Welcome to the Game Rules for Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon!

In this guide, I will explain the rules and mechanics of Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon, a strategy board game designed for players like you who love engaging challenges. So, let’s dive in and explore the exciting world of Ishtar together!

Objective:

The main goal of Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon is to be the most famous gardener in the city of Babylon. By strategically planting and growing your flowers, you will impress Queen Sammu-ramat and earn her favor, gaining the most victory points.

Components:

The game includes the following components:

A game board depicting Babylon and its surrounding lands.
Colorful flower tokens.
Gardener figures representing the players.
Watering cans to grow the flowers.
Queen Sammu-ramat’s favor cards.

Gameplay:

Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon is played over multiple rounds, with each round consisting of the following phases:

1. Sunrise: At the beginning of each round, players simultaneously choose an action card from their hand. This action card will determine their actions during the round.
2. Action: Players take turns performing actions based on the chosen action card. These actions include collecting flower tokens, planting flowers in the garden, moving gardeners, or selecting a new action card for the next round.
3. Scoring: After all players have taken their actions, the garden tiles are scored. Players earn victory points based on the number and type of flowers they have planted in each garden.
4. Queen’s Favor: The player with the most flowers in each garden is awarded Queen Sammu-ramat’s favor, earning additional victory points and special abilities.
5. Sunset: If the game has not ended, all played action cards are discarded, and new ones are dealt for the next round.

The game continues until the end trigger conditions are met, such as a certain number of rounds being completed or a specific victory point threshold being reached.

Strategy Tips:

Now that you know the basic rules of Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon, let me share some strategy tips with you:

Plan your actions carefully. Consider the scoring opportunities and Queen’s favor bonuses when choosing your action cards.
Pay attention to your opponents’ actions. Block their moves, steal their scoring opportunities, or use your actions to gain an advantage.
Focus on balancing the types of flowers you plant to maximize your victory points.
Adapt your strategies based on Queen Sammu-ramat’s favor cards. They can give you unique advantages in the game.
Remember to optimize the placement of garden tiles to create synergies between flowers and gain additional benefits.

I hope this guide has provided you with a clear understanding of the game rules for Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon. Now it’s time to grab your gardening tools and embark on an exciting journey to become the most renowned gardener in Babylon!

Legend has it that a long time ago, on a night without stars, I, the Queen’s Gardener, fell down in the middle of the desert. I cried for hours, feeling so defeated. How could I possibly grow anything in such a dry wasteland? But then, something truly incredible happened. One of my tears somehow seeped through the sand and reached another realm. Goddess Ishtar, touched by my pain and desperation, took my tear and sent it back to the surface as a boundless source of water. From that moment on, I was filled with gratitude and made a solemn vow to create the most splendid gardens ever seen in these lands.

Let me tell you about the different components that make up this amazing game, Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon.

First, we have the four individual Player Boards. These boards will be your personal area where you can keep track of your progress and strategize your next moves.

Next, we have the six hexagonal Terrain Boards. These boards represent the different types of terrain in the game, from rocky hills to fertile valleys. You’ll need to carefully navigate and utilize these terrains to create your stunning gardens.

Then, there’s the Carpet Board. This board acts as the central playing area where you’ll place your pieces and build your gardens. It’s like your blank canvas, waiting to be transformed into a masterpiece.

Of course, we can’t forget about the 42 Vegetation Tiles. These tiles represent the various plants and flowers that you can use to adorn your gardens. Choose wisely and create a harmonious and visually captivating landscape.

Additionally, there are the 8 Blooming Tokens. These tokens represent the blossoming of your plants and flowers. Place them strategically to maximize the beauty and allure of your gardens.

Last but not least, we have the 26 Tree Cards. These cards depict different types of trees that you can plant in your gardens. Each tree offers unique benefits and will contribute to the overall majesty of your creation.

With these components, Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon offers you the chance to become the greatest gardener in the realm. Embrace the challenge, let your creativity bloom, and create a breathtaking oasis in the middle of a barren desert. Let your gardens be a testament to the power of hope, determination, and the extraordinary beauty that can arise from the most unlikely of places.

I’ve got something very cool to show you! It’s a game called “Botanical Bonanza”! Let me tell you all about it.

In this game, you’ll embark on an amazing adventure through a lush garden. It’s filled with beautiful plants, charming fountains, and sparkling gems. Your job is to collect as many treasures as you can while exploring this enchanting landscape.

You’ll have some tools to help you on your journey. First, you’ll be equipped with 6 Cup Tiles that will come in handy as you gather your bounty. You’ll also have 20 Trees that you can strategically place to maximize your treasure collection. And don’t forget about the 6 Fountains that add an extra touch of magic to your garden!

But that’s not all! You’ll also have 114 Gems at your disposal. These precious stones are scattered throughout the garden, just waiting to be discovered. And to assist you in your quest, you’ll have 16 Assistants by your side, ready to lend a helping hand.

Remember to take care of your plants! You’ll have 1 Watering Can to keep them healthy and thriving. And to keep track of your progress, I’ve included a Scoring Pad where you can record your treasures.

To help you get started, there’s a game set up and Skills guide leaflet included. It’ll give you all the information you need to navigate this magical garden. And if you ever need some extra guidance, the Rulebook will be there to answer any questions you may have.

Botanical Bonanza is all about embracing the wonder of nature and uncovering hidden treasures. So grab your tools, explore the garden, and let the adventure begin!

Let’s Create Majestic Gardens in the Desert!

The King wants us to accomplish a challenging mission: to make stunning gardens in the middle of the desert that will delight his Queen.

Fortunately, we have a few fountains that we can use to bring life to the barren landscape. We will use them to expand areas filled with greenery, create beautiful flowerbeds, and plant magnificent trees.

If we listen closely to the wisdom of the masters, we can gain an advantage over our rivals. By collecting the most victory points, we have the chance to become the Gardener of the King!

Everything You Need to Know About the Game

Your Personal Game Plan

Your game plan is represented by your Player Board. It showcases the different Skills that you can learn. These Skills give you the ability to perform new actions and earn points in unique ways. You will find your Skills displayed on two levels.

Player Boards are special game components that have a purple gem symbol on them. This symbol serves as a reminder to all players that they start the game with a purple gem. The player who goes first also has an additional symbol on their board.

Discover the Wonder of Terrain Boards

Imagine a world where you hold the power to shape your own landscape, where gardens flourish and secrets abound. Introducing Terrain Boards – the key to unlocking a cornucopia of possibilities.

Picture six grand hexagonal Tiles, each one a gateway to adventure and creativity. With every Tile, a new opportunity emerges. As you place them together, a sprawling landscape unfurls before your eyes.

But there’s more to these Tiles than meets the eye. They hold within them a fountain of inspiration, a symbol of life and beauty. As you position your Tiles, you’ll discover the Fountain Spaces – magical places where dreams come to life.

Let’s pause and take a closer look at these remarkable Tiles. Many of them are crafted with sand, imitating vast desert dunes and hinting at the secrets hidden beneath. Others feature sparkling gemstones, a dazzling reminder of the wonders waiting to be unearthed. And then, there are those adorned with sacred tablets, carrying stories and legends from times long past.

By stepping into this world of Terrain Boards, your imagination will run wild. You’ll find yourself transported to a realm where mountains rise, rivers flow, and enchanted forests await exploration.

Now, the choice is yours. Do you seek to create a tranquil oasis, a haven of serenity and calm? Or perhaps you crave the thrill of discovery, venturing into lands unknown? With Terrain Boards as your canvas, the power lies in your hands.

So, what are you waiting for? Unleash your inner artist, and let the wonder of Terrain Boards guide your every stroke. Your masterpiece awaits.

Vegetation Tiles

Hey, did you know there are three different shapes of Vegetation Tiles? And get this, each shape has three spaces that can be filled with either Grass Spaces or Flower Spaces. Oh, and the Grass Spaces are a light green color, while the Flower Spaces are a darker shade of green. But that’s not all! The Flower Spaces can have anywhere from one to four flowers on them. How cool is that?

Now, here’s a neat little tip for you – the Starting Tiles, which are these awesome tiles that have bubbles of water on them, come in sets of six. There are two Starting Tiles for each of the three Tile shapes. They’re like the stars of the show, setting the stage for all the other tiles to come. Pretty neat, huh? I just love how this game gives you so many options and possibilities!

Growing Flowers

Hey there! Have you ever heard of Blooming Tokens? They’re these cool little things that come in different sizes, either one space or two spaces. I think they’re pretty neat. You know what’s even cooler? They can actually show you two to three flowers! How awesome is that?

Carpet Board and Cup Tiles

Hey there, let’s talk about the Carpet Board and Cup Tiles! They’re pretty important in this game. The Carpet Board is where all the action happens. It has a bunch of game elements, like these 6 Cup Tiles. Each Cup Tile has its own special spot on the board. It’s pretty neat!

The center of the carpet is where you’ll find the Assistants and Blooming Tokens. They’re like the stars of the show, sitting right in the middle and ready to be used. So cool!

So here’s the deal. When we play this game, we start by randomly putting the Cup Tiles on the Carpet Board. And here’s the thing: each Cup Tile decides which sort of Vegetation Tile goes on top of it. Pretty neat, right?

The Wonderful World of Gems

Hey there! Let’s talk about gems!

Gems are like magical treasures that you can use in your adventures. Just like in real life, some gems are rarer than others. We have purple gems, red gems, and white gems. Purple gems are the most common, but red gems are a bit harder to find. Now, the white gems, they are the rarest of them all!

Why are gems so special? Well, because they can help you score lots of victory points! You see, if you collect enough of those rare white gems, you’ll be able to buy special Trees that will bring you even more points.

So, as you embark on your exciting journey, keep an eye out for those dazzling gems. They are precious and valuable, just like you!

Watering Can

Hey there! I’m the Watering Can! I’m a special tool that helps you take care of your plants. I get to move around on the Carpet Board and show you which tiles you can use on your turn.

Trees Tree Cards

Hey there! Let me tell you all about Tree cards. Each Tree card shows a different kind of Tree. To put a Tree in the game, you have to use the Gems you see in the top-left corner of the card.

When you plant a Tree, you earn Victory Points when the game finishes. If you buy a Tree card, you can right away put a Tree on one of the grass spaces on a Vegetation Tile.

Fountains

When you set up the game, you’ll find fountains on certain spaces. They make it easier for you to spot those spaces. Each fountain has a different value based on its color: white fountains score more points than red fountains, and red fountains score more points than purple fountains.

Assistants

During setup, some of the assistants are placed on the Carpet Board, while others are placed in front of the players. You can use assistants to take control of the flowerbeds by playing them on vegetation tiles.

Scoring Pad

At the end of the game, you can use the scoring pad to write down each player’s score. This will help determine the winner.

How the Game Works

When playing this game, there are specific steps that I follow to make progress. Let me break it down for you:

Pick a Vegetation Tile
Put the Vegetation Tile in Place
Get Gems
Take a Special Action
Plant a Tree

After I complete these steps, it’s time for the next player to take their turn.

Step 1: Picking a Vegetation Tile

Firstly, on my turn, I need to choose a Vegetation Tile. Here’s how I do it:

I move the Watering Can in a clockwise direction, going to the next available Vegetation Tile.

Note: When it’s the first turn of the game, the first player gets to choose where the Watering Can starts.

After picking the Vegetation Tile, I move on to the next step of placing it.

On your turn, when it’s my time to play, I see the Watering Can on the top pile. Ah, I have my eye on the lower left Tile with 3 Flowers! To get my hands on it, I need to spend 2 Gems. My first move is free, but the second move doesn’t count because the pile is empty. Still, I’m not worried because there are two more piles ahead of me before I reach the Tile.

Let’s talk about Flowerbeds, Garden, and Fountain. A Flowerbed is a bunch of Flower Spaces that are nex to each other. When I place an Assistant on a Flowerbed, I control that Flowerbed. That means I get to control all the visible Flowers in that Flowerbed. But hold on, I can only have 0 or 1 Assistant in a Flowerbed – no more than that!

If I’m lucky enough to control a Flowerbed, I get to score 1 Victory Point for each Flower in that Flowerbed at the end of the game. Now, what about a Garden? Well, a Garden is a group of Vegetation Tiles that are next to each other. At least one of these Tiles has to be connected to a Fountain for it to be considered a Garden.

Did you know that gardens and fountains are interconnected? It’s true! Although a garden can only be connected to one fountain, multiple gardens can be linked to the same fountain. In each garden, there can be different flowerbeds, making them even more captivating.

Controlling a fountain gives you a chance to earn victory points. How cool is that?

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The player with the most flower spaces, regardless of the number of flowers, in the flowerbeds of the gardens connected to a fountain takes control of that fountain. But what happens if there’s a tie? Well, in that case, all the players who are tied will have control over the fountain. Talk about a fair game!

Let me explain to you about the yellow and purple Fountain on the right. The yellow control has 4 Flower Spaces, while the purple has only 1, which means the yellow is in the lead.

2. Time to Add Some Plants

Here are the rules for adding a Vegetation Tile:

You can only place the Tile on Sand or Rock Spaces. You can’t cover a Fountain, Sacred Tablet, or another Vegetation Tile.
Make sure that at least one part of the new Tile touches a Fountain or another Vegetation Tile that was placed before.
Be careful not to connect two different Gardens with different Fountains.
Don’t put a Tile down if it would cause multiple Assistants to end up on the same flowerbed, even if they belong to the same player.

And then, it’s time to Collect Gems!

For example: I can’t put Vegetation Tiles A and B on the red spaces because that would connect two Gardens and create a green path between two purple Fountains.

I also can’t place the A Vegetation Tile on the yellow space because two Assistants would end up on the same flowerbed.

On the other hand, I can place the B Vegetation Tile on the yellow space if I cover it with Grass Space. This way, each Assistant will have their own flowerbed.

3. Time to Collect Gems

When I place a Vegetation Tile, I get to collect all the Gems from the corresponding spaces that I covered. I’ll put them in my supply in front of me. It’s possible that I won’t get any Gems if I don’t cover Rock Spaces with Gems.

After that, I move on to the Special Action step.

Example: If you put the Vegetation Tile in this spot, you will gather a white Gem and a purple Gem.

4. Special Ability

This phase doesn’t happen every turn, only when you pick a Tile with one of the three icons shown. You can decide not to use this Special Ability, but you can’t save it for later.

Assistant Icon: Hey there! If there’s an Assistant Icon on the Tile you just put down, and you have at least one Assistant in front of you, you can pop an Assistant on that Tile, covering up that icon.

Don’t forget! You can’t put your Assistant down if there’s already another Assistant on the same Flowerbed. Gotta respect their personal space!

Skill Icon: If the Tile you just placed has a Skill Icon, you can unlock a Skill from your Player Board. To do this, take any 2 Gems from your supply (they can be the same color or different) and place them on any available Skill.

If you want to place Gems on the upper level of your board, you must first complete the Skill from the lower level. Once a Gem is placed on your board, it cannot be removed or moved to another spot.

Take a look at the Skills guide to see the different Skills available. Remember, you can only unlock one Skill per turn, and each Skill can only be unlocked once.

Note: Refer to the Skills guide for more information about each Skill.

Wild: When you place a Tile with a Wild Icon, you can use it as an Assistant Icon or a Skill Icon and resolve it immediately.

After that, it’s time to plant a tree. Follow these steps:

5. Plant a Tree

On each turn, you have the option to plant a tree. Here’s how:

Choose any tree card from the five available options next to the draw pile (or use a reserved tree card, as explained in the Skill section).
Check the card’s cost and use any required Gems from your supply to pay for it. You can only take a card if you can afford it.
Place the card face down in front of you.
Take the Tree marker from the card and place it on any free Grass Space.

If you want to, and if you have enough resources, you can repeat these steps to plant another tree.

Imagine this: you’re playing a game, and it’s your turn. You draw a card from the deck and place a marker on it, called a Tree Marker. And guess what? Your turn is over! Now it’s the next player’s turn, starting on your left. They get to pick a Vegetation Tile and keep the game going. How exciting!

To plant this Tree, you’ll need 2 red Gems and 1 white Gem from your supply. Place the card face-down in front of you after spending the required Gems. Now, choose a free Grass Space to plant the Tree on. After that, reveal the first card from the draw pile to proceed.

So, here’s the deal. If you’ve got a Tree card that you didn’t get a chance to plant, just toss it aside. No worries. And hey, check this out – take a look at all the Tree cards that you’ve managed to put down on the table in front of you. Add up all those points. Pretty cool, huh?

When I control Flowerbeds with my Assistants, I earn 1 Victory Point for each Flower I see. It’s pretty cool to watch my score rise when my Assistants help me out like that.

If you have a purple Fountain under your control, you can score 4 Victory Points. It’s a pretty cool deal, right?

If you control any red Fountains, you can earn 6 Victory Points for each one. It’s a simple way to boost your score!

If you control the white Fountain, you will earn 8 Victory Points. That’s a pretty good deal, don’t you think?

If you want to win the game, you need to score points based on the Skills you have unlocked. Look at the leaflet to see which Skills you can use.

The Scoring Pad is where you keep track of each player’s Victory Points. The player with the most Victory Points is the winner.

How to play Ishtar Gardens of Babylon Official Rules