How to Play
Outbreak on Hypatia is played in alternating phases between the enemy Phage and the crew of the Hypatia.
The main activity of the game involves trying to take "tricks" at the various stations of the starship by having humans with the right skills at the right place at the right time. This enables you to activate various ship systems to attain your goals and hopefully avoid being overrun by the Phage.
During the Phage phase, three (or more) Phage cards will be added to the various stations around the ship. Each Phage card has a 3x3 matrix on it which can be used to determine placement, so your enemy is unpredictable!
In the Crew phase, you will play a card from your hand to direct your crew what to do and where to go. There are three ways to play your crew members, giving you many strategic options:
- You can play a crew member directly into a station to compete for the "trick" there. Each station has a "win" and "lose" consequence; if the humans win a trick at a station, they receive the "win" benefit. If the Phage wins a trick, the humans suffer the "lose" penalty.
- You can use a crew member to power the "Tower Action" related to its suit. For instance, the "Tower Action" for science officers is to discard the officer to reveal three Phage cards. These actions can be improved by winning tricks at particular stations, so your tower actions can become more effective as your officers develop strategies for dealing with the Phage.
- Finally, you can use a crew member as a "sentinel" to keep watch over a station. Each type of officer provides a different type of protective or enhancing effect for the station they watch over.
As the stations fill up, their tricks will start to resolve. When there are five cards at a station (human or Phage or both), then the trick resolves. But watch out! The alien fungus will attack first, and they will often kill one or more of your crew before you can use them to compete in the trick!
Winning tricks is the key to winning the game. For instance, you'll need to win a trick to turn on the self-destruct sequence or to launch a lifeboat. You will have to decide which stations to compete for and when to cut your losses!
You win the game if you destroy the Phage by blowing up the ship before the alien fungus can escape. Your score at the end of the game is equal to the number of humans who made it off of the Hypatia in the lifeboats.
You can download a copy of the rules to read how to play the game.