Judgementd: /* Goal and quick start */ Shorten opening and make race instructions more inviting

2026-10-05T08:42:06Z

Goal and quick start: Shorten opening and make race instructions more inviting

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:42, 5 October 2026
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	== Goal and quick start ==		== Goal and quick start ==
	Race your animal to the Heavenly Palace~~, beyond space 36~~. ~~The base game supports 3–5 players~~ and ~~twelve animal signs. Solo learning mode on BGA is practice with computer-controlled opponents, not a separate competitive game.~~		Race your animal to the Heavenly Palace. Outwit your opponents and use your special ability to gain an edge!

	Choose your animal, then ~~select~~ a starting action ~~without an energy card. That choice sets starting karma; the ordinary action effect does not happen. Starting energy is 1, 1, 2, 2 and 3. Rat receives an additional 3 and three extra~~ karma.		Choose your animal, then pick a starting action to set your karma.

	Each ~~normal~~ round:		Each round:
	# Choose an available action and an energy card from your hand.		# Choose an available action and an energy card from your hand.
	# Check ~~any~~ karma cost and lock your plan~~. Choices stay concealed until everyone is ready~~.		# Check the karma cost and lock your secret plan.
	# Reveal together~~, then follow the~~ action, animal ~~and optional-reward prompts~~.		# Reveal together! Use your action, rewards and animal ability to race ahead of your opponents.
	# Recover ~~or spend resources where appropriate. After resolution the wheel turns one sector clockwise~~.		# Recover your cards when needed, then plan your next move.

	== Actions, energy and karma ==		== Actions, energy and karma ==

Judgementd: Create original English learning guide: setup, actions, all animals, recovery, exchanges and BGA controls

2026-10-05T06:39:37Z

Create original English learning guide: setup, actions, all animals, recovery, exchanges and BGA controls

New page

== Goal and quick start ==
Race your animal to the Heavenly Palace, beyond space 36. The base game supports 3–5 players and twelve animal signs. Solo learning mode on BGA is practice with computer-controlled opponents, not a separate competitive game.

Choose your animal, then select a starting action without an energy card. That choice sets starting karma; the ordinary action effect does not happen. Starting energy is 1, 1, 2, 2 and 3. Rat receives an additional 3 and three extra karma.

Each normal round:
# Choose an available action and an energy card from your hand.
# Check any karma cost and lock your plan. Choices stay concealed until everyone is ready.
# Reveal together, then follow the action, animal and optional-reward prompts.
# Recover or spend resources where appropriate. After resolution the wheel turns one sector clockwise.

== Actions, energy and karma ==
Played action/energy pairs remain in your played row until recovered. You cannot choose an action still in that row.

An action with a lower printed number than the preceding played action costs karma: one number lower costs 1; two or more lower costs 2. Higher or equal numbers cost nothing. Rabbit reduces that cost by 1, to a minimum of zero.

'''One energy card in hand means you must Strategise.''' Cards in hand and total cards owned are different: owned cards include energy in your played row. Recovering played energy can restore your options.

Players sharing an effective action add their energy to select its wheel sector. N means the number of players in that action group. Individual energy ranking also gives competition movement: 1 space for each lower-energy opponent at 4–5 players, or 2 spaces at 3 players. Equal energy gives no competition movement.

{| class="wikitable"
! Action !! Main effect
|-
| 1 — Cheat || Only a sole highest-energy player receives the wheel reward. Everyone else retreats 1 space.
|-
| 2 — Help || Everyone receives the wheel's karma reward. The sole highest at 3–4 players also gains an energy-1 card; at 5 players, tied highest players receive this bonus too.
|-
| 3 — Run || Only the sole highest receives the wheel reward. Everyone else advances 1 space.
|-
| 4 — Rest || Everyone receives the wheel's energy-1-card reward. The sole highest at 3–4 players also gains 1 karma; at 5 players, tied highest players receive this bonus too.
|-
| 5 — Cooperate || All highest-energy players, including ties, receive the wheel reward.
|-
| 6 — Walk || Only the sole highest receives the wheel reward. Walk is unavailable with 3 players.
|-
| 7 — Repeat || Copies the preceding eligible action 1–6 and joins that action's group, using this round's energy. It cannot copy Strategise. Its printed number remains 7.
|-
| 8 — Strategise || Recovers played pairs except the leftmost. The sole highest at 3–4 players recovers that pair too; at 5 players all highest players do. The current Strategise pair is recovered. Apply competition and river effects as prompted.
|}

Competition movement is additional to the main action. A zero wheel reward does not cancel competition or animal abilities.

== Exchanges and limits ==
An exchange symbol offers one optional exchange. Combine at least two lower-value hand cards into one higher card, or split one higher card into at least two lower cards. Total payment must cover the received value; excess is lost, not returned as change.

Receiving 4 requires owning a 3 or 4; receiving 5 requires a 4 or 5; receiving 6 requires a 5 and no owned 6. Played energy counts for these prerequisites, but payment comes from hand. You may own at most one energy-6 card.

You may own at most 12 energy cards and hold at most 8 karma. An exchange must fit the full receipt within the card limit. A karma-movement symbol lets you pay 2 karma to move 3 spaces.

In BGA, review an exchange before confirming it. Splitting can restore several playable energy cards. Consolidating everything into one card can be dangerous: follow any safeguard explanation shown by the interface.

== The river and recovery ==
Land is spaces 1–18; the river is 19–36. Entering the river through an ordinary movement action does not itself require a card payment.

After Strategise and all its effects, a non-Dog player finishing in the river normally returns one energy card. If Strategise began in the river, retreating 8 spaces is an alternative and also recovers the remaining leftmost pair. The BGA adaptation applies continuation safeguards where necessary; follow its payment/retreat prompt.

Dog instead gains an energy-1 card when Strategising on land, or advances 1 space in the river without returning energy.

== Animal abilities ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Animal !! Ability reminder
|-
| Rat || Extra starting energy and karma; priority in a tied first-place finish.
|-
| Ox || Combining into energy 4 moves 1 space; combining into 5 or 6 moves 2. Splitting gives no movement.
|-
| Tiger || Combining costs one less energy. Declining an available exchange moves 1 space.
|-
| Rabbit || Reduces downward-action karma cost by 1.
|-
| Dragon || Adds 1 to a positive karma gain. May spend 1 karma as 2 energy during an exchange.
|-
| Snake || Moves 1 space per karma actually paid for a lower-numbered action.
|-
| Horse || Gains one extra step when sharing an action with a lower-energy player. At round end may retreat 1 space to gain an energy-1 card and 1 karma; not at Start or after finishing.
|-
| Goat || Sharing an action gives one optional bonus exchange per round, regardless of energy ranking.
|-
| Monkey || Sharing an action gives an energy-1 card, once per round and subject to the ownership limit.
|-
| Rooster || Sharing an action gives 1 karma, once per round and subject to the karma limit.
|-
| Dog || Special Strategise benefit described above; exempt from river payment.
|-
| Pig || At 3 players, qualifies with the uniquely lowest printed action. At 4–5, either unique highest or unique lowest qualifies. Choose an energy-1 card or 1 karma; at 5 players, moving 1 space is another choice. Repeat counts as 7.
|}

Where action and animal effects interact, use the effect-order choices offered by BGA. Caps, recovery and location can make the order matter.

== Winning ==
When someone reaches the Heavenly Palace, finish resolving the round. Finishers rank before non-finishers. Among finishers, Rat has priority, then the lower printed action number, then more karma. Remaining identical ties share rank in this adaptation. Non-finishers rank by distance along the track.

== BGA controls and adaptation notes ==
* '''Player aid''' gives an overview; '''Action card help''' explains individual actions.
* You can change a sealed plan only before everyone reveals. You cannot undo a revealed round.
* Effect-resolution ties on position use reverse Zodiac order: Pig, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Goat, Horse, Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, Rat. Track position takes priority. This does not replace energy competition rules.
* Layout and playback settings affect your view. Shared exchanges and other required decisions still need confirmation.
* Check hand count separately from owned count. Save a recovery route before your options shrink.

== Official rules and further reading ==
This is an original learning summary, not a replacement for the complete rulebook.

* [https://startingplayer.com/wp-content/uploads/Race-for-the-Chinese-Zodiac-Game-Rules.pdf Official English rulebook]
* [https://startingplayer.com/games/race-chinese-zodiac-%E7%94%9F%E8%82%96%E6%B1%BA/rules-and-downloads/ Publisher rules and downloads]
* [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/231876/race-for-the-chinese-zodiac BoardGameGeek game entry]

Gamehelpraceforthechinesezodiac - Revision history

Judgementd: /* Goal and quick start */ Shorten opening and make race instructions more inviting

Judgementd: Create original English learning guide: setup, actions, all animals, recovery, exchanges and BGA controls