Contents
Terra Game Rules
Welcome to the world of Terra!
Hey there, newbie! So you wanna learn the ins and outs of Terra, huh? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Let me walk you through the game rules, step by step.
1. Setting Up the Game
Alright, let’s start by setting up the game. Each player gets a game board, a faction board, and 30 colored wooden cubes. Place your faction board next to your game board and set your victory point marker to 0. Then, shuffle the cards and deal each player 4 cards face down. Finally, place the scoring tiles within reach and make sure you have enough space to lay out the various cards and tiles.
2. Game Rounds
Terra is played over a series of rounds, and each round consists of several phases. Let me break it down for you:
2.1 Production Phase
During the production phase, you get resources based on the number of workers and buildings you have. Simply count your workers and buildings, and take the corresponding resources. Easy as pie!
2.2 Action Phase
Next up, it’s time for the action phase. This is where the real fun begins! You have a bunch of action cards in your hand, and you can play one of them on your turn. Each card gives you a special ability, like building a structure or attacking other players. The choice is yours!
2.3 Reveal Phase
Once all players have played an action card, it’s time for the reveal phase. Flip over the cards, one by one, and resolve their effects. This is where things get interesting, as you’ll see how your actions and strategies pan out.
2.4 Cleanup Phase
Lastly, it’s the cleanup phase. Time to tidy up and get ready for the next round! Remove any unused action cards from play, replenish the cards in your hand, and pass the starting player marker to the next player. Clean as a whistle!
3. Scoring Points
Throughout the game, you’ll earn victory points for various achievements. This can include building structures, completing objectives, or winning battles. Keep track of your victory points using the marker on your faction board. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins!
4. Game End
The game ends when either the round limit is reached or the pool of scoring tiles is empty. At that point, it’s time to calculate the final scores and see who reigns supreme in Terra!
Ready to Conquer Terra?
Now that you know the rules, it’s time to dive into the world of Terra and start building your empire. Gather your resources, plan your actions, and outwit your opponents. May the best player win!
So here’s what we do: we’re playing this game called Terra, and in this game, we have to guess things about different places and measurements. It’s pretty cool because we get to put our markers on a world map and some bars to show our answers.
Now, at the end of each round, we get points based on how well we guessed. If we get the right answer, we get 7 points. And if we’re close, we still get 3 points. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Sounds pretty fun, right?
Getting Ready
Okay, so let’s set up the game. First, we need to put the gameboard in the middle of the table. Then, each of us gets 6 markers of our own color. We pick one of our markers and put it next to space 1 on the score track. That’s where we keep track of our points.
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The gameboard has two sides: one with Imperial units (feet, lbs, miles, gallons, etc.) and one with Metric units (cm, kg, liters, etc.). You can tell which side is which by looking for the word “Imperial” or “Metric” in the lower right corner.
To prepare for a game of TERRA, fill the card box with Terra cards. Even though you only need six cards to play, it’s best to fill the box completely. For your first game, don’t use any of the red-bordered cards. Those are more challenging and can be added later on, once you’re familiar with the game.
The card box has a globe design on one side. This side is the “front” of the box, where you draw cards from and discard them to the blank “back” of the box.
Now let’s talk about the Terra cards themselves. The upper half of each card contains information that players need to know before they place their markers.
When I’m playing this game, I get to choose which questions I want to tackle. For each topic, there are three questions. But here’s the thing – the photo might not always exactly show the topic. It’s like a little puzzle!
Okay, let’s break it down. The first question tells me how many areas on the map the topic can be found. Simple enough, right?
Then, there are two more questions. These ones are a bit trickier. They give me measurements. You know, like how long or how far something is. Each question corresponds to two of the three bars on the gameboard. The bars are color-coded, so it’s easy to know which one is which:
- Green: the year bar
- Blue: the length/distance bar
- Orange: the number bar
When I look at the card in the card box, all this information is right there for me to see. It’s pretty handy!
Oh, and one more thing. The bottom half of the card has the answers and some extra info. I always like having some extra info, don’t you?
In the first step of the game, the important task is to place markers on the map to indicate the areas related to the topic. You can find these areas by referring to question 1. The areas are represented by the numbers on the map. This step helps you understand where the topic is located in the world.
If you’re unsure of where to place the markers, you can refer to the answer key which provides the solution to question 1. It shows you exactly which areas on the map are relevant to the topic.
Once you’ve placed the markers, take note that the lower half of the card is concealed by the card box. This is important because it adds an element of surprise and mystery to the game.
Remember, the answers to questions 2 and 3 are concealed as well. You’ll only be able to see them once the card is taken out of the card box.
Game Play
To begin the game, determine who in your group is the most knowledgeable about the topic. This person will be the first player, and the box of Terra cards should be given to the player on their left.
Each game uses six Terra cards. For each card, you’ll go through three steps: placing the markers, scoring, and changing the start player. These steps ensure a fair and dynamic gameplay experience.
1. Placing the Markers
Alright, folks, here’s how we kick off the game: I grab the card box and share the topic and questions from the first card out loud, without actually taking the card out (just to keep those sneaky answers hidden).
Now, you guys can have a peek at the card too, but remember, no removing it from the box. Starting with me and going around in a nice clockwise fashion, each of us will take turns putting one of our markers on the board. You can put your marker in any empty spot on the bars or in an area that’s still up for grabs on the world map – land or sea, doesn’t matter.
Now, about placing a marker in an area:
When it comes to putting your marker down, you have the option to choose a land or sea area on the world map where no one else has claimed territory (neither you nor any other player). That means you get to claim it as your own, and trust me, that’s always a good feeling.
So here’s the deal: I want to put one of my markers in a spot, but it seems like all the good spots are already taken. The Midwest, Central America, and the Rocky Mountains are already claimed by other players. Bummer. That means I need to find a different area to stake my claim. Tough choices, but that’s how the game goes!
Sea Areas are areas of the world that are marked with a frame around their name. It’s pretty neat, right? These areas include not only the vast oceans but also the islands within them. For example, the North Atlantic area includes Newfoundland, and the Northern Indian Ocean area includes Sri Lanka. Isn’t that fascinating? However, there are some exceptions. Land areas, like Japan or New Zealand, are not considered part of the sea areas, even though they are islands. It’s important to make that distinction.
Now, let’s talk about some specific land areas. We have the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains, the Midwest, the Northeast, the South, and Central America. These areas are all on land, not surrounded by the sea. But here’s an interesting twist: the Caribbean is both a sea area and a land area. It includes the islands within it, making it unique among the other land areas.
You might be wondering how these areas are determined. Well, they are loosely based on existing country borders. So, for example, the USA is part of multiple sea areas, including Hawaii. And Russia stretches across different sea areas, including the larger islands in the Arctic Ocean and the Northwestern Pacific. On the other hand, one area can also encompass multiple countries, like Central America or the Sahel.
So, there you have it! Sea Areas are fascinating regions of the world that are defined by a frame around their names. They include both the vast oceans and the islands within them, except for specific land areas. The division of these areas is based on existing country borders, which can sometimes lead to countries spanning multiple areas or areas encompassing multiple countries. It’s truly a remarkable way to look at our world!
Hey there! Let’s talk about this super cool thing called the compass. Have you ever seen a map of the world and noticed it’s divided into four quarters? Well, that’s where the compass comes in. It’s like a secret clue that helps us find different areas on the map.
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#image.jpg The upper left quarter of the world map |
So, why do we need a compass? Here’s the deal: the world is a big place, and without something to guide us, it can be pretty tricky to find our way around. That’s where the compass lends a hand. It points us in the right direction and helps us navigate through the maze of the world map.
Now, let’s talk about those four quarters. Each quarter represents a different part of the world. Imagine you’re looking at a pizza, and each slice is a quarter. The compass tells us which slice to focus on.
Think of it like this: you’re on a treasure hunt, and the compass is your trusty guide. It whispers, “Hey, the treasure you’re looking for? It’s in the upper left slice of the world map.” Armed with this knowledge, you can head in the right direction and uncover all sorts of amazing things.
So, remember, the compass is your friend. It’s like a secret code that helps you unravel the mysteries of the world. Whenever you’re exploring the map, keep an eye out for the compass. It’ll steer you in the right direction and lead you to the adventure of a lifetime.
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The compass on this card tells me that Alhambra is in the northwest part of the world map, up in the upper left corner. If the question is about an area that covers more than one quarter, the compass points to the quarter where that thing is, if we know exactly where it is. If we don’t know exactly, it points to the quarter with the biggest part of that area.
For example, let’s say we’re talking about Great Britain or Spain. Sometimes the compass will point to the northwest quarter, and other times it will be the northeast quarter, depending on the question.
Now let’s talk about how to place a marker on a bar. You can put one of your markers on a space between two lines on the bar, as long as there isn’t already a marker there from you or someone else.
There are three bars, and each one measures something different. When you get a card, it will ask you for measurements on two of the bars, but not all three.
The Year bar is all about time – it might ask you about a specific year or a certain period of time, like a century.
The Length/distance bar deals with measurements of length, height, or distance. You might have to give your answer in inches, feet, or miles. If you’re playing with the Metric side of the board, then it might be centimeters, meters, or kilometers.
The Number bar covers everything else. So if you have to measure an area in square feet or square miles (m2), or give the volume in cubic feet or cubic miles (m3), or even measure degrees in Farenheit (�F), percent (%), hours (h), gallons or liters (I), or tons (t), then this is the bar for you!
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If you have any questions about numbers or years, make sure to indicate the unit of measurement.
Putting Down Another Marker
Once every player has placed one marker, starting with the player who goes first, you have the option to put down another marker or pass.
In the order of turns, you can place an additional marker in an empty area or on an empty space of a bar. You can also place multiple markers on the same bar, as well as multiple markers in different areas, as long as you have enough markers to place.
Passing
If you decide to pass because you no longer want or can place markers, you are not allowed to put down any more markers for this card. Scoring for this card will happen once all players have passed.
2. Scoring
When you’re ready to begin, take the Terra card out of the card box completely. First, the areas on the card are scored, and then the bars are scored. It’s important to remember that each marker is only scored once, either for 7 points if it’s in the exact right spot, or for 3 points if it’s adjacent to the correct space.
For instance, let’s say you’ve placed a marker in the correct spot and it happens to be adjacent to another correct space. In this case, you won’t score an additional 3 points for it.
Scoring for Areas
For each marker you’ve placed in a correct area, you’ll earn 7 points. If your marker is in an area that’s adjacent to a correct area, you’ll earn 3 points. Make sure to move your marker forward on the score track right away.
Hey there! Let’s talk about the Terra card “Pyramids of Giza.” This card has one correct area: Eastern Sahara. When it comes to adjacent areas, Eastern Sahara is connected to five other areas – four land areas and one sea area.
Now, let’s see how the players scored. The white player got 7 points because their marker was in the correct area. On the other hand, the blue player scored 6 points because they had two markers in adjacent areas.
Unfortunately, the yellow player didn’t score any points this time. The reason is that Anatolia, where their marker is, is not adjacent to the Eastern Sahara area. Tough luck!
By the way, what does adjacent mean? Well, two areas are adjacent if they share a common border. So, when we talk about adjacent areas, we mean areas that are right next to each other.
Now, let’s delve into bar scoring.
In bar scoring, you also earn points for correct answers and for being adjacent to the correct answer. For each of your markers on a correct bar space, you get a solid 7 points. But wait, there’s more! You also earn 3 points for each of your markers that are next to a correct bar space. So, it’s all about positioning and strategy.
Here’s an example of how the scoring works: Let’s say the correct answer is “1700”. In this case, the spaces directly to the left and right of “1700” are considered correct answers.
In this scenario, both Yellow and Red players would score 7 points, while Blue would score 3 points. And then, each player would move their markers on the score track accordingly.
Now, if the correct answer was “1710”, only the space to the right of “1700” would be considered correct. The space to the left of “1700” would just be adjacent, not scoring any points.
What Happens to Non-scoring Markers?
All markers that scored points should be returned to each player’s personal supply. On the other hand, markers that didn’t score any points are placed in a supply next to the gameboard. Some of these markers will only become available to the players again once the start player changes.
Prior to scoring, it’s easier if we remove all non-scoring markers and put them in a supply next to the gameboard. This will make scoring quicker and simpler for us.
3. Changing the Start Player
Once a card has been scored, the card box is passed to the next player in a clockwise direction. They become the start player for the next card. Each player retrieves one of their markers from the supply next to the gameboard, as long as they have any markers in it.
If you have less than 3 markers in front of you after receiving one from the supply, you can refill your personal supply to 3 markers. This ensures that you have at least 3 markers to place for the next card.
End of the Game
The game ends after the 6th card is scored. The player with the most points at this stage wins the game. If there is a tie, there can be more than one winner.