Overview

Aquarius is a card-laying game by Looney Labs. Players place element cards on the table, connecting panels to create groups of their secret goal element. The deck contains 5 elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Ether). Each player has a hidden goal card showing which element they need to connect. The first player to connect 7 panels of their goal element wins.

Components

• 40 element cards (each showing 1-4 element panels in various arrangements)
• 5 goal cards (one per element)
• 15 action cards (including trade goals, move cards, rotate cards, zap cards, shuffle goals, etc.)

Setup

1. Shuffle the 5 goal cards and deal 1 face down to each player. Players look at their own goal secretly. Set aside unused goal cards.
2. Shuffle the remaining deck (element + action cards).
3. Deal 3 cards to each player.
4. Place one card from the deck face up in the center of the table as the starting card.

Turn Structure

On your turn:

1. Draw 1 card from the deck.
2. Play 1 card from your hand.

Actions

Play an Element Card:

• Place the card on the table so at least one panel edge touches a panel edge of an existing card.
• Diagonal connections do not count – panels must share a straight edge.
• Cards may overlap partially (covering panels) as long as at least one panel touches.

Play an Action Card:

• Trade Goals: Swap your goal card with another player’s goal card (both remain secret).
• Shuffle Goals: Collect all goal cards, shuffle them, and redeal 1 to each player.
• Move a Card: Take any card on the table and move it to a new valid position.
• Rotate a Card: Rotate any card on the table 180 degrees.
• Zap a Card: Remove any card from the table entirely.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The first player to create a connected group of 7 or more panels of their goal element wins immediately. The group must be connected through shared edges (not diagonal).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Goal cards are secret – other players do not know which element you need.
• Action cards can dramatically change the board state (moving, rotating, or removing cards).
• Trading or shuffling goals can change your winning element mid-game.
• If the draw deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
• Connections must be along straight edges – diagonal touching does not count.
• When placing cards that show multiple elements, all panels matter for all players’ goals.

Player Reference

Card Type	Action
Element card	Place touching existing panels
Trade Goals	Swap goals with another player
Shuffle Goals	Reshuffle all goals
Move a Card	Relocate any table card
Rotate a Card	Turn any table card 180 degrees
Zap a Card	Remove any table card

Elements
Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Ether	5 types

Win: 7+ connected panels of your goal element.