Framework Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Material
Setup
The Tiles
Game Play
Completing the Tasks
Some Notes
The Tasks
End of the Game
The Solo Game
Credits

Game Material

1 bag
120 frame tiles
88 game pieces (22 each in 4 colors)
1 overview / storage card
1 rulebook

Setup

Here we explain the setup and gameplay for 2 to 4 players. You will find the solo rules at the end of these instructions.

Each of you takes the 22 game pieces of one color and places them in front of you. Throw all of the frame tiles into the bag.

Note: If this is your first game of Framework, you can play a shorter introductory game by having everyone return 4 of their own game pieces to the box.

You can also use this rule to give less experienced players a small advantage in the game. The youngest person begins and takes the bag.

The Tiles

In general, you will find up to two different pieces of information on the tiles.

Frames: There are 5 different frame colors. 0 to 3 colors are depicted on the tiles.

no color
1 color
2 colors
3 colors

Tasks: Each task field consists of a color and a number. By placing additional tiles you can complete these tasks.

The color of the task defines which frame colors you should place.

The number shows you how many frames of the corresponding color must lie at least horizontally and/or vertically adjacent in order to complete the task.

0 to 3 task fields are depicted on the tiles.

no task field
1 task field*
2 task fields
3 task fields

*Example: To complete this task, 3 gray frames must lie adjacent to this tile.

Note: How many and which task fields you want to complete on a tile is entirely up to you. There is no prescribed order here. (Exception: the sequence task, e.g. 4 → 3; see The Tasks on the corresponding page.)

Game Play

Whoever is the first to place all of their own game pieces on the frame tiles in their personal display wins.

Whoever has the bag draws a certain number of tiles and places them face up in the middle of the table. This selection is called the offer.

At the beginning of each round, draw one tile more from the bag than there are people playing. So with 2 players you draw 3 tiles, with 3 players 4 tiles, and so on.

Starting with the person who has the bag, all of you now — one after another, in clockwise order — choose 1 tile of your choice from the offer and immediately build it into your personal display. In doing so, each tile (with the exception of the first tile you take in a game) must be placed immediately horizontally or vertically adjacent to a tile already in play. Placing a tile exclusively diagonally to tiles already in play is not allowed!

The person who started the round also receives the last tile — so 2 in total. They must also immediately build this into their own display. They may not refuse to take this additional tile and build it in. They also may not wait to build in the first tile until they know which tile they will receive at the end of the round.

Afterwards, the bag is passed one place clockwise. Prepare a new round by drawing tiles from the bag as just described.

Completing the Tasks

You complete a task as soon as at least as many frames in the color lie horizontally and/or vertically adjacent as the task requires. In doing so, the color of the frame on which the task is depicted always counts as well, if present!

As soon as you have completed a task, place 1 of your game pieces on it. The numerical value of the just-covered task has no further significance for the rest of the game.

Note: In the examples in these instructions, the game pieces are placed next to the tasks for better visualization. When playing, cover the completed tasks completely with your game piece.

Important: Not only the direct neighboring frames count. Count together all tiles with at least 1 frame of the same color that are horizontally and/or vertically adjacent to one another. All tiles in such a chain help you complete a task, provided at least one of them is adjacent to the task tile.

In the example, the following tasks are completed:

6 brown frames
3 green frames
3 brown frames

The task "8 brown frames" is not completed, because the two brown frames at the top right have no direct connection to the task.

Some Notes

During the game you may check at any time whether you have completed one of your tasks. Then place 1 of your game pieces on it.

Because of the color chains you can form, it can happen that placing a tile at one end of your display completes a task at the other end of your display. Therefore you should also keep tasks at a greater distance in mind and check whether they might already be completed.

It is allowed to take a tile on a trial basis, place it, and then put it back into the offer.

But as soon as you have decided and placed a tile, it may no longer be moved to another spot in your display. It is not allowed to place tiles in other players' displays.

You should leave a little space between your displays so that it is always clear which tile belongs to which display.

You may rotate tiles however you like. Their orientation has no effect on the game. We recommend placing the tiles so that you can read the numbers well.

The Tasks

Each of these tasks requires at least as many horizontally and/or vertically adjacent frames in the corresponding color as indicated. There is no prescribed order in which the tasks must be completed, and not all of them have to be completed. A task is covered with a game piece as soon as it is completed.

Multi-color combination task (e.g. 6 / 4 / 5): This task requires 6 horizontally and/or vertically adjacent frames of the depicted colors in any combination. So, for example, 2 yellow frames and 4 green frames can be used. However, it is important that both colors each have a direct connection to the task. It is also allowed to use only frames of one of the two colors. Later on, the two other tasks (e.g. 9 or 12) can also still be completed if the number of adjacent frames reaches 9 or 12.

Single-color (either/or) task: This task requires at least 4 horizontally and/or vertically adjacent frames in 1 of the depicted colors. Only frames of the one or the other color may be used. A combination of both colors is not allowed.

Sequence task (e.g. 4 → 3): This task requires that the first task is completed before the second, easier task can be completed. This does not mean that you may not already place a frame in the color of the second task before the first task is completed. But a game piece may only be placed on the second task once the first task is also completed.

End of the Game

The game can end in two ways:

Whoever places their last own game piece on a completed task wins the game. It ends immediately.
As soon as you draw the last tiles from the bag, the final round begins. The tiles from the offer are still placed as usual. Then the game ends. Everyone may check once more whether they have overlooked any already-completed tasks and, if necessary, place game pieces on these tasks. Afterwards, the remaining, unplaced game pieces are counted. Whoever has the fewest game pieces left wins the game.

In the event of a tie, the game ends in a draw.

The Solo Game

Take the bag with all the tiles and 22 game pieces of one color. Also place the overview card with the storage side face up in front of you.

The known rules apply. Complete 22 tasks so that all of your game pieces lie on the frame tiles in front of you.

Draw one tile after another from the bag. For each tile, decide

whether you want to place it directly into your display

whether you want to store it. If you decide to store it, place the tile on a free space on your storage card. You can store a maximum of 2 tiles there at the same time. If there is no free space, you cannot store a tile. On a later turn you may place a stored tile into your display instead of drawing a tile from the bag.

As soon as your 22 game pieces lie on the frame tiles, the game ends. Fill up your display with tiles from the bag so that an area consisting of 5x5 tiles is created. Place these face down. If you already have a correspondingly large grid in front of you, skip this step. The number of minus points then consists of all tiles lying outside this 5x5-tile grid. It does not matter whether game pieces lie on the tiles.

The fewer minus points you have, the better your result. Your primary goal is to reach a point value that is as low as possible — ideally a single-digit one.

Note: If you want to make the challenge a little harder, you can reduce the storage area to 1 instead of 2 tiles, or put the storage card back into the box and play without storage.

Example: 8 tiles lie outside the 5x5-tile grid. That results in 8 minus points.

Credits