GEM Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Object
• Components
• Setup
• Playing the Game
• Round Sequence of Play
  • Auction Phase
  • Reinvestment Phase
• Game End
• Scoring

The Object

Players bid on jewels by leveraging assets to become the jeweler with the largest, most valuable collection.

Components

30 Cards:

• 12 Coin Cards (3 sets of 4)
• 18 Gem Cards, containing 6 of each color gem: Sapphire (blue), Ruby (red), Emerald (green), Amethyst (purple), Topaz (orange), 3 Diamonds (white).

Each Coin Card and Gem Card has two sides: an "INVESTED" side (green) and a "LEVERAGED" side (red).

Setup

1. Choose a dealer to perform the remaining setup steps.
2. Separate the Coin Cards from the Gem Cards. All players take a 1, 2, and 3 Coin Card and place them in their playing area, coin-side up, with the INVESTED (green) side up.
3. Shuffle the Gem Cards. Deal out 6 stacks of cards face down from left to right according to the number of players.
   • 2 or 4 players: Deal out stacks of 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 2 cards.
   • 3 players: Deal out 6 stacks of 3 cards.
4. The player to the left of the dealer is the starting player and bids first.

Playing the Game

Gem is a set-collecting game in which players must bid successfully in order to accumulate gems. Each round, players will participate in several, single-bid (once around) auctions to choose from the Gem Cards. The player who accumulates the most points is the winner. Gems are worth 1 point each at the end of the game. Gem Cards with a majority of a gem type will receive additional points.

Round Sequence of Play

Auction Phase

1. Take the furthest pile on the left and turn the cards face up in the center of the playing area. Align the face up Gem Cards so that all INVESTED values are on the same side.
2. The opening bidder makes a bid, "0" or higher, without indicating his Gem Card of interest. In a bidding round, players may only make a single, one-time bid in clockwise order. The bid must be higher than the previous player's bid and must be paid for with available assets. Bids may not exceed what a player is able to pay. A player may "pass" in a single auction and still participate in the next auction within a round.
3. The highest bidder pays the amount bid by rotating Coin and/or Gem Cards he possesses. Only cards with the INVESTED (green) side up may be used for this purpose. The sum of the INVESTED values on the cards just rotated must equal or exceed the amount bid. There is no change given when a player's payment exceeds the amount bid. Then, the player selects one Gem Card from those available (face up) and places it in front of himself with the LEVERAGED (red) side up. It is possible for a bid of "0" to win the auction if all other players "pass." In the final Auction Phase in Round 6, Gem Cards are acquired with the INVESTED (green) side up, and may be leveraged immediately.
4. The next player after the highest bidder (in clockwise order) becomes the opening bidder for the remaining Gem Card(s) and Steps 2 and 3 are repeated until all Gem Cards from the round have been acquired.

Reinvestment Phase

5. Beginning with the player who won the last Gem Card in the auction phase, players MAY use any available (green) side up Coin and/or Gem Cards to reinvest (rotate) any Gem Cards that are LEVERAGED (red) side up. To pay for this reinvestment, payment cards are rotated to their LEVERAGED (red) side up creating a sum equal to or higher than the reinvestment value. This total amount may be split any way, in order to reinvest in any number of cards this amount will allow. No change is given in the event of overpayment. During this phase each Gem Card may either be used for reinvesting, OR be invested in, but NOT both. The next player in clockwise order may now reinvest, and each player after, continuing clockwise.
6. After each player has had an opportunity to reinvest in their collection, all players rotate all Coin Cards to their INVESTED position (green side up) thus making them available for the next Round. Repeat the full SEQUENCE OF PLAY (Auction/Reinvestment Phases) through Round 6. Likely, some Gem Cards will be LEVERAGED (red side up) at the end of the game. LEVERAGED cards are removed from the game and are NOT included in scoring.

Game End

The game ends after the Reinvestment Phase of Round 6.

Scoring

Each player calculates their score as follows:

• 1 point for each gem on a card that is INVESTED (green side up).
• 2 points for each player that shares a majority of a gem type.
• 3 points for a player that holds an exclusive majority of a gem type.

The player with the most points is the winner. In the case of a tie, the winner is the player with the most gems in play (not LEVERAGED).