Dicey Peaks
Dicey Peaks Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 6 Climber pawns
- 6 Oxygen game boards
- 6 Oxygen Marker tokens
- 13 Custom Frosted Dice: 4 White Dice, 4 Dark Blue Dice, 5 Light Blue Dice
- 29 Mountain tiles: 8 Level 6 tiles, 7 Level 5 tiles, 6 Level 4 tiles, 5 Level 3 tiles, 3 Summit 0 tiles
- 1 Rulebook
Object
In Dicey Peaks players take on the role of brave adventurers racing to be the first to reach the fabled flag atop Yeti Mountain. To succeed, they must carefully manage their oxygen and avoid the wrath of the Yetis!
Setup
Each player receives an Oxygen game board, then chooses a color and takes the Climber pawn and Oxygen marker of that color.
On the back of each Mountain tile there is an identifying level number: 6, 5, 4, 3, or 0. Sort the Mountain tiles into five piles by level (face down) and shuffle the piles individually. Build the mountain in the center of the table by laying out six base level-6 tiles as the bottom row, then five level-5 tiles above that, then four level-4 tiles above that, then three level-3 tiles above that, and finally all three summit 0 tiles in a triangle to form a peak at the top. Place all unused tiles, face down, back in the box without looking at them. They will not be used for this game.
Everyone places their Climber pawn at the base of the mountain next to the leftmost level-6 tile and puts their Oxygen marker in the 9 space of the oxygen gauge on their Oxygen game board. The 13 dice are placed in a pool next to the mountain where all players can reach them.
The player who most recently hiked a mountain goes first. If no one has hiked a mountain, then the youngest player goes first.
Gameplay
The game takes place over a series of turns. Play passes clockwise. Each turn proceeds in this order:
1. Roll Five Dice
Choose and roll any five dice. Dark blue dice offer a higher likelihood for resting, white dice favor climbing, and light blue dice offer an equal chance for resting or climbing.
2. Decide To Climb or Rest
After your first roll, announce if you are choosing to climb or rest based on the number of PICKAXE and AVALANCHE symbols showing:
- If you are climbing, you must set aside all PICKAXE and AVALANCHE symbols rolled.
- If you are resting, you will set aside all TENT symbols rolled.
- Whether climbing or resting, you must always set aside all YETI symbols you roll.
Any rolled dice that do not correspond to your choice should be returned to the dice pool.
3. Choose To Roll Again OR End Your Turn
Either choose to roll again and roll three more dice from the pool toward your goal of climbing or resting, or end your turn and apply the current dice roll results. Remember, dice you set aside showing the YETI symbol may never be rerolled! If you do not have three dice to roll, you must end your turn.
You may continue to roll three available dice from the pool at a time, as many times as you like until you: a) choose to stop or b) bust. If you bust, you cannot progress on the mountain or gain oxygen. (See Busting below.)
Ending Your Turn
If you choose to end your turn, you apply the results of the symbols you rolled.
When Climbing
- Lower the Oxygen marker on your Oxygen game board one space per PICKAXE rolled, then move your Climber pawn ahead one tile on the mountain for each PICKAXE rolled.
- Flip over the tile you land on if it is face-down, and perform the action shown. If the tile you land on is already face-up, perform that action. (See back of rulebook for action descriptions.)
- Always move up the mountain from left to right; when you move past the end of one level of the mountain, start on the left side of the next level up.
- If the action on the tile causes you to move forward or backward to a new tile, you do not flip over or perform the action of the second tile.
- You cannot go below 0 on your Oxygen gauge. If you reach 0, you must Rest on your next turn.
When Resting
- Move your Oxygen marker up one space on the Oxygen gauge for each TENT rolled.
- The amount of oxygen you may gain each turn cannot exceed your current mountain level (ie. "6", "5", "4", "3"). Ignore any TENT results beyond your current mountain level.
- You cannot rest on the summit; no oxygen can be gained when you're on the top three tiles of Yeti Mountain (level 0).
Busting
Trekking up the mountain is dangerous, and there are several hazards to avoid. If any of the following things occur on your turn, you bust. Your turn ends immediately and you cannot climb or gain oxygen for the turn.
When Climbing
- Hyperventilate: Accumulate more PICKAXE symbols than the level of oxygen shown on your Oxygen gauge = bust!
- Avalanche: Accumulate three or more AVALANCHE symbols = bust!
When Resting
- Overfill: Accumulate a number of TENT symbols that would push you past the maximum oxygen level of 9 = bust!
- Yeti Attack: Accumulate three or more YETI symbols = bust!
WARNING! Beware the Yeti!
Whether you're climbing or resting, the dangerous Yetis are always lurking on the mountain, slowing down your progress and causing trouble! When your turn ends, if you set aside any YETI results, all climbers behind you become terrified and move exactly one tile ahead without having to spend oxygen! Filled with horror and adrenaline, these climbers do not flip over the tile they land on or perform its action. IMPORTANT: Climbers ahead of you or on the same tile as you when you started your turn are not frightened by the Yeti and do not move ahead on the mountain.
Reaching The Summit and Winning
One of the top three tiles on the mountain contains the fabled flag. Collectively, these tiles represent the Dicey Peaks of Yeti Mountain! You must find the flag to win. The thin air, gusting winds, and snowfall make it nearly impossible to see the flag until you are right next to it; therefore, climbers must choose carefully.
Given the extremely treacherous conditions at the top of the mountain, you cannot choose to rest while you are on the summit. The oxygen you have when you first reach the summit is all you can use for the remainder of the game. If you run out of oxygen on the summit without finding the flag, your game is over and you must wait for another player to find the flag and share some emergency air!
If you move past level 3 onto the summit while climbing, first lower your Oxygen marker one space on the oxygen gauge per PICKAXE rolled during the turn. Then choose any one summit tile to land on and flip it over. If you find the flag, you immediately win! If the flag is not on that tile, your turn ends and you will begin your following turn on the summit. (False summit tile = end turn; flag tile = WIN!)
When beginning your turn while on the summit, you must roll all five dice with the result of at least one PICKAXE in order to flip over a tile and search for the flag. Lower your Oxygen marker one space on the oxygen gauge for each PICKAXE rolled making sure you don't hyperventilate (see Busting), then choose and flip any one summit tile. If the flag is not on that tile, your turn ends. If you find the flag, you immediately win!
Mountain Tile Key
| Tile | Effect |
|---|---|
| +1 (forward arrow) | Move forward 1 tile |
| +2 (forward arrow) | Move forward 2 tiles |
| Two curved arrows | Turn over any 2 tiles (level 3-6) |
| -1 (back arrow) | Move back 1 tile |
| -2 (back arrow) | Move back 2 tiles |
| Down arrow | Move down 1 level to identified adjacent tile |
| +1 O2 | Gain 1 Oxygen |
| -1 O2 | Lose 1 Oxygen |
| -2 O2 | Lose 2 Oxygen |
| Mountain with climber | No effect tile |
| Empty summit | False summit, end turn |