Atacama Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Basic Game: Preparations
• Course of Action
• End of Game
  • Example: Preliminary Result after 16 placed Rigs
• Enhanced Game: Preparations + Course of Action
• Tactical Variant: Preparations + Course of Action
• Tactical Variant: End of the Game
• 3-Player Variant: Preparations + Course of Action
• 3-Player Variant: Tactical Variant
• 4-Player Variant: Preparations + Course of Action
• 4-Player Variant: Tactical Variant
• Components

Basic Game: Preparations

Note: First, the 2-player version is explained. The rule chapters necessary for 4 players can be found at page 4 of the rulebook. A listing of the game components can also be found at this page.

The 9 tiles are laid out to form a big square game board. The tiles with the letters A to C are placed in the uppermost row, thereunder D to F followed by G to I. The tiles have to be placed with the letters being in the top right corner.

Each player receives a mining concession. Player 1 receives the turquoise concession (no copper), player 2 the orange concession (no silver). The concessions are placed beside the game board (see illustration).

Each player receives 14 rigs of the basic color, which he places in front of him. The rigs in the other colour are not used in the basic version.

Course of Action

Alternately, the players place one rig on the board. The following rules have to be paid attention to:

• Only one rig may be placed on a field. Rigs may not be placed adjacent to existing rigs.
• Adjacent means fields with common edges, diagonal adjacency is permitted.

End of Game

When every player has placed his 14 rigs, the game ends. Now the winning points are calculated.

Only rows / columns with at least 4 rigs are assessed. And only the fields with rigs on are reviewed.

The mining concession shows for which commodities the players receives positive points, but also, for which they do not have the concession, thus bringing negative points.

For the player with the mining concession above the game board the vertical columns do count. For that player occupied gold and silver fields count positively, occupied copper fields on the other hand negatively. Each golden ore and every silver ore brings 1 positive point for the player, every copper ore is to be evaluated with 1 minus point.

For the other player, the horizontal rows are evaluated. For him, occupied gold and copper fields count positively, occupied silver fields negatively. Each copper ore and every golden ore counts 1 positive point, every silver ore is to be evaluated with 1 minus point.

The player with the most points is winner.

Example: Preliminary Result after 16 placed Rigs

The first player (columns) momentarily receives 5 points in the first column to the left: +2 points for gold, +5 for silver, -3 for copper and +1 for silver. In the second column, he receives 4 minus points: +2 points for gold, -4 for copper, -5 for copper and +3 for silver. The remaining columns do not count, since at the moment there are placed less than 4 rigs.

The second player (horizontal rows) momentarily receives 7 points in the lowermost row: -1 point for silver, +3 for copper, +4 for copper and +1 for gold. In the second lowermost row are only 3 rigs, so this row does not count for him. In the following row, he receives 3 minus points: +3 points for copper, -5 for silver, +2 for gold and -3 for silver. The remaining rows again do not count, since there are placed less than 4 rigs (at the moment).

Enhanced Game: Preparations + Course of Action

Different to the basic game, at the beginning it remains unclear which player scores in the horizontal rows and in the vertical columns.

The mining concessions have not yet been issued. The 9 tiles are shuffled and placed on the table face down.

1. With the top 3 tiles a triangle is laid, whereas the letters (whatever letter it is) must be in the top right corner. Now every player alternately places 3 rigs according to the basic rules.
2. Then the next 3 tiles are placed diagonally. Again, the player alternately place 3 rigs.
3. Finally the 3 remaining tiles are placed. Thereafter, the players alternately place the remaining rigs.

In any move, a player can acquire one of the concessions. He then places it beside the game board in the direction (row/column) he chooses. He pays for the concession with one not yet placed rig, thus only plays with 13 rigs. When claiming the concession, he cannot place a rig on the board.

The other player receives the remaining concession. He has one more rig at his provision.

All other rules of the basic game apply.

Tactical Variant: Preparations + Course of Action

The rules for the two game variants can be intensified by using the rigs in the second colour as follows:

At the beginning, each player receives 11 rigs of the main colour and 3 rigs in other colour. The remaining 6 rigs are not used.

Tactical Variant: End of the Game

When calculating the points, rigs in the basic colour count according to the basic rule. For the rigs in the second colour, the players receive the double value (plus and minus).

3-Player Variant: Preparations + Course of Action

The 9 tiles are turned to their backside and placed to create a full square rim with a hexagonal playing area in the middle. The mining concessions are printed on the board (the small counters thus are not needed) – each player receives the concession in one of the three directions of the arrows (yellow, blue, orange). They score into the direction indicated.

Each player receives 11 rigs (the color is of no importance).

The rule for placing the rigs is modified. The 2/4-player version says that rigs may NOT be placed on adjacent fields. This still is valid, however, in the 3-player version it is allowed to place rigs next to each other, if the adjacent field features another commodity. Example: In case of a rig on a field with gold, no rig can be placed on an adjacent gold field. On any adjacent field with another commodity, a rig can be placed.

The desert tile in the middle cannot be used, however, does not interrupt the long rows: These are thus not two rows with 5 fields, but one row with 11 fields. Otherwise the rules of the basic game apply.

3-Player Variant: Tactical Variant

Each player receives 9 rigs in the main colour and 2 in the other colour. At the end of the game oil rigs in the second colour again receive the double value (plus and minus).

4-Player Variant: Preparations + Course of Action

Different to the before explained rules, now 2 players act in the horizontal rows and 2 players in the vertical columns.

The backsides of the concessions are required.

These show that one of the vertically acting player has the turquoise concession (no copper) and the other the orange concession (no silver).

Likewise is true for the horizontally acting players: For one player the turquoise concession (no copper) is valid, for the other the orange concession (no silver).

Each player receives 7 rigs in the main colour. The other rules remain as in the basic version.

4-Player Variant: Tactical Variant

The 4-player-variant also can be played in the tactical variant. Each player receives 6 rigs in the basic colour and 1 in the other colour.

Components

• 9 double-sided tiles
• 2 double-sided mining concessions
• 34 rigs (28 in the basic colour and 6 in a different colour)