ALUBARI
Hey there! Welcome to Darjeeling, a place famous for its amazing tea industry. In this game, we’re going to compete against each other to grow and harvest the best Tea Estates around. But that’s not all! We’ll also work together to build the Himalayan Railway, which will help us expand our markets and reach new heights. Are you ready to dive into this exciting and competitive world of tea? Let’s get started!
SETUP
Alright, let’s set up the game. First, place the game board in the middle of the playing area. Depending on the number of players, we’ll need to add a blockage tile to the final spaces on the Chai track. Don’t forget the weather markers too! Put them near the weather track, and make sure to place two Fog tiles below the fog effect line.
Now grab three black discs and place them on the first spaces of the three work rate tracks. Finally, let’s create a general supply with all the Game Ownerships, Steel bars, Rubble cubes, and Tea leaves. We’re all set to start our tea adventure!
When it comes to setting up the game, there are a few important steps to take into account. First, I need to arrange any overlay cards that match the number of players. These cards will go on top of the designated Action areas.
Next, I shuffle the Contract cards and create a face-down deck. Then, I reveal the top two cards and place them in the A space and the B space. I use the back of the newly revealed top card to determine which Weather marker goes in position P2 of the weather track. Finally, I reveal that card and put it in the C space.
After setting up the cards, it’s time to prepare the Tea Estate. I thoroughly shuffle the Tea Estate cards and place one on each of the Estate spaces. I also follow the instructions on each Estate card to add the corresponding number of Rubble cubes beside the shovel.
The next step is to shuffle the Equipment cards and randomly select seven to create the Engine shed beside the game board.
Finally, I fill the supply bag with resources according to the Supply table.
To start the game, shake the bag and draw six cubes if you’re playing alone or twelve if you’re playing with others. Put the event cubes back in the bag. If you’re playing alone, use four cubes; if you’re playing with others, use five. Each player will need 20 owner markers and 3 workers for their game pieces.
The first player is the last one who drank a cup of tea. They get the starting player marker. Now, we’re ready to start the game.
GAMEPLAY
The game goes through several rounds, each with five phases: restocking contract cards, determining the weather, refilling the stockyard and processing events, assigning workers, and resolving actions. The game will end along with the round once the end-of-game conditions are met.
When I start a round, I first check if there are any contract cards in the A position at the Post Office. If there are, I put them in the discard pile. Then, I slide all the remaining cards up one space, filling in any empty spaces with cards from the top of the Contract deck. It’s important to note that this step is skipped during the first round. Additionally, I don’t need to worry about adjusting the weather during the first round either. In this phase, I simply move each of the weather discs downward on the track, starting with the top one and ending with the bottom one. The lowest disc gets discarded. It’s a simple but crucial step in the game.
Once I’ve figured out what the weather will be like, I need to refill the stockyard with cubes from the bag. If there are any special cubes, I have to deal with them before moving on to the next phase. In phase four, I can use my Equipment and pay one Chai to put my worker in my supply. Then, starting with the first player, we all take turns putting our workers on empty spaces. We keep going until everyone has used all their workers.
Hey there! I’m here to explain how the game works. Ready? Let’s dive in!
First things first, all the workers need to be placed. This means any actions that you take will be resolved in a specific order, from the Stockyard to Chaiwala. To take action, you simply use one of your Contract cards. But here’s the catch – the actions have to be done in numerical order, so keep that in mind.
Once all the actions are complete, it’s time to check if any of the end game conditions have been met. If they haven’t, don’t worry! A new round will start. But if they have, it’s time for final scoring.
END OF GAME
The game ends when the final Track space of the railway is placed in the round. At this point, it’s time to tally up your Victory Points and determine the winner! You score points for Completed Contracts, Completed Track Spaces, Stations, and Tea Estates. The player with the most points takes the crown and wins the game!
Speaking of winners, let me introduce myself. I’m Ellie, a proud resident of Northeast Tennessee. You know what I love? Animals of all shapes and sizes, fantasy fiction novels, and the great outdoors. I’m lucky to have an incredible husband who loves me almost as much as our two fur babies. Being part of this amazing community brings me so much joy.