How to Play

Evacuation

1-4 players 60-150 min 7.5 Board Game Geek Rating

In Evacuation, players race against time to relocate their civilization from a dying planet to a new world within four rounds. You must strategically dismantle your established economy and rebuild it elsewhere, managing separate resources on each planet. Victory comes from achieving level 8 production in three resources plus constructing three stadiums on the new planet.

Published 2023

Evacuation

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Choose player colors
Each player takes all pieces in their chosen color including tokens, factory tiles, and site tiles
2
Place starting continent
Position site tiles on the starting continent closest to you, matching each space with an appropriate site tile (ocean spaces get the remaining two tiles)
3
Set progress track markers
Place 2 markers from each player on the starting space of the progress track
4
Position player board
Place your player board with Old World and New World sides aligned with the main board sides
5
Assign technology tiles
Shuffle four technology tiles numbered 1-4 face down, randomly select one, take all tiles with that number and place them on your board in their designated rows randomly within each row
6
Set action track marker
Place one marker on the starting space (0) of your action track
7
Position production markers
Place production markers on the track on your board's New World side, all starting at 0
8
Place starting stadium
Put your starting stadium (in your color) beside your board on the Old World side
9
Prepare stadium deck
Shuffle the stadium deck (excluding starting stadiums), place face down near the board, deal 3 cards face up beside it
10
Prepare spaceship tiles
Shuffle spaceship tiles, place face down near the board edge, deal 3 tiles face up beside them
11
Prepare infrastructure deck
Separate infrastructure cards into decks labeled I and II, shuffle each separately, place deck I on top of deck II, deal 3 cards face up beside them
12
Set year counter
Place the year counter on the first space of the year track on the main board
13
Prepare end-of-year bonuses
Take 2 end-of-year bonus cards marked with flags, randomly select 1 and place face up on the main board; shuffle non-flagged cards, randomly select 3 and place face up on top of the first card
14
Establish turn order
Place 1 marker from each player on the order indicator in random order

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Collect production
Gain 1 cube for each resource produced on Old World continent; place these on your board's Old World side
2
Feed population
Return food markers to the bank as indicated on the year track
3
Check entertainment
Have 1 stadium on New World by Year 3 start, 2 stadiums by Year 4 start
4
Take penalties
Receive one penalty chip for each missing food or missing stadium (Years 3-4)
5
Select an action group
Choose an action printed on the board from groups 1, 2, 3, or 4; slide an action card face down under the chosen group
6
Advance action marker
Move your marker forward 1 space, paying any required energy costs shown on the track
7
Execute the action
Perform the chosen action's effect
8
Gain resource and infrastructure moves
Take 1 resource of any type (add to either world) and perform 2 infrastructure moves
9
Take infrastructure card
Select from available cards beside the board, add to your hand; slide remaining cards toward arrow and deal a new card to empty space
10
Play infrastructure card
Pay cost in upper left from New World resources; if you meet the pictured requirement, immediately increase production by indicated amount
11
Gain resource and research
Take 1 resource of any type and research a technology
12
Research technology
Choose a column, find lowest undeveloped technology in that column
13
Settle a site
Move population markers and factory tiles from your board's New World side to a New World site on the main board
14
Prefabricate a factory
Pay 1 resource from either board side matching the factory type; take an unused factory tile and place it on your board
15
Clone population
Pay 1 food from New World; take 2 population markers from your supply and place on your board's New World side
16
Build a spaceship
Select a spaceship tile from the row, pay the cost shown (all resources from same world); place ship on that side of your board
17
Build a stadium
Select a stadium from the row, pay the cost shown (all resources from same world); place stadium on that side of your board
18
Perform 2 infrastructure moves
No resource gain but has power level 3
19
Gain resource with up to 3 trades
Take 1 resource, then exchange resources (remove 1 small cube from one side, add 1 small cube to same side) up to 3 times
20
Research technology (power level 4)
Research without gaining a resource
21
Pass
End your actions for the year; you may be forced to pass if out of energy
22
Load Old World ships
Fill ships with items from Old World side only
23
Send ships
Pay energy cost shown on each Old World ship you send
24
Unload ships
For each ship that arrived at New World, take all cards, markers, and tiles and place on your board's New World side
25
Count happy faces
Total happy faces on your stadiums and fully developed technologies
26
Reorder markers
Player with most happy faces goes first; ties resolved in reverse order from previous positions
27
Clear progress track
Move all progress markers to the passing lane before first player advances
28
Calculate power levels
Sum the power levels of all actions played (group numbers 1-4)
29
Advance markers
In turn order, move markers forward by total power level, dividing steps between your two markers as desired
30
Resolve effects
When marker lands on effect space, resolve immediately
31
Cross transitions
When marker crosses a transition, resolve its immediate effects
32
Observe transition restriction
Leading marker cannot be more than 1 transition ahead of trailing marker
33
Compare power level
Check your total power level against numbers on current end-of-year bonus card
34
Gain bonus
If power level exactly matches one number, gain that corresponding bonus
35
Advance year marker
Move to next year space
36
Remove old bonus card
Reveal the next end-of-year bonus card
37
Refresh displays
For infrastructure, spaceships, and stadiums: return item at X to bottom of deck, slide others toward arrows, deal new item to empty space
38
Reset actions
Remove action cards and slide action counter back to starting space

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Trigger game end
First player to have all 3 production markers at 8 or higher AND 3 stadiums on New World triggers the end
2
Apply penalties to lowest marker
Adjust your lowest production marker:
3
Apply bonuses to lowest marker
Add to your lowest production marker:
4
Check victory conditions
After adjustments, any player still meeting win conditions (all production at 8+, 3 stadiums) wins
5
Break ties
Player with most happy faces wins among those meeting conditions
6
No winner scenario
If no one meets conditions, compare everyone's lowest production marker
7
Play full four years
Ignore Race Mode victory conditions
8
Score lowest production marker
Use scoring chart (8 = 10 points, 10 = 19 points, 12 = 25 points)
9
Score goal cards
Earn points for completed personal goals (drafted at game start)
10
Apply penalties
Subtract 2 points per non-evacuated site, 1 point per non-evacuated population marker, 3 points per missing stadium, 3 points per penalty chip
11
Score happy faces
Players with 3+ stadiums on New World score: most happy faces = 6 points, second most = 4 points, third most = 1 point (2-player: 4 and 0)
12
Determine winner
Highest total points wins; ties remain tied

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

All the Games with Steph: Evacuation - The Teach

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FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

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