Amazonas (2022)
Amazonas (2022) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
1 rulebook, 119 cards:
- Number cards 0 to 5 (8 of each). Values: 0 to +5 points.
- Sloth x 16. Value: +4 points.
- Toad x 16. Value: +4 points.
- Anaconda x 8. Value: +4 points.
- Jaguar x 8. Value: +4 points.
- Monkey x 8. Value: +4 points.
- Toucan x 8. Value: -1 point.
- Dolphin x 2. Value: -2 points.
- Help cards x 5.
Object of the Game
In Amazonas each player has a collection of cards face down in front of them. The goal is to try to improve that collection, seeking the lowest score. On your turn, if you are lucky, you can improve your collection of cards.
The game ends after the fifth round. In each round, if you take the risk and say "Amazonas" you trigger the end of the round. You can obtain a very good score, as long as you have the best collection of cards. At the end of the fifth round, the person who has obtained the fewest points in total is the winner. The rules for 2 players and a basic variant are described at the end of the manual.
You will need paper and pencil to record each player's points between rounds.
Game Setup
- Deal each player a help card. If any are left over, put them back in the box, as they will not be used in this game.
- Shuffle the rest of the cards and deal 4 in secret, face down, to each player in front of them, forming a 2x2 grid, as shown in the reference image.
- Before starting the round, each player must look at only one of their cards in secret, memorize it, and then leave it face down in its place.
- Leave the deck with the remaining cards in the center of the table (draw pile). The discard pile goes beside it.
IMPORTANT: at no time may you change the position of your cards.
Example: Valentina, Sebastián and Lautaro get ready to start a game of Amazonas. Along with a help card, each player receives 4 cards, sees one in secret and then returns it to its place.
Playing a Round
The wildest person goes first. Turns pass to the left, clockwise.
On their turn, each player must perform one of the following actions:
A. Play a card from the deck or from the discard pile. B. Say "Amazonas" and trigger the end of the round.
A. Play a card from the deck or from the discard pile
Take the top card of the deck or of the discard pile. After seeing the card in secret, the active player may choose between:
- Swapping the card for one of their own, placing it in its position. The replaced card is placed face up on the discard pile.
- Leaving the card face up on the discard pile. If it is an animal card that came from the draw pile, the active player may apply its effect. If it is a number card, the turn ends with no effect.
Note: the effect of animal cards can only be applied when they come from the draw pile, not from a player's cards or from the discard pile.
If the draw pile runs out, create a new one by shuffling the discard pile.
B. Say "Amazonas" and trigger the end of the round
If a person decides to say "Amazonas", this is the only thing they can do on their turn, and they automatically leave the round. The rest of the players have one last turn before the end of the round (see "End of the Round and Scoring"). From that moment until the end of the round, the cards of the person who said "Amazonas" are immune to the effects of animal cards and to the wild discard.
Only one person can say "Amazonas" in each round.
Effects of the Animal Cards
- SLOTH: you may look at one of your own cards in secret. After looking at it you must return it to its place, face down.
- TOAD: you may look at one card of another player in secret. After looking at it you must return it to its place, face down.
- ANACONDA: you may swap one of your own cards with one of another person's (without looking at them).
- JAGUAR: you may look at one card of another person in secret and, optionally, swap it for one of your own.
- MONKEY: each player looks at one of their cards and passes it to a neighboring player. The person who discarded the monkey decides whether the cards move to the left or to the right. If a monkey drawn from the draw pile is discarded, using its effect is mandatory.
Note: as with the other animal cards, if someone has already said "Amazonas", they are not affected by the monkey's effect.
TOUCAN AND DOLPHIN: these are special animals that are very hard to find. Instead of performing an effect, they help by giving negative points to whoever has them in their card collection at the end of the round.
Wild Discard
- The wild discard is an opportunity to reduce your collection of cards. It consists of discarding one of your own or someone else's cards, which may be done as long as this card is equal to the visible card of the discard pile. Any player can perform this action at any moment of the round, regardless of whose turn it is.
- If you eliminate another player's card, the person who made the wild discard gives, face down and without looking at it, one of their own cards to the affected person, replacing the card just discarded.
- Once a wild discard is resolved, the active player performs the effect of the card they discarded as normal.
Quick!
Only the first person to place the card on the discard pile can make a wild discard. Anyone who does it afterwards must return the card to its place and receive as a penalty the top card of the draw pile, face down and without looking at it. There is no limit to the number of cards each player may have.
Sometimes Memory Fails!
If the discarded card does not match the card on the discard pile, the person returns it to its place and receives as a penalty the top card of the draw pile, face down and without looking at it. That person may not make another wild discard that turn.
Note: nobody can be left with no cards in front of them. If this happens, that person must place in front of them, without looking, the top card of the draw pile.
Example 1: Sebastián places a sloth on the discard pile. Since he remembers having another sloth among his cards, he makes a wild discard. Unfortunately for Sebastián, the card he discarded is a 5, so he returns it to its position and receives the top card of the draw pile as a penalty. Then Sebastián performs the sloth's effect.
Example 2: Lautaro places a 3 on the discard pile. Valentina, who knew one of Sebastián's cards, quickly takes one of his cards and places it face up on the pile. It is indeed another 3, so the wild discard is successful. As a reward, Valentina gives one of her cards to Sebastián, who cannot see it.
Note: the only moment when a wild discard cannot be made is in the middle of the effects of the jaguar or the monkey. You must wait for these effects to be completed to carry it out.
End of the Round and Scoring
If someone decides to use their turn to say "Amazonas", the rest play one last turn and then the whole group reveals their cards simultaneously and the round's score is counted.
If the card collection of the person who said "Amazonas":
- Is indeed the collection with the lowest score, that person obtains exactly -5 points that round (regardless of their card collection). Note: if the sum of their cards is less than -5, they obtain as many points as the sum of their cards.
- Is not the collection with the lowest score, that person obtains exactly +5 points that round. Note: if the sum of their cards is greater than 5 points, they obtain as many points as the sum of their cards.
- Ties for the lowest score with another collection, the person who said "Amazonas" obtains that round as many points as the score of their cards on the table.
The rest of the group obtains the score that their cards add up to at the end of the round. It is possible to obtain 0 points, positive or negative scores. Use pencil and paper to record the points in each player's account.
Note: when recording points, circle the score of the person who said "Amazonas" (only if it was done successfully). This is important to resolve a possible tie.
Example 1: Valentina (cards -2, -1, +1 = -2), Sebastián (-1, +4, +0 = +3) and Lautaro (+4, -2, +4 = +6). Valentina, thinking she has the best collection of cards on the table, says "Amazonas". Sebastián and Lautaro play their last turn, then the whole group reveals their cards and counts the points. This time, Valentina indeed has the best score on the table, so she obtains -5 points. That round Sebastián obtains +3 points and Lautaro +6 points.
Example 2: Valentina (cards +0, -2, -1 = -3), Sebastián (+1, +1, +2, +1 = +5) and Lautaro (-2, +0 = -2). In the following round, Lautaro, thinking he has the best collection of cards on the table, says "Amazonas". Valentina and Sebastián play their last turn, then the whole group reveals their cards and counts the points. Unfortunately, this time Valentina has a lower score than Lautaro. Since his is not the best score on the table, Lautaro obtains +5 points. That round Valentina obtains -3 points and Sebastián +5 points.
Starting a New Round
The person who said "Amazonas" in the previous round must shuffle all the cards and prepare the new round following the same steps described above. That person starts the new round.
End of the Game
The person with the lowest accumulated total after completing the fifth round wins the game. In case of a tie, the person who has successfully said "Amazonas" more times wins. If the tie persists, the tied players must play a game of Amazonas, in the Amazon.
Amazonas for 2 Players
For 2 players, the following rule changes apply:
- Each time a round ends, gather the discard pile and the cards left in front of each player, and set them aside face up, forming an accumulated discard deck between games.
- The new game is prepared with what remains of the draw pile, without shuffling. The person who said "Amazonas" in the previous round starts.
- Instead of recording points, only record who won the round. In case of a tie, the person who did not say "Amazonas" wins the round. The first person to win 3 rounds is the winner.
- If the draw pile runs out before someone wins 3 rounds, turn over the accumulated discard deck, without shuffling, and use it as the new draw pile.
Basic Variant
Remove the monkey cards before starting to play; they will not be used during the game. The rest of the game works the same. We recommend using this variant for the first game.
Amazonas is a game from the family of Tamalou, a traditional card game originating in the Middle East and spread in several European countries.