Threaded: A Game of Needles and Points Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• A Friendly Note on Terms
• Components
• Setup
• Your Studio
  • Needle
  • Basket
  • Tapestry Display
  • Equipment Slots
  • Assistants
  • Commission Slot
• How to Play
  • I. Plan
  • II. Visit
• A. Awl You Want
  • Scraps & Giving
• B. Bobbins & Baskets
  • Equipment Cards
• C. Custom Creations
  • Commission Cards
• D. Darn Good Thread
  • Important: Thread Cubes
• E. Ends & Odds
• F. Finishes
  • Tapestry Cards
  • Take
  • Make
  • Refresh
  • Share
  • Example
• III. Restock
• Game End & Scoring
  • Scoring Example
• Equipment Card Glossary
  • Shop A (Awl You Want)
  • Shop C (Custom Creations)
  • Shop D (Darn Good Thread)
  • Shop F (Finishes)

A Friendly Note on Terms

The Bargello-inspired patterns in this game can be created using various yarncraft techniques. To keep things simple and accessible, the rulebook uses terms it hopes will feel familiar to the widest audience, even if they don't all tie together perfectly.

Components

• 1 Bargain box tower
• 6 Shop boards - A to F (one side of each shop board has text to remind you of the action that can be taken there, the other a feline friend)
• 20 Equipment cards
• 26 Commission cards
• 6 Queue blockers
• 1 Scraps board
• 150 Thread cubes (optional stickers: add only 1 sticker per cube)
• 40 Tapestry cards
• 20 Assistant pieces - 4 sky blue, 4 seafoam green, 4 shampoo pink, 4 sherbet yellow, 4 sienna brown
• 5 Studio boards
• 1 First player token
• 1 Bag

Setup

I. Place all the threads in the bag and mix it up!

II. Place the shop boards from A to F in the middle of the table. The exact placement of the shops does not matter, just try to keep them in reach of all players.

• A. At AWL YOU WANT, nothing needs doing!
• B. At BOBBINS & BASKETS, shuffle the equipment cards and place them face down as a deck to the left of the shop. Draw 3 of them and place them face up in the slots beneath the shop.
• C. At CUSTOM CREATIONS, shuffle the commission cards and place them face down as a deck on the left-hand "tray" marked "deck".
• D. At DARN GOOD THREAD, randomly draw a number of threads according to the player count shown on the shop. Place these threads on the shop.
• E. At ENDS & ODDS, assemble and place the bargain box. Then randomly draw 10 threads from the bag and tip them in. Any threads that fall out immediately are returned to the bag.
• F. At FINISHES, shuffle the tapestry cards, draw 5 and place them face up in a line to the right of the shop. Place the rest as a face down deck at the right-hand end of the line.

III. Pass each player:

• A. A studio, which they place on the table in front of them with room for cards to the left, right, and below.
• B. The bag, from which they randomly draw 3 threads, to be placed in the basket of their studio.
• C. 3 assistants of the same colour. Add a 4th assistant if playing with only 2 players.
• D. 1 commission card from the deck, which only they may look at.

IV. Place the scraps board near the FINISHES shop, then randomly draw 3 threads to be placed on it.

V. Place queue blockers in any queue spots not used by your player count.

VI. Randomly choose a starting player and give them the first player token.

Your Studio

To win a game of Threaded, you'll need to make tapestries. To do so, you'll depend on your needle, basket, and assistants. All of these are housed in your studio.

Needle

Your "needle" is where the magic happens - only threads placed here can be turned into the tapestries you need to win! You can add threads to your needle at either end, but it can only hold up to 6 threads.

If your needle is full and you want to add another thread, you'll need to push one off from the opposite end. Threads pushed off go straight to scraps.

Basket

Your "basket" is where you store threads you want to use later. The order and placement of threads in your basket doesn't matter, but it can only hold up to 4 threads in total.

If you ever end up with more than 4 threads, choose which extras to send to scraps until you're back to 4.

Tapestry Display

Once you've made a tapestry, display it here. Until then, keep your tapestry cards in your hand. Make sure all completed tapestries are clearly visible. See Tapestry Cards for more information.

Equipment Slots

Store your equipment cards here for everyone to see until you use them. You can have up to 2 cards, 1 in each slot. See Bobbins & Baskets for more information on equipment.

Assistants

These spaces are for your assistants when they're not in a shop queue. Use them to claim various actions during the game. If there are 3 or more players, you should only have 3 assistants.

Commission Slot

Place your commission cards face down in a pile here. You can check them at any time, but keep them secret from other players! See Custom Creations for more information on commissions.

How to Play

Each round is split into three phases, and all players complete each phase before everyone then moves onto the next phase. The phases are:

I. PLAN - When you will take it in turns to assign your assistants to a spot in the queue.

II. VISIT - When, shop by shop and in queue order, any players who sent assistants will get to do an action.

III. RESTOCK - When assistants will return, the first player will change, and some spaces will refill.

I. Plan

Players take it in turn to place one of their assistants in an empty queue spot.

• Start with the player who has the first player token and move clockwise.
• Once all players have placed all of their assistants, it's time to move on to the next phase: VISIT!

A player can have multiple assistants visit the same shop.

II. Visit

Shop by shop, and in the order the assistants are queued up, each player will get the benefits of that shop.

• The shops are visited in alphabetical order, starting with A (AWL YOU WANT).
• Each player with an assistant at a shop carries out the action described there, once per assistant.
• The assistants perform the shop action in the order in which they are queued, starting with the assistant furthest to the left and then moving along the queue to the right.

TIP: You may find it helpful to track where you are in a turn by taking back your assistants once their action has been performed!

Example: During the VISIT step, the players have reached CUSTOM CREATIONS. Izzy's assistant was first in the queue, and so she takes the action listed first. Second is Fraser's assistant. Once all the assistants have been used, play moves on to the next shop, DARN GOOD THREAD.

The main action of each shop is shown on the board. Any additional rules, notes, or examples are noted below each shop's entry.

A. Awl You Want

Give 2 threads to scraps and add your assistant from here to the end of another queue, even if it is full.

• When you move your assistant, add it to the right-hand end of the queue.
• IMPORTANT: The assistant can always be placed at the end of the queue, even if there is no empty spot in the queue!

Scraps & Giving

"Giving" threads means placing them in scraps. The thread may come from your basket or the ends of your needle. There is no limit to the amount of thread that may be in scraps.

B. Bobbins & Baskets

Take 1 face up equipment card, and 1 face down card from the deck.

BOBBINS & BASKETS should have a face down deck to its left, three face up pieces of equipment below it, and a face up discard pile to its right. The three face up equipment cards and the face down top card of the deck are the available equipment. The discard pile is not available for selection.

Do not refill any equipment slots until the RESTOCK phase. If the deck is ever empty, immediately shuffle the discard pile and place it as a new face down deck.

Equipment Cards

Every equipment card is single use, and gives the player some kind of benefit when used. Once taken, equipment is kept face up next to the player's studio until used.

• Each card has a shop indicator and an equipment effect. It can only be used when the indicated shop is being visited.
• IMPORTANT: Equipment can only be used either before any player has taken an action at the indicated shop, or when the player with the equipment is resolving one of their assistants.
• Once a piece of equipment has been used, place it on the discard pile at BOBBINS & BASKETS.
• If a player ever has more than 2 equipment, they must choose 1 to discard.

C. Custom Creations

Draw 2 commission cards. Keep 1, discard the other.

CUSTOM CREATIONS should have a face down deck in the space marked "deck", and a face up discard pile to its right. If the deck is ever empty, immediately shuffle the discard pile and place it as a new face down deck.

Commission Cards

Commission cards grant victory points, the key to winning the game! Each shows commission requirements (a colour combination, a single colour, or a pattern) and the points granted per tapestry.

• Once taken, commissions are kept face down below the player's studio and are secret until game end.
• Commissions grant victory points for every tapestry that belongs to the player and matches the shown colour combination, single colour, or pattern.
• Multiple tapestries can score for the same commission, and one tapestry might also score for multiple commissions.
• Commissions that show a colour combination require both colours to be present in the same tapestry, but not in a particular order or adjacency.
• IMPORTANT: Each player may have a maximum of 4 commissions. If a player ever has more than 4 commissions they must choose 1 to discard.

D. Darn Good Thread

Take 3 available threads. The last player here tips all remaining threads into the bargain box.

DARN GOOD THREAD should have a number of threads placed during SETUP/RESTOCK.

• If no players went here, the player with the first player token tips all of the threads into the bargain box.
• Tip threads into the bargain box even if no player has an assistant at ENDS & ODDS.

Important: Thread Cubes

If you're into yarncraft, you know too much material can quickly become overwhelming! To keep things manageable, your studio has important rules for managing thread:

1. You can only move threads when you get new threads.
2. You can move any of your threads whenever you get new threads.
3. You can place thread in your basket, on either end of your needle, or in scraps.
4. You can move threads from your basket to your needle or to scraps, but not from your needle to your basket.
5. You can only move threads from your needle by pushing them off an end, or when you must spend or give threads due to an action or equipment.
6. If you gain multiple threads at once, you can take them all before deciding where to place them or which to send to scraps.
7. Make sure to move any excess threads to scraps before taking another action or using equipment.

Example:

• Izzy takes 3 thread from her action at DARN GOOD THREAD (1 green, 1 brown, 1 silver).
• She places the new brown thread on the right-hand end of her needle, and puts the new green and silver thread in her basket.
• She then takes a yellow thread that she previously had in her basket, and puts it on the right-hand end of the needle. This pushes out 1 pink thread which is sent to scraps.
• She still has 1 too many threads in her basket, and decides that rather than add to her needle she will send 1 silver thread to scraps.

E. Ends & Odds

Take 1 thread at a time, in queue order, until all threads have been taken.

Adding threads to the bargain box usually causes some threads to spill through. The threads that have spilt out are then available for selection at ENDS & ODDS. If no threads are available, then none will be taken!

• Leftover threads will be cleared during the RESTOCK phase.
• IMPORTANT: Players may wait until they have taken their final thread at this shop before choosing where to place them.

Example: There are 5 threads available at ENDS & ODDS: 2 green, 1 blue, 1 pink, and 1 silver. Fraser and Izzy have both placed an assistant here, so they alternate taking threads, starting with Fraser at the start of the queue.

1. Fraser selects the pink thread and adds it to his basket.
2. Izzy chooses a green thread and adds it to her needle.
3. Fraser picks the other green thread for his second choice.
4. Izzy takes the silver thread for her second choice.
5. Fraser collects the remaining blue thread.

After all threads have been taken, the actions at ENDS & ODDS are complete, and the assistants are removed from the queue.

F. Finishes

CHOOSE TWICE from these four actions:

• TAKE, a tapestry into hand, placing 1 thread on each tapestry you skip. Fill the line.
• MAKE, a tapestry from your hand, spending 3 matching threads (in order) from your needle.
• REFRESH, give 3 threads to scraps. Refresh the whole line (add any extra thread to scraps too).
• SHARE, give 1 thread to scraps. Then take any other threads from scraps.

FINISHES should have 5 tapestries in a line to the right, as well as a deck next to the line. This shop gives you 4 possible actions, and you get to make 2 selections.

IMPORTANT: You may take the same action twice.

Once all assistants have been used, move on to the RESTOCK phase.

Tapestry Cards

Tapestry cards are made up of a pattern and set of three colours, shown at the bottom of the card.

• Once taken, tapestries are kept in a player's hand until they are played to their display by the MAKE action.
• Only tapestries in a player's studio display will count towards a player's score at the end of the game.
• You may not hold more than 3 tapestries in hand. If you ever take a fourth tapestry, discard 1 from your hand to make room. Shuffle it into the deck.

Take

• Tapestries are taken from left to right, so if you take the first tapestry, no threads need to be placed. If you take the third, then you would place 1 thread of your choice on both the first and second tapestry.
• When you place thread, it may come from either the ends of your needle or your basket.
• Take any thread that was on the tapestry you took.
• Once you take a tapestry into hand, you may keep it secret from other players.
• Fill any empty spaces in the line by moving each tapestry (along with any threads there) to the leftmost free position and then drawing tapestries to fill in any empty spaces remaining at the right-hand end.

This means that at the end of a TAKE, the line should always have been refilled to 5 tapestry cards.

Make

• The 3 matching threads must be on your needle, and be taken in the matching order from one end of your needle. This order must be the same as the tapestry, from left to right.
• Once you have made a tapestry, place it face up next to your studio. It can now count towards scoring commissions.
• The spent threads are returned to the bag.
• IMPORTANT: Once any player has made their fifth tapestry, it marks the final phase of the game. Players resolve any remaining assistants and then move to GAME END & SCORING.

Refresh

To refresh the line, do the following steps:

1. Move any threads on tapestries to scraps.
2. Place the 5 tapestries to be replaced to one side.
3. Draw 5 new tapestries and place them in the now empty slots, from left to right.
4. Shuffle the 5 replaced tapestries into the deck.

Share

• You do not have to fill your basket.
• You may take threads you gave on an earlier action, but not the thread that was just given.

Example

Fraser's assistant is first in the queue, followed by Izzy's. Both players will choose 2 actions during their turn.

Fraser's turn:

• 1st Choice: Fraser chooses REFRESH. He gives 3 threads from his basket and needle to scraps. Fraser refreshes the entire tapestry lineup. He moves the threads on the current tapestries to scraps, sets the 5 tapestries aside, replaces them with 5 new ones from the deck, and shuffles the old tapestries back into the deck.
• 2nd Choice: Fraser chooses TAKE. He selects the second tapestry from the new lineup and places 1 thread from his basket on the tapestry he skips. He then adds the chosen tapestry to his hand. He then moves the third, fourth, and fifth tapestries 1 space to the left, and draws a new tapestry to fill the space created where the fifth was.

Izzy's turn:

• 1st Choice: Izzy chooses SHARE. She gives 1 thread from her basket to scraps, taking 2 pink threads from scraps to her basket, and another to her needle. As she is gaining threads, she takes the chance to move 1 silver thread from her basket to her needle.
• 2nd Choice: Izzy chooses MAKE. She spends 3 matching threads (silver, yellow, blue) from her needle to complete a matching tapestry she had in hand. She places the tapestry face up in her display and returns the used threads to the thread bag.

Once both players have completed their actions, the assistants are removed from the queue, and the shop is finished for this round.

III. Restock

Various shops will restock, assistants will return, and the first player will change.

• Restock happens after all assistants at FINISHES have been resolved.
• Complete the following actions:
  1. Restock BOBBINS & BASKETS by discarding any equipment remaining beneath it and then refilling those slots from the deck.
  2. Restock DARN GOOD THREAD by drawing and placing a number of threads according to the player count.
  3. Clear any threads remaining at ENDS & ODDS by returning them to the bag.
  4. All players make sure they have taken back their assistants.
  5. Pass the first player token 1 player clockwise.

Then start a new round with the first phase, PLAN.

Game End & Scoring

The game ends at the end of the VISIT phase in which at least one player has made their fifth tapestry.

A player's score is based on how many times they have met each of their commissions with their tapestries. Multiply the value of each commission by the number of tapestries that fulfil it and sum these totals. Then add 1 point for every 3 threads remaining on a player's studio.

The player with the most points wins! If there is a tie, the player with the most tapestries produced wins. If there is still a tie, then the player who was latest in the turn order of the final round wins.

Scoring Example

Fraser and Izzy have reached the end of the VISIT phase in which Fraser made his fifth tapestry, triggering the game's end.

Fraser has 3 commissions and 5 tapestries.

• Commission card 1 (5 points per pink-and-yellow tapestry): He has 1 tapestry matching this requirement, earning 5 points.
• Commission card 2 (2 points per blue tapestry): He has 3 blue tapestries, earning 6 points.
• Commission card 3 (5 points per tapestry of this pattern): He has 2 such tapestries, including the one that also scored for containing blue thread, earning 10 points.
• Total from commissions: 21 points. Fraser has 7 threads remaining in his studio, worth 2 additional points (1 point for every 3 threads).
• Fraser's Total Score: 23 points.

Izzy's commissions score 20, 2, 2, and 5 points respectively, for a total of 29 points. Izzy's Total Score: 29 points.

Final Result: Izzy wins with 29 points, while Fraser finishes with 23 points. There's no tie, but if there had been, Fraser would have won the tiebreaker because he has produced more tapestries (5 vs. Izzy's 4).

Equipment Card Glossary

Each equipment card is marked with the shop where it is used (A, C, D, F). Card effects, with the rulebook's notes:

Shop A (Awl You Want)

• Move one of your assistants to the front of the queue they are in.
• Take 1 equipment card from the discard pile. You may take any card in the discard pile.
• Place as an assistant in an empty queue slot. Discard after visiting. When you VISIT the shop where this card is placed, resolve it as an assistant of the player who placed this card.

Shop C (Custom Creations)

• May restock the equipment line. Then take 1 equipment card.
• When drawing commission cards, keep both. If this would cause you to have more than 4 commissions, choose any of your commission cards to discard.
• Take 1 commission card from the discard pile. If this would cause you to have more than 4 commissions, choose any of your commission cards to discard. You may take any card in the discard pile.

Shop D (Darn Good Thread)

• Draw 3 random threads from the bag for yourself. The thread will need to be added to your basket, needle, or scraps.

Shop F (Finishes)

• MAKE 1 tapestry for free. Move any threads in your basket to scraps. "Making for free" means that you do not need to have or spend matching thread on your needle.
• Add 5 random threads from the bag to the bargain box.
• Place 1 thread of each colour at ENDS & ODDS, from the bag.
• Swap 1 thread on your needle for 1 blue thread from the bag. (Likewise for 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 silver, 1 brown, and 1 green thread.)
• TAKE 1 tapestry without placing threads. Fill the line. Using this card acts as an extra TAKE. It does not replace an action.
• Rearrange threads between your needle and basket. Rearranging threads means that, in effect, you can empty your needle into your basket, and then refill your needle in whatever order you would like.
• May REFRESH the tapestry line. Then TAKE 1 tapestry. You may TAKE without using REFRESH. Don't forget to fill the tapestry line after taking your tapestry.
• Add 7 random threads from the bag to scraps.