Valley of the Kings Game Rules

Hey there! Are you ready to learn all about the game rules for Valley of the Kings? Buckle up and get ready for an adventure in ancient Egypt!

I’m going to break down the rules for you step by step so you can start playing right away. Are you excited? I know I am!

Objective:

The goal of Valley of the Kings is to build the most valuable collection of artifacts, treasures, and awesome stuff from ancient Egypt. You want to be the best tomb builder in the land! How cool is that?

Setup:

First things first, let’s set up the game. Shuffle the deck of cards and deal out five to each player. Then, place the rest of the deck face-down in the middle. We’re almost ready to go!

Gameplay:

Okay, now let’s dive into the gameplay. Each turn, you get to take one action. You can either play a card from your hand or do a special action.

When you play a card, choose one from your hand and put it in your tomb or in your pyramid. Each card has a different value and special power, so choose wisely! Some cards let you get new ones, while others let you steal cards from your opponents. It’s all about strategy and making the best moves.

If you decide to do a special action instead, you still have plenty of cool options. You can entomb a card directly from the deck, bury a card from your hand, or even buy a card from the pyramid! Lots of ways to play and have fun.

Burial:

Once a card is in your tomb, it’s considered buried. You won’t be able to use its special power anymore, but it still counts towards your score at the end of the game. Make sure to plan your burials carefully!

Pyramid:

Your pyramid is where the magic happens. By building your pyramid, you can unlock more powerful cards and abilities. The higher the level of your pyramid, the cooler your cards will be! So make sure to give it some love and attention.

Game End and Scoring:

When there are no more cards left to draw, the game comes to an end. It’s time to count up your points! Each card in your tomb and pyramid has a value, so add them all up and see who has the highest score. The player with the most points is the ultimate tomb-building champion!

So there you have it, the game rules for Valley of the Kings. Now that you know how to play, it’s time to gather some friends and start your Egyptian adventure. Have a blast!

Hey there! So, imagine this – you’re an Egyptian noble living during the time of the pharaohs. Your whole life is focused on preparing for your death and burial in a place called the Valley of the Kings. It’s pretty fascinating, actually. According to the Egyptian religion, when you die, you can take all your stuff with you to the afterlife. So, to make sure they have everything they need in the next world, Egyptians would stock their tombs with all sorts of things – food, canopic jars to hold their organs, weapons, beautiful artwork, and fancy jewelry.

They also knew that building a proper tomb was no joke. So they would hire experts like architects, engineers, and masons to design and construct their final resting place. And guess what? All these artifacts and people that were involved in the tomb-building process are actually shown on the cards of the game we’re talking about.

Now, here’s the fun part. In this game, called Valley of the Kings, you get to earn victory points by collecting and storing these cards in your own tomb. The more you have, the more points you get. And of course, the player with the most victory points wins the game. Sounds exciting, right?

Oh, and here’s another cool thing. You can choose to play with different versions of the game. There’s the base game, as well as Afterlife and Last Rites. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can even mix and match cards from different versions to add more variety to your gameplay.

Let’s Talk Game Components

• 294 artifact cards
• 6 unique cards
• 6 Tomb tiles
• 6 Reference cards
• The Valley of the Kings Premium Edition comes with:
  • 10 Pharaoh cards
  • 20 Randomizer cards
  • 39 Card dividers
  • 350 Tarot-sized sleeves
  • 1 Starting player token
  • Rulebook
  • 1 Player’s Guide
• The premium edition includes all three previously released versions:
  • Valley of the Kings (also known as the base game)
  • Valley of the Kings: Afterlife
  • Valley of the Kings: Last Rites
• It also includes extra items like pharaoh cards, special cards, and deluxe components to enhance gameplay.

Goal of the Game

Collect the most valuable items and fill your tomb.

Artifact Cards

When you play the game, you collect cards that represent different things like statues, weapons, and artisans. These cards are important because they help you in the game. Let me explain what each part of the card means:

A Card Title: This is the name of the card. It tells you what the card is about.

B Gold Value & Card Type: The gold value is how much the card is worth. You can use this value to buy other cards. The scarab in the upper left corner also tells you what type of card it is. If it’s a jade scarab, it’s a set card. If it’s a crystal scarab, it’s a starter or unique card.

C Cost: The cost is how much gold you need to spend to get the card. Each type of card set, like starters or weapons, has a different color gem. The shape of the gem tells you which version of the game the card is from, whether it’s the base game, Afterlife, or Last Rites.

The different sets of cards in the game have their own distinct colors, making it easy to identify them. Starter and unique cards even have numbers that show how many victory points they are worth. Additionally, the gems on the cards can also help you identify which set they belong to.

Instead of using a card for its gold value, you have the option to execute the action described on the card. This adds another layer of strategy to the game.

Some cards in the game feature historical text that adds flavor and provides interesting information about the subject of the card. It’s a fun way to learn while you play.

To keep things organized, each set is represented by a unique icon. For color sets, the number of different cards in the set is displayed on top of the icon. This helps you keep track of which cards belong to which set.

During setup, levels are used to sort the cards into stacks. This ensures that the game starts off in a well-organized manner.

Setup

Choose a card set

Prepare the players

Get the starter cards ready

• 4 Shabti
• 3 Urns
• 2 Boxes of Food
• 1 Offering Table

– OR –

• 4 Menials
• 3 Embalmers
• 2 Kites
• 1 Medjay

If there are fewer than six players, put the extra starter cards back in the box. You won’t use them in this game.

Prepare the draw decks

Set up the stock

Get the pyramid ready

Set up the boneyard

Decide who goes first

Let’s choose a random starting player to kick off the game. They’ll get the starting player token, and then we can get started!

How to Play

The player with the starting player token takes the first turn, and then play continues in a clockwise direction around the table. Each player takes turns until the game ends.

What to Do on Your Turn

When it’s your turn, you must follow these four steps in order:

1. Play Cards

• Buy a card from the base of the pyramid.
• Execute the action listed on the card.
• Entomb the card (only one card per turn).

You can do these actions in any order you want during your turn.

If you’re playing with pharaoh cards, you can use your pharaoh ability once during your turn.

2. Discard

3. Rebuild Pyramid

4. Draw New Hand

Once you finish a step, the next player at the table takes their turn, going clockwise.

The Falling Pyramid

When a card is removed from the pyramid (except for the top row), the pyramid crumbles immediately. A card from a higher row falls down to fill the empty space created by the removed card.

Typically, only the card diagonally above the empty space can fall down. However, if the empty space is in the center of the base, either of two cards can fill the space. In this case, you get to choose which card falls down.

When a card falls down, it can also create an additional empty space that needs to be filled by a card from the top of the pyramid, causing yet another card to fall down.

An example of falling:

I remove the bottom middle card of the pyramid (known as the Middle Sarcophagus) and the pyramid collapses right away!

Now, I have a couple of options. Either of the cards in the center row can come crashing down to fill the empty spot. And guess what? It’s up to you to decide which one comes tumbling down! Let’s go with the Statue of Bastet.

I watch in awe as the Heart Scarab Amulet delicately collapses, filling the void created by the departing Statue of Bastet.

How to Buy Cards

When it comes to buying cards in this game, things work a bit differently. You’ll need to take into account a few key steps before you can make a purchase. It’s important to remember that cards can only be bought one at a time from the base of the pyramid. So, let me break down the process for you:

1. Step 1: Play Cards with Enough Gold

To start, you’ll need to play cards that have enough gold value to cover the cost of the card you want to buy. This means you might have to play multiple cards and add up their gold values to afford a single card. But be careful not to overpay! If you do, you won’t get any change, and the extra gold will be lost.

Step 2: Place the Purchased Card in Your Discard Pile

Once you’ve paid for the card, you can remove it from the pyramid and place it on top of your discard pile. This is where all the cards you’ve used and bought will end up.

Step 3: The Pyramid Crumbles

After you’ve made your purchase, the pyramid crumbles to fill in the empty space at its base. This means that the cards in the middle and top row can eventually make their way to the base, becoming available for purchase in the future.

So, as you can see, buying cards is an important aspect of the game. By following these steps, you’ll be able to strategically build your deck and improve your chances of victory. It’s all about making the right moves and seizing the opportunities that come your way!

So, here’s the thing: when you play a card to get gold, you can’t use its special ability. It’s a bit tricky, but don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it!

First, let me explain what happens to the cards you used to get gold. They don’t just disappear into thin air – they stay right there on the table with the rest of the cards you’re playing. They’ll hang out there until it’s the end of your turn.

Let me give you an example to make it clear. Imagine my friend Jay decides to buy the mighty Statue of Bastet. This awesome card costs 4 gold, and Jay has that amount, so he’s ready to go.

So, here’s the deal. I’ve got this Tyet Amulet, right? It’s worth 2 gold. And then there’s this Book of the Netherworld, which is worth 3 gold. Now, if I add up the value of these two items, I get a total of 5 gold. Pretty neat, huh? Well, with this total, I can buy the Statue of Bastet. But here’s the thing – that extra 1 gold value doesn’t count towards another purchase. It’s just lost. Bummer, I know. But hey, at least I can still get the statue, right?

How to Perform Actions

First, I want you to place your card facing up on the table. Then, you need to carry out its action. But be careful! Some cards have more than one part to their action, and you have to complete all parts. And there’s a catch – you have to execute the parts in order. You can’t move on to the next part until you’ve finished the previous one.

However, if you can’t execute a part of the action because a required card is missing, then you’re out of luck. You’re not allowed to perform that specific action. But there’s one exception to this rule. When the word “may” appears in the action’s description, you have a choice. You can choose whether or not to perform that part of the action.

• Remember, when you use a card for its action, you can’t use its gold value.
• Also, it’s important to note that you must complete all the parts of an action on a card before moving on to anything else.
• Lastly, unless it’s stated otherwise, the effects of actions only last until the end of your turn.

When you play the game, you have the option to take several actions. You have a set of cards that you can use as actions, and these cards are not discarded until the end of your turn. Once you complete an action, the card you used stays on the table and becomes a part of your cards in play until the end of your turn.

You are also allowed to put a card from your hand into your tomb once per turn. Some actions even let you put more cards into your tomb. When a card is entombed, you cannot use its gold value or action. It’s important to note that everyone can see the cards in your tomb, so make sure to arrange them on the table for all players to see. It’s the cards in your tomb that will be scored at the end of the game, so keep that in mind as you play.

The End of the Game

The game doesn’t stop until we meet all of these conditions:

• The stock is empty.
• The pyramid has no cards left.
• All players have taken an equal number of turns.

Scoring

Once the game is over, we need to count our victory points (VP). Only the cards in my tomb count; the cards in my hand, deck, and discard pile are worthless.

There are three types of cards: starter cards like Urns and Menials (they are gray), uniques like Astrologer, Mummified Cat, and Calcite Cup (they are purple), and sets (cards in different color sets like red Sarcophagi, green Weapons, and blue Builders).

Calculating the score for starter cards and uniques is simple – just add up the victory points written on them.

If you have color sets, start by figuring out how many different cards are in each set. Remember, duplicate cards don’t count. Once you know the number of cards, square that number by multiplying it by itself. For example, if you have 6 different kinds of tomb Art, you’ll score 6×6 = 36 points. Keep track of all your points.

The player who has the most points at the end wins the game. But what if there’s a tie? In that case, the player with the fewest cards in their tomb wins. And if there’s still a tie after that, it’s a shared victory.

Let me show you an example of how scoring works:

Let’s say my name is Jay, and these are the cards in my tomb: 3 Menials (each worth 1 point), a Carpenter, 2 Priests of Thoth, and a Priest of Sobek.

I’ll get 3 points for my 3 Menials (1+1+1 = 3), 1 point for my Carpenter (1×1 = 1), and 4 points for my 2 different Priests (2×2 = 4).

My total score is 8 points. Oh, and by the way, that extra Priest of Thoth isn’t worth anything.