Curators Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• What's in the Box
• Overview
• Goal of the Game
• Setup
• Your Turn
  • Allocate an Employee
  • Double Allocate Employees
• Employee Actions
  • Carpenter
  • Archaeologist
  • Collection Manager
  • Restorer
  • Financial Manager
• Completing Contracts
• Game End
• Scoring
• Glossary
• Solo Play
  • Rule Changes
• Missions
  • Local Museum
  • State Museum
  • LVR-LandesMuseum, Bonn, Germany
  • Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • The Field Museum, Chicago, USA
• Advanced Rule Card: Draft

What's in the Box

• 4 Rulebooks (English, French, Italian, German)
• 1 Auction house board
• 1 End game token
• 1 Starting player token
• 4 Museum entrance boards
• 4 sets of 5 Employee chips
• 26 Wing tiles
• 70 Object tokens (3 colors)
• 36 Visitor tokens
• 25 $1000 tokens
• 25 $5000 tokens
• 14 Standard contract cards
• 14 Complicated contract cards
• 4 Advanced rule cards (Optional)

Overview

In Curators, each player takes on the role of a museum's chief curator. During the game, you allocate your employees, represented by the employee chips.

You use the Carpenter to build wings where the Restorer exhibits objects collected by the Archaeologist and the Collection Manager. Doing this lets you attract visitors and fulfill contracts. The Financial Manager allows you to collect entrance fees from your visitors to finance your endeavors.

Make sure to plan ahead, because when there are no more wings left to build, the game will soon be over.

Goal of the Game

After the last wing is taken the game goes on for two more rounds. Then visitor points (VP) are counted and the player with the most VP wins.

You score VP for:

• Exhibited objects
• Completed wings with VP values
• Completed contracts
• Unspent money

Setup

1. Place the end game disc face down in the middle of the table.

2. Take the wings according to the box below, and place them in random order forming a spiral with the end game token at the center. These are the available wings.

   • 4 Players: All wings (26)
   • 3 Players: Remove the 4-person wings (21)
   • 2 Players: Remove the 3-person and 4-person wings (17)

3. Place the auction house where everyone can reach it.

4. Place one object of each color on the bottom spaces of the auction house and on the end game disc. Leave the remaining objects close to the auction house - this is the excavation site.

5. Give each player a set of 5 double-sided employee chips matching their chosen color. Place all chips with the cog side facing up.

6. Give each player a museum entrance.

7. Give each player $4000. Place the remaining money within reach.

8. Give each player a visitor token. Place the remaining tokens within reach.

9. Shuffle the standard contracts and complicated contracts separately. Deal each player one card from each deck, face down. Keep them hidden from other players.

10. Choose a starting player and give that player the starting player token.

Suggestion: The player who last visited a museum starts.

Optional: If playing the advanced version, shuffle the advanced rule cards and draw one or more cards. Read the new rules and make sure everyone understands them before starting.

Your Turn

As a chief curator, your job is to direct work at the museum: allocating employees to projects, creating collaborative teams, and acquiring new contracts.

On your turn, you must choose a single or double allocation and take the corresponding action(s).

Allocate an Employee

When allocating an employee you must:

1. Select the face-up action of any double-sided employee chip.
2. Flip the chip and perform the action.

Example: On Jacob's first turn he flips the Carpenter. When it's Jacob's turn again he has two of his Financial managers available. He allocates both at the same time, taking their action twice.

Double Allocate Employees

If you ever have two identical symbols facing up on your employee chips, you may allocate both of those at the same time in a double allocation, flipping both chips and taking the corresponding action twice.

Important: When double allocating you must always perform the action twice. If you are unable to do so you are not allowed to double allocate.

Employee Actions

Each side of an employee chip corresponds to an employee action:

• Carpenter - Add wings to your museum.
• Archaeologist - Get objects and add objects to the auction house.
• Collection Manager - Buy objects from the auction house.
• Restorer - Exhibit objects and gain visitors.
• Financial Manager - Collect money.

All employee actions can also be found on the back of this rulebook for quick reference.

Carpenter

The Carpenter's job is to build exciting new displays where objects can be displayed.

When ALLOCATED:

1. Choose one wing from the available wings.
2. Pay for it.
3. Place it in your museum.

The cost of wings is based on their relative positions in the spiral at the start of a given turn. The outermost wing is always free to take, and the wings further in increase in cost by $1000 for each wing you skip ($0, $1000, $2000, $3000, $4000...). You can take any wing from the available wings, as long as you can pay for it.

When placing wings, they must be placed door-to-door with an exhibit on a previously placed tile, or with the museum entrance. You may flip a wing to get a mirrored version of the tile. Placed wings cannot be moved.

The player who takes the last wing flips over the end game token and places one of the objects on it in their storage. The end game phase has now started and you can no longer take wings, but you can still allocate the Carpenter to receive $1000 per allocation.

When DOUBLE ALLOCATED: Pay for the wings according to their positions before taking them from the spiral.

Example: Malva double allocates her Carpenters to build the first wing in the spiral as well as the second wing. She pays $0 for the first wing and $1000 for the second wing.

Archaeologist

Archaeologists study the past by excavating objects from sites of historical interest. To finance their excavations, they sometimes sell objects by auctioning them to other museums.

When ALLOCATED:

1. Take one object of any color from the excavation site and put it in your storage.
2. Take one object of the same color and put it in the auction house.

Always fill the auction house from bottom up, with one object per space. Only put an object in the auction house if there is room for it.

If at any moment there are more than 6 objects in your storage, you must discard down to 6. You choose which objects to keep. Discarded objects are put into the auction house.

When DOUBLE ALLOCATED: You may take objects of two different colors.

Collection Manager

The Collection Manager is responsible for acquiring objects from other museums or collectors.

When ALLOCATED:

1. Take one or more objects of one color from the auction house.
2. Pay for them.
3. Place them in your storage.

The cost is indicated next to the auction house spaces.

Example: Hanna buys the two red objects, paying $1000 for the first one and $2000 for the second one, for a total of $3000.

There is no limit to the number of objects you can buy from the first line of the auction house. Take objects from the excavation site when buying from this space.

If at any moment there are more than 6 objects in your storage you must discard down to 6. You choose which objects to keep. Discarded objects are put back into the auction house.

When DOUBLE ALLOCATED: You must buy objects of two different colors.

Restorer

The Restorer's role is to discover the provenance of objects in the museum and to prepare them for viewing. After the Restorer completes a new exhibition a grand opening is held, attracting visitors to the museum.

When ALLOCATED:

1. Take one or more objects of one color from your storage.
2. Place them in any empty exhibits of the same color.
3. For each wing you complete during this action, place one visitor on your visitor track. Always place new visitors on the next empty space in the line.
4. If the square on the visitor track you filled contains wax seals, draw one of each type of contract and choose one to keep.

Important: Objects can not be moved after they have been placed in exhibits.

Important: You can never have more than 9 visitors on your visitor track.

When DOUBLE ALLOCATED: You must exhibit objects of two different colors.

Financial Manager

The museum's Financial Manager is responsible for acquiring grants and marketing the museum to visitors.

When ALLOCATED:

1. Receive $1000 for each visitor token on your visitor track.

Example: Lilja has three visitors on her visitor track. When she allocates the Financial manager she gets $3000.

When DOUBLE ALLOCATED: Receive $2000 for each visitor token on your visitor track.

Completing Contracts

As museums across the globe struggle to attract visitors, some have resorted to renting out their most precious artifacts. Loan contracts are usually governed by complicated rules which ensure loaned objects are displayed in a favorable way.

Contracts are a great way of earning significant points at the end of the game. You start the game with two contracts but you can acquire more by attracting visitors to your museum.

To complete a contract:

1. Build wings, placing them so that the exhibits match the shape and colors on the contract.
2. Fill those exhibits with objects.

The shape may exist anywhere in your museum, in any orientation. Gaps on the contract layout may be filled in with a wing, or be left empty.

To fill wildcard symbols any color exhibit can be used, as long as it has an exhibited object. Contracts may overlap, meaning the same exhibit can be used for multiple contracts.

At the end of the game, contracts are revealed, checked for completion, and scored according to their VP value.

Example: Alexander has completed a contract using a black exhibit for the wildcard symbol. This grants him 5 VP at game end.

Game End

Each year, curators compete to have the most visited museum in the world. It's a tough competition but for those lucky enough to win, there is prestige and money to be earned.

The end of the game is triggered when the last wing is taken. The current round is then played out, followed by two more full rounds. After that, the game ends.

When taking the last wing, the active player:

• Chooses an object from the end game token to put in their storage.
• Then flips the end game token.

After the last wing has been built, you can no longer build wings. You may still allocate the Carpenter, but instead of taking a wing you will receive $1000.

Clarification: If the last wing is taken as the first action of a double allocation of the carpenter, the second action will give the player a $1000.

Scoring

When the game ends, each player scores visitor points (VP) as follows:

• For every $4000 - 1 VP.
• For each completed contract - VP as indicated on the contract.
• For every completed wing with a VP value - VP as indicated on the wing.
• For each object displayed on a wing - 1 VP.
• If playing the advanced version: Score any advanced objectives.

The player with the most VP wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most money wins.

Example: At the end of the game, Per has the following: $9000; 2 completed contracts worth 4 and 5 VP; 3 completed wings worth 0, 2, and 4 VP; and 11 objects exhibited on wings.

This earns him the following VP:

• Money: 9/4 = 2 VP.
• Contracts: 4 + 5 = 9 VP.
• Wings: 2 + 4 = 6 VP.
• Objects: 11 = 11 VP.

Giving him a total of: 2 + 9 + 6 + 11 = 28 VP.

Glossary

• Advanced rule
• Allocation: The act of flipping an employee chip and taking its action.
• Storage
• Auction house
• Available wings: Wings in the spiral.
• Completed contract: A contract, of yours, whose shape occurs in your museum and where each exhibit has been filled.
• Completed wing: Wing with exhibited objects on all exhibits.
• Complicated contract
• Contract
• Double allocation: The act of flipping two employee chips of the same type, taking their action twice.
• Employee chip
• Exhibit
• Exhibited object
• Excavation site: The space on the board where objects are kept.
• Museum entrance
• Objects
• End game token
• Standard contract
• Visitor
• Visitor point (VP)
• Visitor track
• Wildcard
• Wing

Solo Play

After having studied for several years, you have a burning desire to become the top Curator in the world. But looking for your first job has proved harder than you first thought. None of the famous museums have even replied to your application. You will have to prove yourself before you can get those top jobs. Fortunately, you have heard about a local museum that might just give you a shot at getting some experience under your belt.

In Solo Play, you advance in your career by taking on jobs from different museums, in the form of missions. On each mission you play a game of 18 turns during which you have to complete all the mission objectives.

Rule Changes

Setup

Starting contracts: If the mission states you need to complete certain contracts take them, otherwise play without contracts.

Setup of available wings:

1. Take all wings.
2. Organize them into four columns depending on the size of the wing: 1, 2, 3, and 4 exhibits.

Your turn

You do not draw new contracts when placing visitors. You can track the number of turns you take with the tracker on the back of the Museum entrance boards.

Employee actions

When allocating the Carpenter:

1. Choose any wing.
2. Pay $0, $1000, $2000, or $3000 depending on its size.

Game end

Game end triggers after you have taken 18 turns on a mission. If you haven't completed the objectives by then you have to retry that mission.

Stars

Stars are awarded when you complete a mission. Depending on the amount of VP or money you have accumulated, you receive a different star rating.

Only the best Curators can complete all missions with a three star rating.

Missions

Solo Play offers you a more and more difficult set of puzzles. To advance from one mission to the next, you need to complete the objective listed under that mission, in a fixed number of turns.

When playing a Solo Play Mission where the objective is to complete specific contracts, you start with those contracts.

Each mission below lists its star ratings as Complete / 2-star threshold / 3-star threshold, based on the VP (or money, where noted) you have accumulated when you complete the objective.

Local Museum

The local museum has not gotten much attention in the past few years. Fortunately, they still have some money left to reorganize. As its new curator, you have been given a shot at getting the museum back on its feet.

Star ratings: Complete / 20 VP / 25 VP.

Objective:

• Score 17 VP for the museum.

State Museum

After the success at your local museum, the state museum has offered to hire you. The museum has struggled with securing finances and is looking for your help to regain its footing.

Star ratings: Complete / 31 VP / 35 VP.

Objective:

• Score 25 VP for the museum.
• After turn 5 pay $5000.
• After turn 10 pay $5000.
• After turn 15 pay $5000.

Advanced Rule Card: "Largest area".

LVR-LandesMuseum, Bonn, Germany

The LVR-LandesMuseum is the Rhineland State Museum. It was founded in 1820 and holds a collection of more than 4 Million objects, from archeological findings to modern art. Its permanent exhibition presents a 300,000 year journey through the region's cultural history from the Neanderthal man to the present day.

Restaurationsprojekt

The museum has offered you an interim position. You will oversee the museum's restoration of some of its more important objects.

Star ratings: Complete / 35 VP / 38 VP.

Objective:

• Complete the contract "The Neanderthal man".
• Complete the contract "Fritzdorf gold beaker".
• Complete the contract "The dicetower of a Roman soldier".

Dr. Izabela

With your success on the previous mission, the museum has asked if you could help introduce their new archaeologist, Dr. Izabela Christoforou.

Star ratings: Complete / 25 VP / 30 VP.

Objective:

• Build a "Stone age hall", a 2x4 section in black.
• All wings must be completed.

Special Action: Once, when allocating the archaeologist(s), put 2 objects, in the color of your choice, into the auction house instead of one.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Rijksmuseum is the premier museum of the Netherlands. In 2013, an entirely renovated Rijksmuseum opened its doors to the public. Visitors are now greeted by a stunning building, amazing interior design, wonderful exhibitions, lively events, and many fine amenities for young and old.

Expansion

Dr. Izabela helped you get in contact with Rijksmuseum who needs help with a gallery expansion and completing a restoration project.

Star ratings: Complete / 26 VP / 30 VP.

Objective:

• Build a "Courtyard", a 3x1 section of empty spaces surrounded by exhibition tiles.
• Complete the contract "The night watch, Rembrandt".

Art History

With the new gallery completed it's time to prepare the museum's art for hanging.

Star ratings: Complete / 38 VP / 42 VP.

Objective:

• Complete the contract "The milkmaid, J. Vermeer".
• Complete the contract "Self-portrait 1887, V. van Gogh".
• Complete the contract "The night watch, Rembrandt".
• Complete the contract "Floral still life, H. Bollongier".

Jazz Night with Edgar

Everything is ready for the grand opening! The museum will host a grandiose gala with jazz music and art lectures. You have been tasked with showing a famous art expert, Edgar Hunt, around the museum before his lecture.

Star ratings: Complete / 22 VP / 27 VP.

Objective:

• Build an "Art corridor", a 8x1 section in red.
• All wings must be completed.

Special Action: Once, when buying from the auction house, you may buy red objects for $1000 less each.

The Field Museum, Chicago, USA

The Field Museum's collection grew out of 65,000 items from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Since then the collection has grown to nearly 40 million artifacts and specimens. The breadth of the Museum's mission has expanded as well to focus on research, conservation, and education to ensure that the planet thrives for generations to come.

A New Find

You have been asked by the Field Museum to help identify and assemble a dinosaur skeleton that was recently excavated. They also need to make room for the display. Oh, and it's important that the new expansion does not affect the museum's visitor count.

Star ratings: Complete / 26 VP / 28 VP.

Objective:

• Complete the contract "Maximo (Titanosaur)".
• Build a "Dinosaur exhibition room", a 3x3 section in blue.
• Have at least 7 visitors.

Financial Aid to Kenji

With your recent success, you have been invited to stay as curator for the near future. Your first job will be to help Kenji Iwata in the financial department.

Star ratings (money): Complete / $50K / $64K.

Objective:

• Collect at least $40,000.

Special Action: Once, after allocating the financial manager(s), pay $1000 per empty space in the museum, to gain that many visitors.

Game Night

The Field Museum is collaborating with a number of other museums to host a board game night, showcasing old games. Your job is to prepare the games for the night.

Star ratings: Complete / 35 VP / 38 VP.

Objective:

• Complete the contract "Lewis chessmen".
• Complete the contract "The dicetower of a Roman soldier".
• Complete the contract "Tutankhamun's senet board".

Museum of the Year!

After all your hard work, finally some recognition! You have been nominated for the museum of the year award! Now you have to make sure you can please the judges. Your old friend from the University, Elsa Andersson, will help you.

Star ratings: Complete / 30 VP / 32 VP.

Objective:

• Have an equal number of black, blue, and red exhibitions.
• Complete the contract "Sue (T-Rex)".
• Score at least 25 VP.
• Have at least 8 visitors.

Special Action: When allocating the Restorer(s), if you have completed the contract, place an extra object of any color from your storage into your museum.

Advanced Rule Card: Draft

Before the start of the game give each player two of each type of contract. Each player then chooses one of those cards and passes the rest to the player on their left. Now each player chooses one of the three cards they were given and passes the rest of the cards on to the left. This procedure is then repeated until each player has four contracts. Now the game proceeds as normally.