The Acts
The Acts Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
The Acts contains the following:
- 1 double sided game board
- 36 disciples (in 4 colors)
- 24 churches (in 4 colors)
- 28 miracle cards (in 4 colors)
- 4 score markers (in 4 colors)
- 1 rule book
- 13 light discs
- 16 dark discs
- 14 spiritual gift cards
- 40 prayer points
Key Terms
Believers: The goal of The Acts is to add the most believers by spreading the gospel. Any time you add believers, increase your total by moving your score marker along the track at the board's edge.
Prayer Points: Many actions require prayer points to perform. You cannot use such an action if you lack the requisite number of prayer points. These are primarily gained through praying.
Spiritual Gifts: When you gain a spiritual gift, flip it over and place it in front of you. Spiritual gifts provide bonuses and abilities that remain for the rest of the game. Some spiritual gifts provide a bonus each turn, while others add benefits to a particular action type. You may have up to two total spiritual gifts, which cannot to discarded or exchanged.
Discs: The term "disc" refers to the light and dark discs that begin the game stacked by each preaching space. Preaching and praying actions give benefits equal to the number of discs next to that space, plus one, regardless of color.
Miracles: Each player begins with a hand of miracle cards which can be used throughout the game. When played, each miracle has specific effects as noted on the card itself. A player removes a miracle from play once they have used it.
Game Setup
To begin the game, each player selects a color and receives all tokens and cards in that color, which includes:
- 9 disciples
- 6 churches
- 7 miracle cards
- 1 score marker
The player's score marker is placed on the zero space of the outer track of the board. A total of 12 disciples are placed in the staging area in Judea, divided evenly among all players. All of a player's remaining tokens and cards are placed in front of them.
Note: This deluxe edition of The Acts includes a seventh miracle card for each player. It is recommended to play with all seven miracles. However, if you prefer to recreate the feel of the original game, feel free to play without the Heal the Lame card.
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Each region has a staging area for disciples. Starting disciples begin in Judea, based on the number of players as follows:
- 2 players - 6 disciples each
- 3 players - 4 disciples each
- 4 players - 3 disciples each
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Each player places their score marker on the zero space of the outer scoring track around the board. Move your score marker clockwise around the board as you gain believers. Markers can share spaces and stack on each other when necessary.
Next, stack the light and dark discs next to each of the six preaching icons, in the order shown on the board and reproduced below (Judea, Cilicia/Galatia, Achea/Asia, and Thrace each have their own disc stack, growing progressively taller from Judea to Thrace). Be careful to stack the discs in the proper order, as it will impact game play.
Finally, randomly select a starting player to begin the game. This player receives one prayer point. In clockwise order, each other player gets one additional prayer point than the prior player (i.e. the second player gets two, third player gets three, and fourth player gets four). The spiritual gift cards are shuffled and placed on the matching space on the board to form a draw pile. Remaining prayer points are placed within easy reach of all players. Take one of the left over light or dark discs to mark the space on the scoring track that will trigger the end of the game, as follows:
| Players | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Believers | 85 | 75 | 70 |
Note: The Acts features a double sided board. The front side has six regions and is recommended for normal play. The back side has only five regions. This side of the board can help foster greater interaction between players at lower player counts. All rules are the same regardless of board side used.
Turn Sequence
Each turn in The Acts is made up of multiple player actions. Each action involves taking one of your disciples from the staging area in any region, and placing them on an available action in that region. Generally, only a single disciple is allowed to use any given action space. The exception to this is the prayer space, which any number of disciples may choose to use.
After a player has performed one action by placing an available disciple, play passes to the next player clockwise, who may also perform a single disciple action. In this manner, players take turns clockwise performing one action at a time, until no disciples are left in the staging area of any region. As the game progresses, players may have different numbers of disciples available to them. This may result in some players needing to pass when it is their time to perform an action. It is possible for a single player to thus perform multiple actions in a row at the end of a turn, if all other players have exhausted available disciples. The actions available in each region include:
Preach: Immediately add a number of believers one greater than the number of discs near the preaching icon. Both light and dark discs are counted. You will always add at least one believer, even when no discs remain. Use your score marker to record the added believers on the scoring track. Then, take the top disc from the stack near the preaching icon. If it is dark, remove it from the game. If it is light, place it on the space, or stack of discs near the praying icon.
- Dark disc on top: remove.
- Light disc on top: transfer (to the praying icon's stack).
Pray: Any number of disciples may use this action each turn. Choose to either gain prayer points one greater than the number of discs near the prayer icon (you will always gain at least one prayer point, even if there are no discs by the icon yet), or expend two prayer points to draw the top spiritual gift card. The number of discs by the prayer icon has no impact on the cost of a spiritual gift.
Church: Expend prayer points equal to your current churches plus three to plant a church in this region, and add two believers. Each region can hold up to one fewer church than there are players in the game. Place your church cube in the box next to the church icon. From now on, when you preach or pray in this region you will add one extra believer, or gain one additional prayer point, respectively. A single player may not plant multiple churches in a single region.
In a 3 player game, there can only be 2 churches per region. If Red and Blue have already planted churches, the region is full and Green cannot plant a church. However, if this is a 4 player game, 3 churches are allowed per region. With only 2 churches already planted, Green would also be able to plant a church.
Likewise, if a player already has two current churches, planting a new church in another region would expend five prayer points (base of 3 plus 2 due to two churches at present). The two believers added is not impacted by the number of churches owned.
Disciple: Expend prayer points equal to your current count of disciples to gain a new disciple. Place an extra disciple from your supply next to the one that performed the disciple action. The new disciple will be available to use on your following turn.
Write: Add believers equal to the total number of churches you have planted in all regions. In addition, gain one prayer point, or add one more believer.
If this represents all churches in the game, when taking the write action, Blue player would have the option of either adding three new believers, or gaining one prayer point and adding two believers. Red would only add two believers, or one believer and a prayer point.
Miracle: Perform a miracle by expending the number of prayer points noted on one of your miracle cards. Follow directions on the miracle you selected. Miracle cards are discarded once used.
Travel: Place your disciple on a travel space in their region. At the end of the turn they will be placed in the region to which they are traveling. Some travel spaces include a number. To use those spaces you must expend prayer points equal to the number.
These are the travel spaces to Cilicia from Judea. Up to three disciples may travel this route in one turn. All disciples on any of the spaces at the end of the turn will be placed in the Cilicia staging area.
End of Turn
At the end of the turn, once all players have used all of their disciples, the board is prepared for the next turn. Disciples on travel spaces are placed in the staging area of the region to which they were headed. Disciples on action icons within a region are placed back in that region's staging area.
All players must discard down to seven prayer points. The player with the fewest believers will start the next turn. In case of a tie for fewest believers, the tied player next in clockwise order from the current start player will go first next turn.
Game End
The end of the game triggers once somebody reaches or passes the token placed on the score track according to the number of players as noted earlier in these rules. The current turn is completed as normal. This means the player who first reaches the specified number of believers does not automatically win. All players have until the end of the turn to add further believers.
At the end of the turn, the player with the most believers is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, the first tie breaker is churches planted, then number of disciples, then prayer points remaining. In the case that players remain tied, they share victory.
Miracles
Each player begins the game with the same miracle cards. As you perform a miracle, it is discarded and cannot be used again. The prayer point cost noted on the card must be paid.
Vision of Heaven: This miracle has no cost. The disciple performing it is removed from the board, back to the player's supply. The miracle space they occupied will now be open again.
Cast out Demons: When played, simply add 5 believers.
Prison Break: The 2 disciples who can perform another action are your choice. Pick 2 currently occupying action icons, and return them to the staging area of their respective regions. They may act again later this turn. If removed from a travel space, they do not arrive at their destination.
Spiritual Transport: The disciple you choose to move with this miracle will end up in the same space of the new region. If taken from a staging area, they will end up in a staging area and can act later this turn. If on an action space, they transport to the same space in the new region. They cannot move to another region where that action space is occupied (except for prayer).
Signs & Wonders: The believers added by this miracle are based on the number of regions in which you have at least one disciple. The actual number per region does not matter.
Raise the Dead: Unlike the disciple action, the disciple gained by playing the miracle is placed in that region's staging area to be used this turn.
Heal the Lame: This miracle has a variable cost. You can expend between 1-7 prayer points. Each point expended in this way adds 2 believers, such that you can add up to 14 believers in total.
Spiritual Gifts
Each spiritual gift card provides an ongoing benefit or ability, which can help shape your strategy. As such, they are most useful to gain early in the game. You may have up to two spiritual gifts in total.
Administration: You may have a second of your disciples in a row take an action at any time of your choosing during the turn. All other normal rules must be followed.
Apostleship: Each church you plant cost 2 prayer points less than normal.
Discernment: The believers added by this gift are added at the time your disciple prays. Praying for a spiritual gift will trigger this effect as well.
Encouragement: You gain an additional prayer point each time you write.
Evangelism: With this gift, you may utilize a preaching space occupied by another player. When doing so, place your disciple next to the other disciple. Add believers as normal, but do not remove a disc.
Healing: You are not required to expend the prayer point, nor can you choose to use more than 1 prayer point per preaching action.
Interpretation: There is no limit to the number of believers you may add through the benefit of this gift.
Leadership: Each church planted gains you the additional believers.
Mercy: Don't forget to add your extra believers at the start of each turn.
Miracles: Every miracle performed costs you 1 less prayer point. Once per turn you may use an occupied miracle space, even if occupied by your own disciple.
Prophecy: You are always the start player, regardless of relative believers.
Teaching: The discount applies every time you use a disciple action.
Tongues: You add the bonus believer each time your preach.
Wisdom: Remember to claim your free prayer point each turn.