Instructions Niagara

Objective of the Game

Niagara is an adventure game set on a rushing river where players race to be the first to collect either five identical or seven different gems. Players must avoid the dangers of river cliffs and waterfalls to achieve victory.

Game Components

• 1 Game board depicting a river with banks and waterfalls
• 10 River discs
• 35 Gems in five colors
• 5 Canoes in different colors (one color per player)
• 7 Paddle cards per player
• 1 Weather card

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the table.
2. Distribute the gems on the river tiles as instructed in the rulebook.
3. Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding canoes and paddle cards.
4. Shuffle the weather cards and place them facedown nearby.
5. Players place their two canoes on the starting field of the river.

Gameplay

The game is played over successive rounds, each divided into three phases:

Phase 1: Planning

• Each player secretly selects one of their paddle cards and places it face down.

Phase 2: Movement

• Players reveal their chosen paddle cards simultaneously.
• Players take turns moving their canoes, starting with the player who revealed the lowest number.
• Movement can be upstream or downstream, and the paddle card value indicates the maximum number of river spaces a canoe may move.

Phase 3: River Movement

• Add up all the uncovered paddle card values and push the river discs downstream by that number.
• Remove gems from discs that have fallen over the waterfalls.
• Canoeists whose canoes go over the falls lose their gems, and the canoe returns to the start.

Special Rules and Strategies

• Gem Collection: Canoes can collect a gem from a river space they occupy.
• Weather Cards: Certain weather cards may increase or decrease the speed of the river, affecting the discs moving towards the waterfall.
• Caution Near Waterfalls: Avoid moving your canoes too far downstream, making it harder to return without losses.
• Timing and Bluffing: Plan the right time to transport gems and anticipate rival players' moves.

The first player to collect the required number of gems wins the thrilling river adventure of Niagara!