Dimension Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Components
Preparation
Gameplay
End of the Round
End of the Game
The Seven Card Types
If Task Cards Contradict Each Other
Solo Game
Game Variants
Example

Game Components

4 Player trays
12 Self-adhesive feet for the underside of the player trays
60 Spheres (orange, blue, green, black, and white; 12 of each color)
60 Task cards
90 Point tokens:
- 30 x "1"
- 20 x "5"
- 10 x "10"
- 6 x "20"
- 24 x "50"
30 Bonus tokens
4 Overview tiles

Important! Do this first: Before the first game, attach the three self-adhesive feet to the underside of each player tray (on the gray spots).

The player tray has slots on its outer edge used to store a player's spheres. The seven round holes in the center are the playing area: during each game round, position the spheres in the best possible way in these seven round holes to earn points.

Preparation

Each player takes a player tray and places it in front of himself or herself.
Each player takes 15 spheres. Place three spheres of each color (orange, blue, green, black, and white) in the five slots in your tray. Do not fill the round holes yet. (In a game with fewer than four players, the remaining spheres remain in the box; they are not required.)
Each player receives an overview tile and places it beside his or her tray. The overview tiles contain a brief explanation of the task cards.
Each player receives point tokens worth a total of ten points (one five-point token and five one-point tokens).
Sort the remaining point tokens by value and place them to the side along with the bonus tokens as the general supply.
Shuffle the task cards and arrange them face down in a stack.
Place the hourglass so that it is clearly visible to all players.

Gameplay

This is what happens during a game round:

Draw the top six task cards and place them face up in the center so that they are clearly visible to all players. Each card indicates how to position the spheres on the player trays. When playing the game for the first time, you should discuss the meaning of the task cards with your opponents, see "The Seven Card Types."
Flip the hourglass.
While the hourglass runs down, all players try to complete the tasks and position the spheres correctly on their own trays. You may stack the spheres — one sphere fits on top of exactly three spheres below it. Hence, you can accommodate a total of 11 spheres on three levels.
As soon as all of the sand has passed through the hourglass, the players may no longer add, remove, or move spheres.

The three levels

The seven round holes hold the spheres on three levels:

Level one has room for seven spheres.
Level two can hold up to three spheres. (Two spheres on level two do not touch each other; three spheres on level two do touch each other.)
Level three accommodates one sphere.

5. Receiving or discarding point tokens

+1 point for each sphere on your own tray: Each player receives one point for each sphere on his or her tray and places the point tokens earned in front of himself or herself. (For example, if you placed eight spheres on your tray, you receive eight points, and if you placed 11 spheres, you receive 11 points.)

-2 points for each task that isn't completed: One of the players reads the tasks of the cards aloud, one by one — for example, "Black and blue must touch each other." Each player checks his or her tray and answers "yes" if he or she has completed the corresponding task (he or she doesn't receive any additional points) or "no" if he or she hasn't completed the task. For each task indicated on a task card that a player did not complete, he or she must discard point tokens worth a total of two points. (For example, if you failed to complete a task indicated on one of the six task cards, you must discard two one-point tokens. If you failed to complete five tasks, you must discard point tokens worth a total of ten points.)

Note: You can exchange tokens with the general supply pile at any time — e.g., five one-point tokens for one five-point token.

6. Receiving a bonus token

+1 bonus token for using all five colors and completing all tasks: If you have completed all of the tasks indicated on the six task cards correctly and if you have placed at least one sphere of each of the five colors on your tray, then you receive one bonus token. You must complete all tasks and use all five colors of spheres to get one bonus token. The number of bonus tokens you collect can determine victory or defeat — see the bonus token overview under "End of the Game."

End of the Round

Put the six task cards from this round aside.
Put the spheres back into the slots in the player trays.
The next round starts by revealing six new task cards.
A total of six rounds are played.

End of the Game

After six rounds, the players receive point tokens for their bonus tokens — see the following table. The player with the most points wins the game. If there is a tie, the tied player who collected more bonus tokens wins. If there is a tie in this case, the tied players share the win.

How to convert the number of bonus tokens into points:

Tokens	0	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	-6	-3	-1	0	1	3	6

The Seven Card Types

Below, the 60 cards are grouped by card type and explained.

Note: The player trays are die cut in such a way that some space remains between the spheres of the bottom level — however, all spheres directly adjacent to each other "touch" each other. (For example, an orange sphere in the center touches all surrounding spheres; a black sphere touches both orange spheres and the blue sphere, and so on. A blue sphere, two orange spheres, and a white sphere placed together all touch each other.)

1. There must be exactly this many spheres!

These task cards indicate exactly how many spheres in the quantity and color shown on the card must be placed on the tray. Where you place the spheres and whether or not the spheres touch each other is irrelevant. (In the example, exactly one green sphere and two orange spheres must be placed.)

If you placed more or fewer spheres than shown on the task card, you have not completed the task indicated on the card.

Special case: If two task cards of the same sphere color are displayed — for example, the green "1" + the green "2" — the numbers on both cards are added. (In this example, all three green spheres must be placed.) If you placed fewer than the total number of spheres, you have not completed the task indicated on the task card.

2. The spheres must touch each other!

If spheres of both colors indicated on the card are placed on the tray, each of these spheres must touch at least one sphere of the other color (side by side or on top of each other). It is allowed to either not place spheres of the two colors on the tray at all or place only a sphere (or multiple spheres) of just one of the two colors. If the card shows two spheres of the same color, you are not breaking the rule if you place only one sphere of that color. (In the example, white spheres must touch each other, and blue and black spheres must touch each other.)

If you placed spheres of both colors on the tray, and any sphere of one of the colors is not touching any sphere of the other color, you have not completed the task indicated on the task card.

3. The spheres must not touch each other!

These cards prohibit spheres of the colors depicted from touching each other on the tray. They must not be positioned side by side or on top of each other. (In the example, white and green spheres must not touch each other, and blue spheres must not touch each other. Note: white and green spheres on level two do not touch each other.)

Even if only one sphere touches another sphere in violation of this constraint, the task indicated on the task card is not completed.

4. A sphere must not be above any other spheres!

The solid-colored sphere shown on the card must not be placed on top of other spheres, although it may be located underneath other spheres. Therefore, the sphere is only positioned correctly if it is located on the bottom level. (In the example, orange spheres must not be located on top of other spheres; they may only be located on level one.)

Note: The striped sphere on a card represents any sphere color. The light-colored triangle in the background of a card indicates the top (tip of the triangle) and the bottom (base of the triangle) of the card. That way, the card remains unambiguous even if it is upside down.

If you placed any sphere below the solid-colored sphere shown, you have not completed the task indicated on the task card.

5. A sphere must not be below any other spheres!

The solid-colored sphere shown on the card must not be placed underneath other spheres such that the other spheres are physically resting on top it. The sphere shown may be located on any level as long as there is nothing physically resting on top of it. (In the example, white spheres must not be located below other spheres.)

Note: Even if it is on the bottom level, a white sphere is not breaking the rule as long as there is no sphere physically resting on top of it.

If you placed any sphere on top of the solid-colored sphere shown, you have not completed the task indicated on the task card.

6. There must be more spheres of one color than spheres of another!

You must place more spheres of the color shown on the left side of the card than of the color shown on the right side. Where you place the spheres and whether or not the spheres touch each other is irrelevant. You must place at least one sphere of the color shown on the left side. (In the example, more orange spheres than black spheres must be placed.)

If you placed a number of the spheres shown on the left less than or equal to the number of spheres shown on the right, you have not completed the task indicated on the task card.

7. The combined total number of spheres in both colors must be exactly four!

You must place a combined total of exactly four spheres of the two colors shown — be it three of one color and one of the other or two and two. Where you place the spheres and whether or not the spheres touch each other is irrelevant. (In the example, exactly four spheres of the colors orange and white must be placed.)

If you placed a total of either more or fewer than four spheres of the two colors shown, you have not completed the task indicated on the task card.

If Task Cards Contradict Each Other

If the indications on the displayed task cards contradict each other (for example, "Black and blue must touch each other" and "Black and blue must not touch each other"), each player must decide individually which of the two cards to follow — and since they won't complete the task indicated on the other card, they must accept the corresponding loss of points.

Solo Game

You can also play Dimension by yourself. Play the game as described above. At the end, add up your points and compare your score with previous solo games.

Game Variants

If you prefer a more difficult game, reveal eight task cards instead of only six.
If you want fewer task cards that contradict each other (or none at all), when revealing the task cards you may return a card to the bottom of the stack if it contradicts one of the already revealed cards (for example, "White and orange must touch each other" and "White and orange must not touch each other") and reveal a new card instead.
As another option to reduce the number of contradicting task cards, you can exclude the following cards:
- a) Card Type 1: The "exactly this many" cards.
- b) Card Type 6 and 7: The "more than" cards and the "combined total" cards.

Example

In an example game with three players (A, B, and C):

Receiving point tokens:

Player A placed 11 spheres on his tray and receives 11 points.
Player B receives 10 points for her 10 spheres.
Player C receives 11 points.

Discarding point tokens:

Player A has completed all tasks indicated on the cards, except for the task "The combined total number of spheres in both colors (orange and white) must be exactly four." He discards two point tokens. Since he didn't complete all tasks indicated on the six task cards correctly, he cannot receive a bonus token.
Player B has completed all tasks indicated on the cards, except for the task "There must be exactly this many (orange) spheres." She discards two point tokens. Since she didn't complete all tasks indicated on the six task cards correctly, she cannot receive a bonus token.
Player C has completed all tasks indicated on the cards and doesn't have to discard any point tokens. Since player C completed all tasks indicated on the task cards correctly and also used five colors, he receives one bonus token.