CARPE DIEM

Hey there! I’m here to tell you about Carpe Diem, a game where you get to improve your city districts. By creating better buildings and beautiful landscapes, you’ll help your area thrive and expand. So let’s not waste any time and dive right into the action!

To succeed in Carpe Diem, you need to gather grapes, harvest fish, and sell items to make money. The more money you make, the more prestigious your city will become.

But wait, there’s more! To gain even more prestige, make sure to build a nice home for yourself and your loyal servants. They’ll appreciate it, and your reputation will skyrocket!

SETUP

Now, let’s talk about setting up the game. First, remove all the pieces from the boards. Then, place the game board in the center of the table where everyone can easily reach it. Each player will receive four frame parts, one building board, nine banderoles, one overview board, one patrician in their chosen color, and five wooden disks.

Once everyone has their pieces, we can organize the scoring cards by the color of their backs. Each deck will need to be shuffled individually and then placed near the game board.

The number of cards required depends on the number of players participating. Take all of those cards, shuffle them thoroughly, and place them face up on the card spaces to the left of the board. Any remaining cards can be put back in the box.

Next, shuffle the fountain cards and put them next to the game board. Divide the victory cards into five piles based on their point value. Finally, separate the building tiles by color, shuffle them, and place them next to the game board.

Alright, let’s get this game started! First, grab four light green tiles and place them on the large squares of the blueprint tile space. Make sure they’re all facing up. Now, take a dark green tile and put it on each of the square seal spaces at the bottom of the board. Face them all up, too.

Next, we’ll set up the tokens. Take the twenty wares, coins, and bread tokens and place them beside the board. Now, here’s how we determine who goes first. The player who was born the farthest from 1 B.C. gets the starting player token. They’ll put one of their discs on the banderole bar at the top of the board. The rest of us will go clockwise around the group.

Now, let’s talk about the gameplay.

This game is divided into four phases, and each phase has seven rounds. The cool thing is that there’s a scoring period after each phase. But wait, there’s more! After the last scoring period, we have a final scoring period where we determine who the winner is.

When it’s my turn, I get to move my meeple to an opposite space. Then, I choose a building tile from the blueprint space next to it and add it to my district. It’s important to remember that the opposite spaces are connected to the original space by black lines.

To move my meeple, I follow the black line to another space. I can keep moving my meeple for exactly seven rounds, or until all the building tiles have been used and the first phase is over.

The Rules for Building

My starting tile has to go on the shovel space. The rest of my tiles are placed next to an existing tile. I have to make sure that all the sides of my tile match up with the tile it’s next to. If it’s easier, I can rotate the tiles.

What Are Landscape Types?

Landscape types refer to the different kinds of landscapes that can be formed in the game. Each landscape is made up of two to four tiles that are of the same type. When I complete a landscape, I get a bonus of wares based on the number of tiles used, minus one. It’s a nice little reward that helps me progress in the game.

Understanding Dwelling Types

Now let’s talk about dwelling types. When I complete a merchant dwelling, something interesting happens. I get to trade all the wares I’ve collected for a corresponding number of coins, plus an extra coin from the supply. These coins go straight into my storage space, ready to be used later.

On the other hand, if I complete a baker dwelling, things get even more exciting. I get to take two bread tokens and keep them in my storage space. These bread tokens come in handy because I can use them to move one of my meeples to any space, even if it goes against the rules. How cool is that? Alternatively, I can use three tokens to fulfill the requirements of two scoring cards. That’s a great way to rack up some points and stay ahead in the game.

Administrator: When this dwelling is finished, you can move your disc two spaces forward on the banner.

Craftsman: When the craftsman dwelling is finished, you can choose any of the building tiles at the bottom of the board and add it to your district.

Markets

After you place a market, you earn one coin and can store it in your storage space.

Bakeries

After you place a bakery, you earn one bread that you can store in your storage space.

Fountains

When you place a fountain, you can look at the two cards on top of the fountain card pile. Pick one and place it next to your storage space. Put the other card back under the fountain card pile.

Scoring

In this game, the player who is farthest on the banderole bar gets to go first and start scoring. When it’s your turn to score, just put a disc on one of the empty circles to activate the scoring cards. There are different types of scoring cards you can use.

When you use green cards for scoring, you need to already have all the things shown on the top half of the card in order to earn the rewards. However, if you use red cards for scoring, you have to pay the amount listed on the top half of the card in order to get the rewards listed on the bottom half. And if you have more than one of the required items, you can get even more of that reward.

Now let’s talk about A and B cards. With these cards, you have to pay a certain amount of wares, but you can also use coins instead. On the other hand, C cards are all about your villas. You’ll have to check either your chimneys or your completed villas to score points. And finally, D cards are scored based on your landscapes and dwellings.

END OF GAME

And that’s a wrap! After four rounds of thrilling gameplay, it’s time to bring this game to a close. As we reach the end, it’s essential to take a look at how the points are earned and who will emerge as the champion.

As I reflect on the game, I realize there are several ways to earn points. First, you can score points for the number of chimneys, wares, coins, bread, and fountain cards you have acquired throughout the course of the game. The more you have, the more points you’ll earn. But it’s not just about the quantity; your position on the banderole track also factors into the equation.

As we wrap up the scoring process, it’s important to mention that there are frame achievements to consider as well. These accomplishments can give you an edge and push you ahead in the final tally. Keep an eye out for those!

Now, let’s reveal who will claim the title of the ultimate victor. It’s time to announce the player with the highest number of points. The suspense is palpable as we eagerly await the verdict.

And here it is! The player who has accumulated the most points throughout the game is crowned the winner. They have skillfully navigated the challenges, made strategic decisions, and emerged victorious. Congratulations!

I hope you had a fantastic time playing this game. It was a pleasure guiding you through this exhilarating experience. Let’s celebrate the winner and the joy that gaming brings.

By the way, I’m Amber. You might remember me as the writer and gaming connoisseur from Austin. I’m always up for a good game and a good time. Dog lovers, plant enthusiasts, and D&D adventurers are always welcome! See you around!

By the way, I’m Amber. You might remember me as the writer and gaming connoisseur from Austin. I’m always up for a good game and a good time. Dog lovers, plant enthusiasts, and D&D adventurers are always welcome! See you around!