Secrets of the Pyramids
Secrets of the Pyramids Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 8 pyramids
- 36 treasure chips (4 different sets of 9 chips each; each set has its own back side)
- 1 rulebook
The game is for 2 to 4 players aged 6 and up.
Game 1: Ramses Clears Up
Preparation
Play this game on a smooth surface so that the pyramids can slide well.
First, sort out the 4 treasure chips marked with the pacifier (Schnuller) and return them to the box. If only 2 players are playing, also sort out all chips with the yellow back side.
From the remaining chips, choose 8 different treasures. Place these 8 treasure chips face up under the 8 pyramids (picture side up). Then shuffle the pyramids by sliding them around the table at random. Afterwards, arrange the 8 pyramids in a square, with a small gap between neighbouring pyramids. The field in the middle of the square stays empty.
Distribute the remaining treasure chips face up and in equal shares to the players. No player may have two identical treasures. With 2 or 3 players, each player receives one set of 8 treasure chips; with 4 players, each player receives 6 chips.
Each player lays out their treasures in a row, face up, in front of them on the table.
Goal of the Game
Whoever is first to hide all of their treasures under the pyramids wins.
The Game Begins
One of you begins. Try to hide the treasure at the far left of your row under a pyramid. (The illustration shows an arrow under the leftmost treasure of the row.)
Each treasure belongs under one specific pyramid. The treasure chips under the pyramids show which treasures belong under which pyramids. Try to push the pyramid under which you want to hide your treasure into the middle. To do this, you may move as many pyramids as you like, by always sliding a neighbouring pyramid into the free space in the square. When the desired pyramid is in the middle, you uncover it.
The wrong treasure lies under the pyramid: put the pyramid back on the treasure chip. Now your left neighbour is on turn. They also try to hide the treasure at the far left of their row.
The right treasure lies beneath: place your treasure chip on the chip under the pyramid. Then put the pyramid back on the chips. Afterwards you are once more on turn at your row. Now try again to hide the leftmost treasure of your row, by pushing the right pyramid into the middle. This continues until you uncover a wrong pyramid. Then the next player is on turn.
If the right pyramid for your treasure is already in the middle when you come to your row, you may uncover it immediately without moving any pyramids. Afterwards you are on turn again.
Game End
The player who first hides all of their treasures wins.
Game 2: What's Where, Pharaoh?
Preparation
For this game you need all 8 pyramids and 4 sets of treasure chips with 6 chips each. Return all pacifiers (Schnuller), mobile phones (Handys) and scorpions to the box.
Stack the treasure chips into 8 stacks of 3 chips each, chosen at random (picture side up). Then place the 8 pyramids on the stacks, and shuffle them by moving them around on the table. Finally, arrange them as a square with spaces between them. The field in the middle remains empty.
Goal of the Game
The first player to collect 6 different treasures wins.
The Game Begins
One of you begins. Move exactly 3 pyramids, then uncover the last of the 3 moved pyramids (it does not have to be the pyramid in the middle). The top treasure chip is now decisive:
- If you do not yet have this treasure, you may take it and lay it face up in front of you. Then the next player is on turn.
- If you already have this treasure, cover the pyramid again. The next player is on turn.
- If the uncovered pyramid is empty, you must place a treasure you have already found into the pyramid.
Game End
If a player has collected 6 different treasures, that player has won.
Game 3: Beware of the Mummy!
Preparation
For this game you need all 8 pyramids, 3 sets of treasure chips and all 4 mummies. Return all treasure chips with the yellow back to the box. Exception: the mummy with the yellow back stays in the game.
Take the green treasure chips, picture side up, and place one of the 8 pyramids over each of them. Lay the mummy with the green back face up in the middle of the table. Then shuffle the pyramids and arrange them in a circle around the mummy.
The remaining treasure chips are shuffled face down and placed next to the pyramids as the supply of search chips, in three stacks of roughly equal height.
Goal of the Game
The aim is to find as many correct treasures as possible under the pyramids.
The Treasure Hunt Begins
One of you begins. Turn over a search chip from a stack. If this chip is a mummy, it is shuffled back in as usual and a new chip is turned over. The treasure shown is now sought under the pyramids. To do this, at the start of the game, lift any pyramid and move it from its place onto the mummy in the middle.
If the correct treasure is now uncovered, you may take the search chip. The green treasure chips in the circle of pyramids always remain lying. Then the next player is on turn: they turn over a new search chip from the supply. If it is the treasure that is already uncovered, they may take the search chip immediately and need not move any pyramid. If it is another treasure, the player again moves any pyramid onto the uncovered treasure. Then play continues with the next player and the next search chip.
If you have not uncovered the sought treasure, the search chip stays face up. The next player is now on turn and searches for this treasure.
Beware of the mummy: if you turn over a search chip with a mummy, first move the pyramid from the mummy in the middle onto the currently free treasure. Then mix the pyramids (simply shuffle them around) and place them again in a circle around the mummy. The search chip with the mummy is returned to the box. Now everything is mixed up again and the search begins anew. Afterwards, turn over a new search chip from the supply and begin the search for this treasure.
Game End
When all search chips have been handed out, the game ends. The player who now has the most chips wins.