Welcome to the World of Villagers!

Hey there! Have you ever heard of Villagers? It’s an exciting game loved by millions. It’s time to dive into the enchanting world of Villagers and discover its fascinating rules.

1. How to Play

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling adventure? In Villagers, you take on the role of a village leader. Your mission is to lead your villagers towards prosperity and success. Exciting, right?

2. Gather Resources

Now, let’s talk about gathering resources. You’ll need resources like food, wood, and stone to develop your village. Explore the map, find resource-rich locations, and collect what you need to thrive.

3. Expand Your Village

Think big! Expand your village by constructing new buildings. Build houses to accommodate more villagers, farms to grow food, and workshops to produce goods. Watch your village flourish as it grows in size and prosperity.

4. Interact with Villagers

The heart of Villagers lies in its charming inhabitants. Get to know your villagers, listen to their stories, and fulfill their needs. Assign them tasks according to their skills and witness the village come alive.

5. Trade with Other Villages

Don’t forget about the world beyond your village borders. Establish trade routes with neighboring villages and exchange resources. This opens up a world of opportunities, allowing you to acquire rare items and expand your influence.

6. Face Challenges

Life isn’t always easy. Prepare yourself for various challenges that may arise. Face off against wild animals, deal with natural disasters, and overcome other obstacles that test your leadership skills.

7. Achieve Goals

Set goals for your village and work towards achieving them. Whether it’s becoming the wealthiest village or establishing strong diplomatic ties, strive for greatness and leave your mark on the world of Villagers.

8. Have Fun!

Above all, have fun! Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Villagers, where every decision you make shapes the destiny of your village. Enjoy this incredible journey and create a thriving community!

• There are 5 Village Square cards
• I’ll give you 5 Player Aid Cards to help you play
• 5 Founders are available for players to use
• To start, you’ll get 6 Starting Road Villagers
• There are also 30 Basic Villagers: Lumberjacks, Miners, and Hayers
• You’ll find 94 Other villagers as well
• I’ll provide 2 Market Cards
• Don’t forget the First Player Card and End of Draft Phase Card
• There are 150 Coins for you to use
• Use the 24 Event Cards during the game
• Lastly, don’t miss the Countess Card and Jester Card
• Instructions are included to guide you through the game

Let’s Get Set Up!

First, we need to find the 6 Starting Road Villagers marked with a special symbol. We’ll place them face-up in a line in the center of the table. This is the Rood.

Next, we’ll find the 10 Hayers, 10 Lumberjacks, and 10 Miners. Let’s place them face-up in separate stacks.

Now, it’s time to give each player a Founders card. Make sure the 2 Gold side is facing up. The Founders card forms the start of each Village.

In the game, each player gets a Village Square. Make sure everyone has one and place it next to their Village.

Next, give each player 8 Gold. This is what they start with. Put the rest of the Gold next to the Rood to make the Bonk.

The player who has lived in the same place the longest gets the Cord to start the game.

If there are only 2 or 3 players, take out the cards marked with 4J. These are the Wool and Leather suits.

To start the game, I’ll shuffle all the cards and create 6 stacks. Each stack will have twice as many cards as there are players in the game. Let’s say we have 5 players, so I’ll make 6 stacks with 10 cards in each stack. I’ll line up these stacks above the Starting Road Villagers.

Next, I’ll add the First Market Card beneath the second stack and the Second Market Card beneath the sixth stack. With that, the Road is complete.

Now, I’ll deal 5 cards face-down to each player from the remaining cards. These cards will be known as the Player Hands.

The rest of the cards will form a stack next to the Road, called the Reserve.

There you have it! The game is now ready to be played.

How to Play the Game

So, here’s how you play the game. Pay attention, because it’s pretty cool!

The game has several rounds, and the goal is to empty all the face-down stacks of villager cards on the Road. Each round is divided into two phases, and you have to follow the steps in order:

1. First, we have the Draft Phase. In this phase, you get to pick villagers from the Road. Take your time and choose wisely!
2. Then comes the Build Phase. In this phase, you get to play the villagers you picked from the Road. You need to put them in your Villages. Make sure you use a good strategy!

But wait, there’s more! Throughout the game, there are two Market Phases. During these phases, you can earn Gold. And here’s a fun fact: whoever has the most Gold at the end of the game is the winner! So, make sure you collect as much Gold as you can.

The Draft Phase: Choosing Your Villagers

During the first part of the game, it’s time to choose the villagers I want to join my community. I have the chance to carefully select the villagers that will help make my village thrive. But how do I go about choosing?

Luckily, there’s a phase called “The Draft Phase” which allows me to acquire new villagers. In this phase, I get to take turns with other players and select the villagers I want from the Road. The Road is where all the available villagers are displayed for everyone to see.

I have a few options when it comes to drafting villagers. I can choose any of the face-up villagers on the Road. These villagers are right in front of me, ready to join my village. Alternatively, I can take a risk and blindly choose the top card from one of the stacks. Each stack holds villagers that are yet to be revealed, so it’s a bit of a mystery.

Now, the choice I make here is important. The villagers I draft during this phase will shape the foundation of my community, determining its strength and abilities. That’s why it’s crucial to think strategically and consider what each villager brings to the table.

The Draft Phase is like a puzzle waiting to be solved. It’s an opportunity for me to carefully select the villagers that will complement my existing village and help it thrive. By thinking ahead and making wise choices, I can build a strong and prosperous community.

When you start the game, you need to choose villagers for your village. The number of villagers you can choose is determined by your Drafting Limit. To calculate your Drafting Limit, you need to add 2 villagers to your starting number of Food. For example, if you have 1 Food, your Drafting Limit is 3, so you must choose 3 villagers. However, you can never choose more than 5 villagers, even if you have 4 or more Food.

The drafting process is done in turns, starting with the player who has the First Player Card. Each player takes turns choosing one villager at a time in clockwise order. The villagers you choose are placed face-up on your Village Square D.

Continue drafting villagers in rounds until you have reached your Drafting Limit and have as many villagers on your Village Card as allowed. At this point, take your new villagers and add them to your hand. Once all players have reached their Drafting Limit, move on to the next step, which is Updating The Road.

If the villager card you choose has a coin on it (not printed, but actually placed), take that coin and add it to your Supply. When you draft a villager from the face-up cards, remember to replace the chosen card with the top card from the leftmost stack E.

Hey there! Just a quick heads up – make sure you don’t touch the Market Phase Cards F. They need to stay where they are until the Market Phase. Once a stack is empty, it’s out of the game.

As we approach the end of the game and all the stacks are empty, we’ll rely on the Reserve to replace the face-up cards on the Road. You can only draw face-down cards from the top of the Reserve when all other stacks are empty. If both the Reserve and the stacks are empty, no cards are replaced.

Refreshing the Road

Once everyone is done with their drafting, here’s what happens next:

I’ve got an important tip for you: get rid of any villagers you see on the Road who have coins. Trust me, it’s for your own good.

Let’s talk about dealing new cards in a game. When I play, I always make sure to replace the Villagers that I discard with fresh cards from the Reserve. It’s a way to keep the game going and make sure I have a full hand to work with.

Here’s how it works: if the Reserve still has cards left, I’ll deal new ones from there. But if the Reserve is empty, don’t worry! I’ll just grab cards from the Racid, starting with the stack on the very left.

Hey there! Let’s talk about updating the Road in 2-player games.

So, when you’re playing a 2-player game, it’s important to know how to update the Road properly. Here’s what you need to do:

First, take a look at the face-up villagers on the Road. You need to put 1 Gold on each of them.

It’s as simple as that! By following these steps, you can keep the Road up-to-date and make sure you’re playing the game correctly.

Remember, the Road is an important part of the game, and updating it is crucial. So next time you’re playing a 2-player game, make sure to follow these rules and keep those villagers happy!

When it’s time to finish drafting, here’s what you do:

Each of us, starting with the last player and going backwards, can decide if we want to put 1 Gold from the Bank on a villager on the Road. You can choose to put Gold on the same villager multiple times, or you can choose to not put any Gold at all if you want.

Do you ever wonder what happens to the villagers that are left behind on the Road with no coins? Let me tell you!

When you see a villager who has no coins on them, go ahead and discard them. We don’t want to leave anyone behind, right?

It’s interesting to think about what happens to those villagers. Maybe they find their way back home or join another village. Either way, we’re clearing the Road and making room for new opportunities.

So, my friend, remember to discard any face-up villagers without coins. We’re all about progress and ensuring everyone finds their place!

When it’s time to refresh the Reserve, I’ll deal you some shiny new cards to replace the discarded Villagers. If there are no Villagers left in the Reserve, I’ll grab some cards from the leftmost stack on the Road and give them to you. Just like fresh air, your Village needs some new faces!

II. Time to Build

During this phase, it’s your turn to shine! You’ll take your precious Villagers from your hand and place them carefully in your Village. But remember, once a Villager is placed, you can’t change your mind and pick them up again. It’s like finding the perfect spot for a puzzle piece – once it’s in place, it’s there for good.

Hey there! Let’s talk about how many villagers you can place in your village during the Build Phase. It’s pretty neat!

By default, you can start with 2 villagers. But guess what? You get to add one extra villager for each Builder in your Village. So, let’s say you have 2 Builders in your Village. That means you can place 4 villagers in total. Cool, right? We call this your Build Limit.

But remember, you can never place more than 5 villagers, even if you have 4 or more Builders. Sometimes, you might want to play with fewer villagers than your Build Limit, and that’s totally fine too!

During the Build Phase, each player takes their turn, finishing all their actions before it’s the next player’s turn. It keeps things organized!

At the start of your Build Phase, it’s important to let everyone know how many villagers you are allowed to place. To make it easier, put all the villagers you plan to use on your Village Square card before actually placing them in your Village. This way, everyone can keep track and make sure you don’t go over your Build Limit. It’s all about teamwork!

Now, let’s explore Production Chains!

Hey there! Let me break down this concept for you in simple terms. So, if a villager has a card with “Production Chain Text A” at the top, it means they need to be part of a production chain when you place them. Here’s how it works: any villagers mentioned before the name of the current villager should be placed below them, in the exact order listed. For example, if you have a Cartwright card, it needs to be placed on top of a Lumberjack and a Wheeler. Got it? Great!

When you put cards on top of each other, make sure to cover up everything below the name of the card underneath. Once a card is covered by another, the symbols below its Villager Name are no longer active.

For example, if you cover your Founders with a Swineherd, you won’t be able to use the Food or Gold from the Founders anymore.

You don’t have to finish the Production Chain right away. In turn one, you can place a Lumberjack and Wheeler, and then place the Cartwright on top in a later turn. Remember, though, you have to play the first card in the chain first, then the second, and so on.

When it comes to setting up a Production Chain, the first villagers can be stacked with up to 2 additional villagers, creating 2 branches in the chain. For instance, a Lumberjack can be accompanied by a Carpenter and a Wheeler, and the Wheeler’s chain can later be expanded with a Cartwright.

If you want, you can have multiple villagers of the same type in your village. There’s no limit!

Getting Started with Basic Villagers

During the Build Phase, you have the opportunity to acquire Basic Villagers. These include Lumberjacks, Hayers, and Miners. The Hay, Ore, and Wood villagers must be placed on top of these basic villagers.

When you want to get a Basic Villager, here’s what you need to do: bring back a villager from your hand and put it in one of the stacks on the Road. Once you’ve done that, you can choose a Basic Villager from the available options and place it in your Village. You can repeat this process up to three times during the Build Phase. And here’s a tip: you don’t have to let the other players see the cards you’re returning.

Now, there might be a situation where all the stacks on the Road are empty. Don’t worry, it happens especially in the last Build Phase. In that case, just return the villagers to the top of the Reserve. But let’s say the Reserve is empty too. Well, in that case, you’ll have to discard the villagers you returned. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes there’s no other option.

Here’s the thing about Basic Villagers: they don’t count towards your Build Limit. So when you place them in your Village, they don’t take up space. And don’t worry about your maximum Build Limit of 5 villagers either. Basic Villagers don’t count towards that either. They’re kind of like special villagers that have no impact on your Build Limit at all.

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I’m going to share a cool game mechanic with you! It’s called “The Road.” Here’s how it works:

First, I get to pick 3 villagers from the stacks and put them on the Road. It’s like giving them a little break or vacation.

But don’t worry, I won’t leave my village empty! I’ll replace those 3 villagers with 3 Basic Villagers of my choice. So my village will still be full and bustling with activity.

So here’s what happens: I start off by doing my 3 Build Actions. First, I place a Blacksmith on the new Miner. Then, I put a Grazier on one of the Hayers. And finally, I add a Chandler to the mix. Now, the Chandler is a Solitary Villager, so I don’t put it on top of any other villager.

Let’s talk about Padlocks

Okay, let’s say I have a villager with a Padlock A. Before I can use it, I need to unlock it. To do that, I have to check if I or any other player has the villager named next to the Unlocking Symbol in our Village. That villager is what we call the Unlocking Villager B.

• In your village, if you have the Unlocking Villager, put 2 Gold from the Bank on that villager.
• If someone else has the Unlocking Villager, put 2 Gold from your Supply on it.
• If no one has the Unlocking Villager, you must give 2 Gold to the Bank to unlock the villager you are putting down.

If there are multiple Unlocking Villagers available, you can choose which one you want to pay for. You cannot choose to pay the Bank if another player already has the Unlocking Villager in their village. Also, keep in mind that you can use a villager you just placed in the current Build Phase to unlock another villager you’re playing.

The Keyring Symbol

The number inside the Keyring Symbol A shows how many villagers I need to pay gold in order to unlock them in the game.

For example, the Blacksmith can potentially unlock 10 villagers and collect up to 20 Gold in this way.

Playing Special Villagers

During the Build Phase, I can also play the red Special villagers. These special villagers give me powerful actions, which are described on the cards.

If a Special Villager has a Discard Symbol A, I can discard them immediately after using their abilities. They do not count towards my Build Limit, so I can play as many of them as I want!

Have you ever wondered about those special villagers in the game? You know, the ones without the Discard Symbol, like the Monk? Well, it turns out they actually count towards your Build Limit. That means when you play these special villagers, they take up space in your villages.

But here’s the thing: you can’t use these special villagers to steal another player’s Founders. They have their own special rules and can’t be used for sneaky tactics like stealing.

Special Villagers Example:

Imagine you’re playing a game where you get to be a Monk and a Jeweler. To keep things fair, you can only have a maximum of 2 villagers in your game. But wait, there’s more! You also have the opportunity to play as a Smuggler and a Tinner. However, these last two don’t count towards your maximum limit. They’re like bonus characters you can use but don’t have to worry about.

I’ve got a role-playing game for you that involves a special character called the Monk. He’s interesting because he can fill in for a Spelunker, who is another character in the game. The Monk is like a wild villager, bringing some variety to the gameplay. It’s kind of cool, don’t you think?

So, here’s what happens next: I use the Tinner to get past the Padlock on the Jeweler. This little trick lets me unlock any Padlocks for free. Handy, right? Oh, and by the way, when I do that, I can also play the Smuggler and earn half the value of the Jeweler. That means 10 gold right off the bat. Not too shabby, huh?

Oh, and guess what? The Smuggler also has a Padlock. So, you know what I do? I use the Tinner once again to unlock it for free. It’s like a secret treasure unlocker or something.

Now, onto the next phase!

When everyone finishes their part in the game, we have to see if there are any players who didn’t manage to collect any Food during the Build Phase. If that’s the case, those unlucky guys have to flip their Founders Card A over to the other side, which has a Food on it. Think of it like a little life hack to get them back in the game.

Hey there! Let me break it down for you. When you flip a Founder, you can’t flip it back to the Gold side again. It’s a one-time deal.

If you don’t have any Food in your Village, you need to flip over your Founders so they show the Food side.

Once you’re done with the Build Phase, the player with the First Player Card passes it to the person sitting on their left. This marks the end of the Build Phase, unless a Market Phase is triggered.

The First Market Phase

The First Market Phase occurs when the first two stacks on the Road are empty. It happens right after the Build Phase of that turn. You can use Card B as a reminder for this.

During the First Market Phase, you earn Gold equal to the amount printed on the cards in your Village, plus any coins placed on them. You don’t need to take the coins from the cards, since they will be scored again in the Second Market Phase.

Only the top card of each Production Chain counts towards earning Gold. Gold Symbols that are covered by other cards don’t earn you any Gold.

So here’s what happens: I get to go first, and I collect my hard-earned Gold from the Bank. I take that Gold and stash it safely in my Supply. But there’s a catch – those shiny Silver Symbols won’t give me any Gold during this First Market Phase. Bummer, right? But hey, it’s not just about me. Everyone gets a chance to grab their Gold, and once we’re all done, the First Market Phase comes to an end. Time for a fresh start – the First Market Card is discarded, and we dive right into the next Draft Phase. Cool, huh?

Uh-oh, the first two stacks are empty! That means we’re reaching the end of this round and entering the Market Phase. You’ll notice the Market Card has been turned to the side as a reminder not to place any more cards on it.

Example of the First Market Phase:

Now it’s your turn in the Market Phase. All you need to do is add up the numbers on the Gold symbols you see in your Village, as well as the coins on your villagers.

Don’t worry about the Freemason for now, because his Silver Symbol only counts in the Second Market Phase. In total, you’ve earned 23 Gold. Take that amount from the Bank and add it to your Supply.

Remember, you don’t need to take the coins off your villagers just yet. They’ll be counted again in the Second Market Phase.

The Second Market Phase

The Second Market Phase happens after all the stacks on the Road have been emptied. It happens right after the Build Phase of the turn. The Second Market Phase is just like the First Market Phase, but this time, the Silver Symbols also contribute to your score.

When we reach the final scoring phase, we can score the coins on the villagers by moving them to our own Supply. However, we need to remember to first score the Silver Symbols because they can affect how cards like the Agent are scored.

Silver Symbols

There are some cards that have Silver Symbols (denoted as A) and a description of how much Gold can be earned conditionally. Each villager card has its own rules for scoring these symbols, and only our own villagers count towards these scores. For example, a Grocer villager only scores Food Symbols in our own Village.

So, here’s the deal with these Silver symbols. You see, they’re not as important as the Gold ones because certain card effects only work with Gold symbols. Take the Wood Carver, for example. It can score the value of a Shipwright’s Gold Symbol, but not the value of a Log Rafter’s Silver Symbol.

When it comes to scoring, only the Food, Builders, and Gold Symbols on the top villagers of each Production Chain are included in the Silver scoring. But here’s the thing: the Suit Symbols and Padlocks on top of the cards are always counted for scoring, even if they’re not on the top cards of the Production Chains.

Now, I should mention that some Special and Silver scoring villagers earn as much as the printed Gold value. This means you shouldn’t include any coins placed on the villagers when you calculate their score. It’s just the printed Gold value that matters for those guys.

Let me give you an example. Imagine there’s a Wood Carver who’s trying to score as much Gold as possible. Well, even if they get really lucky and manage to score 9 Gold, that’s all they’ll get. You see, there’s this guy called the Cartwright, and he can have up to 4 extra Gold on him.

Here’s the deal: the game ends

So, after we finish the Second Market Phase, the game is over. Now, let me tell you who the winner is. It’s the player who has the most Gold in their Supply. I mean, come on! It’s all about the Gold, right?

But wait, there’s more. In case two or more players have the same amount of Gold, we gotta break the tie. And how do we do that? Well, the player with the fewest villagers in their Village becomes the ultimate winner. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Less villagers, more Gold!

Let’s take a look at an example of the second market phase with silver scoring:

So, I have 2 Grocers. Each of them earns me 3 Gold for every Food symbol in the Village. That means I get 9 Gold from each Grocer. On top of that, there are 4 Gold printed on the villager cards in the Village.

In total, I take 22 Gold from the Bank (9+9+4). And now, I’ll move the coins on the Carpenter to the Supply for the final scoring.

Now, all that’s left is to count up the Gold in the Supply and compare my score with the other players to find out who wins the game.