Janus
Janus Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Playing board. Playing instructions. Four Columns as playing figures. 100 tiles with directional instructions. 60 coins.
The Aim of the Game
The aim is to remove as many of the tiles lying on the board as possible by means of clever manipulation of the your column and thus to win as much as possible of the square made up of four fields. The tile that is removed is always that which the column stood on last. The player who removes the last of the four tiles, wins that square and occupies the payment circle with one of his or her coins. The points are added up at the end of the game. The winner is the person with the highest score.
Method of Play
First place the tiles upside down in a small heap, mix them thoroughly and then lay them on the small squares of the playing board in such a manner that their numbered sides with directions are visible. Begin by putting them down at any one of the comers of the field of play and then continue position for position and row after row. The tablets are taken at random from the heap and may only be turned over as they are laid down; their numbered sides must remain invisible until then.
When all the positions on the board are occupied, each player receives a playing figure (column) and 15 coins of the same colour. Lots are drawn to find the person to start. The winner places a column on the tile in the corner of the field of play that is marked with a spot. The other players place their columns in order in the other corners of the board. When there are only two players the columns stand at diagonally opposing corners at the beginning of play.
Moves are made in order. The direction and length of the move is decided by the instructions on the tile on which the column is standing, the number decides the number of positions moved and the direction indicator shows the direction in which you may move. However, it is forbidden to move off the field of play. With the Janus head the move is made in the direction in which one of the faces is looking. Only one column may stand on a position or tile. If a player cannot move because of this he or she forfeits a move.
After each move the tile that the column last stood on is removed. If the tile is a Janus head then it is laid down in front of the player. When the player's own column reaches a tile of the same colour as the Janus head then that player is allowed a second move. The aim is to collect as many Janus heads of different colours as possible. Of course a player may possess Janus heads of just one colour.
If a column moves onto an already vacant position, then the next move can be in any desired direction but only one position along.
If a column lands on a square already belonging to another player, then the owner receives a coin as toll fee; this applies to every single position the column comes to on that square.
The game ends when all the tiles have been removed or when one of the players has run out of coins. The occupied squares are worth the scores indicated on them. The coins received from the opposing players in the form of tolls are worth one point each, a player's own coins, which are left over, are not counted.