Dionysia
Dionysia Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
18 scene cards
Each scene card has a scene name, a key-scene effect, a pattern favor value, a pattern, and elements.
Setup
- Shuffle the 18 Scene Cards into a face-down deck.
- Deal 3 scenes face up, between both players, in a row known as the stage.
- Choose a player to be the first active player, and place the deck in front of them.
- Reserve space for each player to create a play consisting of three acts of 3 scenes each.
Gameplay
Over the course of 9 rounds, each player creates a tragic three-act play. Each act consists of a partially overlapping stack of 3 scenes, including a key scene (top card) and the elements of 2 other scenes underneath it.
Taking Turns
Each round, starting with the active player, each player chooses 1 scene from the stage and adds it to their play. Each scene may be placed in up to 3 ways:
1. Start an Act
If you have fewer than 3 acts, you may state aloud which act you are starting, then place a scene into that act. Acts are arranged in order (1, 2, then 3) from left to right. The new scene becomes the key scene of its act (see Instant Effects).
2. Upstage a Scene
If one of your acts has 1 or 2 scenes, you may place a scene at the top of its stack, overlapped so only the elements of its other scenes remain visible. The new scene becomes the key scene of its act (see Instant Effects).
3. Downstage a Scene
If one of your acts has 1 or 2 scenes, you may tuck a scene at the bottom of its stack (but not between 2 other scenes in that act). Arrange the stack so only the elements of the new scene remain visible. The new scene does not become a key scene, so ignore its effect and pattern.
Ending the Round
The round ends after each player adds a scene to their play. After 9 rounds, the game ends and players proceed to Scoring.
Otherwise, the active player passes the deck (and role of active player) to the other player. The new active player refills the stage to 3 scenes (or 2 scenes for the final round) and begins the next round.
Key-Scene Effects
Each Scene Card has either an instant effect or a scoring effect. Only key scenes (the scenes at the top of each act) have active effects.
Instant Effects
An instant effect triggers when its scene is placed as, or becomes, the key scene in an act. Its player must immediately choose to ignore the effect or resolve it completely. They may not defer it and resolve it in the future.
Scoring Effects
Scoring effects are used at the end of the game to earn favor (see Scoring).
Scoring
Each player tallies the favor from the 3 key scenes of their play. Scoring effects earn favor if their conditions are met. Each pattern earns the favor shown for each instance found anywhere in the play. Patterns must run left-to-right or top-to-bottom, and may span multiple acts. A single element may be used to score multiple instances.
Scoring Example
Consider the key scene in act 2. Its scoring effect rewards 2 favor since it is the key scene, and its pattern is found three times in the play for 3 additional favor. In total, this act earns 5 favor.
Winning the Game
The player with the most favor wins the game! If players tie, the player who played last wins.