Tsuro
Tsuro Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
- 1 game board
- 8 markers
- 1 dragon tile
- 35 path tiles
THE TILES
Each path tile is printed with four lines, or paths, that create eight points on the tile’s edges. Each point lines up with the points on any other tile to create the paths.
Though the paths on each tile might cross each other, they each proceed uninterrupted and independent of the others.
For example, the paths on the following tile connect only the two points marked A, the two points marked B, and so on. Each tile is unique.
The dragon tile is used to keep track of which player draws first when the draw pile is reshuffled.
SETUP
Lay out the game board. Each player chooses a marker.
Find the dragon tile and set it aside. Shuffle the path tiles, and deal three face down to each player. These tiles create your hand. You may look at the tiles in your hand at any time.
Stack the remaining path tiles face down. This stack is the draw pile.
The oldest player plays first.
The first player places his or her marker on one of the start marks on the outside edge of the game board (the short white marks on the outside of the board). Continue clockwise around the board until each player has chosen a start mark and placed his or her marker.
PLAYING THE GAME
Each turn has three parts:
A) Play a path tile B) Move the markers C) All players draw tiles
The player currently taking his or her turn is called the active player.
A) PLAY A TILE
- The active player chooses one of the path tiles from his or her hand and places it on an open square next to his or her marker. The player may place the tile in any direction. Once a tile has been placed, it cannot be moved for the rest of the game.
B) MOVE THE MARKERS
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The active player moves his marker to the open end of the path.
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All other markers adjacent to the new tile are moved to the ends of their new paths.
A player is eliminated from the game if the open end of his or her path connects to the edge of the board. All path tiles from eliminated players’ hands are shuffled into the draw pile. (If there is no draw pile, form a new one using eliminated players’ path tiles). If an eliminated player has the Dragon Tile, set it aside.
A player may not willingly connect his or her own path to the edge of the board (thereby forcing himself or herself out of the game) unless no other move is possible.
C) ALL PLAYERS DRAW TILES
At the beginning of the game, only the active player will draw a path tile, replacing the one he or she played this turn.
Later in the game when the draw pile is empty and players have less than three path tiles in their hands, all players will have the chance to draw tiles, even if it is not their turn.
- Starting with the active player and moving clockwise, each player with fewer than three path tiles draws a tile, continuing around the board until all players have three path tiles or the draw pile is empty. This rule changes slightly if a player has the dragon tile (See Below).
The Dragon Tile
As the game goes on, the draw pile may run out of tiles and players may have less than three tiles in their hand.
Once the draw pile is empty, the first player who is supposed to draw a path tile and cannot takes the dragon tile instead.
The player with the dragon tile keeps it until more tiles become available (from eliminated players).
When the new tiles become available, the player with the dragon tile sets it aside and is the first player to draw path tiles.
- Once all players have three path tiles or the draw pile is empty, play continues clockwise around the board.
WINNING THE GAME
When only one marker remains on the board, that player wins the game.
If all path tiles have been played and two or more markers remain on the board, the remaining players tie for the win.
If all remaining players are eliminated on the same move, those players tie for the win.
If the paths of two players become connected (run into each other), both players are eliminated from the game.