Pergamon Game Rules

Welcome to the exciting world of Pergamon, a game unlike any other! If you’re ready to embark on an adventure that will challenge your mind and test your strategic thinking, then you’re in the right place.

In Pergamon, you will be transported back in time to the ancient city of Pergamon in Hellenistic Asia Minor. As a young archaeologist, your mission is to excavate and discover priceless artifacts hidden beneath the ruins of this magnificent ancient city.

To start your journey, you will need a game board, which represents the excavation site. The board is divided into different areas, each with its own unique treasures waiting to be unearthed.

The game is played in rounds, and in each round, you will have the opportunity to perform various actions. These actions include digging for artifacts, collecting resources, and restoring discovered artifacts to their former glory.

As you dig deeper into the ruins, you will encounter obstacles and challenges. These obstacles can include collapsing tunnels, ancient curses, or even rival archaeologists trying to claim the artifacts for themselves. But don’t worry! With careful planning and strategic thinking, you can overcome these challenges and emerge victorious.

One of the most exciting aspects of Pergamon is the collection of artifacts. Each artifact you discover tells a unique story about the ancient city and its inhabitants. As you collect more artifacts, you will gain prestige and move closer to becoming the most renowned archaeologist in the world.

But be warned, my friend, success in Pergamon is not guaranteed. It will require careful planning, resource management, and a bit of luck. Are you up for the challenge? Can you uncover the secrets of Pergamon and leave your mark on history?

If you’re ready to embark on this thrilling adventure, gather your fellow archaeologists, set up the game board, and let the excavation begin. The ancient city of Pergamon awaits, and its secrets are calling out to you. Good luck, and may the artifacts be ever in your favor!

Back in 1878, the Royal Museum of Berlin decided to dig in Pergamon, a site in modern-day Turkey. Pergamon was at its peak around 200 AC (we use AC as an abbreviation for “ante Christum Natum,” instead of the more common BC), when it served as the primary port in the Ancient Roman province of Asia.

The Goal of the Game

As archaeologists, our aim is to secure as much research funding as possible to support our excavations in Pergamon.

During our dig, we discover fragments of ancient vases, jugs, bracelets, and even golden masks. Depending on the depth of our excavations, we can find artifacts dating back to the first five centuries AC. By connecting matching pieces, we assemble collections that can be displayed in the prestigious Pergamon Museum.

Winning the game depends on several factors. First, you need to have valuable collections. These are the items that hold the most worth and significance in the game. The more valuable your collections are, the better your chances of winning. But it’s not just about the collections themselves; you also need to gain recognition from the museum’s visitors.

The museum’s visitors are an important factor in the game. They provide recognition in the form of admission tickets. The more visitors you attract and impress, the more recognition you receive. And the more recognition you receive, the better your chances of winning.

But how do you attract and impress the museum’s visitors? It’s all about showcasing your collections in the best possible way. You need to make sure that your collections are displayed in a captivating and appealing manner. This will catch the attention of the visitors and increase your chances of gaining recognition.

So, in summary, winning the game is all about having valuable collections and gaining recognition from the museum’s visitors. The more valuable your collections are and the more recognition you receive, the closer you are to winning.

Expanding Your Collections

• I want to keep the following information short. This is what comes in the box:
• 1 game board
• 4 player figures
• 12 circular markers for collections (4 sets of I, II, III each)
• 12 angular markers for collections (4 sets of I, II, III each)
• 60 square tiles finds
• 24 research funds cards (3x 1-8 coins each)
• 36 admission tickets (12 of 1, 2 and 5 victory points each)
• 1 tomb raider (for 2-player game)
• 4 reminder cards (for exhibiting collections)

The Beginning

I’m going to tell you how to set up this cool game. First, put the game board right in the middle of the table. Up on top, there are 13 spaces for research funds. On the left side, there’s a dig site with 5 levels. In each level, you can find a max of 4 discoveries lined up side by side.

In the middle of the game board, you’ll see the calendar, which displays the 12 turns of the game. On the right side, there’s the Pergamon museum, and you can find the exhibition plan on spaces 1-24.

To set up the game, first, shuffle the 24 research fund cards and place them face-down next to the game board. These cards will be drawn from during the game.

Next, shuffle the 60 finds and create face-down piles of 5 tiles each. These piles are placed on the 12 spaces of the calendar. Each space will have a pile of finds.

That’s it! You’re now ready to begin your archaeological adventure!

4. Put the coins next to the game board as a stockpile. Stack the admission tickets on the empty spaces below the calendar.

5. Choose your color and take your player figure, as well as 3 circular and 3 angular markers for your collections. You also get a reminder card that shows important steps during the exhibition that you might forget. The oldest player goes first.

6. The tomb raider is only necessary in a 2-player game.

Game Play

The game has 12 turns, and each turn has the following phases:

1. Laying out finds
2. Distributing research funds
3. Excavating, exhibiting, and storing finds
4. Evaluations (only in turns 5, 7, 9, and 12)

1. Laying out finds

Alright, let’s talk about what happens at this stage of the game. I’m going to explain how the first player adds new discoveries to the excavation site.

First things first, the player takes the top 5 tiles from the calendar stack. It’s important to turn these tiles face-up so we can see what they are. Once we have the tiles, we need to organize them by age.

In order to do that, we’ll look at the numbers in the lower right corner of each tile. These numbers represent the century in which the discovery was made, with 1 being the youngest and 5 being the oldest.

So, the player’s job is to arrange the tiles in ascending order, from the youngest to the oldest. This step helps us keep track of the historical timeline as we uncover more and more finds.

So, here’s the deal. If you come across multiple discoveries from the same century, the trick is to sort them based on the two-digit number on the left. It’s like a secret code that helps you organize and make sense of the finds. Pretty cool, right?

Let’s start by laying out the 5 tiles, one below the other, face-up on the galleries of the excavation site. The youngest find goes on gallery I, the second youngest on gallery II, and so on.

If, while we’re playing the game, a gallery already has 4 finds, we won’t place any additional tile on it. In that case, we’ll only draw as many tiles from the current stack as there is room on the galleries. The remaining finds will go back to the box (without peeking at them), since we won’t need them anymore.

Example: So here’s the deal: you’ve got these cool ancient finds from different ages – 1, 2, 4, 4, and 4. Now, let’s organize them in the gallery. We’ll start by putting the find with the number 1 on gallery I, then the one with the number 2 on gallery II. After that, we’ll arrange the three finds with the number 4 in the following order: 14, 36, and 85. Easy peasy!

2. Cash Money, Research Funds

Now it’s time to talk about money! During this phase, I’m going to hook you up with some research funds.

First, I need you to draw 2 research funds cards from the pile. After you’ve done that, place them face-down next to the game board. Keep them secret just for now.

On the back of each card, you’ll find either a money bag symbol which means it distributes 1-4 coins, or a chest symbol which means it distributes 5-8 coins. Keep in mind that the sum of both cards will determine how much moolah you’ll have for this turn. It’s like a little sneak peek to help you plan ahead.

So, here’s what we’re gonna do. First, I’ll go ahead and put my player figure on a research space. Then, it’s your turn, and you’ll do the same. We’ll take turns going clockwise, placing our figures on different research spaces. Oh, and by the way, only one player figure can be on a space at a time. We can’t be crowding each other, you know?

Now, where you choose to put your figure is important for a couple of reasons. First, it tells us how much research funding you want. The closer you are to the center, the more funding you’re asking for. So, think about how much money you need to do your excavations and pick your spot accordingly.

But that’s not all! The other thing your placement determines is which galleries you can dig in phase 3. Each research space is connected to a bunch of galleries. So, look at where you put your figure and consider which areas you want to explore later on. It’s like a sneak peek into the treasures you can uncover!

Alright, let’s get this game started! First, flip over the two cards, and then count the number of coins that match those cards. Place the coins neatly beside the game board so you can keep track.

The two cards show 7 and 4 coins, so 11 coins are laid out.

You take coins according to the number shown on your research funds space, which is the one furthest to the right. Then, the other players take coins in order, from right to left, based on the number shown on their spaces, as long as there are enough coins left.

The last player always has the option to take all the remaining research funds. Sometimes there may be fewer coins than you hoped for, and other times you might get even more. But if you take too big a risk, you may end up with nothing at all.

3. Excavating, Exhibiting, Storing Finds

In this phase, you excavate the finds one by one and have to decide whether to present them at the museum or store them.

When it comes to starting the game, the player on the rightmost research funds space goes first. Then, the rest of the players take their turns in order, moving from right to left. Each player completes all their desired actions before it’s the next player’s turn.

A) Digging Up Discoveries

As your first action, you have the option to dig up all the discoveries in one gallery. The gallery you can choose for your excavation is shown on the space where your player figure is located.

When you perform an excavation, you have to spend some money. The fee for excavating in gallery I is 1 coin. If you want to excavate in gallery II, it will cost you 2 coins, and the cost increases as you move to higher galleries. The amount you pay is the same regardless of the number of finds you excavate.

After excavating, arrange the newly found artifacts with the face-up side visible in front of you. If you have any artifacts from previous turns, just mix them together with the new ones.

Example: So, let’s say you choose gallery III and pay 3 coins. Then you take the two things you find and lay them out in front of you.

B) Sharing What You Found

Now you get to show off one or more groups of things at the museum. To make a group, you have to put together several things that match and make a whole object out of their parts (like masks, bracelets, jugs, or vases). The older the things are, the more points they’re worth.

A thing from the 5th century BC is worth 5 points, one from the 4th century BC is worth 4 points, and so on. While you haven’t shared your things at the museum, you can move them around however you like. But once your group is on display at the museum, you can’t change it or add to it anymore.

When you show off your collection, you can make it more valuable by “polishing” it. Every time you add a coin to your stock, the value of your collection goes up by 1 point. You can increase the value of your collection by a maximum of 3 points. But on the final turn, you can polish a new collection as much as you want.

To display a collection at the museum, put a marker (I, II, or III) in front of the artifacts you put together, and place the corresponding marker on the exhibition space at the Pergamon museum that matches the value of your collection. If your collection is worth more than 24 points, put the marker on the space labeled “24”.

You’ll immediately get 1 victory point for each new collection you exhibit.

Hey there! Let’s talk about how things work at the museum.

So, every space on the exhibition plan can only have one marker at a time.

And here’s the thing: when a new collection is put on display, it kind of steals the spotlight from all the existing exhibitions that are worth the same or less.

That means those markers need to move down one space to make room for the new collection.

Hey there! The reminder card I have here tells you what you need to do when you’re showing off your collection. It’s pretty important stuff, so make sure you pay attention!

If you need to move one of your markers from space 1 out of the museum, you’ll get that marker back. But here’s the catch – you’ll have to break up the collection that marker was a part of and put the finds back in the box. Bummer, right?

Let me give you an example to explain it better. Let’s say your collection has three finds: a bracelet from the 5th century, a vase from the 3rd century, and a mask from the 4th century. Each find is worth a certain number of points, and together they add up to 12 points. You put your marker on space 12 of the museum to show off your awesome collection. (Oh, and if you “polish” your collection first and pay 2 coins to the stock, it becomes even more valuable, worth 14 points!).

So here’s the deal: we’ve got three collections already, right? They’re hanging out on spaces 9, 12, and 16. But here’s the twist – those two markers that were chilling on spaces 9 and 12? Well, they decided to shake things up and move to spaces 8 and 11 instead. Yep, that’s right. Time for a little switcheroo.

If you’ve already displayed three collections at the museum (all three angular markers are in collections and all three circular markers are on the exhibition plan) and you want to exhibit another collection, you can break up any of your displayed collections. Just take the circular marker from the museum and put the corresponding finds back in the box. You can then use the freed-up marker to exhibit a new collection.

C) Storing Finds

At the end of your turn, you need to store any finds that you don’t want to exhibit yet. You can store up to three finds for free. If you have more than three finds, you’ll have to pay one coin in storage fees for every additional set of three finds you want to store.

If you don’t have any money or don’t want to pay the fees to store your things, you can also get rid of anything you find and put it back in the box. You don’t have to pay to store those things.

4. Evaluation

Hey there! It’s time for the evaluation phase, where you can earn victory points for your amazing collections. This exciting event happens after turns 5, 7, 9, and 12.

During the evaluation, you’ll earn victory points based on the spaces your circular markers occupy on the exhibition plan. For each collection, you can earn anywhere from 1 to a maximum of 6 victory points. These points are represented by admission tickets, which you can keep hidden from the other players. How cool is that?

Wait, there’s more! At each evaluation, there’s an additional prize up for grabs. If you have a particularly valuable exhibit, you can score big. During the first evaluation (turn 5), the player with the oldest vase displayed in the museum receives 2 extra victory points. But remember, the vases must be currently exhibited to count!

During turn 5, when we evaluate the artifacts, I score 2 points if I own the oldest exhibited vase. This same rule applies to turns 7, 9, and 12. In turn 7, if I own the oldest exhibited jug, I receive 2 victory points. In turn 9, it’s the oldest mask, and in turn 12, it’s the oldest bracelet. To determine the age of a find, we look at the entire date. This includes the century figure on the left and the two-digit figure on the right.

For instance: This cool mask comes from the ancient year 463 AC.

Every time people visit the museum, they get less interested in the old exhibitions. So, we move all the markers on the exhibition plan down a few spaces. In the fifth turn, they move three spaces down. In the seventh turn, they move four spaces down. And in the ninth turn, they move five spaces down.

Just so you remember, the arrows on the calendar show how many spaces they move. (Don’t forget to remove collections that leave the museum).

A new turn begins

This is the end of the current turn. Put the two research funds cards back in the box and take your player figures from the research funds spaces. The player who is on the leftmost space of the research funds becomes the new first player.

When we get to phase 1, I spread out the new discoveries. Then, it’s my turn to pick a new research space. After that, the other players take turns choosing their spaces in a clockwise direction.

The game comes to an end after turn 12. Once I’ve earned points for my collections and the oldest bracelet has been given out, there’s a special bonus.

Whoever owns the oldest exhibit at the museum gets 3 victory points. The second and third oldest exhibits receive 2 and 1 victory points respectively.

The player with the most victory points wins the game because they’ve attracted the most attention to their collections. If there’s a tie, the player whose exhibit includes the oldest find wins.

The designers have a few tips to share:

– When applying for research funds, it’s important to consider your strategy. Think about what spaces you want to have access to and which ones your opponents might be interested in.

– Pay attention to the number of victory points each exhibit can earn you. Sometimes it’s worth focusing on older items that may not provide as many points individually, but could give you a bonus at the end of the game.

– Don’t forget about the special abilities of certain spaces. They can provide valuable advantages and help you stand out from the competition.

Remember, the game is all about managing your resources and making strategic choices to come out on top. So have fun, and may the best collector win!

When I apply for a small amount of research funds (1 or 2 coins), I can feel pretty confident that I’ll actually receive that money, and it gives me an early turn in the game. This means I’ll have a wide range of options when it comes to picking my finds. On the other hand, if I apply for a large amount of money (5 or 6 coins), I’ll have to wait longer for my turn.

There’s also a risk of not having enough research funds available, especially for the players who go last. They might end up not getting any money at all, or maybe even less than they asked for.

If there are only a few valuable finds, or if they mostly date back to the 1st or 2nd century, it might be worth saving my research funds for later turns. This way, I can use them when the excavation site has more to offer.

Let me tell you about employing research funds.