Rivages
Rivages Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal of the Game
Explore the different areas of the islands, find the relics of the Ancient Ones and complete your Tree of Wisdom to acquire knowledge – here materialized as scrolls. At the end of the game, the player with the most scrolls wins the game.
Components
- 36 Exploration cards
- 25 Island boards
- 5 Tree of Wisdom boards (front side and back side)
- 5 Endgame cards
- 86 Scroll tokens (49 1-value tokens and 37 5-value tokens, front side and back side)
- 1 Great Explorer tile
- 25 Loot tokens and 1 Loot bag
- 5 dry erase markers and 5 wiping cloths
- 7 cards for the solo mode, with the icon
Setup
Shuffle the Island boards and randomly deal one to each player (A). Put all other boards as a face down pile in the center of the table (B).
Randomly deal a Tree of Wisdom board to each player (C). Before the game, decide together which side to use: A or B. For a first game, we recommend playing on the A side.
Shuffle the Endgame cards as a face down deck. Take as many Exploration cards as needed, depending on the number of players. You will find the information in the bottom right corner of each card: keep only 2+ for a 2-player game, 2+ and 3+ for a 3-player game, and so on. Shuffle these cards into a pile and place it on top of the Endgame D cards (D). Each player draws 2 Exploration cards and keeps them in hand without revealing them to their opponents.
Place the Great Explorer tile nearby, showing the side relevant to your player count (E).
Put all Loot tokens in the bag and place it in the center of the table (F).
Make a supply of Scroll tokens within reach of all players (G).
Each player takes a marker and crosses off one of the two Ship spaces on their Island board. This is where they start exploring (H).
The game can now begin!
Game Flow
A game plays in a series of turns. Players take their turn simultaneously. Each turn, you use your Exploration cards to move across the archipelago.
Along your travels, you will earn scrolls and activate powerful abilities. At the end of the game, the player with the most scrolls wins the game.
A Game Turn
During a turn, each player uses the symbols of a row of either of their Exploration cards to move on their island.
Each symbol allows you to cross a space of the matching type on your island.
Cross the symbol on your card to indicate you have used it up.
The row you use must be the top unused row of the card. The rows with their symbols crossed off have already been used, and thus are unavailable.
Some rows do not have symbols that allow crossing specific spaces, but have other abilities (as explained in the last page of this booklet). Use the symbols in any order and cross them off, like you would for any other symbol.
Example: with those cards in his hand, Achille may cross either the first three symbols, or the other four symbols on the row. He chooses the first option.
If none of the choices on either of your Exploration cards is to your liking, you may instead cross off one space of any type on your island, provided that it is already adjacent to a previously crossed space.
Cross off one of the two unused top rows to indicate you have played this turn.
Each space you cross off on your island must be adjacent to a space you have previously crossed off, whether you have done so this turn or on a previous turn. As a consequence, at the beginning of the game, your first cross must be adjacent to the ship you crossed during setup. However, the spaces you cross in a single turn don't have to be adjacent to one another.
Spaces with black strongholds can never be crossed off.
Conversely, all special spaces with a white background can be crossed using any symbol. Some allow you to work towards or complete objectives as explained in the next page. Others will give you an ability you must use immediately. All those effects are explained in the last page of this rulebook.
Example: thanks to the symbols he has chosen, Achille explores his island and crosses the spaces marked with the matching icon.
Two spaces at either end of a bridge are considered adjacent.
You may use symbols from the chosen row in the order of your choosing, and you do not have to use them all during your turn. If you do not want to use an icon in your chosen row or if you cannot use it, cross it off to indicate you have forfeited it and it is not available anymore.
Example: in this case, with the symbols she can use, Romane can reach and cross off the space with any symbol, or the space with two of her chosen symbols for her final space.
Quests & Exploration Missions
Those goals can only be met on the island you are currently exploring.
As soon as you have completed a goal, whether a quest or an exploration mission, gain the corresponding reward, as shown to its right. Immediately apply its effects before taking any other game action of your turn.
Each island has 3 goals shown at the bottom of the board: 1 quest, and 2 exploration missions.
Exploration missions require crossing off entirely one or two areas of the type depicted on your island. An area is a cluster of at least two adjacent spaces of the same type.
Example: the first exploration mission of this island requires crossing off an entire area of red cliffs. To do so, Marceau has two options. If he succeeds in completing either, he will earn 2 scrolls.
Quest Types
The quests you will find on the island can be of 3 different types:
- These quests require crossing off all 6 spaces around a fort in your island.
- These quests require crossing off one or more specific spaces in your island.
- These quests require crossing specific spaces of your island as shown, from left to right. As a reminder, special spaces with a white background can be crossed off with any symbol.
In these quests, the spaces you must cross may be white spaces, and thus could be crossed with any symbol. They can require a specific symbol, depending on the background color of the space.
In any case, whenever a quest or a mission has 2 steps, one above the other, you must complete the top one before completing the bottom one. The elements you crossed for the first step do not count towards completion for the second mission or quest.
Tree of Wisdom
Whenever you cross a statue icon, whether on your island or on an Exploration card, you must cross a space on your Tree of Wisdom. If an icon is present on the space of the tree you crossed off, immediately apply its effect.
The first time you cross a space of your tree, you must start by the bottom one with a red circle. Then you must always cross off a space adjacent to an already crossed-off space.
When you play with the B-side of the tree, you will see branching paths. Choosing a path does not forbid you from choosing another path later in the game. Each cross you place must simply be linked to an already crossed space.
Example: Achille triggers a statue thanks to his Exploration card. That allows him to cross a space on his Tree of Wisdom. He has 3 options: gaining 3 scrolls, following the center path, or gaining 1 scroll.
Turn End
When you have used up all spaces from the chosen row of your Exploration card, and that you have no more abilities to activate and that you do not wish to play a Loot token, your turn ends. When all players have ended their turn, each player passes both of their Exploration cards, face down, to the player on their left. In other terms, each player receives two new cards from their right neighbor.
A new turn can then begin.
If all rows of a card you receive are crossed off, discard it in the center of the table and draw a new one to replace it.
Endgame & Counting Scrolls
If, by drawing a new card, a player reveals the back of an Endgame card on the top of the deck, the end of the game is triggered. Everyone plays one last turn, then the game ends. Each player counts the number of scrolls they have.
At any point in the game, players may look at how many Exploration cards are left in the deck before the end of the game triggers.
- Your Scroll tokens are worth their printed value.
- Each unspent Loot token is worth 1 scroll.
- Players determine the Great Explorer ranking by comparing the number of islands they have crossed at least one space on (including ships). The player or players who have visited the most islands gain 4 extra scrolls. Those in second position only gain 2 scrolls. In the case of a 2-player game, the first player gains 3 scrolls and the second 0, as shown on the Great Explorer tile.
The player with the most scrolls wins the game. In case of a tie, tied players share victory.
Credits
A game by Joachim Thôme, with art by Naïade, published by Catch Up Games and distributed by Blackrock Games. Project manager: Clément Milker | Layout: Jérôme Soleil | French proofreading: Camille Mathieu | Translation: Mathieu Rivero | Production manager: Donia Faiz
©2024 Pandasaurus Games, LLC. All rights reserved. Pandasaurus Games, LLC, 2028 E Ben White Blvd #240, Austin, TX 78741, www.pandasaurusgames.com
Acknowledgements from Joachim Thôme: my first thanks go to Clément, with which this game was born, and who was graceful enough to publish it while pulling back on the design. I also wish to thank Sébastien for his shrewd advice, and for the crew in Lyon: Matthieu, Mathieu, Christine, Nico, Bertrand and so on. I also thank my game designer friends Benoit, Théo and Johannes for their advice and support. I will end this round of thanks with my wonderful team of playtesters: Pieter, Luc, Arthur, Charlot, Marie, Jérome, Yann, Xavier, and of course Achille and Aline, who have sailed these shores with me.
Solo Mode
Goal of the Game
In the solo mode, you must get 26 scrolls with only 8 Exploration cards. You may add 1 to 5 challenges to increase the game difficulty.
In the solo mode, you have two modes at your disposal:
- Discovery – Play with the Tree of Wisdom on its A-side and place the Scroll target card in front of you. You do not need any other solo cards.
- Advanced – Take a Tree of Wisdom at random and use its B-side. Place the Scrolls target card and add 1 to 5 random Challenge cards. For a first game, we recommend playing with only one card. As you gain experience, you may add more challenges to increase the difficulty. Challenges are used only in the advanced game mode.
Setup
Prepare the Island and Tree of Wisdom boards, loot tokens in their bag, the Scrolls supply and the pen as you would in a multiplayer game.
Take 8 Exploration cards (marked 2+) and shuffle them into a face down deck. Draw two of these cards and place them face up in front of you. Besides those 8, all Exploration cards will not be used this game.
Place the Solo Explorer card in front of you instead of the Great Explorer tile.
Once your choices are made, cross off either of the Ship spaces of your Island board.
The game can now begin!
Game Flow
Solo rules closely resemble multiplayer rules, with a few exceptions.
Exploration Cards. You play each turn by using the top available row of an Exploration card. At the end of each of your turns, discard both your Exploration cards besides the play area and draw two fresh ones. Whenever the draw pile is empty, shuffle the previously discarded cards and make a new draw pile with them.
When you have used up all rows on an Exploration card, don't discard it. Instead, remove it from the game, outside of your play area. Then resume playing as normal.
The number of Exploration cards you remove is the timer of the game, as explained below.
Solo Explorer Card. The Solo Explorer card replaces the Great Explorer tile. It indicates how many scrolls you earn (2, 2 and 3) immediately after reaching your 4th, 5th and 6th island.
Challenge Cards
- Check a bubble each time you obtain a Loot token. To complete the card, you must earn six of them.
- Check a bubble each time you obtain a statue icon. To complete the card, you must earn eight of them.
- Check a bubble each time you reach a new island. To complete the card, you must visit at least 5, including your starting island.
- Each time you complete an area, check a bubble of the matching color. To complete the card, you must complete 2 areas in each color.
- The number of scrolls needed to win the game is increased by 4. You must obtain 30 scrolls instead of 26.
Endgame and Victory
The game ends at the end of a turn where you have completed and removed your 4th Exploration card.
To win, you must earn at least 26 scrolls. Like in the base game, each unused Loot token is worth a scroll. If you have added Challenge cards at the beginning of the game, you must also have met all conditions printed on them in order to win.
Iconography
During the game, you will trigger effects, whether through Exploration cards, your islands, the Loot tokens or your Tree of Wisdom.
- Ship icon. At the beginning of the game and each time you arrive on a new island, you cross either of the ships without needing to spend a symbol. This is your start on this board. Then, once you cross off the second ship, you travel to a new island. At the end of a turn when you crossed the second ship of your island, after you have received Exploration cards from the player to your right, set aside your current island. You need to keep it for the end of the game, but you cannot cross anything on it anymore. Draw a new board and immediately cross one of your two ships: the crossed ship will be the start of your exploration of this new island.
- Scroll icon. Take as many Scroll tokens as shown.
- Any-symbol icon. Cross a space of any type in your island. It must be adjacent to an already crossed-off space.
- Statue icon. Cross off the next space of your Tree of Wisdom. If the space you cross off contains an effect, apply it immediately (see Tree of Wisdom).
- Area icon. Completely cross off an area in the depicted color (green in this example). At least one space of this area must be adjacent to an already crossed-off space. If the icon has all four area colors, you may cross an area in the color of your choice.
- Loot icon. Draw a Loot token from the bag. You may use a token at any point during your turn, even if you just drew it, but you cannot use more than one token per turn. When you use a token, apply its ability then discard it in the center of the table. Unused Loot tokens are worth 1 scroll at the end of the game. If you should draw a token and the bag is empty, put all previously discarded tokens back in the bag, then draw one.
Some special spaces that are not present here are quest objectives (see Quests & Exploration Missions).