Otys
Otys Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Colony board
- 4 Player boards
- 32 Contract cards
- 4 Player markers, in 4 colors
- 1 First Player marker
- 5 Sponsor tiles (double-sided)
- 4 sets of 8 Diver tiles (double-sided)
- 8 Technician tiles: Mechanic, Hacker
- 4 sets of 5 Key tokens, 1 for each player
- 16 Key tokens, including 1 in each of the 4 player colors (Neutral Front / Neutral Back)
- 24 Battery tokens
- 40 Credits (this is the currency used in the game)
- 32 Reward tokens (double-sided)
- 1 bag
- 80 Resources, in 4 colors: metal, plant, fuel, tech
- This rulebook
Colony Board
The Colony board shows the Colony Display (with spaces for Sponsor tiles, Reward tokens, and Contract card spaces) and the Store, with its Contract card spaces above it.
Player Board
Each player board shows a search zone with 5 levels. Each level has resource spaces, a Diver tile space, and a Key token space. The board also shows the Mechanic track and spaces for the Surface and Below-surface areas, as well as spaces for the Reward tokens you collect.
Setup
Take a player board of a color of your choice and place it in front of you; this represents your search zone.
Take a set of 5 Key tokens (numbered 1 to 5) matching your color and place each token in each level space of your player board (i.e. place the token numbered "1" on level 1, the token numbered "2" on level 2, etc.). Slide them to the left so that they cover the number of each level. Then, take the X Key token matching your color and place it on its space on your player board.
Take a set of 2 Technician tiles. Place the Mechanic tile to the right of your player board, and place the Hacker tile below your player board on their starting spaces (as shown on the diagram).
Take a set of 8 different Diver tiles and randomly place each one on the different Diver spaces of your player board with their Basic side faceup. Slide them to the left.
Take 1 resource of each color, and randomly place one of them on a resource space of each level of your search zone, except for level 1.
Take 3 Credits and 1 Battery token, place them near your player board.
Place the Colony board in the center of the play area.
Sort the Credit tokens, the Battery tokens and resources into piles to form the supply.
Place all Reward tokens in the bag. Then, draw 2 tokens for each level of the board and place them with their Immediate Effect side faceup on their spaces on the Colony Display.
Randomly place the 5 Sponsor tiles on the Colony Display, to the left of the Colony board.
Note: Sponsor tiles are double-sided; a Basic side and an Advanced side. If this is your first game, flip the Sponsor tiles to their Basic side. Otherwise, randomly determine which side will be used for each Sponsor tile.
Take 2 resources of the same color, 1 resource of a second color, and 1 resource of a third color, and place them on the spaces of the Store matching the type of each resource starting from the top row. For example: 2 fuel, 1 metal, and 1 plant.
Shuffle the Contract cards and place them facedown near the board to create a deck. Then, draw the top 3 cards of the deck and place them faceup in the Contract card spaces located above the board. These contracts are public. In a two-player game, draw the top 2 cards instead.
Place the neutral X Key tokens in a pile near the board.
Place each player's marker on space "0" of the Score track.
Note: There is an unlimited amount of resources, credits, and batteries.
Goal of the Game
Thanks to your team of divers, you explore the ruins of sunken cities to find resources that will help the colony prosper. To win, you must be the most efficient player: when a player reaches 18 Prestige points on the Score track, the game ends at the end of the round and the player with the most Prestige points wins the game.
During the game, you gain Prestige points when you:
- complete contracts, by gathering the necessary resources.
- upgrade your diver's equipment.
- sell resources to the Store.
- use Reward tokens that are worth Prestige points.
Playing the Game
A game of Otys is played over a series of rounds. Each round, players take turns in clockwise order. The player with the greatest lung capacity takes the First Player marker, and starts the game. That player keeps the First Player marker for the entire game.
On your turn, choose one of your available Key tokens (i.e. currently on your player board) and follow these steps:
Step 1
Slide the Key token to the right so that it touches the Diver tile on the same level. You may immediately use the effect of the Sponsor tile located on the same level on the Colony Display.
Step 2
Continue sliding the Key token so that it pushes the Diver tile to the right. That diver is activated; you may immediately use the diver's effect.
Step 3
Finally, flip the Key token and place it below your player board on the leftmost free space of the Hacker track (that Key token is no longer available). Then, your diver must resurface: place the activated diver on the topmost level of your player board by shifting the other Diver tiles down to make space for it.
If placing a Key token would cause it to reach (or overlap) the Hacker tile, instead immediately return all your Key tokens to their matching spaces on your player board, making sure to flip them back. Return any neutral X Key tokens to the supply (the X Key token matching your color is always returned to your player board).
Note: Using the effects of a Sponsor and Diver tile is optional.
X Key Tokens
Instead of choosing one of your available Key tokens, you can spend one X Key token (your own or a neutral one). If you do, instead of following Step 1, place the X Key token on your player board to the left of the diver you want to activate. Then, you must update the Colony Display by moving the Sponsor tile from level 5 to level 1 and shifting all other Sponsor tiles down one level. You may now use the effect of the Sponsor tile located on the same level as the X Key token. Then, proceed as usual with Step 2 and 3.
Note:
- You may place the X Key token on any level, whether or not you have an available Key token at that level.
- At the end of step 3, flip the X Key token and place it on the Hacker track, as if it were a regular Key token.
Battery Tokens
During Step 1, you may spend 1 Battery token to activate one of your divers' propeller. If you do, you can move one of your Diver tiles (up or down) a number of levels equal to or less than your maximum movement value, as indicated by your Mechanic tile. Shift the other Diver tiles (down or up) to make space for the Diver tile.
During Step 3, you may spend 1 Battery token to activate your diver's oxygen reserve. If you do, the activated diver does not resurface and simply slides back into its space.
Note: You can spend multiple Battery tokens during the same step.
Complete a Contract
As soon as you gather on a single level of your search zone all the resources required to complete a Contract card in your hand (private contracts) or above the board (public contracts), you may complete that contract. Completing a Contract does not count as an action. You can complete multiple contracts during the same turn if able.
When you complete a contract, immediately gain the number of Prestige points indicated on the card (1–5 Prestige points depending on the contract); advance your marker on the Score track accordingly. Then, return the required resources to the supply. If you have other resources on the same level of your search zone, they stay in place. Finally, discard the completed Contract card. If it was one of the public contracts, replace it with the top card of the deck.
Note: There are five levels in your search zone and each level has a different depth. The number of resource spaces of each level is different and increases with depth (3 spaces on level 1 and 2, 4 spaces on level 3, 5 spaces on level 4, and 6 spaces on level 5). As a result, more difficult contracts can be completed only at deeper levels.
Contract Cards
There are two types of Contract cards:
- Cards that require a specific combination of resources
- Cards that require a specific number of different resources
Note: Some Contract cards have a one-time effect that you resolve immediately when you complete the contract. Depending on the card, you may gain 1 Credit, 1 Battery token, or 1 Credit and 1 Battery token.
Specific Combination: To complete this contract, you must gather on the same level of your search zone the resources that are indicated on the card.
Specific Number: To complete this contract, you must gather on the same level of your search zone the number of resources indicated on the card. You can choose which color of resources to use. However, these resources must be different for each number indicated.
End of the Game
When a player reaches or exceeds 18 Prestige points on the Score track, finish the current round so that each player takes the same number of turns. The player with the most Prestige points wins. In case of a tie, the tied player with the most resources remaining in his search zone wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory and should play again!
Note: At the end of the game, players do not gain Prestige points for their Credits, Battery tokens, and remaining resources.
Sponsor Tiles
Sponsor Tiles are double-sided. The front is the Basic side that we recommend using for your first few games. The back (showing a star) is the Advanced side that we recommend using once you are familiar with the game. In this case, randomly determine which side will be used for each Sponsor tile during setup.
Note: The combination of Sponsor tiles greatly affects gameplay. Before the start of the game, take some time to study each tile's effect.
Sponsor #1
- Basic Side: Gain 1 Credit.
- Advanced Side: Do not spend Credits to use the effect of your Trader, Spy, Engineer, or Explorer this turn.
- Note: If you use the effect of your Spy to activate an opponent's diver, you do not spend Credits to activate your Spy, but you must still spend Credits to use the opponent's diver effect.
Sponsor #2
- Basic Side: Use your diver's effect twice this turn (if you have multiple options, you may choose the same or a different one each time).
- Note: You can use your diver's effect once, then complete a contract, and use your diver's effect a second time.
- Advanced Side: Use the effect of one of the two Reward tokens located on the same level of the Colony Display. Then, discard that Reward token and draw a new token from the bag to replace it. If the bag is empty, return all discarded Reward tokens to the bag before drawing the token.
Sponsor #3
- Basic Side: Return a Key or X Key Token (only one of your color, not a neutral one) from your Hacker track to your player board. Flip it and place it on the corresponding space of your player board. If needed, shift the other Key tokens to the left to fill the gap left on the Hacker track.
- Advanced Side: Resurface your diver on level 5 (i.e. move it to the topmost level of your player board by shifting the other Diver tiles down).
Sponsor #4
- Basic Side: Spend 2 Credits to flip the activated Diver tile to its Upgraded side and gain 1 Prestige point.
- Advanced Side: Spend 2 Credits to flip one of the three Diver tiles on the surface levels to its Upgraded side and gain 1 Prestige point.
Sponsor #5
- Basic Side: Gain 1 Battery token.
- Advanced Side: Gain 1 Battery token; or Spend 1 Battery token to move a resource of your choice from the activated diver's level to any other level and vice versa (i.e. from any other level to the activated diver's level).
Diver Tiles
At the start of the game, each diver has one basic skill. During the game, you can upgrade your divers' equipment by flipping your Diver tiles to their Upgraded side. The Upgraded side of each Diver tile represents the diver in upgraded diving gear and an improved version of the diver's basic effect.
Note:
- Each time you use the effect of Sponsor tile #4 to flip a diver to its Upgraded side, gain 1 Prestige point.
- The Basic side of each Diver tile also shows the bonus of the Upgraded side (see icon in the bottom-right corner).
Experts
These four divers allow you to find resources matching their own specialty: metal (blue), plant (green), fuel (black), or tech (white).
Basic Side: When activated, take 1 resource matching the expert's color from the supply and place it on a resource space of the Expert's current level. Each level has a limited number of resource spaces. If all the spaces are full, you must first free some spaces before you can place resources on that level (for example, by selling a resource to the Store with the Trader).
Upgraded Side: In addition to finding resources of one color, upgraded Experts have the following bonuses:
- The Metal Expert allows you to gain 1 neutral X Key token.
- The Plant Expert allows you to gain 1 Credit.
- The Fuel Expert allows you to gain 1 Battery token.
- The Tech Expert allows you to return a Key token or X Key token (only one of your color, not a neutral one) from your Hacker track to your player board. Flip that token and place it back on the corresponding space of your player board. If needed, shift the other Key tokens to the left to fill the gap left on the Hacker track.
Note: Taking a resource and/or gaining a bonus is always optional.
Trader
The Trader allows you to interact with the Store.
Basic Side: When activated, you can either sell 1 resource to the Store or buy 1 resource from the Store. Whether you are selling or buying a resource, you must refer to the Store to determine the price of the resource you want to sell or buy.
When selling a resource, take 1 resource from among those available at the Trader's current level. Place that resource on the Store, on the topmost free space of the column matching that resource's color. If there are no free spaces in that column, you cannot sell that resource. Then, gain Credits or Prestige points equal to the number shown next to the row on which you just placed your resource (the number of Credits is shown on the left and the number of Prestige Points is shown on the right).
Note: Only the top row of the Store allows you to gain Prestige points.
When buying a resource, take 1 resource from the Store and place it on a free resource space at the Trader's current level. Then, spend a number of Credits to pay for the resource's cost. The resource's cost is equal to the number shown next to the row on which it was taken from. You can spend only Credits to buy a resource. If there are no resources in the Store or if there are no free resource spaces at that level, you cannot buy a resource.
Upgraded Side: The upgraded Trader allows you to:
- gain 1 additional Credit or 1 additional Prestige point each time you sell a resource.
- spend 1 fewer Credit each time you buy a resource.
Note: Either gain 1 additional Credit or Prestige point. You still cannot gain both when activating the Trader. From now on, all rows of the Store allow you to gain Prestige points.
Spy
The Spy allows you to get private contracts and activate your opponents' divers.
Basic Side: When activated, the Spy allows you to either draw Contract cards, or activate a diver belonging to the opponent directly on your left or right.
To draw Contract cards, spend 1 Credit and draw 4 cards. Then, add 1 of the 4 cards to your hand and return the other 3 facedown to the bottom of the deck.
To activate a diver belonging to an opponent (directly on your left or right), spend 1 Credit and use the effect of the diver located on the same level as your Spy on your opponent's player board. Resolve the effect of that diver as if it were on your player board. Therefore, you cannot copy your opponent's Spy to activate a diver belonging to an opponent who is not directly on your left or right.
Note: When activated with the Spy, your opponent's diver does not resurface, only the Spy does. If the activated diver is a Trader, Spy, Engineer, or Explorer, you must still spend Credits when required to.
Designer's Variant: If you play with this advanced variant, when you want to activate your opponent's diver, give 1 Credit to your opponent instead of spending 1 Credit. The activated diver resurfaces when your Spy does unless your opponent chooses to spend 1 Battery token.
Upgraded Side: You no longer spend 1 Credit to use the Spy's effect.
Engineer
The Engineer allows you to improve your two Technicians.
Basic Side: When activated, spend 1 Credit to improve your Mechanic or your Hacker:
- Improving the Mechanic: Move your Mechanic tile down one space. The icon next to the Mechanic tile shows the maximum movement value when activating a diver's propeller. At the start of the game, your divers' maximum movement value is 1.
- Improving the Hacker: Move your Hacker tile one space to the left. The farther your Hacker tile moves to the left, the faster your Key tokens are returned to your player board at the end of your turn.
Note:
- You can improve each of your Technicians only up to three times.
- If moving the Hacker tile would cause it to overlap a Key token, push the Key tokens to the left to make space for the Hacker tile and proceed with the rest of your turn. At the end of your turn, return all your Key tokens, as explained during Step 3.
Upgraded Side: You no longer spend 1 Credit to use the Engineer's effect.
Explorer
This exploring robot allows you to gain Reward tokens from the Colony Display.
Basic Side: When activated, spend 2 Credits to take one of the two Reward tokens from the matching level of the Colony Display. Use its immediate effect (shown on the front side), then flip it and place it on your player board on the corresponding space on the same level as the Explorer. From now on, each time you complete a contract at that level, you may use the Reward token's permanent effect.
Note:
- If you must place a Reward token on a space where there is already a Reward token, discard the Reward token from that space and place your new Reward token on the space.
- When you take a Reward token from the Colony Display, immediately draw another token from the bag to replace it so there are always two Reward tokens on each level of the Colony Display. If the bag is empty and you must draw a token, return all discarded Reward tokens to the bag.
Upgraded Side: Spend only 1 Credit to use the Explorer's effect.
Reward Tokens
Immediate Effects (front): You can use these effects via the Explorer's effect or Sponsor tile #2 (advanced side).
Note: The background color on the front side indicates which permanent effect is on the back: orange (2 Credits) or green (1 Prestige point).
- Gain 1 resource of your choice among the 2 shown and place it on a free resource space of the same level as your active Key token.
- Gain 1 Battery token.
- Draw 4 Contract cards, add 1 to your hand and return the other 3 facedown to the bottom of the deck.
- Flip the Diver tile of your choice to its Upgraded side. (Do not gain 1 Prestige point.)
- Gain 1 Prestige point.
Permanent Effects (back): You can use these effects each time you complete a contract at the same level as this token. You can place these tokens on your player board only via the Explorer's effect.
- Gain 2 Credits.
- Gain 1 Prestige point.
Credits
Designer: Claude Lucchini. Illustrations: Paul Mafayon. Development and Rulebook: Sébastien Dujardin, Renaud Eloy. English Translation: Nathan Morse & Thomas Gallecier.