A game in which the entire family can fly along.

Before the Game Begins

Have fun and may strong winds speed you in the right direction!

This game was developed for Fanta together with Tom Werneck.

Included in the Game:

• 10 Start-Goal Cards
• 40 Flight Route Cards
• 25 Chance Cards
• 5 Balloons
• 1 Wind Rose
• 1 Game Board
• 2 Dice -- one is a replacement die

Preparations:

1. The three types of cards are separated and shuffled.
2. Next each player receives a Start-Goal card which he places face up before him. That is his start location. He places his balloon there [i.e. on the corresponding space on the board.]
3. Now each player receives four orange Flight Route cards. These are the in-between locations of the voyage.
4. Then each player receives yet another Start-Goal card which he places face up to the right. This is his goal.
5. Between the Start-Goal cards the players must now place their four Flight Route cards. The order is up to the player and should yield the best possible travel route. After the game has begun the order may not be changed.
6. The Chance cards are placed face down next to the board.
7. If the players want a longer game, then each receives five Flight Route cards. Or if a shorter game is preferred, deal only three.

The Balloon and How Fast It May Fly

1. The balloon has four levels from which to choose:
   • All the way to the bottom: The balloon has landed and may not move.
   • First level: The balloon is flying low; the wind here blows only weakly. The balloon can only be moved one step.
   • Second level: The balloon is flying at medium altitude. The wind here blows somewhat more strongly. Therefore the balloon must be moved two steps.
   • Third level: The balloon is flying very high: the wind here blows quite strongly. The balloon must be moved three steps.
2. The altitude may be chosen before moving so as to best arrive in the desired direction.
   • only 1 level up
   • or as far down as desired

The Die and How It Is Used

An arrow pointing to the right indicates that the wind rose is turned one space right.

An arrow pointing to the left indicates that the wind rose is turned one space left.

The white dot indicates that a Chance card must be drawn.

The Chance Cards – They Help or Hurt

• The Chance cards can either be played immediately or held depending on what the text says.
• If a Chance card and a Flight Route card are in conflict, the Chance card takes precedence.
• Resolved Chance cards are placed back under the deck.
• No player may hold more than 3 Chance cards.
• There may never be more than 1 played per turn.

The Wind Rose – How the Wind Blows

Example: [see picture in German version of the rules]
With this placement of the wind rose a balloon at the qualifying altitudes may fly in the six directions shown by the arrows.

Ready to Start!

1. First decide who begins. Players take turns in clockwise order.
2. When it is your turn:
   • Roll the die
   • Change the wind rose accordingly (or leave it unchanged if the die instructs to take a Chance card)
   • You may change your balloon’s altitude or leave it as it is (move one level up or as many down as you like)
   • Move your balloon (or leave it where it is if it has landed).
3. Each location which must be visited counts as reached if the balloon stops on it or lands on it. (Simply flying over it is not sufficient.)
4. At that time the card for the location is read, its instructions followed and the card turned over.
5. Whoever is first to reach his goal wins.

More

1. If a player does not wish to move because the wind direction is not favorable he may land. On the next turn it must move again, even if the direction is still undesireable -- unless a Chance card prescribes something else.
2. Only one balloon can stop at each point of the board. But: at different altitudes a balloon can fly over or under another.

Example 2: [see picture in German version of the rules]
A balloon is at altitude 2 and finds before him a balloon at altitude 3. He can fly under it.

Example 3: [see picture in German version of the rules]
A balloon is at altitude 1 and in his way is a balloon at altitude 2 or 3. He cannot fly under it since he can only move one space.

Chance Cards

Ballastabwurf -- Ballast Drop. You may raise your balloon as high as you like. Play immediately.

Chance -- Chance. If the wind rose is not favorable, you may roll again. Must be used immediately.

Flaute -- Becalmed. You travel one step less than the wind rose indicates. Play immediately or save for later.

Günstige Winde -- Favorable winds. On this turn you may ignore the wind rose and the altitude and move along any line as far as you like. Must be played immediately.

Gewitter -- Thunderstorm. A rising thunderstorm forces an immediate landing. Resolve immediately.

Hilfestellung -- Assistance. If you wish you may remove from the game one of the face up Flight Route cards of one of your opponents. Must be played immediately.

Nebel -- Fog. You must land! If you are already landed, you sit out this turn. Takes effect immediately.

Niedrige Wolken -- Low-Hanging Clouds. You may not fly at altitudes 2 or 3 this turn. Resolved immediately.

Reparatur (Bremerhaven) -- Repairs. Your balloon is defective. Immediately place your balloon in the manufacturing works at Bremerhaven (or if it is occupied on a neighboring point). You may re-order your Flight Route cards and on your next turn raise your altitude as high as you like. Takes effect immediately.

Reparatur (Nürnberg) -- Repairs. Your balloon is defective. Immediately place your balloon in the manufacturing works at Nürnberg (or if it is occupied on a neighboring point). You may re-order your Flight Route cards and on your next turn raise your altitude as high as you like. Takes effect immediately.

Reserve -- Reserve [Tank]. If you play this card you do not roll the die or change the wind rose. You may however move your balloon along any line to an adjacent intersection. May be played on your next turn at the earliest.

Routenwechsel -- Route Change. You may give one of your face up Flight Route cards to an opponent. This player must also visit this location during the course of play, but may re-order his Flight Route cards. Must be played immediately.

Starke Bö -- Strong Squall. A strong squall sends you in your direction two steps further than the wind rose indicates. Use immediately or save for later.

Wettergott -- Weather God. You may set the wind rose as you like and then move. In this round all the players going after you do not roll the die. Play immediately.

Flight Route Cards

Allgäu -- Take a day off and launch from the Zugspitze peak. Lose a turn unless you can name 5 different mountains in Germany.

Alpen -- You take a course in Alpenhorn blowing and win a prize. Instead of rolling the die, on your next turn you may set the wind rose as you like.

Attendorn -- Once, for a change, travel under the earth to visit the "throne room" stalactite caves. In addition you must land and lose one turn.

Bad Segeberg -- You find the Karl May (famous author of adventure novels) Festival in progress. The campfires of the Indians give impetus to your balloon. You may move your balloon one step to the unoccupied point of your choice.

Baden-Baden -- You have lost your money playing roulette. One consolation: the flying is easier with an empty pocket. If you know how many different denominations of money there are in Germany, then on your next turn you can increase your altitude as much as you like.

Bayerischer Wald -- In the Bavarian woods you go to collect mushrooms. Unfortunately there are a lot of other collectors there. As a consolation, roll the die and go again.

Bodensee -- You make a quick dip to bathe in Lake Constance and would like to continue as quickly as possible. If you can hold your breath more than 10 seconds, you can roll the die and go again.

Bremen -- The Bremen Town Musicians and your opponents will listen to you if you now sing them a song. After that you may roll the die and take another turn!

Bremerhaven -- You visit the famous naval museum to see a very old Viking ship. As a strong breeze blows in from the sea, on your next turn you may set your altitude as high as you like.

Burg Eltz -- You would like to see the castle -- which is the same one that appears on the 500 Mark note -- from the ground. Please land. Continue as normal on your next turn.

Daumee -- Till Eulenspiegel is said to have been born here. Now you are Till and play a prank on your opponents. You may move every opponent's balloon to an adjacent step.

Dornröschenschloß -- Here the Brothers Grimm wrote their fairy tales. You may now play the part of a fairy tale prince and kiss or awaken one of your fellow players. The awakened player is next to take a turn.

Elsaß -- The Alsatian Stork may not be disturbed. Continue on at altitudes 2 or 3. You may set the altitude of your balloon as high as you like.

Epinal -- The player card museum simply must be seen. Thus, please land.

Fantasialand -- At Fantasy Land you throw successfully. Meanwhile a strong wind has arisen. On your next turn, place your balloon at altitude 3 and move it three points. Set the wind rose by hand without rolling the die.

Feldberg -- The highest point of Black Forest may not be flown over too low. Either land or go to at least altitude 2.

Hameln -- You would like to just once be the Pied Piper of Hameln. You may immediately move the balloons of all opponents to adjacent, vacant points.

Les Moulins -- You view the famous aqueduct from Roman times. On the next turn you can set the wind rose as you like.

Lisse/Tulpenfelder -- You fly over unending tulip fields. Draw a flower on a piece of paper. If your right neighbour likes it, you may fly on; if not, you lose one turn.

Lüneburger Heide -- You meet a large herd of sheep. If you can bleat like a sheep, you can roll the die and go again. Otherwise: lose a turn.

Luxembourg -- Time to relax and take a canoe trip - on the Alzette through delightful countryside. Therefore: lose one turn.

Madurodam -- You would like to look at the miniature city from all sides. You may immediately place your balloon on a vacant neighboring point.

Mainz -- In Mainz the jokers are loose. You want to listen to absolutely all the carnival speeches. Therefore: lose 2 turns, unless you can tell a joke at which at least one other player laughs.

Massif-Central -- In the Massif-Central one must reckon with rapid and complete shifts in weather. If you do not care for the wind settings after your next roll, you may roll again before you move.

Mecheln -- World-famous lace is made here. You would also like to try it. If you can twine the hair of an opponent into a pigtail (plait), you can immediately roll the die and go again.

Montreux -- A music festival is taking place. In high spirits from the music, you may roll the die and go again.

Nürburgring -- An exciting auto race is taking place. If you can name 10 makes of automobiles, you can roll immediately roll the die and go again.

Nürnberg -- You have taken aboard too many Nuremberg gingerbreads and toys. Now that's ballast. Therefore next turn you must go to altitude 1 or land.

Nordholland -- The windmills are whirling. Please do not come too close. Land on the neighboring point of your choice.

Picknick -- You are in urgent need of refreshments. So you land for a picnic with Fanta. Refreshed, you may now roll and go again.

Spessart -- The inn at Spessart draws you in. But the place is haunted. Your right-hand neighbor may move your balloon two points away to a vacant point.

Stuttgart -- Here the people are well known for being very industrious. Whoever lands here must lend a hand after the good old proverb "Work, work, build houses." Thus: land and lose a turn.

Teufelsmoor -- You follow a will-o'-the-wisp into the moor. Your right-hand neighbor may move your balloon to any vacant adjacent point.

Triberg -- A splendid view: Germany's highest waterfall (168 meters) is viewable from the balloon. If you know the name of the world's most famous waterfall, on your next turn you can set the altitude of your balloon as high as you like.

Walsrode/Vogelpark -- If you have seen the bird park in Walsrode, it will be easy to count 10 different types of birds. Therefore you may immediately roll and go again.

Wasserkuppe -- In the paradise for gliders favorable winds are the rule. Also for you. You may on your next turn set your balloon's altitude as high as you like.

Weserbergland -- You would like to take an excursion to the Westphalian Portal. You can roll the die and go again.

Wolfsburg/VW -- From here comes the most famous beetle in the world: the VW. You have 10 seconds to name 5 other beetles, otherwise you must land and lose a turn.

Zandvoort -- You would like to view the dirt track race from above. Whirled up clouds of sand and strong turbulence in the air hinder your efforts. You may immediately place your ballon on a vacant adjacent point.

[Translation by Rick Heli]

[Games about Balloon Aviation]