Falling Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Solo Components
• Setup
  • General Setup
  • Player Setup
  • Select a Partner
  • Resources and Materials
  • Victory Point Cards
• Game Flow
  • 1: Preparation Phase
  • 2: Supply Phase
  • 3: Exploration Phase
    • Sub-action: Use Guild Effect
    • Action
  • 4: Income Phase
  • 5: Progress Phase
• End of Game
  • Final Scoring
• Optional Variant: Original Turn Order
• Solo Game
  • Solo Game Components
  • Solo Game Setup
  • Basic Rules for NPCs
  • End of the Game (Solo)
  • Guild Evaluation
• Icon Reference
• Partner Tiles
• Round Summary
• Credits

Components

• 1 Game Board
• Floor Tiles: 12 Normal Floor Tiles, 4 Round Floor Tiles
• Metal Turn Marker — this component is only used when playing the Optional Original Turn Order Variant (see page 16)
• 12 Partner Randomizer Cards
• Resource Cards: 12 cards for Round 1 and 2, 8 cards for Round 3 and 4
• Guild Cards: 6 cards for each of Rounds 1-3, 8 cards for Round 4
• 90 Victory Point Cards: 20 Regular Cards of each of 4 types, 10 Special Cards
• 4 Player Aid Cards
• 4 Player Boards
• 6 Partner Tiles (Double-Sided)
• Resources: 65 Coins (1x30 / 3x20 / 5x15), 65 Gas (1x30 / 3x20 / 5x15)
• Materials: 40 Iron, 40 Bricks, 35 Crystals
• 40 Skill Chips
• 4 Flying Machines (1 each in 4 colors)
• 8 Cylinders — 2 in each color: 1 Turn Order Cylinder and 1 Pass Cylinder
• 4 Score Trackers — 1 in each color
• 20 Refinery Devices (5 each in 4 colors)
• 16 Smelting Devices (4 each in 4 colors)
• 12 Mining Devices (3 each in 4 colors)
• 8 Exploration Devices (2 each in 4 colors)

Solo Components

• 3 Solo Game Summary Cards (Easy, Normal, Hard)
• 36 NPC Action Cards — 9 for each round
• 14 Round Blockade Cards
• 3 Blockade Tokens
• 1 Danda Token

Setup

Note: Additional setup rules for Solo are on page 17.

General Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the play area.
2. Shuffle all Normal Floor Tiles (the wider ones) into a face-down pile. Shuffle all Round Floor Tiles into a face-down pile. Place these piles beside the game board.
3. Draw one Normal Floor Tile for each of Floors 1-4 and place them face up. Draw one Round Floor Tile and place it face up on Floor 5.
4. Sort the Guild and Resource cards by type in their own piles: Guild 1, Guild 2, Guild 3, Guild 4, Resource 1/2, Resource 3/4. Shuffle each pile into a face-down deck beside the game board.
5. Prepare the Victory Point deck: Shuffle all Victory Point Cards into a face-down deck and place it on its indicated spot of the Victory Point Track.
6. Sort the Resources (Gas and Coins), Materials (Crystals, Iron, and Bricks), and Skill Chips by type and place them beside the game board.

Player Setup

Each player takes a Player Aid Card, chooses a color, and takes all components of that color. Then complete the following steps:

1. Place your 5 Refinery Devices, 4 Smelting Devices, 3 Mining Devices, and 2 Exploration Devices in the corresponding inset spaces of your Player Board.
2. Place your Flying Machine on any empty Flying Machine space on Floor 1 of the Tower (left side of the game board). All spaces function the same.
3. Place your Score Tracker on the 0 space of the Victory Point Track.
4. Draw a Round 4 Guild Card. You may look at it but keep it hidden and face down until Round 4. It cannot be used until then (Pg. 8).
5. Choose a starting player (randomly, or the best climber). The starting player places their Turn Order Cylinder on the 1st space of the Turn Order Track. In clockwise order, each other player places their Turn Order Cylinder on the next available space. Then, gain the following starting bonuses based on turn order as shown on the game board:
   • 1st Player: None
   • 2nd Player: 1 Victory Point and 1 Gas
   • 3rd Player: 2 Victory Points, 1 Iron, and 2 Coins
   • 4th Player: 3 Victory Points and 1 Crystal
6. For your first game, use Jini Jini and gain 2 Gas, 3 Coins, and 1 Skill Chip.
   • Alternatively, select a Partner as described below and gain the starting Resources and Materials shown in its upper-right corner.

Select a Partner

Partner Tiles and their abilities are described in detail under Partner Tiles below.

Choose one of the following options to select a Partner:

A) Use Recommended Partner Combinations

Once your group is familiar with the game and ready to use Partner Tiles, we recommend the following combinations as a starting point. Numbers indicate turn order.

• 2 Players: 1-Pilot, 2-Architect
• 3 Players: 1-Negotiator, 2-Architect, 3-Pilot
• 4 Players: 1-Negotiator, 2-Retrieve Engineer, 3-Architect, 4-Pilot

B) Use Partner Randomizer Cards

1. Shuffle the Partner Randomizer Cards and deal 1 to each player.
2. Each player takes the corresponding Partner Tile and reviews both of its sides.
3. All players simultaneously choose one of the following:
   • Jini Jini (printed on their Player Board)
   • The front side of their Partner Tile
   • The back side of their Partner Tile
4. If you chose a Partner Tile, place it in your Partner slot with the selected side face up. If you chose Jini Jini, return your Partner Tile to the box.
5. Return all Partner Randomizer Cards to the box.

C) Advanced Draft Variant

After determining turn order, reveal a number of random Partner Tiles equal to the number of players plus one. Starting with the last player and proceeding in reverse turn order, each player selects 1 Partner Tile. Return the remaining tile to the box. Each player may use either side of their selected tile.

If you elect to use a Partner tile, place it in the Partner slot with the selected side showing; otherwise, you may choose Jini Jini instead and return the drafted tile.

Resources and Materials

When acquiring Resources or Materials, unless otherwise specified, take them from the stockpile. The supply is unlimited; use substitutes as needed. Resources and Materials are public information and must remain visible to all players at all times.

Rare Ore Crystal

Rare Ore Crystal (Crystal) is the most valuable of all Materials. A Crystal may be spent as either 1 Brick or 1 Iron at any time.

Note: Crystals cannot be used in place of Resources (Coins or gas).

Victory Point Cards

"Here's a reward from the guild. Don't waste it." — Ronia, the guild's quartermaster

When you gain Victory Points, move your Score Tracker on the Victory Point Track. After space 9, the Victory Point Track loops back to space 0. Each time your Score Tracker moves from 9 to 0, draw one Victory Point Card and immediately gain its bonus. Keep the cards you gain in a face-down pile beside you as each is worth 10 Victory Points at the end of the game!

If included, the 10 foil/shiny Victory Point Cards provide more valuable immediate rewards, but each is still worth exactly 10 Victory Points.

If your Score Tracker is on 8 and you gain 4 Victory Points, move it to 9, then 0, drawing one Victory Point Card as it reaches 0, and finish on space 2.

Guild Rewards: The Research Guild gives rewards to explorers who submit worthy reports. The rewards themselves are welcome, but there are rumors that the contents of the rewards are decided at the discretion of the clerk, which has led to constant complaints from explorers. Apparently, the rewards can sometimes contain very valuable items, depending on the clerk's mood.

Game Flow

The game consists of 4 rounds. Each round is divided into 5 phases. The phases proceed in the following order:

1. Preparation Phase
2. Supply Phase
3. Exploration Phase
4. Income Phase
5. Progress Phase

1: Preparation Phase

Each player retrieves all Skill Chips placed on their Guild Cards, Partner Tile, and Player Board during the previous round.

Note: This step is skipped during Round 1. Skill Chips on Negotiation spaces of the game board are not returned to you!

2: Supply Phase

Each player draws 1 Resource Card and 1 Guild Card from the deck corresponding to the current round. Keep these cards hidden from the other players.

During Round 4, each player chooses one Guild Card to use, either the one drawn during setup or the Guild Card drawn this round. Return the unused Guild Card to the box without revealing it.

Each Resource Card and Guild Card can be used in either orientation. After drawing their cards, each player chooses an orientation for both cards and places them face down in front of them. Once all players have chosen, reveal the cards simultaneously without changing their orientation.

Immediately gain the Resources and Materials depicted on the revealed Resource Card, then return the Resource Card to the box.

Insert the Guild Card into the current round slot on your Player Board with the chosen orientation. Only the bottom half of the card remains visible. The Guild Effect shown on the visible portion of the card is available for the remainder of the game.

Example: Graham orients the Supply Card and Guild Card as shown. He immediately gains 1 Coin, 1 Brick, 1 Iron, and 1 Crystal from the Resource Card. He then returns the Resource Card to the game box and inserts the Guild Card in the orientation he selected under his Player Board.

3: Exploration Phase

Players take turns according to the Turn Order Track, beginning with the player in the 1st position.

During your turn:

• You may perform 1 Sub-action.
• You must perform 1 Action.

Continue taking turns until all players have passed.

Sub-action: Use Guild Effect

"If there's anything you need, please let us know. It won't be free, though..." — Receptionist Hannah

At the start of each of your turns during the Exploration Phase, you may place one unused Skill Chip on an empty Skill Chip space on one of your Guild Cards, your Partner Tile, or your Player Board to resolve that effect once.

Note: This is not the same as placing a Skill Chip on the game board via Negotiation, which is a separate full Action. This means you may place up to two Skill Chips during the same turn: one to use a Guild Effect and one as part of a Negotiate action.

Clarification: Some Guild Effects have 2 Skill Chip spaces. These effects may be used up to twice per round, each time you place a Skill Chip on one of its remaining empty spaces.

The Guild Effect is very powerful! As the rounds progress, you'll want to increase the number of Skill Chips as much as possible. There are limited opportunities to get them, so aim well!

Guild Card — Guild Conversion

By paying the Resources/Materials shown above the arrow, you can obtain the Reward shown below.

Example: Pay 3 Coins to gain 2 Iron.

Your Player Board includes a starting Guild Conversion. Pay any one of the following — 1 Brick, 1 Iron, 1 Gas, or 1 Coin — to gain either 2 Coins or 1 Gas.

Guild Card — Guild Income

Guild Income effects provide income during the Income Phase, regardless of whether you put a Skill Chip here during the round.

If you place a Skill Chip here during the Exploration Phase, immediately gain the shown reward.

In Summary: Ignore the Income icon on this card during the Exploration Phase, and ignore the Skill Chip space during the Income Phase.

Guild Income effects only appear on Round 1 Guild Cards. For your first few games, we recommend choosing Guild Income effects.

Research Guild and Skill Chips: The Research Guild has a long history, and has been conducting research in all fields since before the current monarchy was established. The guild has many different roles. One of them is the material management department. Explorers can collect Goods as needed.

Action

After you perform a Sub-Action (or if you cannot or elect not to), you must perform one of the following actions:

• Ascend
• Install a Device
• Negotiation
• Pass

Once all players have passed, the Exploration Phase ends.

Ascend

"The tower keeps falling while I'm climbing! How exciting!" — Explorer Danda

Pay the cost to move your Flying Machine to an empty space on a higher floor than your current floor.

• The cost is the total of all required payments shown in each red box between your current floor and the destination floor.
• Gain the bonus on the space you move to and cover with your Flying Machine.

Example: Knox ascends from the 1st floor to the 4th floor. The total Ascend cost is 10 Gas and 1 Iron or 1 Brick. After paying the cost, Knox places their Flying Machine on an empty space on the 4th floor and immediately gains 2 Gas as shown on the space they moved to.

Ascending one floor at a time may earn more destination bonuses, but other players may pass first and collect Pass Track rewards on each subsequent turn while you continue acting, so don't take too long out there!

Install a Device

Each Device has its own role. The first step is to understand the differences.

Pay the cost shown in the red box of a Device's column on your Player Board.

Place the lowest remaining Device from that column on an empty space of the Floor Tile at the same floor as your Flying Machine, subject to the Placement Limitations below:

Immediately gain any Placement Bonus covered by the Device and the Floor Bonus shown at the far right of that floor.

Placement Limitations: Spaces marked with a player-count restriction symbol are restricted by player count. A space marked as usable only in 3- or 4-player games is considered an empty space where Devices can be placed only in those player counts. A space marked as usable only in a 4-player game is considered an empty space where Devices can be placed only in a 4-player game. A Device may be placed on a blue-framed space only while that Floor Tile is on Floor 3, 4, or 5!

Example: Knox's Flying Machine is on the 4th floor, so they may install a Device on the 4th floor tile. After paying the cost, they take the lowest Refinery Device from their Player Board and place it on an empty space on the 4th floor tile. The chosen space shows a placement bonus of 1 Coin, so Knox immediately gains 1 Coin. Because the Device was installed on the 4th floor, Knox also gains the 4th-floor bonus of 2 Victory Points.

Each Device has its own role! The Refinery Device gives you Gas, the Smelting Device gives you Coins, the Mining Device gives you rewards such as Crystals and Skill Chips, and the Exploration Device gives you Victory Points!

Inside the Tower: The inside of the tower is chaotic, with a wealth of historical relics and valuable resources that reflect the influences of various eras and regions. The tower is constantly descending, and the lower the floor, the more it is destroyed. By climbing to the upper levels, you will be able to discover rarer relics and resources that have not been lost. However, the collapse of the lower levels has resulted in a large amount of gas being generated inside. It can be said that the ability to obtain the necessary supplies on-site inside the tower is an essential skill for a full-fledged explorer.

Negotiation

"The Lorodo? They're a generous indigenous people who love shiny stones!" — Kassim the Negotiator

Place 1 Crystal or 1 Skill Chip on an empty Negotiation space to immediately gain the depicted rewards.

A space containing a Crystal or Skill Chip is blocked until the end of the round.

Caution: Skill Chips placed for Negotation are not returned to you at the end of the round!

Pass

"I'll be leaving early," — Explorer Lalarue

To pass: Place your Pass Cylinder on the topmost space of the leftmost Pass Track column that does not already contain a Pass Cylinder. Immediately gain the reward of that space.

For players who have passed: Each time your position on the Turn Order Track is reached again, move your Pass Cylinder down one space in its column, gain the reward on its new space, and end your turn immediately. You cannot perform any further Sub-actions or Actions this phase.

If your Pass Cylinder is already at the bottom of its column, do not move it; gain the reward shown beside that space instead.

Once all players have passed, the Exploration Phase ends.

Example: Paul has nothing else they wish to do this round, so they pass. Paul places their Pass Cylinder on the topmost space of the leftmost available column of the Pass Track and immediately gains 1 Crystal. Next, Knox installs a Device and Graham ascends. When it would be Paul's turn again, they have already passed. Instead, Paul moves their Pass Cylinder down 1 space in the same column and immediately gains 1 Gas. Knox then passes, placing their Pass Cylinder in the topmost space of the next available column and gaining 1 Coin and 1 Gas. Finally, Graham passes, placing their Pass Cylinder in the topmost space of the third column and gaining 2 Coins. Once all players have passed, the Exploration Phase ends.

4: Income Phase

"The Device installed in the tower will automatically deliver what you desire, good boy." — Material Merchant Molot

During the Income Phase, each player gains income from all Income effects on their Player Board, Partner, and Guild Cards.

Player Board: Device Income

The income for each Device type is shown on your Player Board. Gain the income shown to the left of the highest empty space in each Device column. Resolve each income reward in any order.

Note: Rewards shown within the Device spaces on your Player Board are only gained when a Device is retrieved during the Progress Phase, not during the Income Phase.

Partner and Guild Card Income

Gain income from all Income effects on your Partner and Guild Cards, regardless of whether a Skill Chip has been placed on them.

Example: Graham has installed 2 Refinery Devices, 3 Smelting Devices, and 1 Mining Device. From the Refinery Devices, Graham gains 1 Gas and 3 Victory Points. From the Smelting Devices, Graham gains 3 Coins and 6 Victory Points. From the Mining Device, Graham gains 1 Crystal and 3 Victory Points. Graham also gains 1 Gas from their Appraiser Partner and 2 Coins from their Guild Card.

5: Progress Phase

"Go back! Go back! Before you get swallowed up by the light!" — Salvage Technician Possum

Resolve the following steps in order:

• 5a: Remove Floor 1 and 2 Tiles and Retrieve their Devices
• 5b: Move the Floor 3, Floor 4, and Floor 5 Tiles Down Two Floors
• 5c: Replenish Floor Tiles
• 5d: Reset the Negotiation Spaces
• 5e: Reset Player Pieces

After completing all 5 steps, the round ends. Proceed to the Preparation Phase of the next round.

Round 4: After completing Step 5a, the game ends. Steps 5b-5e are skipped.

Device Recovery: The Device that explorers place in the tower has two functions: to collect Resources and Materials from within the tower, and to automatically retrieve them. As the tower falls, the lower levels begin to collapse, and the Device is programmed to activate automatic retrieval mode once it falls below a certain height. It automatically returns to the guild's retrieval base before being caught in the collapsing tower. Although it varies depending on the type of Device, the basic retrieval technology is similar to that used in flying machines.

5a: Remove Floor 1 and 2 Tiles and Retrieve their Devices

Remove the Floor Tiles from Floors 1 and 2 and return them to the game box.

Devices on the removed Floor Tiles are returned to their owners' Player Board:

• Place each on the top-most empty space of its Device column.
• Immediately gain the reward printed in each space covered by a returned Device.

Example: Knox has 3 Refinery Devices installed, and 2 of them are on Floor 1, so they are both retrieved. They are returned to the top-most empty spaces of their column, and a total of 3 Gas is gained.

Explorers of the Ryukyus plan to retrieve their Device before the tower crumbles! When its Floor Tile is removed, a Device on a lower floor is recovered and grants a large one-time reward!

5b: Move Floor 3, 4, and 5 Tiles Down Twice

Move the tiles currently on Floors 3, 4, and 5 down two floor levels, to Floors 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Do not remove Devices from them.

5c: Replenish Floor Tiles

Draw a Normal Floor Tile from the Normal Floor Tile stack and place it face up on Floor 4; then draw a Round Floor Tile from its stack and place it face up on Floor 5.

5d: Reset the Negotiation Spaces

Remove all Crystals and Skill Chips from the Negotiation spaces and return them to the supply. Note: Skill Chips are not returned to players when used on Negotiation spaces!

5e: Reset Player Pieces

Each player places their Flying Machine on any empty Flying Machine space on Floor 1.

Reorder the Turn Order Cylinders to match the left-to-right order of the Pass Cylinders on the Pass Track, then all players take back their Pass Cylinders. The player who passed first becomes the 1st player, the player who passed second becomes the 2nd player, and so on.

Proceed to the next round's Preparation Phase.

End of Game

The game ends during Round 4 immediately after Floor 1 and 2 Tiles are removed, and their Devices are retrieved. Do not perform Steps 5b-5e of the Progress Phase and proceed to final scoring.

Final Scoring

When scoring Victory Points at the end of the game, move your Score Tracker and collect Victory Point Cards as normal, except you do not gain the bonus on the cards (they are strictly worth 10 Victory Points each).

Victory Points from Contribution Points

"The tower's fall has been stopped. The Device installed here is an asset for the future." — Guild Leader Fionir

At the end of the game, each player gains Contribution Points from their Devices on the Floor Tiles currently on Floors 3, 4, and 5.

Device Type / Contribution Points:

• Refinery Device: 1
• Smelting Device: 1
• Mining Device: 3
• Exploration Device: 2

Players are ranked from highest to lowest according to their Contribution Point totals. Each player gains Victory Points according to their rank.

Rank / Players	2 Players	3 Players	4 Players
1st	15 VP	15 VP	15 VP
2nd	0 VP	9 VP	9 VP
3rd	—	0 VP	6 VP
4th	—	—	0 VP

In the final round, place Devices on Floor 3 or higher to impress the guild leaders and earn rewards!

Tie-Breakers

If two or more players are tied in Contribution Points, among tied players, the player with the most Devices on Floor 5 ranks highest. If still tied, compare Floor 4, then Floor 3. If players remain tied, combine the Victory Points for the tied ranks and divide them equally among the tied players, rounding down. The next player receives the Victory Points for the next available rank.

Example (3-Player Game): At the end of the game, the players have the following Contribution Points: Graham: 2 Smelting Devices (2 points), 1 Mining Device (3 points), and 2 Exploration Devices (4 points), for a total of 9 Contribution Points. Knox: 2 Refinery Devices (2 points) and 2 Mining Devices (6 points), for a total of 8 Contribution Points. Paul: 3 Mining Devices (9 points), for a total of 9 Contribution Points.

Graham and Paul are tied with 9 Contribution Points, so the tie-breaker is used. On Floor 5, Graham has 2 Devices and Paul has 1. Because Graham has more Devices on Floor 5, Graham wins the tie-break and ranks higher.

Final rankings: 1st Place: Graham (15 Victory Points). 2nd Place: Paul (9 Victory Points). 3rd Place: Knox (0 Victory Points).

Example (4-Player Game): At the end of the game, two players are tied for the highest number of Contribution Points. Their remaining Devices are also tied on the topmost floor and on each lower floor, so the tie cannot be broken. The Victory Points for 1st and 2nd place are combined: 1st Place: 15 Victory Points, 2nd Place: 9 Victory Points. The combined total is 24 Victory Points. Dividing this equally between the tied players (rounding down) gives each player 12 Victory Points. The player with the next highest number of Contribution Points ranks 3rd and gains 6 Victory Points.

Victory Points for Resources and Materials

At the end of the game:

• Gain 1 Victory Point for each complete set of 8 total Resources — Coins and Gas combined.
• Gain 1 Victory Point for each complete set of 4 total Materials — Bricks, Iron, and Crystals combined.

Victory Points for Skill Chips

Gain 2 Victory Points for each Skill Chip in your personal supply or placed on your Guild Cards, Partner Tile, or Player Board. Skill Chips spent on Negotiation spaces do not count.

Final Score

As you gain Victory Points from the Contribution ranking, Resources and Materials, and Skill Chips, advance your Score Tracker as normal.

Whenever your Score Tracker passes from 9 to 0 on the Victory Point Track during final scoring, draw a Victory Point Card and place it face down. Do not reveal the card or gain its bonus. Victory Point Cards drawn during final scoring are worth 10 Victory Points each.

After all scoring categories have been resolved, calculate your final score:

(Number of Victory Point Cards x 10) + value shown on the Victory Point Track

The player with the highest total score wins the game.

Tie-Breaker: If multiple players are tied for the highest score, the tied player with the higher Contribution Point ranking places higher. If the players are still tied, they share the victory.

Optional Variant: Original Turn Order

This variant uses the original turn-order system.

Play as normal, with the following changes:

Use the Metal Turn Marker to indicate the current first player; Do not use Pass Cylinders.

When a player passes, move their Turn Order Cylinder to the Pass Track following the normal Pass rules.

During Step 5e: Reset Player Pieces, the player who passed first becomes the 1st player for the next round.

• Place the first player's Turn Order Cylinder in the 1st position. Then, proceeding clockwise around the table, place the remaining cylinders in order.

Example: If Knox passes first, Knox becomes the 1st player next round. Regardless of when the other players passed, turn order then proceeds clockwise from Knox.

Top Floor of the Tower: As the top floor of the tower approached the ground, the swirling light near the surface disappeared. The collapse of the lower floors also stopped, and the tower stopped falling. The Device installed on the upper floors was left inside the tower, modified into equipment for investigating valuable ruins. The tower's fall had stopped, but there was still a lot of research to be done.

Solo Game

"Let's test our explorer skills!" — Danda

In a solo game, Danda acts as an NPC. Danda occupies spaces by installing Devices and performing Negotiation actions, limiting the actions available to the player.

At the end of the game, compare your final score to the Guild Evaluation table to determine your result.

Except as described below, all rules are the same as in a 2-player game.

Solo Game Components

• 3 Solo Game Summary Cards (Easy, Normal, and Hard)
• 36 NPC Action Cards — Round 1: 9 cards, Round 2: 9 cards, Round 3: 9 cards, Round 4: 9 cards
• 14 Round Blockade Cards
• 3 Blockade Tokens
• 1 Danda Token
• Components from an Unused Player Color: 1 Flying Machine, 1 Turn Order Cylinder, 5 Refinery Devices, 4 Smelting Devices, 3 Mining Devices, 2 Exploration Devices

Solo Game Setup

1. Place Danda's components beside the game board. Place Danda's Flying Machine to the left of Floor 1 of the Tower (not on a space).
2. Shuffle the Round Blockade Cards and each round's NPC Action Cards separately, then place them face down beside the game board.
3. Choose a difficulty level (Easy, Normal, or Hard), or select one at random. Place the corresponding Solo Game Summary Card in front of you.
4. Place the Blockade Tokens next to the Tower.

The Solo Game Summary Card shows, for each round, the number of NPC Actions Danda will take and the Overwork Cost, plus the Contribution Points thresholds and Victory Points earned for reaching them.

Basic Rules for NPCs

Danda does not gain Victory Points, Resources, Materials, or any other rewards; pay costs; or use Partners.

Danda's Flying Machine remains to the left of the Tower and does not cover Tower bonus spaces.

Install

Place the Device on the Floor Tile at the floor indicated by Danda's Flying Machine. Choose its space as follows:

• If that tile is currently on Floor 3, 4, or 5 and its blue-framed space is empty, place the Device there.
• Otherwise, place the Device in the leftmost empty legal space on that tile.
• In a solo game, spaces marked with either player-count restriction icon are unavailable and treated as occupied.

Resolve Phases 2 (Supply) and 4 (Income) as in the multiplayer game. Apply the following changes to Phases 1, 3, and 5.

1. Preparation Phase

Rounds 2-4: Return the previous round's Round Blockade Card to the box. Return the previous round's NPC Action Cards to the box.

Reveal the top Round Blockade Card and place Blockade Tokens on the indicated Tower spaces. Flying Machines may not be placed on spaces containing Blockade Tokens.

Round 1 Only: The Round 1 Blockade Card also determines turn order for the first round. If the card shows NPC First, Danda is the starting player and the player is 2nd. Gain the normal 2nd-player bonus (1 Victory Point and 1 Gas). If the card shows Player First, the player is the starting player. Place Danda's and the player's Turn Order Cylinder on the Turn Order Track as shown on the card.

3. Exploration Phase

When it is Danda's turn, reveal the top NPC Action Card of the current round and place it face up next to the NPC Action deck. Resolve only the card that was just revealed.

Some NPC Action Cards are divided into upper and lower sections. When resolving one of these cards, determine which condition applies and only resolve the actions shown in the corresponding section.

NPC Action Cards show the actions Danda will perform. If a card shows multiple actions, resolve them from left to right.

After resolving an NPC Action Card, check the Solo Game Summary Card. If Danda has resolved the maximum number of NPC Action Cards for the current round, Danda immediately passes.

When Danda passes, move Danda's counter from the Turn Order Track to the topmost empty space in the leftmost available column of the Pass Track.

If you have already passed, continue resolving your Pass Cylinder whenever your turn is reached, as normal.

Overwork Cost

At the start of a turn after Danda has passed, you may first use a Guild Effect. Then either pay the Overwork Cost and perform an Action, or pass.

If you cannot or choose not to pay the Overwork Cost, you must pass.

Note: You may still perform the Sub-action: Use a Guild Effect before passing.

Icon Reference (NPC Action Cards)

• Ascend 1 floor.
• Ascend to Floor X.
• Install 1 Device.
• Place 1 Crystal on the leftmost available Negotiation space.
• Place 1 Crystal on the rightmost available Negotiation space.

Behavior Conditions

• Danda's Flying Machine is on a lower floor than the player's.
• Danda's Flying Machine is on a higher floor than the player's.
• Danda's Flying Machine and the player's Flying Machine are on the same floor.
• Danda's Flying Machine is on Floor X or higher.
• Danda's Flying Machine is below Floor X.

Notes: When instructed to install a Device, you may choose any available Device type. When placing a Crystal in a Negotiation space, place it in the leftmost available space if left priority is specified, or the rightmost available space if right priority is specified.

If Danda cannot perform an action, that action is skipped. Examples include:

• The required space is already occupied.
• Danda's Flying Machine is already on the highest floor.
• The required Device is unavailable.

5. Progress Phase

Move the player's Pass Cylinder and Danda's marker from the Pass Track to the Turn Order Track. Whichever marker is in the leftmost Pass Track column becomes the starting player for the next round.

End of the Game (Solo)

Unlike the multiplayer game, solo games do not award Victory Points based on Contribution Point rankings. Instead, gain the Victory Points shown on the highest Contribution Point threshold you reached on your Solo Game Summary Card.

Then calculate your final score using the normal scoring rules. Your final score determines your Guild Evaluation.

Guild Evaluation

After calculating your final score, compare it to the table below to determine your Guild Evaluation.

Note: Scores of 210 or higher on Easy difficulty, 200 or higher on Normal difficulty, and 190 or higher on Hard difficulty earn the highest possible evaluation.

Evaluation	Easy	Normal	Hard
Apprentice Explorer	129 or fewer	119 or fewer	109 or fewer
Guild-Certified C-Class Explorer	130-149	120-139	110-129
Guild-Certified B-Class Explorer	150-169	140-159	130-149
Guild-Certified A-Class Explorer	170-189	160-179	150-169
Guild-Certified Superior Explorer	190-209	180-199	170-189
Master Explorer	210+	200+	190+

Icon Reference

• X Coins
• X Gas
• X Victory Points
• 1 Brick
• 1 Iron
• 1 Crystal
• 1 Brick or 1 Iron
• X Resources (Coins and Gas, in any combination)
• X Materials (Bricks, Iron, and Crystals, in any combination)
• 1 Skill Chip
• Pay the depicted cost
• Resolve 1 Guild Conversion without placing a Skill Chip. You may do this even if a Skill Chip is already placed on it. You cannot use this to activate effects showing the infinity icon; for example, you cannot activate a Guild Income effect this way.
• Resolve 1 Guild Conversion without placing a Skill Chip, then gain 1 Skill Chip from the supply.
• Guild Income
• Ascend with a Flying Machine
• Install a Device
• Retrieve a Device
• Negotiate
• Pass
• Floor Bonus

Partner Tiles

Appraiser

Whenever you draw a Victory Point Card, draw 2 cards instead. Secretly examine both cards, choose 1 to keep, and return the other card face down to the bottom of the Victory Point deck.

Fuel Engineer

During the Exploration Phase, the cost to install a Refinery Device, Mining Device, or Exploration Device increases by 1 Coin. Whenever you install one of these Devices, gain 1 Gas. This effect is mandatory.

Delivery Person

At the end of the Supply Phase, draw a number of Victory Point Cards equal to the number of players plus 1 and reveal them. Keep two selected cards for yourself. Give one of the remaining cards to each other player. All players immediately gain the bonus shown on the card(s) they receive. Then collect all revealed cards, shuffle them face down, and return them to the bottom of the Victory Point deck.

Architect

During the Exploration Phase, Devices cost 1 fewer Coin to install.

Pilot

During the Exploration Phase, the cost to ascend is reduced by 1 Gas.

• If you ascend multiple floors with a single action, reduce the total cost by only 1 Gas.

Investor

During the Exploration Phase, whenever you install a Device, You may pay 1 additional Brick or 1 additional Iron of a type included in that Device's installation cost. If you do, increase the Floor Bonus gained from that installation by 2.

Example: When installing a Refinery Device on the 2nd floor, you may pay 1 additional Iron. If the Floor Bonus would grant 1 Gas, gain 3 Gas instead.

To clarify: This does not affect the bonus you gain from the space you cover.

Retrieve Engineer

After all Devices have been retrieved during Step 5a, gain one bonus based on the total number you retrieved:

• 1 Device: 1 Coin
• 2 Devices: 2 Coins
• 3 Devices: 2 Coins and 1 Victory Point
• 4 or more Devices: 2 Coins and 1 Skill Chip

Receptionist

Whenever you would gain 1 Skill Chip from a Placement Bonus or Floor Bonus, you may instead resolve 1 Guild Conversion. This effect cannot be used when gaining Skill Chips from any other source, such as Pass Track rewards or Device Retrieval bonuses.

Receptionist provides the following Guild Conversions:

• Pay 2 Coins or 1 Gas to gain 2 Skill Chips.
• Return one of your unplaced Skill Chips to the supply to gain 7 Victory Points.

Note: These Guild Conversions cannot be activated by placing Skill Chips. They may only be used through the Receptionist's ability.

Alchemist

During the Income Phase, gain the following income:

• Gain 2 Coins or resolve 1 Guild Conversion.
• Beginning in Round 3, also gain 1 Gas or resolve 1 Guild Conversion.
• If you choose to resolve 2 Guild Conversions using this ability, they must be different Guild Conversions.

Note: You may immediately use any Resources or Materials gained during the Income Phase to resolve these Guild Conversions.

Note: When resolving a Guild Conversion through this ability, do not place a Skill Chip.

Material Trader

The Material Trader provides the following Guild Conversion: Pay 1 Material — Brick, Iron, or Crystal — to gain either 2 Bricks or 2 Iron.

Negotiator

Whenever you perform a Negotiate action, gain 2 additional Victory Points.

Processing Craftsman

At any time, you may spend Bricks and Iron as though they were Crystals.

When you pass, first return all of your Bricks, Iron, and Crystals to the supply. Then resolve your Pass Track reward. Any Crystal gained from that reward is kept.

Round Summary

This section reproduces the Player Aid Card reference.

Game Setup

Prepare Floor Tiles: Floors 1-4: Normal Floor Tiles. Floor 5: Round Floor Tile.

Turn Order Bonuses: 1st: None. 2nd: 1 Victory Point, 1 Gas. 3rd: 2 Victory Points, 1 Iron, 2 Coins. 4th: 3 Victory Points, 1 Crystal.

Game Flow

1. Preparation: Take back all Skill Chips placed on Guild Cards, your Partner Tile, and your Player Board.
2. Supply: Draw 1 Resource Card and 1 Guild Card for the current round. Choose either the top or bottom half of each card. Reveal all chosen cards simultaneously. Gain the Resources and Materials shown on your Resource Card. Insert your Guild Card into your Player Board.
3. Exploration: At the start of your turn, you may place 1 Skill Chip to use 1 Guild Effect. Choose 1 action:
   • Ascend: Pay the Ascend cost. Move your Flying Machine. Gain the bonus from the space you cover.
   • Install a Device: Pay the installation cost. Install 1 Device. Gain any Placement Bonus. Gain the Floor Bonus.
   • Negotiate: Place 1 Crystal or 1 Skill Chip on a Negotiation space to gain the reward.
   • Pass: Place your Pass Cylinder. Gain the depicted bonus. On future turns, move down the Pass Track and gain the depicted bonus.
4. Income: For each Device type, gain the income shown to the left of the highest unoccupied space in its column. Gain any Guild Income and Partner Income.
5. Progress: Remove Floor 1 and 2 Tiles and retrieve Devices. Move Floor 3, Floor 4, and Floor 5 Tiles down 2 floors. Replenish Floor Tiles. Reset the Negotiation spaces. Reset player pieces.

Final Score

The game ends immediately after completing Step 5a of the Round 4 Progress Phase: Remove the Floor 1 and Floor 2 Tiles and Retrieve Devices. Do not perform the remaining Progress Phase steps.

Contribution Points per Device: Refinery Device: 1 Point. Smelting Device: 1 Point. Mining Device: 3 Points. Exploration Device: 2 Points.

Rank / Players	2 Players	3 Players	4 Players
1st	15 VP	15 VP	15 VP
2nd	0 VP	9 VP	9 VP
3rd	—	0 VP	6 VP
4th	—	—	0 VP

Resources and Materials: 1 Victory Point for every 8 Coins and Gas in total. 1 Victory Point for every 4 Bricks, Iron, and Crystals in total.

Skill Chips: 2 Victory Points per Skill Chip (not including those on Negotiation).

Move your Score Tracker as you score each category. Whenever your Score Tracker moves from 9 to 0, draw a Victory Point Card as normal. Do not reveal the card or gain its bonus.

Final Score: (Number of Victory Point Cards x 10) + value shown by your Score Tracker. The player with the highest total score wins.

Credits

Game design: Kentaro Yazawa Artwork and character design: Tomohiro Tsugawa Proofreading: Yoshihiko Koriyama (ForGames) DTP and graphics: Sai Beppu, Jonathan Bobal Editing: Kota Taira English translation: Daryl Chow English editing: Jason McMillan, Jonathan Bobal Test players (in alphabetical order): Akashia, Inoue Mamoru, Wintee, Kajino Kei, Kumi, Shima, shimamuw, Shark, Saito Takashi, Take, tes, Haru, Nakamura Satoshi, Neijima Touko, Hasegawa Norii, hal99, Fuku Yuuro, Bozu, Mao, Mitton, mor!, Moritama, Yakou, Yamaki Yui, Yurika, Waka

Sunnybird: 1315-1 Mikawa-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, 852-8121, SUNNY BIRD Co., Ltd., [email protected], https://sunny-bird.com/

Capstone Games: 2 Techview Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45215, Capstone Games, LLC., [email protected], https://capstone-games.com