Pick a Pen: Crypts
Pick a Pen: Crypts Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Material
- 5 colored pencils (with the symbols: circle, triangle, square, cross, hexagon and joker)
- Score sheets with 3 different levels
Parts of a score sheet: level, symbol, score sheet, symbol with colored outline, color combinations, possible dice results (the symbols on the pencils), point boxes, bonus condition, bonus points, total score.
Game Idea
Roll the colored pencils and decide cleverly which symbol to color in with which color. Depending on the level, you try to collect points through different combinations. Whoever has the most points at the end wins.
Setup
- Place the 5 colored pencils in the middle of the table.
- Decide together which level you want to play and hand out the matching score sheet to each player. Is this your first game? Then we recommend Level 1.
Gameplay
- The player wearing the most colorful clothes begins. When it is your turn, take the 5 pencils and roll them into the middle of the table. If pencils lie on top of each other, roll those again.
- Once you have rolled the pencils, you must first take one pencil from the middle of the table. Say the color and the die result shown on your chosen pencil out loud. Example: "red circle" or "green joker". Then color in the corresponding symbol on your score sheet with this pencil (see "Coloring in symbols").
- Then the next player clockwise takes a pencil from the middle of the table. This continues around the table until no pencils are left there. At least one player will get more than one pencil.
- When it is your turn and there are no more pencils in the middle of the table, you may begin the next round. Take all 5 pencils and roll them. Continue as described above.
Tip: Keep the pencils with you until all players have chosen a pencil and finished coloring in.
Coloring in Symbols
You must color in on your score sheet the symbol that is shown on your pencil. Observe the following rules:
- The score sheet shows 5 rows of identical symbols (circle, triangle, square, cross and hexagon). On some score sheets (Levels 2 and 3) a row of pencil symbols is also shown. (The columns contain different symbols.)
- Chosen symbol: If your chosen pencil shows a specific symbol, you color in the corresponding symbol on your score sheet once.
- Joker: If your chosen pencil shows the joker, you color in any one symbol in this color once.
- From left to right: You must always color in the symbols in a row from left to right and may not skip any symbol.
- Completing a row: Once you have colored in all symbols in a row, that row is complete. If you choose a pencil with a symbol whose row you have already completed, you color in any one symbol in this color. (Continue to observe the rules described above.)
- Symbols with a colored outline: Some symbols have a colored outline. If you color one of these in with the corresponding color, you immediately color in one further symbol of your choice in this color. (Continue to observe the rules described above.) Example: You color in the purple circle with the purple pencil. Immediately afterwards you must color in one further symbol of your choice in purple. In the example in the rulebook, you would have the symbols marked with a check mark to choose from.
Note: If you color in a symbol with a color that does not match the color of the outline, nothing happens.
Marking points: If you fulfil one of the conditions for scoring points, color in the corresponding point box or the corresponding bonus-point star (see "Final Scoring").
Bonus Points
On all score sheets you can collect the bonus points shown in the stars (5 points each) when:
- you have colored in at least one point box in every row.
- you have colored in at least one point box in every column.
Note: Announce out loud when you score points so that all other players can follow them.
End of the Game
The game ends immediately when a player colors in the last empty symbol on their score sheet. All pencils not chosen at that moment remain in the middle of the table. The round is not played to the end.
Final Scoring
Now each player adds up their points by totalling all values in the colored-in point boxes and any bonus points.
Rows: You can get the following points for each row:
- 2 points if 2 symbols of the same color follow each other directly in this row.
- 3 points if 3 symbols of the same color follow each other directly in this row (Levels 2 and 3).
- 5 points if all 5 colors appear at least once in this row (Levels 2 and 3).
Columns: The same rules for scoring points apply to columns as to rows.
Depending on the level, you can score a different number of color groups in a row or column. These may also be in the same color, but no space may belong to more than one color group.
Example: 4 consecutive symbols in the same color count as two groups of 2.
The player with the most points wins. If several players have the most points, they win together.
Example of a Final Scoring
Marion has scored points in every row. For this she receives bonus points (5). She has likewise scored points in every column, so she receives further bonus points (5). Marion now has 28 points and 10 bonus points, so her total score is 38 points.
Overview of the Score Sheets
Level 1: Clever Codes
The rules described above contain everything you need for this score sheet. Level 1 is the perfect start for your first game!
Level 2: Enigmatic Runes
In addition to the rules described so far, observe the following addition:
Pencil symbols: If the score sheet has a row with pencil symbols, you may alternatively color in a pencil symbol instead of the symbol shown on the pencil. Here too you must fill in the row from left to right and may not skip any symbol. In this row you can also score points according to the rules described.
Level 3: Challenging Hieroglyphs
In addition to the rules described so far, observe the following additions:
Symbols with a black outline: In this level the score sheet has symbols with a black outline. If you color one of these in, you must immediately color in one further symbol of your choice in the same color.
2x2 grids: In this level you can score 2x2 grids of the same color. These are quite hard to achieve and therefore give 7 points per grid of one color. You can score a grid only once in each color.
Bonus: If you manage to form 3 or more of these grids, you additionally receive 10 bonus points.
Tips for People with Color Vision Deficiency
Unfortunately it is not possible to make this game completely accessible to people with color vision deficiency. However, here are a few tips to make playing easier for them:
- The five colors are listed on the back of this rulebook (orange, green, red, purple, blue). After rolling, place the pencils in the box of the corresponding color.
- Instead of coloring in the symbols on the score sheet, you can also write the first letter of each color into them. You can also write this on the pencils.