A.R.N.O.

– RULES: The Artificial Randomized Neutral Opponent (short ARNO)

offers an alternative solo mode challenge. These are the main differences compared
to the official solo mode:
Ͳ ARNO can also act as a third/fourth player against two/three human players
Ͳ Several ARNOs can be used in a game
Ͳ Not just a highscore-chase – ARNO can win the game
Ͳ ARNO can act with three difficulty levels (easy/medium/hard)
Ͳ ARNO interacts with the human players by taking cards from the display, advancing the
break token, gaining partner zoos and universities or giving reference values for effects of
animal cards, etc.
Ͳ Variable number of rounds instead of the fixed 27 in the official mode
GENERAL:
Ͳ ARNO doesn‘t use money. He doesn‘t spend money for actions, and never receives
money (for example during breaks or from Animal cards).
Ͳ ARNO only uses the right area of his zoo mat. This is where he places his partner
zoos and universities and where he takes his association workers from. He also receives
the bonuses once he uncovers them. The left area of his zoo plan will not be considered
and only be used to place his Zoo cards and Final Scoring card.
Ͳ ARNO receives the following bonuses from his zoo plan and the general boards:
Conservation points, card upgrades, reputation points and association
workers. Besides money he also doesn’t receive any bonuses from Animal or Sponsor
cards, buildings, enclosures, X-markers or during breaks.
Ͳ The Animal cards that are stacked on ARNO’s zoo mat provide reference values for
certain card effects of the human players. Whenever ARNO places another Animal
card on his stack, its icons will trigger the card effects of the other player(s).
Ͳ ARNO can never be the target of an interactive effect. Please use the alternative
solo play effects of those cards instead.
SETUP:
1. Set up the game according to player count (including ARNO(s)). A human player will be
the starting player. Every ARNO starts with one conservation point and appeal points
according to the player order. E.g. if ARNO is the 3rd player, he starts with 2 appeal
points.
2. Every ARNO receives the components of one color, a zoo mat (map A), one face-down
Final Scoring card and 8 random Zoo cards.
3. Additionally every ARNO gets 5 ARNO-Action cards.
4. Place the Animal Action-card below slot 1 of ARNO’s zoo mat and the other 4 cards
randomly distributed below the other slots with side I up.
5. Place all player tokens of ARNO’s color next to his zoo mat.
6. ARNO starts with one association worker on his notepad. Place the remaining 3 on the
designated spaces below the notepad on his zoo mat.
7. Place the Final Scoring card on the left area of the zoo mat. This will cover the building
area which is not needed for ARNO.
8. Sort ARNO‘s 8 Zoo cards according to type:
- Discard all Sponsor cards.
 - Stack all Animal cards next to ARNO’s Final Scoring card, so you can still see the
information in the upper right corners of each card.
- Build another stack with all Conservation Project cards ARNO has. If ARNO starts with
none, begin the stack when he receives his first Project card.
Every time ARNO receives further cards during the game, discard or sort those cards
again according to the instructions above.
RANDOM SELECTION: Sometimes ARNO’s choices are determined by rolling a
die with equal possibilities for all possible options/results:
Ͳ If ARNO receives an undetermined bonus, for example by advancing on the Conservation
track, it will be randomly determined among all possible bonuses.
Ͳ However, once ARNO reaches 2 conservation points, he always chooses to take an
additional association worker.
Ͳ ARNO always chooses one of the two variable bonus tiles and not the pre-printed ones,
if possible. The determined tile will be removed from the game afterwards and won‘t be
available to the other players anymore.
Ͳ When ARNO receives a card upgrade, an Action card that’s still on level I will be
randomly selected. All cards will get the same possibility. Cards on level II won’t be
considered.
ACTION CARDS: When it’s ARNO’s turn, randomly determine which of his cards on the
slots 2-5 will be used. Use a D6 or D8 or D12 and the following table to determine which card
to use:

Position D6 D8 D12
2 2 1/2 1/2/3
3 3 3/4 4/5/6
4 4 5/6 7/8/9
5 5 7/8 10/11/12
Reroll 1/6 - -
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ŚŝƐĚŝĨĨŝĐƵůƚLJůĞǀĞů;ĞĂƐLJͬŵĞĚŝƵŵͬŚĂƌĚͿ͘
CARDS ACTION I:
Ͳ Break + 1
Ͳ ARNO randomly takes one card from the display
Ͳ Appeal +2
CARDS ACTION II:
Ͳ Break + 1
Ͳ ARNO randomly takes one card from the display
Ͳ Conservation +2
The Break token will be moved to the left normally. If that causes a Break, execute all steps
normally except that ARNO receives no income and no X-markers.
The card that ARNO receives from the display will be randomly determined by a die roll. ARNO
can access all 6 slots of the display not limited by his reputation.
BUILD ACTION I:
Ͳ Strength 2: Reputation +1
Ͳ Strength 3: Appeal +2/3/4
Ͳ Strength 4: ARNO randomly takes one card from the display
Ͳ Strength 5: Conservation +2/3/4
BUILD ACTION II:
Ͳ Strength 2: Reputation +2
Ͳ Strength 3: Appeal +3/4/5
Ͳ Strength 4: ARNO places 1/2/3 of his player tokens on his notepad (final
scoring effect)
Ͳ Strength 5: Conservation +3/4/5
The chosen action depends on the current level and therefore strength of the Action card. If
ARNO hasn’t upgraded his Card-action to level II yet, his reputation can not be increased above
9 points, and additional points are lost.
ANIMALS ACTION I:
Ͳ Appeal +X/+X+1/+X+2
ANIMALS ACTION II:
Ͳ Appeal +X+1/+X+2/+X+3
The appeal points ARNO receives depend on the difficulty level and the slot X (2-5) of the
Action card.
SPONSORS ACTION I:
Ͳ Break +X
Ͳ ARNO places one of his player tokens on his final scoring card (if there are
already 6 tokens: conservation +2)
SPONSORS ACTION II:
Ͳ Break +X
Ͳ Appeal +X
Ͳ ARNO places one of his player tokens on his notepad (final scoring effect)
If there are already 6 tokens on his Final Scoring card, from then on ARNO receives
Conservation points +2 as long as the Action card is on level I.
ASSOCIATION ACTION I: ARNO places one association worker, if available:
Ͳ Strength 2: Reputation +2
Ͳ Strength 3: Gains a partner zoo
Ͳ Strength 4: Gains partner university
Ͳ Strength 5: Conservation project work
Ͳ Alternative: Conservation +2; Break +2
ASSOCIATION ACTION II: ARNO places one association worker, if available, AND
donates:
Ͳ Strength 2: Reputation +2
Ͳ Strength 3: Gains partner zoo
Ͳ Strength 4: Gains partner university
Ͳ Strength 5: Conservation project work
Ͳ Alternative: Conservation +2; Break +2
If ARNO already has one of his workers on this association task, he selects the next higher task
where none of his workers is placed yet. Basically he is using X-markers to enhance the action;
he never places two workers on the same action. If no higher task is available, he selects the next
available lower task. If ARNO has no available worker anymore, he receives conservation points
+2 and advances the Break token +2.
Partner zoo, university and Conservation Project will be randomly selected. ARNO never selects
a partner that is already on his zoo mat. If only those are available or he already supported all
available Conservation Projects – next to the Association board and on his stack – continue as if
he had already placed a worker on this task (see above).
The selection of the supported Conservation Project is as follows: If ARNO has no remaining
Conservation Project cards on his zoo map, he supports a project next to the Association board
he has not supported yet. If possible, he prefers a project without any player tokens. If none
exist, he randomly selects a project without his token, but with at least one free slot.
ARNO places his token on the easy level at the rightmost slot, on medium in the middle and on
the high level at the leftmost slot of the chosen project. If this slot is already covered by another
player, he places it on the next level to the left. If that’s not possible as well, on the next available
level to the right.
If ARNO still has exactly one Conservation Project card on his zoo map, determine at first if
ARNO plays this card or supports a project that was already placed next to the Association
board. Both possibilities get a 50%-chance based on a die roll. If ARNO plays his card, place his
player token according to his difficulty level. Otherwise proceed as described above.
If ARNO has more than one Conservation Project card on his map, he plays one of those cards
and places his player token according to the difficulty level. Randomly determine which card he
chooses. In any case, afterwards ARNO receives the corresponding points of the supported
project. If ARNO was able to place one of his workers and the Association action-card was
upgraded to level II, he also makes a donation. Place one of his player tokens on the next
available spot in the “donation” area. ARNO receives one conservation point.
END OF GAME AND FINAL SCORING:
ARNO can trigger the end of the game like any human player. If a human player triggers the end
of the game, every ARNO has one more turn. ARNO receives 0-4 conservation points
depending on the number of player tokens on his Final Scoring card minus 2. Additionally he
receives one conservation point for every player token that was placed on his notepad. The
determination of the final victory points and the winner of the game remains unchanged. In case
of a tie, ARNO is ahead.