Don Quixote: The Ingenious Hidalgo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Quick Game Overview
• Contents
• Game Setup
• Gameplay
  • Voting example
• Scoring
• Winner
• Effect of Cards
  • Zap example
• Effect of Tokens
• Scoring Clarifications
• Design Notes

Quick Game Overview

• The game is played over 2 chapters, during which Don Quixote faces a number of adventures depending on the players count.
• During each adventure, players play a character card to vote on its success or failure.
• Depending on the outcome, you will move one of DQ's love, glory, obsession or delusion tokens on the value track, as indicated in the adventure card.
• At the end of the game, cards played will score story points based on the value of the corresponding tokens. Players will also score for the riches obtained throughout the game.

Example: a character card whose matching token (glory) sits in the 3 points area is worth 3 points; a character card whose matching token (love) sits in the 2 points area is worth 2 points.

Contents

• 120 Character Cards
• 22 Adventure Cards
• 11 Secret Objective Cards
• 6 Player Aid / Game Setup Cards
• 4 Value Tokens (from left to right: delusion, love, obsession, glory)
• 1 Victory Card
• 1 Starting Player Token
• 1 Value Track
• 10 Object Tokens (5 Item tokens, 5 Diamond tokens)

Game Setup

1. Value track: pick one side of the board and place it at the centre of the table. For your first few games, we suggest using side A.
2. Value tokens: place all tokens on the first spot in the value track.
3. Adventure cards: shuffle all the adventures and form a face down pile. Draw 4, and place them above the value track face up.
4. Character cards: shuffle all the character cards and form a face down pile. Deal 9 to each player.
5. Starting player token: give it to the player who read a book most recently. Alternatively, choose randomly.

Then, depending on the number of players:

6. Items and diamonds: some tokens are only used in 4+ players, as indicated on the token itself. Select those as relevant, and place all that are in play at the centre of the table. Return the rest to the box.
7. Game setup: place game setup cards on the table and follow additional setup (which makes you distribute some diamonds if playing in 3, 5 or 6 players).
8. Objective cards: select suitable secret objective cards depending on player count (as indicated on cards top right corner), and give one randomly to each player. Return the rest to the box.

Gameplay

The game starts with chapter I:

1. Pick Adventure card: The starting player chooses 1 adventure that DQ will face from the pool of 4. Move that adventure below the value track, and draw a new one to replace it in the pool of 4. We suggest reading out loud the description of the adventure: the chosen adventures will create the plot of the story!
2. A player might play an item if they have it from a past round. Items are described further below.
3. Everyone plays 1 character card face down simultaneously to vote on the adventure outcome.
4. Flip the played cards and resolve card abilities: Beginning with the starting player and going clockwise, you may resolve any ability from the character you played. Card abilities are described further below.
5. Resolve the vote:
   • Count all the votes, including those on the adventure and any coming from items. If there are more positive votes (check marks) than negative votes (crossed swords), the adventure is a success. If there are more negative votes, or if tied, the adventure fails.
   • Move the value token corresponding to the outcome by as many steps as indicated in the adventure card. In chapter II only, the tokens take rivers as a step whenever they can!
   • Players place their played card in front of them facedown, forming a personal pile of played cards.
   • Pass the starting player marker to the next player clockwise.
6. Play a new adventure
   • Repeat steps above until you have completed 4 adventures.
   • Then, finish the chapter.

Votes are indicated in the top left purple banner of cards.

Voting example

There are 5 positive and 2 negative votes: the adventure is a success! Move the yellow glory token ahead by 2 steps, as shown on the success sign post of the adventure.

If it was chapter II, the token would follow the river, and move as indicated by the dotted arrow.

If the adventure had failed, we would have moved the blue delusion token ahead 4 steps.

7. End of chapter I
   • Refresh adventures pool: Discard out of the game adventures currently in the pool, and reveal 4 new adventures.
   • Discard as many cards as you want out of those remaining in your hand.
   • Draw back to 9 cards.
8. Start chapter II
   • Play it as you played the first chapter, through as many adventures as indicated in the players' aid.
   • Remember, in chapter II rivers become active!
9. End of chapter II
   • The game has finished!
   • Discard all cards left in your hand, they will not be added to your score.
   • Take the time to look through the adventures DQ went through.
   • Reveal all the hidden cards, including the secret objective for each player. If you played more than one Don Diego card, choose one to keep and discard the rest.
   • Proceed to scoring.

Scoring

You will score points for character cards, secret objective and diamonds.

• Diamonds are worth 2 points each.
• Secret objectives are worth as many points as indicated on the card.
• Character cards score points as indicated in the bottom left corner sign post. Most cards score according to the value of their matching token.

Examples: a card scoring by a token worth 0 points scores 0 points (Rocinante, with the glory token on 0); a card worth 1 point (Nicolas the Barber, with the token on 1). The Accomplished objective scores 5 if the glory token is first and 5 if the love token is last; here it is worth 0 points. The Rebalanced objective (3 points for any of love, obsession, delusion, glory in 2/3 area): love and delusion are in the 2 points area, so this card will score 4 points.

Winner

The player with the most Story Points is the most influential storyteller! They earn the victory card. In case of a tie, the person who has scored more points from the secret objective is the winner. If still tied, the person with most items is the winner. If still tied, players share the victory!

Effect of Cards

Some cards have special abilities that can help players influence the outcome of the game:

• Zap: you may negate the votes from another character or adventure card. Votes on that card will not be considered during the vote counting. Any other ability of the "zapped card" would still work as normal, including special abilities and end of game scoring.
• Get diamond or item: Pick up a diamond or any item from the centre of the table. If there are none left at the centre of the table, you can steal one from another player! NB: you cannot use an item and pick it up again within the same adventure.
• Zap protection: this card can't be zapped.
• Refresh 2 cards: draw 2 cards and discard 2 cards. Those can be either character cards or adventure cards. If you choose character cards, add 2 character cards from the draw pile to your hand, then discard 2 cards. If choosing adventure cards, you can draw 2 new adventures and decide whether to replace some of the current adventure cards.

Zap example

The player who played the zap card (Marcela) chooses to zap the Adventure Card, negating its votes. During the vote counting, you are left with 2 positive votes and 1 negative vote: the adventure is successful and the Glory token will advance by 4 spaces in the Value Track.

Effect of Tokens

• Diamond: Some precious stones are discovered during the adventures, exciting! It's worth 2 story points at the end of the game.
• Poison: DQ got intoxicated from wine or poison, which makes him wander aimlessly and face unexpected encounters. Use it before the voting happens, to force all other players to play a card blindly this turn: everyone picks a card from the player on their left. That player will play that card this turn.
• Donkey: Sancho's donkey (Dapple) helps DQ change course. Use it at the same time you are about to reveal a character card to add 3 positive votes or 3 negative votes to the vote.
• Shield: DQ is well equipped to face unexpected events. Use it to protect yourself when a negative effect (a zap, a stealing or a poison) would affect you. You can use it twice: first time you use it, flip it to its damaged side. Second time you use it, return it to the centre of the table.
• Tent: Don Quixote spends a day chatting with someone. Use it at the same time you are about to reveal a character card to copy the special ability of that card.

NB: After using an item, return it to the center of the table. The person who just used it, cannot pick it up again within the same adventure.

Scoring Clarifications

• Score 3 points at end of the game for each value token that is worth 1, 2 or 3 points. (Balanced)
• Score 5 points at end of the game if the Glory token is first (ties count), and also 5 points if the Love token is last (ties count). (Accomplished)
• Score 3 points at end of the game for each diamond token you hold. (Don Diego)
• Score 3 points at end of the game for each pair of cards, where one is associated with the glory token and one with the obsession token. (Don Diego)

Design Notes

Our design philosophy: experience in a box. We aimed to capture the spirit of the classic novel when designing the game. This means we try to have players experience a mix of devious strategies, bold decisions together with some whimsical moments and a dash of chaos.

Telling Don Quixote's story. Throughout the game, we present episodes from Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece. We have put significant effort in re-telling the same stories from the novel, which required taking some liberty in paraphrasing certain passages to make the content more accessible.