Ingenious: Travel Edition
Ingenious: Travel Edition Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 1 game board
- 1 cloth bag
- 57 double tiles
- 12 scoring markers (referred to below simply as markers)
- rules of play
The Game Board:
- Wells for 6 double tiles
- Player A's scoring track
- Player B's scoring track
- Starting position for the markers
- Markers
- Colored symbols printed on the game board
- Cloth bag
Setup
Put the 57 double tiles into the cloth bag and mix them well. Then place the game board between the two players.
Each player draws 6 tiles from the bag and arranges them in the special wells on their side of the board, so that the opponent cannot see the colored symbols shown on the double tiles.
Players place their markers on the starting positions of their scoring tracks, matching each marker to its corresponding color (the red marker on the red starting space, and so on).
Object of the Game
The goal of the game is to score points in all 6 color categories. To do this, players lay double tiles onto the board, trying to make the colored symbols shown on them match as many symbols already on the board as possible. The more symbols that match, the more points the player earns. The player moves the marker of the matching color forward one space on their scoring track for each point earned of that color.
Be careful! A player's final score is determined by their worst-performing marker (in other words, the marker that has earned the fewest points). This means that the player whose worst-performing marker has earned more points than the other player's worst-performing marker becomes the winner. Players should try to earn points evenly across all colors, so that all of their markers stay at roughly the same level.
Game Play
The younger player begins the game. Play alternates between the two players. On your turn, do the following:
- Place a double tile on the game board.
- Score points for this tile and move the marker(s) of the matching color(s) along your scoring track.
- Draw a new double tile.
Then play passes to the other player.
1. Placing a Double Tile on the Game Board
At the start of your turn, choose one of the 6 double tiles in front of you (sitting in the special wells) and place the chosen tile onto two empty hexagonal spaces on the game board that are adjacent to each other.
Every double tile shows 2 colored symbols — either 2 different symbols, or 2 identical symbols.
You score points when you place a double tile next to symbols of the same color on the game board — whether those symbols are printed on other tiles or printed directly on the board — but you do not score points for the symbols on the tile you just placed.
During the first round of play, each player must place their tile next to a symbol already printed on the game board, and the second player must place their tile next to a different printed symbol than the one the first player chose. Points are then scored (see "2. Scoring Points for Tiles" below).
After each player has taken one turn, players may place their tiles on any two adjacent empty hexagonal spaces on the game board. A tile does not need to be placed next to tiles with matching symbols, or even next to any other double tile at all.
Other placement rules:
- You may not place tiles on top of symbols printed on the board.
- You must not place your double tile in a way that isolates a single hexagonal space (since no double tile could then ever be placed there during the game).
- You are required to place a tile on your turn — even if you do not want to, or cannot score any points for it.
2. Scoring Points for Tiles
After a player has placed their double tile on the board, the points scored for both symbols shown on the tile must be determined (even if the two symbols are identical). First, work out the points scored for the first symbol and move the matching marker along the scoring track. Then determine the points scored for the second symbol, and mark that on the scoring track as well.
How many points does a symbol score?
- Once a tile is on the board, you will see that it is surrounded by 5 hexagonal spaces (unless the tile lies right at the edge of the board). These are the 5 directions in which points are counted.
- Note that players score points not only for these 5 adjacent hexagonal spaces, but for every further hexagonal space beyond them, along the line of matching symbols radiating outward from these 5 spaces.
Scoring points in the five directions:
- Count the number of matching symbols in each of the 5 directions. (For example, if your tile shows a blue star, count the number of blue stars.)
- In each direction, tiles are counted until the line is broken — that is, until an empty hexagonal space or a different symbol is reached. Symbols printed on the board count as ordinary symbols, not as empty hexagonal spaces.
- When counting points, it makes no difference whether the matching symbol is printed directly on the board or on another double tile — the player scores 1 point either way.
- The total of all matching symbols across all 5 directions is the total number of points scored for that colored symbol.
Note:
- The colored symbols shown on the tile you just placed are not counted.
- Even if a double tile shows the same symbol on both halves, points are still only scored in 5 directions (not 6).
Scoring examples:
- A new double tile placed next to a single symbol printed on the board scores 1 blue point.
- A new double tile placed so its symbol lines up with a longer run of matching tiles scores 4 blue points.
- A new double tile placed between existing tiles can score 2 blue points.
- A new double tile can score for both of its symbols at once — for example, 2 red points and 4 blue points.
- Another placement can score 1 red point and 2 blue points.
- A well-placed tile that extends a long line can score as much as 12 green points.
"Ingenious" Bonus (the 18th Space on the Scoring Track)
When a marker of any color reaches the 18th space on the scoring track, it stays there for the rest of the game — no more points are scored for that color.
When your marker lands on the 18th space, you must call out "Ingenious!" and you may immediately take a free extra turn, placing another tile. That is, during your current turn you may place one more tile, and this placement may itself trigger another "Ingenious" bonus.
Keep in mind:
- A tile showing two different symbols can theoretically trigger two bonus turns at once.
- Players are required to use any bonus turn they earn.
- A player may only draw new tiles from the bag (see below) after they have made all of their bonus placements.
3. Drawing a New Tile
At the end of your turn, you must bring your number of tiles back up to 6. To do this, you have two options:
A. Draw new tiles. Simply draw double tiles from the bag until you again have 6 tiles in front of you.
OR
B. Swap all of your tiles. You may only do this if none of your double tiles show a symbol in the color that is currently your worst-performing marker on your scoring track.
To swap all of your tiles, you must show your remaining tiles to your opponent. Then set them aside and draw new tiles from the bag (until you again have 6 tiles). Put the tiles you set aside back into the bag. This ends your turn.
Note: if more than one of your markers is tied for worst-performing on the scoring track, you may swap all of your tiles (option B) only if none of your tiles show symbols in any of those tied colors.
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as there is no more room on the board to place tiles (that is, there are no two adjacent empty hexagonal spaces left). Players then compare the points they scored during the game.
Only the positions of each player's worst-performing markers need to be compared. The player whose worst-performing marker is further along the track than the other player's worst-performing marker becomes the winner!
Note: it does not matter which particular color is your worst-performing color, or how many of your markers reached the 18th space.
In case of a tie, players compare their second-worst markers on the scoring track. (Special case: a player who has two or more markers tied for worst-performing loses to a player who has only a single worst-performing marker.)
Instant Victory (rare!)
If all of a player's markers reach the 18th space, that player wins the game immediately!
End-of-Game Scoring Examples
Above: Player A wins, because their worst-performing marker scored 10 points, while Player B's worst-performing marker scored only 9.
Above: the players are tied — their worst-performing markers both scored 9 points. Their second-worst markers (red for Player A and orange for Player B) also scored the same number of points — 12. So they compare their third-worst color, which decides the winner. Player A has 13 yellow points, while Player B has 14 green points. Player B wins the game.