Discover the Rules of the Lowlands Game!

Have you ever heard of the Lowlands game? It’s a thrilling experience that you won’t want to miss out on. Here, I’ll guide you through the rules so you can jump right in and start having fun!

Setting Up the Game

First, gather your game pieces and an equal number of colored markers per player. Set up the game board, making sure all players can reach it easily. Don’t forget to shuffle the deck of cards!

Starting the Game

Now, it’s time to dive into the excitement! Each player takes turns drawing a card from the deck and following the instructions. Will you expand your territory, steal resources from others, or strategically build walls? The choice is yours!

Resource Management

In the Lowlands game, resources are essential for your success. You’ll need to manage them wisely to thrive. Keep a close eye on your opponents’ actions – who knows when they might try to take what’s rightfully yours?

Strategy and Tactics

Are you ready to develop your cunning strategy? It’s crucial to plan ahead and make calculated moves. Build alliances or execute surprise attacks – the Lowlands game is full of surprises and possibilities!

Scoring and Victory

As the game progresses, keep track of your points. The player with the highest score at the end is the champion! Will you be the one to claim victory and establish your rule over the Lowlands?

Conclusion

The Lowlands game is an incredible adventure that offers endless fun and excitement. With a blend of strategy, resource management, and tactical decision-making, it’s perfect for players who love a challenge. So gather your friends, set up the game board, and let the journey begin!

Welcome to the rugged coast of the North Sea, where hard-working people make a living through sheer determination. They face the constant threat of storms and floods, but band together to build dikes that protect their communities from the rising tides.

However, every person who helps build a dike is one less person available to tend to their flocks or maintain their family farms. These residents must navigate the delicate balance between selflessness and self-interest in order to thrive in this challenging environment.

The Building Blocks

Shared Foundations

• Here’s what you’ll find inside the box:
• 1 Main Board
• 2 Sheep Market Boards
• 3 Resource Markers
• 85
• 6 3-sheep Tokens
• 64 Fences
• 1 Phase Marker
• 12 Flood Cards
• 66 Resource Cards
• 1 First Player Marker
• 36 Flood Pieces
• 13 Dike Segments
• 5 Progress Tokens
• 1 Value Marker
• 30 Dike Breach Tokens
• 53 Coins
• 4 Farmer +2 Tokens
• 1 Sticker Sheet
• 1 Scorepad
• 1 Appendix
• 46 Farm Expansion Tiles:
• 12 Sheep Buildings
• 6 Storm Surge Buildings

Player Components (1 Set Per Player)

• Each player will receive:
• 1 Farmyard Board
• 1 Income Board
• 2 Laborers
• 1 Reference Sheet
• 1 Dike Point Marker
• 3 Farmers

In the game of Lowlands, the objective is to score the most victory points (VP) in order to emerge as the winner. During the course of the game, you can earn VP by housing sheep and constructing the dike. It’s worth noting that the VP values for these actions will change as the game progresses, as indicated on the value track on the main board. Additionally, you can accumulate VP by collecting coins (1 VP per coin), holding onto resource cards (1 VP per every two cards), and expanding your farm (VP shown on the tile). Now, let’s talk about the setup, which is shared among all players.

Let me tell you what we need to do. First, we put the main board on the table. Make sure it’s right in the center.

Let’s get started by shuffling all the flood cards. You can do this by mixing them up to create a random order. Once they’re shuffled, place them face-down on the space shown on the main board. This will be the flood deck, and it’s where we’ll draw cards from during the game.

It’s important to note that for your first game, there’s a special rule. You’ll need to return the flood card showing a “6” back to the box before creating the deck. This ensures that the game starts off at a manageable level.

When playing this game, the first thing you need to do is pick a color. Each player gets to choose their own color. Once you’ve made your choice, take the dike point markers in your chosen color and stack them up. Place the stack on the first space of the dike track. It’s important to put them in a random order to add an element of surprise to the game. This starting point represents zero dike points for you. If there are any dike point markers left over, simply put them back in the box.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Put progress tokens on the first five big spaces of the dike track.

2. Move the value marker to the middle space on the value track.

That’s it! You’re ready to go.

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through the realm of turn-based strategy board games? Then buckle up, because I have something magical to share with you!

Let’s talk about the importance of choosing the perfect game for your next adventure. Whether you’re a seasoned strategist or a curious beginner, finding the right game can make all the difference in your gaming experience.

Imagine this: you gather your friends around the table, filled with anticipation and excitement. As the game begins, you strategize, plan, and make crucial decisions. Each move has the potential to shift the tide in your favor or lead to your demise. The intense, nail-biting moments keep you on the edge of your seat, craving more.

Now, here’s the secret sauce: choosing the right game that ignites this level of excitement and engagement. So, let’s dive into the factors you should consider when selecting your next turn-based strategy game.

The Theme:

When it comes to board games, the theme sets the stage for your adventure. It paints a vivid picture in your mind, immersing you in a world of fantasy, history, or science fiction. From medieval conquests to intergalactic battles, the possibilities are endless. Are you drawn to the allure of ancient civilizations or the thrill of exploring uncharted territories? Trust your instincts and choose a theme that truly speaks to your inner strategist.

Game Mechanics:

Understanding the game mechanics is like deciphering the rules of a hidden language. Each game has its own set of rules and systems, and uncovering their secrets is half the fun. Some games offer simple mechanics with easy-to-learn rules, perfect for beginners. Others provide complex strategies, challenging even the most experienced players. Decide how deep you want to plunge into the world of strategy and pick a game that matches your desired level of complexity.

Player Count:

Are you planning a thrilling one-on-one duel or an epic battle with a large group of friends? The number of players can greatly impact the dynamics of a game. Some games thrive with fewer participants, focusing on intense head-to-head battles. Others shine in larger groups, fostering epic alliances and fierce rivalries. Consider the size of your gaming group and choose a game that accommodates everyone’s preferences.

Replayability:

As a strategist, you crave variety and fresh challenges. That’s why replayability is key. A game with high replay value offers endless possibilities and surprises, ensuring that no two games are ever the same. Maybe the game includes multiple scenarios, each with its own unique twists and turns. Perhaps it features customizable mechanics, allowing you to create new strategies every time. Seek out games that offer longevity and keep you coming back for more.

Art and Components:

Now, let’s talk aesthetics. The visual design and quality of a game’s components can greatly enhance your gaming experience. Beautifully illustrated cards, intricate miniatures, and high-quality boards can transport you into the heart of the game’s world. They elevate the immersion and make every move feel even more significant. Find a game that not only stimulates your mind but also pleases your eyes.

With these factors in mind, you’re ready to embark on your quest for the perfect turn-based strategy game. Remember to trust your instincts, explore new realms, and most importantly, have fun! The world of board games awaits you, strategist. Are you ready to seize the moment and become the master of your own destiny?

When playing the game, I need to shuffle the resource cards and place them facedown on the space indicated on the main board. This will create the resource deck. I then draw four cards and place them faceup on different spaces of the resource display. It’s important to have these resources accessible and visible to all players.

Next, I need to find the sheep market board that matches the number of players. This can be determined by the number of dots in the top-right corner of the board. The sheep market board should be placed next to the game board. This will allow players to easily reference and interact with the market during the game.

Hey there! Let’s talk about placing those resource markers on the sheep market board, shall we?

First things first, you’ll need to locate the sheep market board. It’s the one with the spaces where the markers go. Once you’ve found it, you’ll place three resource markers on the shown spaces.

Easy peasy, right? Now you’re ready to kick off your game with those markers in place!

First, I’ll put one sheep on each space of the sheep market board that has a sheep icon. I’ll put the other sheep market board back in the box.

Next, I’ll sort the farm expansion tiles (buildings and features) into four separate stacks based on their backs. I’ll shuffle each stack separately and put them next to the main board.

Then, I’ll draw three tiles from the feature, sheep building, and action building stacks and place them faceup in columns below their respective stacks.

Lastly, I’ll draw storm surge tiles equal to the number of players plus one and put them faceup in a column next to the other columns. Any remaining storm surge tiles can be returned to the box as they won’t be used in this game.

First things first, let’s get everything set up for the game. You’ll need to place all the coins, sheep, 3-sheep tokens, flood pieces, dike segments, dike breach tokens, and farmer +2 tokens near the board. These will serve as your supply during the game. Make sure to set the scorepad aside for now; you won’t need it until later.

Now let’s talk about how to set up the game for each player.

Each player will need the following components:

• 1 income board
• 1 reference sheet
• 3 farmers of your chosen color, each with values of 2, 3, and 4
• 4 building markers of your chosen color
• 2 sheep
• 16 fences
• 2 laborers
• 4 coins
• 4 resource cards that make up your hand, which should be kept hidden from other players

Okay, so first things first, let’s set up our game board. Place your farmyard board in front of you, with the side you like facing up. Both sides of the board have the same layout, so it’s totally up to you!

Next, put your income board and reference sheet right next to your farmyard board. Keep your coins and farmers close by as well, you’ll need them!

Now, let’s tidy up a bit. Take any unused farmyard boards, income boards, reference sheets, farmers, building markers, fences, and laborers and put them back in the box. We won’t be needing them right now.

Alright, time to get started! Place all the components you’ve gathered on your farmyard and income boards, just like it shows in the picture.

Hey there! You’re in for a treat because I’m about to explain how this game works. Did you know that the player whose dike point marker is on top of the stack goes first? It’s true! And they get to take the first player marker. Now, here’s something neat – every other player gets a shiny coin from the supply. How cool is that?

Ready to Play?

The game has different parts called phases. The phases are grouped together to make three stages.

Each stage has six phases. They are resolved in this order:

In the game, there’s a marker that shows which phase we’re currently in. Once we finish a phase, we move the marker up to the next one.

After going through all three phases, we’ll reach the final phase called the storm surge phase.

The game starts with the first phase, known as the Turn of the Tide.

Turn Of The Tide

1. Let’s start by checking the size of your hand. If you have more than eight resource cards, you’ll need to choose and discard some cards until you have only eight left.

‘Alright, listen up! Here’s what we gotta do. Grab three new flood cards from that deck over there. Take a good look at ’em, but keep ’em facedown for now. Next, go ahead and place one card on each of the three sea spaces on the main board. Got it? Easy, right? Now let’s get to work!’

When I reveal a new flood card, I flip over the leftmost facedown flood card on a sea space. I then take the number of flood pieces shown on the front of the card and place them from left to right on empty flood spaces on the main board as a first level. Once I finish a level, which is when I have 12 flood pieces, I stack additional flood pieces from left to right on top of the previous level to create a new level. Throughout the game, the flood will rise three levels high.
In this case, the flipped flood card shows a value of three, so I need to place three flood pieces on flood spaces on the main board.

The back of each flood card indicates the possible range of values for that card:

When you look at the front of this card, you’ll see a number between 1 and 3.

When you look at the front of this card, you’ll see a value between 4 and 6.

The Work Phase

During the Work phase, I put my farmers on spaces to take actions. When I put a farmer on a space, I get action points based on the farmer’s action value (2, 3, or 4). I can then use these points to complete the actions.

Let’s get started! I’ll explain how the game works. First, we take turns placing our farmers on our farmyard boards and doing the corresponding action. We go in clockwise order, starting with the first player.

Now, here’s the cool part. You can put a farmer on a space that already has one or more farmers on it. But there’s a catch! If there is one farmer on the space, you have to pay one coin to the supply. And if there are already two farmers, you have to pay two coins. If you can’t afford it, sorry, but you can’t place your farmer there and take that action.

Here are some important rules that apply to all the actions:

\tResource Substitution: Here’s a useful trick – if you’re short on one type of resource, you can always trade in two of another type instead. It’s like swapping between them! And here’s something cool: the Carpenter’s Workshop, Bricklayer’s Workshop, and Stonemason’s Workshop buildings won’t mess with this trade. So, to pay up, just get rid of the resources from your hand and put them faceup in the resource discard pile.

When I’m doing a task, laborers make it better. They have different effects on each task, which I’ll explain later. If I see a laborer icon on my income board or reach the progress token with a laborer icon on the dike track, I have two options. I can either assign a laborer from my income board to a task on my farmyard board or move one of my assigned laborers from one task to another. I can assign up to two laborers to each task, except for the “buy or sell sheep” task, which can only have one laborer.

Hey there! Let me tell you about a neat trick called “Unused Action Points.” It’s a handy way to make the most of your actions in the game.

So, here’s the deal. After you do something cool in the game, like taking an action, you might have some of your action points left over. Well, instead of just letting them sit there, you can do something really cool – you can use those unused points to draw resource cards!

Here’s how it works. You can spend one action point for each card you want to draw. It’s just like the “draw resource cards” action, except you use your unused points instead of regular ones. Pretty nifty, right?

But here’s the catch – you can’t save up your action points from one turn to the next just to get more cards. Nope, you have to use them right away if you want to draw your cards. So plan your moves wisely!

Hope that clears things up. Happy gaming!

Keep in mind: If you’re about to draw a card from the resource deck but it’s empty, just shuffle the discarded cards and create a new resource deck. There’s no limit to the number of sheep, coins, and dike breach tokens you can have on hand. If you run out of any of these components, feel free to use a substitute. For example, you can use 3-sheep tokens instead of three individual sheep.

Keeping Up

When it’s time for the II Upkeep phase, here’s what you need to do:

Breeding: When you have two sheep on your farmyard board, I’ll give you another one from the supply to add to your board if you have space.

Income: Let’s start with you and keep going clockwise. Take a look at your income board to see what you get. You’ll always get at least one resource card as income (look for the income icon at the top-right of your board). But if you build fences and buildings, you might uncover more income. Draw one card from the resource deck Get one coin. Draw one card from the resource deck or get one coin.

When it’s time to start a new round, there are a few things I need to do:

1. Retrieve farmers: First, I have to remove all my farmers from the action spaces and keep them near my farmyard board. This way, I can get ready for the next round.

2. Reset sheep market: Next, I have to return all the sheep on the sheep market back to the supply. After that, I will place one sheep from the supply on each space of the sheep market that is showing a sheep icon. This way, the sheep market will be ready for the next round.

3. Change the first player: Lastly, it’s time to determine the first player for the next round. The player who has made the most progress on the dike track becomes the first player and takes the first player marker. If there are multiple players tied for the most progress, the tied player who has their dike point marker on top becomes the first player.

By doing these steps, I can make sure I’m ready to begin the next round and continue playing the game. It’s important to follow these instructions to keep the game fair and enjoyable for everyone.

When I play Lowlands, one of the first things I do is reveal a new flood card. I flip over the leftmost facedown flood card on a sea space. On the front of the card, there’s a number of flood pieces shown. I take those pieces and place them from left to right on empty flood spaces on the main board. This creates a first level of flooding.

Once I finish a level, which is when there are 12 flood pieces on the board, I start stacking more flood pieces from left to right. These new pieces go on top of the previous level, creating a new level. By the end of the game, the flood will have risen three levels high.

Now, during the last II Upkeep phase of the game, I resolve steps 1, 2, and 6. I skip steps 3, 4, and 5.

Let’s talk about housing sheep. It’s an important part of the game.

On my farmyard board, each enclosed pasture can accommodate one sheep. That means if there are fences or buildings surrounding a space, a sheep can live there.

However, some farm expansions have different rules. You can’t house sheep on those tiles, unless it’s specifically allowed.

Whenever you want, you can move your sheep between spaces within pastures or farm expansions that can house sheep. For instance, if you’re planning to build a farm expansion on a space where a sheep lives, you need to move that sheep first.

You can only return a sheep from a space to the supply if there’s an action or effect that lets you do so. If you would get a sheep but have no place to keep it, you don’t receive that sheep at all.

High Tide

During this phase, I check whether the dike on my farm breaks or holds.

Let’s check the dike: Take a look at the flood pieces and compare them to the dike segments:

• If the dike is higher than the flood, the dike will be strong enough to hold back the water.
• If the flood is higher than the dike, it means the dike will break and the water will overflow.

If the levels are the same, then compare the row of flood pieces on the highest level to the row of dike segments on the highest level:

• If the row of dike segments is longer than or equal to the row of flood pieces, the dike will hold and prevent any flooding.
• If the row of flood pieces is longer than the row of dike segments, then the dike will break and the water will come rushing in.

After determining the result, place the three flood cards back into the box.

Dike holds: Here’s the deal: for every point I have on the dike track that is more than the player with the fewest points, I earn one coin. You can see the number of points on each pair of spaces on the dike track, and the player with the least points doesn’t earn any coins.

Next, let’s talk about the value track. All you need to do is move the value marker one space to the right. Simple, right?

Let me explain something important to you. The flood pieces and dike segments in this game are set up in such a way that they have the same length. This means that when you place the flood pieces on the dike segments, they fit perfectly and hold the dike together. It’s like a puzzle!

Now, let’s talk about Sue, Joe, and John. They are all playing this game, and each of them has a certain number of dike points. These dike points represent how much they have contributed to building the dike.

Guess what? Sue and Joe both have two dike points, which is one more than what John has. So they have been working really hard to help build the dike!

As a reward for their efforts, Sue and Joe each get one coin. They deserve it because they have contributed more to the dike compared to John, who hasn’t contributed as much and therefore does not receive any coins.

I hope this explanation helps you understand the game better. It’s all about teamwork and putting in the effort to build a strong dike!

Hey there! Let’s talk about dike breaks in Lowlands. So, in the game, if I have fewer dike points than the player with the most points, I get dike breach tokens. However, the player with the most points doesn’t get any tokens. Make sense?

After that, we move the value marker one space to the left on the value track. It’s like the pastures are flooding and farmers can’t keep all their sheep, so they start selling them. And because there’s a lot of sheep available, their value goes down.

Storm Surge

Now, let’s talk about storm surges and how they affect the game. First, we need to score buildings and features with an exclamation mark icon. For each farm expansion with that icon, we need to resolve its effects. And don’t forget to note any victory points we gain from these expansions in the “! farm expansions” section of the scorepad. Got it?

Let’s inspect the dike: Take a look at the dike as you did before, but this time, let’s resolve the following effects instead of the usual outcome: The dike holds: All of us throw away our dike breach tokens without any consequence. The dike breaks: Each one of us discards a sheep to the supply for every dike breach token we have. If any of us doesn’t have enough sheep, we need to pay the current value of the sheep in coins for each sheep we are short. If we don’t have enough coins either, we will lose one victory point for each coin we are short. Don’t forget to mark these negative victory points in the “Coins” section of our scorepad.

Let’s talk about scoring in the game. It’s a vital part of the game because it determines who wins. Here’s how you score points:

First, let’s talk about dike points. For each dike point you have, you gain a certain number of victory points. Look at the value of your dike points on the top row of the value track. If you advanced past the last space on the dike track, you get an extra 20 points.

Next, let’s talk about sheep. Each sheep you have is worth a certain number of victory points. Check the value of your sheep and gain that amount of points.

Your buildings and features also contribute to your score. Look at the shield icons on your farm expansions. The number of victory points shown on those icons is the number of points you gain.

Coins are valuable too. For each coin you have, you gain 1 victory point.

Resource cards are another way to earn points. For every two resource cards you have in your hand, you gain 1 victory point.

These are the main ways to score points in the game. Keep track of your points and see who comes out on top!

The End of the Game

Hey there! The game ends when the storm surge phase is over. And guess what? The player who has the most Victory Points (or VP for short) wins the game!

But wait, what happens if there’s a tie? Well, in that case, the player who is furthest on the dike track breaks the tie and takes home the victory. And if there’s still a tie, then it’s all about whose dike point marker is on top.

Now let’s talk about playing with 2 players.

When you’re playing with just two players, things work pretty much the same as with three or four players, with just one little change:

After you finish the “contribute to the dike” action, you can spend one coin to ask the market for help instead of asking your opponent for help. But hey, if you’re broke and can’t pay the coin, you’ll still have to turn to your opponent for help.

If you decide to ask the market for help, you’ll need to reveal resource cards from the top of the resource deck, one at a time, equal to the number of dike segments you built during your turn.

For each resource card you reveal that matches the resource needed for a dike segment, you move the corresponding resource marker one space on the construction yard track.

If you manage to complete a dike segment before revealing all the cards, don’t worry! Just keep revealing cards, and when you find a different resource, you can start building the next dike segment. And of course, all the cards you revealed this way go straight to the discard pile.

Oh, and one more thing: when you ask the market for help, you don’t move forward on the dike track. That’s just for when you ask your opponent for assistance.