Antique (Zacatrus) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective of the Game
• Components
  • 1. Object Cards
  • 2. Money
• Setup
• Playing the Game
  • Auctioneer
  • Bidding
  • Turn Order and Phases
• Scoring
• Notes

Objective of the Game

Be the most prestigious collector in the world of antiques. To achieve this, players must bid for the finest antiques and acquire the maximum number of points by collecting the greatest number of cards, or by combining their antiques to form pairs, trios or quartets of objects.

Components

• 54 object cards
• 72 coins
• 1 score pad
• 1 rulebook

1. Object Cards

Object cards represent the antiques for which the players must compete throughout the game. Each card has three elements that define it: the object itself, the colour of the cushion on which the object rests, and the value of the card, shown on the round marker.

Object cards have the following characteristics:

• 9 different objects (horse, camera, crown, sword, clock, helmet, vase, book and senet)
• 6 different colours (purple, red, green, blue, white and yellow)
• 3 different values (0, 1 or 2)

Example card: helmet, red, zero.

2. Money

There are also coins that players use to pay for the objects they add to their collections:

• 24 coins with a value equivalent to 1 FATY
• 24 coins with a value equivalent to 3 FATYS
• 24 coins with a value equivalent to 5 FATYS

Setup

First, shuffle the object card deck and deal 3 cards to each player.

The remaining cards form the auction deck, which is placed in the centre of the table within reach of all players.

Next, each player receives coins worth 20 FATYS. This is the money each player has available to bid at auctions.

The remaining coins are placed beside the auction deck, within reach of all players. This pile of coins is called the Bank.

The starting player is the one who sat down last at the game table. This player will be the first auctioneer in the first round.

Playing the Game

Antique is played over three rounds, and each round is divided into three phases.

In each round, each player has two roles: during their own turn they act as the auctioneer, and during the other players' turns they act as a bidder.

Auctioneer

The starting player is the first auctioneer of the first round.

The auctioneer chooses a card from their hand and places it face down on the table. They then decide which coins they will bid with on their own card, and hide those coins in their hand. The auctioneer may leave their hand empty if they wish.

Second, the auctioneer announces the auction and describes three characteristics of the object on offer (remember that these three characteristics are: type of object, cushion colour and intrinsic value of the object).

Two of the characteristics must be true, but the auctioneer must lie about one of the three, in order to try to deceive or manipulate their rivals.

Bidding

In turn, each bidder announces their bid and places coins on the table next to the auctioned card. Bids are public to the other players, and a bidder must outbid another bid in order to win the auction.

A bidder may raise their bid at any time, even if at some point during the bidding they had decided not to.

When no player wishes to continue bidding, the auctioneer counts to three. The auction is then over: the auctioneer reveals the coins hidden in their hand, and the final winning bid is determined.

Once revealed, the auctioneer may not raise their bid. So if a bidder's bid exceeds the auctioneer's bid, that bidder must pay the auctioneer the amount of coins with which they won the bid, in order to keep the auctioned card.

The card won is placed face up in front of the player who acquired it.

The auctioneer wins the bid if their bid equals or exceeds that of the other players. In that case they pay the Bank the coins they hid in their hand, and place the card they won face up on the table.

Turn Order and Phases

Once the object has been auctioned, the turn passes to the player on the auctioneer's left. During the new round, this player is considered the new auctioneer.

When all players have auctioned their three cards over three rounds, another three cards and 5 FATYS are dealt to each player.

The starting player passes the deck to the player on their left and begins the next phase.

At the end of the third phase, the game is over.

Note: the source uses "round" and "phase" as printed, and the passing of "the deck" at the end of a phase is not specified further in the rulebook. The wording is reproduced as printed.

Scoring

Antique includes a score pad for recording each player's score once the three phases are over. Points are awarded as follows:

• Add up the values of all your cards and convert them into points.
• 1 victory point for every 4 FATYS in your possession.
• 3 points for each pair of the same object. Each player adds this.
• 5 points for each trio of the same object. Each player adds this.
• 7 points for each quartet of the same object. Each player adds this.
• The player with the most different objects adds 10 points.
• The player with the most cards of the same colour adds 10 points.
• The player with the most FATYS in their possession adds 10 points.
• The player with the most points in total wins the game.

Notes

• An object that has been used to score as a pair or trio cannot also score as a trio or quartet.
• In case of a tie for different objects, for cards of the same colour, or for FATYS in possession, each tied player adds up the values of their cards, and the player with the higher-value cards wins. If the tie persists, the 10 points are divided among the tied players.