Board Game Zona - The Secret of Chernobyl

An adventure board game set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The game was developed by Polish game designers, fans of the «S.T.A.L.K.E.R.» and «METRO 2033» universes. If you are also a fan of the «S.T.A.L.K.E.R.» video game series, we guarantee that you will like this board game of the iconic 3D shooters.

Tabletop S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Players become seekers and set off on a journey through the radioactive wasteland. They explore various locations of the Zone, looking for valuable artifacts, useful equipment and other strange things that will help them overcome all the challenges on the way to the nuclear power plant and unravel the mysteries of Chernobyl.

Decades have passed since the nuclear disaster, but a secret life is still raging in the Chernobyl radioactive zone. If you believe the rumors, dangerous ugly creatures roam there. They say that in the Zone you can encounter anomalies that violate the laws of physics. They also talk about the Source - as if this legendary artifact really exists. But soon this Source will reach its critical mass and destabilize, which will lead to an even more terrible catastrophe than the explosion of 1986.

So, you immediately begin your journey to the Sarcophagus - towards glory... or death.

Gameplay

At the beginning of the game, players choose seekers, characters with special abilities and characteristic values ​​- observation, athleticism, willpower, and intelligence. Seekers also have different reputations, stamina, and starting equipment. 

The game consists of rounds, and each round consists of successive phases. During each phase, players take turns, starting with the player with the Zone Voice token (the first player). The phases are played in the following order:

1. Action Phase

Each player can perform a maximum of two actions per turn.

• Movement. A player moves their seeker figure to an adjacent location. If there is a threat token in it, the seeker must face that threat.
• Search. The player takes a search action to face a threat in the current location.
• Location Action. Each location has its own action. The player can take the action of the location their seeker is in.
• Unlock Secret Location. While in a location adjacent to a locked secret location, the player can fulfill the conditions to unlock it.
• Rest. Reduce fatigue by 1.

2. Event Phase

Each player, in turn order, takes 1 event card that corresponds to the location where their character figure is located. Not all locations have a corresponding event deck. Players in the Chernobyl, Pripyat, or Duga locations skip this phase. After taking the card, the seeker reads the text on it aloud and plays the event. Event cards describe adventures, dangers, or chance encounters. When playing an event card, the seeker passes a check or makes a choice.

If, while playing an event in a secret location, the seeker reaches the line "You have solved the mystery", he places this event card under his tablet. Only after the seeker solves two mysteries in two separate secret locations will he be able to reach the Sarcophagus. 

If the seeker is instructed to read the last paragraph of the Sarcophagus event card (the inverted fragment of text), the game ends with him winning.

3. Rumor Phase

The Voice of the Zone takes one rumor card, reads the text on it aloud, and carries out the instructions. Rumor cards affect the overall situation on the playing field. During this phase, an emission may occur. A wave of destructive radiation will erupt from the reactor, covering the entire Zone. The ejection can be fatal for seekers who do not hide in bunkers in time.

Passing checks

Encounters with anomalies, fights with mutants, external location events, and some location actions require checking certain characteristics of seekers. In this case, the symbol of the characteristic that needs to be checked will be indicated on the card. To pass the check, the seeker rolls three dice. He adds the rolled results to the value of the characteristic being checked.

• For each (+) obtained, the seeker adds 1 to the value of the characteristic.
• For each (–) obtained, the seeker subtracts 1 from the value of the characteristic.
• The symbol (A) is considered an empty face and does not affect the result of the check. However, if at least 2 dice with the symbol (A) are rolled during the check, the seeker takes 1 damage.

After the roll, the seeker may make an effort to reroll. To do so, he increases his fatigue by 1 and rerolls one die of any kind. This can be done only once per check. The effects of some items and character abilities also allow dice to be rerolled.

To pass a characteristic check, the final result must equal or exceed the specified difficulty of the check.

Encounter a threat

1. Threat property. The threat property is listed on the back of the token.
2. Spot. The seeker makes an Observation check with the difficulty value listed on the threat token. If he fails, he takes the damage indicated on the threat token. After making an observation check (regardless of the result), he can avoid the collision and escape. If the seeker flees, the encounter ends. 
3. Collision. If the seeker decides to overcome the threat, he must make a collision check. He checks the characteristic indicated on the token as usual. If he fails the collision check, he takes the damage indicated on the threat token, and the encounter ends. If the seeker successfully makes the collision check, he overcomes the threat and gains the reward.
4. Reward. After overcoming the anomaly, the seeker usually gains an artifact of the color indicated on the token. After defeating the mutant, the seeker takes its token as a trophy. The trophy can be sold at any bunker for the price indicated on the token.

Victory and Defeat

• The game ends with the defeat of all seekers if the Rumor Deck is exhausted. The seekers have waited too long and the Source has been destroyed.
• The game ends with the victory of one (and only one) player during the event phase. If the player in the Sarcophagus location has reached the end of the game description on the event card, he is the winner.