Each player starts with 1 Emergency Response card, kept face-up.
Each player is dealt a hidden hand of 5 cards.
Crisis Mode: the deck includes Crisis cards (2 per extra player + 2: 4 for 2P, 6 for 3P, 8 for 4P) plus the Reservoir Collapse.
The Boss starts with 3 HP and is active from turn 1. Each time the Boss is defeated it returns with +1 HP, up to a maximum of 5.
On Your Turn
Optionally play one Weather card (max one per turn).
Optionally take one Main Action:
Trade Cycle → Trophy: discard a full Cycle (Evap + Cond + Precip + Collect) and take 1 trophy.
Challenge the Boss: add a full Cycle to the Boss's Bucket, then answer a trivia question.
✓ Correct — deal 1 damage and take 1 trophy. If the Boss dies, take +1 trophy AND the entire Bucket into your hand.
✗ Wrong — your Cycle stays in the Bucket. Nothing else happens.
Then draw 2 cards and end your turn. If your hand is empty, draw 5 instead.
If you draw a Crisis or Collapse, resolve it immediately.
How to Survive a Crisis
Stop drawing and resolve the Crisis now.
Pick at least 1 card from your hand — any card works — and explain how it addresses the disaster.
The other players vote thumbs up or thumbs down.
Pass: draw bonus cards equal to cards spent (up to 3). Discard the Crisis.
Fail / Give Up: shuffle your whole hand into the deck, draw 5 fresh, and the Crisis is reshuffled back in.
If you draw 2 Crises at once, you only need to answer 1. The other goes back into the deck.
Reservoir Collapse
Play your Emergency Response to survive. It's removed from the game and the Collapse is reshuffled into the deck.
If you can't defuse it: lose ALL your trophies and your entire hand, then draw 5 fresh. The Collapse is reshuffled — it can come back.
If you draw a Crisis and a Collapse together, ignore the Crisis.
The Discard Pile
Discarded cards form a pile next to the draw pile. When a Crisis or Collapse is resolved, the entire discard pile is shuffled back into the draw pile (along with the threat). If both piles are ever empty, the game ends — whoever has the most trophies wins.
Card Reference
Type
Copies
Effect
Resources (Evap / Cond / Precip / Collect)
6 of each
One of each = a full Cycle. Spend a Cycle to trade for a trophy or challenge the Boss.
Weather
3 of each (×10 kinds)
Action cards — see below.
Crisis
Scales with players
A disaster you drew. Resolve immediately.
Reservoir Collapse
1
The bomb. Play your Emergency Response or lose everything.
Emergency Response
1 per player
Defuses a Reservoir Collapse. Dealt at start.
Weather Cards
Card
Effect
Monsoon
Draw 2 extra cards right now.
Forecast
Peek at the top 3 cards of the draw pile. Don't show anyone.
NEWater
Wild card — substitutes for any ONE missing Resource when you spend a Cycle.
Reservoir
Keep in hand. When someone targets you with a Weather card, play this to cancel it.
Dry Spell
Pick a player. They skip their next turn.
Diversion
Pick a player. Take one random card from their hand.
Evaporation Surge
Pick a player. They choose and discard 2 cards from their own hand.
Pipe Burst
Pick a player. Look at their hand, take 1 card.
Pipe Leakage
Pick a player. They choose 1 card to put into the Boss's Bucket.
Water Rationing
Everyone (including you) shuffles their hand into the deck and refills back to 5. Emergency Response cards are kept.
Quick Tips
Trading a Cycle for a trophy is safe. Challenging the Boss is risky — but the Bucket grows every time someone attacks, and whoever kills it claims the whole pile.
Save your Emergency Response. You only get one, and the Reservoir Collapse can strike at any time.
Hold onto Reservoir cards — they're the only way to cancel someone else's Weather attack.
NEWater is precious. It lets you complete a Cycle when you're missing one Resource.
For your Crisis explanation: be creative! The other players are the judges.
Water Cycle Challenge
Pick how you want to play.
Local hotseat — pass the device when prompted.
Mode
Players
Create a room. Share the code with your friends.
Mode
Your room code:
…
Share this code with players. Game starts when you click Start.
Players in lobby:
Join an existing room.
Players
Table
0
Draw Pile
—
Boss (inactive)
0
Discard
Returns to deck when a Crisis or Collapse is drawn.
Your Hand
Goal: First to 5 Trophies wins. Safe path: spend a full cycle (Evap+Cond+Precip+Collect) → 1 Trophy. Risky path: spend a full cycle into the Bucket → Challenge Boss. Right = 1 dmg + 1 trophy. Wrong = nothing. Killer takes the Bucket.
Game Log
Card Legend
■ Evaporation — Resource (1/4 of a cycle)
■ Condensation — Resource (1/4 of a cycle)
■ Precipitation — Resource (1/4 of a cycle)
■ Collection — Resource (1/4 of a cycle)
■ Weather — actions
■ Emergency Response — defuses Collapse
■ Crisis — explain how any cards solve it; peers vote
Crises accept any card — the peer vote is the only gate.