Goldland
Goldland Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
The game components are shown on the enclosed game overview.
Before the first game, all tiles, markers, and tokens must be carefully punched out of the frames. The sixth amulet is an extra and is not required for play.
Set-up
Set-up of the game is described on the enclosed game overview. We recommend that you keep it handy while reading the rest of the rules.
Description of the Game Components
The terrain tiles
The tiles show a canyon-like landscape with continuous or interrupted paths.
On each tile is depicted articles of equipment with a colored border, the equipment line.
On some tiles is also depicted another, octagonal treasure field, on which a treasure is placed. Two yellow-bordered provisions tokens are portrayed above the treasure field.
Tiles without adventures. These tiles can be entered and crossed anytime. They are easily recognized by the continuous paths through them.
Tiles with adventures. These tiles can only be entered if you use (discard) the appropriate red-bordered articles of equipment or if you have already erected one of your own camps there. You can always recognize tiles with an adventure by the red-bordered articles of equipment and the illustration of the adventure that interrupts the paths through the tile.
A tile with an adventure is made up of: the equipment line, the illustration of the adventure, the paths, and (on some tiles) a treasure field.
There are 7 different types of adventures which occur on the terrain tiles with various frequency:
- Bandits (3)
- Puma (3)
- Desert (4)
- Mountains (3)
- Canyon (3)
- Lake (4)
- Natives (3)
The equipment line
The equipment line shows articles with differently colored borders and in different orders.
The colors
- Red-bordered articles are portrayed exclusively on adventure tiles. Red means that you must use (discard) the type and number of articles portrayed in order to survive the adventure.
- White means that you simply need to have the portrayed article in your backpack. You may keep it and acquire the appropriate black-bordered article which the arrow points to.
- Black means that you acquire the type and number of the portrayed articles if you have the appropriate white-bordered article of equipment in your backpack.
- Yellow-bordered articles are portrayed exclusively above the treasure fields. Yellow means that you may choose to use (discard) the portrayed articles or not. If you do use them, you get to dig up the treasure.
The order
Articles displayed before (to the left of) the arrow are the prerequisite for acquiring the articles displayed after (to the right of) the arrow.
There may be one or more articles displayed side-by-side or overlapping each other. If any combination of article or set of articles are displayed side-by-side, you must decide which you will acquire.
If a set of articles overlap each other you acquire all that do so.
Example: Since the player has a spade in his backpack he acquires 1 timber and 1 rope (overlapping articles), or either 2 timbers or 2 ropes (side-by-side articles — the player chooses which).
The backpack
You store your articles of equipment and dug up treasures on the tile which shows your backpack.
The backpack has 12 spaces. On each space you can put 1 article of equipment, 1 treasure, or the amulet. The number of uncovered spaces in your backpack shows the maximum number of spaces you may move your adventurer.
The backpack thus limits both your carrying capacity and your movement distance. The less you carry around with you, the further you can move on your turn.
At the beginning of the game, your backpack holds 5 articles (3 provisions and 2 pearls), so your adventurer can move a maximum of 7 spaces.
When you use or acquire articles of equipment, you should be sure to sort and place them in your backpack so that the highest numbers are always covered first. The highest uncovered number indicates the maximum number of spaces you may move your adventurer.
Play of the Game
The start player begins, after which play continues in clockwise order. The active player can execute each of the following three actions once per turn:
- A. Move adventurer
- B. Acquire articles of equipment
- C. Exploration
These actions may be executed in any sequence. Once initiated, each action must be completed before the next can begin.
None of the actions are required. You can choose to execute only one or two of them.
You can also pass and execute none of the three actions. If you do this, you get 1 discovery token.
A. Move adventurer
Players may only move their own adventurer.
Adventurers may only move on the paths depicted on the terrain tiles (exception: an ordeal, see below). Each terrain tile equals one space of movement.
The adventurer may move a maximum number of spaces equal to the highest numbered uncovered space shown in the player's backpack before beginning movement. Any change in this number, by using articles of equipment during movement for example, has no effect on movement for that turn.
Before starting movement, you may discard articles of equipment from your backpack in order to gain a greater movement allowance. The discarded articles are put back into stock.
You may choose to move less than your maximum possible distance or even remain in place. You may not enter or move through the same tile more than once per turn, however.
More than one adventurer may stand in the same tile.
Adventures. To move into or through a tile with an adventure, you must survive it. You survive the adventure by using (discarding) the type and number of red-bordered articles shown in the equipment line.
To show that you have survived the adventure, you may put one of your camps on the adventure tile. If you have already used all your camps, you may move one of your other camps to this tile.
Camps from any number of players may stand on the same adventure tile.
Camps. A camp allows you to move your adventurer into or through that adventure tile in future turns without needing to survive the adventure again.
Example: To enter a tile you need to use (discard) 2 guns from your backpack. You'll acquire 2 provisions for doing so if you then remain in this tile (end your movement here). Since you survived the adventure, you may erect a camp. Later in the game, you can enter or cross this tile without needing to use any guns again. You don't then get the provisions again, however.
You may again complete an adventure on a tile where you already have a camp as many times as you wish and erect another camp each time. Each time, however, you must move into or through this tile and use (discard) the appropriate articles of equipment. It isn't sufficient just to remain in place on that tile for several turns.
Adventure marker. There are seven different adventure markers, one for each type of adventure. You can tell which is which by the pictures on the markers.
The adventure markers have different values. The marker for the "Desert" adventure is worth 5 gold pieces, for example, while the marker for the "Natives" adventure is only worth 2 gold pieces.
The first player to survive an adventure of a particular type immediately takes the marker and sets it in front of himself.
Another player takes away the marker if he later has more camps on tiles of this adventure type than the player who currently has the marker.
Ordeal. If the path between two adjacent tiles is not connected, you may still move from one of those tiles to the other by using (discarding) 4 articles of equipment.
To enter a tile without adventures this way, you can use any 4 articles.
To enter a tile with an adventure through an ordeal, you must use the same type of articles that would be required to survive the adventure. By completing the ordeal, you also survive the adventure.
If you already have a camp on this tile, you may choose if you want to either use any 4 articles to complete the ordeal or if you want to survive the adventure again and, thus, erect another camp. In that case, you must use the same type of articles that would be required to survive the adventure in order to complete the ordeal.
B. Acquiring articles of equipment
At the start tile only, you get 2 pearls and 3 provisions without needing to have any articles of equipment as a prerequisite.
Otherwise, in order to acquire articles of equipment, you must already possess the article that is shown to the right of the arrow in the equipment line. (The rulebook's Equipment Line section above states the prerequisite article is shown to the left of the arrow — this sentence is transcribed as printed in the source PDF, which is inconsistent with that earlier wording.)
If several black-bordered articles are portrayed overlapping, you acquire them all. If they are portrayed standing separately, you only acquire one or the other.
You may only acquire articles of equipment during your turn on one tile: either the tile where your adventurer stood before moving or the tile where it ended movement.
During movement, you may often need to use (discard) articles of equipment in order to survive adventures or to complete ordeals.
Example: In the example with the Puma, the player must use 2 guns in order to survive the adventure. If he then ends his movement on this tile, he can also acquire 2 provisions for discarding the 2 guns. However, if he would like to continue movement, he doesn't get the provisions for the guns.
Hint: It is legal to move into a tile and end movement in order to acquire articles there, and then, before moving in the next turn, to acquire the same articles in this tile again. After doing that and then moving, you may not acquire any more articles that turn.
You are not required to take all the articles that you may take on any tile. You can take all, any part, or none at all.
When you acquire an article of equipment, you take that token from the stock and put it on the next highest numbered uncovered space in your backpack. If there are no more tokens for that article in the stock, you unfortunately don't get it.
When articles of equipment are used (discarded) they are put back into the stock.
C. Exploration
If your adventurer stands on a tile next to which at least one tile can still be positioned horizontally or vertically, you may explore. You take a tile from the stack and place it next to the tile on which your adventurer is standing. If you have multiple possible locations for the new tile, you may choose where to place it.
You may rotate the new tile in any orientation you wish when placing it.
Discovery token. Whenever you place a new tile, you get a discovery token from the stock and place it in front of yourself. You may possess any number of discovery tokens. They are never put into your backpack. At any time during your turn, you can exchange them for any article of equipment.
The number of discovery tokens that must be exchanged for 1 article of equipment depends on the number of players:
- With 2 players: 4 tokens
- With 3 players: 3 tokens
- With 4 and 5 players: 2 tokens
The discovery tokens are put back into the stock. You may make as many such exchanges during your turn as you like.
Exchanged articles which you immediately use (discard) to survive an adventure, to dig up treasure, or to complete an ordeal, need not be put into your backpack.
If the stock should not hold any more discovery tokens, then you unfortunately don't get one.
As a reminder: if you pass and execute no actions, you get 1 discovery token. You may pass your turn as often as you like. This is only really useful, however, if you're in a hopeless situation.
Treasure. If a treasure field is portrayed on the newly turned-over terrain tile, a treasure is immediately placed from stock onto the tile.
If you finish your turn on this adventure tile, you can dig up the treasure by using (discarding) 2 provisions. You then put the treasure into your backpack. Digging up treasure is voluntary. You can also choose to come back to it in a later turn or not dig it up at all.
Only 1 treasure is ever put onto a treasure field. Once this treasure is dug up, the treasure field remains empty.
Each dug-up treasure is worth 3 gold pieces. You may dig up as many treasures as you like and are able but you must put each one onto its own space in your backpack.
Example: You must use (discard) 3 provisions to enter or move through a tile. If you remain there, however, you can dig up the treasure. To do so, you must use (discard) another 2 provisions for the effort involved and then you take the treasure token and put it into your backpack. Once the treasure is dug up, the 2 yellow-bordered provisions no longer have any meaning.
Placing the Goal Tile
As soon as a tile is put on the goal space, place the temple next to this tile. The temple and this tile form one space together.
Amulet and Gold Pieces
The player whose adventurer first reaches the goal space with the temple and ends his movement there acquires an amulet. The amulet is put into the backpack.
Additionally, he gets 2 gold pieces from the temple bonus field. Each other player whose adventurer reaches and remains in the temple in the same round (before the first player to reach the temple and end movement there starts his next turn), also gets an amulet and 2 gold pieces from the bonus field.
Gold pieces are placed next to the backpack. They take up no space in the backpack and have no effect on movement allowance.
When the player whose adventurer first reached and ended movement in the temple starts his next turn, all gold pieces still remaining in the temple bonus field are removed and put back in the box. All players whose figures later reach and end movement in the temple from now on only acquire an amulet.
Once a player has an amulet, he can leave the temple on his next turn in order to survive adventures again and dig up treasures.
At the beginning of each of his subsequent turns, each player who possesses an amulet gets 1 gold piece from the temple reserve field. He need not be in the temple to receive this gold. If a player forgets to take his gold piece before the end of his turn, he doesn't get it that turn.
Each player is allowed to possess only 1 amulet! The amulet itself is worth 3 gold pieces.
Hint: The terrain tile to be placed on the goal space need not be the last tile turned over. There can still be unexplored spaces, on which no tile lies, throughout the grid.
End of the Game and Scoring
The game ends as soon as each player possesses an amulet.
The game also ends when any player gets the last gold piece from the temple reserve field.
In each case, the current round is still played to the end, so that each player gets the same number of turns. If a player who has an amulet starts his turn during this last round and there are no more gold pieces in the temple reserve, he takes the gold piece he is due for possessing an amulet from the box.
Now each player counts his entire gold:
- Each gold piece counts 1
- Each treasure counts 3
- An amulet counts 3
- Each adventure marker counts the printed value (2 to 5)
The player with the most gold wins.
Hints
There are three possible ways in this game to get gold: by digging up treasures, by frequently surviving adventures, and by possessing an amulet. Ownership of an amulet is especially fruitful since the amulet itself is worth 3 gold pieces and it pays its owner an additional gold piece each turn. Furthermore, the first player, and all other players who reach the temple in the same round, get 2 gold pieces from the bonus field.
Since the game ends as soon as each player possesses an amulet or the last gold piece from the temple reserve field is taken, players who are unable to reach the temple in time still have another chance to win if they dig up many treasures and survive many adventures.
Of course, players who already possess an amulet can also still try to dig up treasures or to survive adventures. By doing so, they can take adventure markers from other players or defend the adventure markers that they already possess.
You should keep an eye out during the entire game, then, for where you can still find treasures, where you might get an adventure marker, and if the danger exists that you might lose your own adventure markers to other players.
Examples and Explanations
The following supplement contains a detailed example of the first three game turns for one player and of a turn with an ordeal, plus a set of ruled player questions. In the printed game, this supplement is a separate leaflet from the main rulebook.
Example for 3 game turns for one player
Arno begins at the start space and can move a maximum of 7 spaces.
Turn 1
Move Adventurer: Arno moves 3 spaces.
Acquire articles of equipment: On the space where he landed, he gets either 1 gun or 1 spade for possessing 1 pearl. He chooses the spade and puts it into his backpack.
Exploration: He takes a tile from the stack and places it on the board. He gets 1 discovery token. His first turn is now finished and the next player starts his turn.
Note: There is no direct path leading from Arno's pawn to the new tile. If he wants to move there on his next turn, he can only do so through an ordeal.
Turn 2
Move Adventurer: Arno moves back 1 space.
Acquire articles of equipment: Arno has a spade. He takes 2 timbers from the stock and puts them into his backpack. He now has 8 objects in his backpack and can move a maximum of 4 spaces in his next turn.
Exploration: He takes a terrain tile from the stack and places it on the board. He gets 1 discovery token. 1 treasure field is portrayed on the new tile, so 1 treasure token is put on this tile. Arno's second turn is now finished and the next player starts his turn.
Turn 3
Acquire articles of equipment: This time Arno begins his turn by acquiring articles of equipment. He takes 2 timbers and puts them into his backpack. He decides to exchange 2 discovery tokens for 1 rope. He now has 11 objects in his backpack and can move a maximum of 1 space.
Move Adventurer: He moves 1 space upward. Since this tile has the adventure "Canyon" he must use 1 timber and 1 rope. He also uses 2 provisions and digs up the treasure and puts it into his backpack. On the tile, he puts one of his camps to mark that he has survived this adventure once. Since the "Canyon" adventure marker has not yet been awarded, he takes it and places it in front of himself.
Exploration: He takes a tile from the stack, places it on the board, and gets 1 discovery token.
His third turn is now finished.
Example of an ordeal
There are 8 objects in the backpack. The adventurer can move a maximum of 4 spaces. The player would like to dig up the treasure in the mountain. This requires moving 3 spaces with an ordeal at the end.
For the ordeal, he requires 4 objects, of which 2 must be ropes. He moves to the mountain and uses 2 ropes and 2 pearls for the ordeal. Then, in order to dig up the treasure, he uses 2 provisions.
On this tile, he erects a camp to mark that he has survived the "Mountain" adventure once. If the "Mountain" adventure marker has not yet been awarded, he takes it and sets it in front of himself.
Player Questions
1. When moving, I enter a "Puma" tile and use 2 guns. By so doing, I acquire 2 provisions and then go on to a "Natives" tile. In order to be able to enter it, I use 1 pearl but not, however, acquiring a gun or a spade. Is this allowed? Answer: No, because the player has acquired articles of equipment while moving. Players may only acquire articles of equipment on the tiles where they begin or end their movement.
2. On my starting space, I acquire 1 gun. I then begin my movement with an ordeal and use 4 articles to accomplish it. Afterwards, I continue on to a "Puma" tile where I use 2 guns but I don't acquire any provisions for doing so. Is this allowed? Answer: Yes. You may use multiple articles of equipment while in transit but you only acquire articles of equipment once per turn. Your turn followed this principle, so it was correct.
3. On my starting space, I acquire 1 fishing rod. Then I move to a "Lake" tile, use 2 timbers and, since I now possess a fishing rod, acquire 2 provisions. Is this allowed? Answer: No. You may only acquire equipment once per turn.
4. On my starting space, I acquire 2 provisions. Then I move to a "Desert" tile with a treasure. Once there, I use 3 provisions in order to survive the adventure and then use 2 more provisions to dig up the treasure. Is this allowed? Answer: Yes. Treasure is not an article of equipment. Furthermore, treasure is not acquired but, rather, dug up.
5. When moving, I enter a "Lake" tile. I exchange exploration tokens in order to acquire 2 timbers which I immediately use in order to survive the adventure and to put my camp on this tile. Then I continue on to a "Natives" tile. There I use 1 pearl to acquire 1 gun. Is this allowed? Answer: Yes. Exchanging discovery tokens for articles of equipment isn't the same thing as acquiring articles of equipment.
6. May I possess more discovery tokens than I require to exchange for an article of equipment? Answer: Yes. You may possess as many discovery tokens as you like, since you can exchange them for articles of equipment as often as you like during your turn.
7. May I use treasures or an amulet for an ordeal? Answer: No. The 4 objects that you're required to use for an ordeal must be articles of equipment. Amulets and treasure are not equipment.
8. I possess an amulet and would like to pass my turn in order to get a discovery token. Do I still get 1 gold piece from the temple reserve? Answer: Yes. You get the gold piece at the beginning of your turn, regardless of which tile you're on or what actions you execute.
9. Is there a difference between an ordeal where the connecting path is entirely missing and one where it is only partial? Answer: No. An ordeal is caused by movement to a tile where there is no direct connecting route. It doesn't matter if one of the tiles has a partial route.
10. I enter an adventure space by completing an ordeal. I already have a camp on this tile from a previous turn. Can I use any 4 objects for the ordeal and then erect a new camp on this tile? Answer: No. When you survive the adventure on a tile, you may only erect a camp if you use the articles of equipment that are shown with a red border on the tile.
11. I finish my "Move Adventurer" action on an adventure space that still has a treasure and where I have a camp. I don't wish to use the necessary 4 red-bordered articles of equipment to survive the adventure again. May I dig up the treasure anyway? Answer: Yes. In order to enter an adventure tile, you must be able to survive the adventure or already have a camp on the tile. In order to dig up the treasure, you must finish your movement on the tile. It doesn't matter which way you end up on the tile.
Goldland Overview
Components
- 1 temple
- 1 start tile
- 49 terrain tiles: 36 tiles without a coastal border (13 without adventures and 23 with adventures) and 12 tiles with a coastal border
- 5 adventurers (player pawns, 1 each in the 5 player colors)
- 50 camps (10 each in the 5 player colors)
- 5 backpacks (in the 5 player colors)
- 7 adventure markers
- 36 discovery tokens
- 8 treasure tokens
- 112 articles of equipment: 26 provisions, 16 pearls, 16 ropes, 16 guns, 16 spades, 16 timbers, 6 fishing rods
- 22 gold pieces
- 5 amulets
- 5 short rules cards
- 1 supplement "Examples and explanations"
- 1 game overview
- 1 rules booklet
The temple has three named areas: the Bonus field, the Goal field, and the Reserve field. The 36 terrain tiles are put into the goal field area during the game.
Game Set-up
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The start tile and the terrain tiles with the coastal border are laid out face-up on the table according to the illustration in the Overview. The start tile and the two corner tiles must be placed as shown but the remaining 10 coastal tiles may be laid between them in any sequence, except that the two tiles on either side of the start tile should not have a village. For your first game, we suggest that you lay out the coastal tiles in the sequence shown.
These 13 tiles represent the border of the area within which the rest of the terrain tiles will be played during the course of the game. The available spaces for these remaining tiles are a 6 x 6 grid = 36 tiles (counting the tiles already laid out, the entire area is a 7 x 7 grid = 49 tiles).
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The remaining 36 terrain tiles are thoroughly mixed and set out in a face-down stack. Beginners may choose to lay the 36 terrain tiles face-down in the 6 x 6 grid.
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The temple is placed at the corner diagonally across from the start tile, approximately where the goal tile will be placed.
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Depending on the number of players, the amulets and gold pieces are put on the appropriate places in the temple:
- In the middle, put as many amulets as there are players.
- The left is the bonus field. Put twice as many gold pieces there as the number of players.
- The right is the reserve field. Put as many gold pieces there as follows:
- 2 players: 3 gold pieces
- 3 players: 6 gold pieces
- 4 players: 9 gold pieces
- 5 players: 12 gold pieces
- Put any remaining amulets and gold pieces back in the box.
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The various articles of equipment, treasure, and discovery tokens are sorted and set out in easy reach.
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The 7 adventure markers are set out separately and visibly next to the temple. The value of the markers is represented on one side by a number and on the other side with gold pieces.
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Each player chooses a color and gets:
- 1 adventurer, which he places on the start tile
- 10 camps and 1 backpack, that he sets in front of himself
- 3 provisions and 2 pearls, which he takes from the stock of the articles of equipment and places on numbers 8-12 in his backpack
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The players agree who will begin.