The Border
The Border Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Areas
Each board shows 9 areas that are surrounded by border spaces. The 9 areas and the border spaces are identical on each board - the only difference is the way the colored segments are arranged.
As the game progresses, players will be able to cross off more and more border spaces on their boards. As soon as you complete an area by crossing off its last border space, you score victory points for it. The game ends when one of the players completes their 6th area. The player with the most points is the winner.
Tim has completed the area at the top (villa) by crossing off all of its border spaces. Because Tim was the first player to complete this area, he scores 9 victory points, which he circles on his scoring row at the bottom.
Note: There are two white border spaces (upper left and lower right) that already have a cross pre-printed on them.
Scoring row. Pre-printed crosses (white spaces).
How to Play
Each player receives a board and a marker. Randomly determine who will be the first active player. Each round consists of the following two actions, which must be performed in succession:
First Action
The active player must roll all 5 dice. You can roll up to three times. After each roll, you may decide to reroll as many dice as you like, or to stop rolling. You're also allowed to set dice aside (e.g. two red ones), to possibly reroll them later. You may freely choose which of the dice you want to reroll. When you've finished rolling as the active player, you (and only you!) may cross off the results on your board as follows:
You're allowed to cross off one space per die of the corresponding color. Very important: You may only use dice if you're able to complete an entire colored segment with them. The colored segment in question doesn't have to be connected to other crossed-off spaces. It can be anywhere on your board. During the first action, you're not allowed to open up or expand a colored segment without fully completing it.
After her third roll, Sarah has 3 grey dice, 1 yellow, and 1 blue. She uses the three grey dice to completely cross off the grey segment of 3. Sarah could have also used two of her three grey dice to completely cross off the grey segment of 2 on the right. She's not allowed to use the yellow and blue dice, because she can't complete a segment with them.
Note: Later on in the game, you may encounter colored segments that are only partially crossed off (see 'Second Action'). These colored segments may be completed during the first action. As the active player, you're allowed to freely divide the rolled results in order to complete multiple colored segments (see 'Additional Example').
Second Action
All non-active players may now cross off spaces using the dice the active player didn't use for their first action. They are allowed to cross off one space per die of the corresponding color. The following rules apply for crossing off spaces:
Each space you cross off must be adjacent to (at least) one space that's already been crossed off. At the start of the game, you can only do this next to the white spaces. Later on in the game, you'll be able to cross off spaces next to existing crosses anywhere on your board.
Note: During the second action, you may complete colored segments, but you don't have to. You're allowed to open up, expand or complete new colored segments.
During her first action, Sarah was unable to use her yellow and blue dice. Both of these dice are now available to the non-active players. Emma crosses off a yellow and a blue space (adjacent to her white spaces). Linus crosses off one yellow and one blue space on his board, as well (adjacent to his white spaces). Tim can only cross off a blue space on his board, since there are no yellow spaces next to his white spaces.
Warning: If during the first action the active player used all five of their dice, the non-active players may still choose one of these five dice to cross off a space during the second action. If during the first action the active player didn't use any of the dice, the non-active players may use all five dice (or fewer) to cross off spaces during the second action.
When all non-active players are finished, the round ends. The next player in clockwise order now becomes the new active player and carries out both actions as described above. The game continues like this, with players taking turns as the active player.
Additional Example
Linus is the active player. After his second roll, he has 4 yellows and 1 red. He's happy with that and decides not to roll a third time. He uses all 5 dice to complete 3 colored segments: the yellow segment of 5 to the left, as well as the yellow one of 4 and the red one of 3 to the right.
During the second action, each non-active player may use one of Linus' five dice to cross off a space. Tim and Sarah cross off a red space and Emma crosses off a yellow.
Scoring the Areas
As soon as you complete an area by crossing off its last border space, state this to the other players loud and clear. Then, you score victory points:
- The first player to complete this area scores the higher of its two values and circles that number on their scoring row. We recommend that all other players cancel out this value on their scoring rows.
- All players that score this area during a future action or round receive the lower of its two values and circle that number on their scoring row.
Emma crossed off all spaces surrounding the well. She receives 4 points, which she circles on her scoring row. All players that score the well area during a future action or round will only score 2 points.
Note: If multiple players manage to complete the same area during the second action, they all score its highest value.
End of the Game
The game ends when one of the players completes their 6th area. If this happens during the first action, then the second action is carried out as normal. It's possible and allowed to complete more than 6 areas during your final action. All completed areas are scored. The player with the most points is the winner. In case of a tie, the player that scored the most valuable individual area is the winner.
Linus is the active player. He managed to complete his 6th area during the first action. The second action is still carried out, and then the game ends. Linus was the first to complete 3 of the areas, but in the 3 other areas he wasn't. His final score is 33 points.