Tholos
Tholos Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 rulebook
- 1 double-sided temple board
- 16 white stones
- 16 black stones
- 10 gray stones
- 2 workshop tiles
- 1 double-sided scoreboard
- 7 ornament tiles (for the advanced mode)
- 5 location tokens (for the advanced mode)
- 1 quarry marker
Game Basics
The players will take on the role of builders competing to win the greatest influence in the temple via the construction of its characteristic colonnade.
Each column has a maximum height of 5 stones and the game ends when all 7 columns have been completed.
At the end of the game, each player will score points for the columns that have more stones of their color than their rival's. The player with the most points wins the game.
Game Setup
- Place the bottom part of the game box upside down in the center of the table and place the circular TEMPLE board on it. To play the basic mode, make sure the side shown in the illustration is facing up.
- One player plays white and the other player plays black.
- Each player picks up their WORKSHOP tile and places 2 stones of their color in the spaces reserved for them.
- Place the SCOREBOARD next to the playing area and put a white stone and a black stone in space "0."
- Leave the remaining stones on one side of the table forming the QUARRY. Place the quarry marker next to these stones to mark this area.
- The player who proves to be more knowledgeable about the Olympus of the gods will go first. You may also decide the starting player by any other means.
- Set aside the ORNAMENT TILES and the LOCATION TOKENS. You will only use them in the advanced game mode (see Advanced Mode).
How to Play
Beginning with the starting player, the players will alternate playing turns.
The Game Turn
In their turn, each player must perform one of the two main actions described below.
1. Deliver stones from the quarry to the workshop
The player takes stones of the same color from the quarry and places them in the reserved spaces of their workshop.
- If they choose stones that match their color, they may take up to 3 stones from the quarry.
- If they choose gray stones (neutral stones), they may take up to 2 stones from the quarry.
- If they choose stones that match their rival's color, they may only take 1 stone from the quarry.
The workshop has three spaces reserved for storing these stones. To take stones from the quarry, the player must have at least one free space in their workshop and they can't take more stones than they have free spaces.
Workshop tile reminders: 1. Free spaces in the workshop. 2. Different quarry options. 3. Reminder of the values of the stones.
Example: The black player has 2 free spaces in their workshop and wants to perform the action of taking stones from the quarry. Their options are:
- Take 1 white stone
- Take up to a maximum of 2 gray stones
- Take up to a maximum of 2 black stones
2. Place stones in the temple (may trigger a bonus temple action)
The player places one of the stones from their workshop in a valid temple location. If there is a stone already in that location, the new stone will be placed on top forming a column.
Each column has a maximum height of 5 stones. Once this height is reached, the column will no longer be considered a valid location and the players will no longer be allowed to place stones on it. The column will revert to being a valid location if its height is reduced as a result of a bonus temple action (see below).
If the player places a stone of their color in the temple, they may perform the bonus temple action that is specific to that location.
Bonus Temple Actions
Each location in the temple has an associated bonus temple action that is illustrated on the temple board. When a player, on their turn, places a stone of their color in a valid location, they may perform the bonus temple action of that location.
Important: If the player, as a result of a bonus temple action, adds or moves another stone of their color to a new valid location, they will not trigger the bonus temple action of the new location.
The bonus temple actions are:
- Location δ: The player who places a stone of their color in this location may move a stone (of any color) from the quarry to their workshop; the player must have room for it in their workshop.
- Locations Ω/α/β: The player who places a stone of their color in one of these locations may move the top stone of the column at a different temple location to a third different — and valid — temple location. The color of the stone to be moved must match the color shown in the illustration of the activated location: black for Ω, gray for α and white for β.
- Location π: The player who places a stone of their color in this location may move a stone (of any color) from their rival's workshop to their own workshop; the player must have room for it in their workshop.
- Location γ: The player who places a stone of their color in this location may return the top stone (of any color) of the column at a different temple location back to the quarry.
- Location Σ: The player who places a stone of their color in this location may place a stone (of any color) from their workshop in another valid temple location.
Example: The white player places a white stone in location Σ. This location, as a bonus temple action, gives them the chance to place another stone from their workshop in another location in the temple. Therefore, the white player places a second white stone, this time in location δ. Since bonus temple actions can't be stacked, the white player will not trigger the bonus temple action at location δ and their turn will have come to an end.
End of the Game
The game ends when all columns have reached their maximum height (5 stones). The scoring will then take place.
Scoring
Each player will only score the columns in which they have achieved more influence than their rival. That is, columns that have more stones of their color than the color of their rival. Each column is scored separately and their total victory points (VP) are added to each player on the scoreboard. If there is a tie in a column (same number of black and white stones) neither one of the players will score points for it. Ignore gray (neutral) stones when determining who has the greatest influence in a column.
The points each column is worth is determined by the type of stones it is composed of:
- 1 VP for each stone of their own color
- 3 VP for each rival stone
- -2 VP for each neutral (gray) stone
Each player's workshop tile provides a reminder of the values of the stones.
The player who scored the highest will be the winner. If there is a tie, the player who won the most columns wins. If the tie persists, the game will end in a draw. How about a rematch?
Scoring Examples
No player has a majority of stones in column Ω. This column is not scored.
The white player has the most stones in column α. They get 1 VP for each stone of their color, 3 VP for the stone of their rival's color, and -2 VP for each of the gray stones. 1+1-2+3-2 = 1 VP for the white player on the scoreboard.
The white player has the most stones in the column β. They get 1+3+3+1+1 = 9 VP on the scoreboard.
The white player has the most stones in column γ. They get -2+1+1-2+1 = -1 VP on the scoreboard.
Advanced Mode
It's time to decorate the temple!
Firstly, place the temple board with the advanced mode side (shown in the illustration) facing up.
For this mode, the starting player will first separate the ornament tiles and mix them face down on the table. Next, they will repeat the same process with the location tokens.
Each player will randomly draw 1 ornament tile and 1 location token.
The location token will determine the location on the temple board where their ornament tile is to be placed.
Note: You may agree to start the game with more ornament tiles. For each new ornament tile you draw, make sure to draw a new location token with it.
Ornament tiles have a unique effect that applies only to the column where they are placed.
Ornament Tiles
- During the scoring, the player with the greatest influence in this column will score an additional +3 VP.
- Unlike the rest of the columns, this column will be won by the player with the minority of stones of their color. Therefore, if there are 0 white stones and at least 1 black stone, the column will be claimed by the white player.
- In this column, the gray stones are worth +2 VP instead of -2 VP in the score count.
- In this column, the gray stones are worth -3 VP instead of -2 VP in the score count.
- This location's bonus temple action can also be activated with gray stones.
- Choose between this location's bonus temple action and the following: move a gray stone from the QUARRY to the TEMPLE (to a different location).
- This column holds up to 7 stones instead of the usual 5.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I act on a column that already has 5 stones?
You won't be allowed to place any more stones on it, but you can still move or remove stones from it with bonus temple actions from other locations.
What happens if, while determining influence on a column during the score count, a column has more gray stones than of any other color?
Gray (neutral) stones are disregarded when calculating the influence on columns. Therefore, the column will be scored by the player whose stones are more abundant in the column compared to their rival.
Credits
- Game Design: David Bernal
- Illustrations: Jesus Fuentes (Chuz)
- Layout: Jesus Fuentes (Chuz)
- Revision of original texts: Cristóbal Morales Capita
- Translation: Cristóbal Morales Capita
- Revision of English texts: Emily Gendrolis
- Publisher: Perro Loko Games (www.perrolokogames.com)