Moonlight Market
Moonlight Market Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 150 chain links:
- per gem type: 2x value 1, 2x value 2, 2x value 3, 2x value 4, 3x value 5, 3x value 6, 2x value 7, 2x value 8, 2x value 9, 2x value 10, 1x Doubling
- 5x Hammer
- 5x Seal
- 5x Worthless chain link
- 10x with 2 gems of value 4
- 10x with 2 gems of value 7
- 5 prestige markers
- 29 seals
- 1 start coin
- 65 gold cards, values 1-13 in 5 colors
- 5 velvet cushions in 2 sizes
- 5 player boards (tableaus)
- 1 casket (see page 11 for assembly instructions)
- 1 prestige track (the lid of the casket)
Idea and Goal of the Game
Welcome to the Moonlight Market!
In each round you first bid against your competition at the market for gems that you need for your jewelry. Then you use your acquired gems to build the most valuable necklaces possible, in order to receive as many prestige points as possible at the end of each pass and at the end of the game.
After 4 passes, Moonlight Market ends. Whoever has collected the most prestige in total is rewarded with a permanent position at the Emperor's court and wins the game.
Setup
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Using the number of players and the table, lay the corresponding velvet cushions in the middle of the table. Make sure that the cushion with the moon is at the very top. The remaining cushions are laid out below it. Leave room next to each cushion for one card.
Cushion table (as pictured; the markings on the cushions are as printed):
- 1-3 players: 3 cushions - the moon cushion (top, marked "1-5") and two further cushions, all marked "1-5".
- 4 players: 4 cushions - in the left column the moon cushion (marked "1-5") above a cushion marked "4-5"; in the right column two cushions marked "1-5".
- 5 players: 5 cushions - in the left column the moon cushion (marked "1-5") above a cushion marked "4-5"; in the right column two cushions marked "1-5" and one cushion marked "5".
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Place the prestige track over the cushion with the moon.
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Shuffle all chain links and place them as a face-down supply. Place the seals next to it as a general supply.
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Each of you chooses a color and takes the following material:
- 1 player board (tableau)
- Cards from 1-13
- 1 prestige marker
- 1 30/60 marker
- 3 seals
Lay your tableau in front of you on the table. Make sure you have room below the tableau to lay 3 chain links per gem.
Shuffle your cards and place them to the left, next to the moon of your tableau.
The prestige marker goes on space 0 of the prestige track.
Place the 30/60 markers in the middle of the prestige track.
Place the 3 seals on the moon of your tableau.
Course of Play
In Moonlight Market you play a total of 4 passes of 3 rounds each, with a scoring at the end of each pass.
At the beginning of each pass you draw 4 cards from your draw pile and fill the velvet cushions with chain links.
A round consists of 2 phases:
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Bidding phase: In the bidding phase you play a hand card in order to get the current display of a velvet cushion.
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Chain phase: In the chain phase you use the chain links you acquired in the bidding phase to build 5 different chains and try to produce jewelry that is as valuable as possible.
You go through this round structure three times, until all chain links have been distributed from the velvet cushions. Then there is a scoring, in which you receive prestige depending on the quality of your pieces of jewelry.
After the last scoring at the end of the 4th pass, the game ends with two final scorings. Whoever then has the most prestige wins.
A Pass in Detail
A pass consists of 3 rounds with a scoring after the 3rd round.
Beginning of the Pass
At the beginning of each pass you draw 4 cards from your personal draw pile.
Lay 1 chain link from the supply face up on each free space of the velvet cushions. (At the beginning of each pass, 1 chain link is laid on every space of all cushions.) If chain links with a hammer are revealed in the first pass, set them aside at first and shuffle them back in with the remaining tiles after all cushions are filled.
Now you play three rounds. A round is divided into 2 phases:
1) Bidding Phase
The round begins with the person who received the start coin; the others follow clockwise.
Whoever begins the bidding phase first lays the start coin back next to the cushion with the moon.
Example: Lea currently has the start coin, so she is first to act. She lays the start coin next to the cushion with the moon before she plays a card.
When it is your turn, you lay a hand card of your choice next to a velvet cushion to make a bid. Two situations can arise:
1) No card lies next to the cushion yet.
Lay your card next to the cushion as your bid.
Example: Lea plays a 9 on the still empty spot next to the bottom cushion.
2) A card already lies next to the cushion.
Only if your bid is higher than the bid already there may you lay your card there and return their card to the person with the previous bid.
However, the card does not return to their hand, but stays face up in front of that person and must be laid next to another cushion during the further course of this phase.
You must give the person whose card you displaced a seal. If you have no seal, you cannot choose this option and must choose a free velvet cushion for your card.
If your card was displaced, you may only lay it next to a new cushion when it is regularly your turn again. According to the rules just explained, you may also use your displaced card to displace another card again, or lay it next to a free velvet cushion.
If it is your turn again but one of your cards already lies next to a cushion, you are skipped. You continue playing clockwise until everyone has one card lying next to a velvet cushion.
Example: Jonathan plays a 6 on the still free spot next to the top cushion.
Example: Anika plays the 12 on the bottom cushion and thereby outbids Lea's 9. Lea receives her card back. In addition, Anika must give her 1 seal.
Example: Lea plays her 9 on the top cushion and thereby outbids Jonathan's 6. He receives his card as well as 1 seal from Lea.
Example: Jonathan plays his 6, with which he cannot outbid any of the other cards, on the last remaining free spot next to the middle cushion.
Afterwards a card lies next to every cushion - one each from Lea, Jonathan and Anika. The bidding phase is thereby over and the chain phase begins.
2) Chain Phase
You can all carry out this phase simultaneously.
Everyone receives the chain links from the cushion next to which their own card lies:
In the 1st round you all take the chain links from the left column of the velvet cushion at which your own card lies. In the 2nd round the chain links from the middle column, and in the 3rd round from the right column.
The person with the card next to the cushion with the moon additionally takes the start coin.
The cards next to the velvet cushions go onto your respective discard piles to the right of the moon on your tableau.
Now you lay the acquired chain links onto your tableaus. Make sure that you attach the chain links to the matching gems. For chain links with several gems, you may choose to which gem chain you lay them.
Example: Lea (blue) receives the start coin and the left 3 tiles from the top cushion. Jonathan (orange) receives the left 2 tiles from the middle cushion. Anika (green) receives the left two tiles from the bottom cushion. All lay their used cards onto their discard piles and build in the chain links they received.
Example: Anika decides to lay the chain link with the blue and white gem at Blue. The green chain link she lays at Green.
Attention: You may not forgo any chain link, but must build in everything you receive.
If you get 2 or more tiles of one gem through a bid, you may choose the order in which you lay them.
Important: Your chains may consist of at most 3 chain links! If you must lay another chain link of a color at which 3 chain links already lie, you must first discard the existing 3 chain links of this gem before doing so. If the total value of these 3 tiles is 20 or more, you receive a seal from the supply.
You then begin a new chain with the new chain link.
Example: Anika may choose for each of the 2 new chain links where she wants to lay them. If she laid both at White, the maximum of 3 chain links would be exceeded and she would have to discard 3 tiles. Therefore she lays only 1 chain link at White and the other at Blue.
Note: Should situations arise in the chain phase in which the order matters, you begin laying the chain links with the person holding the start coin and continue clockwise.
Apart from chain links with gems, there are the following tiles:
Hammer: If you get a hammer through your bid, you must use it immediately to remove a chain link already laid on your tableau, or discard the hammer unused. Afterwards, discard the tile with the hammer.
Important: You must carry out the effect of the hammer before you lay other chain links onto your tableau! You therefore cannot immediately remove a tile you have just received.
Seal: Take a seal from the supply and discard the tile with the seal.
Doubling: There is one doubling tile for each gem. It doubles the value of the entire chain. This tile counts toward the limit of 3 chain links of a gem!
Example: The red chain shown here [7 | x2 | 8] has the value 30.
Worthless chain link: This tile has the value 0 and must be laid at a chain of your choice. This tile counts toward the limit of 3 chain links of a gem!
Discarded chain links or tiles are put back into the casket; they are no longer needed for the rest of the game.
Scoring
After the end of the third round you still have one card in hand, which you now put under your own draw pile.
Note: At the end of the 4th pass your draw pile is used up. Keep the last card in your hand for the final scoring.
Now a scoring takes place:
Go through all gem chains from left to right and check the value of your chains by adding up the numbers on the gems in the chain, and then compare them with each other. For each gem chain, prestige points are now awarded depending on your placement:
Whoever of you has reached the highest value receives 4 points. For 2nd place, 2 points are awarded, and for 3rd place 1 point.
Should several people have reached the same value in a gem chain, all people involved in this tie receive the prestige points corresponding to the placement.
Important: To receive prestige points for a gem chain, you must have at least one gem of this color. Worthless chain links and doubling tiles without further matching gems do not count for this!
Mark your prestige points with the prestige marker of your color on the prestige track.
Should you reach or exceed 30 points, take the 30/60 marker of your color from the middle of the prestige track with the 30 side up and lay it in front of you. Should you reach or exceed 60 points, simply turn the marker to its back.
Now begin a new pass. You keep the chain links collected so far on your tableau.
Example scoring at the end of the first pass:
Blue chains: Anika has a chain with a value of 11, Lea and Jonathan both a value of 7. Anika receives 4 prestige points, Lea and Jonathan 2 each.
Red chains: With the value 10 Jonathan has the most valuable red chain and receives 4 prestige points. Lea reaches second place with the value 6 and receives 2 points. Anika does NOT receive the 1 point for 3rd place, as she has laid no tile at Red.
White chains: With the value 16 Anika's chain is the most valuable, she receives 4 prestige points. Lea is in 2nd place with her chain of value 15 and receives 2 points. As Jonathan's chain consists only of a worthless chain link, he does NOT receive the 1 point for third place.
Green chains: Jonathan and Anika each receive 4 prestige points for their chains of value 9. Lea has laid no chain link at Green and receives nothing.
Yellow chains: Lea's chain with the value 10 earns her 4 prestige points. Jonathan receives 2 points for his chain of 8, Anika 1 point for the chain of value 7.
Thus in the first pass Lea has earned a total of 10, Jonathan and Anika 13 prestige points each.
End of the Game
After the scoring of the 4th pass, the game ends with two final scorings:
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Count the seals that are still in your personal supply. Depending on the majority, you now receive 4/2/1 prestige points for 1st/2nd/3rd place.
Important: To receive prestige points here, you must own at least one seal!
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Compare your remaining hand cards with each other. Whoever has the highest/second-highest/third-highest value left receives 4/2/1 prestige points.
Also in the final scorings: in a tie, all people involved receive the prestige points corresponding to the placement.
Example final scoring:
1) Seals: Lea has collected the most seals with 7 and receives 4 prestige points for it, Anika receives 2 points for 2nd place (4 seals) and Jonathan 1 point for 3rd place (1 seal).
2) Remaining hand cards: Lea's remaining card has the highest value with 4 - she receives 4 prestige points. Jonathan receives 2 points for 2nd place (card 3). Anika receives 1 point for 3rd place (card 1).
Whoever has accumulated the most prestige in total wins Moonlight Market and will in future be allowed to make the Emperor's jewelry. Should there be a tie for first place at the end, all people involved win.
Special Rule for the Two-Player Game
In the two-player game you play with Dirk, an imaginary third player who carries out his own moves with your help and likewise collects prestige points.
Changes to Setup
During setup choose a color for Dirk and give him a tableau as well, the cards from 1-13 and 3 seals. Shuffle his cards and leave the pile face down at his tableau. Place his materials so that he is third in turn order in the first round. In the following rounds Dirk takes his turn normally clockwise, and it is also possible for Dirk to begin a round.
Changes to the Course of Play
If it is Dirk's turn in the bidding phase, you carry out the following steps for him:
- Reveal the top card of his pile.
- Beginning at the cushion with the moon, check whether Dirk can play his card there:
- If the spot next to the cushion is empty or the value of his card is higher than the value of the card already lying there, Dirk lays his card next to the cushion and displaces the card lying there, if applicable. If Dirk displaces a card, he gives a seal to the respective person.
- If the value of his card is smaller or equal, or Dirk has no seals left, he goes down to the next cushion and checks again whether he can lay his card.
Example: Dirk plays with Blue. He cannot outbid the card at the top cushion (12) with his card (9). He could outbid the one at the middle cushion - but since he has no seals left, he lays his card at the bottom cushion.
If Dirk's card is displaced by you, you must give him a seal and lay his card face up in front of his tableau. Dirk must play this card again in his next turn according to the criteria already mentioned.
In the chain phase you collect Dirk's chain links and lay them onto his tableau. The following rules apply:
- He lays the chain links in ascending order of their values.
- If Dirk has received chain links of the same value, he lays them, according to their gems, from left to right.
- Worthless chain links and chain links with 2 gems Dirk lays at the gem that currently has the fewest chain links. If several gems have the fewest chain links, he lays them at the leftmost of these gems.
- Chain links with a seal Dirk discards according to the normal rules and receives a seal from the supply for it.
- Chain links with a hammer Dirk discards unused.
- Chain links with doubling Dirk lays as usual at the corresponding gem. Should he have received another chain link of this gem in the same phase, he lays the chain link with doubling last.
- Dirk's chains may also never consist of more than 3 chain links, and he must discard tiles if applicable as soon as he receives another chain link of this color. He also receives seals when he must discard a chain with value 20 or higher.
Example: Dirk has received 3 chain links. First the one with the lowest value, the worthless chain link, is built in at the place with the fewest tiles laid: Red and White are both still empty - of these the left gem, Red, is chosen. For the chain link with the 2 gems there is a tie - again it is laid on the left, at Red. The last tile, the red 8, is laid last, likewise at Red.
Changes at the End of a Pass
At the end of a pass Dirk takes part in the scoring of each color as normal. Move his prestige marker accordingly on the prestige track.
Changes at the End of the Game
At the end of the game Dirk also takes part in the majority scoring of the seals and the scoring of the last card.
Special Rule for the Solo Game
In the solo game, besides the imaginary Dirk you play with one more imaginary person: Beate. Beate plays by the same rules as Dirk.
This variant requires a certain amount of effort, as you play for a total of three people. Can you manage to win against Beate and Dirk?
Note: In a game with three or four players you can also play with Dirk and/or Beate! You then need correspondingly more cushions.
Casket Assembly Instructions
Before your first game you must assemble the casket:
- Lay out the individual parts of the casket as shown.
- Insert the divider and fold up the front and rear side walls.
- Slide the side pieces from above onto the folded-up side walls. Make sure that the wider end of the side pieces points away from you.
- Done!
Quick Overview
- 4 passes, then 2 final scorings
- Each pass: preparation, 3 rounds, scoring
- Preparation: fill the velvet cushions, draw 4 cards
- 3 rounds - each round:
- Bidding phase: In turn play 1 card, outbidding if applicable (pay 1 seal!), until 1 card per person lies out
- Chain phase: Simultaneously build in chain links
- Scoring: for each gem color compare the values of the chains:
- Highest value: 4 points
- Second-highest value: 2 points
- Third-highest value: 1 point
- In a tie, all those involved receive the full points.
- Final scorings:
- Most seals (4/2/1 points)
- Most valuable remaining hand card (4/2/1 points)
Special Tiles
- Hammer (always use first!): Use immediately and discard to remove 1 chain link, or discard unused.
- Seal: Take 1 seal from the supply, discard the tile.
- Doubling: Doubles the value of the entire chain of its color.
- Worthless chain link: Tile with value 0 - must be laid!