The stage is set, and the anticipation is palpable. The game is about to begin, and I can feel the excitement coursing through my veins. I’ve been eagerly waiting for this moment, and now it’s finally here. The atmosphere is electric, as fans from all walks of life come together to support their teams. In this moment, we are united by our love for the game.
Before the game starts, there are a few things I like to do to get ready. First, I make sure to arrive early, allowing myself plenty of time to soak in the pre-game atmosphere. I take a stroll around the stadium, marveling at the sea of colors and the buzz of anticipation. The energy is contagious, and I can’t help but smile.
Next, I find my seat and settle in. I take a moment to appreciate the view, the vast expanse of the field stretching out before me. It’s a beautiful sight, and I feel lucky to be here. As the players warm up on the pitch, I can’t help but admire their skill and dedication. They are the best of the best, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to witness their talent up close.
As the game draws near, I can feel the tension building. I brace myself for the rollercoaster of emotions that awaits. Will my team come out on top? Will they overcome the challenges that lie ahead? It’s impossible to say for sure, but that’s part of the magic of the game. Anything can happen, and that’s what keeps us coming back for more.
Finally, the moment arrives. The referee blows the whistle, and the game is underway. The crowd erupts in cheers, and I join in, my voice blending with thousands of others. The sound is deafening, but it’s music to my ears. I can’t help but get swept up in the excitement, jumping to my feet and cheering at every close call, every brilliant pass, and every goal.
In these moments, I feel alive. The worries and stresses of everyday life fade away, replaced by the pure joy of the game. Here, in this stadium, surrounded by fellow fans, I am part of something bigger than myself. We are a community, bound together by our shared passion.
So, before the game begins, I take a moment to savor the anticipation. I soak in the sights and sounds, and I let the excitement wash over me. Because once the game starts, there’s no turning back. It’s a whirlwind of emotions, a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
First, gently take the cardboard tiles off the sheets. Then, stick the ‘child’ stickers under each villager figure.
- Put the game board in the middle of the table.
- Separate the building tiles based on the number on the back of each tile. Take the tiles with a ‘1’ and arrange them by building type, placing them face up next to the game board. Take the tiles with a ‘2’ on the back, mix them up, and create a face-down stack near the game board. Do the same with the tiles that have a ‘3’ on the back.
The tiles that have letters on the back should be openly displayed and handed out to the players (refer to “Distribution of starting buildings”).
I’m going to rewrite the provided text in a way that maintains its meaning and structure, but with a fresh and engaging tone. Here’s my rewritten version:
First, we set up the game board by placing the 5 character tiles and 10 goods tiles on their designated spaces. Next, we put the 6 special victory tiles next to the game board for easy access.
Now it’s time to prepare for the game. Each player gathers all the components in their chosen color: 16 villagers, 6 coins, and 17 delivery cubes. We place these items in front of us, ready for action.
To begin tracking our progress, each player places one of their cubes on the starting point of the victory point track.
In addition, we each receive a “Village Center” tile. The letters on the back are only relevant if we’re playing with the “Easy First-Time Play” rules. Any extra “Village Center” tiles can be put away, as they won’t be needed this time around.
And that’s it for the initial setup! Now we’re ready to dive into the game and start building our villages.
Let’s move on to the next section, where we’ll learn about the distribution of starting buildings.
If you’re playing with 4 people, make sure you use all 15 starting buildings. Each building has a letter on the back. But if you’re playing with 3 people, take away one of each type. That means you’ll have 10 starting buildings to choose from, with 2 of each type. Any leftover tiles can just be put back in the box.
Getting Started
First, we need to choose who will start the game. That person will receive the starting player token.
The starting player gets to pick one of the starting buildings. Then, everyone else takes turns picking a building in clockwise order. After all players have chosen one building, the player to the right of the starting player gets to choose a second building, and the rest follow in anti-clockwise order.
The third round of taking turns starts with the starting player again, going in clockwise order. Remember, each player can only choose each type of building once during setup. Once all players have chosen three buildings, the remaining starting buildings are put back in the box.
Now it’s time to arrange your three chosen buildings around your Village Center. We’ll talk about how to construct your village on the next page.
If you’re looking to break with Swiss tradition and add some excitement to your game, you have the option to play in the opposite direction – clockwise. This means that when distributing the starting buildings, you’ll need to do it in reverse order, starting with the last player and going back from there.
Here’s a special case to keep in mind: it’s possible that the last player to pick their third building can only choose one they have already taken. In this situation, that player will take one building that another player has chosen, ensuring they end up with three different types of buildings.
The player who had their building taken will then get to choose a new one from the remaining options.
No matter which way you choose to play, the player who takes the last building will become the starting player for the first round and will receive the starting player token. This ensures a fair and balanced start to the game.
Now, let’s talk about an easy way to play for first-timers.
If you’re new to playing Helvetia, I recommend starting with a simplified setup. On the back of each Village Center tile, you’ll find letters.
Each player will randomly receive a Village Center tile and the corresponding starting buildings.
Put the remaining starting buildings and Village Centers back in the box. Choose a starting player randomly.
A Simpler Beginning
If you want a quicker learning game, remove the 5 character tiles. Place them back in the box and ignore any rules related to these tiles.
Other than that, there’s only one more change in the rules: since there are no character tiles, there will be fewer victory points available. This means the game will end when one player reaches 18 points instead of 20.
When you play later games, you might want to speed up the start by distributing the starting buildings through the Village Centers. If that’s what you’re looking for, I recommend using the character tiles and playing to 20 victory points.
Building Your Village
Each player begins with their own Village Center and three buildings.
A building must always be placed next to the Village Center tile. This means that the building will be in one quarter of the village center tile, either above, below, or in the corner. It can also be placed in two quarters, either on the left or right side of the Village Center tile.
When you start the game, you’ll receive three buildings. These buildings can be placed anywhere in the village, as long as you follow the placement rules. It’s a good idea to put them all together in one part of the village.
You will also have three women and three men from your group of villagers. You need to pair them up and place them in the following way:
I have some important information to share with you about a game called Villagers. In Villagers, the way you place your villagers on the game board is crucial to your success. There are three different ways to place your villagers, and I’ll explain each one to you.
The first way is to place a pair of villagers on any two of your buildings. This is a great way to start the game because it gives you a strong foundation and sets you up for future success.
The second way is to place one villager on the remaining building tile and one villager on the “School” field of the playing board. This is an opportunity for your villagers to gain knowledge and skills, which will benefit you later on.
The third way is a little different. You can “marry” one of your villagers by placing them in the village of the player to your left. This villager must be placed in a building that already has a villager of the opposite sex. The remaining villager is placed on your own Village Center. This can lead to connections and alliances with other players, so it’s definitely something to consider.
Now that you know the three ways to place your villagers, let’s talk about the order in which it happens. The game is played in turns, going in a counter-clockwise direction. This means that each player will take their turn to place their villagers in the order of the game turns.
At the start of the game, all villagers are awake and stand upright. As the game goes on, villagers may become tired and lay down, but that’s another story. For now, just remember that all villagers start off awake.
Lastly, I want to mention that there is a stock of villagers available to each player. These villagers are kept in front of the players and can be used throughout the game. So, don’t worry if you run out of villagers to place, as you always have a reserve to draw from.