Chiseled Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Box Contents
• Objective
• Player Reference Mat
• Setup
• Sculpture Contents
• Turn Overview
• Ending the Game
• Scoring
  • Critic Card Bonuses
• Scoring Sculptures - Examples
  • Example A: Largely Unfinished
  • Example B: The Crowd-Pleaser
• Variant Play: Sine Cera
  • Setup
  • Sculpt
  • Consult
  • Scoring
• Solo Play
  • Solo Scoring
  • Solo Challenges
• Tool Card Reference
• Key Terms

Introduction

When you open the game for the first time, separate the four Sculpture Decks (45 cards each with gray, pink, blue, and green-tinted marble backs) and 24 Waxed Marble cards from the others. The cards are also labeled by deck at the bottom of each ("1:1/45" is "deck 1, card 1" for instance). The box is designed to hold each deck separately for easy setup and cleanup!

Box Contents

• 4 Player Reference Mats
• 4 45-card Sculpture Decks
• 4 Check-In Cards
• 8 Critic Cards/Turn Guides
• 24 Waxed Marble cards
• 1 Solo Score Chart/Solo Challenge Card
• 13 Tool Cards
• 1 Rulebook and Reference

Some rules differ in 1 and 4-player games; these are marked in the rulebook with a player-count icon.

Objective

Using a shared set of Tools, remove cards from your block of marble (your deck) to accentuate the elements within your final sculpture and remove ugly scrap. Whoever has the highest point value in their deck when the three Critics arrive and award their bonuses wins!

Player Reference Mat

The Player Mats are double-sided: for scoring by what cards are in your Trash Pile vs. in your Sculpture at the end of the game. The optimal score for each body part type (Head, Body, Arm) is highlighted. The mat has a Draw Pile space, a Trash Pile space (above the mat), and a Discard Pile space (to the right of the mat). Players are encouraged to sort their Trash Piles by color.

Setup

Shuffle the Tool Cards together, and deal 7 illustration-side-up to the center of the table to form the shared workbench. These Tools are shared by all players in a game, and are used one at a time by flipping them face-down. Return any unused Tools to the box.

4 players: use 9 Tool Cards for the workbench.

For Tool descriptions, see the Tool Card Reference.

Give each player a Player Reference Mat, and a matching 45-card Sculpture Deck (with gray, pink, blue, or green-tinted stone) which represents their individual block of marble. Return any unused Player Mats and Sculpture Decks to the box. Each player mat is double-sided, offering two ways to count your score: by what is in your Trash Pile, or in your final Sculpture at the end of the game.

Have each player shuffle their Sculpture Deck and place it face-down on their Player Mat as a Draw Pile. During the game, they will create both individual Trash Piles and Discard Piles as well, to the top and right of the mat, as marked.

Shuffle the 8 Critic Cards and deal out 3 face-up beside the workbench. The 3 face-up Critics provide a bonus when the game ends if Sculptures meet the listed requirements.

Give each player a separate face-down Critic Card as a Turn Order Guide, and place it overlapping their Check-In Card so that the 5 is showing at the top, above the arrow. Return any unused Critics to the box.

The Critics will arrive to rate all Sculptures when any player's Check-In Card reaches 0, triggering game's end.

Each player draws a starting hand of 3 cards from their Draw Pile. Whichever player has the most chiseled chin goes first. Players take their turns one at a time, going to the left.

Sculpture Contents

Each uncarved Sculpture consists of various marble cards, which represent the art's value when scored at the end of the game: 9 Head, 9 Body, 9 Arm, and 18 Scrap. These score or deduct Points at the end of the game, depending on the number present in the final Sculpture.

The 27 Sculpt Cards (non-Scrap) are divided into three Colors, based on their embellishment and the subject they depict: Gold, Silver, and Onyx.

Critics often favor certain types of sculptures over others, and certain Tools rely on knowing a Sculpt Card's Color.

Turn Overview

1. Sculpt: If all Tools are face-down at the start of your turn, flip all of them face-up again. Select a face-up Tool card. Perform the listed effects in the order written on the card, then flip it over when you are done. Tools will typically make you Trash or Discard cards from your draw pile or hand. Place any Trashed cards in your Trash Pile (above your Player Mat), and Discarded cards in your Discard Pile (to the right of your Player Mat).

2. Clean Up: Discard any remaining cards in your Hand to your Discard Pile. Sometimes you won't have any cards to discard at the end of your turn.

3. Plan: Draw a new Hand of 3 cards. If you must draw additional cards for your next Hand due to a Tool, draw them now.

   • If your Draw Pile is empty, shuffle your Discard Pile and place it face-down to become your new Draw Pile.

4. Consult Critics: Check if your new Hand contains 3 or more Sculpt Cards (Gold, Silver, or Onyx). If so, adjust your Check-In Card value, decreasing current count by 1 as the Critics take note of you. Otherwise, Pass.

   If your Check-In Card decremented to 0, each other player will take one final turn, then the game will end when you would take your next turn. (See Ending the Game.)

5. Pass: Pass the turn to the player on your left, or start your next turn in a single-player game.

6. Optional - Ruined Rubble: If you truly feel that your sculpture cannot be salvaged due to too many important pieces removed, you may shuffle your Trash Pile and Discard Pile into your Draw Pile at the end of your turn, effectively starting over. Your current Check-In value is not reset if you do this, and you'll be back at -36 points!

An uncarved Sculpture is worth -36 Points to start. An ideal final Sculpture would be worth 50 Points, before any bonuses are applied.

Ending the Game

If any player's Check-In Card reaches 0, the game enters its end phase. Each other player will take one last turn, using any face-up Tools and resetting them as normal if necessary. When the turn reaches the player who triggered the end phase, move to Scoring.

1 player: In a single-player game, move immediately to Scoring.

Scoring

After any final turns have been completed, players will tally the Points of their Sculpture (the cards remaining in their Draw Pile, Hand, and Discard Pile) to get their score, using the scoring guide on their Player Reference Mat. A player's Trash Pile is not scored. Then, players will check the three face-up Critics to possibly earn bonus points.

Scrap is worth negative Points, so get as much Scrap out of your Sculpture as possible!

• Head: Score 2 for each remaining in your Sculpture.
• Body: Aim for 5 in your sculpture: don't go too far!
• Arm: Score these only if there is an even number remaining in your sculpture: try to have exactly 2 left!

Critic Card Bonuses

Next, compare each player's Trash Pile to the three face-up Critics' rules text to earn bonus points, as listed on their card. Each Critic prefers if you remove certain Sculpt Cards to your Trash Pile.

There are 3 Critics from throughout history who will assess your Sculpture, possibly awarding Points to your final sculpture if you remove elements they dislike. Players score bonuses from all Critics they meet the conditions of, and Critics grant their bonuses to any number of Players that meet their conditions.

Whichever player's combined Sculpture and Bonus point total is highest wins! In case of a tie, the player with the fewest cards remaining in their Sculpture wins!

Scoring Sculptures - Examples

Your final sculpture (your Hand, Draw Pile, and Discard Pile put together) will be graded on which pieces remain unfinished (Scrap), and which pieces are properly accentuated when the Critics arrive. Removing Scrap is key to not being penalized, but different body part cards (which represent the effort put in to sculpt them) will need to be worked and removed as well.

An ideal Sculpture will contain:

• 9 Head cards, for 18 points
• 5 Body cards, for 20 points
• 2 Arm cards, for 12 points
• 0 Scrap cards, for a 0-point penalty

...totaling 50 points.

The examples below are scored by the Technofuturist (+4 if your final trash pile contains more than 5 Onyx), the Balanced Archaeologist (+4 if your final trash pile contains only Scrap and 2 colors (Gold, Silver, or Onyx)), and the Renaissance Patron (+4 if your final trash pile contains more Gold than Silver) Critics.

Example A: Largely Unfinished

Final Sculpture Contents: 8 Head + 4 Body + 2 Arm + 12 Scrap

Trash Contents (by color): 3 Gold / 7 Silver / 4 Onyx

Though they scored the maximum 12 points for their Arm Cards by removing exactly 7 of them, and trashed only 1 Head Card for a 2 point loss from maximum, the amount of Scrap the sculptor had remaining results in a hefty penalty: -36 points.

With more Gold than Silver in their Trash, this sculptor earned a 4-point bonus from The Renaissance Patron.

This Sculpture's final score is 8 after bonuses.

Example B: The Crowd-Pleaser

Final Sculpture Contents: 7 Head + 5 Body + 4 Arm + 5 Scrap

Trash Contents (by color): 1 Gold / 0 Silver / 5 Onyx

This sculptor aimed to please all Critics, and it paid off. They played it safe by keeping two extra Arm Cards, resulting in scoring 3 less than the maximum, but with only 2 colors (1 Gold and 5 Onyx) plus Scrap Cards in their Trash, (with 1 more Gold than Silver trashed), they earned all three Critic Bonuses for 12 points on top of their base Sculpture.

This Sculpture's final score is 40 after bonuses.

Variant Play: Sine Cera

Sine Cera: A Latin phrase meaning "Without Wax," and referring to a work that is unadulterated and perfect on its own merits.

Chiseled comes with 24 Waxed Marble cards, which can be used for playing a variant of the game with any number of players. There are a few modifications to the base rules of Chiseled when playing with Waxed Marble.

Setup

Divide the Waxed Marble cards among all players' starting decks according to the values below, and shuffle each thoroughly. The backs of Waxed Marble cards differ from each deck's for easy identification.

• 1-2 players: 12 per deck
• 3 players: 8 per deck
• 4 players: 6 per deck

Sculpt

Before selecting a Tool card to Sculpt with, you may discard any number of Waxed Marble cards from your hand or from the top of your deck to any player's discard pile, including your own. When Sculpting, you may discard or trash Waxed Marble as if it was Scrap. You cannot name Waxed Marble as a color when using Tools such as the Saw that require you to name Gold, Silver, or Onyx.

Consult

When checking if the Critics come closer, Waxed Marble does not count as a Sculpted card (Gold, Silver, or Onyx) for purposes of your check-in count decreasing.

Scoring

Waxed Marble cards are worth 1 point for each remaining in your final sculpture, unless you have the most or are tied for the most: then they're worth -1 point each!

1 player: In a 1-player game, Waxed Marble is always negative.

Remove all of it to score no penalties in your final sculpture!

The Waxed Marble card reads: "+1/-1. Before Sculpting, you may Discard this card from your hand or the top of your draw pile to any player's discard pile."

Solo Play

Solo Scoring

In a 2-4 player game of Chiseled, your goal is to be the best sculptor in the studio when the Critics arrive to rate everyone. In a 1-player solitaire game, though, you are facing them alone! Will you sculpt to a point that the Critics will give you praise?

After your Check-In count reaches 0, the game immediately ends (no final turn is taken). Score any applicable Critic bonuses, and compare your final total with the Solo Score Chart card to see what the Critics thought of your work!

Solo Score Chart:

Score	Critics' verdict
-1 or below	You call this art?! You've not even touched the marble at all!
0-9	It looks vaguely like a person...
10-19	Fine work! A decent attempt.
19-20	A lovely sculpture for a garden!
21-29	This sculpture's form is exquisite!
30-39	A truly fine sculpture! I must have it for my home!
40-45	If given life, I'd marry this sculpture!
46-50	This sculpture is as perfect as humanly possible!
51-55	You are a master of Chiseled art!
56 or above	Beyond perfection! I will marry this sculpture!

Solo Challenges

For an alternative challenge when playing Chiseled solo, flip over the Solo Score Chart card to find 3 different Challenges. Select one challenge before dealing out the Tools, and try to meet its win conditions to count yourself a true master of marble! Feel free to create your own unique personal Challenges as well!

• "De Milo'd": Remove all Arm cards and score 2 Critic bonuses to win!
• Minimalist: Score at least 20 points with 5 or fewer of each Sculpt Card remaining in your sculpture to win!
• Absurdist Art: Score 0 or fewer points for your final sculpture and score at least 1 Critic bonus to win!

Tool Card Reference

• Flat Chisel: Reveal the top 3 cards of your Draw Pile. Trash all Scrap you revealed, and Discard the remainder.
• Heavy Sledge: Trash 2 cards from your Hand, and Trash the top card of any Draw Pile.
• Jackhammer: Trash the top two cards of your deck. If they are both the same type (Gold, Silver, Onyx, or Scrap), repeat this action.
• Mallet: Trash all cards from your Hand.
• Maquette: Draw 4 cards, then Trash 2 cards from your Hand. Put the rest of your Hand on top of your Draw Pile in any order.
• Pointed Chisel: Trash 1 card from your Hand or from your Discard Pile.
• Polishing Rag: Trash up to one card from your Hand. Draw an additional card for your next Hand.
• Polishing Stone: Trash the top card of any Draw Piles. For each card Trashed in this way, draw an additional card for your next Hand.
• Rasp: Trash up to 2 cards from your Hand.
• Rounded Chisel: Reveal your Hand. Name Gold, Silver, Onyx, or Scrap, and Trash all cards of that type.
• Saw: Name Gold, Silver, or Onyx. Trash cards from the top of your Draw Pile until you Trash a card of that type.
• Toothed Chisel: Reveal the top 2 cards of your Draw Pile. Trash 1 of the revealed cards, and discard the other.

Key Terms

• Draw Pile: The face-down cards you are carving your art from.
• Discard Pile: Discard cards here face-up. If your Draw Pile is empty, shuffle this pile into a new Draw Pile.
• Trash Pile: Trashed cards are removed from your Sculpture to accentuate the remaining art. These are not shuffled back into the Sculpture during the game, but influence Critic bonuses. Players are encouraged to sort their Trash Piles face-up by color to keep track of what they've removed from their Sculpture. All Trash and Discard Pile contents are public knowledge.
• Hand: The current set of stone you are working. Draw a new one after resolving your Tool effect and Discarding your old hand. If your newly drawn hand contains 3 or more Sculpt Cards, your Check-In Card decrements by 1 as the critics take notice.