Phoenicia Game Rules

• Alright, I got the scoop on what’s included in this game. Check it out:
• 1 central scoring mat
• 20 village tiles
• 5 scoring cylinders
• 5 production disks
• 25 cubes for marking discounts
• 10 settlement tiles
• 45 worker pawns
• 40 storehouses
• 35 disks used as change and tool markers
• 48 development cards
• 40 production cards
• 5 preset production cards
• 1 rules and reference guide
• 1 large Overlord pawn

Alright, let’s talk about what you’re trying to achieve in this game.

When we start playing, each of us has some hunters, farmers, a group of untrained workers, and some stored wealth in our settlement. It’s exciting to see what we can do with all of these resources!

As we progress in the game, we use our stored wealth to grow our settlement. We add new tiles and tokens to it, expanding and improving it. We keep track of our growth through production and victory points, which are marked on the scoring track in the center of the table.

Our starting settlement already has three production and two victory points. This is because of the hunting and farming activities that are happening there. As we play, we aim to gather enough victory points to reach a total of 32 or more. When that happens, we can proudly say that we have founded a city state and the game comes to an end.

And what do we want at the end of the game? Victory, of course! The player with the most victory points is declared the winner. So let’s plan our moves carefully and make sure we earn those points!

Before We Begin

To set up the game, we need to place the board in the center of the table. We also need to keep the neutral settlement tiles, worker pawns, storehouses, and disks nearby. We will all be sharing these resources as we play the game. So let’s get everything ready and start our exciting journey!

Hey there! Let’s dive into the exciting world of board games. I’m going to walk you through the process of setting up the game so you can start having fun right away. So, here’s what you need to do:

First things first, it’s time to choose your color! Pick the one that catches your eye. Once you have your color, it’s time to get your game pieces ready.

Place your scoring cylinder and production disk on the scoring track. Make sure your scoring cylinder is on the “2” space and your production disk is on the “3” space. This way, you’ll be all set to keep track of your points and production throughout the game.

Now that you’re all set up, get ready to embark on an epic board game adventure. It’s time to show off your strategic skills and have a fantastic time!

Did you know that there are 19 different types of development cards? It’s true! When you’re setting up the game, these cards are split into two categories: “A” cards and “B” cards. The number of each type you use depends on how many players are participating. Let me break it down for you:

When it comes to development cards, they come into play gradually in four sets: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each set needs to be separated. First, shuffle each set and place them face down. Then, stack the sets 2, 3, and 4 and set this stack aside for later.

I’m gonna flip over as many set 1 development cards as the number of players. These cards will be placed in the center area and auctioned off during the game. If any Granaries or Forts are flipped over, I’ll replace them and shuffle them back into the set 1 deck.

When we begin playing the game, I will set up my village tiles. I will place three worker pawns, two disks, and two storehouses on these tiles. Here’s how I will do it:

First, I will place one worker pawn in the upper section of the training ground tile. This is where my workers will train and gain skills.

Next, I will place another worker pawn in the upper leftmost circle of the hunting tile. This is where my workers will go to hunt for resources.

Finally, I will place my last worker pawn in the upper leftmost circle of the farming tile. This is where my workers will go to tend to the land and grow crops.

As for my storehouses, I will place both of them in the upper section of the storage tile. This is where I will store all the resources that my workers gather.

And lastly, I will place my two disks in the lower treasury section of the storage tile. These disks represent my wealth and will be used to trade and purchase items.

With my village set up, I am now ready to start playing the game!

I’ll start the game by randomly selecting an Overlord and giving them the Overlord marker. Then, I’ll shuffle the production deck and deal one production card face down to each player. You can take a look at your own card. Let’s begin!

For our first game, let’s make it a bit easier. Instead of a random production card, each player will start with one of the extra preset cards worth five. After we use them, we’ll remove them from play and not place them in the discard pile.

How to Play

During each round, we’ll use our wealth to train and employ workers and participate in auctions to buy development cards. These cards will give us extra resources, new abilities, and victory points.

After that, we’ll receive more wealth, which we call production, and repeat this process until one of us has gathered 32 or more victory points.

The game’s strategy involves three main areas:

When playing the game Phoenicia, there are several important decisions I have to make. Let me share them with you:

• First, I need to decide when it’s the right time to increase my income by hiring more workers, when to buy development cards, and when to save my money for the next round’s auctions.
• Next, I have to decide which development cards to purchase. This is a crucial choice that can greatly impact my strategy.
• Another decision I have to make is how much I should bid for development cards that my opponents are interested in. I also need to know when to drop out if my opponents drive up the price of the cards I want.

The game of Phoenicia is played in a series of rounds, with each round consisting of two parts:

1. First, starting with the Overlord and continuing clockwise, each player takes their turn. In this turn, they:
   1. Hold auctions to determine who gets to buy development cards first.
   2. Choose whether to train, hire, or move their workers.
   3. Decide whether to buy any tools and make adjustments to their money.

Administration

2. After the player turns, we move on to the administration phase, in which we:
   1. Check if anyone has achieved victory conditions and designate the new Overlord if necessary.
   2. Add new development cards to the game.
   3. Deal production cards to each player.
   4. Apply storage and treasury limits to ensure fair play.

I. Player Turns

When it’s my turn to play, I have three important tasks to complete. I need to remember that I have to finish all three parts of my turn before the next player can start.

A. Start Auctions



When it comes to playing the game, I have some key information about development cards that you’ll want to know. Development cards are an important part of the game and can give you a big advantage if you use them wisely. Let me break it down for you.

Here’s how it works: development cards are bought in auctions. The player who starts the auction places a bid on an available development card. But there’s a catch – you have to bid at least the minimum bid listed on the card. That’s the lowest amount you can open the auction with.

Now, let’s talk about the bidding process. Starting with the current player and going clockwise, each player has a choice: they can either bid an amount that’s at least one more than the last bid, or they can pass and remove themselves from the auction. It’s up to you to decide how much you’re willing to bid.

Once all but one player has passed, the auction ends. The player who didn’t pass takes the card and pays for it using their production cards and treasury disks. They may need to give change if they don’t have enough to cover the full cost.

So, remember, development cards are an important part of the game. If you want to gain an edge, you’ll want to participate in auctions and strategically bid on the cards you need. Good luck!



Example:

Storytime! So there I was, playing a game with three of my buddies. It was my turn to start the auction, so I confidently said, “Hey, how about we start with four on an Indentured Worker?” The minimum bid was three coins, but I wanted to go big.

The next two players didn’t seem interested and decided to pass. But then, the fourth player, Helene, chimed in with a bold bid of “five”. I knew I had met my match, so I gracefully passed, ending the auction. Helene had done it, she won the auction!

She paid for the purchase with a production card worth six coins. She only needed to pay five for the worker, so she got one coin back as change. She cleverly placed it in her treasury, making sure everything was in order.

It’s worth mentioning that during this whole process, your treasury might temporarily hold more coins than it can fit. However, you need to fix that by the end of your turn. So, keep an eye on your treasury and manage it wisely!



Example: So, there’s this person named Joan, right? Joan has a “6” production card and 2 disks in their treasury. And you know what? They decide to buy a Tracker for 4 disks. Pretty cool, huh?

After buying it, Joan now has four disks in their treasury. But guess what? Players are only allowed to have three disks at the end of their turn. Uh-oh, looks like Joan needs to get rid of one of those disks before their turn is over, or else it’s gonna be lost.

So yeah, that’s the deal. Joan better make a decision quick!



So, you’ve decided to buy a development card! Great choice, my friend. Here’s what you need to do next:

First, pay for the card. Once you’ve done that, remember to add any production or victory points it gives you. Oh, and don’t forget to mark any discounts it grants on the board with a little cube. Keep an eye out for additional tiles, storehouses, or workers that the card may provide, and flip them over or add them to your collection.

Now, it’s time to find a spot for your card. Simply place it near your tiles so that you can easily refer to your production or victory totals whenever you need to check them.



For example: When I purchase Glassmaking, I pay 5 and advance my production and scoring markers. Then, I place this card near me.

For example: If I buy an Indentured Worker, I place a worker pawn in my trained workers section. After that, I place the card near me.

For example: After I purchase a Fort, which is worth one victory point, I move my scoring cylinder forward one space. Additionally, I place three worker pawns in my untrained workers section. Finally, I put the card near me.

Note: You can only acquire additional workers by buying development cards; you cannot purchase them directly.

Some development cards provide discounts on future cards for your settlement.



Example: Once upon a time, a woman named Helene decided to purchase a Dyer. This particular Dyer came with a special incentive – a discount of -4 for any Dye Houses she wanted to buy in the future. Excited about this opportunity, Helene happily added one point to her score and placed a cube on the board in one of the Dyer discount boxes to keep track of her discount. If she ever chose to buy another Dyer, she would add another cube to show that her total discount towards Dye Houses was now -7.



If you get a card, you can save money by paying less than the stated price. The amount you pay is the bid price minus your discount.

In order to pay, you need enough cards, treasury disks, and discounts to cover the bid amount. If you have multiple development cards that give you discounts for the same future purchase, you can combine them to get a bigger discount.

You can use a newly purchased card’s discount in later auctions during the same turn. For example, if you buy a Shipyard card, you can use its discount later to help pay for Ships.

Some cards can improve or give your settlement new abilities.



Example: When I decided to purchase a Granary, it had a significant impact on my storage capabilities. I eagerly flipped over the storage tile and added two storehouses to its upper section. Now, I am thrilled to share that I can effectively store up to 6 wealth!

Example: Have you ever considered buying a Prospector? Well, let me tell you, it is a game-changer! Not only does it allow me to employ workers in mining, but it also provides a -1 discount towards Smelters. After purchasing the Prospector, I added a mining tile to my settlement, placed a discount cube, and even adjusted my score. It’s fantastic!

But wait, there’s more! Another type of ability that you should be aware of is increased production, specifically for hunting and mining tasks.

Example: I’m so excited about this! I have three hardworking individuals employed in hunting, which gives me three production units. And guess what? When I acquired a Tracker, my hunting abilities were improved even further! Not only did I gain 1 VP, but I also received a -2 discount for Caravans. It’s really amazing!



So, I just flipped over my hunting tile and put my pawns back in place. And guess what? I noticed that my hunters are now giving me four production points! How cool is that? I’m definitely moving my production disk up by one. Oh, and don’t forget – I also get to move my scoring marker forward and put a discount cube in play. Pretty awesome, right?



Imagine this: You’re playing a game where you get to be in charge of a colony. You have different tiles, or pieces, to help you. One of these tiles is called the Tracker. It has two sides: one for hunting and one for storage.

Let’s talk about the hunting side first. When you use this side, you can send your hunters out to look for food. The Tracker helps you keep track of how much food you get. But did you know that the hunting side can be even better?

Here’s how: if you have another Tracker, you can replace the old hunting tile with the new one. With this upgrade, you will get even more food when you send your hunters out!

Now, let’s move on to the storage side. This side is all about keeping things organized. When you use this side, you can store the resources you collect, like food, wood, or stone. Having a good storage system is important because it helps you keep track of what you have and what you need.

So, in this game, you have the option to choose between hunting for more food or improving your storage system. It’s up to you to decide which one is more important for your colony.

Now, let’s talk about another aspect of the game: development card auctions. These are like special cards that give you extra bonuses or abilities. During the game, you can start as many auctions as you want, as long as you have enough money to make legal bids.

However, you don’t have to start an auction if you don’t want to. It’s completely up to you. But remember, starting an auction doesn’t guarantee that you’ll win it. It’s a risk you have to take.

But here’s a rule for the first game only: if you win an auction, you can’t start another one in the same round. This is just to give everyone a chance to get used to the game. After the first game, you can start as many auctions as you want, even if you win one.

B. Train, Employ or Shift Workers



Once you’ve started all the auctions you want, you can use your money to hire and train workers or move workers into more expensive jobs.

Workers come in two types: untrained and trained. If you want to train a worker, you have to pay 2 and move them from the untrained worker group to the trained worker group. (If you have the Public Works card from card set 3, it improves your training area and reduces the cost to 1).

If you want to hire a trained worker for a specific job, like hunting, farming, mining, or clothmaking, you’ll need to buy the tools for that job.



When it comes to playing the game, there are some important steps to keep in mind. First, you need to pay the appropriate tools cost, which can be 2, 5, 8, or 11, depending on the situation. Once you’ve paid the cost, you can shift one of your pawns from the trained worker area to the upper leftmost vacant worker circle on the activity’s tile. This will help you increase your production and score.

Another important thing to remember is that whenever you use a clothmaker, you should place a storehouse on your storage tile. This will help you keep track of your resources.

Let me give you an example to illustrate how this works. Imagine it’s turn 1, and you have 7 wealth. You decide to spend 2 wealth to train a worker and then 5 wealth to employ that worker in farming. In farming, you place your worker pawn on the next farming circle. Farming is worth two production and one victory point. So, as a result, you advance your production disk two spaces and your scoring cylinder one space.

Here’s a helpful tip: try not to train a worker unless you plan to employ them right away. This will help you avoid exceeding your storage limit after the next production step.

When I’m faced with a situation where I need to make a choice about a worker’s activity, there are a few things I can do. One option is to move the worker to a more expensive activity, but this can be tricky. It’s expensive because I have to pay the full cost of the new activity and I might also have to give up some tools. Another option is to train the worker, but sometimes I don’t have enough workers to go around. In that case, I have to decide whether to train or employ the worker.

If I decide to shift a worker to a more costly activity, I have to pay the full cost of the new activity and transfer the pawn. I also have to place a neutral tool disk on the old activity tile to cover its employment cost. It’s important to note that I only gain the difference in production and victory points between the old and new activities. This means I might not get as much benefit as I thought.

There’s another thing to consider when shifting a worker into clothmaking. In addition to the production and victory points difference, I also get a storehouse. So, that’s an extra bonus!



Let me give you an example: I have 9 wealth, but that’s not enough to both train and employ a worker in mining, which costs 10. So instead, I spend 8 to shift a worker from hunting to mining.

Since mining is worth three productions and hunting is worth one, I increase my production by two. And since mining is worth two victory points and hunting is worth one, I advance my scoring cylinder by one space. I then put a neutral tool disk on my hunting tile, which covers its employment cost of 2.

You can employ a trained worker at no cost in an activity with a tool disk. All you have to do is remove the tool disk and you’ll gain that activity’s full production and victory points.

Now onto the next step – buying tools and adjusting your treasury. You have the option to buy one or more tool disks, in anticipation of getting future workers. To do this, you must pay the employment cost of the activity and place a disk on that tile.

Remember, when playing this game, it’s important to make strategic decisions, balancing your resources and maximizing your productivity. Good luck!

Here’s a tip for you: Only buy the tools you need in order to avoid running out of storage space.

If you have a City Centre tile, you have the option to buy Victory Points (VPs) up to a certain limit. You can place disks on the tile to keep track of the VPs you’ve purchased and move your score marker forward.

Once you’ve finished making all your purchases, you have the choice to discard any unused production cards into your treasury. These cards will then turn into disks. However, if you have too many disks in your treasury and can’t hold them all, you’ll have to get rid of the excess disks.



Example: I’m at the end of my turn and I have a “4” production card and one disk. I can keep up to 6 disks in my treasury with the help of a Granary, so I put my “4” card there.

Later, during the deal production cards step, I’ll use four disks from my treasury to buy a new production card. I hope it’s a better one!

If you want to speed up the game, the other players can continue with the auctions while you do your internal operations, like training workers, hiring them, and shifting them around. You can also buy tools and adjust your treasury.

If you want, you can double-check your production and victory points before the administration step. Just add up the running totals from the last occupied space on the village tiles to the values of your development cards.

After Your Turn

Once I finish my turn as a player, I won’t be able to participate in future auctions that other players start on their turns.

II. Running the Show

A. Checking for Victory / Choosing the Overlord

Once every player has taken their turn, if any player has accumulated 32 or more victory points, the game comes to an end. If not, the player with the most victory points becomes the new Overlord. In the event of a tie, the new Overlord will be the player seated closest to the left of the current Overlord. This means that the title of Overlord will rotate among the players who are currently leading the game.

B. Introducing Development Cards

When it comes to the game, development cards play an important role. They come into play in four sets, starting with set 1. Each subsequent set is added as the previous one runs out. To ensure fairness, new development cards are added face up until the number of cards available for auction is equal to the number of players.

Now let’s talk about dealing production cards.

Dealing the production cards is pretty straightforward. Each player receives cards and coins based on their production marker. However, if a player ends up with more than four coins in their treasury, they need to turn in groups of four coins for additional production cards.

Let me give you a couple of examples to make it clearer:

Example 1: Let’s say you have a production of 6 and nothing in your treasury. In this case, you would take one production card and two neutral disks.

Example 2: Now, let’s say you have a production of 6 and three disks in your treasury. Here, you would need to turn in two of your three treasury disks to take two production cards.

Remember, when the production deck runs out, don’t worry! We simply reshuffle the discards to form a new deck.

Step 4: Managing Your Resources

When I receive my production, I need to make sure I don’t have too much stuff. I have limits on how much I can store, so I have to be careful. I have a storehouse for my production cards and a granary for my disks.

At the beginning of the game, I can store up to two production cards and three disks. If I have more cards than storehouses, I have to get rid of the extra ones. It’s up to me which ones I want to discard.

If I have any empty space in my treasury, I can put my discarded cards there. But I can’t put in more than my treasury can hold. I have to make sure I stay within my treasury limit.



Here’s a scenario to give you an idea: Let’s say I have 11 production, two disks in my treasury, and no saved cards. I decide to turn in one disk, which allows me to draw three cards.

Since I have two storehouses, I’m now faced with discarding a card. To make the best use of my resources, I choose to discard my least valuable card, which happens to be a “4”. From this card, I can place two disks into my treasury (which is my maximum limit of 3), but I’ll lose the other two points.

After this step, I have my two highest valued production cards and three disks in my treasury.

The Game’s End

The game comes to a close when one or more players have accumulated 32 or more victory points during the check for victory step. The lucky player with the highest number of victory points will emerge as the winner!

In the event of a tie for the most victory points, the following rule applies:

1. The Overlord at the start of the turn (if the current Overlord is among the tied players).
2. If no player or team has reached the required points at the end of the game, the player or team with the highest total of unspent production cards and disks wins.
3. If there is still a tie, then all of the tied players win.

Let’s talk about etiquette.

Firstly, no cards or pieces can be transferred between players. However, players are allowed to inspect the contents of other players’ settlements.

Also, players should not reveal their production cards to each other until they are ready to use or discard them.

If someone wants to know how many production cards a player is holding, that player must disclose the number upon request.

Now, let’s discuss the components and other limits.

You cannot assign more workers to an activity than what is shown on its tile. Additionally, you cannot “cash in” tool disks or workers by moving them into less costly activities or returning them to the trained or untrained worker boxes.

Remember, the number of discount cubes you have is not a limit. However, once the cards they apply to have been bought, the discount cubes should be removed from the board.