Contents
- 1 Altiplano – How to Play
- 1.1 Welcome to the Altiplano
- 1.2 Setting Up the Game
- 1.3 Understanding the Components
- 1.4 Gameplay Overview
- 1.5 Exploring the Altiplano
- 1.6 Planning Your Actions
- 1.7 The Importance of Timing
- 1.8 Scoring Points
- 1.9 Now It’s Your Turn
- 1.10 Components Needed to Play the Game
- 1.11 How to Set Up the Game
- 1.12 Playing the Game
- 1.13 Step 2: Making Plans
- 1.14 Phase 4: Cleanup
- 1.15 Refilling the Extension Strip
- 1.16 Game Over
Altiplano – How to Play
Welcome to the Altiplano
Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey to the Altiplano? In this game, you will experience the thrill of trading and managing resources in the highlands of South America. Your goal is to build the most prosperous and efficient economy.
Setting Up the Game
Let’s begin by setting up the game board. Place the game board in the center of the play area, making sure every player can reach it comfortably. Then, each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding player board, warehouse board, and resources according to the player count.
Understanding the Components
Now, let’s take a moment to understand the different components of the game. You will find a variety of resources, such as fish, cacao, corn, and cloth, which will be essential for your economy. You will also find special action tiles, which will allow you to perform unique actions. Keep in mind that each component has a specific purpose that will contribute to your success in the game.
Gameplay Overview
Altiplano is played over several rounds, and each round consists of several phases. During a round, you will take turns performing actions, such as collecting resources, trading, and fulfilling orders. It’s up to you to come up with a winning strategy and make the most of each turn.
Exploring the Altiplano
As you navigate through the Altiplano, you will encounter various locations, represented by tiles. Each location offers unique opportunities and challenges. It’s important to explore different locations and make strategic decisions based on the resources and actions they provide.
Planning Your Actions
In order to succeed in the Altiplano, you must plan your actions carefully. Take into account your available resources, your warehouse capacity, and the available actions on your player board. By managing these factors efficiently, you will be able to maximize your productivity and outperform your opponents.
The Importance of Timing
Timing is everything in Altiplano. You must carefully time your actions to take advantage of opportunities and stay ahead of your opponents. Keep an eye on the market and adapt your strategy accordingly. A well-timed action can make all the difference in this challenging game.
Scoring Points
The game comes to an end once the scoring tile is drawn. At this point, players will calculate their final scores based on various factors, such as completed orders, resources, and money. The player with the highest score wins the game and becomes the master of the Altiplano!
Now It’s Your Turn
Now that you have familiarized yourself with the rules of Altiplano, it’s time to dive into the game and experience the thrill of creating your own highland economy. Gather your resources, make strategic decisions, and emerge as the ultimate champion of the Altiplano!
Imagine yourself in the South American highlands, nestled between the towering mountain ranges of Bolivia and Peru. Here, at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, the challenges are as vast as the landscape itself. It’s a land where the sparse vegetation must be carefully utilized to meet the needs of the people.
The locals have learned to thrive in this harsh environment by relying on various means of survival. They fish in the vast Lake Titicaca, mine valuable ores from the Earth, raise alpacas for their wool, and trade goods produced from these resources. However, these resources are finite and will eventually run dry. To ensure long-term prosperity, you must take action.
It’s up to you to build new production facilities and seek out additional sources of income. For example, you may turn to the cultivation of cacao, a valuable crop that can be transformed into various sought-after products. But remember, success will not come easy.
In order to thrive in this unforgiving region, you’ll need to construct efficient road networks that connect your various endeavors. These roads will not only expedite the development of your operations, but they will also serve as essential lifelines during the inevitable times of scarcity and hardship.
Furthermore, it’s imperative that you establish a well-organized warehouse to store your precious goods. This way, even in the face of adversity, you’ll have a stockpile to rely on. Adaptability and resourcefulness are key qualities that will ensure your success in the challenging conditions of the Altiplano.
Through careful planning and strategic decision-making, you can thrive in this volatile environment. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and remain resilient. Ultimately, it is those who can overcome the obstacles of the highlands that will reap the greatest rewards!
Components Needed to Play the Game
- 7 location tiles
- 5 player pawns
- 5 road markers and 15 carts
- 10 house cards
- 28 extensions
- 50 Coins
- 1 scorepad
- 7 role tiles
- 1 start player marker
- extension strip
- 5 scoring overviews
- 5 containers
- 56 game cards
- 209 goods tiles
- 5 cloth bags
- 5 action boards
- 5 warehouses
How to Set Up the Game
A. Organize the Game Pieces
- I’ll figure out the right number of goods and carts to use by looking at the chart below. If there are any extra, I’ll put them back in the box.
- I’ll mix up the 16 order cards and take out 6 cards if there are 2-3 players, or 4 cards if there are 4-5 players. I’ll put those cards back in the box without looking at them.
B. Let’s Set Up the Plateau
- First, we need to create the plateau. Take the 7 location tiles and arrange them in a random order, making sure each location is connected to 2 others. This will form a circle shape.
- Next, place all 36 food tiles and 50 coins in the center of the plateau. This is called the supply, and it should be positioned between all the location tiles.
- Now, let’s add some specific items to each location:
- On the Market location, place the glass tiles and the order cards (face up).
- On the Farm location, place the alpaca tiles, wool tiles, and cloth tiles.
Rules for Components
It’s important to know that when certain tiles or cards run out, we can’t get any more of them. However, there are still actions that allow us to acquire tiles or cards, even if they are depleted (although this might not always make sense). But don’t worry about running out of coins – they are unlimited! If we happen to run out, we can use a suitable substitute.
C. Time to Prepare the Game Extensions
In order to get started, we need to prepare the game by following a few simple steps. First, I’ll remove any extensions that are not necessary for this particular game. You’ll find that some extensions are marked “5+” and are only used when playing with 5 players. Others are marked “4+” and are used with 4 or more players. Lastly, there are extensions marked “3+” which are used when playing with 3 or more players.
Next, I’ll separate the remaining extensions into four face-down stacks, based on their backs. These backs are labeled A, B, C, or D. Once I have the stacks sorted, I’ll shuffle each of them.
Now, I’ll arrange the stacks to create a single face-down stack for the game. The D stack goes on the bottom, followed by the C stack on top of that, then the B stack on top of the C stack, and finally the A stack on the very top.
Lastly, I’ll place the extension strip on the table and reveal the top five extensions from the stack. I’ll position these extensions in the five slots to the right of the extension strip, one extension per slot.
Now it’s time for individual player setup.
- To get started, each of us will need to choose a color and collect some personal items. These include an action board, a warehouse, a player pawn, a road marker, a container, a cart from the village, and a cloth bag.
- Next, let’s place our road marker on the first space of our road, and our cart on the corresponding space on our action board.
- We’ll need to decide who goes first. The honor of being the start player goes to the youngest among us.
Step 5: Assign Roles
- First, let’s get started by shuffling the 7 role tiles. They’re facing down, so we don’t know which one we’ll get.
- Once the tiles are shuffled, each player will receive one of them randomly. It’s a surprise!
- After receiving our role tiles, we can take the goods tiles, food tiles, and coins shown on our role. The goods and food tiles go into the cloth bag, and the coins go next to our action board. It’s like getting a little extra something.
Choosing Your Roles
Now that we all know how to play the game, the next step is to pick our roles. You can do this by laying out the role tiles face up. Starting with the last player and going counter-clockwise, each player will choose one role tile.
Sharing Game Information
At any time during the game, any player can check the status of orders, boats, and houses on the locations or with other players. You can also count how many goods tiles are left in the supply and how many extensions are still in the stack. However, you cannot reveal the extensions or change their order. Additionally, each player can always check the goods in their own bag or container.
Playing the Game
The game is divided into several rounds with different phases. There are four phases in each round:
1. Drawing: In this phase, we all draw tiles from the bag at the same time.
2. Planning: Next, we assign our tiles to different action spaces.
3. Actions: Then, we take turns performing actions until everyone has passed.
4. Cleanup: Finally, we prepare for the next round.
The game ends when either all locations are empty or there aren’t enough extensions to refill the extension strip. At that point, we finish the current round and play one final round. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!
During Phase 1: Drawing, all players retrieve tiles from action spaces simultaneously.
Before you start drawing tiles from your bag, you have the option of taking back any tiles that you’ve previously placed on your action spaces, whether they were on your action board, role tile, or extensions. You can also collect any coins that you haven’t spent from your extensions.
Remember, though, that you can never retrieve tiles from your warehouse or from completed orders and put them back onto your planning spaces!
Now let’s talk about drawing tiles from your bag. This is how you do it: randomly pick tiles from your bag and place them on the planning spaces of your action board. You will draw as many tiles as the number of empty planning spaces you have. At the start of the game, you can only use planning spaces 1 to 4. As you build more roads, you’ll unlock the other planning spaces and be able to use them.
Here’s how I start my turn as Chidi: I have 4 empty planning spaces to work with. First, I choose to grab 1 fish tile from the harbor, and I place it on planning space 1. Next, I reach into my bag and draw 3 random tiles. I put each of these tiles on planning spaces 2 to 4.
Clearing Out Your Bag
If you’re running low on tiles and you still have some empty planning spaces, take out all the tiles that are left in your bag and pour them back in. Make sure your container is empty before you proceed.
If you find that there aren’t enough tiles in your bag even after you’ve cleared it out, it means you won’t be able to fill all your planning spaces for this round.
Step 2: Making Plans
Now it’s time for everyone to start planning, all at once.
Putting Tiles on Action Spaces
Now, you can put the tiles from your planning spaces onto empty action spaces. These spaces can be on your action board, role tile, or extensions. Each location tells you which tile(s) to put on its action spaces so you can take the action for that location. The only rule is that you can’t put a tile in a location if you can never use that tile there.
You don’t have to put all your tiles from your planning spaces. But if you don’t, you’ll draw fewer tiles in the next round.
When playing the game, you have a few key actions available to you. These actions are found on the action boards and are accessible to all players. Each location offers different options for using the tiles you place there. However, keep in mind that each location has a limited number of action spaces available, usually 2 or 3. Additionally, you can only place one tile on each action space, which means that you may not be able to carry out multiple actions at the same location in one round.
Let’s imagine a situation to understand this better. Asha is playing the game and decides to go to the farm. She has the option to produce 1 wool by placing 1 alpaca and 1 food on the action space designated for it. Alternatively, she could choose to place only 1 alpaca and produce 1 food instead. However, since Asha has 2 alpacas available on her planning spaces during this turn, she has the choice to place both alpacas at the farm. By doing so, she can produce 2 food in just one action, which is quite advantageous.
Important: I have an important note for you during this phase. You cannot move any tiles that you have already placed on your action spaces in a previous round. Once you put a tile on an action space, it stays there until you either use the corresponding action or retrieve the tile at the start of the drawing phase. Keep this in mind as we move forward.
For certain market extensions, instead of tiles, you will need to place coins. Just like with tiles, you must place the required coins during the planning phase.
Now, let’s talk about declaring your planning complete. When the start player is happy with their tile placements, they let everyone know that they are done planning. Each other player takes turns doing the same when they are ready. Once you declare your planning complete, you can no longer move your tiles around.
Alright, now we’re moving on to Phase 3: Actions. It’s time to take some action and put your plan into motion. Good luck!
When we play this game, we each get a chance to do something. Let me explain how it works.
Here’s the order of the game:
We start with the person who goes first. Then, each player takes a turn. You take one action at a time, and we keep going until someone decides to pass. Once you pass, you can’t do anything else in that round, but everyone else can.
Here’s how you take your actions:
On your turn, you can choose any action that you’re allowed to do. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
- You have to be able to do the action. That usually means you need to have the right tile or tiles in the right place.
- Your game piece has to be in the right spot on the game board.
When playing the game, you have the freedom to choose which actions to take in each round. You don’t have to use all the available options if you don’t want to. For example, if you placed tiles during the planning phase that grant you certain actions, you can save them for later or use them in a different way.
Changing Your Player’s Position
Before or after taking any action, you have the ability to move your player pawn on the game board. You can go in either direction.
(At the beginning of the game, place your player pawn on any location tile of your liking). You can move around on foot or use a cart for faster travel.
- Walking: To move, you can take 1 step by using 1 unit of food from a movement action space. You can do this multiple times, using 1 food for each step. Each step you take must be to a nearby location.
- Riding: At the start of the game, you have 1 cart (but you can buy more). Each cart can be used once per round. A cart allows your pawn to move up to 3 steps around the plateau in any direction (instead of just 1 step). When you use a cart, move it to the right to show that it can’t be used again until the next round. You can use your first cart each round for free, but for every additional cart you use in a round, you need to have 1 unit of food on your movement action spaces.
Example C: I want to take actions at 3 different locations this round. I have 1 cart and put 1 unit of food on a movement action space.
When I start my adventure, I head over to the harbor and take my first action. It’s exciting to think about all the possibilities that await me!
On my next turn, I decide to use my cart to travel to the road. It’s a bit of a trek, but I’m determined to make it. After moving three steps, I take another action. I love the thrill of exploring new places and discovering hidden treasures.
For my third turn, I leave my cart behind and decide to travel by foot. I use some food to give me the energy I need to reach the village, which is just one step away. Once I arrive, I take yet another action. It’s amazing how much I can accomplish in such a short amount of time!
The Art of Collecting
All the tiles I collect while taking actions, as well as any extra tiles I gain, go into my container. I keep everything I gather, including the food tiles I use for movement. It’s important to remember that these tiles will stay in my container until I need to replenish my bag and it’s empty. Whenever I acquire a new tile, I simply take it from the corresponding location tile.
Remember: In this game, I never have to give up or sell any resources I collect. Everything I gather remains in my possession, except for the coins that I spend. It’s a refreshing change from other games!
Using Coins
Coins work differently compared to goods and food tiles. First, when you use coins, you will always spend them and they will be returned to the supply. You don’t need to worry about keeping them in your bag or container.
Instead, you simply keep the coins next to your action board, ready to be used whenever you need them. There’s no need to place them on planning spaces to use them. However, please note that when playing with market extensions, you will need to place the required coins during the planning phase in order to take the action during the actions phase.
Ending Your Turn
When all players have passed, either because they choose to or because there are no more actions available to them, it is time to proceed to the cleanup phase.
The Basic Actions
The Amazing Things I Can Do on the Farm 
Hey there! Did you know that farms are incredible places where all sorts of exciting things happen? I wanted to share some of the awesome actions that I can take on a farm with you. So, let’s dive right in and explore the wonders of farm life together!
First off, I can plant seeds in the rich soil. By carefully placing those tiny seeds in the ground and giving them water and sunlight, I can watch them grow into beautiful plants. It’s like performing a magic trick, but in reality, it’s just nature doing its thing!
Next, I get to take care of all the animals on the farm. From cuddly chickens to graceful horses, I make sure they have plenty of food, water, and love. I get to witness their playful antics and hear their happy sounds, which always brings a smile to my face.
Then, it’s time to harvest the crops I’ve worked so hard to grow. With gentle hands, I pluck the ripe fruits and vegetables from the plants. It’s incredible how something as simple as caring for the land can result in a bountiful harvest that provides delicious food for everyone.
But it doesn’t stop there! On the farm, I can also fix things. From mending fences to repairing barns, I become a handy person who can make everything as good as new. It’s like being a superhero, saving the day with my trusty tools and skills.
And let’s not forget about the tractor! Oh boy, do I love driving that powerful machine. I can plow the fields, dig up the soil, and transport heavy loads. It’s a thrilling experience that makes me feel like I can conquer anything.
Lastly, I get to share all the farm’s goodness with others. Whether it’s selling fresh produce at the farmer’s market or inviting friends for a picnic, I spread joy and happiness with the fruits of my labor. It’s a wonderful feeling to see people enjoy the harvest that I helped create.
So, there you have it! These are just some of the amazing actions I can take on the farm. It’s a place where nature and hard work come together to create something truly special. Now, come on over and join me on the farm adventure of a lifetime!
- Get food: You can use one or more alpacas to get one unit of food for each alpaca from the supply.
- Get wool: You can use one alpaca and one unit of food to get one unit of wool from the farm.
- Get cloth: You can use one unit of wool and one unit of food to get one unit of cloth from the farm.
Forest Activities 
- Get wood: Use 2 food to get 1 wood.
- Trade cacao: Trade 1 or more cacao for 1 food, 1 cloth, or 1 glass per cacao.
Mining Activities 
- Get stone: Use 2 food to get 1 stone.
- Get silver: Use 1 ore and 1 food to get 1 silver.
Port Actions 
The game has a few basic actions that you can take at the different locations on the board. Here are the actions for three of the most important locations: the farm, the mine, and the port.
At the farm, you can use 2 units of food to get 1 unit of wood. Wood is an important resource for building and crafting in the game.
At the port, you have the option to trade cacao. You can give up 1 or more units of cacao in exchange for 1 unit of food, 1 unit of cloth, or 1 unit of glass per each cacao.
Lastly, at the mine, you have the opportunity to get stone and silver. To get 1 unit of stone, you need to use 2 units of food. To get 1 unit of silver, you need to use 1 unit of ore and 1 unit of food. These resources are used for different purposes in the game.
Remember, these are just a few of the actions available to you in the game. Each location offers its own unique set of actions and opportunities for strategy. By exploring different actions and optimizing your choices, you can maximize your chances of success in Altiplano.
- Produce food: You can make 1 food by using 1 fish and 1 food.
- Trade fish: If you trade 2 fish, you will receive 1 stone.
- Build a boat: Spend 2 wood to choose a boat card from the harbor. Once you do, you get the reward shown on the card (only once). Place the boat face up next to your action board.
Village Actions 
- Build a house: Just grab 2 stone and you’re set to pick any house card from the village. Keep it face up next to your action board.
- Store goods: Move your stuff (except food) from here to your warehouse. Remember to follow the storage rules.
- Buy a cart: Spend 1 coin to get a cart from the village. Put it next to a movement action space. You can only buy 1 cart per round and you can have a max of 4 carts.
Market Actions 
- Sell goods: Trade your stuff for coins. The price of each item is listed on your action board. Make sure the item has a price before selling it.
- Get yourself an extension: All you have to do is pay the price in coins for any extension that’s available. The price includes the extension’s original cost, as well as any additional cost associated with the slot it’s placed in on the extension strip. Once you have your extension, just attach it to the appropriate spot on your action board. But remember, you can only purchase one extension per round.
Remember: You won’t be able to purchase an extension if you already have one just like it, or if it offers the same action as your role tile.
How to Play Altiplano:
Here’s how you can participate in the game:
First, get an order:Spend 1 coin to pick a card of your choice from the market. Keep it face up next to your action board. Remember, you cannot have more than 1 unfinished order at a time. You can only get another order once you’ve completed your current one.
Then, deliver goods: Move 1 or more goods from this location to empty spaces on your unfinished order card. You don’t have to deliver all the required goods at once. If you deliver the last required good, you’ll earn 1 corn from the road and store it in your warehouse. The delivered goods stay on the order card. 
Actions on the Road 
Building a road: To move forward on your road, you need to use 1 stone and 1 wood. This will allow you to gain 1 of 2 benefits (as shown on the road tile):
- Unlock an extra planning space for the entire game.
- Receive 1 corn and store it immediately in your warehouse.
Phase 4: Cleanup
Follow these steps to prepare for the next round of play.
- Passing the start player marker: The current start player passes the start player marker to the next player in clockwise order.
- Resetting the carts: Move all carts that were used this round back to the left.
Refilling the Extension Strip
Here’s what you need to do when it comes to refilling the extension strip:
- Refill extension strip. If you bought one or more extensions during this round, simply slide the extensions downward to fill any empty spaces. If you didn’t buy any extensions, discard the extension at the bottom and remove it from the game. In either case, make sure to refill the extension strip with new extensions from the stack.
Storing Goods
Whenever you store goods in your warehouse, either by taking the “store goods” action or by gaining corn, you must follow these rules:
Basic Warehouse Rules
Fill from the bottom to the top. When you start a new row, it must be the lowest row available in the left depot (or the right depot if all the rows in the left depot have already been started).
Fill each row from left to right. In each row, begin with the leftmost space and continue to the right, placing each new tile in the next available space – one tile per space.
Here’s the deal:
Each row in your warehouse can only hold one type of goods. The first tile you place in a row determines what kind of goods you can store there. Keep in mind, corn is the only exception to this rule.
Also, you can only have one incomplete row per type of goods. So, if you already have an incomplete row of a certain type, you can’t start a new row for that type. Finish the existing row first.
Oh, and one more thing – no food allowed in the warehouse! Food tiles are a no-go.
Now, let’s talk about storing corn:
When you get corn, you have to store it right away. No exceptions, unless you have the special extension that lets you keep corn in temporary storage.
Here’s the cool part: you can also add corn to rows that already have other goods. It’s like a substitute that helps you complete rows with a combo of goods and corn.
When it comes to organizing your resources, corn rows take the top spot. Imagine each row on your storage board as a separate compartment. If a row is designated for corn, then it can only store corn until it’s filled up.
Let me illustrate this: Take Tristan, for example. In his first row, he has 2 fish. In the second row, he has 1 stone and 1 corn. Now, Tristan wants to move 1 wool and 2 stone from the village action spaces to his warehouse. Here’s what he does:
First, Tristan decides to store 1 stone in row 2. By doing so, he completes that row and earns 3 points at the end of the game. With the stone safely stored away, he now moves on to row 3, where he places the wool. And in row 4, he puts the other stone.
Game Over
The game comes to an end once either of these two conditions are met:
- Any location tile runs out of all its items (tiles, cards, and/or carts).
- There aren’t enough extensions left to fully refill the extension strip.
When this happens, complete the current round and play one final round. After the final round, it’s time for final scoring.
Calculating the Final Score
Before you calculate your final score, gather all the tiles from your bag, container, and planning spaces, and organize them by type in front of you. Don’t remove any tiles from your warehouse or order cards!
As you go through each scoring category, make sure to keep track of your score on the scorepad provided.
- Let’s talk about scoring points in the game. Here’s how it works: for each goods tile you have, you’ll score points based on the values below. But remember, goods on orders don’t count.
- Wood, stone, and cacao are worth 1 point each.
- Wool and ore are worth 2 points each.
- Cloth and silver are worth 3 points each.
- Glass is worth 4 points each.
- If you have a boat card, that’s worth 2 points.
- A house card is worth 4 points. And for each type of goods listed on a house card, you’ll get a bonus point for every goods tile of that type you have (not on orders).
- You’ll score the points listed on each of your fulfilled orders.
- Complete a row in your warehouse, and you’ll score the points listed.
- (Optional) If you successfully complete a mission card, you’ll score points for that too.