How to Play With 3 or 5 Players
Playing with an odd number of players is a little trickier than the standard game. It will require players to think more about who to signal to, who they can ZAP, and who they can TRAP. All standard rules above apply to playing with 3 or 5 players, except for the following changes. Each is explained in detail below.
Since players don't play in teams, they will signal to a different player than they can ZAP.
That introduces more possibilities for how points are awarded. Everyone has their own individual score, but ties and a team win are still possible.
There might not be enough point cubes for some games, so points will be tracked on paper.
Secret Signals to the Left
When playing with an odd number of players, instead of signaling to a teammate when they have a complete set of at least four matching aliens, each player will signal to the player on their left. That means everyone will have to remember a signal they hope to make (to the player on their left) and a signal they’ll have to watch for (from the player on their right).
In order to communicate the secret signal each player will make to the player on their left, the other player or players at the table will have to look away, or the pair will have to leave the room briefly, to discuss the signal. For example, in a five player game, if Seth sits to the left of Marie, the other three players could turn away or put their heads down while she shows her chosen signal to Seth. When finished, the player to Marie's left would explain their signal to her, while Seth and the other two aren't looking. And so on.
As you can see, simple, silent signals are best for these versions, so this can be done quickly.
If a player wants or needs to change their signal after a round, it's easier if that player and the player to their left step away from the table to discuss it.
Play Fair!
Here are some things to consider as players are now working together (somewhat), while there’s still a possibility of winning alone.
Players are essentially seated next to their partner, so they must take special care to keep their cards secret. This requires honesty on the part of players! No cheating. Showing your cards to the player on your left is not a legal secret signal!
Never share or give away the signal you’re watching for from the player on your right. That would be very poor taste!
Likewise, calling TRAP on the player on your right is not allowed. If you do it by mistake, you will get a penalty.
End of Round Calls and Scoring
When someone calls ZAP or TRAP the round will end. To see who scores, determine these two things:
Did the caller legally ZAP or TRAP a correct player? Remember, you can only ZAP the player to your right, and you can only TRAP the other players. This can be easier to forget in a game with 3 or 5 players, so penalties are explained below.
Did the target player (the person the caller pointed to) actually have a complete set of matching aliens?
Points are awarded to different players according to how those questions are answered. All cases are described in the table below. When it says, “score points as usual”, that means the number of points is determined exactly as it is in the regular game: 1 base point, plus any bonuses for a 5th alien in the targeted hand, plus points from any special cards that apply in either the caller or the target player’s hand.