Coralia Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Set-Up
• Course of the Game
  • The Actions
  • Available Features of Starfish Cards at the End of the Game
  • Recovering Treasures
  • The Functions of the Different Treasure Chests
  • The Bonuses of the Various Turtles
  • Blocked Spaces
• Ending the Game and Scoring
• Scoring Example (Two Players)
• Credits

Contents

• 1 gameboard
• 58 cards (18 starfish cards, 15 fish cards, 18 pearl cards, and 2 special fish cards, 3 sea cards, 1 island card, 1 scoring overview)
• 36 symbol dice, representing ROVs, in 6 colors
• 2 white special dice
• 8 octopuses (2 per player color)
• 8 sea turtles
• 4 divers
• 8 treasure chests
• 4 research ships
• 1 research station (before the first game, put the research station together as shown)
• 1 player aid per language (without illustration)

Object of the Game

By cleverly placing your ROVs (diving robots in the form of dice), you discover and record various fauna among 6 thriving coral reefs. You might even find and recover precious pearls and other treasures. The player who is most successful in this will accumulate the most victory points and win the game.

Set-Up

1. Put the gameboard in the middle of the table, easily accessible to all players.
2. Put the 36 colored dice as a supply next to the gameboard.
3. Place the two white special dice on the island on the gameboard.
4. Keep the island card, the 3 sea cards and the scoring overview handy. Put the island card next to the island depicted toward the top of the board and the other 3 cards next to the gameboard, so that everybody can reach them easily.
5. Shuffle the starfish cards, pearl cards, and fish cards separately. (Note: All these cards have the same backs; sort the cards according to the symbols on their front side before shuffling.) Put the 3 piles face down next to the corresponding sea cards to indicate which cards are in what pile.
6. Draw the top 3 cards face down from each of the 3 piles and shuffle them into a new pile. Put this pile next to the island card; this is the island pile.
7. Place the two special fish cards (stingray) next to the scoring overview.
8. Mix the 8 sea turtle tiles and place 6 of them face up on the turtles depicted on the gameboard. Put the two remaining tiles face up next to the gameboard.
9. Mix all 8 treasure chest tiles and place one face down on the treasure chest depicted at each reef. Put the 2 remaining treasure chests face down next to the gameboard.

Each player chooses a color and gets 1 diver, 1 ship and 2 octopuses. Place the research ships on the starting space of the scoring track.

The player who last was on a beach becomes the starting player. He gets the research station and picks 4 dice in 4 different colors.

If you play with fewer than 4 players — for each player less: Roll 1 color set and place the dice

In the three-player game: Take one die of each color and roll these 6 dice. Then place them on the corresponding spaces on the gameboard. These spaces and dice are no longer available to you during this game — they are already taken.

In the two-player game: Take two dice of each color and roll them. Then place the dice on the corresponding spaces on the gameboard. These spaces and dice are no longer available to you during this game. If a symbol of one color comes up twice, put one die on the corresponding space of the gameboard in that color and the other one on the island.

If any of these dice are placed onto a turtle space, take the respective turtle and place it face up next to the gameboard.

If you roll a diver, put the die on the tile of the treasure chest in the respective reef. In this case the treasure on this reef cannot be recovered during this game but only in the end, by using a specific starfish card (see the section on starfish cards under Course of the Game).

The diver space (and thus the diver's access to the reef) remains free — that means the reef can be used for the diver scoring at the end of the game (see Ending the Game and Scoring).

Course of the Game

Roll 4 dice, place one of them on the gameboard, and obtain cards, tiles, and/or victory points

The game proceeds over several rounds. On their turn, each player places one die per round. Two players play 10 rounds; three players, 9 rounds; and four players, 8 rounds.

The starting player rolls 4 dice and places them on the research station. They must then pick one of these dice and place it on a reef space according to the color and symbol of the die. The symbol indicates what action the player carries out.

After completing the action, pass the research station in a clockwise direction, without changing the result of the remaining 3 dice (this is relevant in case you have any turtles; see the turtle bonuses below).

The next player chooses a fourth die of any color from the supply and rolls all 4 dice. Then they choose a die and carry out that action. Finally, the research station with the three remaining dice is passed to the next player, and play continues in this manner.

Each space can hold only one die. Once placed, the dice remain in place until the end of the game. (Exception: a diver's movement from one reef to another; see the diver action below.)

The Actions

Each die placed allows you 1 action according to its symbol.

Pearl: The ROV examines a mussel bank and discovers two pearls. Take the top 2 cards from the pearl card pile and put them (without showing them to the other players) face down in front of you. Special feature: At the end of the game, each player who possesses pearl cards scores 1 to 4 of his pearl cards.

Fish: The ROV explores the diversity of fish at the reef. Take the top 2 cards from the fish card pile. Choose one card and place it face down in front of you; put the other card back under the fish card pile. Special feature: At the end of the game, each fish is scored in sets consisting of different types of fish.

Starfish: The ROV is programmed to look for special starfish and track interesting discoveries. Take the top 3 cards from the starfish card pile. Choose one card and place it face down in front of you; put the other two back under the starfish card pile. Special feature: At the end of the game, starfish cards give you victory points or other bonuses depending on the general game situation and your individual one.

Octopus: The ROV explores the habitat of a reef octopus. Place one of your octopuses on the picture of the octopus above the die you just placed. For each die lying on this reef (including the just-placed die), you get 1 immediate victory point.

Example: Jenny places a blue die on the octopus space of the blue reef and puts one of her octopus figures next to it. There are already 3 more blue dice here; consequently, Jenny immediately gets 4 points.

Special feature: During the game, the owner of an already-placed octopus earns a) 1 victory point if he or another player places another octopus on a different reef and b) 2 victory points for each die in the color of this reef that has to be placed on the island because the reef space was already occupied (see "Blocked Spaces" below).

Diver: The diver drives his ROV to a reef. Place your diver on the picture of the diver above the die you just placed. Special feature: At the end of the game, each die placed on the diver's reef gives the owner of the diver victory points.

Diver scoring at the end of the game: Your diver scores for the completed scientific activities at the reef where he rests at the end of the game. For each space occupied by a die, sum the points indicated next to the symbol. (Dice on the diver or treasure spaces do not score.)

When you roll a diver symbol, you may — as mentioned above — also place your diver on a reef with a treasure space that is already occupied by a die. This way, you'll participate in the diver scoring at the end of the game. However, you don't get a treasure chest any more if you leave this reef in order to swim to another reef. If a diver swims from one reef to another and cannot get a treasure, the die on the starting reef remains on the diver space since it cannot be put onto the treasure space. In this case, the reef can no longer be accessed and is no longer available to anyone for the diver scoring at the end.

Turtle: The ROV studies a turtle that it has detected at the reef. Take the turtle lying above the die you have placed and immediately receive the bonus shown on it. After taking the bonus, put the turtle in front of you and turn it onto its back (die-storage space).

Special feature: When you take the tile, the turtle grants you an individual bonus.

Example: It is Jenny's turn. The previous player passes the research station to her with 3 dice on it: a blue diver, a green starfish, and a yellow pearl. Jenny has 2 turtles, so she could store 2 of these die results. Since she hasn't yet placed her diver, she decides to keep the blue die. She takes a fourth die from the supply and rolls it along with the green die and the yellow die. Then she decides which result of the dice roll she wants to use.

Available Features of Starfish Cards at the End of the Game

Starfish cards can show any of the following features:

• Pearl with a value of 6
• 1 special fish (anemone fish)
• 2 victory points per fish card (fish on starfish cards and special fish are included in the count)
• 1 victory point per pearl card (pearls on starfish cards are included in the count)
• 1 victory point per die on the island (incl. special dice)
• 3 victory points for each of your turtles
• 2 victory points for each of your treasure chests
• Recover 1 remaining treasure (next to the gameboard)
• Advance your ship on the scoring track to the next big jellyfish (5 victory points maximum)

Recovering Treasures

If a treasure chest remains on the reef of the colors indicated, you collect it. If both reefs have a chest, choose one to reveal and use its action first. Then reveal and take the action of the second chest.

For each die left on the research station or in the supply that matches the die colors on this card: Draw 1 card from those available in the four piles (fish, pearl, starfish, or island — but you may take only 1 card per pile).

During the game, treasures can be recovered by relocating the diver from one reef to another.

Example — recover a treasure: Michael's diver is currently on the green reef's diver space. He rolls a blue diver symbol and uses it to move his diver to the blue reef. He places the blue die with the diver symbol on the diver space of the blue reef and moves his diver next to it. He then sends the green die from the green diver space down to the treasure space of the green reef, as this space is not yet occupied by a die. He takes the treasure chest from there, reveals it immediately, and carries out the action.

If there is already a die on the treasure space (possible if this space was initially covered with a die in a game with fewer than 4 players, or if one of the other players already recovered the treasure), the diver can swim to another reef, but without recovering a treasure. In this case, the die remains on the diver space.

The Functions of the Different Treasure Chests

• Draw the top fish card from the respective pile.
• Draw the top pearl card from the respective pile.
• Draw the top starfish card from the respective pile.
• Draw the top card from the island pile.
• Get 1 victory point for each die that currently is on the island.
• Take one of the two cards with the special fish (stingray).
• Take one of the two white special dice from the island, roll it immediately and place it on any open matching symbol on the board or (if possible) place it onto the island. Carry out the corresponding action right away.
• Advance your ship on the scoring track to the next big jellyfish (5 victory points maximum).

The Bonuses of the Various Turtles

• Take one of the two white special dice from the island, roll it immediately and place it on any unoccupied reef space according to the symbol (or, if possible, place it onto the island). Carry out the corresponding action right away.
• Advance your ship on the scoring track to the next big ("x5"- or "x0"-) jellyfish (5 victory points maximum).
• Take 1 special fish card (stingray).
• Take the top card from the starfish card pile.
• Take the top card of the island pile.
• Take the top card from the fish card pile.
• Receive the bonus of one of the turtles lying next to the gameboard. (The turtle remains next to the board.)
• Take one of the treasure chest tiles lying face down next to the gameboard, reveal it, and carry out the corresponding treasure action right away.

Also, when you are about to roll on subsequent turns, you can temporarily store a die on your turtle and thus lock in a die result of the previous player for yourself:

Lock in die-rolling results by means of turtles: If you have a turtle lying in front of you and it's your turn to roll, you may temporarily store 1 die from the previous player on that turtle without rerolling it. If you have several turtles in front of you, you could store 1 die per turtle (3 dice maximum). The newly chosen die from the supply always has to be rolled. Return unused dice, unchanged, from the turtles to the research station and pass it to the next player.

Blocked Spaces

Place 1 die on the island and take an island card; it might mean additional victory points for the owner of the octopus

Once dice have been placed on the reefs, it can occur that some rolled symbols can't be placed on the corresponding reef, since the spaces are already occupied and each symbol in one die color may be placed on a reef only once.

If, for this reason, you can no longer place a die appropriately or don't want to use any other dice-rolling result that would still be possible, you may instead place a die onto the island. As consolation, take the top card from the island card pile there (as long as the supply lasts) and put it face down in front of you. (If an octopus exists on the reef with the same color as the die, see below.)

Example — placing dice on the island: Anita has rolled 1 green diver, 1 red turtle, and 2 blue fish. All these spaces are already occupied on the board. She chooses the green die, places it on the island.

Receive 2 victory points for an octopus and 1 card from the island pile

When you put a die on the island, check whether there is an octopus on the reef of the corresponding color. If there is, the following will happen:

1. The owner of the octopus immediately earns 2 victory points.
2. a) If the active player owns the octopus, he gets the top card from the island pile. b) If another player owns the octopus, the active player may draw the 2 top cards from the island pile. He chooses 1 of them and puts the other one back under the pile.

Example — receiving victory points: The octopus on the green reef belongs to Jenny. Since Anita put a green die onto the island during her turn, Jenny receives 2 points for her octopus. Anita may draw 2 cards from the island and keep 1.

Attention: If you have already placed both of your octopuses on the gameboard, you can no longer place any dice on an unoccupied octopus space on the board. In the unlikely case that you roll 4 octopuses and those octopus spaces are still empty, you roll all dice again. (However, you can use an octopus in a color that is already taken; the die is put on the island and you draw 1-2 cards from there. If applicable, you score 2 points, provided it is a die in a color of a reef that is occupied by your own octopus.)

Ending the Game and Scoring

The game goes on, in turn, until the dice supply has been almost used up and,

• in the game with two or four players, there are 4 dice left.
• in the game with three players, there are 3 dice left.

Then the final scoring takes place. Players execute the 4 following steps one after another, always beginning with the starting player:

1. Starfish card scoring — various bonuses: In the order of play, players reveal their starfish cards and score for them. Starfish cards with fish (anemone fish) and with points for fish cards are put in a player's own fish card pile and are included in the fish scoring. Starfish cards with 6-point pearls and with points for pearl cards are put in a player's own pearl card pile and are included in the pearl scoring.

   All other cards are scored immediately in any order and give the players points for treasures and turtles or for dice on the island; they may recover left-over treasures or draw additional cards. (Please see explanation of the cards under Course of the Game.)

2. Diver scoring — scoring for the dice on the reef: Score each reef where a player's diver is resting. That player receives points indicated by the dice occupied spots in the reef. There is a maximum of 15 total victory points per reef. Dice on the diver space and the treasure space don't score.

3. Fish scoring — scoring for various sets: (Scoring incl. ray and anemone fish) A single fish scores 3 victory points; 2 different fish, 7 victory points; 3 different fish, 12 victory points; 4 different fish, 18 victory points; and 5 different fish, 25 victory points.

   • 1 fish: 3 victory points
   • 2 fish: 7 victory points
   • 3 fish: 12 victory points
   • 4 fish: 18 victory points
   • 5 fish: 25 victory points

   A player can also score for several sets.

   If any player has the starfish card with points for fish, he scores it now.

4. Pearl scoring — scoring for 1 to 4 pearl cards: All players add up the values of the pearl cards they have collected (including the pearl values on the respective starfish cards). The player with the highest total scores the total points for a maximum of 4 of his pearl cards (a maximum of 22 points); the player with the second highest total turns a maximum of 2 pearl cards into victory points, and each of the other players gets the value of his highest pearl card in victory points.

   In case of a tie, the player involved who has collected the most pearl cards prevails. If the tied players have the same number of cards, they score for 4, 2, or 1 card(s) according to their position.

   If any player has the starfish card with points for pearls, he scores it now.

The player with the most points wins the game. In case of a tie, the player involved who has collected the most cards overall wins. If there is still a tie, the player who has collected the most turtles wins. And if there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Scoring Example (Two Players)

Starfish card scoring:

Jacques has collected the following starfish cards: 1 special fish (anemone fish) card, 1 pearl-with-a-value-of-6 card, and 1 card showing 2 treasures.

He adds the special fish to his fish cards and the 6-point pearl to his pearl cards. The card with the 2 treasures he displays face up. Both treasures are still on the gameboard. Jacques decides to recover the violet treasure first: there are currently 4 dice on the island, that means Jacques' ship moves ahead 4 spaces on the scoring track. Then Jacques recovers the second treasure: he takes the special die from the island and rolls a starfish. The green reef has one empty starfish space left, so Jacques places the die there and carries out the starfish action. From the 3 drawn cards, he chooses a pearl-with-a-value-of-6 card; he puts this card in his pearl card pile as well.

Jenny has collected two starfish cards: 1 card giving 3 victory points for each of her turtles, and 1 card giving 2 victory points for each of her treasure chests. She has 2 turtles and therefore advances her ship 6 spaces on the scoring track. There are 2 red, 1 violet, and 1 blue die left at the research center so for the 2 red and the 1 violet die Jenny may draw altogether 3 cards from different piles. First, she draws a card from the fish pile, then a card from the starfish pile: for this card (1 victory point per pearl card), she will receive 2 points per fish card during the fish scoring.

Jenny would like to have another fish card, but she may not draw a card from the fish pile any more. Therefore, she decides to draw her third card from the island pile; she is lucky and actually gets another fish card.

Diver scoring:

Jacques' diver is resting at the green reef, where the following spaces are occupied: turtle, starfish, octopus, and pearl. Consequently, Jacques scores 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 = 11 points.

Jenny's diver is resting at the fully occupied red reef. She scores the maximum, 15 points.

Fish scoring:

Jacques scores 7 points for two different types of fish.

Jenny has 1 stingray, 1 fire fish, 1 blowfish, and 2 angel fish; that means she has 4 different types of fish and scores 18 points for that. Plus, she has one single fish that gives her 3 points. Besides this, she has the starfish card that gives her 2 points for each fish card; that means she gets another 10 points. In total, she scores 31 points for her fish.

Pearl scoring:

Jacques has five cards showing pearls with the values 6, 6, 5, 5, and 3.

Jenny has two pearl cards with the values 3 and 4.

So Jacques' pearl cards have a total value of 25, Jenny's pearl cards, only 7. With this, Jacques is first and may score the total points for 4 of his cards; he advances 22 spaces. Jenny, in second position, may score for 2 cards; she advances 7 spaces.

At the end, beyond what they scored during the game, Jacques gained a total of 44 points while Jenny gained 59 points.

Credits

© 2019 HUCH!

Author: Michael Rieneck Illustration: Miguel Coimbra Design: atelier198, HUCH!

Product manager: Britta Stöckmann English Editing: Frank DiLorenzo English translation: Sybille & Bruce Whitehill, "Word for Wort"

Manufacturer + distributor: Hutter Trade GmbH + Co KG, Bgm.-Landmann-Platz 1-5, 89312 Günzburg, GERMANY

Distributor USA: R&R Games, Inc., PO Box 130195, Tampa, FL 33681, USA

Warning! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Small parts. Choking hazard.