Valencia Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Material
• Game Setup (Example for 5 Players)
  • The game board
  • The general supply
  • Your game material
  • The task cards
• Gameplay
  • Phase I: Planning phase
    • A) Draw influence cards
    • B) Form influence stacks
  • Phase II: Action phase
    • Influencing
    • The Council
    • Influence Nobility and Church (step A)
    • Influence Guild (steps B, D, F)
    • Placement next to a fountain
    • Influence Merchants (steps C, E)
    • Change Location (step G)
    • Plant a Palm Tree (step H)
• End of the Game and Final Scoring
• The Two-Player Game
  • Game Setup
  • Gameplay
• Expansion Module 1: Advanced Influence Cards
  • Game Setup
  • Gameplay
    • "0" - Joker (1x)
    • "1" - Nest Egg (2x)
    • "2" - Twin (2x)
    • "3" - Warehouse (2x)
    • "4" - Assistance (1x)
    • "5" - Wanderer (1x)
    • "7" - Powerhouse (1x)
• The Task Cards
• The Fountain Abilities

Game Material

• 1 Game board (printed on both sides)
• 5 Round boards
• 30 Goods (6 of each: oranges, tiger nuts, wine, cloths, porcelain)
• 12 City map tiles (printed on both sides): 8 city map tiles for 3-5 players; 4 city map tiles for 2 players
• 1 Central tile
• 10 Fountains
• 50 Coins (15 x 1, 20 x 2, 15 x 5)
• 19 Privileges
• 1 Round marker
• 1 Stefan Feld figure
• 35 Task cards
• 5 Palm trees
• 1 Rulebook

Personal game material (in the colors red, white, green, blue and black):

• 5 Screens, 1 of each color (outside: character portrait, player color and symbol; inside: turn overview and end game scoring)
• 5 Prestige markers, 1 of each color
• 5 100-point markers, 1 of each color
• 120 Influence cards, 24 of each color (4 cards each with the values 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
• 75 Family members, 15 of each color

Expansion module 1: Advanced Influence Cards

• 50 New Influence cards, 10 of each color (1 card each with the values 0, 4, 5 and 7; 2 cards each with the values 1, 2 and 3)

The game is available in a DELUXE version and a CLASSIC version with differing material; the rules are the same.

Game Setup (Example for 5 Players)

The game board

1. Place the game board in the middle of the table, with the side corresponding to the number of players facing up.
2. Shuffle the 5 round boards and place them in random order on the round spaces of the game board.
3. Place the round marker on space A of the leftmost round board.
4. Shuffle the 10 fountain tiles and place 1 random fountain face up on the fountain space of each round board. The remaining fountains are returned to the box.
5. Place one palm tree on the palm tree icon (next to the letter "H") of each round board.
6. Assemble the city area by placing the matching city map tiles on the corresponding spaces on the game board. Note: See the starting setup for the first game in the rulebook illustration. You can rotate all city map pieces as you wish and also use the reverse side, as long as there is space in the middle for the center tile.
7. Place the central tile on the 2x2 space in the middle of the city area.

The general supply

8. Place the coins and the goods sorted next to the game board.
9. Place 1 privilege on the council for each person. Place the remaining privileges next to the game board.

Your game material

10. Choose a player color and receive in that color:
    • 15 Family members. Place them in front of you.
    • 24 Influence cards. Shuffle and place the deck face down.
    • 1 Prestige marker. Place the prestige markers on the 0 space of the prestige track.
    • 1 100-point marker. Place this next to the 0 space on the prestige track.
    • 1 Screen. Place it in front of you.
11. You also receive from the general supply: coins with a total value of 5. Place the coins behind your screen.
12. Whoever last sat at a fountain starts the game and receives the Stefan Feld figure. This person also places a family member on the nobility space of the council. The person to their left places a family member on the church space of the council.

The task cards

13. Shuffle the task cards. All players receive 5 task cards and look at them. Now decide which cards you want to keep. You must keep at least one card.
14. Place the task cards you want to keep behind your screen. Return the task cards you do not keep to the box.

Gameplay

A game of Valencia lasts for 5 rounds. Each round consists of 3 phases, which are completed in sequence: Phase I: Planning phase | Phase II: Action phase | Phase III: Council phase

Phase I: Planning phase

You can all perform this phase at the same time. It consists of 2 steps: A) Draw influence cards and B) Form influence stacks.

A) Draw influence cards

Take the first card from your draw pile into your hand and look at it. Now you decide, card by card, whether you want to draw another card or stop. You may not put drawn cards back on the pile. You may draw as many cards as you like. Keep in mind that your entire deck must last for all 5 rounds. Note: On average you'll have 4.8 cards per round.

Example: Frank (blue) decides to draw a 5th card. Lilli (red) is happy with her 3 cards.

B) Form influence stacks

Now divide your drawn influence cards into several influence stacks. You can freely decide how many stacks you form and how many cards are in each. Stacks can also consist of a single card. Place the influence stacks face down in front of you and fan the cards in each stack slightly so that other players can see how many cards each stack contains.

As soon as everyone is finished, the planning phase ends. You may look at your own influence stacks at any time, but you may no longer change their composition.

Phase II: Action phase

The action phase consists of a total of 9 steps, which are indicated on the round boards by the letters A-I:

• A: Influence Nobility and Church
• B: Influence Guild
• C: Influence Merchants
• D: Influence Guild
• E: Influence Merchants
• F: Influence Guild
• G: Change Location
• H: Plant Palm Tree
• I: Build Fountain

Influencing

Steps A-G are the same in terms of procedure, only the effects are different. Whoever has the Stefan Feld figure in front of them begins and now has the choice of revealing one of their own influence stacks or passing. The other players then do the same in clockwise order until everyone has had a turn and has either revealed a stack or passed.

Example: Patty (white) begins the round and decides to pass. Frank (blue) is next and reveals a stack, then Ani (black), then Dirk (green), and at the end Lilli (red).

Now establish a ranking according to the sums of the influence points that were revealed. In the event of a tie, the person sitting closer to the Stefan Feld figure in a clockwise direction is considered to be better placed. If the person in possession of the Stefan Feld figure is involved in the tie, they always win it.

Players who passed during an auction are not considered as being placed in that auction and therefore will not get to perform an action.

Whoever wins the auction immediately receives the Stefan Feld figure. If all players pass, the Stefan Feld figure stays with the same person.

Depending on which step of the action phase you are currently in, 1, 2, or 3 people may now perform one or more actions.

Example: Frank (blue) wins the auction with a value of 4. At the end of this auction, he receives the Stefan Feld figure. Dirk (green) and Lilli (red) both revealed a 2. Dirk is sitting closer to this round's starting player: Patty. Therefore, he takes second place and Lilli third. Ani (black) unfortunately comes away empty-handed with her 1.

After that, used influence cards are removed from the game. However, if you have revealed an influence stack and did not get to perform an action, you may take exactly one card from this stack and place it at the bottom of your draw pile.

In general, all influence cards that were not used at the end of a complete round are removed from the game without being used.

Example: Since Ani did not take a place with her revealed 1, she may place the card back under her draw pile.

The Council

At the top right of the game board is the city council. There are 8 spaces on the council that your family members can occupy. There is 1 space each for the nobility and the church. 5 spaces belong to the 5 guilds: oranges, tiger nuts, wine, cloths, and porcelain. The eighth space is for the merchants.

Important: Whenever a player places a family member on one of the 8 council spaces during the game, you return the family member who was previously on that space to the corresponding player.

Influence Nobility and Church (step A)

If you win this auction, you place a family member on the nobility space of the council.

If you take second place in the auction, you place a family member on the church space of the council.

Example: Lilli (red) won the auction and places her family member on the nobility space of the council. Patty (white), who was on this space until now, gets her family member back. Dirk (green) takes second place. Since he was already placed here from the previous round, he defends his spot and remains on the church space.

Influence Guild (steps B, D, F)

If you win this auction, you may perform the following 3 actions in sequence:

• Place a family member on the council space of the corresponding guild.
• Take 1 good of the corresponding guild from the supply and place it behind your screen.
• Place 1 family member on a free city space of the corresponding guild and pay the price indicated on the space with coins from your supply.

If you take second place in this auction, you may perform the following 2 actions in sequence:

• Take 1 good of the corresponding guild from the supply and place it behind your screen.
• Place 1 family member on a free city space of the corresponding guild and pay the price indicated on the space with coins from your supply.

If you take third place in this auction, you may perform one of the following two actions:

• Take 1 good of the corresponding guild from the supply and place it behind your screen.

OR

• Place 1 family member on a free city space of the corresponding guild and pay the price indicated on the space with coins from your supply.

Attention: In a two or three-player game, the actions for third place are omitted!

Examples for all 3 options of the step B - Influence Guild:

• Place family member on council space: Patty (white) wins and pushes away Frank (blue) on the wine guild space.
• Take 1 good: Dirk (green) takes 1 wine good from the supply.
• Place family member on city space: Lilli (red) pays 2 coins and places a family member on a free city space of the wine guild.

Note 1: If the supply of the corresponding good is empty, you receive no goods. Note 2: If you do not have enough coins to place 1 family member on a free city space of the corresponding guild, you cannot perform this action.

Placement next to a fountain

Some fountains have special fountain abilities that are activated when a family member is placed on a city space orthogonally adjacent to that fountain.

These abilities are always optional. The decision whether to use the ability or not must be made at the moment the family member is placed.

Unlike the other fountain locations, the central fountain is adjacent to 8 city spaces.

If a family member is placed adjacent to two fountains, only one fountain ability may be activated.

If there is no fountain orthogonally adjacent to the city space yet, nothing happens.

Example: Lilli (red) places her family member on a city space next to a fountain (this costs her 4 coins). Because she places it next to a fountain with an ability, she may immediately sell 1 good of her choice. She chooses the porcelain good, returns it to the supply, and immediately receives 5 coins.

Influence Merchants (steps C, E)

If you win this auction, you may sell any number of goods in your possession for the printed value and take coins from the supply in return. Return the sold goods back to the supply.

Only in step E, you may also place a family member on the merchants' council space.

Example: Frank (blue) wins this auction, immediately sells all of his goods, and receives 7 coins. Since he won in step E, he may now also place a family member on the merchant council space.

Change Location (step G)

If you win this auction, you may move an already placed family member to a horizontally or vertically adjacent free space in Valencia (without paying the indicated price).

Important: This ability does not trigger any fountain abilities!

Example: Dirk (green) wins this auction and may move 1 family member 1 space. He decides to move this family member to a space directly adjacent to a fountain.

Plant a Palm Tree (step H)

No auction takes place in this step.

If your family member is now on the church space of the council, you take one palm tree from the current round board and place it on a free bush in the city area.

Example: Patty (white) is on the church space and may place the palm tree on a bush. She chooses a bush that only her own family members are adjacent to.

Build a Fountain (step I)

No auction takes place in this step.

If your family member is now on the nobility space of the council, you take the fountain from the current round board and place it on a free fountain space in the city area. If the fountain has an ability, this ability only applies from now on and not retroactively to family members who are now standing next to the fountain.

Example: Lilli (red) is on the nobility space and may place the current fountain onto an empty fountain space in the city area. She chooses this fountain space because she is already adjacent to it with 2 of her own family members.

Phase III: Council phase

Now, everyone receives as many prestige points as they have family members on the council.

If you have the most family members on the council, you also receive a privilege. If several people have the most family members, they all receive a privilege. Afterwards, the privileges on the council are refilled for the next round. Note for 4 or 5 players: In the rare case that no more privileges are available, you can replace them with other materials.

Example for point scoring: Lilli (red) = 3 points. Frank (blue) = 2 points. Dirk (green), Ani (black) & Patty (white) = 1 point each.

Example for majority: Lilli (red) has the most family members on the council and therefore receives 1 privilege, which she takes from the council. Afterwards, the council is refilled with 1 privilege.

The Privilege

Privileges can be used in steps A-G during the auctions. When it is your turn to reveal or pass, you may instead place a privilege in the supply to sit out and take another turn later.

More than 1 privilege can be used in one auction.

Example: Ani (black) is the starting player and reveals an influence stack (1). Afterwards, Dirk (green) uses a privilege to pass (2). Lilli (red) reveals a card stack (3), Patty (white) also uses a privilege (4). It is Dirk's turn again and he uses his second privilege (5). Now Patty must reveal a card stack or pass (6). She reveals a stack. Now Dirk, as the last one in the round, can decide if he will reveal a card stack (7).

End of the Game and Final Scoring

After the 5th round, Valencia ends and a final scoring follows:

• For each family member in Valencia, you receive 1 prestige point. Example for Dirk (green): Dirk has a total of 6 family members in Valencia and therefore receives 6 points.
• For each family member in Valencia who is next to at least 1 palm tree, you receive 1 prestige point. Example for Ani (black): Ani has 5 family members next to palm trees. She receives 5 points.
• For each family member in Valencia who is horizontally or vertically adjacent to a fountain, you will receive the prestige points indicated on the corresponding fountain. (The fountains are worth 2, 2, 4, 5 and 6 points depending on the fountain.) ERRATA: Please use only this scoring for the fountains. It is printed incorrectly on the player screen. Example for Lilli (red): Lilli receives a total of 22 points for the fountains to which she is horizontally or vertically adjacent (2+2+6+6+6).
• For each unused privilege, you receive 1 prestige point.
• For each task card fulfilled at the end of the game, you will receive the number of prestige points indicated on it. Even if the task on the card has been fulfilled multiple times, you will only receive the points once. Note: Task cards are only fulfilled at the end of the game. Example: Frank (blue) fulfills 2 task cards. He receives 12 points in total (4+8).
• For each task card not fulfilled at the end of the game, you lose the number of prestige points indicated on it. Example: Frank (blue) has 1 unfulfilled task card: He has no family member on the nobility or church space. For this card, he receives 3 minus points.

If you now have the most prestige points, you win Valencia! In the event of a tie, the player who was able to place the most family members in Valencia wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most remaining coins wins. If the tie cannot be broken this way, several players win.

The Two-Player Game

If you play Valencia with two players, an imaginary player named Nina takes part in auctions B, D, and F.

Game Setup

Take a set of influence cards of an unused color, shuffle the deck, and place it face down next to the game board.

Gameplay

In auctions B and D, after revealing your influence stacks or passing, reveal one card from Nina. In auction F, after revealing your influence stacks or passing, reveal two cards from Nina. Then check your positions in the auction. Nina never places figures or occupies guild spaces, she will however push away players from the council if she wins a guild auction. She does not collect goods or earn victory points. Nina wins every tie she is involved in.

Expansion Module 1: Advanced Influence Cards

Once you have played a few games of Valencia, you can introduce the advanced influence cards. In most cases, these cards replace existing cards in your influence card decks and give you new strategic options in the auctions.

Game Setup

After setting up the game as described in the instructions, you decide together which new cards you want to use in this game. It is recommended to start with 1 or 2 new cards and gradually familiarize yourself with the new effects. Experienced groups can then play with all new influence cards.

Important: Everyone must have exactly the same cards in their respective influence card decks!

Gameplay

When you reveal a new card during the game, you add its influence value to your total for the current auction as usual. In addition, the printed special ability is also activated immediately.

"0" - Joker (1x)

This card is added to the influence card deck as the 25th card, so you play with one more card than in the base game.

This card initially has a value of 0. However, its value increases by 2 for every "6" played by another person in the current auction. The "0" can be played alone or together with other cards.

Note: If you reveal the "0" and your result is still 0 at the end of the auction, you will still place in the auction!

Example 1: The revealed 0 from Lilli (red) remains a 0, as no one else has revealed a 6. Lilli therefore has a value of 3. Example 2: Here, the revealed 0 from Lilli (red) becomes a 4, as two other players have revealed a 6. Lilli therefore has a value of 7.

"1" - Nest Egg (2x)

These two cards replace 2 normal cards with the value "1".

If such a card is revealed in an auction, you immediately receive the corresponding coins from the general supply.

Example: Lilli (red) revealed a value of 10. Additionally, she may take 2 coins from the supply (regardless of her placement in the auction).

"2" - Twin (2x)

These two cards replace 2 normal cards with the value "2". If both twins are revealed in an auction, their total value increases from 4 to 6.

Example 1: Lilli (red) reveals the two twin cards together, thus receiving a total value of 9 (3+6). Example 2: Lilli (red) reveals only one twin card and receives only its normal value. In total, she has a value of 3 here.

"3" - Warehouse (2x)

These two cards replace 2 normal cards with the value "3".

If such a card is revealed in an auction, you immediately receive the corresponding good from the general supply.

Example: Lilli (red) revealed a value of 9. Additionally, she may take 1 "wine" good from the supply (regardless of her placement in the auction).

"4" - Assistance (1x)

This card replaces 1 normal card with the value "4".

If this card is revealed in an auction, you may immediately place an additional family member with one family member already on a council space, but only on a council space of the 5 types of goods. It does not matter whether it is your own family member or an opponent's. If you have to vacate that space later in the game, remove both figures from it.

Example: Lilli (red) reveals the "Assistance" card and places a family member on the orange guild space (joining the green family member, without replacing it). She now has the majority on the council and 3 instead of 2 points in Phase III.

"5" - Wanderer (1x)

This card replaces 1 normal card with the value "5".

If this card is revealed in an auction, you may immediately move an already placed family member in Valencia up to 3 spaces (horizontally and/or vertically, changes of direction are allowed). The destination space of the movement must be empty, but the spaces in between may be occupied.

Important: This ability does not trigger any fountain abilities!

Example: Lilli (red) reveals her wanderer card and moves a family member next to a fountain with a value of 6.

"7" - Powerhouse (1x)

This card replaces 1 normal card with the value "6".

This card initially has a value of 7. However, its value is reduced to 5 if at least one other person has revealed a "0" in this auction.

Example 1: The revealed 7 from Lilli (red) remains a 7, as no one else has revealed a 0. Example 2: Here, the revealed 7 from Lilli (red) becomes a 5, because another player revealed a 0. Lilli therefore has a value of 5.

The Task Cards

(Task cards are shown as icons in the rulebook; their conditions are transcribed below in the printed order, without the point values, which appear only on the cards.)

• At least 2 of your own family members are on a city space with a cost of: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (one card for each cost).
• At least 3 of your own family members are on city spaces of the depicted guild (one card per guild).
• At least 2 of your own family members are on spaces of each of the 5 guilds in the city area.
• At least 4 of your own family members are on spaces that are directly adjacent and arranged in a square.
• At least 3 of your own family members are on spaces that are directly adjacent in a horizontal or vertical row.
• At least 3 of your own family members are on spaces that are in a directly adjacent diagonal line.
• At least 6 of your own family members are on spaces directly adjacent to the outer wall. These spaces do not have to be adjacent to each other.
• At least 2 of your own family members are on spaces in the 4 corners of the outer wall.
• At 4 or more different fountains, there is at least 1 of your own family members on a horizontally or vertically adjacent space. This includes the central fountain.
• At each fountain, there is at least 1 of your own family members on a horizontally or vertically adjacent space.
• Have more money/goods than 1 person next to you. Note: In case of a tie, the mission is not fulfilled.
• Receive 10 points minus your money/number of goods at the end of the game.
• Be in possession of at least 3 different goods.
• Be in possession of coins with a higher total value than any other player. Note: In case of a tie, the mission is not fulfilled.
• 2 players: At least 4 of your own family members are on the council. 3 players: At least 4 of your own family members are on the council. 4 players: At least 3 of your own family members are on the council. 5 players: At least 2 of your own family members are on the council.
• At least 1 of your own family members on the nobility and/or church space in the council.

The Fountain Abilities

The fountain abilities are always optional.

• You may draw 2 task cards and keep one.
• You may upgrade a good tile from your supply to the next more valuable good tile.
• You may shuffle any card from your discard pile into your draw pile.
• You may move a palm tree in Valencia to an orthogonally adjacent, empty bush space.
• You may immediately sell a good tile from your supply for its printed value.