King's Vineyard
King's Vineyard Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- Rulebook
- 60 Single-Variety Grape Cards
- 36 Double-Variety Hybrid Grape Cards
- 16 Special Action Cards
- 3 King Cards
- 80 Vine Tiles
- 1 First Player Card
- 4 Player Reference Cards
- 70 Point Tokens
- Goblet = 1 Point
- Bottle = 5 Points
- Barrel = 10 Points
Object
Players vie to impress the King who judges each vineyard according to the number of ripe grapes, adding bonuses for sweetness, fruits of the same color, and the uniformity of the vines. At the end of each royal visit, players tally their scores and collect the King's gifts as point tokens. At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins.
Setup
Two-Player Game:
Before beginning a two player game, choose one grape color to be completely removed from the deck. For example: Should players choose green, remove all 15 single color green grape cards and all 18 hybrid grape cards containing green grapes. Once one color has been removed, proceed with normal setup and play.
Three or More Player Game:
Setting aside the 3 king cards, thoroughly shuffle the rest of the deck and deal 6 cards to each player. Once all cards have been dealt, the deck is turned face-down to become the draw pile. Insert the three king cards into the draw pile at roughly equal intervals starting a few cards from the bottom and working up no higher than the upper third. Vine tiles are a shared resource and should be in reach of all players. To begin play, the first player takes the first player card, which will rotate clockwise at the end of each round.
Playing the Game
The game is played as a series of rounds, each comprised of seven phases accomplished in order: Draw, Discard, Wilt, Harvest, Plant, Grow and Ripen.
Draw and discard are completed in order beginning with first player and moving clockwise around the board. After draw and discard, the next phases may be performed simultaneously by all players. However, each player must wilt, harvest, plant, grow and ripen in order. Once all phases are accomplished, the first player token moves clockwise to the next player.
Draw
Beginning with first player, players refill their hands up to 6 cards by drawing from the draw pile, the discard pile or both. Note: This phase is skipped for the first round since all players begin with 6 cards.
When the king card is drawn it is placed in the center of the table, indicating that the king is on his way to inspect the vineyard. The player who drew the king draws another card to replace it and the round continues. All players have the rest of the round to prepare for scoring.
If the last king has been drawn and there are no more cards in the draw pile, complete the final round by shuffling the discard pile and laying it face-down as the new draw pile.
Discard
Players may discard as many cards as they wish. However, no new cards may be drawn until the next round, and the rest of the phases must be completed with the cards in hand.
Wilt
Wilt one vine segment of each ripe grape cluster. To wilt the vine, turn the vine tile to the brown, bare side. One vine segment will wilt each turn after the grapes have ripened. Do not wilt the vines of unripened grapes. Skip this phase if a player's vineyard contains no ripe grapes.
Watering Can Special Action Card: During the wilt phase, a player may use one or more watering can cards. Each watering can prevents one vine segment from wilting. Multiple watering cans may be used on one plant or divided among several. Used watering can cards are discarded to the game box.
Harvest
All grapes with completely wilted vines must be harvested. The vine tiles are returned to common stock and the grape cards are placed in the player's personal stock, held aside to determine the winner in the event of a tie.
Players may also elect to harvest grapes which are not wilted or ripened, but no longer desired in the vineyard. Unripened grapes are placed on the discard pile, and ripened grapes are added to the player's personal stock.
Players with nothing to harvest may skip this phase.
Plant
To plant place a grape card face-down on the table with the unripened grapes showing. Each player must plant 1 grape card during each round up to 3 plants. After accumulating 3 plants, a player may elect to skip the planting phase. No vineyard may grow more than 5 plants at any one time.
Shovel Special Action Card: During the plant phase, a player may play one or more shovels to plant multiple grape cards. However, vineyards are still limited to 5 plants. Used shovel cards are discarded to the game box.
Grow
Each player must add one leafy vine tile to each unripened grape cluster. Ripened grapes do not grow. Unripened grapes continue to grow one vine tile each round until the plant reaches the maturity range listed on the card, and the player ripens it by turning the grape card face-up. No plant may exceed or short change its maturity range.
Maturity Range = Number of Vine Tiles.
If a player's entire vineyard is ripe, this phase is skipped.
Fertilizer Special Action Card: During the grow phase, a player may use one or more fertilizer cards. Each suffusion of fertilizer grows one additional vine tile. Multiple fertilizer cards may be applied to one plant or divided among several. However, each plant remains limited to its listed maturity range. Used fertilizer cards are discarded to the game box.
Ripen
Grapes may be ripened at their minimum listed length, but must be ripened at their maximum length. Grapes are ripened by turning the grape card face-up at the end of its vine. Once ripened, the vines will begin to wilt during the wilt phase of the following round.
Scoring
If the king was drawn during the draw phrase [printed as "phrase"; the draw phase is meant], he will inspect each vineyard after the ripen phase, dispensing gifts according to the following criteria:
Grape Points
Points awarded only for ripe (face-up) grapes.
- 1 Point for each ordinary grape cluster
- 2 Points for each sweet grape cluster
Matching Color Bonus
Dual color hybrid grape clusters score once for each color.
- 2 Points for the most grapes of the same color (ties don't score)
- 1 Point for 2 grape cards of the same color
- 2 Points for 3 grape cards of the same color
- 4 Points for 4 grape cards of the same color
- 7 Points for 5 grape cards of the same color
Matching Vines Bonus
Ripened grapes only. Wilted vine tiles count.
- 1 Point for 2 vines of the same length
- 2 Points for 3 vines of the same length
- 4 Points for 4 vines of the same length
- 7 Points for 5 vines of the same length
Gifts: Goblet = 1 Point, Bottle = 5 Points, Barrel = 10 Points.
After the king's first and second visits, players collect their gifts, the king card is discarded to the box and the game continues.
Winning the Game
Following the king's third and final visit, all vineyards are scored and gifts distributed. The player with the most points is declared Master of the King's Vineyard. In the event of a tie, tied players score the number of harvested grape cards in their personal stock. Should this also come out a tie, the two players should shake hands and share their esteemed title.
Play Example
The printed play example shows vineyard diagrams after the wilt phase, after the harvest phase, after the plant phase, after the grow phase and after the ripen phase. The diagrams are not reproduced here; the scoring summary printed with the final diagram is transcribed below.
Score after the ripen phase:
- 1 ripe grape cluster - 1 pt
- 1 sweet ripe grape cluster - 2 pts
- 2 grape clusters of the same color - 1 pt
- 2 vines of the same length - 1 pt
- Total: 5 pts