À la manière d'Arcimboldo
À la manière d'Arcimboldo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
- Put all the composition elements face up at the center of the table.
- Put all label halves on the table.
- Each player receives a Frame board. The oldest player becomes Master Arcimboldo for the first round.
Content
- 120 composition elements (magnetic flowers, cereals, fruit and vegetables)
- 6 Frame player boards
- 84 label halves (42 nouns + 42 qualifiers)
Goal of the Game
Arcimboldo and his students must each create a "work" with composition elements: fruit, vegetables, flowers and cereals. They must make the best interpretation of a title, with a word and a qualifier both chosen by Master Arcimboldo.
Game Flow
The game is played in rounds. The Master Arcimboldo takes a label half with a noun on it, and a label half with a qualifier. The Master assembles the labels as they see fit (front and back allow for 4 combinations). Once the combination is chosen, the Master announces the title and places it on the table so that everyone can read it. Whether concrete, abstract or eccentric, the combination should stir some of your imagination!
Then the Master Arcimboldo launches the round. Each player simultaneously creates their work. Beware! Creation needs a quiet and calm atmosphere. Master Arcimboldo will see to it that it is respected, thanks to a few rules:
- A player must take a composition element with one hand only.
- A player cannot take multiple elements at once; they must take them one by one.
- It is possible to trade elements with another player, if they agree to the trade.
- When a player does not use an element, they must put it back into the supply.
As soon as a player has finished their picture, they rotate their Frame board so that other players can see it in the correct direction. Once a frame has been rotated, the work cannot be changed.
Once all players have finished their work, it is time to move on. There is no set time for creating works. However, if some players take too long, the Master Arcimboldo may warn the late player(s), and even stop this creation step.
Then each player comments their own work, starting with the Master Arcimboldo. Players then proceed in clockwise order.
Once everyone has commented their work, players vote for the work they find most convincing. Please note players should vote for the work and its idea, and not the comments the artists made on their own work! To vote, the Master Arcimboldo counts down. Upon reaching zero, everyone must point at their favorite work.
The player with the most votes for their work is the winner of this round, and they gain the labels. In case of a tie, the Master Arcimboldo chooses who wins the tie.
The player to the left of the current Master becomes the new Master Arcimboldo.
A new round can now begin!
Example: these two knights fight in a joust with spears. (The printed example is a picture of two watermelon-bodied knights built from composition elements, with the title "A medieval fight" shown on the label halves.)
End of the Game
The game ends when:
- each player has been Master Arcimboldo twice (for 3-4 player games).
- each player has been Master Arcimboldo once (for 5-6 player games).
The player with the most labels wins the game, but is it really that important?