Vacation Migration is a game for 2-4 players. The object is to get all 5 of your penguins from their home colony in Antarctica to a beach cabana in Hawaii. Each team of penguins has a different color, and must migrate to the cabana of the same color.
Penguins leave Antarctica on floating icebergs that take them north. Up to 3 penguins can travel together on one iceberg. Icebergs move between squares based on rolls of the die. However, the icebergs will melt once they reach the equator. This means that the penguins then have to swim the rest of the way. Each one must swim in their own square.
There are two obstacles between the penguins and their vacation destination. One obstacle is the cruise ships full of tourists who are desperate to get photos of penguins in their natural environment. They want to see penguins in Antarctica, not in Hawaii! If they see penguins heading north, the tourists will think the penguins are lost and “helpfully” send them back to where they started in Antarctica. The more penguins that are together on an iceberg, the greater chance that the tourists will spot them. But even swimming penguins can be spotted by the cruise ships, if they get too close.
There are two cruise ships: one that sails in the cold waters south of the equator (blue) and one that travels in the warm waters north of the equator (orange). However, you never know where the tourists will turn up in their hunt for photos. Each cruise ship moves randomly between squares, based on the numbered cruise ship cards.
Penguins must also avoid the shark that patrols the equator. Penguins are afraid of the shark and will always move away to avoid it. Luckily, the shark moves slowly back and forth, so penguins can be sure to avoid it.
There are safe icebergs south of the equator and safe islands north of the equator where penguins can avoid any danger.
The first player to get their team of penguins to their beach cabana in Hawaii wins the game!
The Rules
To begin the game each player chooses a color of penguin and places their team of penguins in a starting “colony” in Antarctica.
Shuffle each deck of cruise ship cards and place the blue deck on Antarctica and the orange deck on Hawaii.
The shark is placed at either side of the board on the equator.
At the beginning of every round, draw one card from each cruise ship deck and move the corresponding ship to the numbered square indicated on the card. The blue cruise ship stays in the cold waters south of the equator and the orange cruise ship stays in the warm waters north of the equator. If a "Free" card is turned over that boat is kept off the board for one round.
Also at the beginning of every round, move the shark one space forward along the equator. The shark moves square by square across the board to the other side, then turns around and heads back.
Players may roll the die to determine who goes first. When a player takes a turn he or she can decide how many penguins to launch on an iceberg (maximum of 3). The player rolls the die and moves the iceberg as many spaces as indicated on the die. Movement can be forward, right, or left but not backwards. All penguins on an iceberg move together.
Once everyone has had a turn, the shark moves one square ahead along the equator and the cruise ships move to the numbered square indicated by the next card turned over in their respective decks.
If penguins get too close to a cruise ship, the tourists will see them and send them back.
SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR
NORTH OF THE EQUATOR
South of the equator, cruise ships can see three penguins on an iceberg from two squares away, and can see two penguins on an iceberg from one square away. If a cruise ship lands in the same square as a single penguin, they see it. North of the equator, cruise ships can only see individual penguins one square away or in the same square. Any penguin that is seen by a cruise ship gets sent back to Antarctica, or to a safe island or safe iceberg, whichever is closer.
Moving Away from the Shark
If the shark lands next to a square with a penguin, the penguin automatically jumps away from the shark one square. If the penguin is south of the equator, it jumps south, and if it is north of the equator, it jumps north. If there is another penguin on the square it would jump to, it jumps over that penguin and lands two squares away from the shark.
At the Equator
ICEBERG GOES BACK TO PICK UP MORE PENGUINS
Once the penguins reach the equator and the iceberg melts, players line up their penguins individually on the nearest squares north of the equator. If a square is already occupied, the penguins have to wait on their icebergs south of the melt line until an opening appears. Remove the melted iceberg from the board. Now each penguin moves individually.
North of the equator each penguin moves individually. Players can move their penguins in any combination of spaces as long as the total number of spaces is the number on the die. For example: for a roll of 5, one penguin can move 3 spaces and another can move 2.
The goal is to move penguins into the beach cabana with their team’s color. Penguins can land on the cabana at any time during a move (you do not have to use all the moves). However, the last penguin on a team must land in the cabana exactly on the number of the die roll.
The first team to get all their penguins to their cabana is the winner!