Coral Castle Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Drafting
  • Collecting Pearls
  • Play Cards
  • Round Scoring
  • Bonus Symbols
  • Keeping Cards for Next Round
  • Gold Cards
  • Rounds 2 & 3
• Endgame Scoring
  • Scoring Example
• 2 Player Setup
• 2 Player Rules
• Solo Mode
  • Set Up
  • Solo Mode Gameplay
  • Scoring
• Card Glossary
• FAQ

Components

• 1 Scoreboard
• 5 Player Mats
• 145 Cards
• 40 Small Pearls
• 15 Big Pearls
• 5 3D Clam Shells
• 30 Coral Miniatures
• 20 Sea Creature Meeples
• 5 Player Aids

Object of the Game

Score the most victory points to win.

Players will draft cards, play those cards, and move up the tracks on the scoreboard based on the cards they played.

At the end of the game, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be determined for each track. Players will gain victory points based on these placements.

Setup

Step 1: Place the main board on the table. Place the pearls beside the board.

Step 2: Give each player:

• a player mat
• a clam shell
• 4 sea creature meeples
• 5 pearls
• 6 coral minis
• 1 player aid

Step 3: Use the "A", "B", and "C" card sets for your first game. Add 2 "pearl cards" for each card set in the game. So in a 3 person game, you would add 6 pearl cards.

• 4 players: Add the "D" cards.
• 5 players: Add the "E" cards.

See additional setup for 1 & 2 player games on page (11). (Note: the printed page reference reads "page (11)". The 2 player setup actually appears on the page printed "9"; no separate 1 player setup is printed.)

Step 4: Once you have all the cards you need, shuffle them and deal 9 cards per player.

Step 5: Place your sea creatures at the start of the "tentacle", "mermaid", and "trident" tracks on the main board. Also place a sea creature at the start of the "starfish" track to keep up with your victory points.

You are now ready to begin the game!

Gameplay

There will be 3 rounds. Each round the players will:

• Draft cards
• Collect pearls
• Play cards
• Move up tracks
• Keep cards for the next round

All phases of the game are done simultaneously by all players.

Drafting

Each round, you will pick up the 9 cards you have been dealt, choose 1 card to "draft," and place it facedown on your player mat.

Then pass the remaining 8 cards you did not choose to the player on your left.

Continue drafting this way until everyone at the table has 9 cards on their player mat.

You can always look back at the cards you have drafted.

In Round 2, pass cards to the right. In Round 3, pass cards again to the left.

Collecting Pearls

Pick up the 9 cards you just drafted. Some cards will have a pearl at the top left of the card.

Count how many pearls you have out of your 9 cards and collect that many pearls from the central supply.

You automatically collect the pearls during this phase. You do not collect pearls during the "Play Cards" phase.

This is a pearl card. Gain 2 pearls from the central supply. You cannot play this card during the "Play Cards" phase.

Play Cards

Simultaneously, all players will play up to 6 of their 9 cards onto the table beside their player mats. 3 cards will not be played.

Pay the cost of each card. Some cards will have a silver or gold band near the bottom of the card. You must pay the cost to play these cards.

If the card costs pearls, pay those pearls back into the central supply.

You do not have to play 6 cards if you cannot or do not want to play that many.

Some cards will have a condition to meet, like "Play with 2 Fish." You must meet the condition in order to play that card. In this example, you must play 2 "Fish" cards. If you do not have 2 Fish cards, you cannot play this card.

Each card has a "card type" located at the bottom. Card types:

• Coral
• Fish
• Plant
• Shell
• Sea Cratures (sic, as printed)
• Merfolk
• Item

Round Scoring

You will now move up the tracks based on the cards you have played in front of you.

Each round, you will score "tentacles", "mermaids", "tridents", and "starfish." For each symbol on the bottom of a card you have played, move your sea creature meeple up that track.

The order matters, so start by scoring tentacles. Then score mermaids, then tridents, and then starfish in that order.

For example, a card with 2 tentacles and a mermaid in the bonus section: move your sea creature meeple up twice on the tentacle track and once on the mermaid track. Pay 2 pearls to the central supply.

For your first game, it's a good idea for players to move up tracks together. Everyone moves on the tentacle track, then on the mermaid track, etc. In later rounds or play throughs of the game, you may move up the tracks all at once if that is your game group's preference.

Card combos should always be interpreted to give the most points possible.

Bonus Symbols

If you land on or pass a bonus symbol, you immediately get that bonus.

For example, the sea turtle player passes the "2 mermaids" bonus symbol on the tentacle track, which bumps them up twice on the mermaid track.

When you get to the end of a track, place a piece of coral at the end of the track. This coral represents a score of 10. Place your sea creature back at the start of the track and continue moving.

For example, your tentacle track score is 9. You now get to move your sea creature 2 more times. When you reach the end of the track, place a coral, go back to the start and move 1 more time. Your sea creature is now at the 1 spot, and your tentacle track score is 11. (9 + 2 --> 10 + 1)

Players will also move up the starfish track when the card they play has a starfish symbol in the bonus section. These are worth victory points.

Keeping Cards for Next Round

After the first round, you will get to keep 4 cards from ALL 9 cards that you drafted. You can keep cards that you played, or didn't play, or a mixture of both.

Once you have chosen your 4 cards to keep, place them on the "draft" spot on your player mat.

Discard any cards you did not choose to keep. Create a faceup discard pile for all players to discard into.

Gold Cards

Gold cards can only be played once per game, so if you played a gold card in round 1, you cannot keep that card for the next round. Gold cards you did not play can still be kept.

Rounds 2 & 3

In Round 2, you will draft 9 cards again, so when you play cards in Round 2 you will have 13 cards to choose from (9 drafted cards + the 4 cards you saved from Round 1).

You will get to play 7 cards in Round 2 instead of 6. You will get to play 8 cards in Round 3 instead of 7. You will get to keep 5 cards instead of 4 at the end of Round 2.

You can always look back at the cards you kept from last round.

Endgame Scoring

You can score victory points throughout the game by playing starfish bonuses, but most of the points are scored at the end of the game.

Winning 1st, 2nd, or 3rd on each track is worth points. (Printed caption beside the scoreboard markers: "These all represent 1 point.")

Scoring Example

Turtle scored 22 on the tentacle track, Dolphin scored 17, Sting Ray scored 15, and Octopus scored 6.

Move the turtle meeple on the tentacle track to the 1st place spot and award this player 10 starfish victory points. Continue to award points for 2nd and 3rd place.

Although Octopus is further along on the track than Stingray, Octopus hasn't placed any coral, so he gets 4th place and no points.

Repeat this scoring process for the mermaid and trident tracks.

Players will also score 1 point for every 3 pearls they have left at the end of the game.

The player farthest along the starfish track wins the game! If there is a tie, the player with the most pearls left wins. If still tied, share the victory.

5 Player: Normal Scoring

4 Player: Normal Scoring

3 Player Scoring: Do not award points for 3rd place.

2 Player Scoring: Only 1 player will be awarded points for each track. If you win the track, place your sea creature on the "2nd place" spot and gain that amount of points.

2 Player Setup

Use the "A", "B", and "C" card sets like in a 3 person game for your first game. Add 2 "pearl cards" for each card set in the game. (6 total Pearl cards)

Pass out 9 cards to each player for Round 1, then divide the remaining deck of cards in half and place both in the middle of the table but on opposite sides of the scoreboard as shown in the printed diagram.

2 Player Rules

Each time you draft a card, you will also pick a card from your draft pile to discard from the game.

Create a face-up discard pile on your left. Then add a random card from the left deck back to this draft pile, and pass this draft pile to the left. Continue this until 9 cards have been drafted. Repeat this in all 3 rounds.

Pass left the entire game. There's no need to pass to the right.

Players may look through the discard pile at any time.

Solo Mode

Solo mode is similar to multiplayer mode. You will try to build a more magnificent garden than Lord Frith, the richest merman under the sea.

Set Up

Give yourself a Player Mat, 5 pearls, and 4 Sea Creatures. Place the Sea Creatures on each track like in the regular game. Also choose a Sea Creature to represent Lord Frith, and place them on the tracks.

For your first game, you will use the Module A and B cards, and 4 Pearls Cards. This will be 54 cards. Shuffle them.

Each round take 18 cards. Set them in piles of 2, 3, 4, 4, and 5 in front of you.

Solo Mode Gameplay

Draft Phase

From the pile of 2, draft one card for yourself and give one to Lord Frith, across the table from yourself.

From the pile of 3, draft one for yourself, randomly give one to Lord Frith, and set the 3rd card aside. (You will always give one to yourself, one to Lord Frith, and all remaining cards are set aside for later.)

Do the same with the piles of 4, 4, and 5 so when you are finished both you and the Kraken (as printed; the solo rules otherwise name Lord Frith) have five cards and there are eight cards set aside.

Now shuffle the eight cards and make piles of 2, 3, and 3. Repeat the process of drafting cards for yourself and randomly giving cards to Lord Frith.

After this there should be two cards leftover, of which you draft one and give one to Lord Frith. Both "players" should now have nine cards.

Collect Phase / Play Phase

Collect pearls and play your turn like in a normal game. Lord Frith never collects pearls and automatically plays all of his cards. He does not have to meet the card requirements. If he receives a Pearl Card, he simply scores two points.

Both players advance on tracks normally, both collecting track bonuses when applicable. Lord Frith receives 2 points instead of pearls when crossing a 2 pearl bonus space.

At the end of each round, keep cards like in a normal game. Always keep all of Lord Frith's cards face up. You can always check them.

• Easy mode: Lord Frith keeps zero cards after rounds 1 and 2.
• Normal: Lord Frith keeps two random cards (no golds).
• Hard: Lord Frith keeps four random cards.

Scoring

Score after three rounds. Use the 3rd place prizes for the tentacle, mermaid, and trident tracks. You score leftover pearls like normal. Lord Frith will have no pearls to score. The furthest along the fame track wins!

Card Glossary

The printed glossary is marked as incomplete by the publisher; the entries are transcribed as printed.

• Pay 1 less: Work in progress
• Big Fish: Work in progress
• Play with another...: Work in progress
• Play an extra card: Work in progress
• Double: Work in progress
• ETC.

FAQ

Can I play a 3 person game with the B, C, and D cards?

Yes, feel free to mix and match the modules once you are experienced. Keep in mind that module E has all card types in it, so it may lead to less synergistic combos. This applies to 2 player mode and solo mode as well.