Lost Valley: The Yukon Goldrush 1896 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
• Game Preparation
• Adaptation for Number of Players
• Inventory
• Inventory Control
• Starting Inventory
• Player Turn
• Movement
• Exploration
• End of Exploration
• Performing an Action
• Collect Raw Materials
• Experience an Event
• Building a Work
• Experience Points
• Dig for Gold
• Trading
• Weigh Gold
• Ice Test
• End of Game
• Variants
• List of Skills
• Triangular Pieces
• Cost of Building Works
• The Lost FAQs
  • General Questions
  • Movement and Exploration
  • Building Works
  • Hunting
  • Skills

Game Contents

• 1 starting tile
• 38 diamond-shaped landscape tiles
• 12 diamond-shaped river tiles
• 12 triangle-shaped landscape tiles
• 1 triangle-shaped spring tile
• 133 square markers
• 144 round markers
• 26 rectangular markers
• 35 wooden timber pieces
• 1 hunting die
• 1 winter die
• 1 ice block
• 6 prospectors
• 6 inventory sheets
• 6 wooden claim markers (discs)
• 19 skill tiles
• 1 general store

Game Preparation

• Place the start tile at one edge of the gaming area.
• Separate the diamond-shaped river tiles and land tiles. Shuffle them separately and place each set of tiles in a separate face-down pile.
• Separate the triangle-shaped land tiles in stacks according to the character on the back (A, B, C). Shuffle them and place them in 1 pile (A on top and C at the bottom).
• Place the dice, the ice block, the miss markers, the XP markers and the triangle-shaped spring tile nearby.
• Place the supply of raw materials and works face-up onto the table.
• Mix up the river gold markers (green), the mountain gold markers (gray), the treasure clue markers (exclamation mark) and the animal markers and event landscape markers (question mark) and place them face-down nearby.
  • Place 4 treasure clue markers on the trading post upside down.
  • Place the square gear markers on the appropriate spaces on the store sheet, see back of General Store for number of gear available based on player count.
  • Shuffle the 19 skill tiles and place them face-down.

Adaptation for Number of Players

While preparing the game discard all tiles and markers which are marked with a number (4+, 5+, 6+) that is larger than the number of players (e.g. with 4 prospectors only discard tiles with 5+ or 6+ symbol).

Additionally, discard unused player tiles (prospectors, inventory sheets, claim markers, boats and horses).

Inventory

All of a prospector's possessions are stored and all of their abilities are shown on their inventory sheet.

Portrait: The portrait shows the player color of a prospector. Claim marker, miss marker, XP marker are placed here when required. Skill markers are placed nearby.

The backpack, which all players possess at the start of the game, has 6 spaces for raw materials and 1-time gear markers.

Raw Material — Food, Tools and Timber are single-use raw materials. Timber takes up two spaces, all other raw material takes up one space in the backpack or cart.

A Cart, when purchased, gives a player an extra 4 spaces for raw materials and 1-time gear markers.

From the beginning, prospectors have 6 spaces available for gear. All permanent gear must be, and 1-time gear may be, placed here.

Permanent Gear (Cart, Horse, Rifle, Axe, Canoe, Fishing Rod, Sieve, Box of Dynamite) take up either one to three spaces and may be used as often as a player likes.

1-time Gear (Whiskey, Jerky, Stick of Dynamite) take up one space and may only be used once. May be stored face-down in backpack, cart or with gear.

XP Marker — Every time a prospector builds a work an XP marker is placed on her portrait, if there isn't one.

The gold bag can hold as many face-down gold markers, face-up fur markers and face-down treasure clue markers as required.

Claim Marker — The prospector keeps the wooden claim marker in their color on their portrait if it is not active on a mine.

Miss Marker — Every time a prospector misses when trying to hunt an animal a miss marker is placed on her portrait, if there isn't one.

Skill Markers — All acquired skill markers are placed face-up nearby the portrait.

Inventory Control

If a prospector cannot fit all of their goods in their available inventory slots at the end of their turn or during movement they must immediately discard down to what they can hold.

Starting Inventory

At the start of the game each prospector receives 2 tools, 2 food and 1 timber.

Then all 19 skill tiles are shuffled. Each player takes 3 skill tiles and chooses 1, placing the chosen skill near his prospector's portrait.

All unchosen skills are shuffled again and placed face down.

Player Turn

Play proceeds in clockwise direction.

A player's turn consists of 4 parts:

• Movement and Exploration
• Performing an Action
• Performing a Trade
• Ice Block Test (see end-game)

These parts can be taken in any order the player chooses, with the exception of the ice-block (see end-game).

Movement

Prospectors move along tile edges from one intersection (tile corner) to another. Tiles cannot be crossed. Movement across the river is only permitted by boat or by the 2 fords near the start tile near the waterfall.

Normally only one prospector may come to rest at any intersection. Two prospectors may stop along the river and any number may share the trading post on the start tile.

On foot, a prospector may move one edge length over land or two edge lengths along the river.

By boat, a prospector may move up to three lengths along the river and is allowed to cross the river at tile edges.

On horseback, a prospector may move two edge lengths either over land or along the river.

A prospector may own both a boat and a horse. However they may not use more than one method (i.e. on foot, by boat or via horse) during any movement phase.

Special Note: During the movement phase, a player may discard all items in their backpack and cart (or if already empty) and move 2 spaces over land.

Exploration

When a prospector moves to an intersection that is still partially unexplored they must end their movement and explore the land in the following steps:

a. diamond river tiles

If the prospector is located at an intersection that is next to (1 & 2) or one edge away (3 & 4) an unexplored section of the river, then they must first explore the river.

The player draws a face-down river tile and places it such that it lengthens the river without routing it into an existing land tile and that it is connected to the prospector if possible.

If the river tile drawn cannot be legally placed, then it is returned to the bottom of the stack and another is drawn. If no remaining river tiles can be placed legally, or if no river tiles remain, then the spring tile is placed immediately.

b. triangular land tiles

Once any mandatory river (if any) tiles have been explored, the player may draw a single triangle-shaped land tile and place it in a space adjacent to the prospector, so long as the placement is not adjacent to another triangular piece and the placement does not create an enclosed triangular space.

When a prospector stands at an enclosed triangular gap they must place a triangle.

c. diamond land tiles

Then the player must draw single diamond land tiles one by one and place them adjacent to the prospector until the intersection is complete. If possible the player should avoid creating enclosed triangular spaces if they are connected to an existing triangle-shaped tile.

d. markers

If any symbols appear on the placed tiles, then markers are placed.

• The appropriate number of green river gold markers are placed onto green circles. On rivers, they must be placed on the side of the river with the symbol.
• The appropriate number of gray mountain gold markers are placed onto gray circles.
• An animal marker is placed face down onto animal circles.
• The appropriate number of event markers are placed onto question mark circles.
• Treasure clue markers are placed face-down on top of exclamation point circles.

End of Exploration

Once all diamond-shaped land tiles have been placed, the ice block is immediately placed onto the spring tile. If the spring hasn't been placed yet, it is placed now at the headwater of the river.

At this point, movement along the edges of the explored landscape is permitted. Any remaining river or triangular land tiles are discarded.

Performing an Action

A prospector may perform one action during their turn. The action may be performed before or after, but not during, movement and/or trade.

There are 5 possible types of actions:

• Collect raw materials
• Experience an event
• Build Works
• Dig for Gold
• Weigh Gold

Collect Raw Materials

Catch a Fish

Prospectors may use a fishing rod or fish trap to catch a single fish at any point along the river or lakes. You may also catch a single fish without either where fish symbols are located.

The effects of the rod, trap and fish symbol are cumulative, allowing up to three fish to be caught in a single turn. For each fish caught, a single food marker is placed in your backpack.

Cut Down a Tree

A player may cut down a tree in an adjacent forest and take one timber from the supply. If she is at a sawmill or possesses an axe, she takes two timbers instead. If she owns an axe and is also at a sawmill she takes three.

Hunt an Animal

Prospectors may hunt animals located on adjacent tiles. When hunting you first turn over the animal marker to reveal the animal.

The player rolls the hunting die. Hits are based on the symbol rolled and the prospector's gear.

• Cross-hair: always a hit
• Rifle: when carrying a rifle
• Trap: located at a trap
• Miss: when carrying a miss marker

If the prospector hits the animal they collect 1 fur by placing the animal marker in their gold bag. The fur counts the same as a single gold nugget. The player also collects between 1 and 4 food depending on the animal killed.

If the player missed the animal for any reason (and does not already hold a miss marker) they collect a miss marker. When carrying a miss marker a die roll that shows the "miss" symbol will count as a hit. Once the "miss" marker is used, it must be discarded.

Experience an Event

Prospectors may spend 1 food or 1 timber to take an event marker from an adjacent tile. If there is more than one event marker, they look at them in secret and choose one, returning the others face down.

Treasure Clues are placed face down in the gold bag and are used for digging up treasure.

Permanent Gear are added to the gear and used as normal.

1-time Gear are placed face-down onto a gear space or backpack. They may be used only once and then are discarded.

Types of 1-time Gear:

• Jerky may be exchanged for four food markers at any time as a free action.
• Dynamite permits a player to mine two gray mountain-gold markers at once.
• Whiskey permits either a second movement, action or trade. Only one whiskey may be used per turn.

Building a Work

A prospector may build a work on the intersection he is located at (fish trap, sawmill, hunting trap) or on an adjacent tile (mine) or on an adjacent edge (bridge, flume). At each of these locations only 1 work can be built.

Any prospector may use a work for free, regardless of who built it. If a claim marker is placed under a mine, a fee must be paid to use the mine (see 'Dig for Gold').

When works are constructed a prospector gains an XP marker. If the player already has an XP marker they instead learn a skill (see skills section for more detail).

• Building a fish trap on a river or lake costs one tool.
• Building a sawmill on a forest section costs one tool.
• Building a flume to provide water to a tundra or forest tile costs one timber. It is placed across the edge separating the tiles. Players may build two flumes for one action at a cost of two timber.
• Building a mine on a mountain tile costs 1 tool, 1 food and 1 timber. The prospector has the option of placing their claim marker at the mine.
• Build a hunting trap next to an animal for one tool.
• Build a bridge across the river along a tile edge for a cost of two timbers. The bridge allows movement across the river.

Note: If you have already placed your claim marker you may move your marker, but you will lose any goods located there. To collect goods left under your claim marker, you must be adjacent to the tile.

Experience Points

Each time a player builds a work they gain 1 XP marker. When building a flume the player only gains XP when the flume supplies water to previously unobtainable river gold. You may only gain a maximum of 1 XP per flume building action (see chapter 'Digging for Gold').

When a player gains a second experience point instead of gaining an XP marker they will learn a new skill. The player turns in their first XP marker and selects 1 face up skill marker (if available) or may choose 3 of the face down skill markers. If choosing face down markers, the player selects one skill and places it face up near their player board. The 2 unselected skill markers are returned face-up near the draw pile.

For a list of available skill markers, see the section at the end of the rule book.

Dig for Gold

A prospector may expend one food marker for a green river-gold marker on an adjacent tile as long as there is water present at the tile. There is, naturally, always water available along a river or lake, but tundras must be connected to a body of water by a series of flumes before gold can be collected.

If the prospector owns a sieve, they may take two green river-gold markers instead.

A prospector may exchange a food marker and a timber for a gray mountain-gold marker provided a mine is present at the site.

If the prospector owns dynamite, they may take two mountain gold markers.

If another player's claim marker is present at the mine, you must additionally pay to use that player's claim. Payment cost is one item of the allowed type.

Payment can be in the form of raw materials, gear, gold, fur, a treasure clue or an event marker. Payment may not be made by XP marker, miss markers, or skills. Payment is left on top of the claim marker.

The owner of a claim may take any payments made as a free action when adjacent to their claim. You may move your claim when you build a new mine, but forfeit any payments left on top of your old claim.

A prospector may turn in treasure clues at an appropriate intersection to discover hidden gold.

Treasures are discovered when a player turns in treasure clues that match the terrain type of all of the surrounding land types at an intersection. The player claims one mountain-gold marker for every treasure clue turned in minus 1.

Only diamond-shaped land tiles are considered for the treasure (any adjacent triangular land tiles are ignored). You may claim treasure adjacent to unexplored land only after all of the land tiles have been explored.

Once a treasure is discovered, the treasure clues used are removed from the game.

Trading

a. Trade at the store

A prospector may buy a mix of raw material, gear and/or a max of 1 treasure clue at the store located on the start tile or triangle-shaped tiles. The player pays with gold (worth 2 to 6 nuggets), fur (worth 1 nugget), or gear (worth their price - 1 nugget). The player never gets change back for their purchases, and must pay at least one gold marker or fur per trade.

b. The Black Market

A prospector may trade event markers or treasure clues for new event markers at the black-market triangular pieces once they are discovered. The player lays one event marker or treasure clue face-down on the black market and selects one of the three available clues (or events), returning the others face down on the black market.

c. Your Partner

When playing the team-variant of the game, a prospector may give any raw materials or gear to their partner when adjacent. You can give your partner as much gear as you want, but may not get anything in return. You may never give your partner gold, fur, treasure clues, skills, XP or miss markers.

Your partner may never have more gear than they can store. If trading with your partners causes them to have more items than they can store, they must discard down to their limits.

Note: Adjacency means 1 (or fewer) edges away and not across the river (unless a bridge crosses the river along that edge).

Weigh Gold

At any point in time that a player has at least 10 gold markers and/or fur markers in their gold bag, they may return to the starting trading post and attempt to end the game. Gold-markers are worth the number of nuggets printed on the marker. Each fur marker is worth 1 gold.

Single Prospector — In a standard game, once a prospector has returned to the starting trading post, they may choose to use an action to reveal all of their gold markers and total up their value.

They will win the game immediately unless another player can show at least 1 more gold nugget than was revealed. Other players do not need to reveal all of their gold markers, but only as many as necessary to show they possess enough gold to prevent the game's end. If another player can show more gold, play continues.

Team Game — In a team game both partners will reveal their gold when one of them chooses to attempt to end the game. Only the partner with the lower total of gold will count. To prevent the game end, both players from a single team must reveal more gold than this lower amount.

Ice Test

After the Ice Block has come out (see exploration section) each player must roll the winter die at the end of their turn. The Ice Block moves downstream (towards the waterfall on the start tile) or upstream (back towards the spring) depending on the die roll. When the ice block has traveled all the way down stream to the waterfall on the starting tile the game ends immediately.

• Sun — Moves 1 tile upstream (towards the spring)
• Blank — no movement
• Snowflake — Moves 1 tile downstream (waterfall)
• 2 Snowflakes — Moves 2 tiles downstream

End of Game

The game ends immediately once the ice block has reached the waterfall on the starting tile. At this point prospectors will count all of the gold in their possession (furs counting as one gold). The player with the highest total amount will be the winner. In the event of a tie, both players share the victory.

In the team variant, only the team-mate with the lower gold total will count towards determining the winner. In the event of a tie between two teams the total gold between both team-mates is considered. In the event that this still results in a tie, both teams share the victory.

Variants

First Game — It is recommended that first time players try a 3 or 4 player game without skills or treasure maps as described in the "classic" variant.

Experienced Players — Experienced players are encouraged to try the more advanced team variant.

Team Play — For this variant two players will make up a team. Team members should not sit next to each other. For a 4 player game the turn order should be A, B, A, B. For a 6 player game the turn order should be A, B, C, A, B, C. For a 5 player game a single player can play solo while the other players team up and turn order should alternate A, B, C, A, B or the 5th player may choose to control 2 prospectors as described in the 2 player variant below.

Special rules for Team Variant:

Team Trading — see the section on trading, in general a team-mate may give their partner certain goods when located in an adjacent edge.

Team Claims — A team has access to each player's claim marker and either team-mate may use them as their own.

Team Gold Weighing — When weighing your gold both players must reveal their gold, with only the lower scoring player's counting. Both players from a single team must have more gold than this lower amount to prevent the game's end.

Team Scoring — Only the lower scoring of the team-mates counts towards winning. In this way the team whose lower scoring player has more gold than other teams' lower scoring player will win. In a 5 player variant where the 5th player chose to use only a single prospector they will win the game if they have more gold than the lower scoring players of the two teams.

2 player game — With just 2 players (A and B) each player will lead two prospectors (A1, A2, B1 and B2) which will form teams and follow all of the rules of the team variant including end of game scoring. The turn order should be A1, B1, A2, B2.

Classic Lost Valley — For players who want to experience a game more in-line with the first edition of Lost Valley you should remove some of the game's mechanics:

• Play without Skills and Experience Markers
• Play without treasures. No clues are placed on the trading posts. Any treasure clues received during the game should be treated as a gold nugget with respect to trading and scoring.

While we recommend the new exploration, trading and claim marker rules for a true experience to the first edition you can use the following rule changes:

• Triangular shaped pieces may only be placed when there is an enclosed empty triangle after all diamond tiles have been placed (see exploration)
• Claim markers are not used
• You only gain meat when hunting and not fur

List of Skills

• Adventurer — Look at adjacent event markers for free.
• Boatsman — By boat you can move 4 edges.
• Bush Cutter — With an axe you can collect 1 timber in wasteland.
• Drunkard — Drink up to 2 whiskies in 1 turn. You lose any Experience Markers in your possession.
• Flume Builder — Build 2 flumes with 1 timber.
• Forecaster — During any player's Ice Test you name a symbol. If that symbol is rolled, the winter die must be re-rolled. You do not name a symbol on the re-roll.
• Geologist — Draw 2 mountain gold and choose 1 when collecting mountain gold at a mine. (Draw 3 choose two with dynamite)
• Gold Nose — Draw 2 river gold and choose 1 when collecting river gold. (Draw 3 choose two with a sieve)
• Horseman — On horseback move +1 when all movement is along the river.
• Haggler — Total cost of trade for 1 gold less, all trades have a minimum of 1 gold or fur marker.
• Trapper — If you do not possess a rifle, roll the hunting dice a second time, if you miss. (you do not gain a miss marker for the first roll).
• Mine Builder — Build mines by substituting a gear marker for a tool.
• Miner — As an action get 1 river gold out of an exhausted mine, with a cost of 1 food. Remove the mine marker from the board once the exhausted mine is used.
• Fur Trader — Fur counts +1 gold when trading or weighing gold.
• Runner — As an action you may make a second movement.
• Scout — Draw 2 diamond shaped tiles and choose 1 when exploring.
• Swimmer — Cross the river at an edge as your entire movement.
• Trader — Make +1 trade per turn.
• Treasure Hunter — Get +1 river gold token when digging a treasure.

Triangular Pieces

Whiskey Still — Place 6 whiskey markers on the still when it is placed. Once per turn, for a player's action they may take 1 whiskey marker (if available) or they may spend a food or a timber and take 2 whiskey markers (if available).

Lost Mine — Place 4 dynamite markers on the Lost mine. For a player's action they may spend one food and one timber to collect a stick of dynamite. 1 gold or fur marker may be substituted for the timber.

Animal Den — Place the number of displayed animals markers on the Animal Den. This number of animals may be hunted here.

Trading Outpost — Place 3 treasure clues on the tile. Players may trade goods in the same fashion as the trading post on the start tile (you can only weigh gold to end the game on the start tile).

Fishing Hole — Place 2 event markers on the Fishing Hole. Players may also fish here.

Oasis — Place 3 river gold markers on the Oasis.

Food Spit — Place the 4 square jerky markers here. For a player's action, exchange 2 food markers for 1 jerky marker (if present). These markers can be exchanged for 4 food.

Black Market — Place 3 event markers here. As a trade, a player may place one event marker or treasure clue from their inventory here, and look at the 3 available markers and choose 1 to add to your inventory.

Cost of Building Works

• Fish Trap — One Tool
• Sawmill — One Tool
• Pan for River Gold — One Food
• Flume — One Timber
• Mine — One Tool, One Food & 1 Timber
• Mine Mountain Gold — 1 food + 1 timber
• Hunting Trap — One Tool
• Bridge — Two Timbers

The Lost FAQs

General Questions

Movement from the start tile

Players begin the game on the trading post on the start tile and move over the fords to the corners as shown on the red line. Players may move back to the trading post by crossing the same fords.

The start tile has fords (allowing movement across the river), corners for first exploration, a bluff (no trespassing, no flumes), and a landscape boundary beyond which there is no exploration.

What do the various land types look like?

The land types are: Mountain, Tundra, Wasteland, River, Forest.

How many whiskeys may I use on a turn?

Just one, unless you have the drunkard skill.

Where do discarded pieces go?

Discarded inventory goes back to the supply and is available for other players to purchase.

Can I explore beyond the boundaries of the back of the start tile?

No, there is an invisible line drawn from the back of the start tile and pieces may not extend behind the start tile. Besides, things would probably start to fall off of the table and no one wants that.

Movement and Exploration

Do I have to move on my turn?

Movement is Optional, in fact staying at the same spot can be a good strategy.

Must I explore the river in order to place a triangle?

No, triangles can be placed anywhere on the map so long as they are not adjacent to another triangle piece. The requirement is that you must explore the river PRIOR to placing a triangle piece. If you are not adjacent to the river the triangle piece would be placed prior to exploring any diamond shaped land tiles.

How are the tiles oriented when exploring?

You can orient the tiles in any way you choose so long as the river is placed legally. Each tile is drawn and placed individually so you must choose to orient each tile before you know what the next tile will be.

What is the definition of adjacency for placement of triangles?

Adjacency means that the tiles touch in any way. This can mean along a long edge or simply by having the points of two tiles touch each other. If two tiles ever share a common intersection, they are considered adjacent.

The rulebook mentions that I can move 2 spaces over land if I dump the contents of my backpack and cart (if I have one). What if my backpack is already empty or I don't have a cart?

If your backpack and cart are already empty you may move 2 spaces without a horse over land. If you don't have a cart you only need to dump the contents of your backpack or already have an empty backpack to move 2 spaces without a horse over land.

Building Works

Can I move my claim to a new mine?

When building a new mine, you may relocate your claim marker to the new mine. However, any payments left at the old mine are returned to the inventory, you forfeit any payments at that mine.

If I build two flumes for 1 action, and make multiple new pieces of river gold available will I earn multiple XP?

No, you may only earn 1 XP per action phase no matter how much gold is uncovered. If you drink a whiskey and build a second work on your turn you can earn a second XP on the same turn.

Can I provide water via flume to buried gold from tiles other than the river?

All tiles with Water (Fishing Hole, Spring, etc.) can be used to supply water via flume to other parts of the map.

Can I get more detail on building flumes? If I build two flumes do I need to be adjacent to where the second flume is built? Can I get multiple XP if I uncover multiple previously inaccessible river gold?

When building two flumes for a single action your pawn needs to be adjacent to the tiles where both flumes being built. The two flumes do not have to be connected to one another (but may). You may build flumes anywhere on the map to be connected to water on a later turn. In this case, the player who places the piece that completes the chain of supplying water to the river gold would gain the XP token.

Are there any tile types that a flume may not cross?

No. This is a key difference from the first game, flumes may carry water across all tile types (mountain, forest, wasteland, etc) with one exception noted below.

Can I build a flume across the mountain on the start tile?

No. As shown on the start tile graphic at the beginning of the FAQ, you may not build across the mountains on the start tile.

Hunting

When hunting you first turn an animal face-up. If I miss the animal what happens?

The animal is left face-up and you must hunt that animal on subsequent turns even if there are other animal tokens available. Other players may choose to hunt a different (face-down) animal or may choose to hunt the face-up animal.

Skills

Does the miner skill have to pay the claim price when using their power?

The owner of the Miner Skill doesn't pay the claim price when using their power as the mine itself is empty. They would pay the claim price if they were mining mountain gold at the mine.

Where do unchosen tiles go when using the Scout Skill?

Unchosen tiles are placed on the bottom of the stack.