Torres Game Rules

Hey there! I’m here to walk you through the rules of the exciting game called Torres. Whether you’re a first-time player or just need a refresher, I’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and learn how to play this fun-filled game!

The Objective

The main goal of Torres is to create the tallest and most magnificent castles on the game board. You’ll compete against other players, using strategy and cunning to outdo each other. Get ready for a thrilling adventure!

The Game Setup

To get started, gather your friends around the table and set up the game board. The game board will consist of different levels or floors, where you’ll build your castles. Each player will also have their own set of castle pieces, consisting of base tiles, knights, and towers.

Gameplay

On your turn, you’ll have a few options to choose from. You can either:

1. Place a knight: You can place one of your knights on a castle piece to claim it as your own. This will give you control over that castle piece.

2. Add a tower: You can also add towers to your castle pieces to make them taller. The higher your castle, the more points you’ll earn at the end.

3. Build a castle: In order to build a castle, you’ll need to use your knights and towers strategically. You can place castle pieces on the game board, making sure they are adjacent to each other. The more towers a castle piece has, the higher it will be.

Scoring

At the end of the game, you’ll tally up your points to determine the winner. You’ll earn points based on the height of your castles, the number of spaces they occupy, and the number of knights you have placed.

Conclusion

Now that you know the rules of Torres, it’s time to gather your friends and start building your majestic castles. Remember, the key to winning is to strategize and plan your moves wisely. So, have fun, and may the tallest castle builder win!

• You’ll need the following components to play the game:
• 1 game board
• 92 tower blocks
• 24 knights
• 4 scoring markers
• 1 King
• 40 Action cards
• 4 Codex cards (action summary cards)
• 3 Phases cards (description of the phases and scoring)
• 8 Master cards (to be used in the master version)

What’s the Goal?

The game board features a scoring track that encircles the outer edge. Inside, there’s an 8 x 8 area where you’ll be building your castle. You’ll notice predetermined starting locations for the 8 castles within this area.

Throughout the three years of gameplay, you’ll earn points for each castle where your knight is present. The number of points you receive is determined by multiplying the castle’s surface area by the level at which your knight stands. The player with the highest total points at the end of the three years wins the game.

Getting Set Up

• To start the game, I put the board in the middle of the table.
• Next, each of us chose a color and took 1 scoring marker along with our 6 knights of the same color. We placed our scoring markers at the beginning of the scoring track.
• Then, we each grabbed a codex card.
• Since there were four of us playing, we used the appropriate phase card and placed it face up on the table. We put the other two cards back in the box.
• Each of us shuffled our 10 action cards, which were in our chosen color. Then, we placed them facedown on the table.
• We put the king next to the board.
• Finally, we placed the tower blocks next to the board. This was our supply of towers. We had to start with 8 towers and placed them on the spaces marked with towers on the board. These towers acted as the foundations for the 8 castles we would build throughout the game. But remember, these towers could be removed during the game.

Let’s get started on this exciting board game! Here are the steps to set up your game of “Knights and Castles”:

1. First, we need to decide who goes first. We’ll start with the youngest player, and then go clockwise from there.

2. Each player will place one of their knights on an empty castle. Make sure that each player starts with a knight on a different castle.

3. The last player will place the king on any empty castle. This will be the king’s castle for the first year of the game.

4. Before we begin, it’s essential to understand how the levels are counted in the game. A knight’s level is determined by the height above the board where it is standing.

5. Let me give you an example. If a knight is on the board itself, it is at level 0. A knight on a tower with one tower block is at level 1. If the tower has two blocks, the knight is at level 2, and so on. Keep in mind that a knight doesn’t have to be on the highest level of a tower. However, when calculating points, we only count the knight’s level.

Now that we’ve set up the game and understand how the levels work, we’re ready to dive into the exciting world of “Knights and Castles”! Have fun and may the best knight win!

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Game Play

When playing Torres, the game lasts for three years or phases. After each phase, we score the players’ positions to determine the winner.

The first phase is made up of four rounds. Both the second and third phases consist of three rounds, except in a two-player game where all three phases have four rounds. During each round, each player takes a turn in clockwise order.

Tower block distribution

Before each phase begins, we need to distribute tower blocks to the players. The number of tower blocks to be taken is indicated on the PHASES card. The players will then stack these tower blocks according to the instructions on the card. These blocks become the player’s personal supply for that particular phase.

For example, in a game with four players:

• During Phase 1, each player takes 4 stacks with 2 tower blocks in each stack.
• During Phase 2, each player takes 3 stacks with 2 tower blocks in each stack.

Imagine you’re all set for a fun game with your friends. We call it the Tower Block Challenge! Here’s how it works:

Phase 1: Prepare the Blocks

First, you’ll need to get everything ready. Each player gets 6 tower blocks. Make sure they’re stacked in a tower formation and placed in the center of the table.

Phase 2: Take Turns

Now it’s time to play! The youngest player goes first, and then you’ll take turns clockwise. On your turn, you choose one block from your stack and add it to the top of the tower.

Phase 3: Double the Fun

After everyone has added one block, it’s time to double the fun! Each player takes 3 stacks with 2 tower blocks each. Now you’ll have even more blocks to play with!

Phase 4: Keep Building

Continue taking turns and adding blocks to the tower. Be careful though, as the tower gets taller, it becomes more unstable. Will it topple over on your turn?

Phase 5: The Tumble

If the tower tumbles and falls during your turn, you’re out of the game. But don’t worry, you can still cheer on your friends as they keep playing.

Phase 6: The Winner

The game keeps going until only one player is left. The last person standing without knocking over the tower wins the game!

Now that you know the rules, gather your friends and let the Tower Block Challenge begin!

A Player’s Turn

When it’s my turn, I have 5 action points (AP) that I can use in any order. There are different actions I can take, which are all explained on the codex cards.

Adding a Knight (= 2 AP per knight)

Whenever I want to add a new knight, I can place them on an empty space next to a knight of the same color. There are a few rules to keep in mind:

• I can only place the new knight in a space that is next to an existing knight. It can be above, below, to the left, or to the right, but not diagonally.
• The space where I add the new knight must be the same level or lower than the existing knight. I can place the new knight on a lower level, but never on a higher level.

Moving a Knight (= 1 AP per space)

When playing the game, you can move your knights a certain number of spaces each turn. This number is determined by your available APs (Action Points). Your APs represent how much energy and ability you have to move your knights. To move a knight, you must follow these rules:

• When I play the knight in this game, I can only move in straight lines, not diagonally.
• I can go up one level at a time, but I can go down as many levels as I want.
• I can only move to spaces that are not already occupied by the king or another knight, no matter if they are the same color as me or not.

Note: All the towers in this game have doors on every side. This means that I can use the doors to go through the towers! So, if I enter a tower through one door, I can exit from any other door in the same tower. And the best part is, this only costs me 1 AP!

But there’s one thing to keep in mind when I’m moving through a tower. I can’t go up levels, but I can go down as many levels as I want (unless a special card allows for different movement). This means I can pass through as many towers as I want in one turn, as long as I spend the right amount of APs.

Place a Tower Block (= 1 AP per block)

When it’s my turn, I can place tower blocks on the stacks in front of me. These stacks show how many turns I have in this year or phase. I can only choose blocks from one stack at a time, but I can choose any stack I want.

I don’t have to use all the blocks in a stack. If I want to, I can build fewer blocks in a turn. If I have any leftover blocks, I can distribute them to other stacks in my supply. The only rule is that no stack can have more than three blocks. But keep in mind, I can never add more than three blocks in one turn.

If I have more leftover blocks than can fit on my remaining stacks, I have to return the extra blocks to the common supply. I can’t use these extra blocks to create new stacks. And at the end of the phase, any blocks I still have in my possession are also returned to the common supply.

Hey there! Let’s talk about something super cool – tower blocks! Here’s the lowdown on how to place them:

• You can add blocks to any of your castles.
• When you add a block, you have two options: you can either place it next to your castle to make the surface area bigger, or you can stack it on top of another block to make the castle taller.
• There’s a rule for making the castle taller: it can’t be taller than its surface area. For example, if your castle has 3 blocks in its surface area, it can be a maximum of 3 levels tall.
• You can’t connect one castle to another by increasing its surface area. Castles can only touch diagonally.

In the picture on the left, the black castle has a surface area of 5 spaces and can’t grow bigger or taller than that.

Get Action Cards (costs 1 AP per card)

When you spend 1 AP to get an action card, you draw the top 3 cards from your deck and choose 1 to keep. The other 2 cards go back on top or bottom of your deck face down.

If you get a second card, you do the same process. You can get up to two action cards per turn. Remember, you can’t use a card in the same turn you get it. You can keep the cards until you want to play them.

Play 1 Action Card (costs 0 AP)

You can play one action card each turn. You can’t play an action card in the same turn you get it.

During your turn, you can play an action card whenever you want. Just put it face up on the table and do what it says. Then, put the card back in the box and remove it from the game.

Move on the Scoring Track (costs 1 AP per space)

When I’m playing the game, I can use 1 AP to move my scoring marker forward on the scoring track by one space. APs are usually used for moving along the scoring track when there is nothing else I want to do.

I can only have one scoring marker per space on the scoring track. If my marker would end up on a space that is already taken, I will put it on the next empty space on the track. So, if my marker is right behind another marker on the scoring track, I can use this action to gain multiple points.

Now, let’s talk about scoring. At the end of each year or phase, we score our positions. I earn points for each castle where I have one or more knights, but I only score once for each castle, no matter how many knights I have there.

But wait, what happens when knights of different colors (they belong to different players) end up on the same castle? That’s when things get interesting. See, when this happens, you and your opponent will both score points. The number of points you get is determined by multiplying the number of spaces on the surface area of the castle by the level of your highest knight. It’s like a knight showdown, where the winner gets rewarded with points!

Example: So, here’s how it works. I have this knight, right? And it’s standing tall on level 3 of my castle. Now, my castle is pretty big, with a surface area of 5 spaces. Cool, right? So, I get to earn some points for this. How many? Well, it’s simple math. I just multiply the knight’s level by the castle’s surface area. In this case, that’s 3 times 5, which equals 15 points. Neat! Oh, and then I move my scoring marker forward 15 spaces on the scoring track. It’s like a little race, but with points instead of a finish line. And hey, if my knight was on level 2, I wouldn’t get any extra points. Bummer.

Now, things get interesting when there are knights of different colors in a castle. Each player gets to score points for their own knight. Like, my knight only cares about me, not about what the others are doing. So yeah, the other players’ knights have no affect on mine. It’s all about personal achievement, you know?

Okay, so now it’s time to see who’s the real winner. We start scoring in clockwise order, beginning with the starting player. Everyone takes turns to calculate their castle points, move their scoring marker on the track, and show off their mad knight skills. But here’s the catch – if a player’s marker lands on a space that’s already occupied, they can’t just stay there. No sir, they gotta move their marker to the next empty space on the track. So, no ties, my friend. It’s all about progression and pushing forward.

The King’s Bonus

Once all of us players have placed our castles in their respective positions (including those inside the king’s castle), it’s time for the king’s bonus to come into play. This special bonus is awarded to every player who happens to have a knight stationed within the king’s castle. The criteria for receiving the king’s bonus is as follows:

• Phase one score: If you have a knight situated on level 1 of the king’s castle, you will earn an additional 5 bonus points.
• Phase two score: Having a knight on level 2 of the king’s castle will earn you a generous 10 bonus points.
• Phase three score: Finally, if your knight is occupying level 3 of the king’s castle, you will be bestowed with a marvelous 15 bonus points.

Did you know that several players can earn a special bonus from the king? All they have to do is have their knights in the king’s castle on the right level. If you have a knight in the king’s castle on the correct level, you not only score the bonus from the king but also get points for the position of the castle.

But what if your knight is in the king’s castle but on the wrong level? In that case, you only receive points for the position of the castle, not the bonus from the king.

Now, here’s an interesting twist. If you have two knights in the king’s castle on the right level, you don’t get the king’s bonus twice. Instead, you can have one knight in the right level to get the king’s bonus and another knight at a higher level to get points for the castle position. But if neither knight is on the right level, you only get points for the castle position.

Example E: When the first phase is over, I find myself in the king’s castle with two knights. It’s a bit disappointing because both knights are not on level 1. As a result, I can only score the castle position, which gives me a total of 16 (4 x 4). However, if it were the second phase, things would be different. In addition to the castle position, I would also earn the king’s bonus of 10 points. So, my total score would be 26.

Sometimes, things don’t turn out the way you hope. In this case, I’m stuck with two knights in the king’s castle. To make things worse, neither of them is on level 1. So, even though I’m in the castle, my score is not as high as I’d like. I can only earn points for the castle position, which gives me a total of 16 (4 x 4). It’s a bit frustrating, but that’s how the game goes sometimes.

Now, imagine if it were the second phase. I would have a chance to earn more points. In addition to the castle position, I would also get the king’s bonus of 10 points. So, my total score would be 26. That’s a big difference! It just goes to show that timing is everything in this game.

Example F: By the end of the first phase, I have two knights in the king’s castle. One is on level 1, so I score the king’s bonus of 5. The other knight is on level 2, and I score 4 x 2 = 8. That means I receive a total of 13 points for the king’s castle after the first phase.

What Happens After Scoring?

After all players have scored their castle positions and received their king’s bonus, the next phase begins. In this phase, players take tower blocks from the common supply, as indicated on the phases card.

Time to Move The King

Now it’s time to decide who gets to move the king. The player with the lowest score has the privilege. They can choose any empty space on any castle, at any level, to place the king.

However, if there are no empty spaces available for the king, the player doesn’t have to move it. The game continues with the same player who had the chance to move the king.

The Game Comes to an End

Once we’ve made our way through the third phase and scored all the points, that’s when the game reaches its end. The person who has accumulated the most points throughout the game is declared the ultimate winner.