Artefakt
Artefakt Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Materials
- 10 sites of archaeological finds
- 24 fragments of the 3 artifacts (2 x 4 sections of each artifact)
- 4 collecting cards in the players' colors
- 1 color die
- 1 number die
- 12 playing figures (3 different ones per player)
- 16 travel cards (4 each in the players' colors)
- 4 overview cards with the site texts
- 1 starting-player piece
Set-up
- Mix the 10 sites and lay them out on the table in random order in a circle so that only the name of the location is visible. Then turn over sites 1, 5, 6 and 8 so that the text is readable.
- Then shuffle the 24 artifact fragments face down and put them in the middle of the circle. Nobody is allowed to see which part of an artifact it is.
- Put both dice within reach next to the circle.
- Each player chooses a color and gets the respective playing figures and travel cards, plus his collecting card, on which he will deposit the fragments found.
- Determine a starting player and give him the starting-player piece. Then he rolls the number die and places one of his 3 figures on the site that shows the number rolled. He repeats this for his other two figures. After that, the other players, in clockwise order, also roll the die 3 times to determine the starting positions of their 3 playing figures.
Important: Any number of your own and other players' playing figures may stand at one site, any time during the game.
Now the search for the artifacts can begin.
Note: the 4 overview cards with the site texts and the supplementary sheet ("Sites of Finds and Additional Directives") are referred to by these rules but are not included in this transcription.
Object of the Game
Each player tries to be the first to find all 4 fragments of an artifact by cleverly moving his figures to sites as lucrative as possible.
Course of the Rounds
Each round consists of 5 actions. After the fifth action has been completed, a new round begins with action 1.
Overview of a Round
- Discovering new fragments
- Preparing for the journey
- Traveling to new sites
- Taking fragments into possession
- Changing the starting player
1. Discovering New Fragments
The starting player rolls both dice four times overall.
The color die indicates which artifact the fragment is a part of, and the number die tells you on which site it is supposed to lie. The respective fragment is taken out of the middle and placed on that site.
Several of the 4 fragments are allowed to be on the same site. The front side of the fragments must not be visible during this distribution process so that nobody knows what fragments are lying on the sites.
2. Preparing for the Journey
Then all players determine to what sites their experts are to travel. To this end, they choose one of the 4 travel cards for each of their experts and put it face down above the corresponding figure, next to the upper edge of their collecting card. The 4th card is put aside face down and is not used any more until the next round.
The number on the card indicates how many sites the figure has to be moved along. You must use the full number of steps, but you can move clockwise or counterclockwise.
3. Traveling to New Sites
The starting player of the round begins by turning over his first travel card. Then he moves his figure the indicated number of steps to the right or to the left. After that, the other players follow clockwise: They also reveal their first card and move their figure by the number indicated.
Any number of your own and other players' experts may stand at any site at any time.
The other two figures are moved in the same way; the starting player always begins. The order is always the same: first the bulky figure, then the lady, then the tall expert. You always have to move the complete number of steps.
Hint: Each player should try to get to a site with many fragments.
4. Taking Fragments into Possession
Now players figure out what player the found fragments belong to. Start with site number 1 and then check each site, one after another, through number 10. The following conditions can occur:
A. No playing figure at the site.
In this case, you just go on to the next site.
B. Alone at the site.
If there are figures of only one player at the site, this player takes all the fragments there and deposits them face down on his collecting card. You may look at your own fragments any time, but you should be careful that the other players don't see what fragment it is.
Important: Each artifact consists of 4 different fragments. Each fragment exists twice. Fragments of the same kind cannot be combined: You need all 4 different fragments to complete an artifact. After that, the player may use the directive on the site, provided the text is showing (see also the notes under "Sites of Finds and Additional Directives" on the supplementary sheet).
C. Competition at the site.
If there are figures of different players at the site, the player with the most experts there decides whether he takes all fragments that have been found there or takes a fragment away from the collecting card of another player who is also represented at this site. The latter is also possible if there are no fragments at the site. In no case may you look at the fragments before that – only when they are lying on your own collecting card.
After that, the player who has the majority may use the directive on the site, provided the text is showing.
Ties: If no individual player has the majority, but several players have the same number of experts at the site, all of them go away empty-handed and nobody is allowed to use the directive.
5. Changing the Starting Player
If no player has won yet after the 4th action, the starting player passes the starting-player piece to his left neighbor, and a new round begins.
For advanced players: Before the starting player passes on the starting-player piece, he turns over an additional site so that the new directive becomes visible.
Ending and Winning the Game
The game ends as soon as a player has been able to collect all 4 different fragments of an artifact and thus owns a complete artifact. The round is not continued to the end; this player has won immediately.
Rare Case: What Happens If There Are Too Few Fragments?
- If there are not enough fragments left in a color that has been rolled in the first action ("Discovering new fragments"), the starting player chooses a different color.
- If there are fewer than 4 fragments in the middle prior to the first action, the players, before they roll, have to give up as many fragments as needed to bring the number back up to four again. The starting player begins by putting one fragment back, and the other players follow clockwise. A player who is unable to give up a fragment is skipped. Then the fragments in the middle are well shuffled again before the dice rolling.
- In the rare case that players cannot give back enough fragments to bring the total back to 4, the first action is omitted.