Flip Pick Towers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal
• Components
• Set Up
• How to Play
  • Round Overview
  • 1. Flip
  • 2. Pick
  • 3. Sketch
  • 4. Refresh
• Castle Sheet Spotlight
• Castle Deck Spotlight
  • Floors
  • Bridges
  • Roofs
  • Flags
  • Royals
  • Dragons
  • Creatures
  • Creature Magic
• Resources
• Decoration Types
  • Banners
  • Bags of Gold
  • Windows
  • Beanstalks
• End of Round
  • End of Round Scoring
• End of Game
  • End of Game Scoring
• More Ways to Play
  • Competitive Variant [2+ Players]
  • Target Scores
  • Solo
• FAQ

Goal

As an esteemed magical architect, your goal is to design the royals the most miraculous castle possible, full of features satisfying each and every one of their desires.

The architect with the most points – and thus the most remarkable castle – will earn the favour of the royals and win the game.

Components

• 1 spectacular castle sheet pad
• 6 magical pencils
• 3 majestic royal tiles
• 63 tremendous castle cards
• 33 delightful scoring cards

Set Up

1. Place the 3 royal tiles face up on the table.
2. Shuffle the scoring cards and place 1 face up beside each of the 3 royal tiles. Return the rest to the box.
3. Shuffle the castle cards and place them in a face-down "castle deck" so that all players can see. Leave space for 3 "display" cards and a discard pile beside it.
4. Give each player a castle sheet and a pencil.

How to Play

So you want to wield your magic and raise magnificent towers into the heavens? Fear not, this is where you'll learn how to do that!

Round Overview

Each wondrous game of Flip Pick Towers is played over 2 glorious rounds.

Each round follows the steps below until the castle deck runs out:

1. Flip
2. Pick
3. Sketch
4. Refresh

If you are unable to flip 3 cards during step 1, move to End of Round.

After the second end of round scoring, move to End of Game.

1. Flip

Flip over the top 3 cards from the castle deck into a face-up line beside each other for all players to see. This is called the display.

2. Pick

At the same time, all players pick any one of the castle cards in the display by grandly announcing it.

Multiple players can choose the same card.

Players do not take their chosen cards from the display.

"Hear ye, hear ye! I am building a stability 3 floor."

3. Sketch

After you pick a castle card, add its feature to your castle sheet (see Castle Deck Spotlight).

Then add the resource gained to the corresponding market stall on your castle sheet (see Resources).

If you complete any column in one of your market stalls, add the decoration gained immediately.

Can't add the feature?

If you are unable to add your chosen card's feature, you must scribble in one of the three sections of your family crest at the top of your castle sheet.

You must add a card's feature when you pick it, if able.

Note: If a player ever scribbles in the third section of their family crest, FLIP, PICK, and SKETCH one final time, then complete End of Round Scoring. Then move to End of Game Scoring.

4. Refresh

Once all players are done adding elements to their castle sheets, discard the three castle cards currently in the display into a face-down discard pile nearby.

"Time to tidy up!"

Castle Sheet Spotlight

1. Tower height tracker
2. Tower column
3. Garden column
4. Family crest
5. Flag bonus tracker
6. Beanstalk height tracker
7. Foundation
8. Market stall
9. Magical creature
10. Score tracker

Each individual grid space can only contain one of the following elements: a banner, a beanstalk, a bridge, a dragon, a floor, or a roof.

Floors allow you to also add one of the following elements to them: a royal, a bag of gold, or a window. Each of these is added inside a floor.

A floor can only ever contain one of these elements.

Castle Deck Spotlight

There are six types of cards in the castle deck.

1. Floors (x4 of each stability)
2. Bridges (x4)
3. Roofs (x4)
4. Royals (x4 of each type)
5. Dragons (x2)
6. Creatures (x5 - 1 of each type)

Each castle card shows a card type icon, a stability value (where applicable), the feature to sketch, and the resource gained.

Floors

When you pick a floor, add it in a blank grid space on your castle sheet. Write the stability of the floor small in the corner of your drawing so that you have room for features and decorations!

You cannot sketch a floor directly on top of a floor of lower or equal stability.

You may add any floor directly on top of a foundation or a bridge, regardless of the new floor's stability.

The maximum height of a tower is dictated by the empty grid spaces in a column.

"Directly on top of" always means the grid space immediately above.

Bridges

When you pick a bridge, add it to a single empty grid space between two existing floors to connect them. Bridges act as new foundations meaning you can add any new floors directly on top of them.

Bridges are the only way for you to add floors to garden columns, but can also be added to tower columns.

Roofs

When you pick a roof, add it directly on top of any existing floor, regardless of stability. A roof takes up one entire grid space on your castle sheet.

Note: You may not add a roof directly on top of a bridge or foundation.

You may not add a floor directly on top of a roof.

Flags

The first player to add a roof in each round proudly declares it to the group and adds 3 flags to it.

"I'm building a roof with three fantastic flags!"

The second player to add a roof in each round adds 2 flags to it. The third player to add a roof in each round adds 1 flag to it.

After adding flags, all players must then cross out the relevant flag bonus for this round. This makes that bonus inaccessible for the rest of the round.

If multiple players add roofs on the same turn, each of those players add the same number of flags.

Note: You will use the flag bonus tracker marked Round 1 in the first round, and the tracker marked Round 2 in the second.

If you use Mab the fairy to add two roofs in a single turn, only one of those would potentially get flags.

Royals

Queen Blodwen, King Llew, and Princess Dillie are our beloved royals. The magical blip that caused their castle to vanish seems to have also resulted in them duplicating from time to time. In fact, there is no limit to the number of royals you can have in a tower!

When you pick a royal, add the majestic family member inside an empty floor.

Note: Royals may not be added inside bridges or roofs.

Dragons

Two mischievous dragons circle the skies above Pilipalod: a majestic gold one named Fflam and a cheeky blue one locals fondly call Mellt.

Whenever one or more of these dastardly dragons is revealed, before the PICK step, you must either:

A. Add a dragon directly on top of a floor.

Note: A dragon takes up 1 grid space. You may not add a dragon directly on top of a roof, bridge, or foundation. Floors cannot be added directly on top of dragons, which makes it much more difficult to build above them!

OR

B. Reluctantly cross out one of your existing bags of gold.

Note: You may not add anything else inside a floor with a crossed out bag of gold in it, but the floor is otherwise considered empty. It will not be counted for points.

If you have no bag of gold to give and no suitable places to add a dragon, instead decorate a section of your family crest.

Remember! If a player ever scribbles in the third section of their family crest, FLIP, PICK, and SKETCH one final time.

Creatures

The Kingdom of Pilipalod is full of incredible magical creatures. As part of your architectural training, you spent time with many of them and formed incredible friendships. Along with your own magic, you occasionally call on your enchanting friends to help you in your creations.

Picking a creature

When you pick a creature, add a single diagonal line through one of their X spaces to show that you've gained some of their astonishing magic.

Whenever you use a creature's magic, add a second diagonal line through their X space to mark it as used.

You may choose to use one of your creatures' magic whenever you pick a castle card from the display.

Creature Magic

Creature magic resolves as follows:

Derwen (the Elf) — Also add a stability 1 floor.

Bwca (the Imp) — Apply +/- 1 to a floor's stability before adding it.

Ji-Ji (the Centaur) — Also gain the other resources in the display.

Sosban (the Witch) — Add floor picked directly on top of any available floor. Ignore stability rules.

Mab (the Fairy) — Immediately pick the same castle card again.

Resources

For each castle card you pick, you gain its resource. Fill in any one box corresponding to the resource gained in the relevant market stall on your castle sheet with an X. These can be filled in in any order.

The four resources are Fabric, Magical Beans, Gold, and Glass.

If there is no space to fill in a box in the market stall, the resource is lost. Arrggh.

If you complete a column in any one of these market stalls gain the corresponding decoration immediately, and add it to your castle sheet.

If there is no space to add a decoration to the castle sheet, it is lost and not added. Blasted blip! Decorations cannot be saved for later. Nooo!

"You just completed a gold column. Now you can add a bag of gold to an existing empty floor."

Creature resources

A creature's resource always counts as wild, meaning you may choose which one resource you gain.

Decoration Types

Banners

Add an elegant banner attached to the left or right of an existing floor, hanging downwards. Each banner takes up two vertically adjacent spaces on the grid.

Bags of Gold

Add a bag of shiny gold inside any existing empty floor.

"Us dragons loOove your bags of gold. Give them to us to stop us landing on your towers!"

Windows

Add a stunning window inside any existing empty floor.

Beanstalks

Add a twirling beanstalk in any of your narrower garden columns (those with no foundation in their base). You must begin the beanstalk at the bottom - indicated by grass. Its height is dictated by the column you just filled in the corresponding market stall.

End of Round

Once the castle deck has run out, you will move to End of Round scoring.

End of Round Scoring

Each player adds up their impressive scores as follows, following the score tracker at the bottom of the castle sheet from left to right.

Write scores for the first round in the upper part of the scoring section (marked Round 1) and in the lower part (marked Round 2) for the second round.

Remember, anything scored in the first round will be scored again in the second!

1. Highest Floor: For each tower in your castle, find your highest floor. Score points according to the tower height tracker on the left of the castle sheet.

   Note: Bridges, dragons, flags, and roofs are not counted towards the height of a tower.

2. Flags: Each flag added to a roof scores 2 points.

3. Banners: Each banner scores 2 points.

4. Bags of Gold: Each bag of gold scores 4 points. Crossed out bags of gold (those given to dragons) score 0.

5. Windows: The players with the most total windows score 12 points. The players with the second most windows score 6 points.

6. Beanstalks: Each beanstalk scores between 2 and 17 points depending on its height. Score points according to the beanstalk height tracker on the right of the castle sheet.

7. Royals: Each royal in your castle scores points according to the requirements of their corresponding scoring card, placed during setup.

If this is the first round, once scoring is done, with tallies written in their appropriate spots, shuffle the castle cards together to reset the castle deck and move to the second round.

If this is the second round, instead move to End of Game.

End of Game

The game ends in one of two ways:

1. When the castle deck runs out for the second time. In this case, complete End of Round Scoring. Then move to End of Game Scoring.

OR

2. If any player scribbles in the third section of their family crest. In this case, all players FLIP, PICK, and SKETCH one final time, then complete End of Round Scoring. Then move to End of Game Scoring.

End of Game Scoring

Add up your scores from round 1 and round 2. The player with the highest total score wins, jumps up and down, and shouts "Bendigedig!" (a celebratory cry in Pilipalod).

In a tie, the player with the highest score in round 2 wins, jumps up and down, and shouts "Bendigedig!".

More Ways to Play

Competitive Variant [2+ Players]

To play the competitive variant, fiercely egging on your friends, make this devious change:

Dragons: When a dragon is revealed, the player to your left decides whether or not you add the dragon or cross off a bag of gold to lure it away.

If they choose for you to add the dragon, they also choose where.

Target Scores

For an additional challenge, try to beat one of the target scores for your specific set of scoring cards.

Each scoring card has three numbers displayed. To calculate the target score to beat for your specific set of scoring cards, add up the three numbers of a single shape from all 3 cards.

For a relaxed, cosy challenge, total the friendly diamonds.

For a normal, hearty challenge, total the stern stars.

For a deep, fierce challenge, total the tricky rosettes.

Solo

To play solo - enjoying your own company, perhaps with a lovely beverage and snack - make this simple change:

Windows: Each window scores 3 points.

FAQ

1. Can I have more than one king, queen, and/or princess in my towers?

   Yes! The blip caused duplicates. It's crazy!

2. Can I choose to scribble in my family crest instead of adding a feature from a card?

   No. You must add a feature if you are able. You are an esteemed member of the Magical Architect Alliance after all!

3. Do I have to fill out the boxes in the market stall in any particular order?

   No. Fill them out in any order you wish. Use your skills. Outwit your competition!

4. Can I sketch outside of the grid if my tower is really high?

   No. Nothing can be added outside of the grid. The blip dictates it.

5. Can I add a roof or dragon directly on top of a foundation?

   No. They must be added directly on top of a floor. Silly.

6. Can I add a roof or dragon directly on top of a bridge?

   No. They must be added directly on top of a floor. Billy.

7. Can I add a roof, or dragon below a bridge?

   Yes, as long as it is directly on top of an existing floor in an empty grid space.

8. Can I add a floor directly on top of a roof or a dragon?