Alliances

The Rules

Object

To form teams that overcome three challenges.

Players

2-8 people in teams.

Preparation

Deal a Team Card (green border) to each player. There must always be at least two teams. Once players get their teams, they should arrange themselves together. Shuffle the Item Cards (black border) and deal four to each player. If a team has fewer players than another team (a minority team), each player on that team gets an additional card. Place the remaining Item Cards face-down into a Draw Pile in the middle of the table. Leave room for a face-down Discard Pile. Shuffle the Challenge Cards (blue border) and place on the table face-down. Flip over the first Challenge Card.

Play

All teams work on the same challenge until one team completes it or the challenge is changed. Play alternates evenly between team members so that all must play before starting turns again. Teams work together by sharing information and strategy but cannot exchange or show their cards to each other.

On each turn, you will either: pick a card from the Draw Pile, or take the top card of the Discard Pile then either: place only one card on the table to meet a challenge or put one card face-up in the Discard Pile. You can have no more than four cards (or five cards for small teams) in your hand at any time. Once you place a card on the table you cannot remove it until a challenge is successfully completed.

After a challenge is complete, all cards are discarded and new cards are dealt to each player, the Item Cards are shuffled, the winning team collects the Challenge Card they completed, and a new Challenge Card is turned over.

If the Item Cards are exhausted, the Discard Pile should be shuffled and a new Draw Pile started.

Action Cards

• Wild Cards can be used to replace any seashell or tropical fruit cards. They cannot be used as a Crab Card.

• The Immunity Card allows you to avoid being taken from your team or having a card stolen.

• New Challenge allows you to change the current challenge by flipping over a new Challenge Card.

• Steal A Card allows you to randomly choose a card from another player’s hand after which the targeted player must continue to play that round with one less card. You must discard one card after stealing a card if you have more than the number first allocated. If the targeted player has an Immunity Card, the steal is unsuccessful and both cards are discarded.

• Change Teams allows you to change to another team or the card can also be discarded without effect.

• Steal A Player allows you to force a player to join your team unless they can produce an Immunity Card. Afterward, any team in the majority must have only four cards in hand while any new minority team can gain a card.

• Gain A Card allows you to add another card to your hand from the Draw Pile if you have less than the original allotment. The new hand cannot be played in the same turn.

• If The Crab Escapes is played, any player holding The Crab must immediately put it in the Discard Pile then shuffle the Discard Pile and the remaining Draw Pile together to make a new Draw Pile. The player losing the Crab must play with one less card. Any player caught not giving up the Crab must forfeit all their cards.

Winning the Game

The game is won by the first player or team to successfully complete three challenges. That team is rescued from the island.

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The Cards

Team Cards

Challenge Cards

Item Cards