Alpenzian Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1. Story
• 2. Contents
• 3. Game Overview (Goal and Flow of Play)
  • Goal
  • Flow of the Game
  • Game End Condition
• 4. Game Setup
• 5. Game Flow
  • 5.1 Rolling the Dice
  • 5.2 Each Player's Turn
    • 5.2-1 Choosing a Die
    • 5.2-2 Choosing the Colour Area for the Die
    • 5.2-3 Choosing a Square and Drawing the Icon
  • 5.3 End of a Player Turn and Round End Condition
  • 5.4 Exceptional Rule
• 6. End of the Game
• 7. Point Calculation
  • (1) Ranch Bonus (points related to houses and sheep)
  • (2) Colour Area Bonus (points for the five colour areas and flowers)
  • (3) Alpenzian Bonus (points for flowers and mountains)
  • (4) Resident Bonus (points for houses and smiling flowers)
  • (5) Express Bonus (points for houses and rails)
  • Total Score Example
• 8. Beginner Rules
• 9. One-Player Rules
  • 9-1. Changed Scoring (required rule)
  • 9-2. Pioneer Town Rules (one-player special rule)
  • Guide to Scores (one-player rule)
• 10. Additional Rules
• 11. Requests for Players
• 12. Q&A (Supplementary Explanations for Hard-to-Follow Rules)
• 13. Tips for Playing Well (spoilers)
• Editor's Notes on the Source

1. Story

Here in the Alpine hills, you are young people trying to build a new town. To make it a comfortable place to live, build houses, raise sheep, and lay railway lines to create a fine town. Oh, and do not forget to protect the nature of the Alps! Please nurture the grasses and flowers blooming around the mountains. Now, let us all begin building our town together!

2. Contents

(1) Play board, 1 piece

• Front side: dice area
• Back side: list of "first house" placements

(2) Player sheets, 5 types (A to E) × 15 sheets each

The type of each sheet is printed with a letter in its lower right corner.

(3) Dice, 1 type × 6 dice

(4) Start player marker (the size and colour may differ from the picture)

(5) Pencils, 1 type × 5 pencils

(6) Rulebook (this booklet)

3. Game Overview (Goal and Flow of Play)

Goal

Players build their own town by following the rules on their own player sheet. The winner is the player who completes the town with the higher score, but enjoying town building and drawing is the most important purpose of the game. Now, let us build a wonderful town together!

Flow of the Game

1. The start player (see note below) rolls all six dice.

   Start player: during a certain period of the game, this player acts like a "parent". They are the reference point when the order of actions must be decided during the game. Even if this is not clear at first, you can read past it without a problem.

2. Starting with the start player, each player takes the following actions in turn (each sequence is a "player turn"):

   • 2-1. Choose one die.
   • 2-2. Place the die on a "colour area" in the centre of the dice area.
   • 2-3. Choose a square to draw an icon in, and draw the icon.

   (At the end of the round, one die will be left over.)

3. When all five "colour areas" in the dice area are filled, the round ends. Clockwise, the next player becomes the start player and begins the next round. Steps 1 to 3 are repeated, and the game proceeds.

Game End Condition

The game ends when the squares on every player's sheet are all filled (when no empty squares remain). Points are calculated, and the player with the highest score wins.

4. Game Setup

1. Choosing the player sheet. Choose one type from the five types (A to E). Players decide among themselves how to choose. Give each player one sheet of the same type. (The type of each sheet is printed as A to E in its lower right corner.)

2. Distributing writing tools. Give each player one pencil. Of course, other pencils are also fine. A favourite colour or favourite pen is best, so that you can draw comfortably!

3. Choosing the start player (see note above). Decide the start player by rock-paper-scissors or another suitable method. The chosen player receives the start player marker and places it in front of them.

4. Drawing the "first house". Place the back side of the play board (the list of "first house" placements) in the centre, so that all players can see it. Each player rolls one die, checks which square of the "first house" placement list shows the result, and draws a house icon in the same square position on their own player sheet.

   The "first house" placement list shows five faces: house, sheep, straight rail, curved rail and solid flower. Each face marks one square.

   When a player rolls the outline (smiling) flower face, they are very lucky! This face is handled differently from the others. With this face, the player may choose any square of the "first house" placement list (any square marked with one of the five faces) and draw their "first house" there.

   Example: A straight rail face was rolled, so draw the "first house" in the square marked by that face.

   Note 1: Several players' "first houses" may be in the same position. If you do not like this, roll again until a different face appears.

   Note 2: In your first game, you may roll the outline flower face and not know where to draw. In that case, roll again until a face other than the outline flower appears.

5. Game Flow

The steps 1 to 4 below, taken together, form "1 round", and the game proceeds by repeating rounds. Steps 2-1 to 2-3 are called "player turn". Player turns are repeated. When the condition shown in red in the diagram is met, the game moves on to the next round, and the round begins again from step 1.

1. The start player rolls the dice.
2. Player turn:
   • 2-1. Choose one die that has not yet been chosen.
   • 2-2. Place the chosen die in an empty "colour area" of the dice area.
   • 2-3. Draw the icon of the face shown by the die in one empty square of the colour placed in 2-2. (Only the player whose turn it is draws icons.)
3. Next player's turn (return to 2-1), if a colour area is empty.
4. Next round, if no colour area is empty (the round ends).

5.1 Rolling the Dice

At the start of a round, the start player rolls all six dice. They sort the dice by the face (icon) shown and place each group on the dice area.

• House icon
• Rail icon (2 types)
• Sheep icon
• Flower icon (2 types)

(The start player rolls all the dice.)

5.2 Each Player's Turn

Steps 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3 are repeated for each player's turn. The first turn of a round begins with the start player's "player turn". When each player's turn ends, the next player in clockwise order takes their "player turn", in order.

5.2-1 Choosing a Die

Choose one die in the dice area that has not yet been chosen.

5.2-2 Choosing the Colour Area for the Die

Place the die you chose in 2-1 on a colour area in the dice area (the petal section in the centre).

• There are 5 colour areas (blue, red, yellow, purple and green). They correspond to the colours of the squares on the player sheet.
• Place the chosen die in an empty colour area.

5.2-3 Choosing a Square and Drawing the Icon

Draw the icon of the face shown on the die in step 2-2 in a square of that colour. On your player sheet, choose one empty square of the chosen colour and draw the icon there.

• Only the player whose turn it is may draw icons.
• You may draw the icon in any empty square of the chosen colour; it need not be next to other icons.

Example: A die was placed in the blue colour area, so draw a rail icon in a blue square. The house on the left of the rail was drawn as the initial placement.

Supplementary example: From the second round onward, if a blue square already has an icon, you may draw your icon in any other empty blue square. A red frame shows a square with no icon, so you may draw an icon there. A green frame shows a square that already has an icon, so you cannot draw an icon there.

Note on drawing icons. Draw rail icons at a reasonable angle. A train cannot pass a strange track! (The example diagrams show a track that is OK, and tracks that are too sharp or do not bend, where the train cannot pass.)

Fun break: Drawing. The icons on the dice and in this booklet are just examples. As long as you understand your own icons, you may draw original icons. Do not be limited by the examples: draw the icons as you imagine them. The finished town will be a wonderful one full of your individuality. You may of course draw the icons as in the examples. If you are not confident about drawing, start by copying the icons on the dice. (The author is also a terrible artist!)

5.3 End of a Player Turn and Round End Condition

When the active player starts drawing an icon, that player's turn ends. (The player turn must end before the active player has finished drawing the icon. This is so that players can concentrate on building the town at their own pace. Draw the town you want as much as you like!)

When a player's turn ends, check whether any colour area in the dice area is empty.

• If a colour area is empty: go to "3. Next player's turn".
• If no colour area is empty: go to "4. Next round".

Diagram: Round end check. Yes, there is an empty area: next player's turn (return to 2-1). No, there is no empty area: next round (end of round).

Example: An empty colour area exists. The example shows three players who have finished their turns. Blue, purple and yellow are not empty; green and red are empty. Since there is an empty colour area, the next player's turn follows. Clockwise, the next player takes their turn from "2-1. Choosing a die" through "2-3. Choosing a square and drawing the icon".

Example: No empty colour area. The example shows five players who have finished their turns. All colours are not empty. Since no colour area is empty, the round ends.

Start player movement (important!). For the next round, move the start player. Starting from this round's start player, pass the start player marker clockwise to the next player. The player who receives it becomes the start player for the next round. At the start of the round, perform step 1, "Rolling the dice".

Example of player turn and start player order (1): with three players A, B and C.

• At the start of the round, the start player is A, who holds the start player marker.
• A, the start player, rolls the dice, and A's player turn begins.
• When A's turn ends, the next player's turn in clockwise order is B.
• Continue until the colour areas are all filled, so one round has five player turns in total.
• Summary: start player of the round is A; player turn order is A, B, C, A, B; start player of the next round is B.

Example of player turn and start player order (2): with four players A, B, C and D.

• Start player of the round is A. Player turn order is A, B, C, D, A. Start player of the next round is B.

Note: Two-player and five-player examples are omitted for lack of space, but the same clockwise procedure applies.

Note: Turn counts per round differ between players. In example (1), A and B have two turns and C has one; in example (2), A has two turns and B, C and D have one each. Because the start player moves each round, every player takes the same number of turns over the whole game.

5.4 Exceptional Rule

In step 2-3 (choosing a square and drawing the icon), you must normally draw the icon of the die in the colour area where you placed it. However, in the later part of the game, the squares on your player sheet that correspond to an empty colour area may already be full.

In this case, do not draw in the colour where you placed the die. Instead, draw a solid flower icon (the filled flower, not the outline flower) in an empty square of another colour area. The square may be any empty square of any colour; for example, you may use a colour you chose earlier in this round.

This special rule applies only when you cannot choose any square of the colour where the die was placed.

Example 1: The blue colour area in the dice area is empty, but there are no empty blue squares on the player sheet. Either of the two dice may be placed in the blue colour area; in this case it makes no difference which one you choose. Instead of drawing the chosen die's icon, draw a solid flower icon in any empty square you like (in the example, a yellow square).

Example 2: Two or more colour areas in the dice area are empty, and there are empty squares. The blue and yellow colour areas are empty. The blue squares on the player sheet are full, but the yellow squares are not, so you are forced to choose the yellow colour area. (In the example, a die is placed in the yellow colour area and its icon is drawn in a yellow square.)

If an empty colour area in the dice area has no empty squares, but another empty colour area has empty squares, place the die in the colour area that has empty squares and draw that die's icon in one of its squares, as in Example 2.

6. End of the Game

The game ends when no empty squares remain on any player's sheet. Add up the points from the icon positions and combinations, and the player with the highest total wins.

If players are tied on points, the player with more house icons wins. If the house icon counts are also equal, the tied players share the same rank and share the victory.

7. Point Calculation

Points are calculated from the positions and combinations of icons. There are five categories in total. The point formulas for each category are printed at the bottom of the player sheet. Write the points for each category as you go, add them up, and enter the total in the far right box.

(Diagram: columns (1) to (5) and the total.)

(1) Ranch Bonus (points related to houses and sheep)

There are three ways of calculating points for houses and sheep, depending on how they are placed or combined. For now, remember: "If you build a house, you must connect a sheep to it, or you lose points."

• House connected to a sheep: +3 points
• House only (no sheep in the house's connection): −5 points (you lose 5 points!) — (The residents are in trouble without food from sheep!)
• Sheep only (no house): ±0 points — (Sheep can survive in the wild as well.)

Extra sheep do not affect the score.

"House connected to a sheep" means what? It means that one sheep is paired with each house, by one of the three methods introduced below.

(1) Directly connected. A sheep icon is in a square next to the square with the house icon.

(2) Connected through a rail and a house.

• A black sheep and a black house are "directly connected", as explained in (1).
• A green sheep and a green house are connected through a rail, as shown by the red arrow.
• A rail connection passes through the house that is connected to the rail. A rail alone cannot make the connection. (This may be hard to follow, so an example is shown on the next page.)

Example: The green sheep is next to a rail square, but because it is not connected through a house, it is not connected to the green house.

(3) Connected by a "village" and a "flock".

• A group of adjacent house icons is called a "village".
• A group of adjacent sheep icons is called a "flock".
• A village and a flock are treated as one unit each. If any part of a village and any part of a flock are connected by method (1) or (2), the whole village and the whole flock are treated as connected.
• In the example, the marked squares are "directly connected" by (1).
• Count the "total houses in the village" and the "total sheep in the flock". If the village has more houses than the flock has sheep, sheep are short. In that case, a number of houses equal to the shortfall are treated as "houses not connected to sheep", and each such house scores −5 points.
• In the example, the village has three house icons and the flock has two sheep, so one sheep is short. The red house scores −5 points and is recorded as shown in the diagram.

(Note: Methods (1), (2) and (3) may all be used together. However, once a sheep has been paired with one house, it cannot be paired with another house. If the pairing is unclear, mark which sheep is paired with which house, using a letter for each set, as in the diagram. In the example, four sets a, b, c and d are made; the house at the lower left has too few sheep and is short.)

(Note: There are many ways to pair houses and sheep. The example shows one of them.)

(Note: Rule (3) is somewhat difficult. If it is hard to follow, you may ignore it and play. Page 16 introduces a beginner rule that does not use it.)

(2) Colour Area Bonus (points for the five colour areas and flowers)

In each colour area, the player with the largest total of solid flower icons and outline flower icons earns points.

• The player earns 2 points per colour area. If several players tie for the largest total, all of them earn 2 points.
• If every player has 0 icons in a colour area, no points are earned for that area. (All players are tied at 0, but in this case no one scores.)

How to score:

1. Count the icons of each colour and write the count in the flower mark for that colour at the bottom of the sheet.
2. Going from left to right, each player announces their number in turn. The player(s) with the largest number tick that number so it is clear who has it.
3. Write the value in the formula below, according to the number of ticks. (In this example, yellow and green were the largest.)

Tip: Checking each colour area from the top-left of the sheet to the right makes this easier.

Example (2 players, A and B):

• Both players have 0 in a colour area: no tick.
• A has 3, B has 1: A is ticked.
• A has 2, B has 3: B is ticked.
• A has 1, B has 2: B is ticked.
• A has 2, B has 2: both A and B are ticked.
• A has 2 ticks, so A earns 2 × 2 = 4 points. B has 3 ticks, so B earns 3 × 2 = 6 points.

(3) Alpenzian Bonus (points for flowers and mountains)

1 point for each solid or outline flower icon next to a mountain square.

• Write the total number of flower icons next to each mountain in small figures on the mountain square.
• If one flower icon is next to several mountains, it scores in every one of those mountains. (A flower touching several mountains is worth more.)

Example:

• Mountain a is next to 1 flower icon, so it scores 1 point.
• Mountain b is next to 1 solid flower and 1 outline flower, a total of 2 icons, so it scores 2 points.
• Mountain c is next to 2 solid flowers and 1 outline flower, a total of 3 icons, so it scores 3 points.

Add up the flower icons next to each mountain for each mountain. The total of all the mountains (five in the example) is the Alpenzian bonus.

(4) Resident Bonus (points for houses and smiling flowers)

Residents increase through house icons and flower icons. (Building houses and making beautiful flowers bloom attracts new residents to move in!)

• The solid flower icon does not increase the number of residents. The difference between the solid flower and the outline flower is large!
• The number of residents is counted with the resident mark at the top left of the player sheet.
• Residents increase as follows:
  • House icon: +2 residents
  • Outline (smiling) flower icon: +1 resident

Scoring: The player with the most residents earns 5 points, and the player with the second most earns 3 points.

• If several players have the same number, handle as follows:
  • If several players tie for first, the second place earns no points.
    • 2 players tied for first: 4 points each (second place: 0 points)
    • 3 players tied for first: 3 points each
    • 4 players tied for first: 2 points each
    • 5 players tied for first: 2 points each
  • If one player is first and several players tie for second:
    • 2 players tied for second: 2 points each (first place: 5 points)
    • 3 players tied for second: 1 point each
    • 4 players tied for second: 1 point each

Example (scoring): Six houses give 12 residents, and four smiling flowers give 4 residents, for 16 residents in total. This is the most residents, so the player earns 5 points.

(5) Express Bonus (points for houses and rails)

A rail icon (straight or curved) connecting houses earns the express bonus, if the following conditions are met:

• There are at least 2 rail icons between two houses.
• The rail is connected to the houses (the rail icons point toward the house icons).

The express bonus points depend on the number of houses. (The table is printed at the bottom of the dice area on the play board.)

Houses connected	Points
2	4
3	9
4	15
5	22
6	30

Points are added together for all rail-and-house combinations that meet the conditions.

Example 1: House a and house b have only one rail between them, so they do not meet the "at least 2 rails" condition. House b and house c have 2 rails between them, but the rail is not connected to the houses as required. House b and house d have 3 rails between them, which meets the "at least 2 rails" condition, and the rails connect to the houses. Only b and d meet the conditions, so the express bonus is 4 points.

Example 2 (read after Example 1): When all qualifying rail-and-house sets are added together, the total is the express bonus. House a and house b meet the conditions with 2 houses, giving 4 points. Houses c, d and e meet the conditions with 3 houses, giving 9 points. Total express bonus: 13 points. Note: b and c are next to each other, but they are considered separate sets. (Even if houses are connected as a village in the Ranch Bonus, they do not form an express connection.)

Total Score Example

The diagram shows the scoring example with houses (a to e), sheep (no-sheep houses marked), and the following points:

• (1) Ranch Bonus: Five sets of houses and sheep are connected (a to e), each +3 points, for 15 points in total. Another house is marked "no sheep", which costs 5 points.
• (2) Colour Area Bonus: The yellow and green areas had the most flower icons, so 2 areas × 2 points = 4 points.
• (3) Alpenzian Bonus: Count the flowers next to each mountain, for a total of 11 points.
• (4) Resident Bonus: Six houses give 12 residents, and four smiling flowers give 4 residents, for 16 residents in total. This is the most residents, so 5 points.
• (5) Express Bonus: The top-left set has 2 houses, so 4 points. The lower set has 3 houses, so 9 points. Total 13 points.

Total: 15 − 5 + 4 + 11 + 5 + 13 = 43 points.

Note: Many other ways of pairing houses and sheep are possible. Think about good combinations during play. The letters a to e in the diagram are only for explanation; you do not need to write them on your sheet.

Note: Under Ranch Bonus, the house marked "no sheep" could not be paired with a sheep. It costs 5 points.

8. Beginner Rules

The Ranch Bonus in section 7 (1) is somewhat difficult, especially rule (3) on villages and flocks. If it is hard to follow, use the beginner rules below. Players do not all need to use the same rules. Experienced players may play with the normal rules while beginners use these, so that all players can enjoy the game. Mix and match as you like.

Beginner Rule 1 (simplest rule): Count the house icons and sheep icons on the whole player sheet. A sheep may be paired with a house anywhere on the sheet. If there are more sheep than houses, every house scores +3 points. If there are fewer sheep than houses, each house that has a sheep scores +3 points, and each house without a sheep scores −5 points.

Example: Two houses have a sheep, and one house has no sheep. Houses with sheep: 2 × 3 points = 6 points. House without sheep: −5 points × 1 = −5 points. Ranch bonus total: 1 point.

Beginner Rule 2 (easier to understand): Apply only two of the connection rules described in section 7 (1):

• (1) Directly connected.
• (2) Connected through a rail and a house.

In other words, do not apply rule (3), the "village and flock" rule.

Caution: The ranch bonus becomes easier to understand, but it becomes harder to connect houses to sheep, so high scores are harder to reach. After you become familiar with the game, we recommend trying the normal rules.

9. One-Player Rules

9-1. Changed Scoring (required rule)

When playing alone, the scoring is different from the normal rules. There are two changes:

• (2) Colour Area Bonus
• (4) Resident Bonus

(2) Colour Area Bonus

Normal rule: In each colour area, the player with the largest total of solid and outline flower icons earns points.

One-player rule: Points are earned according to the total of solid and outline flower icons in each colour area:

Total of solid and outline flowers	0 to 2	3	4	5 to 6
Points earned	0	1	2	3

(4) Resident Bonus

Normal rule: The player with the most residents earns 5 points, and the second-place player earns 3 points.

One-player rule: Points are earned according to the total number of residents (the number in the resident mark at the top left of the sheet):

Total residents	0 to 11	12 to 14	15 or more
Points earned	0	3	5

9-2. Pioneer Town Rules (one-player special rule)

This is a special one-player rule that is harder than the normal rules. Try it once you are used to the game. Only the following two items change. Everything else is the same as the normal rules, except for the scoring described in 9-1.

1. Where to draw the "first house".
2. The conditions for the squares where icons may be drawn.

(1) Where to draw the "first house"

Normal rule: Roll the die and draw in the square determined by the face and the "first house" placement list.

Special rule: Draw in any square you like in one of the blue colour area squares.

Example: For player sheet A, draw the first house in any of the blue squares in the upper right. (In this example, it is drawn in a square at the lower right.)

(2) Conditions for the squares where icons may be drawn

Normal rule: Draw the icon of the chosen colour area in one empty square of that colour.

Special rule: Draw the icon of the chosen colour area in one square of that colour that meets the conditions below.

The rules differ between the first round and later rounds.

First round:

• Condition 1 (for colour areas other than blue): Only squares touching the gate icon (the picture of a gate, printed on the sheet) can be chosen. The position of the gate icon differs depending on the sheet type (A to E).
• Condition 2 (for the blue colour area): Only blue squares adjacent to the "first house" you drew in (1) can be chosen.

From the second round onward:

• Condition: The square must be adjacent to a square of the colour area being drawn in that already has an icon.

Example (second round): Drawing in the green colour area. A square next to a green icon can take an icon. A square next to a blue icon cannot take an icon, because the colours do not match.

Guide to Scores (one-player rule)

(For reference only: this is a rough guide and the difficulty varies with each game.)

Score	Title
0 to 15	Mayor for a day
16 to 25	Novice mayor
26 to 35	Beloved mayor
36 to 45	Reliable mayor
46 to 55	Master mayor
56 or more	Already a king!

These guides are roughly useful for multi-player games too. Aim higher as you become used to the game.

Note: Sheet difficulty differs in the one-player Pioneer Town rules. Sheets A, B and C are for beginners; sheets D and E are for experts. Start with A, B or C.

10. Additional Rules

(1) The one-player scoring rules (section 9-1) may also be used in multi-player games. Using both changes in section 9-1 makes the two-player game more interesting. For 3 to 5 players, the basic rules are recommended, but you may use only the change to the colour area bonus.

(2) Mixing player sheets is allowed. Section 4 says all players use the same sheet type, but you may use different types. Strictly speaking, sheet difficulty differs and this gives some players an advantage or disadvantage. Please do not worry too much about this.

11. Requests for Players

(1) When playing with beginners or small children, please help them gently. Until they are used to the game, they may find scoring or icon placement difficult. The express bonus, in particular, requires remembering small details such as "two rails are needed between houses". Do not criticise; instead, suggest gently, such as "this way might be better".

(2) Please take the completed town (the player sheet) home as a souvenir. The town you drew in the game is yours alone, and we are happy for you to keep it as a memory. If possible, please share a photo on social media (Twitter, Facebook and similar). The author will be delighted when they find it. Sincerely, please do!

12. Q&A (Supplementary Explanations for Hard-to-Follow Rules)

Q1: What if the colour area in the dice area that is empty has no empty squares on my sheet?

A1: Draw a solid flower icon in another empty colour area (see section 5.4, Exceptional Rule). If another colour area can take the die, prefer that one.

Q2: I do not want to draw the icon of one of the remaining dice in the empty colour area. What can I do?

A2: Choose one of the icons on the remaining dice and draw it. You cannot pass.

Q3: There are two types each of rail icon and flower icon. What is the difference?

A3: Rail icons differ in the directions in which they can connect. The straight rail is straight, and the curved rail is curved. (See section 5.2-3, Note on drawing icons.)

Flower icons differ in whether they increase residents. The outline (smiling) flower increases residents by +1. The solid flower does not affect residents. (See section 7 (4), Resident Bonus.)

Q4: One player gets two turns in a round and another gets none. Is that OK?

A4: Yes. The number of turns becomes equal as rounds are repeated. (See the note on turn counts in section 5.3.)

Q5: Is the start player the player after the last player of the previous round?

A5: No. The turns of the previous round are not relevant. At the end of a round, move the start player marker clockwise. At the start of the next round, the player holding the start player marker is the start player. (See start player movement in section 5.3.)

Q6: What happens if the colour area bonus or resident bonus is tied with another player?

A6: Colour area bonus: all players earn 2 points. Resident bonus: the result depends on whether there is a tie for first or for second. It is a little complicated, so see section 7 (4) directly.

Q7: What happens if players have the same total score?

A7: Among the players with the same total, the player with the most house icons wins. If the house icon counts are also the same, both players win. (See section 6, End of the Game.)

Q8: I have run out of player sheets!

A8: The author plans to publish a PDF of the player sheets for printing on the official website (http://fukuroudou.info/) after autumn 2018. Please print it and use it. (The author would like to publish right away, but rights issues prevent this. We apologise!)

The player sheets will also be sold separately. Check the official site, Twitter or specialist shops for details. If you play many games, buying them is better value.

Also, before all the sheets are used up, you can slip a sheet into a clear plastic folder and erase it with water-based whiteboard markers, to play many times. However, the author personally feels it is a shame to erase a town once it has been built, and hopes you will draw a new town on a new sheet each time.

13. Tips for Playing Well (spoilers)

(Read only if you want the tips. Do not read this section if you want to work them out yourself!)

1. First, keep these in mind.

1. When your "first house" position has been decided, first decide which direction to extend your rail. Plan where to draw the next house to match.
2. Two rails are needed to earn the express bonus. When you draw a house before any rail exists, leave two squares between the houses.
3. Solid flower icons are very efficient for points, so choose them actively. A square that touches two mountain sides scores 2 Alpenzian bonus points from one flower icon. The outline flower also gives +1 resident, which is very good value!
4. Houses are important icons for many bonuses, but if you build too many houses you may run short of sheep, costing −5 points. If you have the choice, draw sheep first and then houses, which is safer. Early in the game you will have more chances later, but luck is involved, so take care.
5. The start player has a big chance! If you roll the face you want on your own dice, you can draw the icon you want in any colour square you like.

2. Once you are used to the game...

6. Do not aim too hard at the express bonus; if you build too many houses you may run short of sheep and lose 5 points. Aim for a good balance of bonuses.
7. Think about your turn order from the start player's point of view. Which die can you choose, and will you take two dice? Choosing the fifth die is often hard because there are fewer options, so take care.

Example (3 players): If you are the player after the start player, in this turn you choose the second and fifth dice. The fifth die will probably be a leftover with an icon no one wants, so take the second die with the icon you need.

3. Going one step further!

8. Once you can think about turn order as in tip 7, also think about the start player's order. If you are the start player and roll the faces you want, you can always draw in the squares that suit you.

9. Be careful of the colour area with only one empty square left! If your turn comes when that colour is the only option for placing a die, your plan may be ruined. Other players may also interfere if you let that situation arise.

10. Combining tips 8 and 9: adjusting the timing of the colour area that has only one square left reduces the chance your plan falls apart, and helps you aim for higher scores.

Example (4 players): The start player's turn comes about two rounds later, which is relatively safe.

• When you choose the third die, leave one empty red square. This is risky: you may be forced to draw an unwanted icon in red.
• In the next round, you choose the second die, so you will probably have a good die to place in red.
• In the round after that, you are the start player, so as long as you roll the faces you want, you can certainly draw a good icon.

Editor's Notes on the Source

• The designer's afterword ("終わりに"), the special thanks, and the designer and illustrator credits are omitted, as they are not rules.
• Page numbers and the printed table of contents are omitted.
• Icon blanks in the Japanese text were identified from the page images (for example, the outline flower face is the "smiling flower" and the solid flower is the filled flower icon). Icon names used here are descriptive labels for the printed pictures.
• Section numbers follow the Japanese manual. Printed page references (for example "P16" and "P09") are not reproduced.
• Items the Japanese text leaves as icon blanks were confirmed from the page images. Where the printed text had only a blank in a sentence, the translation describes the icon in words.