In the intergalactic commerce hub Chimera Station you don't just send your workers to their tasks ... You splice claws, tentacles and other parts onto them to give them an edge over the competition!
Gain resources and build modules to expand the board and open new opportunities. Construct the space station and take command to gain prestige and win!
The goal of Chimera Station is to earn the most prestige points by the end of the fifth round. The main ways to achieve that goal are building modules and taking command of the station at the Command Hub, but there are many other chances to gain points along the way.
Watch out for high scoring opportunities, and try not to give your opponents too many windfalls!
Components
- 1 game board
- 2 countdown tokens
- 4 round markers
- 28 genetic components
- 40 station module tiles
- 22 perk cards
- Lots of coin tokens
- Lots of food tokens
- 1 start player marker
- 4 score markers
- 4 double sided player mats
- 24 worker tops/bottoms
- 4 research markers
- 6 starting resource cards
Setup
A Place in the center of the table.
B Place the countdown tokens in order (with the 1 tile on top) over slot B of the Command Hub.
C place the 4 round markers on the board.
D Place the 28 genetic components in a supply pile near the board.
E Place the 40 station module tiles in a face down supply near the Reactor section of the board. Deal 6 of these face up in the Reactor spaces on the board.
F Shuffle and deal 3 perk cards face up near the board.
G Place the coin tokens in a supply pile near the board. Coins are unlimited, so if you run out use something else as a substitute.
H Place the food tokens in a supply pile near the board. Food is unlimited, so if you run out use something else as a substitute.
I Randomly choose a player to be the start player and give that player the marker.
J One score marker for each player. Place these on the 10 space of the score track.
K give one double sided player mat to each player randomly. We recommend using side A for your first game so that all players are on equal footing. Side B has unique player powers for experienced players.
L 6 worker tops/bottoms for each player matching the color of their player mat. Return 1 or 2 of each to the box when playing with 3 or 4 players, respectively. Set 2 workers for each player aside and give each player the rest to form their initial worker pool:
- 4 per player for 2P
- 3 per player for 3P
- 2 per player for 4P
M one research markers for each player. Place these on the "start" tier of the research track on your player board.
N hand 6 starting resource cards to the player to the right of the start player for now, using only the ones indicated for your player count (return the rest to the box):
- 2P: use the 2+ cards.
- 3p: use the 2+ and 3+ cards.
- 4P: use all of the cards.
The player to the right of the start player (who will play last in round 1) chooses one of the starting resource cards and passes the rest to the right (counter-clockwise).
Players each choose one and pass to the right until the start player has chosen a card. Put unchosen cards back in the box.
O Take the resources shown on your starting resource card. If your card shows a research symbol, advance your research marker to tier 1 of the research track and immediately claim the reward (on side A, that will be a perk). Save your starting resource card! You'll be able to use it later to flush the Reactor.
Game Play
Chimera Station is played over a series of 5 rounds, and each round has a placement phase, a splicing lab phase and a feeding phase. Sometimes there is some bookkeeping to do between rounds - there is a reminder of this on the round track so you don't forget.
Placement Phase
During the placement phase, starting with the start player and progressing clockwise around the table, you'll take turns placing a worker from your worker pool on:
- A module OR
- The splicing lab OR
- The worker lounge
Immediately apply its effect and/or gain its benefit.
Modules are the hexagonal spaces either on the board or on one of your perk cards that offer you all kinds of benefits. As a general rule, you cannot place a worker onto an occupied module (unless it's a claw worker).
The Splicing Lab allows you to splice components from your component pool onto the worker you place there. There are three spaces available, and each space can only contain ONE worker.
The Worker Lounge is the only space on the board where players can place any number of workers. Each worker placed here receives either 1 food or 1 coin.
Additionally, the components attached to your worker can modify what happens when you place that worker. If you have no workers in your pool when it's your turn to place, your turn is skipped. Once all players have placed all of their workers, the placement Phase ends.
Note: You must be able to fulfill the effects of a module or the Splicing Lab in order to place a worker there. For example, if the module effect is to buy something and you have no coins, you may not place a worker onto that module.
Another example: you MUST splice at least 1 component if you place it in the Splicing Lab.
Splicing Lab Phase
During the Splicing Lab Phase, workers in the Splicing Lab will be placed again, one at a time, in alphabetical order starting with slot A. You may place these workers on any legal space except the Splicing Lab.
If you end up with a worker in your pool as a result of an effect during the Splicing Lab Phase, you will place that worker before the next Splicing Lab slot is resolved. Remember, no workers may be placed into the Splicing Lab during this Phase!
Example: Andy's worker is in Splicing Lab slot A and Beth's worker is in slot B.
During the Splicing Lab Phase Andy places his worker from slot A onto the laboratory, advancing his research track to tier 3 and earning him an additional worker.
Since Andy now has a worker in his pool, he will place this new worker before Beth places her worker from slot B!
If Beth only had 2 food, then in addition to losing her single attached component, she would have lost 2 points as well.
Feeding Phase
To begin the Feeding Phase, retreive your workers from the board and return them to your worker pool. You must now pay 1 food for each worker in your pool.
If you don't have enough food, then for each food you are short you must lose one of the components attached to one of your workers (return it to the general supply). If you have no components attached to your workers, then lose 2 points instead for each one you're short.
Example: Beth has 4 workers, 3 with no components and 1 with one component. During the Feeding Phase she must pay 4 food. But Beth only has 3 food, so she must lose the i component from her worker, returning it to the supply.
Station Progress
At the beginning of every round (except for round 1), remove the corresponding round marker on the round track.
In rounds 2, 3 and 5, certain aspects of the game change to reflect the progress of the station. These changes happen in the order listed below:
Round 2:
Remove the first countdown token.
Round 3:
Remove the second countdown token. Slot B of the Command Hub is now available for use.
Deal out three new perks, adding them to the supply (there will now be 6 cards in the supply).
Advance one tier on your research track. If more than one player earns a perk card due to this, choose them in turn order, clockwise from the start player.
From now on, points awarded for building modules will be doubled.
Round 5:
Deal out three new perks, adding them to the supply (there will now be 6 or more cards in the supply).
Advance one tier on your research track. If more than one player earns a perk card due to this, choose them in turn order, clockwise from the start player.
From now on, points awarded for building modules will be tripled.
Genetic Components
Genetic components (AKA components) help make your workers special. Workers can have a maximum of 2 components attached, and they're usually attached at the Splicing Lab.
Components can be mixed and matched, though having two of the same component can give your worker an extra boost in one specific area.
Any time an action would get you a component and the supply is empty, score 2 points instead.
Brains
Brains enable your worker to work smarter, not harder.
When you place a brain worker (a worker with at least 1 brain component), score points equal to the point value of the module it's placed on.
When one of your double brain workers (a worker with 2 brain components) perforns the "Command modules" action (see page 7), also count modules occupied by your own workers.
Claws
Claws allow you to displace an opponent's worker from an occupied module so that you may use it.
Your claw worker (a worker with at least 1 claw component) may displace an opponent's worker with 0 or 1 attached components.
Your double claw workers (a worker with 2 claw components) may displace any opponent's worker.
A displaced worker is sent to the Worker Lounge where their owner gains a food or a coin.
Your claw worker activates the module it's on.
Note: You may never displace a worker from the Splicing Lab, the Worker Lounge, an opponent's perk card or any module that says "workers here cannot be displaced" (Dispatch Station)
Leaves
Leaves provide sustenance to help feed your workers at the end of the round.
Leaf workers (workers with at least 1 leaf component) do not require food during the Feeding Phase.
Double leaf workers (workers with leaf components) also produce 2 food at the beginning of each Feeding Phase.
Tentacles
Tentacles allow your workers to gain additional resources.
When your tentacle worker (a worker with at least 1 tentacle component) gains coins or food in an action (not from the build bonus on the board), it gains 1 additional resource of the same type at the end of that action from the general supply (so you may gain 1 food, 1 coin, or both at the end of the action).
When your double tentacle worker (a worker with 2 tentacle components) gains a component in an action, gain an additional component of the same type at the end of that action. If that supply is empty, score 2 points instead for each component that you would get.
Commanding Modules
The Command Hub and certain other modules allow you to do a "command modules" action and take credit for your opponents' work.
When commanding modules, you score points equal to the value of all modules occupied by opponents' workers. When commanding modules with a double brain worker, don't forget to score modules occupied by your own workers as well.
Christina places a worker in Command Hub slot A, taking the start player marker and then scores points based on the value of the modules occupied by Andy's, Beth's and Daniel's workers.
Daniel places a worker in Command Hub slot B, doesn't take the start player marker, and scores some points based on Andy's, Beth's and Christina's workers.
Building a Module
The constructor and certain other modules allow you to do a "build" action and expand the station. When building:
A Choose a module from the Reactor and pay its coin cost.
B Gain points equal to the module's value (doubled in rounds 3 and 4, tripled in round 5).
C Place the module onto an empty space adjacent to the Command Hub (slot A or B) or an already built module.
D Slide remaining modules in the Reactor to the right so that the leftmost spaces are the empty ones.
E Gain the build bonus depicted on the board space you just built on.
Build Bonus
Each space has a build bonus printed on it. When building a module on that space, gain that build bonus:
: Gain the amount of coins, food and points shown.
: Gain coins equal to the current round number.
: Gain food equal to the current round number.
: Score points equal to the current round number.
: Gain a component of your choice from the supply. If that supply is empty, score 2 points instead.
: Gain the indicated component from the supply. If that supply is empty, score 2 points instead.
: Advance 1 tier on your research track and gain the benefit.
: Return one of your already placed workers to your worker pool.
: Gain the current Reactor reward.
: Activate an adjacent module as if you had placed a worker there. Since this is a "workerless" activation, you may not use this bonus to activate a module that would affect the placed worker (Autosurgeon, Biofuel Refinery, Hunting Park, Mercenary Outpost, Science Fair, Tanning Salon, Underground Lab).
Refilling The Reactor
Each time a module is built, it uses up a bit of the station's power supply. If the Reactor track is empty, no new modules can be built until its fuel is refilled at the boiler room.
When activating the boiler room, gain the rewards listed according to the components on your worker, as well as all visible Reactor rewards, depending on how drained the Reactor is.
Reactor rewards are printed on the board in the Reactor spaces (see above). Then refill the Reactor with modules from the draw pile. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile back into a new draw pile.
Remember that a tentacle worker will gain an extra one of each resource you get from this action (including the Reactor rewards).
Flushing The Reactor
Once during the game you may discard your starting resource card to remove any number of modules from the Reactor. Then, refill the Reactor from the module supply. Reactor bonuses do NOT apply. If the supply runs out, shuffle the discard pile back into a new draw pile.
Note: This is in addition to your turn, so before or after doing this you may still place a worker.
Splicing Lab
When placing a worker in the Splicing Lab, you must immediately splice components:
Detach any amount of components from your worker (return them to your component pool).
AND/OR attach any amount of components from your component pool to your worker.
Notes:
When placing a worker in the Splicing Lab, fill the slots in alphabetical order.
As a general rule, each worker can have a maximum of 2 attached components.
After your splicing action, your worker has to look different than when it entered the Splicing Lab.
Worker Lounge
Unlike the modules, the Worker Lounge may contain any number of workers. Workers are sent to the Worker Lounge when displaced by a claw worker or can be placed there directly as well. When your worker enters the Worker Lounge for any reason, gain either 1 coin OR 1 food, your choice.
End of the Game
After the final round, players gain bonus points for their resources and perks.
- Every 3 coins = 1 point
- Every 2 food = 1 point
- Every component (attached or not) = 2 points
- Perk cards each have specific end game scoring printed on them.
After all end game scoring, the player with the highest score is the winner!
If there is a tie, the player with the most components in their supply (attached or not) is the winner. If there is still a tie, join forces and rule the galaxy in an unstoppable partnership!
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