ATTACK OF THE INTERGALACTIC GHERKINS

AIM OF THE GAME

Attack of the Intergalactic Gherkins is a space-vegetable-enraged adventure card game. 

Having been set-upon by the terrifying Intergalactic Gherkins, you must assist the hapless astronauts rebuild their ships and return home to hot chocolate, marshmallows and puppy dogs (or sedentary kittens if you prefer those). Players draw cards to move around the four planets of the solar system, collecting missing ship parts and rebuilding their spaceships before returning home - easy right? 

Well that would be true, if it weren’t for your fellow players employing cloaking devices, meteor showers and of course those alliterating aliens appropriating artifacts...and that’s before we even mention the Gherkins!

Be the first to escape this bizarre galaxy, where asteroid belts exist only to hold up your space trousers, or be forever tormented by Cosmic Ray doing the Funky Chicken.

card types

As well as character cards and Ship Parts, there are three main action card types in the game. These will HELP a player, HINDER a player or opponent, or allow you to MOVE around the four planets. Some cards both HELP & HINDER. See below for the card types in the Base Game. See further cards in the Sprout Support Expansion and Stealthy Space Skills mini Expansion.

How TO PLAY

Each player starts with four action cards in their hand and takes one card from the deck at the start of their turn.

If the card is Gherkins Attack, then it must be dealt with straight away and your turn ends. Discarded Ship Parts cards are placed at the planet of the attacked player.

All other cards that are picked up can be held, played or discarded, along with those in your hand. Play or discard as many as you like, but you can only end your turn holding a maximum of four cards.

Some cards can be played at times during other player’s turns, which is stated on the card itself.

Each movement card allows you to move to the next planet clockwise, unless otherwise stated on the card. 

If you visit a planet, you collect a Ship Parts card if one is available and your turn ends. Only four Ship Parts cards can be collected by any player.  Ship Parts cards aren't held in your hand and don't count as part of the four card limit.

If you don’t move, your turn ends once you choose to no longer play any more cards.

Winning the game

Once you have four Ship Parts cards, use a movement card to move to The Sun to slingshot your way back to your own galaxy and escape the Intergalactic Gherkins!

So now you’re the winner, you can take your buddies home...or leave them to Cosmic Ray’s terrible dance moves for all eternity...your choice! Winner winner, chicken dinner!

For a shorter game, reduce the number of Ship Parts cards needed to win. For a longer game, each player must collect one of each of the four types of Ship Parts cards, as explained in more depth here.

Five & Six PLayer Games, Longer Game Mode & Advanced Play

When playing with five players, the planet where two players start will give a slight disadvantage, and so to even this out, those two players start the game (playing first and second) and should sit at the table next to one another.

When playing with six players, the game length will increase significantly and so only five sets of Ship Parts cards are used, in order to be able to finish the game in a reasonable time. When setting up, place a player at each planet and then two opposite each other. Of course with less Ship Parts per player available, you will need to adjust your strategy accordingly!

For a longer and more tactical game, players must collect one each of the four different Ship Parts card designs. These should be placed one of each design on each pile, with a different design on each layer. So if you removed the top four cards for example, the four cards beneath would be different to the cards above and below them. See further examples here.