Gamehelpnowboarding

Quick Help

🔊 Audio recommended. This is a highly-interactive game that benefits from a voice call. BGA Premium members can start an audio chat from the table, or consider a third-party service such as Skype on the Web (the host needs a free Skype account, but others can join as guests).

😡 Account issue? Contact Board Game Arena support regarding ELO, karma, penalties, reputation, etc.

🪲 Other game issue? View and report bugs in Now Boarding.

How To Play

Now Boarding is a co-operative, simultaneous-play game in which you work together to fly a fleet of airplanes. All players take actions at the same time in this chaotic and clever twist on pick-up-and-deliver. Coordinate your efforts to transport passengers, improve your planes, and access new flight paths so you can deliver everyone to their destination by the end of the day. But watch out for stormy weather and flaring tempers! Will three passenger complaints will put your airline out of business, or will your team be a soaring success?

The game has three stages (morning, afternoon, evening) each with a maintenance phase and a flight phase. To win, deliver as many passengers as possible and end the game without receiving 3 complaints.

Setup

• Each player chooses a different starting airport and alliance. In two-player games, you also choose an additional alliance.

• Each player chooses a starting upgrade. Your plane starts with 1 seat + 3 speed, so you'll end up with either 1 seat + 4 speed or 2 seats + 3 speed, depending which upgrade you choose.

• Each player receives a passenger in their starting airport.

Maintenance Phase

New Weather

The weather changes at the beginning of each stage (morning, afternoon, evening). Tailwinds and storms will appear on the map (see "Move" section below) depending on the player count. The number of rounds for each stage also varies based on player count -- look in the top-right corner, above the player panels.

New Passengers

New passengers arrive at airports every round (more passengers during later stages). Players decide together how to best serve the passengers. The destinations for new passengers aren't revealed until the flight phase, so you'll always be working with imperfect information.

Purchase

If you have enough cash, you can purchase upgrades for your plane. You can buy additional alliances to unlock more movement options, additional seats to carry more passengers, and additional speed to travel farther on each turn.

The Temporary Seat and Temporary Speed upgrades are each one-time use and limited to a single copy. For example, after the red player purchases the Temporary Seat it will be unavailable until he or she boards a passenger into it.

No change is given when paying for purchases, so you may need to consider whether it's worth overpaying for something now or waiting until you collect more cash and have exact change.

Upgrade	Cost
Alliance	$7
Seat 2	$5
Seat 3	$9
Seat 4	$13
Seat 5	$17
Speed 4	$5
Speed 5	$7
Speed 6	$9
Speed 7	$11
Speed 8	$13
Speed 9	$15
Temporary Seat (board an extra passenger once)	$2
Temporary Speed (move an extra space once)	$1

Flight Phase

During the flight phase, a timer begins and the destinations for new passengers are revealed. Players take actions simultaneously until the time is up! You can take multiple actions in any order.

Move

You can move as many spaces as your plane's speed during each flight phase. (You can break up these movements with other actions.) The map shows all your possible moves with the corresponding fuel cost. Simply click on a numbered space to move there. Each move costs 1 fuel unless modified by the weather. Moving through a tailwind costs 0 fuel (faster travel) while moving through a storm costs 2 fuel (slower travel).

You can't move on special route spaces (dots with logos) unless you've joined the corresponding alliance.

Pick Up Passengers

While your plane is on an airport space, you can pick up passengers as long as your plane has empty seats. Simply click on a passenger to board them.

Tip: You can board passengers directly from other planes at the airport, too

Drop Off Passengers

While your plane is on an airport space, you can drop off passengers. Simply click on a passenger to deplane them.

• If you delivered the passenger to their destination, they disappear and add to your cash pile. You can spend cash during the preparation phase to purchase upgrades.

• Otherwise, the passenger remains in the airport and waits for a flight to their destination. All the passenger's anger will be erased (the passenger is happy to be on their way somewhere) unless you returned the passenger to the same airport where they boarded your plane (the passenger isn't fooled in that case).

Time's Up!

For real-time games, the duration of the flight phase is strictly enforced! Once the time is up, the flight phase will automatically end and you will forfeit any remaining move/actions. The limited time is an important aspect of the decision making in this game, but you can create your table with a "Double Time" or "Relaxed Timer" game option (or play a turn-based game) if you do not enjoy this.

Anger and Complaints

When the flight phase ends, 1 anger is added to every passenger waiting in an airport. If a passenger would ever receive 4 anger, they leave and file a complaint. If you ever receive 3 complaints, your airline goes out of business and you lose the game.

Final Round

During the final round, no new passengers are added during the maintenance phase. After the final flight phase, 1 complaint is added for every 2 remaining passengers.

VIP Variant

This variant increases the difficulty by designating 4-7 passengers (depending on player count) as VIPs with complications like "must board first" or "must fly alone". During the maintenance phase, players decide together whether to accept a VIP passenger. You can't accept more than 1 VIP per round.

When each stage ends (morning, afternoon, evening), any VIPs you did not accept immediately file complaints. Try to accept VIPs when things are going well, but don't wait too long and leave VIPs unserved.