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Rules: Global Warming

by Sezgin Güven

You can download the complete rules from here as PDF

The game is played in rounds. Each round, the players can perform one of the following actions:

  • Draw Cards: The player may draw three cards and discard two of the cards then at hand. The players may not have more than 7 cards in their hand at one time. Extra cards must be discarded immediately. If all cards have been used, the discard pile is shuffled and a new deck created.
  • Place an Oil Rig: The player places one of his oil rigs on any empty drilling field in one of the oil producing regions. The player may not place an oil rig in a region where all the drilling fields are used up. If all the player’s oil rigs have already been placed, the player may move an oil rig from one area to another.
  • Produce Oil: For each oil rig a player has placed, he may pay the production cost for that region, remove an oil marker and place it in front of him. A player may produce with all of his oil rigs or may choose which oil rigs to produce with.
  • Play a Card: The player plays a card and reads it to the other players. The different type of cards are explained later on.
  • Pass: The player does nothing. The other players follow in clockwise direction.

There are 5 different card types in the game:

  • Industry Cards (black): Industry cards cost a certain number of oil markers to play. In return, the player receives the indicated amount of money. The cards also show a temperature and a die. When an industry card is played, the player rolls the die, adds or multiplies the indicated number and increases both, the overall global warming marker (the black train) and his personal warming contribution marker (his train) by that amount. Industry cards may also have other effects, as written on the card. Industry cards are discarded after use.
  • Consumer Cards  (yellow): Consumer  cards  costs  the  indicated  amount  of money  to play. The player receives the indicated number of population happiness points the truck is moved accordingly. Consumer cards are discarded after use.
  • Green Cards (green): Green cards cost the amount of money indicated to play. They reduce the overall global warming by the number of points indicated but they do not reduce the player’s personal warming contribution. So only the black train is moved backwards. They also score a number of happiness points for the player who played them. The player’s truck is moved accordingly. Green cards are discarded after use.
  • Actions Cards (red): Playing actions cards cost nothing. Their effects are of different nature. Some cards are relevant for a player, others have influence on the regions on the map. Also, there are cards that undo effects of other action cards and cards that are discarded from the game after usage. Veto is the only card that can be played when it is not the player’s turn. Action cards are discarded after use.
  • Event Cards (blue): Playing events cards costs nothing. The player who draws the card must play it at once by reading it aloud to the other players. He cannot put it on the discard pile. After being used, events cards are placed back in the box and a new blue card is placed on the discard pile.

Through the actions of the players with the desire to achieve happiness points, which lead to impairments when reaching certain thresholds or can also mean the victory, the (participation in) Global Warming increases.

The game can end in four ways:

  • If the total global warming marker (the black train) reaches the third oil drum, the game ends after the effects of the current card being played are applied. The player who caused the warming marker to reach the oil drum adds an additional 5 points to his personal contribution (the train in his color). The winner is the player with the least personal contribution to global warming. This is known as the I told you so victory.
  • If a player reaches the happiness end space, he wins the game. In a 4 player game the needed amount of happiness points is 20, in a 3 player game 25 and in a 2 player game 30 (see happiness track).
  • If there is no oil is remaining on the world map, the game immediately ends after the last oil marker is produced. The winner is the player with the most population happiness points.
  • If all players pass one after the other, the game ends. The winner is the player with the most population happiness points.

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