Components
- Game board with plastic Zathura
- bridge and Tsouris-3 parts
- console
- robot mover
- 4 space ship movers
- 55 order cards
- 8 defense tokens
- asteroid game die
- label sheet
- 8 piece house puzzle
- Instructions
Object of the Game
Be the first player to reach the planet Zathura before the last piece of the house is gone. If the entire house is blasted apart before any player gets to Zathura, the evil Zorgons win.
Setup
Use the photograph on the package back as reference in setting up the game and applying the labels.
Set the game on a firm, flat surface. Apply the track labels. Place the track on the game board so that the blue space at the beginning of bridge covers the blue space on the game board. The Zathura Orb (marked "Z") goes on the upper left section of the game board.
Place Tsouris-3 on the area that has its image. Carefully peel the labels from the label sheet and place them on the console, as shown on the package back.
Mix the order cards "Z" side up.
Open the door from the top of the console; remove the weighted square that's inside. Place the cards, "Z" side up, in the console housing. Replace the weighted square with the arrow showing at the top, and close the console door. Place the console on the game board.
Mix the defense tokens, "Z" side up, and place one on each space that has a "Z" on it.
Put the 8 pieces of the puzzle together to form the house. Place it off to the side of the game board. Place the "SAFE" labels on the largest two sides of the die.
Place the robot mover on its own space on the gameboard track.
Each player takes a space ship and places it on Earth near where the rocket is blasting off. When it's your turn, the first space that you count will be the blue one on the track.
Game Play
There must be at least ONE piece left of the house for the game to keep going. Each time a part of the house is removed, there is no way of getting it back.
There are two parts to your turn:
First: spin the space travel indicator that's on the left side of the console and move your space ship that many spaces along the game board and
Second: turn the key on the console and press the "GO" button to eject a card. Then follow the order that's on the card.
Spaces
Most of the spaces you land on will be regular spaces, either red, blue or white. But there are several special spaces on the board:
Defense Token /"z" Spaces:
When you land on a "Z" space that still has a defense token on it, you get to take it. Place it face up in front of you so all players can see what defense it is.
Different defenses will help you with different problems during the game (see "Zorgon Cards" and "Robot Cards"). Each defense token can only be used once. After you use it, put it into a discard pile.
Tsouris-3:
Ifyou land on the space of this planet, its gravitational pull sucks you in! You must remain here until any other player spins an even number.
Then-on your next turn-press the lever to escape and move your space ship forward. The robot cannot land on Tsouris -3; he must skip to the next available space.
Shooting Star Spaces:
When you land on either of the star spaces, your wish to be at the front of the fleet has been granted! Immediately move your space ship to the space ahead of the leader.
If the leader is on the final space, move your token onto the same space and spin Zathura on your next turn.
Meteor and Rocket Blast Spaces:
These two spaces simply count as regular white spaces on the board.
Cards
Many of the cards that are ejected will give you straightforward instructions that you will follow. After you carry out your orders, place the cards off to the side in a discard deck. If you run out of cards before the game ends, mix the cards and reload the console.
There are also three special kinds of cards, described on the next page. These have to do with either "Navigate", "Zorgons" or "Robot".
Navigate Cards = Use the Asteroid Die
Whenever you get orders to "attempt to navigate", the asteroid die is rolled. If you roll "SAFE" all is well and the next player goes. But if you don't, a piece of the house is lost.
Depending on what color space you are on when you are told to navigate, you may get help from other players. Look at the color of the space you are on when you get a "navigate" card.
If you are on a white space: only you will roll the die, one time.
If you are on a blue space: choose any other player to also take a roll of the die.
If you are on a red space: every player gets a chance to roll the die.
Only one SAFE roll is needed to navigate safely and save the house from more damage.
Zorgon cards = try to use a fire or astronaut token
When you receive any order about Zorgons you need to distract them with a FIRE token or an ASTRONAUT token.
If you have one of these, it will defend you. After using it put the token in the discard pile.
If you don't have one of these, try to get any player that has one to play it for you. If they do, after the token is played, change places with that player. If you can't get anyone to play a token for you, a piece of the house is taken off.
Robot cards = try to use a reprogram token
These cards change the position of the robot on the game board. It's malfunctioning and on the look out for Alien Life Forms to destroy. It thinks that's you and the ONLY way to fight it is with a REPROGRAM token.
If you have a REPROGRAM token, or get one from another player, it will defend you. The robot gets sent back to the space it was on.
If you do not have a REPROGRAM token, you must move back 5 spaces while the robot stays on your space.
During the game, anytime you land on the robot, you move back 5 spaces. After using it put the token in the discard pile. If the robot is on a token, you cannot take it unless you have a REPROGRAM token.
In that case send it back 5 spaces, take its space and the token that it may have been guarding. Its move back cannot affect another player. If there is a player 5 spaces back, the robot must move to the next available space behind them.
End of the Game
The spiral track leading up to the Zathura is an area that the robot cannot enter. When your space ship is on this part of the track, you continue to spin and take orders.
When your move takes you up to the space just before Zathura, on your NEXT turn, you can spin the planet and try to be the first one there.
To enter Zathura, and win the game, the orange part of the planet must be facing the pathway. Once a player has entered Zathura the game is over and the house is returned to its original condition.
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