Imagician Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Content
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Tutorial
  • General Principle
  • 1st Game
  • Deciphered Spell
  • Earning Stars
  • New Challenge
  • End of the Game
  • 2nd Game
  • 3rd Game
  • New Game
  • Express Tutorial
• Answers

Content

• 96 double-sided cards
• 4 individual double-sided boards
• 4 erasable pens with a built-in eraser
• 1 30-second hourglass
• These rules

Setup

1. Each player takes one pen and one individual board, "coloured ingredients" side up.
2. The hourglass should be easily accessible to all players.
3. If you are playing for the first time: place set no. 1 of the tutorial (see Tutorial) at the centre of the table.

If you have already played with the 3 sets of the tutorial: form a new set with 4 new cards.

Gameplay

Apprentice imagicians are faced with mysterious imagic spells. When properly deciphered, they give players 1 to 2 prestige stars. After the 8th challenge, the player with the most stars earns their place at the Imaginarium, the prestigious school of imagic.

Tutorial

Easily learn the rules by playing your first 3 games with 3 sets of predefined cards:

Start with set no. 1: it shows you how to decipher easy spells.

The succeeding sets each introduce a new level of difficulty, so follow the set order!

At the beginning of the game, reveal the grimoire card to see an example (see 1st Game for detailed explanations).

General Principle

Simultaneously, players must find on their board the ingredients for the spell and connect them to one another using their pen.

The goal is for players to guess as fast as possible what they are drawing, even if they have not finished connecting all the ingredients.

1st Game

Use set no. 1 without shuffling the cards (grimoire card on top).

For each open path: starting with the ingredient at one end, follow the path and connect all the ingredients on your board.

For each closed path: starting from any ingredient, follow the path in the direction you want and connect all the ingredients on your board. Remember to connect the last ingredient to the one you started from.

Deciphered Spell

As soon as they think they have guessed what shape the spell has conjured, the Apprentice imagician writes down their answer at the top of their board and turns it over. Then, they turn the hourglass over, placing it in front of them. The Apprentice imagician can no longer change their answer.

The other players then have 30 seconds to connect the ingredients and write down their answer.

Hint: sometimes looking at your board from a different angle helps with guessing!

Earning Stars

When the time is up, each player reveals their answer (if they wrote one!).

If players disagree or are not sure about what the shape represents, they can check the answer on the Answers list by using the number in the corner of the Imagic spell card.

Note: synonyms are accepted. For instance, boat, ship, vessel, etc. are all correct. However, the answer "lorry" or "truck" is not enough to describe a tanker lorry or a dustcart.

For the player who turned the hourglass over:

• If the answer is correct, the player ticks two stars on their board.
• If the answer is wrong, the player wipes one star off!
• If the player has no ticked stars, nothing happens.

For the other players:

• If their answer is correct, they tick one star on their boards.
• If they are wrong, no penalty.

New Challenge

1. Players clean their boards (but not the stars they have ticked!).
2. The player turns the board, "grey ingredients" side up if they have won 2 stars after the last challenge. The other players use their board "coloured ingredients" side up.
3. Players move on to the next spell. When everyone is ready, turn over the Spell card (or discard it if you have already played with both sides).

End of the Game

After the 8th and last imagic spell, all Apprentice imagicians count their stars. The Great Jury of Imagicians gives the highest honours to the player with the most stars.

2nd Game

Use set no. 2: Isolated Circle. Example at the back of the grimoire card.

When an ingredient is not on a path, it should only be circled.

3rd Game

Use set no. 3: Curve. Example at the back of the grimoire card.

Sometimes an ingredient is represented with a shooting star: it means you must draw a curve passing through this ingredient.

New Game

Draw 4 new cards to create a new set.

Hint: to remember which cards you have already played, you can put them in a small bag with the template grimoire card. With the original box, you can play your first 23 games without ever deciphering the same spells.

Express Tutorial

To explain quickly to new players how to play Imagician, use one card of each difficulty level (in this order).

Do not hesitate to turn the hourglass over a second time to give them 30 more seconds.

If a child recognises the object without knowing its name, let them describe it before giving your answer.

Answers

1. Shirt
2. Medal
3. Beanie
4. Christmas Tree
5. Crown
6. Man
7. Yacht
8. Kite
9. Tent
10. Hand
11. Crane
12. Folded Paper
13. Stairs
14. Cross
15. Chair
16. Liner
17. Arrow
18. (Fountain) Pen
19. Helicopter
20. Question Mark
21. Snowman
22. Ghost
23. Arrow
24. Exclamation Mark
25. Globe
26. Hammer
27. Fish Bone
28. Gamepad
29. Tennis Racket
30. Ice Skate
31. Rhinoceros
32. Bone