Tikal Game Rules

Hey there! Welcome to the world of Tikal, where adventure and discovery await around every corner. Let me walk you through the rules of this thrilling game to ensure you have an unforgettable gaming experience. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

In Tikal, you and your fellow adventurers will embark on a journey to explore the ancient Mayan ruins deep within the dense jungles of Central America. Your goal? To discover hidden temples, collect valuable treasures, and uncover the mysteries that lie beneath the surface.

To begin your adventure, each player will take turns placing one of their explorers onto the game board. Your explorers can be placed in various terrains like forests, mountains, or grasslands. Each terrain has its own unique benefits, so choose wisely!

As you place your explorers, you’ll uncover hidden treasures, revealing valuable artifacts and resources. These treasures can be used to gain points and increase your overall score. The more treasures you collect, the closer you’ll get to victory!

But be warned, my friend – Tikal is not for the faint of heart. Your opponents will be vying for the same treasures and temples as you, so be prepared for some fierce competition. Strategic thinking and clever decision making will be vital if you want to come out on top.

Throughout the game, you’ll also have the opportunity to uncover temples. These temples hold great power and can provide you with additional abilities or points. Keep an eye out for them, as they can truly turn the tides of the game in your favor.

Now, let’s talk about action points. Each turn, you’ll be granted a certain number of action points that you can use to perform various actions, such as exploring new areas, moving your explorers, or excavating temples. Use your action points wisely, as they are limited and you’ll need them to outsmart your opponents.

As the game progresses, the board will come to life with bustling activity. Temples will be built, treasures will be uncovered, and the race for victory will intensify. You’ll find yourself engrossed in a world of adventure and discovery, where every move counts.

Remember, my friend, the key to success in Tikal lies in careful planning, calculated risks, and bold decision making. Trust your instincts, seize opportunities when they arise, and adapt your strategy as the game unfolds. By doing so, you’ll position yourself for triumph and emerge as the ultimate explorer of Tikal.

So, grab your gear, gather your fellow adventurers, and dive into the world of Tikal. Uncover ancient secrets, seek out hidden treasures, and experience the thrill of the Mayan ruins like never before. Are you ready? The journey awaits you!

Hey there! Let’s talk about Tikal, one of the most incredible Mayan sites out there. It’s huge and super important. You can find it right in the middle of a dense jungle in northern Guatemala. The Mayans lived there for a whopping 1500 years, from 600 BC to 900 AD. Isn’t that mind-blowing?

But here’s the catch – we still don’t know a whole lot about this ancient civilization. Even though Tikal is absolutely massive, with so much to discover, we’ve only scratched the surface. So far, just a tiny part of the site has been explored and investigated by archaeologists.

Here’s some exciting news, though. There are currently four expeditions planning to dive deep into Tikal. They’re hoping to uncover more temples and treasures that have been hidden away for centuries. Can you imagine the incredible things they might find?

What’s Inside?

• 1 game board
• 36 terrain hexagons
• 24 round treasure wafers with 3 x 8 treasures
• 48 square temple tiles consisting of
• 4 expedition leaders
• 72 expedition workers
• 8 camps
• 4 scoring markers in 4 colors
• 4 rule summary cards 1
• 4 turn indicators for the auction version

Object of the Game

Imagine this: you’re an explorer with a mission to uncover the secrets of Tikal, an ancient city. Your goal is to find the secret paths that lead to the temples and precious treasures that have been hidden for a thousand years!

Here’s how it works: throughout the game, there will be four rounds where you earn points. You’ll get points for each treasure you find and for controlling temples. But be careful, as temples and treasures can change hands. The expedition that earns the most points exploring Tikal wins the game.

Getting Started

Alright, let’s set up the game. First, place the game board within easy reach of everyone at the table. Now, the game starts with four terrain hexagons that are already explored and mapped out for us. These include the base camp, two temples, and an area of the jungle that doesn’t seem to have any temples or ruins.

Next, we need to sort the terrain hexagons based on the letter on their backs. Make sure the letters are facing up and then shuffle each set separately. Take the stack labeled “A” and place it on top, followed by the other stacks in alphabetical order (B through G). Keep this stack next to the game board.

Now it’s time for each of us to choose a color. Grab all the game figures of your chosen color, which include: 1 expedition leader, 18 expedition workers, 2 camps, and the turn indicator (we’ll only use this for the auction version).

Hey there! Let’s have some fun sorting and stacking square temple tiles and round treasure wafers. We want to make sure they’re all in the right order. First, grab the square temple tiles and put them next to the board, arranging them by their numbers. Make sure they’re stacked nice and neat!

Now, it’s time for the round treasure wafers. These little goodies need some shuffling. Flip them over so they’re upside down and mix them up. Then, put them into two stacks next to the board.

Oh, and don’t forget about the scoring markers! Place them off to the side, near number “1” on the scoring track.

Ready to Play

Let’s get started! The oldest player will go first. On your turn, you’ll do a couple of things:

• Grab the topmost terrain hexagon and place it face up on the board.
• Now, it’s time to explore Tikal! You have 10 action points to spend. Use them wisely!

Keep the action going in clockwise order. Each player should take their turn by adding a new terrain hexagon and exploring for 10 action points.

Put Your Hexagon on the Map

Ready to take your gaming experience to the next level? Look no further than your terrain hexagon! This handy tool is a must-have for any tabletop gamer, and it’s easier than ever to incorporate into your gameplay. Let me show you how!

First, make sure you have a suitable playing surface. Whether it’s a dedicated gaming table or a simple tabletop, you’ll want a space that can accommodate your hexagon and provide a stable surface for gameplay.

Now, it’s time to choose your hexagon. With so many options available, you’re sure to find one that fits your gaming style. From lush forests to barren wastelands, there’s a hexagon for every setting. Let your imagination run wild!

Once you have your hexagon in hand, it’s time to position it on the map. Look for a spot that makes sense within your game world. Is it a crucial crossroad? A hidden treasure trove? The possibilities are endless!

Place your hexagon carefully, ensuring it’s securely positioned. You don’t want it sliding around during gameplay. Once it’s in place, take a step back and admire your work. It’s like magic, bringing your game world to life!

With your hexagon in place, you’re ready to begin your gaming adventure. Watch as your players navigate through the terrain, encountering new challenges and uncovering hidden secrets. It adds a whole new level of immersion that will keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

So, don’t wait any longer. Get your terrain hexagon today and take your gaming to the next level. You won’t regret it!

The terrain hexagons in this game have stones on some of their sides. These stones create paths that expeditions can use to travel from one hexagon to another.

However, if adjacent hexagons do not have stones on their shared sides, the expeditions cannot move directly between them.

When players add new terrain hexagons to the board, they must place them next to a hexagon that has already been explored. This includes the four pre-printed hexagons.

When placing a new hexagon, it must be positioned in a way that allows the expeditions to reach it. There must be at least one stone connecting the new hexagon to an adjacent explored one. This stone can be on the new hexagon, the explored hexagon, or both. However, volcanoes do not require any stones to connect to them, as expeditions cannot pass through them.

Hey there! Let me break it down for you. You’ve got four types of terrain hexagons:

Hey there, adventurers! I wanted to talk about something super cool and exciting today, and that’s the jungle! Did you know that when we go on expeditions, we sometimes set up camps in jungle areas? These jungle hexagons are like hidden treasures waiting for us to explore!

Now, here’s what makes it even more interesting – each of our camps in the jungle is connected to one another and to our base camp by these secret paths. It’s like a puzzle waiting to be solved, or a mystery waiting to be unraveled!

So, imagine this: me and my fellow adventurers are out in the jungle, setting up our camps. We venture deeper into the thick foliage, discovering new paths and connecting our camps along the way. It’s a real adventure, I tell you!

These secret paths are what keep us connected and help us navigate through the vast jungle. They keep us on track and make sure we don’t get lost. It’s like a network of whispers, guiding us from one camp to another.

But wait, there’s more! The jungle is full of surprises and hidden wonders. It’s a place where we find amazing things like rare plants, exotic animals, and even ancient ruins! So, not only are these secret paths important for our exploration, but they also lead us to incredible discoveries.

So, the next time you join an expedition in the jungle, remember the excitement and mystery of those secret paths. They connect us, guide us, and lead us to incredible adventures. Happy exploring, my fellow adventurers!

Discover the Hidden Treasures: The ancient temples are shrouded in mystery and covered with a thick layer of vegetation. But don’t be discouraged! With a little effort, you can unearth their hidden treasures and unlock their true value. All it takes is having one or more members of your expedition in the hexagon to start peeling away the layers of time.

Treasure: When I find a treasure hexagon, I get really excited. It’s like uncovering a hidden gem! I carefully place treasure wafers on the hexagon. The number of golden masks on the hexagon tells me how many treasure wafers to place.

Now, here’s the cool part. I can actually recover these treasures! But there’s a catch. I can only do it if I have an expedition member with me in the hexagon. They’re like my trusty sidekick on this adventure. Once we’ve retrieved all the treasures, the hexagon becomes even more special, because we can use it to set up a camp. It’s like a little home away from home, nestled in the jungle.

Volcano: When you draw a volcano hexagon, it’s time for scoring. This happens right away for all of us. After we finish scoring, you can continue with your normal turn, placing the hexagon on the board and using your 10 action points. Remember, no expeditions are allowed to enter or pass through volcano hexagons, even if there are stones leading to them from other hexagons.

Use 10 action points to explore Tikal

After you draw and place a terrain hexagon, you have the option to use up to 10 action points (AP) to explore Tikal. You don’t have to use all 10 points, but you can’t save them for later either. You can use the points in any combination and order for the following actions, which are also listed on the rule summary cards.

Symbol	Action	Cost	Special considerations
#image.jpg	Place 1 expedition member in the base camp or one of your camps, or move a member from camp to camp	#image.jpg	You can’t put expedition members in another player’s camp using this action.
#image.jpg	Move 1 expedition member over 1 stone into another hexagon	#image.jpg	You must complete movement between hexagons in one turn. If the path between two hexagons has three stones, you can’t move over two stones in one turn and the last stone on the next turn.
#image.jpg	Uncover 1 level of a temple	#image.jpg	In your turn, you can uncover a maximum of 2 levels per temple. You need to have one expedition member in the hexagon for each level you uncover.
#image.jpg	Recover 1 treasure	#image.jpg	In your turn, you can recover a maximum of 2 treasures per hexagon. You need to have one expedition member in the hexagon for each treasure you recover.
#image.jpg	Exchange 1 treasure	#image.jpg	You can’t refuse an exchange. Pairs and triplets of treasures can’t be separated.
#image.jpg	Establish 1 camp	#image.jpg	You can only do this on a jungle or an empty treasure hexagon.
#image.jpg	Place a guard on 1 temple	#image.jpg	You can place a guard if you have the majority in the temple hexagon. In the whole game, you can only place 2 guards.

Meet the Expedition Team

Hey there! Let me introduce you to the amazing crew that makes up our expedition. We’ve got 1 expedition leader and 18 expedition workers. They’re the backbone of our operation, and we couldn’t do it without them!

Now, here’s something interesting – the cost to place or move expedition members is the same for both the leader and the workers. So whether it’s the leader or a worker making a move, it’s all fair game.

But here’s where it gets even more exciting. Both the leader and the workers can be used to recover treasure and uncover those hidden temples. It’s a win-win situation, really! And guess what – it all comes at the same cost, no matter who does the job.

However, there’s one little twist. When we’re figuring out who has the majority in a specific area, we give the expedition leader a bit more credit. In fact, the leader counts as 3 expedition workers. Pretty cool, huh?

Placing and Moving Expedition Members

When you want to send one of your expedition members (either a leader or a worker) onto the board, it costs 1 AP. You just need to take the right figure from your supply and place it in either your base camp or one of your camps. In a single turn, you can place up to 10 expedition members.

If you need to, you can also move your expedition members between your base camp and one of your camps, or even between two of your camps. Each move costs 1 AP. The members of your expedition know secret paths that only they are aware of, and these paths make it easier for them to travel between camps. It’s important to note that expedition members from different expeditions are allowed to visit each other’s camps, but they can’t use the secret paths.

Moving expedition members around

When I want to move one of my expedition members, whether it’s the leader or a worker, from one hexagon to another, it costs 1 AP per stone crossed. So if the path has three stones, I’ll need to spend 3 AP to make the move this turn.

It’s important to note that the movement cost cannot be split over two turns. I have to pay the full cost in one go. Fortunately, I have a total of 10 AP to use in a turn, so I can move as many members as I can afford within that limit.

Now, when it comes to placing figures in a hexagon, I have to avoid putting them on the stones, the treasures, or the temples. I’ll need to find a clear space for them.

Example: When you want to go from the temple labeled “2” to the jungle hexagon, it will cost you 3 AP. But you cannot go directly from the “2” temple to the treasure hexagon. Instead, you can go from the “2” temple to the treasure hexagon by passing through the jungle hexagon, and it will cost you 6 AP. If you want to move from the “2” temple to the temple labeled “1”, it will only cost you 1 AP.

Discover temple levels

When it comes to scoring, the value of a temple is determined by the number displayed on its top. Initially, a temple’s value ranges from 1 to 6, but with a little effort, its worth can be increased. To make a temple more valuable, you can have your expedition members remove the overgrowth and uncover it.

Here’s what you need to do: have at least 1 expedition member (either a leader or worker) present in the temple hexagon and pay 2 AP (Action Points) for each level you want to uncover. You must have 1 member for each level uncovered, and you can only uncover a maximum of 2 levels per temple in a single turn. Once a temple level is uncovered, place the next highest numbered temple tile from its stack on top of the temple.

Let’s talk about temple tiles and how you uncover them. So, if the next numbered tile is not available, you can’t keep revealing the temple. You have to uncover the tiles in order, one by one. You can’t skip any numbers, even if you’re uncovering multiple levels in one turn. Now, here’s where things get interesting. You can actually uncover several temples in a turn if you have enough action points. You start with 10 action points, and you can use them to uncover as many temples as you want, as long as you have enough points left.

Finding Treasures

To get some treasure, you’ll need to have at least one person from your team in the hexagon with the treasure and pay 3 action points for each piece of treasure you want to retrieve. You can only retrieve two pieces of treasure from each hexagon per turn, and you’ll need one team member for each piece of treasure you want to retrieve. Once you have the treasure, place it face up in front of you on the table. You can retrieve treasure from multiple hexagons in one turn as long as you have enough action points.

Now let’s talk about the value of the treasures. There are eight different types of treasures, and there are three of each type. During scoring, the treasures have the following values:

– One single treasure is worth 1 point.

– A pair of like treasures is worth 3 points.

– A triplet of like treasures is worth 6 points.

Finally, let’s discuss exchanging treasure.

When playing The Game (you know, that one where we collect treasures and plot our strategies), I have the power to make trades. Imagine this: I have a treasure, and you have a treasure. We both want what the other has, so we strike a deal. I give you my treasure, and you give me yours. It’s that simple!

But there’s a catch. We can’t just swap any old treasure. See, treasures come in different groupings called pairs and triplets. We can’t break up these special sets. So while I can trade my single treasure for one of yours, I can’t split up a pair or a triplet in the trade.

Building My Base, Step by Step

You can set up a camp in any jungle hexagon or empty treasure hexagon for 5 AP. You don’t need to have one of your team members in the hexagon, but there might already be other expedition members there. We’ll assume that a hidden path has been found connecting the base camp to this new camp.

Once you have established a camp, you can add expedition members to it from your supply for just 1 AP. Each hexagon can only have one camp, so you can’t share them with other players.

However, other players’ expedition members can pass through or stop in the hexagon where you have your camp. Remember, you are only allowed to establish 2 camps throughout the game.

Now, let’s talk about placing a temple guard.

If I have a stronger expedition force in a temple hexagon than any other player, I can choose to place a guard on the temple for 5 AP. By doing this, I ensure that I will score points for this temple in all future scoring rounds. When calculating the strength of my expedition, I count myself as 3 and each of my workers as 1.

Once I pay 5 AP, I can place one of my figures on the temple hexagon. Then, I remove all of my other figures on that hexagon and put them in the box. They are no longer available to me in the game. However, players from other expeditions can still keep their figures on the hexagon and choose whether to leave them there or move them later.

Hey there! Let me tell you about this cool temple guard thing. So, once the guard is placed, it can’t be moved or taken away until the game is over. But don’t worry, the other players can still come and go from this spot like before. By the way, this temple is already uncovered and its value stays the same for the whole game. You can put a guard on up to 2 temples, but no more than that. Now, let’s keep going!

The Scoring Round

When I draw a volcano hexagon in the game, something special happens – we enter a scoring round right away. It’s an exciting moment! Let me explain how scoring rounds work:

• As the person who drew the volcano, I put the hexagon aside and get 10 action points to use in my turn. It’s like having extra power!
• After that, it’s time to calculate my score. There are two things that contribute to my score: temples and treasures. They’re both important!

I love scoring rounds; they add an extra layer of strategy to the game. It’s important to collect as many temples and treasures as possible to maximize my score. So, when I draw that volcano hexagon, I celebrate because I know it’s my chance to elevate my position in the game. It’s an opportunity I don’t want to miss!

When you’re playing a game called Temple, the most important thing to remember is the value of the temple itself. That value is indicated by the highest number displayed on the temple. If you want to score points in this game, you need to have a guard placed on the temple or have a stronger expedition force in the temple hexagon than any other player.

Now, here is where it can get a little tricky. If there are two or more expeditions with the same strength in the temple, none of them will receive any points for it. So, it’s not just about having a strong force, but also about being the strongest compared to everyone else.

The temple is a crucial element in the game, and understanding its value will give you an advantage. Keep in mind that it’s not just about occupying the temple, but about having the strongest presence there. So, make sure you strategize and plan your moves carefully to maximize your temple score.

In the game, I add up the points from my temple and treasures. This total determines where I move my scoring marker.

After that, we keep going in a circle, each player using 10 action points and scoring their position, just like I did.

Once everyone has scored, the player who picked the volcano goes back to their regular turn. They put the volcano on the board (without drawing another hexagon) and use 10 action points to explore Tikal.

We keep playing as usual until someone draws a volcano hexagon and we have another scoring round.

End of the Game

Once the last hexagon is in place and I finish my 10 action points, it’s time for the final scoring round. Just like before, I use those 10 points to explore Tikal and see where I stand. Once everyone is done scoring, the game comes to an end.

Whoever has the most points is the winner.

The scoring track goes up to 100 spaces. If I happen to have more than 100 points, I’ll just start from 1 and keep track that I’ve passed the 100 mark.

Let’s Score the Round

First, I want to mention that the player who drew the volcano hexagon will put it aside for now. Now, I have 10 action points to spend on exploring. Once I’m done exploring, it’s time to score my position. I have the most temples in the “3” and “5” categories, and I also have one temple in the “8” category.

I’ll move my scoring marker 21 spaces on the scoring track. Oh, and I also have 2 pairs of treasures, which give me 6 points, and 2 individual treasures, which give me 2 points. I’ll move my scoring marker another 8 spaces forward!

Now, it’s my clockwise neighbor’s turn. They will also spend 10 action points exploring and then score their position. Once everyone has scored, the player who drew the volcano hexagon will place it on the board and use 10 action points to explore Tikal.