BITS
BITS Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Players try to build shapes by arranging tiles on a grid in order to win as many points as possible.
Contents
- 90 plastic tiles:
- 4 sets of 20 game tiles
- 5 starting tiles
- 4 neutral tiles
- 1 spare tile
- 4 game boards
- 4 ramps + 16 rubber feet
- 5 starting cards
- 20 building cards
- 16 task cards
Preparation
Before you start:
- Detach the starting, building and task cards from the perforated sheet.
- Take the game tiles out of their bags.
- Stick the rubber feet to the underside of each ramp - 1 in each of the 4 corners.
Each player receives:
- One ramp
- One game board
- A complete set of game tiles (same symbols on top)
- The neutral tile with the same symbol
If there are fewer than 4 players, leave the extras in the box.
- Sort the task cards into piles 1, 2 and 3 according to the number on the back. The 4 task cards with the number 4 are only required for the advanced version (p. 16), and should be left in the box for the basic game. Shuffle the 3 piles separately and place them face down, ready for use.
- Now shuffle the 20 building cards and the 5 starting cards separately and place them face down in 2 piles in the middle of the table.
- The 5 starting tiles do not have a symbol on the top. These should be placed in the middle of the table.
- Place your game board on your ramp so that the logo is visible at the top. The game board contains a grid with 6 x 6 squares.
- Place the 20 game tiles and the neutral tile of your set face up next to your ramp.
- You will also need a pen and paper to keep score.
Let's Play!
(For 2 to 4 players; the solo version can be found on p. 16)
The game is played in 3 rounds. Each round consists of the following steps:
- Turn over a task card
- Take a starting card and lay the starting tile
- Turn over the building cards and lay the game tiles
1. Turn Over a Task Card
One player turns over the top card from the pile of task cards that have a number 1 on the back. The players then try to copy the shape that is shown by arranging their tiles to make solid color blocks. The meaning of the different task cards are explained under "Scoring".
2. Take a Starting Card and Lay the Starting Tile
Each player takes a starting card from the pile. They then take the corresponding starting tile from the middle of the table and place it on their game board.
Placement rules:
- You can choose any column.
- The tile can be placed any way around.
Positioning the tile: Place the starting tile on the game board at the top end of the ramp. Then slide it down the ramp to the bottom edge (Fig. A), without letting it rotate or slip to the right or left. Each player keeps their starting card until the end of the round.
3. Turn Over the Building Cards and Lay the Game Tiles
Once all of the players have placed their starting tile, a player turns over the top building card. Each player takes the depicted game tile from their stock of tiles and places it on their ramp. The same rules apply as with the starting tile.
The players move their game tile so that it is either at the bottom edge of the ramp or adjoins other tiles already in place (Fig. B). The following rules apply:
- All players lay the same game tile.
- Game tiles must not protrude over the edge of the grid.
- Game tiles may not be placed in spaces that are not accessible in a straight line from above (Fig. C).
- The depicted game tile must be played where possible (exception: neutral tile).
- Neutral tile: once every round, the player may lay a neutral tile instead of the one depicted on the building card. The neutral tile does not belong to any color block and has no plus or minus value, but it does help to define color blocks.
Once everyone has played the tile depicted on the building card (or their neutral tile), one of the players turns over the next building card. They then place it on top of the previous building card (face up on the pile). All players now take the tile depicted on the card and place it on their game board and so on.
End of a Round
The round ends when none of the players are able to lay a tile. The first round's scores are then added up.
It may be that one or more players are stuck for a tile before the others are, in which case they drop out of the round early.
Next Round
For the next round, place the starting cards and starting tiles back in the middle of the table and re-place the game tiles next to your ramp. Re-shuffle the starting and building cards and place them back on the table.
The task card from round 1 remains faced up. Now also turn over the top task card from the pile of number 2 cards. In the 2nd round, both task cards count; in the 3rd round, all 3 are in play.
Special rule for the 3rd round: if the 3rd task card depicts the same shape as the card from the 2nd round, please take a new task card from the number 3 pile.
Scoring
Add up the points from the task cards and note the scores.
Basic Rules for all Task Cards
The task cards depict different shapes which the players try to copy by arranging their tiles in solid color blocks. For each shape created, the player receives the number of points indicated on the card. If a player creates more than one of these shapes, the points are multiplied accordingly.
The task card dictates the geometric shape, but not which way it should be placed on the game board.
- If only the shape is specified, it doesn't matter which color is used to make it. The players can recreate it as many times as they like in different colors and/or the same color.
- If both shape and color are specified, both are required in order to score points.
- If the color block covers more squares than are needed for the shape, no points are scored, even if the shape occurs within the color block.
- Tiles of the same color which only adjoin diagonally do not belong together and therefore never belong to the same shape.
- Blank spaces in the grid have no negative or positive value, but define color blocks in the same way as other colors.
Special Rules for Individual Task Cards
Task cards 1
Right-hand side: Each color block of the depicted shape is worth 2 additional points.
Left-hand side: All other color blocks consisting of exactly 4 squares are worth 1 additional point. All geometric shapes that can be created with 4 squares are depicted on the card.
Task cards 2
Each block in the specified shape and color is worth the specified number of additional points.
Task cards 3
Each color block of the specified shape is worth the specified number of negative points. The color is irrelevant.
Scoring Example
By the end of the 3rd round, one of the players succeeded in building the depicted shapes. This earns them a total of 6 points (6+2−2).
Tip: Evaluate the task cards of the round in order as in the example. This makes it easier to add up the scores.
Task card 1: 6 points — The two squares are worth 2 points each. The blue and purple 4-square blocks are worth another 1 point each. The yellow block (top right) earns no points as it consists of more than 4 squares.
Task card 2: 2 points — The specified blue block was formed once equalling 2 points. The blue block indirectly below it only adjoins diagonally and therefore does not affect the score. The blue block on the bottom left consists of 4 squares and does not count as task card 2 (even if it contains the shape depicted on the card).
Task card 3: −2 points — There is exactly one 2-square solid-color block equalling −2 points. Thanks to the neutral tile, the player has avoided the 2 further negative points he would have earned by laying the black and red tile, as this would have resulted in a further 2-square block (black).
End of the Game
The game ends after the 3rd round. The scores from all rounds are added together. Whoever has won the most points wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest score in a single round wins. In the event of a further tie, there are multiple winners.
Advanced Version
In the advanced version, 4 rounds are played.
At the preparation stage, shuffle the task cards with the number 4 in addition and place them face-down in a pile.
After the 3rd round, turn over the top card of the pile ready for the 4th round. This counts in addition to the 3 task cards already exposed.
Each color block of the specified shape is worth the number of points indicated on the card.
Solo Version
Play rounds 1 to 3 according to the above rules and make a note of your scores in each case:
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| Above 30 points | master builder |
| 26 to 30 points | structural engineer |
| 21 to 25 points | foreman |
| 16 to 20 points | stone mason |
| 11 to 15 points | tile layer |
| 6 to 10 points | handyman |
| Up to 5 points | clean up crew |
Storage Tip
After the game, place the game tiles in the storage compartment inside the ramp and place the cover on top. That way the tiles will be already sorted for the next game.
Note: The spare tile can be used if a neutral tile or game tile gets misplaced.
Reiner Knizia thanks Sebastian Bleasdale for his assistance in developing this game.