Curio: The Lost Temple

Curio: The Lost Temple Rulebook

Table of Contents

Setup

Each player takes a player screen, and places it in front of them. Each player chooses one module's components and sets them up behind the screen. See below for specific details. The component list on page 2.

Stones Module

Place all 36 stones into a pile. Place the translation board and its key nearby.

Threads Module

Place the grid player board and threads in front of the player. Place the booklet nearby.

Shapes Module

Two players each take one set of blue/yellow/red pedestals and 13 shapes. One player takes all white shapes. The other player takes the black shapes.

NOTE: Only use the Shapes Module if you are playing with 3-5 players. Two players will be playing this module together.

Wheel Module

Place the decoder wheel in front of the player face down.

Hourglass Module

If no device is available to play the app, set the distraction board and the sand timer in the center of the table. If using the app, set the device in the center of the table instead with the app open.

NOTE: When playing the Introductory Game, this module is not used.

Sort and shuffle each module deck that is being used by the players. Draw two cards of each module and shuffle them together. Deal two cards to each player using a single player module, and one card to any player using a two-player module. Then, if a player has any card that matches their own module, they must trade it with the player sitting to their right. Continue doing this until every player has no card that matches their own module. If playing on Medium difficulty: Place each deck of cards face down near the players. If not playing with the Curio app, one player must ready a count-up timer using a stopwatch or phone.

Components

The Threads Booklet, the Translation Board and Key, and the Decoder Wheel contents are printed physical components; their symbol and letter pages are shown in the rulebook images rather than as text.

Threads Module

Threads Booklet
Transluscent Threads (yellow and red)
Grid Player Board
50 Expert Cards

Wheel Module

Decoder Wheel, in 3 parts
50 Expert Cards

Shapes Module

13 White Shapes
13 Black Shapes
6 Colored Pedestals
50 Expert Cards

Stones Module

36 Stones
Translation Board
Translation Key
50 Expert Cards

Hourglass Module

30 Second Sand Timer
Distraction Board

Other

5 Player Screens

Gameplay

Overview

Curio: The Lost Temple is a cooperative game played in real-time. During the game, each player has one or two Expert Cards that must be completed by giving directions to a different player. To win, every Expert Card needs to be completed. Please see the section below to learn how each Expert Card is completed.

Levels of Difficulty

There is an introductory game and three levels of difficulty.

Introductory: Do not use the Hourglass module. Use Easy settings.

Easy: Once per game, if a player gives an incorrect answer, that Expert Card may be discarded. If another incorrect answer is given, all players lose.

Medium: Once per game, if a player gives an incorrect answer, that Expert Card must be replaced with a new one. The player must draw a new card from the same deck. If another incorrect answer is given, all players lose.

Hard: If any player gives a wrong answer, all players lose.

The app will also give additional levels of difficulty that players may choose to play. Winning the game with these additional levels will score bonus points.

Scoring

If playing with the app, scoring will be done automatically within the app. If not using the app, follow the instructions below. If at any time the players lose, they score 0.

Determine the base score by finding the time finished in the table. Note: If the timer exceeds the time found in the F section (in red), the players lose, and do not score further.

Score	2 Modules	3 Modules	4 Modules
F	>8:00	>12:00	>16:00
0	7:21-8:00	11:01-12:00	14:41-16:00
1	6:41-7:20	10:01-11:00	13:21-14:40
2	6:01-6:40	9:01-10:00	12:01-13:20
3	5:21-6:00	8:01-9:00	10:41-12:00
4	4:41-5:20	7:01-8:00	9:21-10:40
5

To the base score, add the difficulty level.

Easy: +0 points
Medium: +1 point
Hard: +2 points

Then, add 2 points if using the Hourglass physical module (with Sand Timer).

Example: The group is playing with 3 modules, and completed the game in 8:20. Their base score is 3.

How to Solve a Puzzle

The goal of every puzzle is to come to a five-letter answer. Each puzzle is made up of an Expert Card and its corresponding module pieces. During setup, each player is given two Expert Cards belonging to the other players. (Each player with a Shapes module receives only one Expert Card each.) The Expert must give directions from the Expert Card to the player (or players) with the corresponding module. The player may describe any part of the card EXCEPT for the answer.

If an Expert accidentally says the answer to a card, it must immediately be discarded, and a new card of that type must be drawn. If it occurs again, all players lose immediately.

If the player with the module thinks they have successfully found the answer, they must say "Solution!", then their answer.

If the answer is correct, the completed Answer Card can be placed in the center of the table.

If the answer is incorrect, follow the difficulty level instructions on page 4. (Printed reference as it appears in the source; the difficulty level instructions are printed on page 3.)

The instructions for each module below give an example that all players should familiarize themselves with to understand how each module works.

How to Solve the Wheel

The Wheel Expert Card shows the following:

A: The setup alignment
B: The symbol/letter corresponding to a letter in the answer
C: Rotation icon
D: Final Answer

Starting with the setup alignment, the Expert must have the player match the alignment on the Module Wheel. Then, starting in the upper left and following the nine stone points, complete each step. There are two possible types of steps on each of the stone points:

B: If a symbol or number appears on a stone point, the player must find the letter that is in the same column of that symbol or number on the wheel. This corresponds to the letters found in the final word.
C: The symbol within the circular arrow(s) signifies which level of the wheel to rotate before moving on to the next step. The player will need to rotate the symbol wheel, number wheel, OR letter wheel a number of ticks equal to the number of arrows and in the direction of the arrows. A "tick" is shifting the wheel one space.

Example of the Wheel

(The symbols in this example are printed glyphs on the wheel; they are referred to here by position, as shown in the rulebook image.)

A) Using the example on page 4, align the wheel so that this combination appears.

B) Find the letter that is adjacent to the symbol shown on the wheel (the symbol with a trident-like mark). This is the first letter of the final clue. (C)

C) Rotate the number wheel two times clockwise.

D) Find the letter next to the number 8. This is the second letter of the final clue. (U)

E) Rotate the letter wheel three times counterclockwise.

F) Find the letter next to the symbol shown on the wheel. This is the third letter of the final clue. (R)

G) Rotate the symbol wheel once counterclockwise.

H) Find the letter next to the number VI. This is the fourth letter of the final clue. (I)

I) Rotate the number wheel once clockwise.

J) Find the letter next to the symbol shown on the wheel. This is the fifth letter of the final clue. (O)

K) In order, the letters spell CURIO.

How to Solve the Threads

The Threads module has the player using coordinates to place the threads. One combination of the coordinates will have a symbol at the intersection that is NOT shown on the Expert Card. Using that symbol's page in the booklet, the Expert must dictate the final answer sequence, and the player must translate the sequence into letters.

Example of the Threads

A) Place the translucent bars on the grid. Place one bar on coordinates A~~a and the other on the coordinates V~~E.

B) The symbol at the intersection is listed on the card here, meaning that this combination is NOT the correct one.

C) Place the bars on coordinates A~~a and B~~II. The symbol at the intersection is NOT on the card. This IS the correct symbol. Open the booklet to that symbol's page.

D) The Expert then reads off the sequence of the final answer shown here. Find the corresponding letter that is adjacent to the sequence parts. This will yield the answer CURIO.

Key to the example diagram: A = Coordinates; B = Final answer sequence; C = Symbols to avoid; D = Final answer. Steps A and B eliminate an option: symbols matching those on the card are eliminated.

How to Solve the Stones

The Stones module uses a process of elimination to narrow down a key symbol. The Expert will tell the player which pieces to remove. The symbols on the card include:

A (Paint Color): Remove ALL stones with this color contained anywhere on it.
B (White Shape): Remove ALL shapes of this type, regardless of color.
C (Colored Shape): Remove shapes of this color.
D (White Word): Remove ANY word that says this.
E (Colored Word): Remove any word that is colored this specific color.
F (Symbol): Remove any stone with this symbol on the back.

Once the player has removed all the stones indicated by the card, there should be precisely one stone left. The symbol on this stone is the KEY.

The player should align the Translation Key on the Translation Board so that the key symbol is the one on top. The Expert will then describe the symbols in the Answer Key area of the Expert Card in order. Each symbol corresponds to a letter on the Translation Board.

Example of the Stones

a) Remove all of the following:

Any stone that has the color red on it.
Every triangle.
Every blue square.
Every word "red".
Every word "triangle" colored yellow.
All words that are colored blue.
Remove the symbols shown on the card (three symbols).

b) You are left with the symbol shown on the card. Align the Translation Key on the Translation Board so that this symbol is in the top position.

c) Find the symbols shown on the card in order on the Translation Key, and find the letter that corresponds to them. This will spell the answer CURIO.

How to Solve the Shapes

The Shapes module requires the two players to communicate with each other to come to the correct answer. Each player has either the white shapes or the black shapes. The Expert will state which shapes players need to use. The white player will need to have the shapes from sections A and C, while the black player will need to have the shapes from sections B and C. The Expert then states which shapes are placed on the Red, Blue, and Yellow pedestals. Then the Expert states, in order, which pedestal contains the letter in the answer.

The Expert Card areas are:

A: White shape usage
B: Black shape usage
C: Both shape usage
D: Sorting area
E: Answer key
F: Answer

Example of the Shapes

a) The white player gets the white crescent, pentagon, circle, and star. The black player gets the black crescent, triangle, pentagon, and heart.

b) On the red pedestal, the players place the grey crescent and grey star. (In this case, the black player doesn't have the black star, so ignores the direction.)

c) On the yellow pedestal, the players place the white triangle and white circle. On the blue pedestal, the players place the white pentagon and white heart.

d) The first letter is on the white player's yellow pedestal. The second is on the black player's blue pedestal. The third is on the black player's red pedestal. The fourth is on the white player's red pedestal. The fifth is on the black player's blue pedestal.

e) By deductive reasoning, the answer is CURIO.

The Hourglass

The Hourglass module is played by all players at the table. There are two ways to play this module, with the app, and with the sand timer.

Sand Timer Instruction

Set up the player board in the middle of the table, and place the sand timer on the hourglass platform. When the game starts, one player must flip the sand timer.

If this 30-second sand timer ever runs out throughout the course of the game, the players lose immediately.

To flip the sand timer, one player MUST have their hand on the "button" shown here. If a player places their hand here, they are not allowed to speak to other players, work on their module, or remove their hand until the sand timer is flipped BY A DIFFERENT PLAYER. Note: The players must flip the timer BEFORE it runs out, otherwise they lose.

App Instructions

Open the app and select the Hourglass module. This module works similarly to the physical module. There are buttons on the module that must be pressed to flip the timer. Each button may only be touched by a different person, and all buttons must be pressed to flip the timer. If a player is holding a button down, they are not allowed to speak with other players, interact with their module, or remove their finger until the timer has been reset.