Welcome to the Amyitis Game

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey through ancient Mesopotamia? In this game, I’ll be your guide as we explore the thriving civilization of Babylon. Before we begin, let’s go over some important rules and guidelines.

Goal of the Game

The objective of Amyitis is to become the most illustrious landscaper in Babylon. Your task is to create beautiful hanging gardens that will impress King Nebuchadnezzar II himself.

Game Components

To play Amyitis, you will need the following:

• A game board depicting ancient Babylon, divided into different regions.
• Action cards that represent the tasks you can perform during your turn.
• Resource cards that you will use to acquire materials for your garden.
• Building tiles that you can add to your garden.
• Character cards that give you special abilities and advantages.
• Victory point tokens to keep track of your progress.

Gameplay

The game is played over several rounds, with each round representing one year in ancient Babylon. On your turn, you can perform various actions such as hiring workers, acquiring resources, and constructing buildings.

To build your garden, you’ll need to carefully manage your resources and make strategic decisions. Each region of Babylon offers different possibilities and challenges, so choose wisely. The player with the most impressive garden at the end of the game will be declared the winner!

Final Thoughts

Amyitis is an immersive and strategic game that will transport you to the ancient world of Babylon. It’s a game that requires careful planning, resource management, and a bit of luck. So gather your friends, set up the game board, and prepare to create the most breathtaking garden the world has ever seen!

In 590BC, I, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, married the stunning Amyitis, daughter of the king of Media. However, Amyitis was homesick and missed the lush vegetation of her homeland.

I wanted to make her happy, so I decided to build magnificent hanging gardens for her. This endeavor would be a challenge of epic proportions, but I was determined to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

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What’s in the Box?

When you open the box, you’ll find several components that make up the game:

• 1 Babylon board
• 1 Mesopotamia board
• 20 Garden tiles
• approximately 135 cubes (neutral cubes)
• 4 score markers
• 35 resource tokens belonging to 5 types
• 14 camel tokens
• 30 silver coins (Talents)
• 56 cards
• rulebook

What Do the Symbols Mean?

#image.jpgYou’ll see these symbols which tell you the plant’s quality (1, 2, or 3).

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Round symbols are tokens. They can represent any resource, a camel, or a talent.

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Framed symbols are Court cards. In this case, we have a Caravaneer and a Banker.

#image.jpgThis symbol shows a Court card selected by a player: a Banker, a Caravaneer, the Palace, or a Gardener.

What’s the Goal?

Hey there! Welcome to this exciting game where you get to be a noble Babylonian trying to achieve prestige. Throughout the game, your goal is to increase your status by building gardens, expanding your irrigation network, and engaging in trade and recruitment.

The ultimate winner is the player with the highest prestige at the end of the game. So, let’s dive in and see how you can set yourself up for success!

Getting Started

Quick Note: If you’re playing with three players, you won’t need the Craft and Court cards labeled for four players. If you’re playing with two players, you can put away the Craft and Court cards labeled for three or four players.

We won’t be using these cards in the game. Any other adjustments based on the number of players will be explained as we go along.

• I place the boards as shown on the next page. A camel token is placed on the ‘Babylon’ square of the Mesopotamia board. I place the Amyitis card corresponding to the number of players next to the game boards.
• I sort out and keep talents, camels, neutral cubes, and products within reach. This is the general stock.
• I place the Plant card with a 2 quality figure on each face on the city of Khorsabad (on any face). Then, I randomly place the other three Plant cards on the cities of Eshnunna, Ur, and Mari on the face representing a plant of quality 1.

Game Play

The game is divided into turns. Each turn is divided into three phases:

1. Setup
2. Players’ actions
3. End of the turn

I. Setup

1. Crafts

Alright, here’s what you do. First, grab all the Craft cards and give them a good shuffle. Then, lay them out in groups of three, with the cards facing up. The number of groups will depend on how many players are joining the game.

• If you have 2 players, you will need 2 groups of three cards.
• If you have 3 players, you will need 3 groups of three cards.
• If you have 4 players, you will need 4 groups of three cards.

The remaining cards are put aside near the game board and are not used in this round.

2. Income

When the game begins, I receive talents and possibly prestige points from the stock based on the number on my Banker card.

If I don’t have a Banker card, I won’t receive any income.

II. Players’ Actions

Now it’s my turn to take action. I can choose to do something in the game. We continue taking turns until everyone decides to pass.

Possible Actions

1. Pass
2. Recruit
3. Move the Caravan

A. Pass

If I choose to pass, I put my pawn on the “Pass” square. This means I won’t be able to take any other actions during this turn.

Who knew that playing a game could be so rewarding? When I think about all the fun times I’ve had playing games with my friends and family, I can’t help but smile. But did you know that playing games can also help to develop important skills? It’s true! So, let’s dive in and explore the wonderful world of games and the benefits they can bring.

When you play a game, you not only have a great time, but you also get to learn and grow. Games can help improve your problem-solving skills. Think about it – when you play a puzzle game, you have to figure out the best way to solve the puzzle and reach your goal. This kind of thinking can be applied to real-life situations too. So, the next time you’re faced with a tricky problem, remember all those hours you spent solving puzzles and put those skills to good use!

Games can also boost your creativity. Whether you’re building a virtual world in a sandbox game or coming up with new strategies in a board game, you’re using your imagination and thinking outside the box. This kind of creative thinking can help you in all areas of life – from school projects to problem-solving at work. So, don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild while you play!

Another amazing benefit of playing games is that they can improve your social skills. When you play games with others, you have to work together, communicate, and cooperate. These are all important skills that will help you build strong relationships and succeed in life. So, the next time you’re playing a multiplayer game, take a moment to appreciate how it’s helping you become a better communicator and team player.

Lastly, playing games is just plain fun! Whether you’re laughing with friends, strategizing for victory, or exploring an exciting virtual world, games provide endless opportunities for enjoyment and relaxation. So, don’t forget to make time for play in your busy schedule. After all, life is all about balance!

So, the next time you’re looking for a way to have fun and improve your skills at the same time, why not give games a try? Whether you’re playing on a console, computer, or board, there’s a game out there for everyone. So go ahead, embrace your inner gamer, and let the fun begin!

Hey there! Let me walk you through the mechanics of this game. First, we have four players: White, Black, Blue, and Red. They take turns in that order. Now, White and Black have already made their moves. Next up is Blue.

Here’s what happens: Blue gets to recruit. They can choose one of the Craft cards in any of the card groups. But here’s the catch – they have to pay talents to the stock. The number of talents they need to pay depends on how many cards in the chosen group have been turned face down.

Let me explain it a bit more. If Blue chooses the first card in the group, it’s totally free. But if they go for the second card, it will cost them one talent. And if they want to take the third card, it’s gonna set them back by two talents. After they’ve made their choice, Blue flips the chosen card so that the ‘Talent’ face is now face up, and then they can perform the craft action written on the card. Got it?

Alright, but what about Red? Well, it’s pretty straightforward. Red simply passes, and they get to place one of their pawns in the passing area. However, when Red passes, they don’t receive any talents. Tough luck, right?

Hey there! If you want to recruit the remaining priest (the purple card) in the second group, you’ll need to pay 2 talents. Sounds like a good deal, right?

Now, if you’re looking to add a peasant (the yellow card) in the third group to your team, it will cost you just 1 talent. Bargain!

1. Peasant

Here’s how it goes: you take one of the cubes from your stock and place it in an available field. Then, you grab a resource token from the general stock, which matches the type of the field you placed your cube on. Don’t forget to put the token in your stock.

Available Fields: The fields are arranged in two lines, and you need to fill them up from left to right. If you want to place a peasant, you can only do so in the leftmost empty fields. Oh, and the cubes will stay on a line until it’s completely filled. Simple, right?

Let me explain the rules: When a line is completely filled with pawns, the player who has the most pawns on that line will receive a Gardener card, if one is still available. If there is a tie between players, no one will receive the card. Regardless, all the pawns on the line will be removed, and each player will get their pawns back in their stock.

About Wine: In this game, Wine is a special resource. It is considered a wild resource, which means that a wine token can be used to replace any other resource during gameplay. However, please note that wine tokens cannot be used as substitutes for camels and talents.

When it’s my turn in the game, I get to recruit a peasant. I like to put the cube in the bottom line and grab a wine token from the stock. It feels good when I complete a line.

But then, here comes Red, with the majority of cubes on the line. Red takes a ‘Gardener’ card from the stock and adds it to their own collection. Now, the bottom line is empty.

2. Priest

Now it’s time for me to play the priest. I take one of the cubes from my collection and put it in a temple.

Let me tell you something: Each temple has a line with four squares. When I place my cube in a temple, I put it in the leftmost square. If there are already pawns in the temple, they all move one square to the right.

When I shift the fourth square in the temple and it’s already occupied by a cube, the cube on the right gets kicked out and I get it back. It goes back into my stock of cubes.

When it’s my turn, I decide to recruit a priest and send him to the Ishtar temple. I put a cube in the leftmost square of the temple and push all the other cubes to the right. The red pawn, which was originally in the rightmost square, gets pushed out and returns to its owner.

In the next phase, the temples will give bonuses to players with the most cubes.

Now let’s talk about the engineer. As a player, I can place one of my cubes in an available irrigation area in the garden. This gives me two prestige points. Once an area is irrigated, it can’t have any more cubes placed in it.

You can identify irrigation areas by the small blue waves between two garden tiles. On higher floors, there are two wave symbols side by side, showing that it’s two separate areas.

Areas Available: The gardens have a square shape. The river waters two sides of the square (represented by the blue line on the board).

To place a pawn on an irrigation area, you need to create a path made up of irrigated areas. This path starts at your cube and goes all the way to the river, without crossing empty spaces. You can use irrigated areas belonging to other players to complete your path.

Note: The non-irrigated areas along the river’s edge are always accessible.

When it’s my turn, I decide to recruit an engineer. I can place the cube on any of the spots with a white X. These spots either connect directly to the river (shown by the green line) or require passing through irrigated areas (shown by the yellow line). By doing this, I gain two prestige points. Unfortunately, the areas with a red X cannot be irrigated at the moment since they are not connected to the river.

4. Merchant

Now, it’s time for me to become a merchant. I grab a camel token from the general stock and add it to my personal stock. This will come in handy later.

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During my turn, I have the option to recruit a merchant as a crucial move in the game. By doing this, I can gain an advantage over my opponents and enhance my strategy. To recruit a merchant, I simply take a camel from the available stock and add it to my personal stock. This action allows me to secure more resources and increase my chances of success.

C. Move The Caravan

Hey there! Let’s talk about how the Caravan moves in the game. It’s pretty interesting, so listen up!

The first thing you need to know is that the Caravan moves clockwise. You have the power to move it, but it will cost you some camels. You can only move the Caravan one square at a time per camel you spend. But wait, there’s more!

Depending on your level as a Caravaneer, you might have an advantage. Here are the different levels and their perks:

• Level ‘0’ (+0): You can move the Caravan by spending the same number of camels as the number of squares you want to move.
• Level ‘1’ (+2): You can add up to two extra squares to the amount of camels you spend.
• Level ‘2’ (+4): You can add up to four extra squares to the amount of camels you spend.

Movement: When you decide to move the Caravan, you have to move it at least one square. You can’t stay in the same place, that’s against the rules! Regardless of your Caravaneer level, you must spend at least one camel to move the Caravan.

Trading: To trade, you need to be on the same square as the Caravan. But before you can trade, there are some conditions you need to meet.

A. Selling in Babylon

In Babylon, you can sell resource tokens to the stock. This will earn you prestige points and allow you to place an irrigation for free (but you won’t score any additional points for it). You have to place the irrigation.

• If you have 1 resource, you can get 3 prestige points and one free irrigation.
• If you have 2 resources, you can get 6 prestige points and one free irrigation.

B. Buying Court Cards

When the Caravan stops in a city, you can buy a card that is shown on that city’s square. To buy the card, you need to give the stock one token of the resource that the city is asking for. Then, you can choose one of the two types of cards that the city has available.

Sure thing, here’s a rewritten version of the text:

• If you don’t have any Court cards of the type you choose, you get a level 1 card.
• If you already have a Court card of the chosen type, you get the next level card. The new card covers the old one and becomes active.

Note: When you buy a level 2 Caravaneer card, you get the Wine token on it and add it to your personal stock. When you buy a Palace card, you immediately score the prestige points shown on it.

If the Court card with the right value is no longer available, you can’t advance in that field for the rest of the game.

C. Buying Plants

When I’m playing the game, I get to buy the plant that’s on the square where my Caravan stops. It’s pretty cool because I get to choose a plant that the city wants, and I give them one token of that resource. I also have to give them an extra token if the plant is a ‘2’ quality. Once I give them the tokens, I can immediately plant the plant in my garden.

After I buy the plant, I have to turn the Plant card over to the other side.

Planting

Welcome to the fascinating world of Mesopotamia! In this ancient land, I invite you to explore the majestic gardens that grace its grounds. Picture this: imagine a series of sixteen squares, meticulously arranged in four tiers. Each square is like a canvas waiting to be adorned with your cards. These cards, my friend, are the key to planting in this wondrous land.

Now, let’s delve into the art of planting. To do so, there are certain criteria you must meet. Allow me to enlighten you:

Irrigation: Ah, the life-giving force that sustains these splendid gardens. When choosing a square, make sure that at least one of its sides is fully irrigated. Look out for those squares with two irrigation areas! If you spot one, both areas must be filled for the square to flourish with your plants.

Oh, and do keep in mind that the plants on the lowest floor of the gardens don’t rely on the river for irrigation. They have a charm all their own. They dance to the beat of a different drum.

Choosing a Plant: When picking a spot to plant your seeds, it’s essential to consider the quality of the plant and the floor it will be placed on. The plant’s quality should match or surpass the quality of the floor.

For example, you cannot plant a low-quality ‘1’ plant on the third floor. However, you can plant a higher-quality ‘2’ plant on the first floor.

Keep in Mind: The fourth floor in the gardens has the highest quality of ‘3’.

Hey there, fellow gardeners! Let me tell you about a cool trick you can use to make your plants thrive. You’ve probably heard of Gardener cards, right? Well, did you know that you can use them to improve the quality of your plants? It’s true! By spending a Gardener card, you can make your plant one level higher. So, let’s say you have a level ‘1’ plant – if you spend a Gardener card, you can make it a level ‘2’ plant, and so on. Oh, and don’t worry about running out of Gardener cards. When you use one, it goes back into the stock for you to use again.

Oh, one important thing to note: if you really want to take things up a notch, you have the option to spend two Gardener cards at once. When you do this, you can place a level ‘1’ plant directly on the third floor. Pretty amazing, right?

Now, let’s talk about planting: when it comes to planting your beautiful plants, you need to keep a few things in mind. First, you need to select a square that is considered valid. This means that the square has at least one side that is fully irrigated and is suitable for the plant’s quality level. Once you’ve chosen a square, you can take the Garden tile and immediately earn some awesome prestige points and other bonuses. How cool is that? Just remember that once you’ve planted a plant on a square, you can’t plant any more plants there.

Here’s an interesting fact about irrigation: When you remove a tile, you should take into account the irrigation cubes around it. You’ll want to pay attention to this because it has a direct impact on your score. The more cubes you have around the tile, the more prestige points you can earn. And guess what? The number of points you get is determined by the quality of the plant you just planted. So, if you have the most cubes, you’ll get a nice boost to your score. But in case of a tie, no one scores any points. It’s a simple rule, but it could make a big difference in your strategy, so keep it in mind!

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Important Note: When playing as a gardener, the cards you use will not affect the irrigation bonus. The bonus depends solely on the plant’s inherent quality.

Automatic Irrigation: After removing a tile, check if it is adjacent to any previously planted plants. If it is, use neutral cubes to irrigate all the unoccupied areas between those plants.

Another Note: Keep in mind that irrigation can also be extended by recruiting an engineer or by selling resources in Babylon, using a neutral cube.

III. End of the Turn

This phase begins once all players have passed in Phase II. Here are the actions you need to take:

1. Procession

Now it’s my turn to play. I have one cube left in my stash, and I can place it in any of the temples. But before I do that, I need to follow the rules for placing priests in the temples. So, I carefully think about my move and choose a temple to put my cube in.

Once I’ve made my choice, I also have to place a neutral cube in each of the other two temples. This is to make sure that all the temples have at least one cube in them. It’s important to follow the rules and make sure everything is balanced.

It’s interesting to see how the temples are filling up with cubes as each player takes their turn. The game is all about strategy and making the right decisions. The placement of these cubes can have a big impact on the game.

Now that I’ve placed my cube and the neutral cubes, it’s time for the next player to take their turn. The game is getting more exciting with each move!

During this turn, I get to play last. I decide to place a cube in Marduk’s temple, which is the one in the middle. I also put a gray cube, which is a neutral cube, in each of the other two temples.

Now let’s move on to the temples. We need to count the number of cubes each player has in each temple. The players who have the most cubes in a temple will earn a reward.

But here’s the thing – the neutral cubes don’t count when determining majorities. And if a player is the only one in a temple, they only get the reward for first place.

Let’s go over the rewards for each temple:

1. Ishtar: The player who gets first place in Ishtar’s temple gets to choose either one camel or one talent from the stock. The other reward goes to the player in second place.

2. Marduk: The player who gets first place in Marduk’s temple receives two points, while the player in second place gets one point.

In the game of Tammouz, the person with the highest score places a pawn in one of the two fields and takes a token from the stock. This token corresponds to the Peasant. The player in second place has the option to exchange one of their resource tokens with a token from the general stock, but they cannot take a wine token.

Keep in mind that if one of the lines is completed by the person in first place, the Gardener card is assigned as usual, and the field squares are cleared.

When there is a tie for the reward in a temple, the player with the right-most cube wins the draw.

In a two-player game, the person with the highest score wins the reward for first place. The other player does not receive anything.

In the temple of Ishtar, there are two players, Blue and Red, who are competing. Each player has one cube, with Red being closer to the right side. As a result, Red wins the draw.

Now, it’s time for Red to make a choice. Red decides to take a camel from the general stock. On the other hand, Blue receives a talent.

Let me tell you a fascinating story set in the temple of Marduk. Here’s what happened:

Right in the middle of the temple, Black was the proud owner of not one, but two magnificent cubes. It was quite a sight to behold! On the other hand, poor White had just a single cube left. The odds were not in their favor.

Now, the interesting part is that because of this turn of events, Black gained two prestigious points. A well-deserved victory, wouldn’t you say? As for White, they managed to salvage the situation with a single point. It just goes to show that every little effort counts.

Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as cubes can hold so much significance? The game had its ups and downs, with victory and defeat intertwining. But that’s what makes it so thrilling and keeps us hooked, eager for more.

So there you have it, a glimpse into the intriguing world of Marduk’s temple, where cubes hold power and points shape the course of the game. Now, if you enjoyed this story, brace yourself for more captivating adventures that lie ahead. Ready to explore?

Let me tell you about the temple of Tammouz. On the right side, we have three players: White, Red, and Black. Each player has their own cube, but Black is the closest to the right, followed by Red.

Now, here’s how it works: Black puts one of their cubes in a field and gets a resource token. Then, Red has the option to exchange one of their resources from the general stock, except for wine. Unfortunately, White doesn’t earn anything this turn.

3. Stock

Now, let’s talk about the players’ resource stock. It depends on their level as a Caravaneer:

• Level ‘0’ & ‘1’: You can keep up to 2 resource tokens.
• Level ‘2’: You can keep up to 4 resource tokens.

If you have any extra cubes, you need to put them back in the general stock. Following the turn order, you can choose which cubes you want to get rid of. And don’t worry, you’re not limited when it comes to camels and talents.

4. First Player

Now, let’s talk about the first player.

When it’s your turn to play, pass the first player card to the next player, going clockwise.

The Game Ends

• 2 players: The game ends when there are 3 or fewer Garden tiles left to plant, at the end of the current turn.
• 3 & 4 players: The game ends when there are 4 or fewer Garden tiles left to plant, at the end of the current turn.

After that, Amyitis grants her favor to the players based on the number of Garden tiles they have:

• 2 players: If you have 5 or 6 tiles, you get 5 points. If you have 7 tiles or more, you get 10 points.
• 3 players: If you have 4 or 5 tiles, you get 5 points. If you have 6 tiles or more, you get 10 points.
• 4 players: If you have 3 or 4 tiles, you get 5 points. If you have 5 tiles or more, you get 10 points.

Note: These bonuses do not add up.

Finally, I get to tally up my points. For every resource token I still have, I score 1 point. It’s important to note that camels and talents don’t count. So I’ll just ignore them when calculating my total.

Now, the player with the most prestige points wins. It’s that simple. If there’s a tie for first place, then everyone who tied wins the game. Pretty cool, huh?