The Cave Game Rules

Hey there! Welcome to the exciting world of the Cave Game, where adventure awaits at every turn. I’m here to guide you through the rules of this incredible game. So, fasten your seatbelt and let’s dive right in!

First, let’s talk about the purpose of the game. The goal is simple: you need to find your way out of a mysterious cave by solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles. Sounds thrilling, right?

Now, let’s talk about the importance of teamwork. You can form a team with your friends, and together, you can explore the cave, share ideas, and conquer challenges as a united front. Remember, there is strength in numbers!

Next, let’s discuss the layout of the cave. The cave is divided into different zones, each with its own unique puzzles and surprises. Every zone is filled with hidden clues and secret pathways waiting to be discovered. Explore every nook and cranny to uncover the secrets that will lead you to victory.

But beware! The cave is not without its dangers. You might encounter fierce creatures or encounter treacherous traps along the way. Stay vigilant and use your wits to outsmart anything that stands in your path.

When it comes to decision-making, you’ll face several choices during your journey. Each decision could lead you closer to the exit or trap you further inside the cave. So, think carefully and weigh your options before making a move. Remember, sometimes taking risks can lead to great rewards!

Now, let’s talk about the importance of perseverance. The cave won’t reveal its secrets easily, and you might face setbacks along the way. But don’t give up! Keep pushing forward, learn from your mistakes, and with determination, you’ll eventually find your way out.

Finally, always remember to have fun! The Cave Game is not just about winning or losing—it’s about the thrill of the adventure, the joy of discovery, and the memories you create with your team. So, grab your torch, gather your friends, and let’s embark on an unforgettable journey deep into the unknown.

Now, it’s time to put on your explorer’s hat and dive into the Cave Game. The mysteries await, and I’ll be right here, cheering you on every step of the way. Happy adventuring!

In the Cave, I get to lead a team of explorers as we venture into a newly discovered cave. We all start at a home base, where we can prepare ourselves by getting the necessary equipment to survive underground and overcome any obstacles we may encounter along the way.

Our mission is to uncover the secrets of the cave by going on a series of expeditions. After each expedition, we return to the home base for more supplies and to plan for the next one. We can even set up a camp to assist us in our exploration. The game only ends when the entire cave has been fully explored.

The team that makes the most remarkable discoveries in the underworld emerges as the winners of the game. Not only do they earn respect from their peers, but they also gain worldwide fame for their achievements.

Now, let me tell you about the different components of the game:

1. Two double-sided base boards: These serve as our starting point and provide a foundation for our exploration.

2. 80 cave tiles divided into four groups (I, II, III, IV): These tiles represent different sections of the cave that we will uncover as we delve deeper into our adventure.

3. Five player boards: Each member of the team gets their own board, where we can keep track of our progress and equipment.

So, are you ready to embark on this thrilling cave exploration? Join me, and together we’ll make history!

Preparing for Adventure

When it comes to spelunking, there’s one essential thing you need—you guessed it, gear!

So, before diving deep into the cavernous unknown, let’s take a look at the important equipment you’ll need for your spelunking expedition:

• Each player will have their own team of colorful pawns—five spelunkers and five campers, all in different colors.
• There are also various tokens that you’ll need:
• Consumable Tokens: You’ll have 50 of these to use, helping you along your journey.
• Rope Tokens: With 40 of these, you’ll be able to navigate tricky spots in the cave.
• Oxygen Tokens: Keep these 20 tokens close to ensure you can breathe properly during your adventure.
• Camera Tokens: Each player will receive one of these to capture the awe-inspiring sights of the cave.
• Raft Tokens: Also one for each player, these will come in handy when you need to cross bodies of water.
• To spice things up, there are 12 bonus point tokens to be collected along the way.
• For exploration purposes, you’ll find different tokens to help you map the cave:
• Water Exploration Tokens: In total, you’ll have 25 of these to mark water areas.
• Traverse Line Exploration Tokens: These 40 tokens will assist you in keeping track of your path.
• Photo Exploration Tokens: With 30 of these tokens, you’ll document the mesmerizing sights you encounter.
• Squeeze Exploration Tokens: You’ll find 27 of these tokens to mark tight spaces you squeeze through.
• Depth Reached Tokens: There are 40 tokens available to measure the depth you reach in the cave.
• Lastly, you’ll need 40 depth markers to keep track of how deep you’ve gone.

Setting Up for Exploration

Now that we have all the necessary equipment, let’s dive into the setup process:

1. Start by placing the relevant starting board—the one that corresponds to the number of players—right in the center of the table.
2. Each starting board indicates the number of players by displaying it in the corner.
3. The central space on the starting board is your home base—the place where your spelunkers will begin their journey and where they’ll return to for reequipping.

With everything set up, you’re now ready to embark on your thrilling underground adventure!

Hey there! Let’s talk about setting up the cave tiles in a fun game. Here’s what you need to do:

First, gather four sets of cave tiles. Each set should have the same symbol on the back. It’s like having four piles of tiles, and each pile should be the same.

Now, let’s shuffle each pile of tiles. Mix them up real good so that they’re all mixed together and it’s a surprise which tile you’ll pick next!

After shuffling, for each pile, we need to get rid of some tiles. The number of tiles you discard depends on how many people are playing the game. Don’t worry, you don’t have to show anyone which tiles you’re discarding. Just keep them a secret!

Now, take the four piles of tiles that you’ve prepared and place them face down on the table. They’re all ready to go!

Hope that helps you set up the cave tiles for your game. Have fun exploring!+

When you’re playing the game, make sure to set aside 5 tokens in a special area. This will leave enough space in the middle for the cave to expand as you play. Also, organize the rest of the tokens into different groups. This will make it easier for you to find and use them as you play the game.

When you play this game, you’ll get some special items to use. Here’s what you’ll receive:

– A speleologist: This is your character in the game. Each player gets one and it comes in the color you choose.

– A team pawn: This is another piece that represents you on the game board. It also comes in your chosen color.

– A camp pawn: This is a separate piece that you’ll use later in the game. It also comes in your chosen color.

– A player board: This is where you’ll keep track of your equipment. It’s also in your chosen color.

The player board has two areas for your equipment tokens:

– Backpack A: This area has 8 slots for your equipment. Your speleologist always has a backpack with these items available.

– Camp B: This area has 4 slots for your equipment. During the game, you can set up a camp and use the items in this area. We’ll explain the camp rules later.

To start the game, place your team pawn on the center space, which is your home base. Put your camp pawn next to your player board. Now you’re ready to begin your underground adventure!

When it’s time to start the game, we all get to choose what we want to bring with us. We each pick 8 equipment tokens to put in our backpacks. It’s totally up to us what we choose! In the first game, they suggest that we take 4 consumables, 1 rope, 1 oxygen tank, our camera, and our raft.

Once we’ve packed our equipment, we need to figure out who goes first. Usually, it’s the person who was most recently in a cave. But if it’s not clear, we can just pick randomly. And then we’re ready to start!

Just a reminder: Before we play for the first time, we need to punch out the tokens carefully.

How a Turn Works

We take turns going clockwise. When it’s my turn, I have to discard one of my consumable items, unless I’m at the home base.

Each turn, I get to spend up to 5 action points (AP).

Exploring New Caves

When you’re playing the game, you have the ability to discover new parts of the cave by spending 1 AP. But there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, your team pawn must be on a tile that has at least one unexplored exit. This means there is a path leading to an empty space on the table. Once you’ve found the right tile, you draw one from the stack of tiles.

The stack is divided into four sections: I, II, III, and IV. You start with section I and move on to the next one when you run out of tiles. After you draw a tile, you get to decide where to place it. The only rule is that the new tile must match with the adjacent tiles. This means that openings need to connect with openings, and rocks need to align with rocks. It’s important to note that the new tile doesn’t have to match with any nearby boulder chokes. As long as it fits, you have the freedom to choose its orientation and location.

When I come across a tile that can’t be legally placed, I have to discard it. Instead, I need to put a boulder choke tile next to my team pawn. It doesn’t have to match the adjacent tiles exactly. If we run out of boulder choke tiles, we can come up with a different marker to use. I get to choose which unexplored exit will have the boulder choke next to it.

I can enter boulder choke tiles, but I won’t discover any new tiles from them!

Once I’ve placed the new tile, I need to put an exploration token on it if it’s applicable.

Water tile: It’s a token for exploring water, and it’s worth 3 victory points when the game is over.

When I see the phrase “water tile,” I think of a special token or piece that represents water in a game. This token is used to explore water and can earn you 3 victory points at the end of the game. It’s like a little reward for finding and exploring water areas in the game. These points can be really important and can help you win the game, so it’s definitely something to keep in mind while playing.

Hey there! Let me introduce you to the amazing wonder tile hidden underground.

Imagine yourself going on a photo adventure to explore this secret token. It’s like discovering a hidden treasure that will boost your score by 2 victory points when the game ends.

This underground wonder tile is a game-changer. It adds an exciting twist and an element of surprise to your gameplay. You never know where it will appear or how it will affect the outcome, which makes it even more intriguing.

When you stumble upon this special tile, you instantly feel a rush of excitement and anticipation. You capture the moment with your camera, cherishing the joy of discovery.

The underground wonder tile is like a silent guardian, waiting to be found. It’s your chance to elevate your strategy and make a significant impact on your overall score. Plus, it adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to the game.

If you’re someone who loves uncovering hidden gems and enjoys the thrill of unexpected surprises, then this underground wonder tile is perfect for you. It brings a sense of adventure and mystery that will keep you hooked throughout the game.

So, embrace the challenge and be on the lookout for this hidden wonder. When you find it and capture its essence through your camera lens, you’ll be rewarded with 2 victory points that could make all the difference in your quest for victory.

When you find a squeeze tile, you’ll want to collect the exploration token that has the same number as the tile. There are three types of squeeze tiles with different values: Squeeze tile I, Squeeze tile II, and Squeeze tile III.

Squeeze tile I is worth 2 victory points at the end of the game. Squeeze tile II is worth 3 victory points at the end of the game. And squeeze tile III is worth 4 victory points at the end of the game.

Let me explain how descent tiles work. They have a slightly different mechanism compared to exploration tokens. Instead of an exploration token, descent tiles only have a depth marker. This marker indicates a depth that is 25 meters lower than the level where the descent tile was found.

The starting board, which is at depth 0, doesn’t need a depth marker.

Depth marker: This is used to show the depth of a tile. A depth marker is always placed on a descent tile to clearly indicate its depth. Each descent tile is 25 meters deeper than the tile it was discovered from. Any non-descent tiles discovered directly or later from a descent tile are at the same level as that descent tile.

When exploring caves, it is helpful to place depth markers on tiles that do not descend but have different depths. This simple action can provide clarity in understanding the cave’s structure. Depth markers are like signposts; they give players a visual representation of the cave’s levels. However, it’s important to note that depth markers do not serve any other purpose in the game besides providing information. The home base and non-descent tiles discovered from it are considered to be at depth zero and do not require marking. The depth of the cave changes only when descent tiles are discovered.

An Example:

Hey there! So, I’m Krzysztof, and I’m playing as the red player. I just drew a descent tile, which is pretty cool. Now, I have a decision to make. I can legally place this tile next to two of the three exits of my current tile. The important thing is that the new tile has to match all of its already placed neighbors.

After giving it some thought, I choose where to place the tile. It’s a bit of a puzzle, you know? But that’s part of the fun. I go ahead and place the tile right where I want it. Now, since my current tile has a depth of 0, I grab a 25 depth marker and place it on the newly placed descent tile.

Example 2:

So, I’m playing this game called Krzysztof, and I just drew a new tile. It’s a squeeze tile, and it’s supposed to be a little bit tricky. I go ahead and place it on the board, and then I grab this exploration token thing and put it on the tile too.

Example 3:

Last time, I went down and used up one of my action points to draw another tile. Unfortunately, the tile I drew couldn’t be placed anywhere on the board, so I had to get rid of it. Bummer! But hey, no worries. I grabbed a boulder choke tile instead and put it in its place.

NOTE: Before I get into the details, let me explain a crucial point. When we start the game, we can’t directly uncover new cave tiles from our starting position. To find new tiles, we must first move to spaces that have unexplored exits. Only then can we explore new areas.

Moving Around and Discovering New Areas

When we want to explore, we need to spend action points. Remember, more than one of us can be on the same tile at the same time. As we move, we’ll come across exploration tokens. It’s important to know that these tokens are visible to everyone playing. Typically, we can move to an adjacent tile by spending just 1 action point. However, there are some situations where we might need to use more action points:

Descent Tiles

Entering different levels of descent or ascent tiles requires a rope. If there is already a rope present, it can be used for movement. If not, the team must place a rope from their backpack between the tiles, spending 1 AP to do so, and then spend an additional 1 AP to move to the other tile. The depth difference between tiles determines the number of ropes required. For each 25 meters of depth difference, the team must place one rope and spend 1 AP, plus 1 AP to enter the tile.

‘This can’t be done halfway: you need to have enough rope and AP to complete the movement in one turn. Let’s say there’s a difference in depth of 50 meters. You’ll need to use 2 ropes from your backpack and spend 3 AP. It’s not possible to place 1 rope in one turn and the 2nd rope in the next turn, or to place ropes in one turn and then move in the next turn.

If the tiles are already connected by rope, you don’t need to and can’t place additional ropes. Moving between tiles connected by rope always costs 1 AP.

Every time your team places a rope, you’ll receive a traverse line exploration token.

Example 1:

Hey there, let me tell you a story. So there’s this person named Anna who wants to go to an adjacent descent tile that doesn’t have a rope connected to it yet. The difference in depth is only 25 meters, so Anna uses up 2 action points, grabs a rope from her backpack, and puts it on the board. She then moves her team pawn to the descent tile. Oh, and she also takes a traverse line exploration token from the bank and puts it by her player board. These tokens are pretty cool because they’re worth 2 victory points at the end of the game. Isn’t that neat?

So here’s the deal: I’m Anna, and I’m on a mission to explore a deeper tile in the cave. The thing is, this tile is not connected to our current location with a rope. No worries though, because I came prepared. I’ve got three ropes in my backpack, ready to go.

The difference in depth between the two tiles is a whopping 75 meters, which is equivalent to three levels. That’s quite a distance, but I’m up for the challenge.

Alright, let’s get down to business. I spend four action points and carefully place the three ropes between the two tiles. With each rope securely in place, I make my move and place my team pawn on the descent tile.

But that’s not all. As a smart explorer, I know it’s important to be well-prepared. That’s why I grab three traverse line exploration tokens and place them near my player board. These tokens will come in handy as I navigate through this new area.

So, there you have it. I’ve successfully moved to the deeper tile using the ropes and now I’m ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead. Let the adventure continue!

The first time I move up or down using my rope, I receive a depth reached token that corresponds to the depth of the tile I just entered. Each depth reached token represents a specific depth, like 25, 50, or 75. I can only have one token for each depth, so I can’t have multiple 25 tokens, for example. It’s important to note that I only gain depth reached tokens when I use my own rope to reach a new level, not when I use someone else’s rope.

At the end of the game, these depth reached tokens give me victory points. The 25 token is worth 3 victory points, the 50 token is worth 4 victory points, and any token for 75 or deeper is worth 5 victory points.

Now, let’s talk about water tiles.

I wanna talk to you about an important topic – how to enter water tiles. Let me break it down for you in a simple way. There are two different ways to do it.

The first way is by using oxygen. You know, the stuff we breathe in and out? Well, you can use it to enter water tiles. Just take a deep breath, hold it in, and dive right in. It’s like magic!

But wait, there’s another way. You can also use a special item called the Oxygen Cylinder. It works like a little scuba tank that you wear on your back. With this handy gadget, you can explore underwater without any worries. Just strap it on, take a dive, and you’re good to go.

So there you have it – two ways to enter water tiles. Whether you choose to use your own oxygen or the handy Oxygen Cylinder, you’ll be able to dive deep and explore the underwater world. So go ahead, take the plunge and see what wonders await you beneath the surface!

When I’m playing this game, I need to use 2 AP and 1 oxygen. The oxygen tokens have two sides – one side with 2 full tanks and the other side with 1 full tank. If I want to use an oxygen token, I can turn a 2-tank one to its partially used 1-tank side or discard a 1-tank token.

If I Want to Use a Raft

Important: If my team enters a water tile using a raft, we can later spend 1 AP and 1 oxygen to explore that tile and take the water exploration token (if it is still there). This can come in handy if we only have 1 AP left in our turn.

The Amazing Underground Tiles

If you want to check out an amazing underground wonder, it will cost you 1AP. But here’s a cool thing: if you find a wonder with a photo exploration token and your team has a camera in their backpack, you can spend 1 AP to explore that tile. When you do, you’ll take the token and place it near your player board.

And guess what? You can use the camera again! It doesn’t go away after one use. Oh, and those photo exploration tokens? They’re worth 2 victory points each at the end of the game.

Squeeze Tiles

When you want to enter a squeeze tile, it costs you 1 AP plus as many AP as the difficulty level of the squeeze. The squeeze’s difficulty is shown on the tile and can be a level between 1 and 3. If it’s your first time entering the squeeze tile in the game, you need to take the squeeze exploration token from the tile and place it next to your player board.

At the end of the game, each squeeze exploration token is worth a certain amount of victory points:

• Difficulty 1: 2 victory points
• Difficulty 2: 3 victory points
• Difficulty 3: 4 victory points

Whether the exploration token is still there or not, you must pay the full AP cost to enter a squeeze tile.

For example:

Hey there! So, I was exploring this game called Squeeze, and I stumbled upon something really cool. Let me tell you about it.

So, this guy named Rafat came across a squeeze tile that was pretty challenging, with a difficulty level of 2. He decided to place it next to an exit he hadn’t explored yet. To show that he had discovered and placed the tile, he put a squeeze exploration token with the same difficulty level (2) on the corner of the tile.

Here’s the interesting part – in order for Rafat to actually enter the tile and grab that exploration token, he had to spend some action points, or AP. It turns out he needed to spend a total of 3 AP in this case. One AP was for the initial entry, and then he had to spend an additional 2 AP because the tile was a bit tricky.

Pretty cool, right? I thought so too! Just wanted to share that little adventure with you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll love the game Squeeze just as much as I do!

Note: You have to pay the full entry cost, even if the exploration token is not on the tile anymore.

If you don’t have any consumable tokens in your backpack at the start of your turn, you have to spend 5 AP just to move one tile. You can’t do anything else until you reach your home base or camp, if your camp has consumables.

You can always enter an adjacent tile (as long as it’s connected by a cave passage) by spending 5 AP. You don’t need any specific equipment to enter, but you can’t grab an exploration token if there is one on that tile.

Example: You can enter water without oxygen or a raft, but you’ll have to spend the full 5 AP. And if there is a water exploration token, you won’t be able to collect it.

Packing Your Equipment at Home

Hey there! If you’re at the home base, you can start packing your backpack with the team. It’s a pretty simple process and only costs 2 AP. Oh, and by the way, you’re free to exchange resources between your backpack and the bank. Pretty neat, right?

If your team still has their camp in the backpack, you can also swap equipment between the camp and the bank while packing. But hold on, let me tell you a cool thing – the initial packing when the game starts doesn’t cost any AP. It’s like a freebie!

Your Awesome Camp

Every awesome team of speleologists gets to have their very own camp. It’s like their home away from home spelunking adventure. This camp has 4 equipment slots and takes up 2 slots in your backpack.

But guess what? You don’t have to pack the camp into your backpack if you don’t want to. However, if you want to take the camp with you, you gotta pack all 4 slots and put it neatly into your backpack.

When I’m packing up my camp and getting ready to head out, I have to remember to put the camp pawn in the backpack to cover up two slots. The first time I pack everything up, there’s no extra cost. But if I need to pack up my camp again, it’ll cost me 1 AP (Action Point).

While the camp is all packed up in my backpack, I can’t get to any of the equipment that’s stored in the four camp slots. Once I’m on any type of tile, though, I can unpack my camp and place it there by spending 2 AP. Then I can freely switch equipment between my backpack and my camp without using up any AP.

Hey there! Let me break down what you need to know about the camp system in the game.

A team has the option to repack their camp, which means they can store their equipment back into their backpack. It only costs 1 AP to do this, and they can make room for the camp by discarding some items.

Now, let’s say the team wants to use their camp again. All they have to do is spend 2 AP to place it in a new location.

When the team returns to the home base with their camp in the backpack, they can make a few choices:

• If they leave the camp at the home base, it doesn’t cost them any AP. However, the camp is considered abandoned and they won’t be able to use it anymore.
• Alternatively, they can pack the camp. This means they need to place the camp for 2 AP, pack both the backpack and the camp for another 2 AP, and finally pack the camp into 2 slots of the backpack for 1 AP. They can do these actions over multiple turns if needed.
• Lastly, they can choose to do nothing and leave the backpack and camp packed as they are.

So, that’s the lowdown on how the camp system works. Now you’re ready to make the most of it in the game!

You can place and pack the camp multiple times during the game. It’s up to you how you want to use it.

A Few Things to Remember

Each team has only one raft and one camera. If either of these items is in the camp and you place the camp somewhere else, you won’t be able to move them to your backpack when you repack everything at the home base.

If your team leaves the camp at the home base and abandons it, any items inside the camp like the camera or raft will also be abandoned and no longer usable. The same goes if you discard the camera or raft from your backpack to make space for other objects.

Any unused Action Points (AP) from your turn are lost. Sometimes, you may finish a turn without using all 5 AP, either by choice or because you don’t have any more actions to take. It’s important to optimize how you spend your AP, as it’s a key strategic element of the game.

The End of the Game

The game ends when the last tile from the IV stack is placed, or if we can’t place it, we put a boulder to block the path. We keep playing until everyone has had an equal number of turns. Then, we play three more rounds, starting from the first player. Each player will take three more turns. If a team doesn’t make it back to the home base, they lose and get no points. The exploration tokens of eliminated teams don’t count when giving out bonus points.

Let me break this down for you. When explorers go spelunking, they can earn bonus points by finding special tokens. These tokens come in different types: traverse line tokens, water tokens, photo tokens, and squeeze tokens. Each type is counted separately. The team that collects the most tokens gets 8 bonus points. The team with the second most tokens gets 4 bonus points.

Here’s a little twist: if two players tie for first place, they both get 4 bonus points instead of 8. The players who should have gotten second place don’t get any bonus points in this case. But if more than two players tie for first place, no one gets any bonus points.

And don’t forget, after the bonus points are handed out, the players add up all their victory points. It’s all about that final total, my friend.

Score 2 Victory Points for each of the following:

• A token obtained through traversing a line
• A token obtained through taking a photo
• A token obtained by squeezing through a tight space with a difficulty rating of 1

Score 3 Victory Points for each of the following:

• A token obtained by finding water
• A token obtained by squeezing through a tight space with a difficulty rating of 2
• A token obtained by reaching a depth of 25

Score 4 Victory Points for each of the following:

• A token obtained by squeezing through a tight space with a difficulty rating of 3
• A token obtained by reaching a depth of 50

Score 5 Victory Points for each of the following:

• A token obtained by reaching a depth of 75 or deeper

The winner is the player with the highest score. In case of a tie, there is no tiebreaker.