Cornerstone Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Building Rules
• Movement Rules
• Gameplay
  • Sequence of a Turn
  • Special Cases When Rolling
  • Examples
• Building Rings
• Additional Rules
• End of Game
• Two-Player Game

Components

• 48 building blocks (4 color sets of 12 blocks each)
• 1 base stone
• 2 dice
• 4 meeples
• 8 building rings
• 5 cloth bags

Setup

• Each player takes a full set of building blocks in one color (that is, 11 colored blocks and one natural-colored block), their meeple, and two building rings.
• The base stone is placed flat in the middle of the table.
• Each player rolls one die. Whoever rolls the highest number goes first. Play then continues clockwise.

Building Rules

• At the start of the game, only the base stone lies in the middle of the table. The meeples are still off to the side.
• In the first round, each player must attach their building block on, or directly adjoining, the base stone.
• Important: from the second round on, blocks may only be built onto the existing structure. No new block may touch the tabletop anymore.
• Building blocks must always be placed against or on top of each other so that at least one face of the new block fully touches a face of the base stone or of a block already built.
• Throughout the whole game, building must produce a checkerboard pattern. That is, the neutral wood color must always alternate against a player color, or against the dark brown faces of the base stone. Blocks must be attached or stacked so that the checkerboard pattern is never shifted out of alignment.
• When building, it is perfectly allowed for a gap to form underneath a block. Not every part of a block has to cover the blocks lying beneath it.
  • Note: a block may later be slid into a gap, usually to stabilize the tower.
• However, a block may not be built so that more than 1 part of that block overhangs in a horizontal direction. (The printed rulebook illustrates this with a diagram showing a correct placement next to an example of a green 4-piece block that may not be built that way, because two of its parts overhang.)

Movement Rules

• A player may only move their meeple after they have attached a new building block. They may also choose not to move at all.
• The square faces of the building blocks represent spaces on which meeples can stand and move.
• A meeple may move any distance onto or across spaces that are neutral or that match that meeple's own color. There must be a continuously open path to do so. The two dark brown spaces on the base stone may also be entered.
• A meeple may not move onto or across spaces that belong to an opponent's color.
• No more than one meeple may ever stand on a single space.
• A meeple may also not move across a space on which another meeple is standing.
• A meeple can move from space to space forward, backward, or sideways. Diagonal movement is not allowed.
  • In doing so, the meeple can move step by step from one space to another space that is one level higher or lower. It may use several of these level changes within a single move.
  • Note: it is allowed to descend one or more levels and then, following the rules, climb higher again elsewhere in that same move.
• A meeple may also climb back down onto the table and climb back up onto the structure at a different spot.

Gameplay

Sequence of a Turn

1. The player whose turn it is rolls both dice.
2. Now that player must attach one building block from their supply to the structure. Which block they are allowed to take is determined by the numbers they rolled: Each building block consists of 1 to 6 connected parts, and therefore corresponds to one of the numbers on a die.
   • Example: the player rolls a "2" and a "3." They may then build either a block that consists of exactly 2 parts, or a block of exactly 3 parts. They may not build a block of 5 parts (the sum of 2 and 3).
3. After the block has been attached, the player may move their meeple. Then it is the next player's turn.

Special Cases When Rolling

• If a player rolls two matching numbers, they have a free choice. They may build any block they like from their supply.
• If a player no longer has a block in their supply that matches either of the rolled numbers, they must sit out the building step. In addition, they must take any block from their supply and put it back in the box, unused. They may still move their meeple, though. Note: a player can avoid sitting out by giving up a building ring (see "Building Rings").
• If, however, only one of the two rolled numbers matches a block the player still has in their supply, they must build that other block.

Examples

1. After every player has had one turn, the structure looks a certain way (see the diagram in the printed rulebook).
2. Green may move onto any space marked in the diagram, but may not enter a space marked with a warning icon, and may not climb 2 levels at once.
3. Black may move onto the spaces marked in the diagram, but not onto a space with a warning icon or beyond it.

Building Rings

After rolling their dice, a player may use one of their two building rings. A used building ring is put back in the box. A player may choose one of the following options:

a) The player may ignore the rolled numbers and build any block of their choice from their supply. b) The player may, during their turn, enter spaces of any color belonging to other players (and even stop there), and move across their meeples. c) The player may, during their turn, move once onto a space that is two levels higher or lower, that is, they may skip one level. In Example 2 above, Green could use this to climb 2 levels at once by following the arrow.

Additional Rules

• Building may be done with both hands.
• If a player later notices that a block was placed incorrectly, so that it no longer matches the checkerboard pattern, play simply continues as before. The misplaced block is not swapped out.
• A player may try out the block they want to build at different positions on the structure. They may also decide to use the other rolled block instead, if they no longer like their first choice. A block only counts as placed once the player says "Done."
• It is allowed to temporarily remove a block in order to reach a meeple more easily. Doing so does not create a new path. Afterward, the block must be put back in exactly the same place.
• A meeple may be built over. However, it may not be completely enclosed; it must always have at least 1 space as a free path.
• If, during a player's turn, at least 3 building blocks fall down at once, that counts as a collapse and the game ends immediately. If it is only one or two blocks, they are simply put back in their position.

End of Game

• The game ends when all players have built all their blocks. The player whose meeple then stands the highest wins.
• If several players are standing equally high, whoever has built more parts wins. To determine this, each player counts the parts making up the blocks they had to put back in the box unused during the game. Whoever has the fewest parts wins. Example: Red had to put back a 6-part block, and Green had to put back a 2-part block and a 3-part block (= 5). Green therefore wins.
• If that is also tied, whoever still has more building rings wins. If there is still no decision, several players share the victory.
• Important: if a player causes the tower to collapse during the game, whichever of the other players had previously been standing highest wins. In case of a tie, each player counts the parts making up the blocks still in their supply, then adds the parts of the blocks they put back in the box, as described above. If there is still a tie, the building rings decide. Otherwise, the game ends in a draw.

Two-Player Game

• In a two-player game, each player plays with two colors.
• Each player receives all the blocks, building rings, and meeples for both of their colors, which they keep laid out separately in front of them.
• The colors are played in alternation. For example, if one player has Red and Green, and the other has Blue and Black, the turn order for the whole game is Red, Blue, Green, Black, Red, Blue, and so on.
  • Tip: so as not to lose track of which color plays next, a player can place a block of the color they must build next in front of themselves as a reminder, after their turn.
• The remaining rules are the same as in a three- or four-player game.
• At the end, however, the winner is not the player whose single meeple stands highest, but whoever has the higher combined position of both of their meeples. To determine this, count the tower's levels from the side. Example: a player has one meeple standing on a step of the 13th level, and their other meeple on the 8th level. Their total is therefore a height of 21. In case of a tie, the rules described above apply.
• If the tower collapses, the player who did not cause the collapse wins outright.