Butim
Butim Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Game cards (40)
The game cards have the Butim back. There are three kinds:
- Equipment (10 cards): These help the player in a variety of ways and have a lasting effect, as they stay active while in the player's possession. Equipment cannot be used to excavate.
- Plunder (Saques) (15 cards): These have effects that interfere with the game or with another player's turn. Plunder cards can also be used to excavate the islands.
- Lábia (15 cards): These benefit the player who uses them in many different ways. Like Plunder cards, Lábia cards can be used to excavate the islands.
Island cards (70 cards, 10 cards of each formation)
The island cards show islands on one side and there are 7 different island designs, which make up the bloody sea. The islands have 3 predominant formations: Sand, Earth (represented by forests) and Stone. There are 3 islands with only one of these formations, 3 mixed islands with 2 formations, and 1 island with all 3; that last island is the central island of the archipelago. On these islands the player can find 4 different things:
- Map: A vital part of finding treasures and so winning the game. The player who excavated the map keeps it together with their equipment.
- Treasure: Treasure cards initially form the quests that pirates must complete to recover the treasures described. Once revealed they stay face up for everyone on the table, so anyone can complete them and thereby claim the treasure.
- Nothing: Well, nothing is… nothing. Nothing happens. The player searched and found nothing. It seems bad, but it could have been worse. Discard it to the whirlpool after nothing happens.
- Trap: A trap causes a negative effect for the player who excavated or even for all players, depending on the effect described on the card. Once the effect is resolved, the card goes to the whirlpool.
Other components
- Shields (7, one per colour): Each shield is two-sided. The outer side shows the colour of that player's pawn. The other side has a summary of the game and rules to help the player during their turn. Each player hides their ore behind their shield.
- Pawns (7, one per colour): Each pawn represents the player's ship and its comings and goings between the islands.
- Cloth bag: Holds the ore so that it can be drawn at random.
- Ore (40 wooden cubes: 20 copper, 12 silver, 8 gold): Ore is used to buy new game cards and can also be used to try your luck in the whirlpool. Ore is not spent during the game as such, but it is worth points at the final count. There are three types: copper is worth 1 for every function (buying 1 game card, risking 1 card in the whirlpool, and 1 point at the end of the game), silver is worth 2, and gold is worth 3.
Setup
Separate and shuffle each of the islands and arrange the archipelago. Then remove cards from the top of each island to form the whirlpool:
- 1 card each, when playing with 2 or 3 players;
- 2 cards each, when playing with 4 or 5 players;
- 3 cards each, when playing with 6 or 7 players.
Shuffle the game cards and deal 5 cards to each player. Form the draw pile with the remaining game cards.
The game begins with the player who has the largest scar. That player is responsible for the whirlpool's effect during the game.
Each player chooses a colour and takes the pawn and shield of that colour. Place the cloth bag with the ore inside next to the game cards.
The first player places their pawn on one of the islands, and going clockwise, each player chooses an island that is not occupied by another player.
The Game
During the game the players take turns, and at the start of each new round the whirlpool's effect happens.
When the game cards run out, all the cards in the game-card discard pile are reshuffled and form the new draw pile, and the game continues.
If the end-of-game condition is met at the start of any player's turn, the game ends immediately. Points are counted and a winner is determined.
Turn structure
Each time a round is completed on the table, that is, each time the player who started the game is about to play again, the whirlpool happens. As the sea carries the islands away, before the first player starts their new turn in every round, one card from the top of each island is discarded to the whirlpool pile without revealing its contents.
Phase 1: Starting your turn
Receive your ore: Draw from the cloth bag 1, 2 or 3 ore depending on whether you are on the central island (3 ore), on a mixed island of 2 formations (2 ore), or on a single island (1 ore). If the player is adrift, they also draw only 1 ore. The player MUST show the newly drawn ore to the other players before hiding it behind their shield.
Buy your game cards: Buy cards by spending 1 (one) ore. The number of cards varies according to the ore. If an equipment card increases the number of cards drawn when buying, count the ore's value plus 1 (one).
Phase 2: Actions during your turn
The aim of Phase 2 is to take all the actions you want. You may take as many as you like, but you may only excavate and risk yourself in the whirlpool once per turn.
Equip: The player lays an equipment card face up in front of them. Its effect applies for as long as the card remains with them.
If the player starts their turn adrift or on one of the single islands, they may discard one (1) equipment card from the table and buy two (2) game cards.
Plunder and Lábia: Discard a card and use the effect described on it. Simple, right? Not always. Effects can be combined to have a greater effect. Be careful!
Excavate (once per turn): To excavate islands, simply discard Plunder and Lábia cards bearing the formation symbols of the islands:
- One card with the sand, stone or earth symbol for the respective single island.
- Two cards with the sand and stone, sand and earth, or earth and stone symbols for a mixed island.
- Three cards of any kind for the central island.
On the chosen island, reveal the top card to everyone and apply the effect of the revealed card.
Excavation is also when the player moves their ship between the islands. As soon as the player reveals the cards for the excavation, they place their pawn on the island being excavated. If other players are there, the excavating player chooses one of those other players to hand over any one of their ore. If the chosen player has no ore, they simply reveal that there is no ore behind their shield to be stolen. The ore to be stolen is chosen by the player being robbed.
Claim a treasure: Claiming a treasure is not considered an action. A treasure can be claimed at any moment of the game, simply by the player declaring that they hold the maps needed to claim it. The treasure goes to the player, and the maps used in the process are discarded to the whirlpool. If more than one player wants to claim the same treasure at the same time, priority goes to the player whose turn comes first in the turn order of the table.
Risk yourself in the whirlpool (once per turn): You may spend 1 ore to try to recover a Map or Treasure that is in the whirlpool. Shuffle the whirlpool cards and draw 1, 2 or 3 cards from the bottom of the whirlpool, then choose one (1) of those cards as the result of your search, and return the others to the whirlpool. If the result of the search is a Map or a Treasure, it is yours (in that case a Treasure goes straight to the player's goods). If it is Nothing or a Trap, nothing happens and those cards return to the whirlpool.
Phase 3: Ending your turn
As soon as the player is satisfied with their actions, they discard any cards in excess of 5 (five) and declare their turn ended.
End of the game
The game ends immediately at the moment only the following remain on the table:
- 1 island, when playing with 2 or 3 players;
- 2 islands, when playing with 4 or 5 players;
- 3 islands, when playing with 6 or 7 players.
At the end of the game the players add up the values of the coins printed on their cards, together with the value of their ore, and the player with the highest accumulated value is the winner. In case of a tie, the tie-break is the total value of the treasure cards. If there is still a tie, the two players are both declared winners.
It is important to remember that 2 pieces of equipment are counted only in the scoring. They are the Gold Mine, which is worth 6 points, and the False Map, which cancels a treasure found by another player.
Party Game Mode
The following is the official "Regras Butim modo party game" text, translated from the Portuguese. It is a simpler, more casual mode with no ore and less strategy.
Butim is a card game that tells the story of the Archipelago of the Bloody Islands. These islands were used by generations of pirates to hide the greatest secrets sailed across the seven seas. But all the pirates who buried their treasures there also set the most terrible traps to keep those treasures well protected. It was a beautiful, desired and deadly place.
But, as every story has an end, one fine day a mysterious whirlpool opened near the islands and is carrying the islands, with all their wealth, down to the bottom of the sea.
The goal of the game is to take as many treasures from these islands as possible before they vanish from the map. The player with the most riches at the end of the game is declared the winner.
This game mode is simpler and quicker. It works in a more casual way and needs less strategy. A very good choice for playing without commitment and having fun with friends, or for playing with children and people who are not familiar with card and board games.
Components (party game)
Game cards (40): The game cards have the Butim back. There are three kinds:
- Equipment (10 cards): These help the player in a variety of ways and have a lasting effect, as they stay active while in the player's possession. Equipment cannot be used to excavate.
- Plunder (Saques) (15 cards): These have effects that interfere with the game or with another player's turn. Plunder cards can also be used to excavate the islands.
- Lábia (15 cards): These benefit the player who uses them in many different ways. Like Plunder cards, Lábia cards can be used to excavate the islands.
Island cards (70 cards, 10 cards of each formation): The island cards show islands on one side and there are 7 different island designs, which make up the bloody sea. The islands have 3 predominant formations: Sand, Earth (represented by forests) and Stone. There are 3 islands with only one of these formations, 3 mixed islands with 2 formations, and 1 island with all 3; that last island is the central island of the archipelago. On these islands the player can find 4 different things:
- Map: A vital part of finding treasures and so winning the game. The player who excavated the map keeps it together with their equipment.
- Treasure: Treasure cards initially form the quests that pirates must complete to recover the treasures described. Once revealed they stay face up for everyone on the table, so anyone can complete them and thereby claim the treasure.
- Nothing: Well, nothing is… nothing. Nothing happens. The player searched and found nothing. It seems bad, but it could have been worse. Discard it to the whirlpool after nothing happens.
- Trap: A trap causes a negative effect for the player who excavated or even for all players, depending on the effect described on the card. Once the effect is resolved, the card goes to the whirlpool.
Setup (party game)
Separate and shuffle each of the islands and arrange the archipelago. Then remove cards from the top of each island to form the whirlpool:
- 1 card each, when playing with 2 or 3 players;
- 2 cards each, when playing with 4 or 5 players;
- 3 cards each, when playing with 6 or 7 players.
Shuffle the game cards and deal 5 cards to each player. Form the draw pile with the remaining game cards.
The game begins with the player who has the largest scar. That player is responsible for the whirlpool's effect during the game.
The game (party game)
During the game the players take turns, and at the start of each new round the whirlpool's effect happens.
When the game cards run out, all the cards in the game-card discard pile are reshuffled and form the new draw pile, and the game continues.
If the end-of-game condition is met at the start of any player's turn, the game ends immediately. Points are counted and a winner is determined.
Turn structure: Each time a round is completed on the table, that is, each time the player who started the game is about to play again, the whirlpool happens. As the sea carries the islands away, before the first player starts their new turn in every round, one card from the top of each island is discarded to the whirlpool pile without revealing its contents.
Phase 1: Starting your turn
Receive your game cards: The player whose turn it is must draw 2 game cards from the draw pile.
Phase 2: Actions during your turn
The aim of Phase 2 is to take all the actions you want. You may take as many as you like, but you may only excavate once per turn.
Equip: The player lays an equipment card face up in front of them. Its effect applies for as long as the card remains with them.
Plunder and Lábia: Discard a card and use the effect described on it. Simple, right? Not always. Effects can be combined to have a greater effect. Be careful!
Excavate (once per turn): To excavate islands, simply discard Plunder and Lábia cards bearing the formation symbols of the islands:
- One card with the sand, stone or earth symbol for the respective single island.
- Two cards with the sand and stone, sand and earth, or earth and stone symbols for a mixed island.
- Three cards of any kind for the central island.
On the chosen island, reveal the top card to everyone and apply the effect of the revealed card.
Claim a treasure: Claiming a treasure is not considered an action. A treasure can be claimed at any moment of the game, simply by the player declaring that they hold the maps needed to claim it. The treasure goes to the player, and the maps used in the process are discarded to the whirlpool. If more than one player wants to claim the same treasure at the same time, priority goes to the player whose turn comes first in the turn order of the table.
Phase 3: Ending your turn
As soon as the player is satisfied with their actions, they discard any cards in excess of 5 (five) and declare their turn ended.
End of the game (party game)
The game ends immediately at the moment only the following remain on the table:
- 1 island, when playing with 2 or 3 players;
- 2 islands, when playing with 4 or 5 players;
- 3 islands, when playing with 6 or 7 players.
At the end of the game the players add up the values of the coins printed on their cards, and the player with the highest accumulated value is the winner. In case of a tie, the tie-break is the total value of the treasure cards. If there is still a tie, the two players are both declared winners.
It is important to remember that 2 pieces of equipment are counted only in the scoring. They are the Gold Mine, which is worth 6 points, and the False Map, which cancels a treasure found by another player.