Honor System

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

GLOBAL PURSUIT

Our world is constantly changing. Since 1888, The National Geographic Society has looked at the world from many different perspectives. Now it challenges you to do the same thing. Global Pursuit invites you, your family, and your friends to become geographers as you create and re-create new views of the world each time you play this game. Global Pursuit is an entertaining way to learn about geography and to get a new perspective on the world.

There are many ways to use your Global Pursuit cards. You can make one large map or four smaller ones. You can use the trivia challenges to suit players of different ages. You can play a matching game with just the MAP CARDS - by yourself or with others. You can also use just the TRIVIA CARDS to play a question-and-answer game. And, of course, you can invent new rules and new ways to play. Go ahead and experiment. Looking at things in new ways is what this game is all about.

CONTENTS OF THE GAME BOX

The game includes the following components:
  • 1 bag of TOKENS
  • 1 DIE (The DIE is a dodecahedron, pronounced DOUGH-deck-uh-HEED-run,which is a 12-sided shape. This shape is sometimes used in making a world globe.)
  • 4 sets of five-sided MAP CARDS (Each set of 12 MAP CARDS, properly assembled, could form a dodecahedron globe.)
  • 5 decks of TRIVIA CARDS
  • 1 WALL MAP OF THE WORLD (You do not have to use the map in playing the game. It is a bonus, for your reference and enjoyment. Players may, if they wish, use it for reference during the game.)

    PLAYERS

    Global Pursuit can be enjoyed by 2 to 6 players - or even more if the players form teams. In team play, members of each team work together, as if the team were a single player. The team gets only one chance to make a match or answer a question, so team members must discuss and agree on matches and answers. Points are given to the team.

    OBJECT OF THE GAME

    The object is to collect as many points as possible while creating an ever-changing view of the world. A player earns points by:
  • matching pieces of world maps (MAP CARDS) together, based on geographical information;
  • answering trivia questions about the world;
  • spotting mismatches made by opponents;
  • rolling the DIE.

    GETTING STARTED

    1. Choose a large, smooth playing surface. The map may cover a large area.

    2. Put the TRIVIA CARD box in the playing area. Each TRIVIA CARD has 3 questions that vary in degree of difficutty.

  • Level 1 - Beginner
  • Level 2 - Intermediate
  • Level 3 - Expert

    Lower levels have easier questions, which a player has a better chance of answering correctly, but higher levels earn more points. Players select the degree of difficulty before each question is asked, depending on what they think their chances might be in their chosen category.

    3. Pour the TOKENS into the large well in the plastic tray and decide who will be in charge of distributing them. That player will be the banker and the dealer.

    4. Spread out the MAP CARDS and take a few minutes to get acquainted with them. Each set of 12 cards contains different information. To help players tell one set from another, the oceans are in four different shades of blue.

  • PEOPLE AND PLACES - These cards form a political map. On them, players will find the names of cities, countries, and continents, as well as political boundaries.
  • PLANET EARTH - This set shows the physical globe, with major rivers, mountains, deserts, grasslands, ice fields, and Mid-Ocean Ridges.
  • HISTORIC HAPPENINGS - On these cards, players can follow the routes some famous explorers took on their first successful journeys into the unknown.
  • PEOPLE AND PRODUCTS - This set provides a guide to the major natural resources and commodities of the world.

    To get a feeling for how the MAP CARDS fit together, lay out one set of 12 cards on the playing surface. First line up all the cards that show the Equator (a heavy straight line). Then add the six polar cards. The map should look something like this:

    National Geographic Global Pursuit Map

    Now rotate some of the MAP CARDS so different edges match. There are five possible matches for every card. The map will take many shapes. When players mix all four sets of cards together, the matching possibilities become almost endless. The cards will form a maze-like design that will be different every time the game is played.

    5. There are two ways to use the MAP CARDS:

  • Mix and match all 48 cards to form one large map.
  • Make four smaller maps. Each map may contain only cards from the same set.

    6. If the players are going to make one large map, the banker picks one card from any set as the BEGINNING MAP BUILDER CARD. If the players decide to make four maps, the banker picks one card from each set of MAP CARDS.

    7. The banker puts the BEGINNING MAP BUILDER CARD(s) face up in the center of the playing area. The banker then shuffles the remaining map cards, mixing all four sets into one deck, and places the deck nearby, face down.

    8. The banker deals each player (or team) 5 MAP CARDS.

    9. Each player rolls the dodecahedron DIE to determine who goes first. The player with the highest number starts the game. Play proceeds clockwise.

    PLAYING THE GAME

    The rules of play are the same for one map or for four.

    1. Starting
    Players hold their MAP CARDS so they can see the maps. Each turn includes several steps. The first player begins by trying to match a MAP CARD to a BEGINNING MAP BUILDER CARD in the playing area. If no match can be made, that player’s turn ends.

    If no player can make a match during the first round of turns, put a BEGINNING MAP BUILDER CARD on the bottom of the deck. Replace it with a new card and begin again. Repeat, if necessary, after each round until a match can be made.

    2. Matching MAP CARDS
    Each MAP CARD is a piece of a world map. To make a match, a player must properly align one of the five edges of a MAP CARD with its geographical neighbor on the playing surface. Clues on the cards, such as the oceans, the continents, the Equator, and the Tropic of Cancer, will help in making a match.

    Rules governing matches are:

  • If the MAP CARD from a player’s hand will touch more than one MAP CARD on the playing surface, all touching edges must match correctly.
  • No MAP CARD can cover or partially overlap another MAP CARD.
  • Matching only the points of MAP CARDS is not allowed.
  • If playing on a table, players may not put down any MAP CARD that would fall off the edge, even if it matches properly.
  • If the players are making one map, the four sets of MAP CARDS may be used interchangeably. For example, a player can match a People and Places MAP CARD to a Historic Happenings MAP CARD, as long as the edges line up properly. If the players are making four maps, they must match cards only of the same set.
  • Once a player’s hand leaves a MAP CARD, that card has been played. The player may not try to match another MAP CARD instead. If one player has placed the MAP CARD incorrectly, another player may try to earn extra points by challenging. (See KEEPING SCORE.) The challenge must be made immediately, before any other matches are completed.
  • If a player cannot make a match, that turn ends.
  • After making a match, a player collects TOKENS (see KEEPING SCORE) and continues the turn by answering a TRIVIA CARD question.

    3. Answering TRIVIA CARD questions
    After a player has made a match, the player to the right asks a TRIVIA CARD question from the same category as the MAP CARD just played. For example, if a Planet Earth MAP CARD has been played, the question will be from a Planet Earth TRIVIA CARD.

    If a player cannot answer the question, that turn ends. (The information in parentheses after some answers provides additional information of interest and should be read aloud, along with the answer. However, the information in parentheses is not part of the required answer.)

    If the question is correctly answered, the player collects TOKENS (see KEEPING SCORE) and the turn continues. The player may now try to match another MAP CARD.

    After a TRIVIA CARD has been used, it is returned to the back of its deck.

    SPECIAL CARDS: Some TRIVIA CARDS have special symbols - ROLL, BONUS ROLL, or WILD CARD
    - in the upper right-hand corner. These symbols make players eligible for extra points. (See KEEPING SCORE.)

    4. Completing a turn
    A player’s turn ends when:

  • the player can no longer match MAP CARDS; or
  • the player answers a trivia question incorrectly; or
  • all the MAP CARDS in the player’s hand are used up.
  • VARIATION: To make the game move faster, players may want to set a time limit for each person’s turn.

    When a turn ends, the player refills the hand from the MAP CARD deck, taking the same number of MAP CARDS played. The players may not use the new cards until the time comes for another turn.

    5. Ending a round
    A round ends when each player has taken a turn. At the end of any round (other than the first round) in which NO player can match a MAP CARD, each player returns one MAP CARD to the bottom of the deck and draws a new one.

    WINNING THE GAME

    The game ends when:
  • all the MAP CARDS have been properly matched on the playing surface; or
  • NO player can match MAP CARDS, and there are no cards left in the draw pile; or
  • there is no more room on the playing surface.
  • VARIATION: The game ends when one player’s hand is empty, and there are no MAP CARDS left in the draw pile. Other players do not have a chance to play off matching MAP CARDS.

    When the game ends, players holding MAP CARDS they cannot match must subtract 4 points for each MAP CARD in their hands. Players then add up their points. The player with the most points wins.

    KEEPING SCORE

    Point value of TOKENS TOKENS come in three different colors that distinguish their values. Players are normally given white TOKENS. These can later be traded in for higher-value yellow and blue TOKENS.
  • White TOKEN - 1 point
  • Yellow TOKEN - 10 points
  • Blue TOKEN - 20 points

    Points for matching MAP CARDS

  • Correct match - 2 points
  • Bonus match - If players are making one large map, matching a MAP CARD to another MAP CARD of the same set earns 2 bonus points.
  • Mismatch (challenging a player who has mismatched a MAP CARD) - The player who challenges takes 2 points from the player who made the mismatch. (If the challenger is mistaken, the challenger pays a penalty of 2 points to the person challenged.)

    Points for answering TRIVIA CARD questions
    Each time a player correctly answers a TRIVIA CARD question, including a WILD CARD question, the player earns points based on the level chosen.

  • Level 1 - 1 point
  • Level 2 - 2points
  • Level 3 - 3 points
  • VARIATION: Players can decide to award 2 points for each correct TRIVIA CARD answer regardless of the level of difficulty. This is usually done when players vary gre atlyin age and expertise. By agreeing to answer age-appropriate questions for the same number of points, older players give children a better chance of winning. In this variation, players cannot change levels of difficulty during the game.

    Points for TRIVIA CARDS with special symbols on them

  • ROLL - The player rolls the DIE, then chooses a trivia level. A correct answer earns points for that level,plus the number shown on the DIE. For example: If a player rolls an 8 and answers a level 2 question, the player gets 10 points.
  • BONUS ROLL - The card is played the same as a ROLL card; however, on a BONUS ROLL, the player is awarded points for the trivia answer times the number shown on the DIE. For example: If a player rolls an 8 and answers a level 2 question, the player gets 16 points.
  • WILD CARD - When a player correctly answers a question on a TRIVIA CARD that has a WILD CARD symbol, that player may choose to answer a WILD CARD question for extra points. (If the WILD CARD question has a flag next to it, the player looks at the flag before answering.) The points given for WILD CARD questions are the same as for other TRIVIA CARDS. If a player attempts to answer a WILD CARD question and fails, the player loses 1 token, and the turn ends. Players can decide on each turn whether or not they want to try the WILD CARD question.