Game Objective

In Zoo Vadis, animals have taken over the zoo! Your goal is to navigate and negotiate your animal species through a hierarchy of enclosures to reach the Star Exhibit. Along the way, you must earn laurels through politicking and schemes. The player with the most laurels at the end of the game is declared the Zoo Mascot. However, there is a critical catch: your laurels are worth nothing unless at least one of your animals successfully reaches the Star Exhibit.

Preparation (Setup)

1. Place the game board in the center, using the side that matches the number of players.
2. Place one peacock figure on each space that depicts the matching number of players; return remaining peacocks to the box.
3. Place “I” laurel tokens in a pile beside the board. Mix all other laurel tokens (values 2-5) in the cloth bag. Randomly draw and place one laurel token face-up on each designated space on the board.
4. Stack the Zoo Keeper token face-up on top of the laurel token directly below the Star Exhibit.
5. Each player selects an animal species and takes the corresponding animal screen, two ability tiles, and six animal figures. Place the animal figures in front of the screen (visible to all) and slot the ability tokens on top of the screen.
6. Each player takes two “I” laurel tokens from the supply and places them behind their screen.
7. The starting player is the person who most recently visited a zoo (or select randomly).

Game Flow

Play proceeds clockwise from the starting player. On your turn, you must take exactly one action. The game continues until the end-game trigger is met.

Turn Structure: A player chooses one of the following actions: Add an animal to the zoo, Advance one of your animals, Advance a peacock, or Move the Zoo Keeper.

Bonus Actions: If a player collects a special token while advancing an animal, they may perform a one-time bonus action at the end of their turn: either Advance a Peacock or Move the Zoo Keeper. These bonus features are not transferable; if the token is traded away, the bonus action is lost.

Actions and How to Play

Add an Animal to the Zoo

Take an animal from your supply and place it on any open space in one of the four exhibits at the bottom of the board. This action is unavailable if all four bottom exhibits are full.

Advance One of Your Animals

Move one of your animals from one exhibit up a path to the next exhibit. You cannot move backwards, bypass exhibits, or move into a full exhibit. To advance, you must meet one of two conditions:

• Majority Support: You must obtain the required number of votes based on the size of the exhibit you are leaving:
  • One-space exhibit: Majority is automatic.
  • Three-space exhibit: 2 votes required.
  • Five-space exhibit: 3 votes required.
  • Seven-space exhibit: 4 votes required.
  Voting: You get one vote for each of your animals in the exhibit. Other players may offer one vote per animal they have there or withhold support. You may also bribe peacocks in the exhibit with a laurel token of value “II” or higher (two “I” tokens are not sufficient). Bribes are placed in the game box.
• The Zoo Keeper: If the Zoo Keeper token is on the path you wish to use, you may advance without majority support.

Collecting Laurels: When moving from a three, five, or seven-space exhibit, you collect the laurel token on the path and replace it with a new one from the cloth bag. If the Zoo Keeper is on the path, the token is covered and cannot be collected. Players who provide votes to help another player advance receive one “I” laurel token from the supply for each vote given (while supplies last).

Advance a Peacock

Move a peacock figure to the next exhibit. Peacocks do not require majority support and do not collect laurel tokens. However, the player who advances a peacock receives one “I” laurel token from the supply.

Move the Zoo Keeper

Move the Zoo Keeper token to any other laurel token on the board and stack it on top.

Making Deals

Players may negotiate at any time. You can trade laurels, promises of votes, or promises regarding the Zoo Keeper and animal abilities. Promises redeemable within the same turn must be kept; all other promises may be broken at the player's discretion.

Animal Abilities

Each species has ability tiles that can be used to help other players (or peacocks) in exchange for compensation. You cannot use your own abilities on yourself. When used, the owner receives the “I” laurel tokens indicated on the tile (0, 1, or 2) and the tile is moved behind the screen. Tiles can be recovered if a special token is collected during an animal's advancement.

End of Game and Scoring

End Trigger: The game ends immediately once all the spaces in the Star Exhibit are filled.

Victory Conditions:

1. Only players with at least one animal in the Star Exhibit are eligible to win.
2. Eligible players compare their collected laurels. The player with the most laurels is declared the Zoo Mascot.
3. Tiebreaker: If there is a tie, the species that reached the Star Exhibit first wins. (Spaces in the Star Exhibit are filled in numerical order to track arrival).

Tips for Winning

• Negotiate Frequently: Players who make more trades and deals are generally more likely to win, as helping others can often be leveraged to help yourself.
• Maximize Ability Tiles: Ensure your ability tiles are used to gain the “I” laurel tokens listed on the tiles and demand lucrative compensation from other players.