Friesematenten
Friesematenten Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Information
- By Friedemann Friese
- Players: 2-4 people
- Age: from 12 years
- Duration: approx. 45 minutes
- Contents: 60 playing cards, 1 bundle of money notes, 1 starting player token
The Cards
There are four different kinds of cards. They are all marked with a card color and a minimum bid. Many cards also carry victory points, or have text that explains their function.
Factories (red - 19 cards)
Players earn money with their Factories. The income (= production value) is paid out together with the base income at the end of a round.
A player may own at most 3 Factories. If they get a fourth Factory, they must immediately scrap one Factory of their choice and remove it from the game. A player may also voluntarily decide, in Phase 2 of a round, to scrap one of their Factories.
To scrap a Factory with negative victory points, a fee must be paid to the bank equal to five times the victory point value.
Each Factory card shows: its card color, its production value, its minimum bid, and its victory points.
Status Symbols (yellow - 13 cards)
Status Symbols are the main source of victory points. The value of some Status Symbols depends on other cards in the player's possession.
Influence Cards (blue - 8 cards)
Influence Cards are bound to a player or to another card. When such a card is won at auction, its new owner may immediately assign it to a player or to a card. The function of an Influence Card is stated on the card itself. If the new owner does not want to, or cannot, assign the card right away, they may only do so in Phase 2 of the next round. Until then, they place the unassigned card face up on the left side of their empire.
The values and effects of an Influence Card only take effect once it is bound to a player or to another card.
Bound to a card:
The Influence Card is slid slightly underneath the chosen card. If the Influence Card is later removed by an action, the card it was assigned to remains unaffected. However, if the card that an Influence Card is assigned to is removed from an empire, the link between the two cards remains, so both cards change owner together, or go to the discard pile or out of the game together.
Bound to a player:
The player places the card face up on the right side of their empire and may use it immediately from then on.
Action Cards (green - 20 cards)
When such a card is won at auction, it may be used immediately by its owner. The function of an Action Card is stated on the card itself. If the owner does not want to, or cannot, use it right away, they place it face up on the left side of their empire, to use later in the game. Once an Action Card has been carried out, it is removed from the game afterward.
When can an Action Card that was not used immediately be used?
If nothing further is stated on an Action Card, it can only be used in Phase 2 of a round (see "Sequence of Play").
- A card with a gavel icon can be used at any time in Phase 3.
- A card with a money bag icon can be used at any time in Phase 4.
- A card with a lightning bolt icon can be used at any time during the game.
Setup
15 cards are needed per player. With fewer than four players, the remaining cards are not used in this game and are put back in the box unseen.
The playing cards are shuffled and placed face down in the middle of the table as the draw pile. Cards are then revealed and laid out face up next to each other, next to the draw pile, as the Exchange. The number of revealed cards in the Exchange equals the number of players plus three cards.
Each player receives 60€. The rest of the money is set aside, sorted by value, as the bank. A player's own money may be kept secret from the other players during the game.
The player who most recently spent money receives the starting player token.
Starting Layout Example (2 Players)
The rulebook illustrates a 2-player starting layout: the bank holds the remaining money; Player 2's empire and Player 1's empire are laid out on either side of the table; the discard pile and draw pile sit next to each other; the Exchange (with the starting player token beside it) shows the revealed cards available for auction - in the example, cards such as Azubi (Apprentice), Voll im Trend (Right on Trend), Murphys Gesetz (Murphy's Law), Goldenes Klosett (Golden Toilet), and Mega-In (Totally In), each showing its minimum bid; and each player starts with 60€.
Sequence of Play
The game runs over several rounds, in each of which the following 4 phases are played in order:
- Refill the Exchange
- Play Action and Influence cards
- Auction cards
- Production and income
1. Refill the Exchange
At the start of a round, the Exchange is refilled (this is skipped in the first round). First, any cards still left over from the previous round are moved closer to the draw pile. Then, as many new cards are revealed as needed so that, as at the start of the game, the number of players plus three cards are laid out in the Exchange.
Example: In the previous round, 2 cards were not sold. These move up toward the pile, and the empty spaces are filled with new cards from the draw pile.
The draw pile becomes empty for the first time: The discard pile is shuffled and becomes the new draw pile. After that, any cards that would need to be placed on the discard pile are instead removed from the game.
The draw pile becomes empty for the second time: The last round is announced. In the last round, fewer cards than usual may also be laid out in the Exchange.
2. Play Action and Influence cards
Each player has the opportunity to play as many not-yet-used Action Cards and Influence Cards as they wish. The player with the starting player token begins, and the other players follow in clockwise order.
3. Auction cards
The cards laid out in the Exchange are auctioned off one after another, starting with the card closest to the draw pile. The starting player begins by either naming a bid, which may not be lower than the card's minimum bid, or passing. The other players, in clockwise order, may then raise the bid or pass. A player who has passed once may not re-enter the auction for that card. Once only one player remains, they win the card, pay the bid to the bank, and place the card face up in front of them. They may possibly use any Influence Cards or Action Cards immediately at that point (see "The Cards").
The winner of the auction also receives the starting player token. They begin the auction for the next card in line.
No buyer found?
If no bid at all is placed on a card, it is moved up one space and stays in place (see example above). If, in the following round, again no player wants to bid on the card, it goes to the discard pile.
Not enough money?
If a player wins a card but cannot pay for it because they bid more than they have, they must give all of their money to the bank, and the auction for that card is repeated without them.
The auction phase lasts until every card has been offered once. During this phase, Action Cards with the gavel icon may be played - but not while a card is actively being auctioned, i.e. between the first bid and the winning of the card.
4. Production and income
At the end of the round, all players receive income from production. This is calculated from a base income of 30€ plus the income from their own Factories.
During this phase, Action Cards with the money bag icon may be played.
Game End and Winner
The game ends immediately if, after the auction phase, at least one player has 40 or more victory points laid out in their empire. Otherwise, the game ends after the auction phase that follows the second time the draw pile becomes empty.
The player with the most victory points wins. In case of a tie, the remaining money decides.
Credits
© AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH, D-63128 Dietzenbach, MMX (2010)
Author: Friedemann Friese
AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH, Waldstraße 23-D5, D-63128 Dietzenbach www.amigo-spiele.de, E-Mail: [email protected]
Version 1.0