VivaJava: The Coffee Game: The Dice Game
VivaJava: The Coffee Game: The Dice Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Field Components
- 10 Coffee Dice
- 5 Flavor Dice
- 1 Featured Blend Coaster
- 1 Rainbow Blend Coaster
- 1 Flavor Coaster
- 3 Research Coasters
- 1 Intern Coaster
- 2 Solo Coasters
- 4 Player Reference Coasters
- 24 Ability Discs
- Score Pad/Research Track (50 sheets)
- 12 Wooden Player Tokens
- 24 Ability Reference Cards
- 3 Flavor Cards (for use in VivaJava: The Coffee Game)
- 1 Brewple Eraser
Game Set-up
Place the 10 Coffee Dice together to form the Coffee Supply.
Place the 5 Flavor Dice on the Flavor Coaster to form the Flavor Supply.
Place the Featured Blend and Rainbow Blend Coasters in the middle of the play area within easy reach of all players.
Choose a Research Coaster and place it in the middle of the play area.
Players take a Player Reference Coaster and 3 Tokens in their chosen player color. Give each player a Score sheet/Research Track. Each player will also need a pen or pencil.
If this is your first game, we recommend using the LITE Research Coaster to become familiar with the interactions in the game. It is a good mix of Abilities that will help you move onto more advanced Coasters.
Research is tracked on a player's Score sheet. Make a mark to indicate earned RPs.
Determine First Player
All players roll a Coffee Die. The player with the highest roll (re-roll any ties) goes first. All other players add one Research Point (RP) to the color Research Track that they rolled.
Sequence of Play
Each turn of VivaJava: The Coffee Game: The Dice Game is broken down into three phases:
- SCORE — Where you will score any Blends you control.
- ROLL — Where you will roll dice, manipulate them with Abilities and then decide to use your beans to Blend or Research.
- ACTIVATE — Where you will activate any new Research Abilities.
1. Score
At the beginning of the game, there will be no Blends to score and the first player will skip immediately to ROLL. We'll come back to SCORE after describing the other two phases (see Score, below).
2. Roll
Take five Coffee Dice from the supply and roll them! On your first turn of the game, you will have no Abilities to affect this roll.
Remember to also roll any Flavor Dice. Later in the game, if you gain any Flavor Dice, you MUST roll all of them, as well. Also, if you have any Research Abilities (such as Re-Roll) that affect your die roll, you may use them during this phase.
Some Abilities may be used during ROLL to affect your dice.
EXCEPTION: If you have decided to break apart a Featured Blend this turn, you will only roll the Coffee Dice remaining on the Featured Blend Coaster, which could be four or less (see Score, below).
Once you have completed your roll, you will decide whether to a) Blend or b) Research with the resulting beans.
a. Blend
This is the action where you will release your expertly-crafted caffeinated concoctions onto the market for Performance Points. Competition is fierce, so only the most Robust, Quality Blends will become best-sellers.
You will automatically score 1PP for creating a Blend, but will score more points if the Blend is not bested by another player and lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
Coffee Beans and Featured Blends
Blends may be created when a player rolls two or more beans (die faces) of the same type. Blends are ranked by two criteria: Quality and Robustness.
Quality
Each Coffee Die has six faces, each with a bean of a different Quality. This quality is ranked from the highest Quality black bean to the lowest Quality white bean, as shown on the Bean Quality Rankings scale. Each bean is also accompanied by a number of pips to aid in determining the rankings at a glance, with the circle around the black bean representing 6 pips.
Bean Quality Rankings, highest to lowest: black bean, green bean, red bean, brown bean, orange bean, white bean.
Robustness
Blends are ranked by the Robustness of their fresh arabica roast. Or in other words, a simplified poker scale (as shown on the Robustness Scale). A Decaf Blend, one made of a pair of beans, would be lower ranked than a Bold Blend, made of four beans of the same color.
Robustness Scale, highest to lowest: Extra Bold (five of a kind), Bold (four of a kind), Regular (three of a kind), Decaf (a pair).
When determining whether one Featured Blend is better than another, first note which Blend is more Robust. If there is a tie, the higher Quality Blend (better color) will determine which Blend is better. If there is still a tie, then the Featured Blend already on the board wins. NOTE: Any "extra" beans on the Blend are not used in the ranking (like the Yellow bean in the Blend at right).
There are two types of Blends that you can create — a Featured Blend or a Rainbow Blend.
Featured Blend
A Featured Blend is the star of the VivaJava Coffee Co. catalogue and is created by placing five dice onto the Featured Blend Coaster. This Blend will score the most points during Score, but will stale (Degrade) over time.
To create a Featured Blend, two criteria must be met:
- The Blend MUST include five dice.
- The Blend must be ranked higher than the current Featured Blend. (If there is no Featured Blend, any will rank highest.)
After creating a Featured Blend, take the Featured Blend Coaster and slide it near your Score sheet. Place your five dice onto the coaster and score 1PP immediately. If there is already an inferior Featured Blend in play, remove all dice from the Coaster before placing the new Blend. NOTE: Return any Flavor Dice used in the creation of the Blend to the Flavor Dice Coaster. Replace them with Coffee Dice from the supply.
Creating a Blend scores 1PP immediately.
A Featured Blend will score an amount of PP at the beginning of your next turn (depending on number of players) if no other player creates a higher-ranking Blend.
Rainbow Blend
A Rainbow Blend can be created when you roll any five different bean colors with your dice. It is the staple of the VivaJava CoffeeCo. line-up, so while it doesn't Score as many points, it also never Degrades during SCORE.
Two examples of Rainbow Blends: a white, orange, red, green, and black bean; or an orange, brown, red, green, and white bean.
When you create a Rainbow Blend, take the Rainbow Blend Coaster and slide it near your Score sheet. Score 1PP. Unlike the Featured Blend, do not add any dice to the coaster. Return all dice to their respective supplies.
A Rainbow Blend is not ranked, and any new Rainbow Blend replaces the old. This makes the Rainbow more risky, as it can be unintentionally created and stolen.
A Rainbow Blend will score an amount of PP at the beginning of your next turn (depending on number of players) if no other player creates a Rainbow Blend.
One Blend at a Time
Players may only control one Blend at a time. If a player has a Rainbow Blend, that player must return it to the supply if he creates a Featured Blend on his turn. If a player already controls a Rainbow Blend, he may not Roll a new Rainbow Blend.
b. Research
This is the action where you will study the individual characteristics of your brew and learn from your mistakes, investing in powerful Abilities or Flavor Dice that will aid you in creating exceptional Blends later. Many times during the game, you will be unable to outrank the current Featured Blend and will be forced to Research. If you cannot or choose not to create a Blend on your turn, you must Research.
To Research: Take the dice you rolled and separate them into sets by bean color. Choose a color. Count your amount of dice in that color. Add that many Research Points to the corresponding Research Track.
Coffee Beans and Research
On each Research Coaster there are 5 Ability Discs which correspond to 5 bean colors. Each player has a Research Lab with Tracks that correspond to each of the 5 Discs. Gain a Research Point in a certain color? Add that point to the correct track from left to right.
Example: A player has rolled a hand of beans made up of two yellow, two brown, and one black bean. He can gain two RPs on the Yellow Track OR two RPs on the Brown Track OR gain a Flavor Die (from the Black Bean).
Abilities
When you reach the 1X or 2X level on a Research Track, you will activate a new Ability. Most Abilities, once they have been activated, will be available to you every turn until the Track has been completed. NOTE: Abilities that state "Gain a Token" are an exception and will ONLY activate once on the turn that a new Ability level was achieved. (See ACTIVATE, below.)
Completing a Track
A Research Track is completed when the last space on the track has been filled in (the one with the coffee cup). On each Ability Disc is a number. This is the amount of PP that you will score immediately for completing the track. However, once a track is complete, you will no longer be able to use the Ability. To note this, cross out the entire track.
Flavor Dice
You can also use RP to gain Flavor Dice. Flavor Dice are extra dice with one Wild side which you will take from the limited supply when gaining RP in Black Beans. (See Flavor Dice, page 10.)
3. Activate
After completing Blend or Research, this is the phase where any Research Abilities you have gained become available for use. If you gain any Abilities that allow you to "Gain a Token" this is when you will take a Token from the supply.
Some Abilities are able to be used during "ACTIVATE". Refer to each Ability Disc Reference Card for the phase in which the Ability may (and sometimes must) be used.
Once new Abilities have been activated and required actions are performed, wink at the player to your left and their turn then begins.
1. Score (revisited)
When a future turn begins, you may have a Featured or Rainbow Blend under your control. If this is the case, you will score PP during this phase. If you do not have a Blend, you will move onto ROLL.
Points
Each Blend notes the number of PPs to score. The white point totals show that a Featured Blend will score 2PP in a 2-player game, while a Rainbow Blend will score 1PP in a 2- or 3-player game. Immediately Score the Blend under your control by marking down the appropriate amount of PP on your Score sheet.
Featured Blends score less in 2-player games; Rainbow Blends score less in 2- or 3-player games.
Degrade
The Blend you've created now stales in the public's opinion. After scoring, if you control a Featured Blend, you must remove one die of your choice from the Coaster and return it to the respective supply.
NOTE: If a Featured Blend ever Degrades to one bean (i.e. cannot be ranked), you must break the Blend apart and roll the one die for Research. The Rainbow Blend DOES NOT Degrade.
Press-Your-Luck or Break Apart
After Degrading, if you control a Featured Blend, you may decide to keep it with the remaining dice or break it apart. If you press-your-luck and keep the Blend under your control, skip the rest of your turn. It immediately becomes the next player's turn. Do not perform any Abilities that occur during ROLL or ACTIVATE.
If you break apart the Blend, continue with your turn as normal, with the exception that you may only Roll the remaining Coffee Dice from your Featured Blend (always less than five). Remember that a Blend requires five dice, so this will make it more difficult to create a new Blend. NOTE: Unlike with Featured Blends, you may keep a Rainbow Blend under your control after SCORE and move onto ROLL.
Game End
The game ends immediately when a player scores 21 Performance Points. That player can celebrate by either screaming and flailing wildly, or nodding softly in calm affirmation of their superior brewing skills.
Appendix A
Flavor Dice
Flavor Dice are extra dice that are gained by earning RP with Black Beans. They are usually gained during Research, but can always be chosen if a player gains RP of his choice through Abilities in other phases. Flavor Dice are versatile and can be used in two ways.
The Wild! face may be counted as any Bean color.
Donate
During another player's ROLL, you may also roll all your Flavor Dice at the same time. You do not have to roll your Flavor Dice if you do not wish to Donate dice.
Once you have rolled your Flavor Dice, the active player may use any or all of your Flavor Dice in creating a Featured Blend. Any dice taken must be used to improve the Robustness of the Featured Blend (must make the Blend better), otherwise the dice cannot be used. Players cannot use Donated Flavor Dice to create a Rainbow Blend.
If the active player decides to use any or all of your Flavor Dice, replace the Flavor Dice with Coffee Dice showing the face of the appropriate color and place a Token in your color on top of any die in the Blend. You score 1PP immediately for helping to create the Blend and keep any of your Flavor Dice not used to create the Blend.
When the Blend Scores on that player's next turn, you score 1PP per Token on the Blend. However, that player may then remove your dice when Degrading, returning your Token to the supply. Bargaining or threatening to stop this is highly encouraged.
Roll
If you have Flavor Dice during the ROLL phase of your turn, they must be rolled. These dice may be used during Research or Blend just as if they were Coffee Dice, and any Dice Manipulation Abilities may be used to affect them. After the Flavor Dice have been Rolled and/or used, return the Flavor Dice to the Flavor Coaster.
NOTE: Always replace any Flavor Dice used to create a Featured Blend with Coffee Dice from the supply, and return all Flavor Dice to the Flavor Coaster.
Tokens
Each player has three Tokens in his color that may be used during the game to indicate Abilities and scoring opportunities. At the beginning of the game, these Tokens are kept nearby in a general supply. The location of a Token during the game will determine its current function.
When you attain a level in an Ability that states "Gain a Token," during ACTIVATE move a Token in your color to the end of that corresponding Research Track. This will mark that you have a Token in that Ability and may use it when applicable. This is important as you may have multiple Tokens with different Abilities.
A Token gained during Research, placed at the end of the Research Track, ready to be used.
Unlike normal Abilities which can be used every turn, Tokens are only gained once and used once for their Ability. When a Token is used, move the Token from the Research Track and place it wherever the Ability indicates. That Ability is now active.
You may only have three Tokens in play at one time, but if you "Gain a Token" or Donate a Flavor Die and already have all three Tokens in play, you may decide to move any Token in play to a new location.
NOTE: If you complete a Research Track and gain the Track's Performance Points, all Tokens in play using that Research Track are immediately returned to the supply and the corresponding Abilities are cancelled.
Appendix B
Research Coasters and Abilities
Each Research Coaster in the game has a different mix of Abilities that may be gained when a player uses beans to generate RPs. For example, a player used two White Beans for Research, marking the RPs on the Track. Since the player has now reached the 1X level of that Track, he will be able to use Re-Roll to affect his dice on a future turn. If he later reaches the 2X level of the Track he will be able to use the Re-Roll Ability twice in the same turn. If multiple Abilities can be used during a phase, you may use them in the order that is most beneficial.
The Ability Reference Cards describe the benefits (or, at times, penalty) each Ability will give to a player. The card shows the Phase in which the Ability may be used, and the benefits gained when the 1X and 2X levels are reached.
Example Ability Reference Card — Re-Roll (3): ROLL: Re-roll any or all dice. (1x/2x)
Example Ability Reference Card — Morning Favorite (4): SCORE: Return token to the supply to skip degrading of your Featured Blend this turn. (Gain a Token)
Some Abilities are marked with "Gain a Token." A player gains one Token when he reaches the 1X level of the Research Track and another Token at the 2X level.
For those familiar with the game or up for a challenge, the WILD Coaster has four spaces marked with one of three icons. The Ability Discs have a corresponding icon on their reverse side.
The three icons are: Dice Manipulation, Research, and Special.
For a fair, fun, but randomized set-up, add a randomly drawn Dice Manipulation Disc to the Yellow, a Research Disc to the Brown, and two Special Discs to the Red and Green. Adjust to compliment your own gaming palate.
Using Interns
A lot of work goes into being the best executive for VivaJava CoffeeCo. To get some intern help, place the Intern Ability Disc in the Dice Manipulation spot on the Wild Coaster. Then place the Intern Coaster within reach of all players. When a player reaches the 1X level of that Track, he may place one of his Tokens on any Intern that does not already have a Token. This Research Track is now considered to have that Ability for the rest of the game.
In the example, the yellow player has chosen Devalue Bean. He may now use that Ability on a future turn to affect his dice rolls. He will also gain the 2X benefit of Devalue Bean if he reaches the 2X level of the Track on a later turn.
Blending Solo
In the not-too-distant future, corporations control the world's coffee supply, pumping out factory-engineered, homogenized blends to be consumed by the masses. You are part of the VivaJava underGround, a cabal of freedom-fighting coffee lovers that dare to blend against the tyranny of Big Bean. Operating within a Research Lab miles beneath the Earth, you have the tools to take down these evil syndicates. Will your Blends be pure enough to dismantle these giants, or will the world's taste-buds be dulled by their uninspired brown liquid?
Set-up
Same as a two-player game, except use the SOLO Coaster. Choose one of the two Corporation Coasters and place it into play. Place a Token onto the METER to the left side of the Corporation. For an Easy Game, place the Token on the Green circle. For a Normal Game, the Yellow circle. And for an Expert Game, the Red circle. Track the Corporation's PP on a separate Score sheet or piece of paper.
How to Play
The solo variant plays the same as a two-player game, but after every one of your turns, you will then Roll for the Evil Coffee Corporation. The game ends immediately when either player reaches 21 Performance Points.
Blend!
- Corporations do not Research. They Roll only to Blend.
- They will create a Featured Blend only if they roll a Regular Blend or better.
- If they successfully Blend, move the Token downwards one circle on the METER.
...or Failure to Blend
If a Corporation cannot create a Blend, either because they did not Roll a legal Regular Blend (or better) or because your Featured Blend is superior, move their marker upwards one circle on the METER.
Rainbow Blends?
A Corporation can create a Rainbow Blend, but only if they cannot also create a Featured Blend with their first Roll. They will never actively pursue a Rainbow. If the Corporation creates a Rainbow Blend, move their marker downwards one circle on the METER. NOTE: A Corporation may have both a Rainbow Blend and a Featured Blend at the same time! They are insidious.
Scoring
Corporations Score and Degrade Blends as the first part of their turn. If a Corporation Scores a Featured Blend, Degrade the Blend by one die (always removing the least important die to the Blend). A Corporation will keep a Featured Blend until it Degrades to a Decaf, at which point they will immediately break it down, but take 5 Coffee Dice and Roll as normal that same turn. Pure evil.
OmniBlend TransGlobal
OmniBlend TransGlobal is an automated, climate-controlled system of factories focused on Re-rolling Coffee Dice. This insidious automaton must be stopped!
ROLL: On its turn, if OmniBlend TransGlobal does not have a Featured Blend, Roll five Coffee Dice. Then, consult the Re-roll METER. OT may use the "Re-roll" Ability as many times as indicated by the location of the Token.
EFFICIENCY: OT will always keep the highest ranked set of dice, and re-roll all other dice. Unless it creates a Rainbow Blend on its initial Roll, it will use all Re-rolls possible to improve the Blend.
FAILURE: When OT is unable to create a Blend, move the Token upwards one circle on the Re-roll Meter.
Sacchar, Inc.
Sacchar, Inc. is criminally focused upon collecting Flavor Dice and artificially over-sweetening the world's morning coffee. This sickly-sweet menace must be stopped!
ROLL: Consult the Flavor METER. Sacchar, Inc. gains as many Flavor Dice from the supply as indicated by the location of the Token. Roll five Coffee Dice and any Flavor Dice gained.
SABOTAGE: If Sacchar, Inc. is unable to create a Blend, move the Token upwards one circle on the Flavor METER. Roll one Coffee Die and place it onto the sugar cube. You may not gain RP in or use the Ability associated with that Track until the beginning of Sacchar Inc.'s next turn. (If the die is a Black bean, you may not gain Flavor Dice.)
Credits
Game Design: T.C. Petty III
Art/Graphic Design: Chris Kirkman
For strategy notes, Frequently Asked Questions, downloadable rules and a video tutorial, visit dicehatemegames.com/vivajava-dice.
"Dice Hate Me," "The Bean Is Life," the VivaJava logo and all art contained within are ©2014 Dice Hate Me Games.