Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preparation
The players choose a captain, who is in charge of the cash tray besides taking an active part in the game. He distributes to each player 15 counters—five each of red, green and yellow. The remaining counters are kept in the pool.
Next, the captain puts the duty tiles at random on the four rectangular spaces of the game board and the eight whirlpool discs on the studs.
Now the players are numbered consecutively, starting with the player on the captain's left and going round the table, so that the captain himself invariably draws the highest number. On the cash tray each player is allotted a compartment corresponding to his number.
Finally, the Kon-Tiki raft is placed on the circle representing the port of Callao and the game can start.
How to Play
Player No. 1 moves the raft along the current (the row of arrows) one, two or three steps, as he chooses. Each step consists of one arrow. For the privilege of moving the player takes from his heap a corresponding number of counters, one for each arrow traversed and puts them on the cash tray into the compartment bearing his number.
Up to the first whirlpool each player may pay for his move with counters of any colour.
Next, player No. 2 places one, two or three counters into compartment two of the cash tray and moves the raft along the current the appropriate number of arrows and so forth.
Whirlpools
A whirlpool cannot be jumped over; the approaching player must stop on it, even if this takes him only one or two steps instead of the three allowable.
The player who reaches a whirlpool must navigate: he turns the whirlpool disc so that it bridges currents and points the raft in one of the two possible directions. Choice of direction lies entirely with the player who reached the whirlpool but the raft can only move in the direction of row of arrows, not against it.
Where double arrows are printed on the board, moves may be made in either direction but the direction must not be changed between one whirlpool disc and another.
For the act of navigation the player receives a navigation certificate, later redeemable for three counters either of one colour or assorted, according to choice. If towards the end of the game none is available, he receives three counters from the pool. His turn is now at an end.
When the whirlpool disc is turned, a colour appears in its circular window. From now on, and up to the next whirlpool, all moves have to be paid for in counters of this particular colour.
Duty Tiles and Duty Cards
On their way the players will encounter arrows connected by broken lines with one of the duty tiles.
A player, who stops on such an arrow, receives a corresponding duty card. These duty cards decide the outcome of the game and as many as possible should be collected. If no duty card is available, five counters are received from the pool instead.
Change of Duty Tiles
Whenever the raft rests on a whirlpool, any player may ask for a reshuffling of the duty tiles on the playing board. The tiles are picked up by the captain, shuffled and placed on the board from right to left.
Shortage of Counters in Hand
A player, who at his turn has no counters of the required colour, may draw them from the pool exchanging them for duty cards. One duty card equals five counters; one navigation certificate is worth three counters. The newly acquired counters may be used straight away. If none of the required colour are available, the player must pass. If all players have to pass in this manner, the colour governing the moves is changed to the next one, i.e., from red to green, from green to yellow or from yellow to red, but passing is not allowed in any other circumstances.
10 Counters in Player's Compartment on Cash Tray
Whenever, while duty cards are still available, a player's compartment on the cash tray contains 10 counters, he may place them into the pool. This entitles him to draw one duty card according to his choice.
End of Game
When the raft reaches the island of Raroia, the game ends. Now all duty cards and navigation certificates are counted, in order to determine the winner. Any counters left over in the hands of the players or in their compartments on the cash tray are worthless. Each navigation certificate counts three points; each single duty card counts one point; however, a series of duty cards counts much more than the sum of separate cards, as follows:
| Duty cards of any series | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 point |
| 2 | 3 points |
| 3 | 6 points |
| 4 | 10 points |
| 5 | 15 points |
| 6 | 21 points |
| 7 | 28 points |