Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig
Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 96 Room Cards
- 37 Bonus Cards
- 32 Royal Decree Cards
- 35 King's Favor Tokens
- 5 Player Reference Cards
- 1 Pad of Score Sheets
- 1 Pad of Sketch Sheets + 5 Sketch Panels
- 1 Castle Eraser
- 1 Pencil Sharpener
- 1 Box of 8 Colored Pencils
The sketch shown in the example on the components spread is an example of a castle at game end and its accompanying score sheet. Refer to an image like this often as you read these rules.
Setup
-
Shuffle the Room Cards. Count out the correct number of cards for the number of players you have to create the Room deck, then place it face down in the center of the table. Return all unused cards to the box.
Players Room deck size 1 30 cards 2 40 cards 3 50 cards 4 60 cards 5 70 cards (Solo Mode pg. 21)
-
Reveal 2 more Room Cards than the number of players from the top of the deck and arrange them face up nearby to create the Market. (4 Player Setup Shown.)
-
Flip the King's Favor Tokens face down and mix them up. Reveal 4 Tokens and place them face up where everyone can see them. Return all unused tokens to the box.
-
Place the Colored Pencils within reach of everyone.
-
Shuffle the Bonus Card deck and place it face down in the center of the table. Deal each player 2 Bonus Cards face down. Players should keep their Bonus Cards secret, but may look at them at any time.
-
Give each player a Reference Card, a Score Sheet, and a Sketch Sheet inserted into the corners of the Sketch Panels.
-
Randomly choose a start player and give them the Castle Eraser.
-
Shuffle the Royal Decree deck and deal 2 more cards than the number of players to the player on the right of the start player. This player secretly chooses 1 Royal Decree to keep, then passes the remaining Royal Decrees to the player on their right (in reverse turn order). This continues until each player has chosen 1 Royal Decree.
The start player will receive 3 Royal Decrees to choose from; after they choose 1 to keep, they return all unselected Royal Decrees to the bottom of the deck. All players then simultaneously reveal their Royal Decrees and place them face up in front of themselves.
Tip: Once you're familiar with the game, you may remove specific Royal Decrees from the deck before starting.
-
Starting with the start player and going in clockwise order, each player chooses a Room type and colors in the Foyer on their Sketch Sheet with the color for that Room type. For example, if you want your Foyer to be a Food Room (and give you an extra turn when you complete it), color it yellow.
Each player fills in the first Swan on their score sheet's Moat track in the color they chose for their Foyer.
-
The game begins with the start player selecting a Room Card from the Market (see Round Overview, pg. 6).
Turn Order
During the first round of the game, players take their turns in clockwise order, starting with the start player.
In all following rounds, turn order is determined by the size of the Room on top of each player's pile of Room Cards, shown in the top left on both sides of each Room Card. Turns are taken in order from the player with the smallest Room (lowest number) on their pile to the player with the largest Room (highest number) on their pile.
The player who takes the last turn also gets to fill in a Go Last circle. You gain a special reward each time you fill in 3 Go Last circles (see Special Rewards, pg. 12).
Whenever 2 or more players have Rooms of the same size on top of their pile, they reveal the next card in their pile and use this to break the tie. If there is no card underneath, they use the initial clockwise turn order from the start player.
At the end of round 3, Saige has a size 2 Room on top of her pile, while Carmen has a size 8 Room, and Lewis has a size 6 Room on his. This means that in round 4, Saige will go first, followed by Lewis, then Carmen.
Gameplay
Round Overview
The game is played over 10 rounds. Each round has the following steps (explained over the following sections):
- Player Turns: In turn order, each player takes 1 face up Room Card from the Market. After sketching the Room on their Sketch Sheet, each player forms their own Room Pile with Room Cards they have added to their Blueprint in the order they were sketched.
- End of Round: Discard any remaining Market cards face up to form the public Reserve pile next to the Room Card deck. Determine the turn order for the next round.
- Refill New Rooms: Fill the Market from the top of the Room Card deck by revealing 2 more Room Cards than the number of players.
Player Turns
Each player takes 1 turn each round to choose a Room Card from the Market and sketch it on their sheet.
-
On your turn, take any 1 face up Room Card from the Market and place it near your sheet.
-
Next, take the Colored Pencil matching the color of the Room on your card and use it to sketch the Room on your Sketch Sheet. You must follow all rules for sketching Rooms (see Sketching Rooms, pg. 8).
-
If your card has a Swan icon on it, fill in the next empty Swan on the Moat track of your Score Sheet with the same Colored Pencil you used for the Room.
-
Once you've finished sketching your Room, check if you completed any Rooms on your sheet by connecting (or removing) all of their entrances. Whenever you complete a Room, you earn a completion reward based on the Room's type (see Completing Rooms, pg. 10), and fill in a circle for that room on your score sheet.
-
During your turn, you may use any number of completion rewards and/or Special Rewards you have earned by filling in the flag for that completed room (see Completion Rewards, pg. 11, and Special Rewards, pg. 12).
-
When you have finished your turn, place your card face down on top of your personal Room pile. You may look at the Rooms in your own pile at any time, but must keep them in the order you sketched them, since the top card on your pile is used to determine turn order for the following round.
Tip: The Room on top of your pile is always the last Room you sketched. This means that if you use an ability to take an extra turn after your turn, the extra Room you take will be on top of your deck at the end of the round and determine your position in turn order.
On her turn, Saige takes the Majestic Lobby and sketches it on her sheet.
- The player who will be last in the new turn order fills in the next empty Go Last circle at the top of their score sheet with any Colored Pencil (see example below).
Henry has the largest Room on top of his pile, so he gets to fill in a "Go Last" circle. If he gets 2 more, he will earn a special reward.
End of Round
Once the last player has taken their turn (and any extra turns have been taken), take the following steps to end the round:
-
Discard any Room Cards left in the Market to a face up Reserve pile next to the Room deck.
-
Determine the new turn order by checking the Room on top of each player's Room pile; smaller rooms go first and larger rooms go later (see Turn Order, pg. 6).
Tip: For a faster game, the next player can start taking their turn while you are sketching your Room.
Refill New Rooms
-
Start the next round by dealing new Room Cards. Refill the Market, as done in Setup, by revealing 2 more Room Cards than the number of players from the top of the Room Card deck.
Tip: For a faster game, players who are done sketching can reveal new Room Cards while everyone else finishes.
Skipping Your Turn
Once per game, you can choose to skip your turn and not take a face up Room card. If you do, fill in the Skip Turn circle (with any colored pencil). This unlocks a special reward you can use (see Special Rewards, pg. 12). You may skip additional turns, but you do not get a reward (or card) for doing so.
Extra Turns
You can gain an extra turn by completing a Food Room (see Completion Rewards, pg. 11) or using a special reward (see Special Rewards, pg. 12). Extra turns are always taken after the last player takes their normal turn but before doing end of round cleanup. If multiple players have extra turns in the same round, they are resolved in the same turn order as normal turns were. Additional rules and examples for extra turns can be found under Food Rooms, pg. 13.
Creating Your Blueprint
Sketching Rooms
Whenever you sketch a Room, you must use the Colored Pencil matching its color on the Room Card to keep track of what type of Room it is. Your Sketch Sheet is semi-transparent, so you can place the card underneath your sheet and trace the shape of the Room (or draw freehand if you prefer). It is up to you whether you prefer to fill in the Room with the Colored Pencil, or just sketch its outline.
Carmen traces the Majestic Lobby on her sheet.
When choosing where to sketch a Room, you must respect all of the following rules:
- You must connect at least 1 entrance on your new Room to an entrance on an already sketched Room (or your Foyer).
- You must sketch your new Room fully within your castle's lot. Your lot is the area defined by the dashed lines on your Sketch Sheet (initially a 9x9 square), and can be expanded by completing Outdoor Rooms to a max lot size of 13x13 (see Outdoor Rooms, pg. 16).
- You may block any number of entrances on your new or already sketched Rooms (as long as your new Room has at least 1 connected entrance).
- The top and bottom of each card show mirrored versions of the Room. You may choose either one to sketch. You may rotate a Room by 90° as many times as you like before sketching it.
- You may not sketch a new Room that overlaps an existing Room or Moat.
- Once you have one or more Downstairs Rooms in your castle, you must connect each new Downstairs Room to at least 1 entrance on an already sketched Downstairs Room (see pg. 14).
- You may not take a Room if you have nowhere you can legally sketch it.
Caring for Your Colored Pencils
Colored Pencils contain colorful pigments which makes for a softer core than traditional pencils.
Excess pressure while sketching can cause the core to break, often at a point where the pencil requires sharpening to be used again. Try not to press too hard as you sketch.
When it is time to sharpen your Colored Pencil, use the included sharpener, hold the pencil as straight as possible while sharpening, and sharpen very slowly and gently; sharpening with rough or heavy motions can break off more of the core, making your pencil shorter and shorter.
The vellum Sketch Sheets work particularly well with Colored Pencils, and also provide a great surface for erasing.
Completion Rewards
Completing Rooms
Completing a Room grants you a completion reward that you can use during the game and extra VPs at the end of the game.
A room is complete if all of its entrances are connected to entrances on other Rooms. If any of a Room's entrances lead to empty space or are blocked by a directly adjacent wall, then it isn't complete.
Whenever you sketch a new Room, check to see if you have completed any Rooms in your castle. For each Room you've completed, find the Room track for the type of Room you completed, then fill in the next empty circle indicating you've earned a completion reward.
This Outdoor Room is complete, because both of its entrances are connected to other entrances.
This Living Room isn't complete, because 2 of its entrances are still unconnected.
This Activity Room isn't complete, because one of its entrances is blocked by a wall.
Tip: Entrances can be removed with some Completion rewards. Once an entrance is removed, it does not need to be connected to complete the Room.
Completion Rewards
Each Room you complete earns you a completion reward you can use during the game.
Each type of Room grants a different reward. Some rewards must be used immediately when they are earned, while some can be saved for a future turn. See the section on Room Rewards (pg. 13) for details on the different rewards.
When you use a completion reward you've earned, fill in the flag above the circle to show you've used it.
Scoring Completed Rooms
At the end of the game, you will score extra VPs for each circle you've filled in on your Room tracks (whether or not you've filled in the flag to use the reward). Each type of Room is worth a different amount of completion VPs. These values are printed on your score sheet at the end of each Room track.
Incomplete Rooms do not score extra VPs (but still score the size printed on their card; see Final Scoring, pg. 20).
When you complete a Room, fill in a circle on the matching track.
Special Rewards
When you take certain actions during the game, you can fill in the circles at the top of your score sheet to earn special rewards.
- Start Reward: This circle is filled in from the start of the game for all players. You may use this special reward on your first turn of the game or save it for any future turn.
- Skip Turn: The first time you skip your turn during the game, fill in this circle to earn a special reward.
- Go Last: When turn order is assessed at the end of the round, if you are last, fill in the next empty circle on this track. When you fill in the 3rd and 6th circles, you earn a special reward.
Once you've earned a special reward, you can use it at any time on your turn by filling in the flag above it. Each special reward can be used to do either of the following:
- Use a completion reward of any Room type; OR
- Fill in a Swan on your Moat track.
If you use the special reward as a Room completion reward, fill in the flag using the corresponding Room color. You must follow all rules for that completion reward, including when it can be used (see Room Types, pg. 13).
The scoring box underneath each special reward circle is only used if you use that reward as a Utility Room reward to score an extra Bonus Card (see pg. 18).
Carmen has 3 filled-in Go Last circles, so she has earned a special reward. On her turn, she decides to use it as a Downstairs Room reward to add a secret passage. She fills in the flag above her first 3 Go Last circles in gray (the Downstairs Room color) and sketches a secret passage.
Room Types & Room Rewards
Whenever a Room is completed (all entrances for a Room are connected to entrances of other Rooms), fill in the first available empty circle for that room type on your Score Sheet with that Room's colored pencil. From that point until the end of the game, that reward is available to you. You may use as many earned rewards on a single turn as you'd like. To indicate that a player has used a Room Reward, fill in the corresponding flag above a filled-in circle. The following describes each of the Room Types and corresponding Room Rewards in detail.
Food Rooms
Each Food Room you complete gives you an extra turn to choose a Room Card and sketch it on your sheet at the end of the current turn.
Completion reward: 1 extra turn
When you complete a Food Room, you get an extra turn at the end of the current round (after each player has taken their normal turn).
- You must use each Food Room reward you earn in the same round you earn it. You may not save it for a future round.
- Take your extra turn as you would a normal turn. You may take any face up Room card left in the Market, or use an Activity Room reward to take from the Reserve pile (see Activity Rooms, pg. 16). You may use any number of completion rewards or special rewards during an extra turn.
- If multiple players earn extra turns in the same round, they take their extra turns in the same turn order that they took their normal turns.
- If a player earns multiple extra turns in the same round, they must take them one at a time (each player must have a chance to take their first extra turn before any player can take a second extra turn).
- You may choose to skip your extra turn and fill in your Skip Turn circle if it is not already filled (see Skipping Turns, pg. 8). If you are unable to take a Room during an extra turn (because the Market is empty and you don't have any Activity Room rewards), you must skip your turn.
- Room Cards taken and sketched during an extra turn are added on top of the rewarded player's Room pile.
In a 3-player game, Lily-Kate is second in turn order. On her turn, she completes a Food Room, so she earns a completion reward that lets her take an extra turn this round. She must wait until Henry, who is third in turn order, finishes his turn before she can take her extra turn.
On Henry's turn, he decides to use one of his special rewards to also take a Food Room reward. He will take his extra turn after Lily-Kate takes hers, since he is after her in turn order.
Sleeping Rooms
Each Sleeping Room you complete allows you to move a Room's entrances within a Room that you are drawing.
Completion reward: move entrances
When you sketch a new Room, you can use a Sleeping Room reward to sketch any number of its entrances in different locations than they are shown on its Room Card.
- You must place each entrance on an orthogonal wall where an entrance could normally appear (you may not place it on a curved or angled wall).
- The Room you sketch must have the same number of entrances that are shown on the card. You may choose to move only some entrances and leave others where they are.
- If a Room already has an entrance on every legal wall, then moving its entrances has no effect.
- This reward can only be used when you sketch a new Room. You can't use it on Rooms you previously sketched. (This means you can't use the reward from a Sleeping Room in the same turn that you complete it; you must save it for a future turn.)
Lewis wants to add the Orchard to his castle, but he will block an entrance if he places it where he wants it. He decides to use a Sleeping Room reward to move its entrances and now it fits perfectly!
Downstairs Rooms
Each Downstairs Room you complete allows you to build a secret passage that can help you connect entrances and complete Rooms within your castle. All of your Downstairs Rooms must be connected to each other.
Placement restrictions
The first Downstairs Room you sketch can be connected to any entrance in your castle, like any other Room. However, once you have at least 1 Downstairs Room, each subsequent Downstairs Room you sketch must be connected to at least 1 previously sketched Downstairs Room.
If you can't connect a new Downstairs Room to any of your previously sketched Downstairs Rooms, you may not sketch that Room (see Sketching Rooms, pg. 10).
Completion reward: add 1 secret passage
At any time on your turn, you can use a Downstairs Room reward to sketch a secret passage in any room's wall, allowing it to connect to another room or a courtyard.
- To sketch a secret passage, first choose any orthogonal wall in any Room already in your castle (even one that has an entrance). Use a dark color to sketch an outline of an entrance on the wall (over the top of an existing entrance if there is one). Then sketch the outline of another entrance directly adjacent to the first one, where your passage will end. Fill in both entrances.
- If you sketch a secret passage that covers one or more existing entrances, they are removed and no longer considered when checking if the Room is complete.
- You may sketch a secret passage that leads to empty space around or within your castle (it does not have to lead to another Room). However, you may not sketch a secret passage that extends outside of your lot or into a Moat (see Outdoor Rooms, pg. 16, and Moats, pg. 17).
- If you have a secret passage leading to empty space, you may sketch a new Room connected to it. The passage can connect to any entrance of the new Room.
- Passages to empty space do not count as unconnected entrances. This means that adding a secret passage from an already completed Room to an empty space does not make the Room incomplete. (This can be a good way to create Courtyards inside your castle; see Courtyards, pg. 19.)
- You can use a Downstairs Room reward immediately after you earn it or save it for a future turn.
One of the entrances to Henry's Activity Room is blocked by an adjacent wall. He uses a Downstairs Room reward to sketch a secret passage to the adjacent Living Room, which connects the entrance and completes the Activity Room.
Stella adds a secret passage from one of her Outdoor Rooms to an empty space inside her castle. This creates a Courtyard. The Room where she added the passage remains complete.
Elijah wants to add a new Panic Room to his castle, but there is no entrance on this side, so he adds a secret passage. He connects the passage to the Panic Room's entrance to complete it immediately, gaining a Utility Room reward (2 Bonus Cards).
Living Rooms
Each Living Room you complete allows you to remove an entrance from a previously sketched Room, making it easier to complete Rooms.
Completion reward: remove entrance
At any time on your turn, you can use a Living Room reward to fill in any one unconnected entrance in any Room in your castle (using the same color as the rest of the Room).
- Entrances that have been filled in are no longer considered when checking if the Room is complete. Filling in an entrance can complete a Room immediately.
- You can use a Living Room reward immediately after you earn it, or save it for a future turn.
Saige uses a previously earned Living Room completion reward to remove the last unconnected entrance to this Living Room to earn its completion reward and end-game VPs. This reward may be used immediately, which would allow Saige to remove another door and possibly complete another room.
Activity Rooms
Each Activity Room you complete allows you to take a Room Card from the Reserve pile instead of the Market on your turn. This can be helpful if you need a specific Room from the Reserve, or there are no Rooms left in the Market.
Completion reward: choose from reserve pile
Whenever you would take a Room card from the market, you may use an Activity Room reward to take any 1 discarded card from the Reserve pile instead of taking a Room Card from the Market.
Any player may look through the Reserve pile at any time. You can use an Activity Room reward during an extra turn (which is especially useful if the Market is empty).
Outdoor Rooms
Each Outdoor Room you complete allows you to expand the size of your lot where you can build Rooms.
Completion reward: expand lot
At any time during your turn, you may use an Outdoor Room reward to expand your lot.
- To expand your lot, choose one of the dashed lines on your Sketch Sheet and fill in the flag connected to it. For the rest of the game, you may ignore that dashed line when sketching Rooms.
- You may use an Outdoor Room reward immediately after you earn it or save it for a future turn.
Each time you use an Outdoor Room reward, fill in a flag to expand the area where you can sketch new Rooms.
Tip: If you run out of space in your lot and you don't have any Outdoor Rooms rewards to use, remember that you can use a special reward as a completion reward of any type (see Special Rewards, pg. 12).
Special scoring
At the end of the game, each Outdoor Room you have completed scores VPs for each orthogonally adjacent empty square and 1 VP for each orthogonally adjacent half-empty square (next to a curved or angled wall).
The dashed lines on your sheet define the lot where you are allowed to sketch Rooms. At the start of the game, your lot is a 9x9 square area around your Foyer. You are not allowed to sketch Rooms outside this area (see Sketching Rooms, pg. 10).
Completed Outdoor Rooms score VPs based on how many empty squares they are touching.
At the end of the game, this complete Outdoor Room scores 10 VPs (4 full empty squares plus 2 half-empty squares).
Moats
Moats can be used to remove entrances they touch and score VPs based on the number of Rooms that are behind your Moat.
Unlike Rooms, Moats do not appear in the Room deck. To sketch a Moat, you must first fill in 4 Swans on your Moat track. You can fill in Swans by either taking Room Cards with Swan icons on them (see Player Turns, pg. 6) or using special rewards (see Special Rewards, pg. 12). When you fill in your 4th (or 8th) Swan, immediately fill in the circle next to it to show you've earned a Moat completion reward. Then fill in the flag when you use the reward to sketch a Moat.
Completion reward: sketch a Moat
At any time during your turn, you can use a Moat reward to sketch a Moat with the turquoise Colored Pencil.
- A Moat is a straight row or column of full squares of any desired length. It follows all rules for sketching Rooms (see pg. 8), except that it does not have to be connected to an entrance.
- Just like a Room, your Moat must be sketched fully within your lot (see Outdoor Rooms, pg. 16).
- After you sketch a Moat, immediately remove any Room entrances that are directly adjacent to it by filling them in using the Room's color. These entrances are no longer considered when checking if these Rooms are complete. This can complete one or more Rooms immediately.
- You may use a Moat reward immediately after you earn it or save it for a future turn.
- Once you've filled in all 8 of your Swans, gaining additional Swans has no effect.
Special scoring
At the end of the game, each Moat you have scores 2 VPs for each Room that is fully behind the length of it when looking from outside of your lot. A Room does not have to directly touch a Moat to be considered behind it. Rooms that are only partially behind your Moat score no VPs.
Lily-Kate has 4 filled-in Swans. At the end of the game, she decides to sketch her Moat along the right side of her lot (up to the second dashed line, since she's only filled in the first flag). She immediately removes the Activity Room and Food Room entrances that are touching her Moat, completing both rooms. There are 10 Rooms fully behind her Moat, so her Moat is currently worth 20 VPs.
Utility Rooms
Each Utility Room you complete allows you to draw 2 Bonus Cards and score any 1 of your Bonus Cards at the end of the game.
Completion reward: draw 2 Bonus Cards
When you complete a Utility Room, you may use its reward to draw 2 Bonus Cards from the deck, secretly look at them, and keep them with your other Bonus Cards.
- The Bonus Card deck has a limited number of cards, and if you earn a Utility Room reward after the Bonus Card deck has run out, you do not draw any more Bonus Cards. (It can still be worth completing Utility Rooms after the Bonus Card deck has run out, since this will allow you to score more Bonus Cards you already have; see Special Scoring, pg. 19.)
- You may use a Utility reward immediately after you earn it or save it for a future turn.
Tip: Remember that if you use a special reward as a Utility Room reward at the end of the game, you still get to draw 2 new Bonus Cards before scoring (see Special Rewards, pg. 12).
Special scoring
At the end of the game, you will choose 1 of your Bonus Cards to score for each completed Utility Room you have (and each special reward you choose to use as a Utility Room reward).
This means that if you have no completed Utility Rooms (or unused special rewards) at the end of the game, you will not score any Bonus Cards, including the ones you drew at the start of the game (see Final Scoring, pg. 20).
Carmen completes her first Utility Room and she fills in the first circle on her Utility Room track. She then fills the flag above it and draws 2 Bonus Cards. With the 2 she drew at the start of the game, she has a total of 4 Bonus Cards. The Room she completed will let her score 1 Bonus Card of her choice at the end of the game.
Courtyards
Courtyards are enclosed empty spaces within your castle that have at least 1 entrance from an adjacent Room.
- Courtyards are not considered Rooms and do not grant immediate completion rewards, but each completed Courtyard is worth 10 VPs at the end of the game.
- To be considered complete, a Courtyard must be totally enclosed by Rooms and/or Moats on each orthogonal edge (corners don't matter), and it must be connected to an adjacent Room by an entrance or secret passage.
This area is fully enclosed and has an entrance, so it is a completed Courtyard that scores 10 VPs.
This empty space is fully enclosed but does NOT have an entrance. It is NOT a completed Courtyard and is worth no VPs.
Tip: A Room that has an entrance to a Courtyard isn't complete, since this entrance isn't connected to another Room. However, if you use a secret passage to connect a Room to a Courtyard (even if it covers an existing entrance), this could complete the Room and count as an entrance to the Courtyard (see Secret Passages, pg. 14).
Game End & Scoring
Game End
When the Room deck runs out, players finish the current round and the game ends.
If players have any completion rewards or special rewards they haven't used, they may use them at the end of the game. If multiple players have unused rewards, they must resolve them in turn order.
Once players have finished, each player adds up their final score.
Final Scoring
(See example of final score sheet on pg. 2.)
Add up your score on your score sheet as follows:
-
Special Rewards: If you used any special rewards as Utility Room rewards, write your score for each selected Bonus Card (see Utility Rooms, pg. 18). Special rewards score no VPs otherwise.
-
Completed Rooms: Score each filled circle on your first 5 Room tracks, using the VP values at the end of each track (Food, Sleeping, Downstairs, Living, and Activity).
-
Completed Outdoor Rooms: Each complete Outdoor Room scores 2 VPs for each adjacent full empty square and 1 VP for each adjacent half-empty square (see Outdoor Rooms, pg. 17).
-
Completed Moats: Each Moat scores 2 VPs for each Room that is fully behind the length of it when looking from outside of your lot (see Moats, pg. 18).
-
Completed Courtyards: Each fully enclosed Courtyard with an entrance scores 10 VPs (see Courtyards, pg. 19).
-
Completed Utility Rooms: For each Utility Room completed, choose 1 Bonus Card and write its total in a box under a completed circle and flag on your Score Sheet's Utility Room track (see Utility Rooms, pg. 18).
-
Castle Size: Go through your Room pile and add up the Room sizes on each of your cards. Write down the total. (Do not include the size of your Foyer; your Foyer's size is only used for Bonus Cards, Royal Decrees, and King's Favors.)
-
Royal Decrees: If your Royal Decree awards VPs at the end of the game, write the total in the scoring box (see Royal Decrees, pg. 25).
-
King's Favors: For each King's Favor, write the VPs you score based on your rank relative to other players. In order to score any VPs for a King's Favor, you must have at least 1 qualifying item (for example, to score the Most Outdoor Rooms Favor, you must have at least 1 Outdoor Room). If 1 or more players tie for a rank, the tied players evenly split the VPs for that rank plus the next one(s), rounded down.
Tip: If 1 or more players tie for a place, the tied players get the VPs for that place plus the next one(s) divided by the number of tied players (rounded down).
Place VPs 1st Place 15 VPs 2nd Place 8 VPs 3rd Place 4 VPs 4th Place 1 VP 5th Place 0 VP
The Winner
After adding up scores, the player with the most VPs wins!
In the (uncommon) event of a tie, the tied player with the largest castle (most Room size VPs) wins. In the (unlikely) event there is still a tie, the tied player who has the most VPs from Favors wins. In the (still more unlikely) event there is still a tie, the tied player who has the most completed Rooms (filled-in circles) wins. In the (next to impossible) event there is still a tie, the player with the fewest used rewards (empty flags above filled-in circles) wins.
In the (downright preposterous) event there is still a tie, the first tied player to grab the eraser wins. Try not to get hurt in the process.
Solo Mode
Since there is no turn order, the Go Last special reward is not available.
Final Scoring
At the end of the game, score your castle as normal, with the following exception.
- King's Favors: When determining your rank for each Favor, compare your castle to the Reserve pile as if the Room Cards in it made up an opposing player's castle. You get 15 VP for 1st and 0 VP if tied for 1st or in 2nd. (You do not need to record the Reserve pile's score.)
The "Most Activity Rooms" Favor is in play. You have 3 Activity Rooms in your castle, but there are 4 Activity Rooms in the Reserve pile. You rank 2nd and score 0 VPs.
Setup for Solo Mode
Follow the rules for setup on pg. 4, with the following exceptions:
- Deal a Room deck of 30 cards.
- When revealing King's Favors, if you reveal any with the no solo icon, discard them and immediately reveal new ones to replace them.
- When selecting Royal Decrees, deal yourself 3 Royal Decrees and keep 1. If you draw any Royal Decrees with the no solo icon, immediately discard them and draw new Royal Decrees to replace them.
Gameplay
Each round, reveal 3 Room Cards to the Market and take your turn as in a normal game.
Compare your final score to this chart to determine how well you did:
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| 000–050 | Baconry Dietician |
| 051–100 | The Butler of the Duchess Chamber |
| 101–150 | The Peasant of Hundig's Hut |
| 151–200 | The Drawing Room's Royal Pencil Sharpener |
| 201–225 | Cat Chamber Allergist |
| 226–250 | Snake Charmer of The Bog |
| 251–275 | Servant's Quarters Servant's Assistant |
| 276–300 | Ghost of the Necropolis |
| 301–325 | Dirt Room Sweeper |
| 326–350 | Bottomless Pit Depth Tester |
| 351–375 | Food Prep Room Official Taster |
| 376–400 | Keeper of the Crypt |
| 401+ | Venus Grotto Rock Polisher |
King's Favors
- Courtyards: Number of Courtyards in your castle.
- External Entrances: External Entrances in your castle (not blocked by moat, or room, or leading into an enclosed courtyard).
- Swans: Number of rooms with Swan icons in your Room Pile.
- Unique Sizes: Number of unique Room sizes that appear in your castle (up to 8). Courtyards and Moats are not counted.
- Unique Types: Number of unique Room types that appear in your castle, counting Moats and Courtyards (up to 9).
- Total Size: Sum of the sizes of all Courtyards in your castle. Count each full square as 2 and each half-square as 1.
- Total Size (Moats): Sum of the sizes of all Moats in your castle. Count the total number of squares.
- Moats: Number of Moats in your castle.
- [Room type] Rooms: Number of Rooms of the indicated type in your castle. Include your Foyer if it is the correct type.
- Total [Room type] Size: Sum of the sizes of Rooms of the indicated type in your castle. If your Foyer is the correct type, add its size (5) to your total.
- [Number] Rooms: Number of rooms of the indicated size in your castle. Your Foyer counts as a size 5 room.
- Footprint: The width x the height of your castle.
- Completed Rooms: Number of your completed rooms.
- Incomplete Rooms: Number of incomplete Rooms in your castle. An incomplete Room must have at least 1 unconnected or blocked entrance. Courtyards and Moats are not counted.
- Longest Path: Number of Rooms on the longest path you could walk through your castle, starting from any Room and never visiting the same Room twice. Your path may not include Courtyards or Moats.
- Player Order: Turn order at the end of the final round. This is determined by the size of the Room on top of each player's pile at the end of the game, in smallest to largest order. Score this Favor before scoring Castle Size.
Bonus Cards
Bonus Card VPs apply to the number of the specified items in your castle. Rooms do not have to be completed to qualify.
- Score X VPs per Room of the indicated type in your castle. Include your Foyer if it is the correct type. (One card per Room type: Sleeping, Utility, Activity, Living, Downstairs, Food, and Outdoor Rooms — 7 cards.)
- Score X VPs per Room of the indicated size in your castle. Do not count your Foyer. (One card per size, 1 through 8 — 8 cards.)
- Score an extra 5 VPs per Courtyard in your castle.
- Score 8 VPs if you've named your castle something mildly amusing. It only needs to be amusing to one player (it may be yourself).
- Score 7 extra VPs per Favor you ranked 1st in (without tying).
- Score 15 VPs if you have all 8 different Room sizes in your castle.
- Score 4 VPs per curved wall segment in your castle. Count each square with a curved wall in it.
- Score 20 VPs if this is the only Bonus Card you score.
- Score 4 VPs per Room in your castle that touches at least 1 Moat along an orthogonal wall.
- Score 20 VPs if the sum of your total score from Favors is less than 10 VPs.
- Score 25 VPs if you never expanded your lot.
- Score an extra 8 VPs per Moat in your castle.
- Score 2 VPs per completed Room in your castle. Courtyards and Moats do not count as completed Rooms.
- Score 4 VPs per flag you filled in to expand your lot.
- Score 5 VPs per Go Last circle you filled in. This cannot score more than 30 VPs.
- Score 2 VPs per angled wall segment in your castle. Count each square with a 45-degree wall in it.
- Score 4 VPs per reward you earned that you did not use. Count both Room completion rewards and special rewards.
- Score 20 VPs if you have all 7 different Room types plus a Moat and Courtyard in your castle.
- Score 6 VPs per empty row and column in your current lot. Only count rows and columns that are within the flags you've filled in to expand your lot.
- Score 15 VPs if you did not use your Start reward.
- Score 4 VPs per entrance or secret passage that leads to empty space outside of your castle (not a Courtyard).
- Score 20 VPs if you have completed at least 5 Rooms of a single type.
- Score 2 VPs per Bonus Card you have. Count all your Bonus Cards, including ones you didn't score.
- Score 3 VPs per filled-in Swan on your score sheet.
Royal Decrees
Double Decrees
Once your group is familiar with the game, you can choose to play with 2 Royal Decrees each. To do so, follow the standard rules for choosing Royal Decrees, but deal out 2 times the number of players plus 2 cards. For example, in a 4 player game, you will deal out 10 cards.
Players choose 1 Royal Decree at a time: each player chooses their first Royal Decree as normal (in counterclockwise order starting with the player to the right of the start player), and then each player chooses their second Royal Decree in reverse order (starting with the start player, who will choose their 2 Decrees back-to-back, and going clockwise).
Players reveal both of their Royal Decrees, and can score both of them at the end of the game (there are 2 boxes for Royal Decrees on the score sheets).
Start of the Game
- When you reveal this Royal Decree, fill in 2 flags of your choice to expand your lot.
- When you reveal this Royal Decree, fill in the first 3 Go Last circles on your score sheet. This unlocks your first Go Last special reward immediately.
- When you reveal this Royal Decree, take 2 random unused Favors from the box, secretly look at them, and place them face down on this card. During final scoring, only you score VPs based on your rank on both Favors.
- When you reveal this Royal Decree, fill in the next 3 Swans on your Moat track. This unlocks your first Moat immediately.
- After all Royal Decrees have been revealed, secretly look at the top 3 Royal Decrees on the deck and choose 1 to keep. Discard this Royal Decree and the other 2 you looked at to the bottom of the deck.
- When you reveal this Royal Decree, look through the unused Room Cards in the box. Choose 1 and place it face up on this card. During final scoring, score 5 VPs for each Room of the matching size and 5 VPs for each Room of the matching type in your castle. Rooms that are the same size and type score 10 VPs. Do not count this Room when scoring King's Favors, Bonus Cards, Castle Size, or other Royal Decrees.
During the Game
- When you sketch any Room, you may choose to make it a Utility Room instead of the type shown on the card.
- When you use a Food Room reward, take your extra turn immediately, instead of waiting until the end of the round.
- When you use an Outdoor Room reward, you may fill in any 2 flags to expand your lot.
- When you sketch a Moat, gain an extra turn. You must use your extra turn this round. Follow all rules for extra turns (see Food Rooms, pg. 13).
- When you use a Downstairs Room reward, you may add up to 2 secret passages.
- When you use a Utility Room reward, draw 3 Bonus Cards instead of 2.
- When you are last in turn order, you may take your turn first instead. Fill in a Go Last circle as normal. After you take your turn, turn order resumes with the normal first player.
- You may place 1 Room card here on your turn instead of sketching it, and choose to sketch it on a future turn. This may be done multiple times, but only 1 Room card may be stored at a time.
- When you use a Living Room reward, you may remove up to 3 entrances.
- After you sketch your 2nd Moat, you may sketch a 3rd Moat for free. You may do this immediately or on any future turn. Score this in a Royal Decree scoring box.
- When you use an Activity Room reward, you may take up to 2 Rooms from the Reserve pile and sketch both of them.
- When you sketch a Moat, you may sketch it along the edge of your map, filling in partial squares as if they were full squares. Follow all other rules for sketching a Moat. You must have expanded your lot to the map edge where you sketch the Moat. When determining the size of your Moat, each partial square counts as a full square.
- When checking for completed Rooms, treat any entrances that are blocked by walls as if they were connected.
Final Scoring
- Score 2 VPs per unique type of Room in your castle, including Moats and Courtyards.
- Each summary castle (the castle shapes along the right edge of your Score Sheet) is worth at least 10 VPs.
- Score an extra 10 VPs per Courtyard in your castle.
- Score an extra 12 VPs per pair of Activity and Living Rooms you completed. They do not need to be connected to each other.
- Each Room card is worth at least 4 VPs when summing the values of Room Cards. It does not affect Moats or Courtyards.
- When determining your rank for any Favor, you win ties. You score for the higher rank, and any players tied with you instead score for the next-highest rank(s).
- Score your best Bonus Card a second time. If you did not score any Bonus Cards, score your best unscored Bonus Card once.
- Score 5 VPs per distinct group of 2 or more connected same-type Rooms in your castle.
- When scoring Moats, score 1 extra VP for each Room fully behind it.
- Score 3 VPs per unique size of Room in your castle. Do not include Moats and Courtyards.
- Each King's Favor gives you at least 6 VPs whether or not you qualify for them.
- Score an extra 10 VPs per Public King's Favor you ranked 1st in (not tying).
- Score 2 VPs per Room on the longest path you could walk through your castle, starting from any Room and never visiting the same Room twice. Your path may not include Courtyards or Moats.