Teach the Game

A script to read aloud: how you win Paragliders, the map and the weather board, a turn, the end of the day, every way to score and what each piece is for.

How you win

“We are paraglider pilots with one day, from eight in the morning to eight at night, to fly a race over a valley we build ourselves. Fly over the three antennas as early as you can, collect landmarks on the way, maybe pull off a stunt, and land as close to the target as possible. Our only fuel is altitude — the sky gives it and takes it away. 25 to 100 minutes; most points wins.”

• You need: all three antennas (missing ones cost points), a good landing — early, close to the target, ahead of the others — and a big set of GPS markers.
• You get them by: moving one hexagon a turn and reading the weather on the hexagon you reach: thermals, sun, wind and clouds decide whether you climb or sink; turning hard and accelerating buy speed with altitude.

The boards

1. Lake — the coldest terrain: it usually makes you sink.
2. Mountain — a wall unless you fly above the mountaintop; its sides catch sun and wind.
3. Landmark GPS marker — fly over the landmark to take one.
4. Cloud ceiling GPS marker — on the Altitude Track: reach that height to take it.
5. Cloud spawn number — ten numbered hexagons where new clouds appear.
6. Forest — lands here are crash landings, like lakes.
7. Altitude Track — your height above the ground; the cliff shows the mountaintop.
8. Antenna token — the three checkpoints of the race.

1. Starting weather — the day starts with 3 clouds and the wind from the North.
2. Weather Tiles — one per hour: temperature, clouds and wind.
3. Time Marker — moves 20 minutes after every round.
4. Time track — 08:00 to 20:00; a new hour brings the next tile.
5. Sun Exposure token — moves to the map at 12:00 and turns the sun west.
6. Points row — what an antenna (and a final landing) is worth at this time.

A round

1. In turn order, each pilot moves one hexagon — or takes off, or waits on the ground.
2. Then adjusts altitude for the turn and the weather, and may accelerate.
3. Collect any antenna or GPS marker you fly over; claim a stunt if you like.
4. After the last player, the time marker moves 20 minutes. On a new hour, update the weather; with any wind, play a wind push round.

How the game ends

• You end your own race by landing on purpose; a forced landing lets you walk back and take off again at a cost in points.
• The game ends when everyone has landed or the time marker reaches 20:00.
• Final scoring depends on whether you landed and whether you have all three antennas.
• Ties: most antenna tokens, then most GPS markers, then most stunt markers.

Ways to score

Source	How and when
Antennas	When you fly over one: the under the time marker (30 early, falling through the day)
Landing rank	End, if landed with 3 antennas: 12 / 6 / 2 for 1st / 2nd / 3rd to land
Landing time	End, if landed with 3 antennas: the under the time you landed
Distance to target	End, if landed with 3 antennas: 15 / 12 / 8 / 3 for 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 hexagons
GPS markers	End: 2 / 5 / 9 / 14 / 20 / 27 for 1–6 different markers
Stunts	Advanced game, when you claim one: up to 12 each
Missing antennas	End: −1 per hexagon of the shortest path that would still collect them
Still flying	End: −1 per altitude step above the ground
Crash landing	−10 for landing in a forest or a lake, or being trapped among mountains
Walking back	After a forced landing: hexagons to the mountain + its height, recovered 6 a turn

What each resource is for

Teaching tips

• Start with the two halves of your pilot: the pawn on the map and the marker on the Altitude Track.

• Walk one move on the table: turn, move, then add the four weather modifiers out loud.

• Point at the Weather Tiles: the whole day’s forecast is open, so routes can be planned.

• Play the first game without stunt cards and with the easy Altitude Track sides.

• Rehearse a forest giving +1, then straight acceleration costing 2 over a lake: net −1, with no second-hex weather modifiers. Practice example.