Carnavalesco Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective of the Game
• Components
• Setup
  • Warm-up Exercise
  • Staging Area
  • Stepping Out on the Avenue
• Playing the Game
• Parade Board
• Scoring Elements
  • Vanguard Commission
  • Master-of-Room & Flag-Bearer
  • Storyline
  • Parade Floats & Props
  • Costumes
  • Progression
  • Harmony
  • Drums
  • Samba Theme Song
• Tabulating the Scores
• Tiebreakers
• Solo Play
  • Restrictions on Dice Selection
  • Solo Play Results
  • Scorepad
• Example Parade Board

Objective of the Game

Carnavalesco is a dice allocation game in which players attempt to put together combinations that meet the requirements of each scoring element on their parade board.

Your objective is to be the carnavalesco who leads their samba school to victory in this Carnaval parade! To do so, you must maximize your marks in the nine elements that the judging panel evaluates.

Each element has a specific arrangement of dice that guarantees a perfect score. It is still possible, however, to earn a coveted 10-out-of-10 with dice combinations that reward bonus points on top of a good base score.

When the final results of Brazilian samba school parades are tallied, the difference between first and second place can be as little as one-tenth of a point. As such, your goal as a carnavalesco is to achieve perfection by obtaining perfect marks in each element.

Components

• 150 dice: 6 different colors, 25 of each color
• 1 dice bag
• 4 parade boards
• 1 scorepad
• 20 division scoring tables (on 12 boards)
• 4 quick reference cards
• 1 first player marker
• 36 dual-sided 10 point tokens / -1 counters

Setup

Warm-up Exercise

Each player should come up with a fun name for their samba school. They often combine a location, color, or animal with words like United, Empire, Independent or Academics. Examples: Empire of the Golden Lion, Red Meeples United, Independent Dice Rollers of Nova Scotia.

Staging Area

Put all 150 dice into the dice bag and give each player a parade board.

Each player then chooses a division for their school to compete in – D, C, B, A or S –, placing its scoring table at the top of their parade board. The five divisions increase gradually in difficulty from D to S (Special) and represent the different tiers in which Brazilian samba schools participate. We suggest that first-time players use the division D scoring table.

Stepping Out on the Avenue

The first player is the person who most enjoys Carnival, or parades in general! Give them the dice bag and the first player marker. The quantity of dice for that player to draw randomly from the bag at the start of the round varies with the number of players:

Number of players	Quantity of dice to draw from the bag
1	8
2	12
3	10
4	12

In a two-player game, each player takes four dice per round. Alternating turns, each player chooses two dice at a time until four remain; these dice are then returned to the bag.

Playing the Game

The first player rolls all the dice drawn from the bag and, without altering them, chooses two dice to allocate to any element(s) on their parade board, starting to fulfill their requirements as they see fit. There are no restrictions on where dice can be allocated, nor on their positions relative to each other within an element.

Continuing in clockwise order, each player takes their turn by selecting two of the remaining dice and placing them in two available spaces on their parade board.

Once everyone has had a turn, the round ends and the four remaining dice are returned to the dice bag. The first player passes the first player marker and the dice bag to the person seated to their right (counterclockwise) to begin a new round. This way, the final player in the round that just ended is always the first player in the next.

The game continues in this fashion until everyone has placed 36 dice on their respective boards, filling each of the nine scoring elements with four dice by the end of the parade.

Try not to lose the tempo: Carnaval judges are very scrutinizing and pay attention to the tiniest deviation. This means that players are not permitted to move dice from one element to another.

Parade Board

Your board represents your samba school's parade and includes:

• Nine different scoring elements being judged, with iconography representing the combination of dice required to automatically receive a perfect score in that element. For a full description, refer to the Scoring Elements section or a quick reference card.
• Four spaces in each scoring element to allocate dice.

Scoring Elements

During the parade, judges evaluate nine elements to determine the winning samba school. If you are able to place the specified dice combination, your school's score will be 10; otherwise it will suffer a penalty and receive a lower mark. But don't get discouraged: it's possible to receive up to three bonus points for partially fulfilling an element's requirements. Read its bonus conditions from top to bottom and take the first (highest value) that you qualify for.

Reminder: 10 is the maximum score in an element, even with bonuses. Identical dice have the same color and value.

Vanguard Commission

Place 4 dice of the same color that sum from 10 to 15.

Bonus:

• +3: 3 dice of the same color and the sum of all 4 dice is from 10 to 15.
• +2: 4 dice of the same color that do not have a sum from 10 to 15.
• +1: 3 dice of the same color and the sum of all 4 dice is not from 10 to 15.

The Vanguard Commission is comprised of 10 to 15 performers who must demonstrate a high level of coordination with their appearance and a well-choreographed routine.

Master-of-Room & Flag-Bearer

Place 2 identical even-numbered dice and 2 identical odd-numbered dice of another color.

Bonus:

• +3: 2 identical even-numbered dice and 2 odd-numbered dice of another color OR 2 identical odd-numbered dice and 2 even-numbered dice of another color.
• +2: 2 identical dice and any 2 dice of another color.
• +1: Any 2 dice of one color and any 2 dice of another color.

The Master-of-the-Room and the Flag-Bearer are the pair of iconic dancers who proudly present their school's colors and standard.

Storyline

Place 4 different dice, each one present in a different element of your parade board.

Bonus:

• +3: 3 different dice; all 4 dice are present in 4 different elements.
• +2: 4 different dice; all 4 dice are present in 3 different elements.
• +1: 3 different dice; all 4 dice are present in 3 different elements.

For this element, the judges determine if the school successfully followed the theme and conveyed the narrative of their parade via the other elements.

Parade Floats & Props

Place dice with 4 different colors and 4 different values.

Bonus:

• +3: Dice with 4 different colors and 3 different values.
• +2: Dice with 4 different values and 3 different colors.
• +1: Dice with 3 different colors and 3 different values.

A school's floats and props should be expressive and luxurious. The more creative and colorful they are, the better!

Costumes

Place the same 4 dice used in the Parade Floats & Props element.

Bonus:

• +3: 3 of the same 4 dice used in Parade Floats & Props.
• +2: 2 of the same 4 dice used in Parade Floats & Props.
• +1: 1 of the same 4 dice used in Parade Floats & Props.

Costumes must be well-designed, matching the school's theme and in perfect harmony with the parade floats and props.

Progression

Place 4 dice in sequential order.

Bonus:

• +3: 4 dice in sequential order, using 6 and 1 in the sequence.
• +2: 3 dice in sequential order.
• +1: 3 dice in sequential order, using 6 and 1 in the sequence.

This element judges the movement, speed, dancing, and energy of the school and its members as they proceed along the parade route.

Harmony

Place 4 identical dice.

Bonus:

• +3: 3 identical dice.
• +2: 2 pairs of identical dice.
• +1: 2 identical dice.

For this element the judges critique the singing of the school's members and how well they match the rhythm of the drums and the vocalization of the lead singer.

Drums

Place 4 dice of the same value. This value cannot be present on any dice in the Harmony element.

Bonus:

• +3: 3 dice of the same value. Neither value can be present on any dice in Harmony.
• +2: 2 dice of one value and 2 dice of another value. Neither value can be present on any dice in Harmony.
• +1: 2 dice of the same value. None of the 3 values can be present on any dice in Harmony.

The percussion section of a samba school must keep perfect rhythm and tempo.

Samba Theme Song

Place 4 dice with colors OR values not present in any other element.

Bonus:

• +3: 3 dice with colors or values not present in any other element.
• +2: 2 dice with colors or values not present in any other element.
• +1: 1 die with a color or value not present in any other element.

Judges scrutinize the lyrics, melody, and significance of the school's theme song as well as the performance of their singers.

Whenever you correctly fulfill the requirements of an element, place a 10-point token next to its dice to show that your school has earned a perfect score and to facilitate end-game scoring. Do not place a token if you earn 10 points with the help of a bonus.

Exceptions: Do not take a 10-point token for the Drums element before completing the Harmony element. Do not take a 10-point token for the Samba Theme Song element before the end of your parade.

Tabulating the Scores

The game ends once all players have filled their parade boards with 36 dice. The judges' marks are then tallied, starting with the Vanguard Commission element. The calculation of each element's score should be carried out as follows:

1. If the specified combination of dice was satisfied, the school receives a perfect 10 from the judges and a 10-point token if they haven't already taken one.
2. If the specified combination of dice was not satisfied, the school's score is calculated as follows:
   • I. Sum the values on the four dice of the element in question.
   • II. Find the corresponding value on the division scoring table chosen by that player at the start of the game. Their school's base score for this element is shown directly below it.
   • III. Refer to the Scoring Elements section or a quick reference card to see if any bonus points are added to their base score for having partially fulfilled the required dice combination. Remember that 10 is the highest total possible!

Example 1: The division scoring table shows that this school scored 7 points, but because it will gain an additional 3 bonus points for having partially completed the required combination of dice, the school's final score in this element will be 10.

Example 2: At the beginning of the game, Anna chose the division "D" scoring table. Since she was unable to fulfill the requirements of the Harmony element, she sums the values of the four dice placed in it. The total is 17, so the "D" division judges give her school a score of 6. But because Anna partially fulfilled this element's requirements by placing three identical dice, she adds 3 bonus points to her total. Anna's final score for Harmony will then be 9 (6 + 3).

Verify and sum up each player's score in all nine elements. The samba school with the highest total score is the champion of Carnaval!

Tiebreakers

In the case of a tie between two or more samba schools, the winner is decided by the following tiebreakers:

1. First, the school with the most perfect marks (10-point tokens).
2. Second, the school with the highest score in the Master-of-Room & Flag-Bearer element.
3. Third, whoever best displayed their colors while on parade: the school with the most dice on their board having the same colors of the dice placed in their Master-of-Room & Flag-Bearer element.

In the unlikely scenario that two or more schools remain tied, the victory is deservedly shared among them.

Solo Play

In solo play you start as the carnavalesco for a samba school in Division D, the lowest tier of competition. How many annual Carnaval parades will it take for your school to rise through the ranks until it wins the Division S championship?

The rule changes for solo play are:

• Choose your school's two official colors. As a reminder, you may draw a flag or coat of arms for your school that includes these two colors on your score sheet.
• To earn a perfect 10 or bonus points in the Master-of-Room & Flag-Bearer element, the colors on the dice allocated here must match the colors chosen for your school.
• Draw eight random dice from the bag and roll them. Choose four to allocate to elements on your parade board; return the other four to the bag. Continue in this fashion until you have completely filled all nine elements.

Restrictions on Dice Selection

• You are allowed to select a maximum of two dice of the same value.
• You are allowed to select a maximum of two dice of the same color.
• You are allowed to allocate a maximum of two dice to the same element.

For each of the three restrictions that you break, take a -1 counter. At the end of the game deduct one point from your final score for each -1 counter you have.

Example: Anna decided to take the four identical dice that appeared in a single roll, allocating them all at once to the Harmony element. She earns a 10-point token, but for having broken all three restrictions she also takes three -1 counters.

Solo Play Results

Confirm your school's place in the parade according to your final score:

• 1st place: 89 or 90 points
• 2nd place: 88 points
• Relegated: 79 points or less

Schools that place first or second in parades are promoted to the next division (e.g. from B to A), while relegated schools drop down one division (e.g. from B to C).

Scorepad

The scorepad has a column per school with a name box, a division box, and a score box for each of the nine elements, plus a total. In solo play, you may draw your school's flag or coat of arms, choose your school's two official colors, circle here if your school was promoted or relegated, and keep track of the number of parades your school has been in.

Example Parade Board

The rulebook shows an example parade board with nine perfect 10s, with each element filled with the dice combination that earns a perfect score:

1. Vanguard Commission: 4 dice of the same color whose sum is from 10 to 15.
2. Master-of-Room & Flag-Bearer: 2 identical even-numbered dice and 2 identical odd-numbered dice of another color.
3. Storyline: 4 different dice, each one present in a different element of the parade board.
4. Parade Floats & Props: 4 dice with 4 different colors and 4 different values.
5. Costumes: the same 4 dice used in Parade Floats & Props.
6. Progression: 4 dice in sequential order.
7. Harmony: 4 identical dice.
8. Drums: 4 dice of the same value, with that value not present in Harmony.
9. Samba Theme Song: 4 dice with colors or values not present in any other element.