Look at the Stars
Look at the Stars Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 8 different dry erase night sky boards
- 30 night cards
- 19 bonus cards (10 point bonus cards and 9 action bonus cards)
- 8 dry erase markers and 8 wipes
Game Setup
Each player takes a different night sky board and a marker.
Shuffle the night cards, form 3 decks of 6 cards each, and place them facedown in a line. The remaining cards are returned to the box.
Shuffle the packs of point bonus cards and action bonus cards separately, then reveal 1 of each. The remaining cards are returned to the box.
For your first game, it is recommended you use these 2 cards.
Game Objective
Players connect the stars on their night sky board to form constellations of different sizes. However, the sun is rising and gradually blocks the bottom of the night sky boards. The game ends after 18 turns, or 3 rounds, and the player with the most victory points wins.
Playing the Game
One of the players flips over the top night card of the first deck.
Note: When all the cards in this deck have been used, the second and third decks are played.
Simultaneously, all players draw lines on their night sky board matching those on the card.
How to Draw?
The players must copy the shape formed by the 2 lines found on the night card onto their board, taking into account the following.
A line must always connect 2 adjacent stars orthogonally or diagonally.
A night card can be drawn in any direction, but never as a reversed image.
Players can turn a night card in all directions to help them visualize all the possibilities.
Two lines may intersect.
There can be multiple lines all sharing the same star.
Lines cannot overlap.
A line can never touch a planet, a shooting star, or any object (see bonus cards) other than a line or a star.
A player can always choose to skip a night card and not draw those lines. However, they cannot choose to draw only 1 of the 2 lines on a card.
Important: 2 objects are considered adjacent if they are placed next to each other orthogonally or diagonally.
The Sun Slowly Rises
When the first deck of night cards is empty, it is no longer possible to use the stars in the bottom 2 rows.
When the second deck of night cards is empty, it is no longer possible to use the stars in the bottom 4 rows.
A Shooting Star!
If you are lucky, you may see shooting stars on night cards (maximum 3 shooting star cards per game). When a shooting star is revealed, you do not have to draw it. If you do, draw it diagonally 1, 2 or 3 lines long. Close your eyes and make a wish! A shooting star can never touch a star that has already been used and vice versa.
A shooting star drawn 1 line long is worth 1 point, 2 lines long is worth 2 points, and 3 lines long is worth 3 points.
End of the Game
The game ends when the last card of the third deck has either been drawn or passed on. The player or players with the most victory points wins.
How Are the Points Counted?
Constellation
A constellation is a set of lines that are connected (either by sharing the same star or intersecting). A constellation must contain a minimum of 3 lines and a maximum of 8. A single line, 2 connected lines, or a set of 9 or more lines are not constellations. Shooting stars are not constellations.
For each constellation, the player earns a number of victory points equal to the number of lines in that constellation. However, if several constellations contain the same number of lines, only 1 of them earns victory points. The player marks on their board the constellations they have drawn and adds up the points. In this way, it is possible to earn up to 33 points if all 6 possible constellations are drawn (of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 lines).
Example: a constellation of 4 connected lines scores 4 points. If a player also has a separate constellation of only 2 connected lines, that one scores 0 points, because 2 lines does not meet the 3-line minimum.
Planet
Each planet awards a number of points equal to the number of constellations adjacent to it, even if these constellations have an identical number of lines.
Example: a planet adjacent to 3 different constellations (of 3, 4, and 3 lines) scores 3 points, one for each adjacent constellation.
Shooting star
Each shooting star awards 1 point for each line in it.
Point bonus cards and action bonus cards
Some bonus cards earn you victory points (see next page).
Bonus Cards
Each time a player succeeds in reproducing on their board the shape indicated by a bonus card, they get a bonus.
In the case of a point bonus card, they simply earn the number of victory points indicated on that card at the end of the game.
In the case of an action bonus card, they get an immediate bonus. The player can choose not to use this bonus.
The same line can be used to get the point bonus and the action bonus, but cannot be used to get the same bonus more than once. Unless otherwise stated, a bonus may be earned more than once.
Action Bonus Cards
If you are new to Look at the Stars, we recommend that you use an action bonus card from this list:
- Draw a new planet on an unused star (that no line or object touches).
- Draw a line between 2 adjacent stars.
- Draw 2 new stars in a space that does not contain any stars, respecting the position of the star grid. These stars can then be used to draw lines.
- Draw a galaxy that covers 2 unused stars that are adjacent horizontally. The galaxy must be adjacent to the constellation that earned the bonus. A galaxy earns 2 victory points at the end of the game.
- Draw a twinkling star on an unused star. A twinkling star earns 3 victory points if it is adjacent to exactly 2 constellations at the end of the game.
As you become more experienced, we invite you to try these more challenging and difficult bonuses:
- Draw a nova on a star in an existing constellation. This constellation can now have 9 or 10 lines. As with a normal constellation, it will earn 1 point per line at the end of the game. As usual, if several constellations have the same number of lines, only one of them will score victory points.
- Draw a luminous aura on a star in an existing constellation. It is not possible to draw multiple luminous auras in the same constellation. From now on, you can't add lines to this constellation. A luminous aura is worth 2 victory points at the end of the game.
- Draw a crescent moon on an unused star. Each constellation which has at least 1 star in a vertical or horizontal alignment with the crescent moon scores 1 additional victory point at the end of the game. You can only draw one crescent moon per game.
- Draw a black hole on an unused star. From now on, you cannot draw on the adjacent stars. At the end of the game, score 1 point for each unused star adjacent to the black hole. You can only draw one black hole per game.
Credits
Game designer: Romain Caterdjian — Artwork: Adrien Le Coz Translation: Rebecca Sevoz — Proofreading: William Niebling
About the Constellations
Here is a brief overview of the constellations that the illustrations on the game boards are loosely based on.
Ancient Greece — The elongated shape of the Hydra female constellation represents the giant snake that Hercules faced during one of his twelve labors. The Lyre allowed Orpheus to charm the creatures of the Underworld.
Ancient Egypt — The constellations of the Ibis and the Scarab would correspond to Cancer and Sagittarius. The scarab is the symbol of the god Khepri who was believed to roll the disk of the sun across the sky. The sacred ibis is associated with Thoth, god of wisdom and writing.
China — Tshang-Lung, the blue dragon, is associated with the East and spring. Its appearance in the sky marked the beginning of the spring rains. Tchou-Niao, the red bird, associated with the South and summer, is represented as a hybrid of birds, a quail, or a phoenix.
Southern Africa — For the Tswana and Sotho, Dithutlwa (the giraffes) are represented by the stars of the Southern Cross. For the San, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse are known as the male and female hartebeest.
Polynesians — The demigod Maui is said to have raised the islands of Hawaii by pulling them up from the ocean floor with his magic hook, Ka Makau Nui o Maui. Nāmāhoe, the twins, is composed of Nānā Mua, "who looks forward" (Castor) and Nānā Hope, "who looks back" (Pollux).
Navajo — Ma'ii Bizò', the Coyote Star, was placed by the god Coyote in the South, its twinkle visible to the Navajo at the winter solstice. Náhookòs Bikò', the North Star, symbolizes the central fire of the hogan (Navajo home). It never moves and so brings stability and balance to the other stars.
Inuits — In Alaska, the Pleiades represent a red fox. Its Inuit name is Kaguyagat. The Big Dipper is known as Tukturjuit, the caribou.
India — Kalaparusha (or Prajapati) was transformed into a deer for being cruel to his daughter. The Belt of Orion represents the arrow that pierced him. The couple Soma and Vishnu, with the lyre and the club of knowledge, are associated with the duos sun/moon and day/night.