Himizu Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Goal of the Game
• Game Setup
• Round Structure
• How to Take a Move Action
  • Interactions when moving flame figures
  • Interactions when moving the wave figure
• How to Use Your Abilities
• Proliferate
• End of Game
  • Fire wins!
  • Water wins!
• Gameplay Tips
  • Fire
  • Water
• Explanation of Abilities
  • Water's abilities
  • Fire's abilities
• Piece Interactions
  • 1. A flame moves from a space with a burning terrain tile?
  • 2. A puddle tile moves onto a tile with charred terrain?
  • 3. A puddle tile moves onto a burning terrain tile?
  • 4. A puddle tile moves onto a tile with another puddle?
• Game Summary
  • Goal of the Game
  • Game Setup
  • How to Play
  • Useful Reminders

Components

• 2 Spirit cards
• 10 Round tokens
• 1 Board
• 3 Puddle/Mud tiles
• 1 Wave figure
• 3 Power tokens (blue, for Water)
• 16 Burning/Charred terrain tiles
• 3 Power tokens (orange, for Fire)
• 3 Flame figures
• 2 Player aid cards

Goal of the Game

Depending on the role we play:

• Fire 火: Have all 16 burning/charred terrain tiles on the board.
• Water 水: Have no flame figures on the board.

If no one has achieved their goal by the end of round 10, Water wins. Therefore, Water can simply play to prevent Fire from achieving their objective.

Game Setup

1. Randomly choose who will play Fire and who will play Water, then place the corresponding spirit and player aid cards in front of you.
2. Place the 3 corresponding power tokens (orange for Fire and blue for Water) next to your spirit card.
3. Fire takes the 16 burning/charred terrain tiles, the 10 round tokens, and the 3 flame figures.
4. Water takes the 3 puddle/mud tiles and the wave figure.
5. Place the board on the center of the table, on whichever side you prefer.
6. Fire places 2 flame figures on the game board on empty squares of their choice, then Water places their wave figure on an empty square of their choice.
7. Fire starts the game by taking the first turn of the first round.

Round Structure

Each round consists of 2 turns, Fire's and then Water's. During your turn, you can move your figures and use your abilities in any order and combination you prefer. When you can no longer or no longer wish to take any more actions, your turn ends and your opponent's turn begins.

Each time Fire begins their turn, it can proliferate (see Proliferate, below). Each time Fire ends their turn, they return a round token to the box. When the last token is returned, the game ends (see End of Game, below).

How to Take a Move Action

You can move up to 3 times, distributed as you wish among your figures, on each of your turns. You can use abilities to increase this 3 move limit.

To take a move action, choose one of your figures and move it to an orthogonally adjacent square that does not already contain a figure.

Interactions when moving flame figures

• Flame figures cannot move onto a square that has a puddle, mud, or charred terrain tile.
• Each time a flame figure leaves a square, place a burning terrain tile there, or flip the burning terrain tile on that square to its charred side.
• Remember that Fire can distribute their movement as they wish among the flame figures on the board.

Interactions when moving the wave figure

• The wave cannot move to a square that has a charred terrain tile.
• Each time the wave moves to a square with a puddle tile, it does not consume movement.
• Each time the wave moves onto a square with a burning terrain tile, it is returned to Fire (who can place it again on later turns).

How to Use Your Abilities

Each spirit has 4 abilities, each with its own cost. On your turn, you can activate as many of your abilities as you want, without repeating them, as long as you can pay their costs using power tokens.

Each power token has 2 different values depending on the type of ability for which it is used:

• Fire tokens (orange) are worth 2 points if used to pay for Fire abilities and 1 point if used to pay for Water abilities.
• Water tokens (blue) are worth 2 points when used to pay for Water abilities and 1 point when used to pay for Fire abilities.

After paying for an ability, if there is any value left over, it can be used to pay for another ability.

Each time someone uses power tokens to pay for the cost of one or more abilities, they give those tokens to their opponent.

Example: Lara (Water) uses a Water token to pay for her cost 2 ability, giving that token to Quim (Fire). On his turn, Quim uses a Fire token and the Water token Lara gave him to pay for his cost 3 ability, then gives both tokens to Lara.

For more information on the effects of abilities, see Explanation of Abilities, below.

Proliferate

At the beginning of each Fire turn, Fire places a burning terrain tile on each empty square that is orthogonally flanked by 2 squares with burning terrain tiles.

Note: A square that has proliferated this turn never causes proliferation on other squares on that same turn.

End of Game

The game ends immediately when one of the following conditions occur:

Fire wins!

• All 16 burning/charred terrain tiles are simultaneously on the board. It does not matter which side of each tile is face up.

Water wins!

• Water ends its turn and there are no flame figures on the board.
• Fire returns the last round token to the box.

Gameplay Tips

Fire

• Make use of your numerical advantage (3 flames vs. 1 wave) to burn squares that are difficult for Water to access.
• Charred terrain is very important, as Water can only counteract it by losing a puddle. However, charred terrain blocks movement, and it is easy to get stuck.
• You exert a lot of pressure at the beginning of the game, but as the game progresses, you will lose steam. Avoid getting trapped!
• Proliferation allows you to burn additional squares, but you have to plan well for this to happen.

Water

• Puddle tiles help you counteract Fire's numerical superiority. Use them wisely to limit your opponent's options.
• Keep track of the burning/charred terrain tiles that Fire can place on their next turn so you can wisely decide your actions on your turn.
• Although you are naturally defensive, you can also opt for an offensive strategy thanks to your fourth ability. If you manage to eliminate all the flame figures, you will win the game.
• When you are unsure of which burning terrain tiles to remove, consider the proliferation at the beginning of Fire's turn.

Managing your power tokens is crucial. If you use too few, you won't benefit from the powerful effects of your abilities. If you use too many, your opponent may choose to hoard the tokens until it's time to make their masterstroke.

Explanation of Abilities

Water's abilities

1. Increase your movement limit by 1 for this turn. This is compatible with your fourth ability (for a total of 5 movements).
2. Place a puddle tile on an empty square (if all squares are already taken, ignore this step). You can then move a puddle tile (even the one you just placed) to an orthogonally adjacent square.
3. Place the wave on a square with a puddle tile. This does not consume movement.
4. This ability allows you to go on the offensive. Its effects apply on your next turn. On that turn, you increase your movement limit by 1 and your wave can move to tiles containing a flame figure. Whenever you do this, return that flame to Fire (who can place it on the board on later turns).

Remember that if there are no flame figures on the board, you win the game.

Fire's abilities

1. Increase your movement limit by 2 for this turn (for a total of 5 movements).
2. Place a burning terrain tile on an empty square, or flip a burning terrain tile that is already on the board to its charred terrain side.
3. Flame figures may move onto squares with charred terrain tiles this turn (and may end their turn there).
4. Place a flame figure on an empty square. If all flame figures are on the board, you cannot use this ability.

Piece Interactions

1. A flame moves from a space with a burning terrain tile?

Flip that tile to its charred terrain side. A charred terrain tile on the board cannot be flipped to its burning side. No one can move onto charred terrain.

2. A puddle tile moves onto a tile with charred terrain?

Flip the puddle tile to its mud side, and return the charred terrain to Fire (who may place it back on its burning side on later turns). A mud tile cannot be flipped to its puddle side. Only the wave can move onto a mud tile.

3. A puddle tile moves onto a burning terrain tile?

Return the burning terrain to Fire (who can place it again on later turns).

4. A puddle tile moves onto a tile with another puddle?

They stack (maximum 2 tiles). Flames cannot be moved onto a puddle, and the wave does not consume movement when moving onto a puddle.

Game Summary

Goal of the Game

• All 16 burning/charred terrain tiles are simultaneously on the board. It does not matter which side of each tile is face up. (Fire wins)
• Water ends its turn and there are no flame figures on the board. Fire returns the last round token to the box. (Water wins)

Game Setup

Choose who will play each spirit and take the corresponding components (spirit card, player aid card, power tokens).

• Fire: Take the 16 burning/charred terrain tiles, the 3 flame figures and the 10 round tokens.
• Water: Take the 3 puddle/mud tiles and the wave figure.

Place the board on the center of the table.

• Fire: Place 2 flames on empty squares on the board.
• Water: Place the wave on an empty square.

Fire starts the game.

How to Play

1. A round consists of Fire's turn and then Water's turn.
2. At the beginning of Fire's turn, check if the burning tiles are proliferating.
3. Move and use your abilities in whichever order and combination you prefer. When you can no longer or no longer wish to take any more actions, end your turn and it is now your opponent's turn.
4. Each time Fire ends their turn, return one round token to the box.

Useful Reminders

• To take a move action, move one of your figures to an orthogonally adjacent square that does not have a figure on it.
• To use an ability, pay its cost in power tokens and give them to your opponent.