Yaxha Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Goal of the Game
• Setup
• How to Play
• Collecting Cubes
  • Specific Cases
• Examples
• Building your Pyramid
• Game End
• Bonus Cards

Contents

• 120 cubes in 5 colors
• 1 cloth bag
• 4 Turn Order tiles
• 1 scorepad
• 16 player cards
• 4 Market tiles
• 18 bonus cards
• 4 scoring cards

Goal of the Game

Build the most beautiful Mayan pyramid to score the most victory points.

Setup

1. Place the cubes in the bag.
2. In the center of the table, create a line of as many Market tiles as there are players.
3. Each player takes a set of cards representing the different Market tiles (one for each tile).
4. Randomly deal a Turn Order tile to each player. If there are fewer than 4 players, first remove the 3 and/or 4 Turn Order tiles so that there are as many tiles as players.
5. Draw 3 bonus cards at random. Place them face up so that everyone can see them (for your first game, we suggest you just use the arrow bonus cards).

How to Play

The game is played over 10 rounds and each round has two stages: Collecting Cubes, and Building your Pyramid. Use your scorepad to keep track of the rounds.

Collecting Cubes

Draw 3 cubes for each Market tile in play and place them on those tiles at random.

Then the players simultaneously choose a player card from their hand, which they place face down in front of themselves. You choose your card based on the Market tile that has the cubes you wish to collect.

When everyone is ready, turn over your cards.

If each player plays a unique card (no one else has played it): Each player takes all the cubes from the corresponding Market tile.

If more than one player has played the same card: Check whose Turn Order tile has the lowest number. That player wins the cubes everyone wanted.

Once all the other players have taken their sets of cubes, the remaining tied players choose from the sets that are left, based on the turn order. This means they will be collecting cubes from the tiles that were not chosen.

If there is a tie, the tied players swap their Turn Order tiles after collecting their cubes.

Take back the card you just played and proceed to building your pyramid.

Specific Cases

If 3 people play the same card: The player with the first Turn Order tile (i.e. the lowest number) swaps their tile with the player with the last. The player who has the middle Turn Order tile keeps their tile.

If 4 people play the same card: The players with Turn Order tiles 1 and 4 swap them, and the players with Turn Order tiles 2 and 3 swap.

Examples

1. In Example 1, everyone collects 3 cubes from the corresponding Market tile, as they've each played different cards. B takes their cubes first, followed by A, C and then D.

2. In Example 2, B and C have played the same card: B takes their cubes first, then A and D. C takes the remaining set of cubes. Then B and C swap their Turn Order tiles.

3. In Example 3, B, C and A have chosen the same set of cubes. B takes their cubes first, and then D takes their set of cubes. A has a choice between the remaining two sets of cubes and then C takes the last set. A keeps their Turn Order tile, and B and C swap tiles.

4. In Example 4, everyone wants the same set. B takes the set of cubes they all wanted (1). Then A chooses one of the three remaining sets (2). C chooses between the remaining two sets (3) and D takes the last set (4). B and D swap Turn Order tiles (5). C and A swap Turn Order tiles (6).

Building your Pyramid

You gain 3 cubes each round, which you MUST IMMEDIATELY place in your pyramid.

You build the pyramid as follows: level 1 is a 4x4 grid of cubes, level 2 is a 3x3 grid resting on top of level 1, level 3 is a 2x2 grid resting on top of level 2, and level 4 is a single cube resting on top of level 3.

a) Each cube you add to your pyramid must be touching a cube you have already placed (except the first cube placed down).

b) You can start a higher level without completing your current level, but from the second level onwards, you must always place a cube on top of 4 other cubes.

c) Levels 2 and above must also respect another constraint: You must place a cube on or next to another cube of that same color.

If you cannot place a cube, you must discard it (into the box).

Game End

The game ends once you have played 10 rounds. Your pyramid will be complete, unless you have discarded some cubes.

For each color, count up the number of adjacent cubes in the largest group (even if they are on a different level). Take the scoring card and write down the number of points gained for the largest group of each color (see scoring card below).

Group size	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Points	1	2	4	6	9	12	15	18	21	25	30	36

Note: The four cubes in the center of the first level and the cube in the center of the second level are rarely counted (as they are not be seen if your pyramid is complete). Only cubes that are visible (even partially) are counted.

Add the points for the bonus cards.

The player with the most victory points wins the game. In the event of a tie, players share the victory.

Bonus Cards

If you play strategically, these bonus cards can give you an advantage.

Note: If there is a tie for a bonus card, all of the tied players gain those points. You can earn points from more than one bonus card.

• 5 bonus points for the largest group of orange, blue, green, yellow or white cubes.
• 5 bonus points for the largest group of cubes of a single color, regardless of the color.
• 5 bonus points for the largest group of cubes of a single color at least partially on level 1. (Only the cubes on level 1 are counted).
• 5 bonus points for the group of cubes of a single color across the most levels (maximum 4 levels).
• 5 bonus points for the second largest group of cubes of a single color, regardless of the color.
• 5 bonus points for having the larger group of orange, blue, green, yellow or white cubes compared to your neighbor on your left. Note: Do not use these bonus cards in a 2 player game.
• 5 bonus points for having 5 colors visible on level 1.
• 5 bonus points for having 5 colors visible on level 2.
• 5 bonus points for having a single color on one side of your pyramid.
• 5 bonus points for having exactly 3 colors visible on your pyramid.