Meeple Towers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Advanced Tiles
• Gameplay
  • Golden Rule
• Action Cards
  • Add Worker Meeple(s)
  • Add Support(s)
  • Construct Level Tile
    • Scoring a Level Tile
    • Incorrect Construct Level Tile Examples
    • Correct Construct Level Tile and Scoring Example
  • Swap a Support/Meeple
  • Move a Support
• Variant Ways to Play
  • 2v2 Team Variant
  • "Take That" Variant
• End of Game
  • Final Scoring
  • Ties
  • Final Scoring Example

Components

• 6 Double-sided Property Board Halves (use the connector pieces to keep your boards in place)
• 21 Level Tiles
• 18 Bonus Point tokens
• 64 Supports (16 in each player color)
• 32 Worker Meeples (8 in each player color)
• 4 Score Markers (1 in each player color)
• 28 Action Cards (7 in each player color)
• 4 Action Reference Sheets (1 in each player color)
• 1 Start Player Token
• 1 Score Track

Action Reference Sheet:

• Place a meeple from your supply onto a space matching the location type shown.
• Place a support from your supply onto any space.
• Select 1 tile of either type shown and place it on the tower.
• Swap a support or meeple from your supply with one of the opposite type in play.
• Move one of your exposed supports to any legal spot.

Setup

1. Select two Property Board halves to use and combine them using the connector pieces. Place the combined board in the middle of the play area.
   • Note that each board is part of a matching pair. For your first game we suggest using boards 1F and 2F. In a 2-player game, use the 5x5 board. You can also use the 5x5 board in a 3- or 4-player game if you want to have an additional challenge and taller tower. Once you are familiar with the game then feel free to mix and match.
2. Place the Score Track next to the Property Board. Shuffle the Bonus Point Tokens facedown and place them near the Property Board.
3. Stack the level tiles faceup organized by family and shape near the Property Board in view of all players.
   • Note that each tile has a regular side and an advanced side. We suggest using the regular side for your first game. See the Advanced Tiles box below.
   • Tile families: Small, Medium, Large.
4. Each player selects a color and collects the following items matching their chosen color: Supports, Worker Meeples, Score Marker, 7 Action cards, 1 Reference card.
   • In a 4-player game, each player gets 12 Supports. 14 Supports in a 3-player game. 16 Supports in a 2-player game.
5. Place the Reference card faceup on the table, it is not part of the Action Card hand. All players should have an identical hand of 7 action cards.
6. Each player places their Score Marker on the zero space of the Score Track.
7. The tallest player goes first or, if you prefer, randomly select a starting player and give them the Start Player Token.

Advanced Tiles

Each tile has an "advanced" version on the back, denoted by a change in the VP symbol. These sides of the tiles are harder to use and are recommended only after you have played a game or two.

Gameplay

Beginning with the starting player they must choose ONE of the following actions:

• PLAY: Select and play one Action Card from their hand executing one of the possible actions shown then place it faceup in front of them.
• PLAN: Take all previously played Action Cards back into their hand.

After completing their action, play passes to the next player on the left and continues clockwise until a game end condition has been met.

Golden Rule

You can never play any pieces that would be placed underneath an already existing tile. In other words, you can only play into spaces on the tower that are visible when looking at it from directly above.

Action Cards

Every player has a hand of the same seven action cards. Each action card has an A and B option. Each box shows all the actions a player can execute when choosing that half of the card.

Add Worker Meeple(s)

Take the matching number of Worker Meeples from your supply and place them into any empty square within an area matching the location type (Purple/Residential, Orange/Entertainment, Blue/Office) shown on the card.

Note that a Worker Meeple can NEVER be put in any yellow and black striped space. If you are unable to place a Worker Meeple, or you choose not to place one, simply return it to your supply.

Spaces designated for Supports, showing the Support icon, must have a Support beneath them when a new tile is placed. Note that a Worker Meeple can be placed on top of a space designated for Supports but only if there is not a Support already there.

Example: The black player has played this Action card and is deciding where to place a black meeple. Of the three purple 'home' spaces it could go, the yellow meeple is already taking up one, leaving two possible spaces. The player decides to place the black meeple on the space without the Support icon, leaving it open for a future Support.

Add Support(s)

Take the matching number of Supports from your supply and place them into either ANY empty space on the board OR on top of another Support (to a maximum of 2 high). All Supports placed with the same action must be placed into different squares (i.e. you can't stack Supports from the same action on top of each other on the same turn).

Example: Continuing the black player's action from above. After having placed the black meeple, a black Support can be placed. The black Support can go anywhere except in the spaces occupied by the yellow and black meeples. The black player places a Support in the purple 'home' space in the hopes of building higher and being able to score the black meeple later on.

Construct Level Tile

Take the top tile from the stack matching one of the shapes from the action card and add it to the board following these guidelines:

• The tile must be placed orthogonally to line up with the rest of the spaces on the board.
• The overall height of the tile being placed must be level. (i.e. You can't have the tile laying at an angle.)
• The underside of a tile being placed can't touch the top of an existing tile in play (i.e. You can't use one tile to support another).
• A tile can only be added if there are Supports underneath all of the Support icons shown on the top of the tile. There can be additional Supports in any of the spaces under it, but the icons represent the minimum required locations of Supports.
• Tiles can end up bridging over multiple other tiles if all other placement restrictions are followed.

Scoring a Level Tile

The player placing the tile scores points equal to the value in the square box on the tile. All players then score the point value in the node below the box on the tile for each Support they have under the placed tile. Supports only count if they are directly under the placed tile and above the next tile down.

If any Worker Meeples become covered by the added level (no matter how far beneath), they are removed from the tower and placed back into their owner's supply. That player collects a random bonus token of the location type their meeple was occupying. You may keep these tokens facedown to hide their value from the other players. If there aren't enough tokens of one type for all players, they are given out in turn order starting with the active player.

Incorrect Construct Level Tile Examples

• This tile cannot be constructed here because it would not lay flat. Another Support would need to be added before this tile could be placed in this location.
• This tile cannot be constructed here because it is missing a Support underneath this Support icon. Another Support would need to be added before this tile could be placed in this location.

Correct Construct Level Tile and Scoring Example

The yellow player chooses to construct a three space tile, using option 'B' of this action card. They take the top tile from the stack of the three space tiles and then place it on the board, making sure to have Supports underneath the two Support icons shown on the tile. After placing this tile, the yellow player scores a total of 15 points:

• 6 points for the value shown on the new tile
• 9 points for having three Supports under the new tile

The yellow player also gets a random purple bonus point token for the meeple occupying the purple space underneath the new tile. Then that meeple is removed.

In addition, the black player will receive 3 points for having a Support underneath the new tile.

Swap a Support/Meeple

Take a Support or Worker Meeple from your supply and swap it with one of your own that is the opposite type in play. (A Support for a Worker Meeple or vice versa.)

Move a Support

Choose one of your exposed Supports already in play (not supporting any other construction) and move it to any legal spot.

Variant Ways to Play

2v2 Team Variant

Team members should sit diagonally opposite each other, so that the other team's members are between them on each side. Teammate's Worker Meeples and Supports are the same for scoring purposes, regardless of their color. Each team should only use one scoring marker to track their combined points. All other rules stay the same.

"Take That" Variant

You can use these 2 optional rules if you want a more aggressive style of play:

• For the Swap a Support/Meeple action, you can target another player's Worker Meeples and Supports. Those pieces are returned to their owner's supply when removed from the board.
• For the Move a Support action, you can target another player's Supports.

End of Game

The game end is triggered when any one of the following happens:

• A player has placed all their Supports onto the tower.
• One family of level tiles has been exhausted.
• Two types of bonus tokens have been exhausted.

Complete the current round so that all players have received an equal number of turns.

Final Scoring

Players score points for their Worker Meeples remaining on the board based on how high they are on the tower. Any Worker Meeples on the base level of the Property Board are worth 1 point. Worker Meeples are worth an additional +1 point for every level above the base level (1 plus the number of Supports that could be between the Worker Meeple and property board).

All players now reveal any bonus tokens they collected and add the values to their score. The player with the highest score wins.

Ties

In case of a tie, the player among those tied with the highest Worker Meeple on the tower wins. If there's still a tie, check who has the most Worker Meeples at the highest level. If there's still a tie, check the next level down for the most Worker Meeples, and so on.

Final Scoring Example

• The yellow player scores 4 additional points: 3 for the meeple on the second level (A) and 1 for the meeple on the base level (C).
• The red player scores 3 additional points: 2 for the meeple on the first level (B) and 1 for the meeple on the base level (C).
• The black player scores 2 more points for the meeple on the first level (B).