Welcome to the Scarabya Game Rules!

I’m here to give you an exciting overview of how to play Scarabya, a captivating game for adventurers of all ages!

Let’s dive right in, shall we? In Scarabya, your mission is to become a renowned archaeologist by uncovering ancient ruins and collecting valuable treasures.

Objective

Your main goal is to arrange your puzzle pieces on the game board to cover as many Ruins tiles as possible. The more Ruins tiles you cover, the greater your chances of finding precious artifacts and scoring points.

Game Setup

Before we get started, let’s prepare the game board. Scarabya comes with a square board divided into 36 equal-sized spaces. Each space represents a potential dig site for you to explore.

You’ll also receive a set of puzzle pieces, each with different shapes and sizes. These pieces will be used to cover the spaces on the board. Think of them as building blocks that you’ll strategically arrange to maximize your exploration.

The game also includes a deck of Ruins tiles, which feature various symbols representing different types of archaeological finds. These tiles will reward you with points depending on how well you cover them with your puzzle pieces.

Gameplay

Scarabya is played over four rounds, and each round has four phases:

1. Reveal Ruins Tiles: At the start of each round, reveal four Ruins tiles from the deck and place them face-up near the game board. These tiles will guide your exploration strategy.
2. Place Puzzle Pieces: Now, it’s time to start covering those dig sites! Each player takes turns placing one puzzle piece onto the game board. The pieces must be placed entirely within the boundaries of the board and can’t overlap any existing pieces.
3. Score Points: Once all the puzzle pieces have been placed, it’s time to score points. Compare each Ruins tile to the puzzle piece(s) covering it. If a Ruins tile is entirely covered by one or more of your puzzle pieces, you’ll earn points based on the symbol(s) on the tile.
4. Prepare for the Next Round: After scoring, remove the used Ruins tiles from the game and prepare a new set for the next round. The player with the highest cumulative score at the end of the game wins!

Scoring

Now, let’s talk about scoring. Each Ruins tile has one or more symbols on it. You’ll earn points depending on the quantity and arrangement of those symbols. The more symbols you cover, the more points you’ll receive!

Keep in mind that some symbols may be worth more points than others, so choose your puzzle piece placements wisely to maximize your score.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know the basic rules of Scarabya, it’s time to embark on your journey as a daring archaeologist. Explore the ancient ruins, uncover the mysteries of the past, and collect valuable treasures along the way!

Remember to strategize, adapt to the ever-changing Ruins tiles, and piece together your path to victory. May the most skilled explorer be the ultimate Scarabya champion!

Hey there, fellow adventurers! I’m a seasoned archaeologist, just like you. We’re all in a thrilling competition to unearth the most incredible relic of all time: the Scarabs. These mesmerizing golden beetle amulets hold the key to unlocking the secrets of ancient civilizations long gone.

Legend has it that these precious Scarabs are scattered all over the globe, just waiting to be found. They’ve been buried in the scorching deserts of Egypt, concealed deep within the Amazon rainforest, submerged in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, and even frozen solid in the icy lands of Antarctica.

Now, it’s up to you and your team to embark on an exhilarating expedition. Together, we’ll set up camps and carefully mark out specific areas for excavation. Trust me, this task isn’t for the faint of heart. But, if you’re up for the challenge, you might just become the legendary archaeologist who discovers the most Scarabs and unravels the enigmatic stories of Scarabya.

Gear up for Adventure

• You will need 4 sets of 12 Tiles to create excavation areas.
• Gather 4 sets of 4 Boards to form Archaeological Sites.
• Make sure you have 4 sets of 8 Rocks.
• Get 4 Frames to delineate the Archaeological Sites.
• Collect 72 Scarab Tokens, with values ranging from 1 to 4 points.
• Prepare 12 Mission Cards.

The Goal of the Game

Your goal is to strategically place Tiles to create excavation areas around Scarab Symbols, which earn you points. Excavation areas are groups of 4 squares or less surrounded by Tiles, Rocks, and/or Frames.

Each uncovered Scarab Symbol in an excavation area earns you between 1 and 4 points, depending on the area’s size. Scarab Symbols hidden by Tiles or located in areas larger than 4 squares do not award points.

The player with the most points after 12 rounds wins the game.

Setting Up

• First, we need to choose our colors. Each player gets a color and takes their matching components: 1 Frame, 4 Boards, 12 Tiles, and 8 Rocks.
• The youngest player will be the Great Explorer. They will shuffle the Mission Cards and put the pile face down in the middle of the table.
• Make sure that everyone can reach the pile of Scarab Tokens.
• Now, the Great Explorer will set up their Archaeological Site. They will place their 4 Boards inside their Frame in any direction they want, creating a 10×10 square. The other players must copy this layout and arrange their own Boards in the same way.
• Next, all players will put their Rocks on the squares that have rocks shown on them. It doesn’t matter where the Rocks go, as long as there is one on each rock square.

Let’s Start Playing

When you play the game, you go through 12 rounds.

At the beginning of each round, I, the Great Explorer, will draw a Mission Card. This special card will tell you which Tile you need to place for that round.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. You and all the other players will grab the Tile that was indicated on the Mission Card and place it on your Archeological Site. The best part? You can put it wherever you want! But remember, there are some rules to follow for how you can lay out your site.

Now, let’s talk about Scarab Tokens. In each round, you have a chance to collect Scarab Tokens. Just follow the rules I’ll explain to you.

Laying Out Your Archeological Site

• When placing the first Tile, make sure it covers at least one of the four central squares on the Archaeological Site.
• All other Tiles must connect to a previously placed Tile by at least one side. Connecting diagonally doesn’t count.
• You can only place Tiles within the Frame and they cannot overlap it.
• Keep in mind that Tiles must be placed around the Rocks, which are natural obstacles that you need to work around.
• Tiles cannot overlap each other.

Here are some important notes:

You can cover Scarab Symbols with a Tile, but you won’t score any points for them.

If you have a Tile that can be placed on the Archaeological Site, you must play it.

If you have a Tile that cannot be placed, you must discard it.

Getting Scarab Tokens

• To earn points, you need to find Scarab Symbols in special areas called excavation areas. An excavation area is a small enclosed space that can have up to 4 squares. The space is surrounded by Tiles, Rocks, or the Frame.
• The number of points you get for each Scarab Symbol in an excavation area is equal to the number of squares in that area. It can be 1, 2, 3, or 4 points.
• To score points, you have to place a Scarab Token on top of each Scarab Symbol in the excavation area. The value of the token must match the number of squares. If there are multiple excavation areas created by placing Tiles, repeat this process for each area.
• If you don’t have a token with the exact value needed, you can combine several tokens of lesser value to add up to the required total.

Here’s how it goes: I dig 4 squares, and each one has 2 Scarab Symbols.

On those symbols, I put 4-point Scarab Tokens (if I run out of 4-point tokens, I’ll use one 4-pointer and one 1-pointer).

The round ends when everyone has placed their Tiles and their earned Scarab Tokens on their Archeological Site. Then, the Big Boss flips the next Mission Card, and we start a new round.

Game Over

The game ends after we draw the 12th Mission Card, play the corresponding Tiles, and collect any earned Scarab Tokens on each player’s site.

Finally, we count the points from all the Scarab Tokens we’ve collected. The player with the most points wins. If there’s a tie, we all share the victory.