In
RoboRally, 2–8 players assume control of "
Robot Control Computers" in a dangerous widget factory filled with moving, course-altering
conveyor belts, metal-melting
laser beams, bottomless pits, crushers, and a variety of other obstacles. Using randomly dealt "program cards", the controllers attempt to maneuver their robot to reach a pre-designated number of checkpoints in a particular order.
Components The game box contains: • 4 double-sided map boards • 8 player mats • 8 robot tokens and matching archive markers • 8 Power Down tokens • 84 Program cards that either move a robot ahead or back, or turn it either 90 degrees left or right, or reverse its direction • 26 Option cards • 40 Life markers • 60 Damage tokens • two-sided Docking Bay board • 30-second hourglass timer • rulebook
Set-up Each player chooses a robot token and its matching archive token, and also receives three life tokens and a player mat. The players choose a race course by common consent, place numbered flags on it according to the race course chosen, and abut the Docking Panel board against the side of the map indicated by the race course chosen. In randomly determined order, each player places their robot on a starting square on the Docking Bay board with their matching archive marker under the robot.
Preparing to move On each turn: • The Program card deck is shuffled and nine cards are dealt to each player. • For each point of robot damage, the number of cards is reduced by 1. • Players plan how to get to the first numbered flag, choose five Program cards from their hand as the robot's next five moves, and place the cards in order facedown on the table. • When all players but one have chosen their cards, the 30-second sand timer is started. If this runs out while the last player is still choosing cards, the player's cards are chosen at random from the player's hand. • Unused cards are placed in a discard pile.
Movement • Each player simultaneously reveals their first Program card. The player with the highest numbered Program card moves first, followed by each player in order of descending Program card values. • If the robot hits a wall, it cannot proceed. • If a robot hits another robot, it pushes the second robot in front of it.
End of phase After everyone has moved (called a "phase") • the express conveyor belts move any robots on it one space in the direction of its arrows, rotating as the space they move on to. • the slow and express conveyor belts move any robots one space in the direction of its arrows, rotating as the space they move on to. • pushers push if active for that register phase. • gears rotate robots either 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise as indicated by their directional arrows • every board laser and robot fires a high intensity laser down the row of squares in front of them. If the beam hits a robot before being stopped by a wall, the target robot takes a point of damage. • crushers activate, destroying any robot on them. • If a robot ends a phase on a wrench or numbered flag, the player moves the robot's archive marker to that flag. If the robot was seeking that flag, the player now attempts to reach the next numbered flag. • If a robot ends a turn on any repair site (a space with a wrench), the robot's archive marker is moved to that spot. • If a robot ends a turn on a space with one wrench, one point of damage is repaired. • If a robot ends a turn on a space with two wrenches, two points of damage are repaired OR the robot receives a random upgrade card. • If a robot ends a turn on a space with a wrench and a hammer, one point of damage is repaired, AND the robot receives a random upgrade card. Play then returns to the beginning of the next turn. A player can choose to totally repair their robot by announcing, a turn in advance while programming their robot, that their robot will "power down" at the end of the coming turn. The robot plays the programmed turn, then shuts down for the entire next turn to repair itself. The robot returns to 100% status at the end of the turn. Any damage taken during the repair turn reduces the robot's current point total before repairs, and may destroy the robot before it completes its repairs.
Robot destruction If a robot takes more than 9 points of damage, or falls down a pit or drives off the board or is pushed off the board, the robot is destroyed. The player loses a Life token, and a clone of the robot with two damage returns at the start of the next turn on the robot's archive marker. If a player runs out of Life tokens, (four robots destroyed), the player is out of the game.
Victory conditions The first robot to touch the final numbered flag is the winner. ==Publication history==