Helsinki Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Game Concept and Object of the Game
• Sequence of Play
  • 1) Move your player token
  • 2) Draw cards or build a pavilion
    • 2a) Draw cards
    • 2b) Building a pavilion
• The Action Board and Its Actions
• End of the Game & Final Scoring
• Expansion: Dry Roads
• Variant: New Challenges

Components

Shared components:

• 1 Senate board
• 30 Superstructures
• 5 Covering tiles
• 1 Starting token
• 1 Action board with scoring track (two parts to be assembled before playing)
• 50 Pavilion tiles (double-sided) with 2-5 roofs, 10 each in five colors: 3x 2-roof, 3x 3-roof, 3x 4-roof, 1x 5-roof per color
• 12 Wild pavilion tiles with one roof each
• 100 Pavilion cards: 18 cards each in five colors plus 10 wild cards
• 1 Rules booklet

Individual player components (in four player colors red, green, blue and yellow):

• 1 Player Board
• 8 Coats of arms
• 1 Statue
• 1 Player token
• 1 Scoring marker

Components for the expansion "Dry roads": 4 Bonus cards, 16 Visitors.

Setup

1. Place the senate board in the center of the playing area. Shuffle all pavilion cards and stack them face down as a draw pile on the corresponding space. Next to the deck is a space for the discard pile. Draw eight cards from the draw pile and place them face up on the eight display slots between the buildings.
   • In a game with three players: Before shuffling the cards, remove two "1" and one "5" cards of each color plus four wild cards. Return these cards to the game box; you will not need them for this game.
   • In a game with two players: Before shuffling the cards, remove two each of "1," "2," "3," and "4" cards of each color, as well as any one "5" card plus six wild cards. Return these cards to the game box; you will not need them for this game.
2. Sort the pavilion tiles by color first, then by their shape. Put them within reach of all players next to the senate board as a common supply. Put the superstructures next to these tiles.
3. Place the action board next to the senate board. For your first game session we recommend covering the bottom row of the action board with the 5 covering tiles. These actions are not available during this game session. After having played a few games you won't need the covering tiles anymore and will have more actions to choose from. Keep the wild pavilion tiles below the action board.
4. Each player chooses a player color and takes the following components in their color:
   • 1 Player board, showing the same buildings on its four edges as the senate board. Each player places their board in front of them in the same orientation as the senate board in the center.
   • 8 Coats of arms, placing them on the designated roofs (color dots) of their player board.
   • 1 Statue, placing it on the center roof of their player board.
   • 1 Scoring marker, which they place on the "0" space of the scoring track.
   • 1 Player token.
5. Give the starting token to the youngest player, who places their player token on any senate space of the senate board. Other players follow in a clockwise direction, placing their player token on every other senate space (also clockwise).

Board terms: the player board's building grid consists of 49 roofs (7 rows and 7 columns). The meadow is the storage space for overbuilt coats of arms.

Game Concept and Object of the Game

Players shape their own Senate Square, connecting as many pavilions with each other as possible, filling complete rows and columns. The player with the most points on the scoring track at the end wins.

Sequence of Play

Helsinki is played over a series of rounds, with each round beginning with the player holding the start token. The other players follow in clockwise direction.

When you are the active player you must first:

1. Move your player token.

Then you must decide to either: 2) Draw cards or build a pavilion.

It then becomes the next player's turn.

The game ends after the round in which the final card from the draw pile has been revealed or drawn. If necessary, after the last card is revealed, shuffle the discard pile and use it as a new draw pile for the final round. Once this final round is finished, proceed to final scoring.

1) Move your player token

You must move your player token 1-3 spaces clockwise - you are not allowed to stay in the same space. More than one player token may occupy a senate space.

2) Draw cards or build a pavilion

Then you must decide one of two possible actions.

Each pavilion tile has 3 features: shape, color, and number of roofs. Pavilion cards show: the card number (how many cards you need to build this pavilion tile), the pavilion tile (this tile can be built with this card), the color frame (the color of the card), and the superstructures (how many superstructures will be put on this pavilion tile once it is built).

Important: The colors of the pavilion cards are not player colors! Each player may choose from all colors to build pavilions on their player board.

2a) Draw cards

Each senate space is adjacent to two pavilion cards, one to the right and one to the left. Add the two cards adjacent to the senate space where your player token is to your hand, then refill the two empty spaces with two cards from the draw pile. Each player's hand limit is seven cards. If a player has more than seven cards after drawing cards, they have to discard down to seven immediately and place any excess cards of their choice on the (face up) discard pile.

2b) Building a pavilion

Players want to completely fill rows and columns on their player boards, and to do that you will need to build pavilion tiles. To build a pavilion, you play a specific number of cards from your hand, then place the tile on your board with the orientation depending on your position on the senate board.

1. Playing cards

To build a pavilion tile, you must have a card in hand that shows the shape you want to build on the card, and the tile must still be available in the supply.

If this card shows any superstructure icons (1 or 2), take that many superstructures from supply. They will be used after the tile has been placed on the game board (see "The superstructures").

You must also play a number of cards of the same color as indicated by the number at the top of the card. The card that shows the desired tile counts towards the total number of cards played.

The "1" card is played on its own if you want to build the shown pavilion. The "2", "3", "4" and "5" cards must always be played with any required additional cards of the same color.

Example: If you want to build a pavilion shown on a blue "5" card, you have to play any four additional blue cards.

After adding the pavilion to their player board, the player puts their played cards on the discard pile.

Note: A card showing a pavilion tile that is no longer available from the common supply cannot be used to build that pavilion. It can only be played as a required additional card of that color.

The wild cards

The wild cards do not have a number in their top corners and thus cannot be played on their own. However, they are a substitute for any color and can be played to reach the required number of cards of a specific color. Any number of wild cards can be played in a group to reach the required number of cards.

2. Adding the pavilion tile

Once you have taken a pavilion tile, you must add it to your player board. The following placement rules apply:

1. You have to push the tile toward the center of your player board from that side corresponding to the side of the senate board where your own player token currently is.
2. You must push the tile toward the center of your board until it hits the statue or another tile (edge to edge, not corner to corner). Each player's very first tile must hit the statue.
3. Before you start pushing your tile, you may rotate and flip it in any direction you like.
4. Each tile must fit the grid completely, no parts may be outside the grid.

Example: A player pushes the green "4" tile toward the center of their board from the left side (yellow).

Bonuses

If the pavilion tile you just built touches another pavilion tile on your board of the same color (edge to edge, not corner to corner) you draw one card from the draw pile as a bonus.

The superstructures

If you gained any superstructures this turn, they must immediately be placed on any roof(s) of the pavilion tile you just built. Each roof can hold only one superstructure. At the end of the game, superstructures will grant points if built in complete rows and columns.

Example: A player plays three blue cards. The "3" card shows a superstructure, so they take both the tile shown on the card and the superstructure from the common supply. After having added the tile to their player board, the player puts the superstructure on a roof of that tile.

The coats of arms

On certain spaces of each player board there are coats of arms. Whenever a player places a pavilion tile over a coat of arms, they store it on the meadow of their player board. Any coats of arms from a player's meadow may be used during this or any later turn to perform actions shown on the action board.

The Action Board and Its Actions

The action board depicts 15 different actions which players may use during their turn in addition to the actions described above. When using such an action, the player must place a coat of arms from their meadow onto the action they want to use and then perform it. More than one action may be performed this way during a player's turn. However, each player can only use actions that are not yet covered by their own coat of arms, meaning they may only perform each action once a game.

These actions expand or modify the basic rules explained above, or allow completely new options. Some actions affect the movement of the player's token, others relate to the wild tiles or how to play cards.

The following 15 actions are available (the printed rulebook shows an icon for each; they are listed here in the printed order):

1. You may advance your player token 1-6 spaces on the senate board, instead of 1-3 spaces.
2. You may advance your player token 1-5 spaces on the senate board, instead of 1-3 spaces.
3. You may move your player token on the senate board 1 space counter-clockwise, instead of 1-3 spaces forward.
4. You gain two wild pavilion tiles and must add them to your player board immediately. They may be placed in any space that touches (edge to edge) another pavilion tile or wild pavilion tile.
5. You gain one wild pavilion tile and must add it to your player board immediately. It may be placed in any space that touches (edge to edge) another pavilion tile or wild pavilion tile.
6. Ignore your hand limit for one round: you may keep more than 7 cards until the end of the next round. Then, you have to discard down to seven again.
7. You may push a pavilion tile onto your board from any side, no matter where your player token currently is.
8. You may build a second pavilion tile during this turn. You have to play cards for it as usual.
9. During your turn, you may draw cards and build a pavilion tile.
10. You may draw one card from the draw pile in addition to the two cards adjacent to your player token. Add all cards to your hand (check for hand limit).
11. You gain two points. Advance two spaces on the scoring track.
12. You take one superstructure more than shown on your played card. If no superstructure is shown, you still take one.
13. You need one fewer card to build a pavilion tile. Example: If you want to build a pavilion tile shown on a purple "4" card, you have to play only three purple cards.
14. You may play any one card as a wild card. Example: If you want to build a blue "4" pavilion tile, you need only three blue cards and one card of any other color.
15. You may move a built superstructure to any other roof, it does not have to stay on the same tile.

End of the Game & Final Scoring

The game ends after the round in which the final card from the draw pile has been revealed or drawn. If necessary, after the last card is revealed, shuffle the discard pile and use it as a new draw pile for the final round. Once this final round is finished, proceed to final scoring for each player. Advance your scoring marker on the scoring track accordingly.

Pavilion tiles:

• 2 points for each complete row.
• 2 points for each complete column.

Superstructures: evaluate the superstructures in the following order:

1. 3 points for each superstructure at the intersection of a complete row and a complete column. Remove the superstructure from the board, it will not give any further points.
2. 1 point for each superstructure in a complete row or column.

Note: Superstructures in incomplete rows or columns do not give any points.

Note: The center space with the statue counts as a built space.

The player with the most points on the scoring track is the winner of the game! In case of a tie for the most points the involved player who is behind in player order is the winner.

Example of final scoring:

• Pavilion tiles: 2 complete rows = 4 points; 3 complete columns = 6 points.
• Superstructures: 1) 3 superstructures (A) in an intersection of a complete row and column = 9 points. 2) 1 superstructure (B) in one complete row = 1 point; 2 superstructures (B) in a complete column = 2 points. 0 points for the superstructure (C) in the incomplete row/column.
• Grand total 22 points.

Expansion: Dry Roads

Changes in setup:

1. Depending on player count put the following bonus cards as a display on the table: 2 players: bonus cards 3 and 5; 3 players: bonus cards 3, 5 and 7; 4 players: bonus cards 3, 5, 7 and 9.
2. Each player takes four visitors and places them on the crosswalks on their player board. These visitors stay put for the whole game.

Changes in game play: Players are trying to build their pavilion tiles in a way that all their four visitors waiting on the crosswalks are connected with each other via the pavilion tiles. As soon as a player has achieved this goal, they take the available bonus card with the most points and score these points on the scoring track. The bonus points are 9 - 7 - 5 - 3 points. The sooner a player can claim a bonus card, the more points they earn. All other rules and ways of scoring remain unchanged.

Variant: New Challenges

Changes in Setup: For a greater variety you may cover any 5 actions on the action board with the covering tiles. These actions are not available during this game session. This way each session of Helsinki will be different.