Das Labyrinth des Pharao Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setting up the Game
• Idea of the Game
• The Basic Game (for amateur Treasure Hunters)
  • The Turn
  • The Treasure Hunter
  • The Corridor Marker
  • End of the game and scoring
• The Professional Game (for professional Treasure Hunters)
• Optional - Betting with the Treasure Hunters
• The solo game (for lonely Treasure Hunters)

Components

1. 5 pyramid player boards
2. 5 sets of 28 corridor tiles with numbers 1-5, 6-14 (2x) and 15-19
3. 5 Treasure Hunters
4. 5 sets of 3 corridor markers
5. 5 sets of 12 treasure pieces (each having 3 red, 4 green and 5 blue)
6. 28 number cards displaying 1-5, 6-14 (2x) and 15-19
7. 15 special treasures (purple)
8. 5 High and 5 Low tiles

(Note: the English list prints item (5) as "5 sets of treasures"; the German list and setup text give 12 pieces per set.)

Setting up the Game

• Each player takes a player board (1) and a set of corridor tiles (2), sorting them numerically. Stack up the double tiles in the 6-14 range.
• Each player takes a Treasure Hunter (3), a set of three corridor markers (4) and a set of twelve treasure pieces (5).
• Shuffle the number cards (6) to form a deck and place them face down within reach of all the players.
• Place the special treasures (7) and High/Low tiles (8) aside. They are only needed for the Option: Betting with the Treasure Hunters.
• Have pencil and paper handy to record victory points.

Idea of the Game

The players are Treasure Hunters trying to enter a recently discovered pyramid. Inside, treasures are waiting, hidden in special chambers. The players place corridor tiles one by one, trying to create a single path, as long as possible, through the pyramid. In addition, treasure pieces can be placed. Together, tiles and treasures determine the victory points for each player in the end.

The Basic Game (for amateur Treasure Hunters)

The Turn

Each turn, one player reveals the uppermost number card, for all to see.

A. Place Tiles

Each player now takes the corridor tile having the corresponding number and places it entirely within one of their board spaces. Players are free to decide which space to use and how to orient the tile.

B. Place Treasure Pieces

Once all players have placed their tiles, each has the option to place treasure pieces. The following rules apply:

• A player can place one treasure piece onto each scarab.
• Treasure pieces can only be placed onto the tile which was placed during the current turn.
• Initially players must use the blue treasure pieces. Only when these are used up, they may use the green ones, and finally when these are exhausted, the red ones.
• Treasure pieces have the following point values: blue = 1, green = 2, red = 3.

Examples:

• A. (1) You can place a treasure piece this way. (2) Placement is not possible this way.
• B. (3) You can place a treasure piece onto each of these scarabs.

Once all players have performed their actions, the next number card is revealed, and the next turn begins.

The Treasure Hunter

By the end of the third turn, each player must decide where to start the path through the pyramid, meaning they must choose ...

a) one of the three entrance portals, and

b) which side of the portal to use (right or left).

To decide this, a player places the Treasure Hunter next to the entrance and moves it along an existing path as far as possible (see picture). On future turns, whenever the path extends, the Treasure Hunter proceeds further into the maze. Its position indicates the extent of the player's path.

The Corridor Marker

To make counting easier, place corridor markers on your path, as follows:

• at 15 paces in, place the white marker
• at 30 paces, the grey marker
• at 45 paces, the black marker

The more you enter the pyramid, the darker the markers become.

End of the game and scoring

When all 25 pyramid spaces are covered with tiles, the game is over. The three remaining tiles are not used. Each player counts the individual paces of his path (counting one quarter of a tile as a pace), starting from the entrance. Score victory points as follows:

• 1 victory point for each pace in the path (picture: 27 victory points)
• For each treasure piece on the board, the corresponding 1, 2 or 3 victory points, if they meet the following requirements (Example a):
  1. The treasure chamber (= one quarter of any tile) is surrounded by four walls.
  2. The treasure chamber touches the Treasure Hunter's path with at least one wall.
• Treasure pieces in a corridor are worth nothing.
• The outer edge of the pyramid is regarded as a wall. However, the pyramid's three entrance portals are not.

Remove treasure pieces that do not meet these requirements (Example b). Add all victory points.

The player with the most Victory Points wins. In case of a tie, all such tied players are considered winners.

The Professional Game (for professional Treasure Hunters)

Use the Basic Game Rules. But in the professional version, players freely choose which type of treasure piece to place.

Scoring is now determined as follows:

• Apply the scoring rules as in the basic game.
• For each treasure piece, determine at which pace its chamber first touches the path. The location of this pace determines its scoring multiplier.

Using the corridor markers, consider the path as composed of up to 4 path segments.

• Starting field to 15 paces
• 16 to 30 paces
• 31 to 45 paces
• 46 and farther paces

Each treasure piece's value is multiplied by its segment multiplier:

Pace	1-15	16-30	31-45	46+
Multiplier	x1	x2	x3	x4

Players add these victory points to the points obtained from the path.

Example for scoring with treasure pieces, x1, x2, x3, x4 multiplier.

The player scoring the most points wins. In case of a tie, all such tied players are considered winners.

Optional - Betting with the Treasure Hunters

When these rules are used, players can obtain additional treasures to place. The special treasures (purple) each have a value of 4 points.

Preparation:

Each player receives a High and a Low tile. The special treasures are placed nearby.

You can play this variant using the basic or professional rules. Game play is normal. The betting results have no effect on the game itself.

Play:

Change the rules as follows:

Now the number cards are revealed into 5 stacks of 5 cards each. The first 5 cards are played as normal. However, before the sixth and each subsequent card is revealed, players may place their bets.

Betting occurs over three rounds, consisting of 5 cards each. More precisely, the rounds consist of cards 6-10, 11-15 and 16-20. Before a new number card is revealed, each player takes either his High or Low tile and places it face-down. The other tile remains concealed in hand.

Placing the High (Low) tile is a bet that the next card will show a higher (lower) number than the last. When the number card is revealed, evaluate the results as follows:

• The player has guessed correctly. He remains in the betting round.
• The player has guessed incorrectly. He is out of the current betting round, but can enter the next round (when the next stack of cards is used).
• If the revealed number card shows the same number as the previous one, all of these players remain in the betting round.

Any player who, at the end of the betting round, has guessed correctly five times in a row, is rewarded with one of the 15 special treasures (with a value of 4 points each).

In the basic game the special treasures can be used after all of one's red treasure pieces are used.

In the professional game, they can be used at any time. Special treasures must be placed in compliance with the existing rules.

(Picture caption: Placement of the cards after the game, using the optional rules for betting with the treasure hunters.)

The solo game (for lonely Treasure Hunters)

In a solo game, the player sets up the game as described above and tries to obtain the highest possible score.

You can use the basic or professional rules.