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Outdoor Version

Objectives

Mosquitoes: Infect all of the humans by sucking all of their available blood.

Humans: Clean up the mosquito breeding grounds.

Game Materials

  • 7 (or more) players
  • open rectangular space (free of obstacles)
  • 11 egg tokens (need more if playing with more than 7 players ref. set-up rules below)
  • 14 blood tokens (need more if playing with more than 7 players ref. set-up rules below)

Game Setup

This game can be played outdoors or indoors. Mark out a rectangular space that is at least 60 feet long by 30 feet wide. (If you have more than 10 players, you will want to make the field larger.)

One end of the field is the human safety zone. The other end of the field is the mosquito safety zone.

In the center of the field, draw a line. On the line draw or place 3 boxes to represent mosquito breeding grounds. The breeding grounds are of three sizes (small, medium, large). Place the corresponding number of mosquito egg tokens into each box (see below in “Breeding Ground Setup”) .

Inside the human’s safety zone is a container to place egg tokens that humans collect from the breeding grounds.

Breeding Ground Setup

For 7 players:

  • Divide players so 3 players are on the mosquito team and 4 players are on the human team
  • For 3 players there should be 3 breeding grounds. Players have 9 Egg tokens, and can decide how many Egg tokens to place in each of the 3 breeding grounds.

Recommended:   1st Pile = 2 Eggs,   2nd Pile = 4 Eggs,   3rd Pile = 3 Eggs.

  • After setting up the Breeding Grounds, the Mosquito team receives an additional  2 Eggs to lay. The team can decide who which player(s) get to keep these Eggs (the eggs can be distributed between more than one player or all given to one player).
  • 14 blood tokens are given to the human group. The group can decide how to share these tokens between themselves.

* All eggs and blood tokens can be represented as pebbles or stones

In case of more than 7 players:

  • Divide the teams so that there is aways 1 more player on the Human team than the Mosquito team at the start the game.
  • The number of breeding grounds should equal the number of Mosquito players. (For 5 players, you should have 5 breeding grounds)
  • The number of Egg tokens in the breeding grounds should equal the number of Mosquitoes times 3. The Mosquitoes then distribute the Egg tokens as they see fit into each pile. For 5 Mosquito players, there will be 15 eggs. The Mosquitoes can distribute the eggs in any combination that adds up to 15 over 5 piles.

 

ex: 5 Players may distribute their 15 Egg tokens like this:

Pile #   I   II   III  IV  V

4,  4,  3,  2,  2,  or

3,  3,  3,  3,  3   or

2,  2,  4,  6,  1   etc.

  • [Mosquitoes] No. of Egg tokens given to team = (number of mosquitoes / 2) rounded up.

ex: 5 mosquitoes / 2 => 2.5 rounded up to 3. So 3 Egg tokens given to team now.

  • [Humans] No. of Blood tokens given to team = [(number of humans) x 3] + 2.

ex: 8 humans x 3 => 24 + 2 => 26. So 26 Blood tokens given to human team.

Game Start

Humans should distribute their Blood tokens between themselves as they see fit.
Mosquitoes should distribute their Egg tokens between themselves as they see fit.

Game End

If Humans remove all eggs from all breeding grounds first, they win!
OR
If the Mosquitoes kill all the humans first, they win!

Game Play

Humans are attempting to grab eggs from the breeding grounds without getting bit by mosquitoes.

During each turn, Mosquitoes have to pick one of two options:

  1. Bite one human and take one of their blood tokens.
  2. Lay their eggs in the breeding grounds.

Mosquito Team Actions

Biting -
Action: Mosquitoes bite humans by tagging them

If a human is bit, they give one of their blood tokens to the Mosquito who bit them. A mosquito may only bite one human a round, but one human may be bit by multiple mosquitoes. A human must give up one blood token to each mosquito that bites them.

If a human is bitten before they get to a breeding ground, they give up one of their blood and go back to the human’s safe zone. Their turn is over.

If a human is bitten after they get an egg from a breeding ground, they keep the egg, but still give up one of their blood. They then return to the human’s safe zone.

Egg Laying -
Action: Mosquitoes lay eggs by running to the breeding ground, placing an egg, and sitting down there till the end of that turn

To lay eggs, Mosquitoes need some blood from a human.

Mosquitoes may lay eggs only if they have not passed the breeding line, and have not bitten a human that turn.

To lay an egg they may sit down next to a breeding ground and place any Blood tokens they are carrying in that breeding ground. That Blood token becomes an Egg token adding to that breeding ground’s pile of eggs. Player must stay where they are sitting till the end of that turn.

If a mosquito lays eggs, they may not bite a human.

Human Team Actions

Clean Up -
Human team players may Clean Up the breeding grounds by grabbing 1 egg per player from thm. Then they must then return to the Human Safe Zone and place these egg(s) there. Players must stay in Safe Zone till end of the round. This is the end of their action that turn.

If a human gets bitten after grabbing an egg, they can keep the egg, but must give a Blood token to the Mosquito that bit him/her and return to the Safe Zone till the end of that turn.

If a human gets bitten before grabbing an egg, they do not get to keep that egg, and must give over a Blood token to the Mosquito that bit him/her and return to the Safe Zone till the end of that turn.

Cleaning Up a Breeding Ground -
If a breeding ground has no eggs, after the round is over the human team picks one Mosquito to sit out the rest of the game. This Mosquito is no longer in play as it’s breeding ground no longer exists.

Defend your health -
To defend themselves, Human team players can return to their safe zone without doing any other action. If they choose to so so they may take no more actions this turn. This is the end of their action that turn.

Penalty Rules -
If no humans get tagged by a mosquito and no humans collect an egg, (the human team takes NO ACTION that turn) the Mosquito team gets to bite one human in their sleep and takes 1 of their Blood tokens.

Playing a Round

Each team starts in their safety zone at the ends of the field. When ready, someone from each team raises one hand. Countdown, “3, 2, 1, GO!”

On “GO!” each team leaves their zones and may take their appropriate actions. Humans try to clean the breeding grounds or defend their health, and mosquitoes either try to bite humans or lay eggs.

A round is over if all members of one team are in their zone and raise both hands.


Field Setup:

  • Yellow Diamonds: Mosquitos
  • Green Diamonds: Humans
  • Yellow Circles: Larvae
  • Red Circles: Blood Tokens

Example Round:
Two mosquitoes go to the breeding ground and lay their eggs.  The other mosquito attacks a human trying to steal an egg.  Two other humans decide to stay in the safety zone.
Climate Change Fluctuation Options

Rain (fills the containers where mosquitoes breed)
Mosquitoes gain a new breeding ground with one+ eggs.
Narrative: “Increased rainfall leads to new places where mosquitoes can breed.”

Warmer Weather
More eggs to a breeding ground
Narrative: “The increased temperatures creates a mosquito baby boom! Breeding grounds are populated with one more egg each”
NOTE: WARMER WEATHER WOULD ALSO RESULT IN MORE ADULT MOSQUITOES DYING, SINCE THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WOULD GO DOWN.

Sickness
Humans with one or less blood lose two rounds.
Narrative: “Players that have been bit many times by mosquitoes are at a greater risk to become sick. Lose a turn while you are recovering in bed.”
Water shortages
Gain a mosquito (player that was dead before comes back to life).
Narrative: People save water in containers in case supply is interrupted: => more breeding sites

Humanitarian Aid – Cleaning Campaign
Remove one Mosquito breeding ground.
Narrative: “Red Cross/Red Crescent comes to your community organizes a community-wide cleaning campaign targeting mosquito breeding grounds.”

Humanitarian Aid – Education Campaign
All Humans gain one extra blood.
Narrative: “Red Cross/Red Crescent comes to your school and teaches you how to prevent dengue emphasizing the importance of cleaning breeding grounds more than using insecticides.”