Animal Rescue Team
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The river is rising. The cat is trapped on the third floor. You have three actions left and one choice: save the goat on the bank or get there before the building collapses. The dice will watch you do it.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
When nature strikes, every second counts
Matt Leacock (Pandemic, Forbidden Island) and Lisa Towell bring the tension of classic co-ops into humanitarian emergency scenarios: collapsed buildings, swollen rivers, advancing fires. Animal Rescue Team is the first title in the Shut Up & Sit Down Presents line, curated by the celebrated British board game review channel. Illustrations by Jeff Langevin and Alyssa McCarthy translate the drama onto the table without ever sliding into the macabre.
Each player controls a specialist (veterinarian, firefighter, mountaineer) with unique abilities. Together you must evacuate animals from disaster zones to shelters, spending action points to move, collect, and transport. Dice determine how many points you have. The timer is relentless: if you don't manage to save enough animals before the event deck runs out, a second team arrives to complete the job. Defeat is relative, but the shame remains.
What they say abroad
"A cooperative rescue game that puts you in the boots of disaster response teams"
A cooperative rescue game that puts you in the boots of disaster response teams
— Shut Up & Sit Down
It's a game that comes with solid credentials: Leacock knows how to build cooperative tension, and the race against the second team is an idea that promises to heighten the sense of urgency. This page will be updated when we have played enough games to tell you if it delivers.
— FroGames
Animal Rescue Team
The game features official rules for solo play: you control two specialists and manage turns with the same mechanics as multiplayer. The experience is complete and the tension works, but you lose the tactical discussions and emotional burden of shared responsibility.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rulebook, international reviews, and play sessionsRescue tools
What you have in your hands when everything is on fire
Asymmetric specialists
Veterinarian, firefighter, mountaineer, helicopter pilot: each has unique abilities that unlock actions impossible for others. The firefighter crosses fire, the mountaineer scales collapsed buildings.
Action dice
Each turn you roll dice to determine how many action points you have. It's not pure chance: specialists' abilities allow you to modify, reroll, and optimize. But a bad roll hurts.
Animals to evacuate
Trapped cats, goats stuck by rising rivers, dogs behind the fire line. Every animal saved is a victory point, every animal lost weighs on the table's conscience.
The second team
If you can't save enough animals in time, a second rescue team arrives to complete the job. You don't technically lose, but you know you've failed. It's a gentle defeat that still stings.
Recommended sleeves 127 cards in 2 sizes ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63.5 × 88 mm | 99 |
| 54 × 80 mm | 28 |
| Total cards | 127 |
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each round is a race against time: you roll the dice, choose how to spend your actions, evacuate animals, then the disaster worsens.
Each player rolls their dice to determine how many action points they have that turn. Specialists have abilities that allow them to modify, reroll, or optimize the results.
Move on the map, collect animals, transport them to shelters, use special abilities. Each action costs points. Distances matter, dangers block paths.
When you reach a shelter with an animal, you save it: it's a victory point. Some animals are worth more, others are easier to reach. Optimize your path.
The disaster worsens: the river rises, the fire advances, a building collapses. New dangers appear on the map, making some paths impossible. When the event deck runs out, the game ends.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The disaster map
The scenario map opens (flood, fire, earthquake). Animals are scattered, dangers are marked. Choose specialists and decide who starts where. The feeling is already one of emergency: there's too much to do and too little time.
The first rescues
Roll the dice, spend actions, collect the first animals. Everything goes smoothly. Someone jokes about the lucky cat. Then the first event card arrives: the river rises, the fire advances, a building collapses. Animals that seemed safe are now trapped.
Impossible choices
Mid-game. You've saved a few animals but the event deck is running out. Someone has a terrible roll and loses a precious turn. At the table, there's discussion: do we save the two nearby dogs or risk everything for the distant cat that's worth double? Voices rise, not in argument, but in urgency.
The moment you'll remember
Someone uses their special ability at the perfect moment: the helicopter evacuates three animals at once, the firefighter crosses the flames and clears the way. Or the dice betray them and an animal gets stuck. This is the moment that will define the game, one way or another.
The final count
Event cards run out. Count the saved animals. If you reached the quota, you win. Otherwise, the second team arrives to finish the job. Technically you haven't lost, but there's still a mix of relief and regret at the table. Someone already says: let's do it again, this time we'll save everyone.
🐸What to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know beforehand
Three things a friend would tell you
Dice can be frustrating
Specialist abilities mitigate luck, but a bad roll at critical moments can ruin a perfect plan. If your table hates tactical luck, this might not be the right game.
The theme can be emotionally heavy
Natural disasters, animals in danger, choices of who to save and who to leave behind: it's not a neutral theme. Some tables find it engaging, others too close to real tragedies.
The second team removes bitter defeat
You never truly lose: if you fail, a second team arrives to save the remaining animals. It's a gentle design choice, but it also takes away some of that brutal tension of classic co-ops. You decide if it's a pro or a con.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The event deck is the timer. When it runs out, count the saved animals: if you reached the scenario quota, you won. Otherwise, the second team arrives.
Victory
- Save the number of animals required by the scenario before the event deck runs out
- Each scenario has a different quota based on difficulty and type of disaster
- Animals that are harder to reach are worth more victory points
Defeat (gentle)
- You don't reach the quota of saved animals in time
- A second rescue team arrives to complete the job: technically you don't lose, but you know you failed
- Some scenarios have automatic defeat conditions if too many animals die, but these are rare
Animal Rescue Team is not the most ruthless co-op on the market. But it's the one that makes you feel responsible for every choice, every dice roll, every animal left behind.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Animal Rescue Team
What mechanics does Animal Rescue Team use?
It's a cooperative pick-up and deliver game with action point management (determined by dice) and asymmetric powers. Each turn: you roll dice, move your specialist, collect animals, take them to shelters, then the disaster worsens. Classic Pandemic-like structure but with a tactical focus on routes and timing.
Does it scale well for all player counts?
Yes. The game includes official rules for solo play (you control two specialists) and scales up to 4. With 2-3 players, management is more agile; with 4, there's more map coverage but also more downtime between turns. Difficulty adapts to the number of players.
Is it suitable for children or just a family game for adults?
It's designed for families with children aged 8 and up. The rules are accessible, the iconography clear, and the theme generates immediate empathy. But some tables with very sensitive children might find the idea of animals in danger heavy: evaluate based on your own children.
Matt Leacock also made Pandemic: how similar are they?
The structure is similar (cooperative, limited actions, escalating crisis each turn), but Animal Rescue Team is more tactical in movement and less complex in card management. If Pandemic is the gold standard of cooperative gateway games, this is the accessible version with a spatial focus instead of combinatorial.
Is it available in Italian?
No. The edition sold on FroGames is in English, published by Play to Z. The text on the cards is minimal (mainly iconography), but the rulebook and event cards are in English. It requires a basic understanding of the language or a translated manual.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Animal Rescue Team is a cooperative board game for 1-4 players designed by Matt Leacock and Lisa Towell, published by Play to Z as the first title in the Shut Up & Sit Down Presents line. Recommended age 8+, duration 45-60 minutes. The mechanics combine action points, dice rolling, pick-up and deliver, and asymmetric powers in emergency scenarios (floods, fires, earthquakes). Each player controls a specialist with unique abilities and must evacuate trapped animals to shelters before time runs out. The second rescue team system turns defeat into a gentle defeat, maintaining high tension without frustrating less experienced players. English language edition, available on FroGames.it.
Animal Rescue Team
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
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