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, each player chooses and immediately performs one of four available actions.
    Check Survivors:
        
            Consume Water: Reduce 1 water ration on the Survival Track for each survivor. If there is a shortage, players may use Water Cards. If there is still a shortage, a Vote occurs to eliminate whoever will not receive water.
            Consume Food: Reduce 1 food ration for each survivor. If there is a shortage, Food Cards may be used. If the shortage persists, a Vote occurs to eliminate whoever will not receive food.
            Note: If a marker is already at 0 at the start of the phase, there is no vote; whoever spends a resource card survives, unless they are helped by another player or use the Revolver.
        
    
    Check end-game conditions: Check if the victory or defeat triggers have been met.


Actions and How to Play
On their turn, the player must choose one of the following actions:

    Fish: The player draws a ball from the bag. The number of fish on the ball (1, 2, or 3) indicates how much the food marker advances on the Survival Track. The ball returns to the bag.
    Collect Water: The player advances the water marker on the Survival Track according to the number indicated on the round's Weather Card (0 to 3).
    Collect wood for the Raft: 
        
            The wood marker automatically advances 1 step on the Raft Track.
            The player may decide to explore the forest further, announcing the amount of extra wood they want (1 to 5) and drawing that number of balls from the bag.
            If all balls are white, the wood marker advances by the amount drawn.
            If the black ball is drawn, the player becomes Sick (receives a Status Card) and does not advance the extra wood.
            Whenever the wood marker reaches the 6th space, a Raft Card is added and the marker returns to 0.
        
    
    Search the Debris: The player draws the top card from the Card Holder and keeps it secret.


Use of Cards and Status
Debris Cards can be played or traded at any time (unless otherwise indicated). Card types:

    Resource Cards: Water and Food. They increase the survival track or are kept for personal use.
    Permanent Cards: These stay in front of the player and provide bonuses every round. They are discarded if the owner is eliminated (except for the Revolver).
    Special Cards: Single-use for specific actions and are discarded after use.
    Useless Cards: No effect, used to deceive other players.
    Revolver and Ammo: The Revolver (permanent) allows the elimination of a player if used with Ammo (disposable). The shooter receives the victim's hand of cards.

Sick Status: Sick players cannot vote, perform actions, or play cards (except Antidote) until the next round. They recover their health before the Check Survivors phase of the following round.

End of Game and Scoring
The game ends in three ways:

    Escape the Island: At the end of any round, the survivors win if:
        
            The water and food rations have already been distributed.
            There is at least one Raft Card for each survivor.
            There is at least one water ration and one food ration available for each survivor as travel provisions.
        
    
    The Hurricane: If the Hurricane Card is revealed, the Raft must depart at the end of the round or everyone loses. The escape requirements are the same, but votes must be held to eliminate excess players until there is space on the Raft and sufficient provisions for everyone.
    Total Failure: Everyone loses if everyone dies of hunger or thirst at the end of a round.

Tournament Mode (Scoring):

    Cooperative Mode: Points equal to the number of players on the Raft.
    Solo Mode: A lone survivor receives points equal to the number of starting players. Each additional survivor reduces everyone's score by 1 point.


Tips for Winning

    Weather Planning: Keep an eye on the Weather Card; on extremely sunny days (value 0), the Collect Water action is useless, requiring you to plan collection in advance.
    Risk Management in the Forest: When Collecting Wood, remember that the black ball cancels the extra collection and leaves you Sick, preventing actions and votes in the next round.
    Strategic Use of Resources: Selfishly hoarding Resource Cards may be the only way to survive a shortage Vote.

## FAQ
### How many players does Hellapagos: Big Box support?
It's perfect for larger groups, accommodating 3 to 12 players, which makes it ideal for parties and gatherings with friends.

### What is the average game duration?
Games are quite fast-paced and dynamic, lasting around 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the number of players and the intensity of negotiations.

### Is it a very complex game for beginners?
Not at all! Hellapagos is super easy to learn. The rules are simple and intuitive, allowing even those new to board games to have fun right away.

### What does the Big Box add to the base game?
The Big Box already includes the 'They're No Longer Alone' expansion, bringing 20 new character cards, 30 additional event cards, and 20 more shipwreck cards for increased variety and chaos!

### Is there player elimination? Isn't that annoying?
Yes, there is player elimination, which can be a point of concern for some. But in Hellapagos, elimination is part of the tension and survival narrative, and games are quick, so no one is out for too long.

### Who is Hellapagos: Big Box best suited for?
It's ideal for those looking for a party game with lots of interaction, bluffing, negotiation, and a touch of dark humor. If you enjoy games where diplomacy (or the lack thereof) is key, you'll love it!

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