Almadi Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
Goal of the Game
Setup
Landscape Tile Layout
A Game Turn
The Objectives
End of the Game
Scoring
Victory
Scoring Example
Playing with Characters
Detailed Description of the Objectives
Detailed Description of the Characters
- 1. Characters Whose Power Applies at the End of the Game
- 2. Characters Whose Power Applies During the Game
Credits

Components

88 Landscape tiles (22 Oases, 22 Caravans, 22 Markets and 22 Palaces)
1 central board
5 starting tiles
32 Objective cards in 5 colors (red, yellow, blue, green and grey)
32 Mosaic cards
32 Stall cards
26 Character cards (see "Playing with characters" on page 11)
30 rubies
5 player aids (double-sided)
1 scoring pad

Note: The Landscape tiles will be referred to as "Landscapes" in this rulebook. The area including the player's starting tile and Landscape tiles is the player's realm.

Goal of the Game

Players build the Almadi realm in front of them by arranging the different Landscape types to the right of their starting tile.

During their turn, each player chooses a Landscape tile from one of the rows on the central board and places it in the row with the same number in their realm. By placing this tile, the player can activate the effects of adjacent tiles.

At the end of the game, players score points based on the landscape layout in their realm, the number of rubies collected, the activation of certain effects and the royal objectives they have completed. They also score points if they have used the characters.

The player who scores the most points at the end of the game will be the winner.

Setup

Place the central board in the middle of the table so that all players can easily read it. Players may rotate it during the game if needed.
Each player chooses a starting tile (featuring 4 landscapes) and places it on the left side of their player area in order to leave a larger space to the right. Return the rest of the starting tiles to the box.
Prepare the Landscape tiles needed for the game (Oasis, Palace, Caravan, Market) according to the number of players. Randomly take:
- 10 tiles of each Landscape type for 2 players;
- 14 tiles of each Landscape type for 3 players;
- 18 tiles of each Landscape type for 4 players;
- All the tiles (22) of each Landscape type for 5 players.
Next, shuffle all the chosen Landscapes together and create a general supply beside the central board with different piles of face-down tiles.
Take 8 tiles from the general supply and place 2 per row, face up, on the designated spaces on the central board. They must all follow the direction of the illustration (orientation arrow pointing up).
Shuffle the Mosaic cards, take 14/21/28/32 for 2/3/4/5 players and create a face-up deck next to the central board. Excess cards are returned to the box.
Shuffle the Stall cards, take 14/21/28/32 for 2/3/4/5 players and create a face-up deck next to the central board. Excess cards are returned to the box.
Create a general supply of rubies next to the central board.
Prepare the Objective cards:
- 1 blue objective, 1 red objective, 1 yellow objective and 1 green objective, selected at random;
- Randomly select 1/2/3/4 grey objectives for 2/3/4/5 player games.
The frame on the back of the cards shows the color of the objectives. Place them near the central board. Excess cards are returned to the box.
If you play with characters, check "Playing with characters" on page 11 for additional setup.
Finally, each player takes a player aid and places it next to their starting tile.

The first player is chosen at random. You are now ready to start the game.

Landscape Tile Layout

Each Landscape shows the same elements, but in different layouts*:

Landscape type, recognizable by its color and illustration (Oasis, Caravan, Market, Palace).
Effect sides, which may be activated thanks to the Activation sides of adjacent Landscapes.
One orientation arrow that gives the direction in which the Landscape must be placed on the central board or in the player's realm. The arrow should always be pointing up.
Two Activation sides (with an arrow), which activate effects of adjacent Landscapes.

This is an Oasis.

*For every Landscape type there are 2 tiles that constitute an exception to this layout rule: one has 4 Activation sides and the other 4 Effect sides.

The Markets also include goods: spices, leather goods, carpets and pottery. (Example: a Market showing 4 spice icons "has 4 spices.")

A Game Turn

During your turn as the active player, perform the following actions:

Choose a Landscape on the central board and place it in your realm (mandatory).
Perform all or some of the effects that the Landscape's placement activated (optional).
Refill the central board with another Landscape from the supply (mandatory).

It is then the next player's turn in clockwise order.

1. Choose a Landscape and Place it in Your Realm (mandatory)

Choose 1 Landscape among the 8 on the central board and place it in your realm following these four placement rules:

The Landscapes must all be placed to the right of the player's starting tile.
The Landscape must be placed in the realm row that bears the same number as the central board row where it was taken from. The number of Landscapes per row in your realm is not limited.
The Landscape must be orthogonally adjacent (sides) with at least one other of the realm's Landscapes.
The Landscape must be placed following the direction of the illustration (orientation arrow pointing up). Rotating the tile in another direction is not allowed.

2. Perform the Effects that the Landscape Placement Activated (optional)

Once the Landscape is placed in their realm, the player may perform the effects triggered by the placement. There are 6 effects: 5 immediate effects and 1 effect applicable during scoring, at the end of the game.

An effect is triggered if:

One Activation side of the placed Landscape touches an Effect side of an adjacent Landscape.
One Effect side of the placed Landscape touches one Activation side of an adjacent Landscape.

If more than one effect is activated by a Landscape placement, the player will perform the effects in whichever order they choose. Performing effects is not mandatory.

1. Genie (immediate effect)

The genie grants 3 wishes to the sultan's advisors, who can move palaces, caravans, oases and markets thanks to its magic!

By activating this effect, the player can move one of their realm's Landscapes (including the one they just placed) somewhere else no matter the row, but respecting the rest of the placement rules.

If moving a Landscape triggers new effects, the player can use them.

Be careful!

With the genie arises the possibility of empty spaces or isolated Landscapes being created in the realm.
When moving a Landscape activates different genies simultaneously, the player can only move one Landscape.
If moving a Landscape activates another genie, it is possible to move a new Landscape, within the limit of 3 moves per turn.
One tile can never immediately return to its original place with the genie.

2. Marteline (immediate effect)

The marteline is a tool used by artisans to create mosaics and embellish palaces.

For every activated Marteline, the player can draw the first Mosaic card from the deck and place it in front of them. If the Mosaic deck is empty, activating the Marteline has no effect.

The Mosaic cards increase the value of the Palaces at the end of the game (see "Scoring" on page 7).

3. Stall (immediate effect)

The hawkers' stalls allow the populace to buy goods all over the realm.

For every activated Stall, the player can draw the first Stall card of the deck and place it in front of them. If the Stall deck is empty, activating the Stall has no effect.

The Stall cards increase the value of the Caravans at the end of the game (see "Scoring" on page 7).

4. Moon (immediate effect)

To meet with the royal couple's expectations, the advisors must complete objectives for the creation of the realm.

For every activated Moon, the player can take an available Objective card and place it in front of them. The Objective can be chosen among those available in the middle of the table or those belonging to another player as long as it has not already been completed.

At the end of the game, a completed Objective is worth the number of points indicated on the card. However, a chosen but unfinished Objective will make you lose that number of points (see "Scoring" on page 7).

5. Ruby (immediate effect)

The realm holds many riches, but where to find them?

For every activated Ruby, the player takes a ruby from the general supply and places it in front of them. If the ruby supply is empty, the ruby activation has no effect.

Rubies will be worth points at the end of the game depending on how many each player collected (see "Scoring" on page 7).

In the Characters mode, rubies still grant points, but also allow players to recruit characters (see "Playing with Characters" on page 11).

6. Jar (endgame effect)

Water is a precious resource in the realm and its transportation in jars is of utmost importance.

Activating this symbol during the game doesn't trigger an immediate effect.

During final scoring, each activated Jar will be worth 1 point.

3. Refill the Central Board with Another Landscape from the Supply (mandatory)

After placing your Landscape and activating its effects, replace the Landscape on the central board with a tile from the general supply.

Example of a Round

Mary takes the Caravan from the 2nd row of the central board and places it in the 2nd row of her realm, following the direction of the illustration. Since the Caravan now touches the Activation sides of the adjacent tiles, she activates 2 effects:

She draws the first Stall card from the deck.
She uses the Genie effect to move a Landscape.

The Genie effect allows her to move the Caravan she just placed and put it in the 4th row of her realm to activate the Moon effect:

She draws an Objective card.

To finish her turn, Mary refills the empty space left by the Caravan she picked from the central board with another Landscape from the supply.

The Objectives

Every Objective card presents the following elements:

A colored frame (red, blue, green, yellow or grey).
The number of points it grants or deducts at the end of the game.
The requisite to fulfill (see "Detailed description of the objectives" on page 12).

An Objective can only be fulfilled by the player who owns the card. If a player has an Objective in front of them, but hasn't completed it yet, someone else can take it from them (see "Moon" on page 5).

An Objective will be immediately fulfilled when its owner has accomplished the requisite. Completing an Objective is definitive, even if the layout of the realm changes as a result of a Genie effect and the requisite is no longer met. Turn the completed Objective face down to indicate to other players that they can no longer take it.

Important: Landscapes on the starting tiles count towards Objective requisites.

End of the Game

The game ends immediately once the last Landscape tile from the general supply has been placed on the central board. At this point, every player will have placed 16 Landscapes on their realms. Next, proceed to scoring.

Scoring

Players score points according to several criteria. Landscapes on the starting tiles are taken into account for the various scoring categories.

1. Landscape Placement

Oases

An isolated Oasis (not adjacent to any other Oasis) is worth 0 points.
Each group of at least 2 adjacent Oases is worth 3 points per Oasis in the group.
In addition, the player with the largest group of adjacent Oases receives 6 points. In case of a tie, all tied players score 6 points.

Caravans

Caravans grant points depending on their size and the number of goods present in Markets all over the realm and on the player's Stall cards.

Adjacent Caravans form groups. The larger the group, the more goods it can transport, following this proportion:

Number of Caravan tiles in a group	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8+
Number of transported goods	2	5	10	15	20	35	50	65

Players add up their goods in their Markets and Stalls and compare the result with the transport capacity of their Caravan group(s).

They score 1 point per good their Caravan group(s) can transport. Any excess goods are lost and don't grant any points during scoring (see "Scoring example" on page 10).

Palaces

Every Palace adjacent to at least 1 Oasis or Market is worth 1 point.

Every Oasis and Market adjacent to a Palace are also worth 1 point.

Example: The Palace in the 1st row is not adjacent to any Market or Oasis, so it is not worth any points. The Palace in the 2nd row is adjacent to an Oasis (below) and a Market (right). It is worth 1 point and 1 point per Market and Oasis adjacent, for a total of 3 points.

2. Jars

Every activated Jar is worth 1 point at the end of the game.

3. Mosaics

At the end of the game, players can place only one of their Mosaic cards on each of their chosen Palaces. For each Mosaic placed on a Palace, the points granted by the Palace are scored a second time. Unplaced Mosaics are worth 0 points.

4. Objectives

Each completed Objective is worth the points shown on its card.
Each incomplete Objective owned by the player makes them lose that same amount of points.

5. Rubies

Players count their rubies and compare them with the other players. They score the points corresponding to their ranks. In case of a tie, each player scores the points granted by their rank. A player that has no rubies at the end of the game scores 0 points for this category.

3 to 5-player games:

Rank	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
Points	12	8	4	2	0

2-player games:

Rank	1st	2nd
Points	10	4

Example: Josh and Mark have 5 rubies each. Mary has only 4. Josh and Mark score 12 points each. Mary is in 3rd position and scores 4 points.

Victory

The player with the highest score is the winner and receives the title of Grand Vizier from Sheherazade and Shahryar.

In case of a tie, players share the victory.

Scoring Example

Juliet's realm — Hypothetical 2-player game against Mary

Oasis: Juliet has 2 groups of Oases. One is 2 tiles big and the other 3, which means they are worth 6 and 9 points respectively, for a total of 15 points. Mary's biggest Oasis group has 3 Oases, so both Mary and Juliet score a 6-point bonus.
Caravans: Juliet has created 2 Caravan groups. The first is made of 6 Caravans, which means she can transport 35 goods. The second has only 1 Caravan, which adds 2 more goods. Her total transport capacity is 37. Juliet has 16 goods in her Markets and 6 goods on her Stall cards for a total of 22. Therefore, she scores 22 points. She could have scored 15 more if she had had more Markets in her realm or collected more Stall cards.
Palaces: The Palaces in row 2 are worth 2 and 3 points respectively. The first is adjacent to an Oasis (2 points) and the second is surrounded by an Oasis and a Market (3 points). The Palace in row 3 is worth 4 points (two adjacent Oases and a Market). The Palace in row 4 is worth 3 points (one adjacent Market and Oasis). Juliet scores a total of 12 points for Palaces.
Jars: Juliet has activated 8 jars, which are worth 8 points.
Mosaics: Juliet has obtained 3 Mosaics during the game, and therefore can score again 3 out of 4 Palaces (obviously she chooses the ones that give 4 points). She scores 4 + 3 + 3 for a total of 10 additional points.
Objectives: Juliet has completed the royal Objective that required her to have at least 5 Oases in her realm and obtains the 6 points shown on the card. She has no other Objective cards.
Rubies: With only 2 rubies, Juliet doesn't surpass Mary, who has collected 6. Second place in a 2-player game grants her 4 points.

In total, Juliet obtains 83 points for this game.

Playing with Characters

Once you master the rules, we invite you to add a bit more strategy in your games with the introduction of characters.

There are two character categories:

Characters whose power applies at the end of the game. Usually this means additional scoring.
Characters whose power applies during the game. These are powers that offer players flexibility or advantages during the game.

It is worth noting that some character powers might contradict the general rules. In this case, the power prevails. This rulebook contains a detailed description of each character on page 14.

1. Introducing Characters During Setup

Proceed with the setup normally. Once everything is in place, shuffle the 26 Character cards and distribute 3 to each player. For a 2-player game, distribute 4 cards per player.

Excess characters are returned to the box.

Then, every player picks 2 characters and keeps them in hand. The characters that were not chosen are revealed at the same time and placed face up in a row near the central board.

2. Recruiting the Characters

Each character has a recruitment cost (in rubies) shown on the top right of their card.

When you gather the required number of rubies, you can recruit a character from your hand or from face-up cards:

Return the corresponding amount of rubies to the general supply.
Place the character face up in front of you.

At any time during your turn (including during Landscape movement triggered by a genie) you can recruit one or more characters. Their powers apply immediately.

A player can recruit as many characters from their hand or from face-up cards as they want.

Example: Recruiting Ali Baba costs 4 rubies.

3. Scoring the Characters

The scoring is performed as usual except:

Players score 1 point for every 2 rubies they own at the end of the game. The ruby majority rule and scoring do not apply.
Players add the scoring of the characters they recruited.

In case of a tie, players share the victory.

Detailed Description of the Objectives

Each Objective card pictures its requisite using a small diagram: an empty square represents a Landscape of any type, and a crossed-out circle represents an empty tile space. "Empty space" on a card means either an empty tile space or a Landscape of any type. Where a card is oriented in any direction, its arrangement pattern may be rotated freely when checking whether the requisite is met. Every Objective card in this list is worth 6 points.

Grey Objectives (13 cards, generic pool)

Have an empty column between 2 columns of 4 Landscapes.
Have 4 Landscapes in your realm following the order shown in the picture (the card can be oriented in any direction).
Have 4 Landscapes in your realm arranged as shown in the picture (the card can be oriented in any direction).
Have Landscapes in your realm arranged as shown in the picture (the card can be oriented in any direction).
Have Landscapes in your realm with a 2-tile gap, as shown in the picture (the card can be oriented in any direction).
Have at least 4 Stall cards and 4 Mosaic cards.
Have Landscapes in your realm arranged as shown in the picture (the card can be oriented in any direction).
Have 2 Stall cards with identical goods and 2 Mosaic cards with identical patterns.
Have at least 4 Stall cards and 4 rubies.
Have at least 4 Mosaic cards and 4 rubies.
Have at least 5 simultaneously activated Genies in your realm.
Have at least 6 Landscapes in one row of your realm.
Have at least 7 simultaneously activated Jars in your realm.

Blue Objectives (4 cards, Oasis)

Have 1 Oasis in each row of your realm, no matter the column.
Have at least 5 Oases in your realm.
Have 4 Oases placed diagonally in your realm (the card can be oriented in any direction).
Have 4 Oases in your realm placed as shown in the picture (arranged in a cross).

Yellow Objectives (5 cards, Caravan)

Have at least 5 Caravans in your realm.
Have at least 4 Stall cards.
Have at least 4 simultaneously activated Stalls in your realm.
Have 2 pairs of Stall cards with identical goods.
Have 4 Caravans placed diagonally in your realm (the card can be oriented in any direction).

Red Objectives (5 cards, Palace)

Have at least 5 Palaces in your realm.
Have at least 4 Mosaic cards.
Have at least 4 simultaneously activated Martelines in your realm.
Have 2 pairs of Mosaic cards with identical patterns.
Have 4 Palaces in your realm placed as shown in the picture (a 2x2 block).

Green Objectives (5 cards, Market)

Have at least 5 Markets in your realm.
Have at least 4 simultaneously activated rubies in your realm.
Have at least 2 goods of each type in your Markets.
Have at least 10 goods of the same type in your Markets.
Have 4 Markets in your realm placed as shown in the picture (a 2x2 block).

Detailed Description of the Characters

1. Characters Whose Power Applies at the End of the Game

Character name	Description of the power
Ali Shar, passionate tradesman	To meet his needs and those of Zumurrud, Ali Shar goes to the market every day to sell his goods. The player gains 1 point for every 2 spices or 2 pottery in their Markets. At the end of the game, the player chooses which type of goods to score.
Ali Cogia, itinerant merchant	While travelling, Ali Cogia shared his journey with many caravans. All the player's Caravans are considered adjacent when counting their transport capacity.
Aziz, friendly merchant	Aziz is proud of the quality of the goods he specializes in. The player gains 1 point for every 2 leather goods or carpets in their Markets. At the end of the game, the player chooses which type of goods to score.
Aziza, inspired poet	Aziza draws inspiration from the mosaics she can see outside the palaces. At the end of the game, each Mosaic card that hasn't been placed on a Palace is worth 3 points. The player can decide not to place a Mosaic on a Palace in order to gain 3 points instead of the Palace's bonus.
Dalila, cunning thief	Dalila knows how to obtain a good price for the goods she steals in town. The player gains 1 point for every 2 goods (in Markets and Stall cards) that are not transported in their Caravans.
Dunya, princess artist	Dunya creates magnificent patterns worthy of mosaics. The player gains 3 points for every Mosaic of the most represented pattern in their possession. In case of a tie between two patterns, the player chooses one to score.
Dunyazad, curious sister	Dunyazad always asks her sister Sheherazade to tell her the rest of a story so that it never ends. At the end of the game, the player has an additional turn before the final scoring.
Harun al-Rashid, pragmatic caliph	Harun al-Rashid has the greatness of his realm at heart, both literally and figuratively. The player gains 1 point for every Landscape placed in the row with the most Landscapes of their realm. The Landscape of the starting tile counts.
Hindbad, water carrier	Thanks to his exhausting work, Hindbad brings water to the most remote regions of the realm. Every non-activated Jar in the player's realm is worth 1 point.
Khalifah, tenacious fisherman	Khalifah prefers fishing in small watering holes. The player gains 2 points for every isolated Oasis (not adjacent to any other Oasis) in their realm.

2. Characters Whose Power Applies During the Game

Character name	Description of the power
Abriza, veteran warrior	Abriza and her group of warriors explore regions outside the borders of the realm. During the activation of a genie, the player can move a Landscape above the 1st row or below the 4th row. The rule of adjacency must be observed. It is possible to place a Landscape above or below the Landscape of the starting tile.
Aladdin, master of the lamp	The genie of the lamp turns Aladdin into a wealthy man so he can marry Badroulbadour. During the activation of a genie, the player receives a ruby (only once per turn).
Ali, provident prince	Thanks to his magic foresight, Ali sees beyond known territories. During their turn, a player can draw a Landscape from the general supply, and either place it in their realm (in any row), or swap it with another Landscape on the central board and then place the latter in their realm, making sure to observe placement rules.
Ali Baba, rich woodcutter	The discovery of the magic cave has turned Ali Baba into a rich man. During the activation of a genie, the player receives 2 rubies instead of 1. This ability has no effect when a player takes a ruby thanks to another character's power.
Badroulbadour, daring princess	Badroulbadour uses the genie of the lamp to decorate her palace. During the activation of a genie, the player can draw one Mosaic card (only once per turn).
Hussain, adventurous prince	Thanks to his magic carpet, Hussain travels easily. During the activation of a genie, the player can switch 2 Landscapes instead of moving one (only once per turn). They can also carry out the effects triggered by the movement of both Landscapes.
Jafar, devoted vizier	Jafar does everything in his power to allow the sultan to achieve his projects. Objective cards owned by a player cannot be taken by other players.
Morgiana, clever servant	Morgiana's intelligence allows her to pull Ali Baba from delicate situations. The player can place a Landscape one row lower or higher than the row they took it from on the central board. For example: A Landscape taken from row 2 can be placed on row 1 or 3 of the player's realm. A Landscape cannot be placed above the 1st row or below the 4th row of the realm.
Paribanou, generous djinn	Paribanou uses her magic to create extraordinary items for her lover. During the activation of a genie, the player can draw a Stall card (only once per turn).

Credits

Designers: Mathieu Bossu and François Gandon

Illustrations: Victor Dulon

Graphic design: Fabrice Del Rio Ruiz

Development: Funnyfox

Translation & copy editing EN: Board Game Circus