Magic Fold Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Overview
• Game Setup (4-Player Game)
• How to Play
  • The Effects of Initiative Tokens
  • The Effects of Magic Spell Cards
  • Example: Applying the Effects of Tokens and Cards
• Djinn Tokens
• Cobra Tokens
• Shortcuts
• End of the Game
• 2-Player Game: Shadow Rider
  • Game Setup
  • How to Play
  • Game End
• Magic Fold Championship
  • Game Setup
  • Game End
  • Scoring

Components

• Magic spell cards: Basic Spell Cards have a blue border; Advanced Spell Cards (20) have a red border.
• 8 Cobra tokens
• 4 Initiative tokens
• 1 Sand-timer (30 sec)
• 12 Djinn tokens
• 4 Meeples
• (Also in the box: the track board, the magic carpets and character tokens.)

Overview

The players fold their magic carpet simultaneously according to one of the four magic spell cards. As soon as a player finishes folding their carpet, they take the matching spell card and initiative token. At the end of the sandtimer, the players move according to the number of clouds shown on their spell card and initiative token. The first player to reach the Sky Palace wins the game.

Game Setup (4-Player Game)

The standard game rule is for a 4-player game. For a 2-player or a 3-player game, see "2-Player Game: Shadow Rider".

1. Place the track board in the top of the table.
2. Each player takes a magic carpet and a Djinn token. Then, place the remaining Djinn tokens on the board where a Djinn is shown.
3. Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding character token. Then, each player places the meeple of their color on the starting line.
4. Shuffle the cobra tokens, with the cobra face visible. Then, randomly place one, cobra face visible, on each cobra spot on the cloud. Return the remaining tokens into the box.
5. Shuffle all magic spell cards into a face-down draw pile. If you are playing for the first time, use only the 24 basic spell cards.
6. Place the initiative tokens face up, sorted from the lowest number to the highest number. Then, place the sand-timer next to them.
7. Draw and place the first 4 magic spell cards, face down, in front of the initiative tokens, one per token.

How to Play

1. Players hold one magic spell card each and count "1, 2, 3!" to reveal the cards simultaneously.
2. Then, players must fold their carpet to show only the icons from one of the four spell cards on their folded magic carpet.
   • You cannot fold in the middle of an icon.
   • Players may only fold their carpet along the clear vertical and horizontal lines separating the icons. Players are not allowed to fold diagonally.
   • You can fold the carpet more easily if you remember that the arrangement of icons in the front and in the back of the carpet is identical.
   • If the icons display colors with no symbols, the players need only to show the corresponding colors on their folded carpet.
   • If the icons display symbols with no colors, the players need only to show the corresponding symbols on their folded carpet.
   • If one of the icons displays a "?", the players may use any symbol of any color in its place on their folded carpet.
   • The arrangement of the icons on the folded magic carpet does not need to match the arrangement of the icons on the magic spell card, as long as all icons displayed are present.
   • If the magic spell card shows 4 icons, the players must fold their carpet into a square-shaped carpet.
3. As soon as a player is done folding their carpet, they take the initiative token located above the magic card they completed, along with the magic spell card itself.
   • If a player wants to take the initiative token 1, they must fold their carpet to match the spell card located under the token 1.
4. The first player to take an initiative token (and its associated magic spell card) flips the sand timer to start the 30 seconds countdown.
   • If another player has already taken the spell card and the initiative token that you wanted, try for another spell card!

The Effects of Initiative Tokens

• Token 1: Choose another player, and move their meeple back 1 space. If there is a cobra token or a short-cut, the player uses the effect.
• Token 2: Move your meeple 1 space forward. Take a Djinn token.
• Token 3: Move your meeple 2 spaces forward.
• Token 4: Move your meeple 3 spaces forward.

The Effects of Magic Spell Cards

• Basic (blue) spell card: Move your meeple 1 space forward. Take a Djinn token.
• Advanced (red) spell card: Move your meeple 2 spaces forward.

You must apply all the effects of your spell card and of your initiative token before resolving the effect of the place your meeple landed (i.e. Cobra token or Shortcut). Then, the effects of the Cobra token or Shortcut are applied. See "Cobra Tokens" and "Shortcuts" for the details.

Example: Applying the Effects of Tokens and Cards

(A) Yellow Player moves the Green Meeple back one space, applying the effect of the initiative token 1. Then, Yellow Player moves forward their own Yellow Meeple 3 spaces, applying the effect of the completed magic spell card.

(B) Green Player does not apply the effects of the initiative token and the magic spell card because the icons on the folded carpet do not match the spell card.

Djinn Tokens

Djinn tokens are used when players verify that their folded carpet matches with a magic spell card. They work as jokers and may replace any icon.

• You need to have at least one of the required icons on your folded carpet.
• The number of icons displayed on the magic spell card must match the number of icons displayed on the folded carpet in order to use Djinn tokens.
• Players must return any used Djinn token to the game board.
• Players may only have a maximum of 3 Djinn tokens in hand. Any additional Djinn obtained is immediately returned to the game board.
• Players may use a Djinn token as a joker to replace the Palace icon.

Cobra Tokens

When a meeple finishes its move on a Cobra Token, the player reveals the cobra token, applies its effect, and discards it.

• Move Back: Immediately move backward a number of spaces equal to the number of red clouds visible on the Cobra Token.
• Discard Djinn Token: Immediately discard as many Djinn Tokens as indicated on the Cobra Token.
• Play With Only One Hand: During the next round, the player is allowed to fold the carpet with only one hand indicated on the token.
• No Djinn Allowed: During the next round, the player is not allowed to use any Djinn Token.

Shortcuts

When a meeple finishes its move on a shortcut cloud, it is immediately moved to the connected space.

Example: Yellow Player moves 4 spaces forward, using both the initiative token and the spell card. The yellow meeple lands on the shortcut, so it moves to the connected cloud.

End of the Game

As soon as a player moves their meeple onto the Sky Palace, they win the game.

2-Player Game: Shadow Rider

Game Setup

The game setup is the same as the 4-player game. After players choose their characters, players may choose one of the remaining characters as a shadow rider. This rider will be a virtual player. When playing a 2-player game, use only 3 characters (2 players, 1 shadow rider). Return the remaining character into the box.

How to Play

The game proceeds in the same manner as for a 4-player game, except for the Shadow Rider.

• After all players have taken their initiative token and the associated magic spell card, the Shadow Rider takes the lowest remaining initiative token as well as its corresponding spell card.
• The Shadow Rider always applies the effects of both the initiative token and the magic spell card.
• The Shadow Rider never gets any Djinn token.
• If the Shadow Rider ends up with the initiative token 1, the player leading the race at that moment is moved 1 space backward. If the Shadow Rider is the leader, no character is moved. And if more than one player are tied for the lead of the race, then all tied players are moved 1 space backward.

Example: (A) Noah takes the token 2, and Ryan takes the token 3. (B) From the remaining tokens, the Shadow Rider takes the lowest initiative token 1. (C) The Shadow Rider moves the yellow meeple 1 space backward. Then, the Rider moves 2 spaces forward. Then, both Noah and Ryan move their meeple in the order given by their initiative tokens.

Game End

As soon as a meeple reaches the Sky Palace, Shadow Rider included, the game comes to an end. The player whose meeple arrived first is the winner.

Magic Fold Championship

Game Setup

The game setup is the same as for a normal game.

Game End

The race ends at the end of a round when at least one of the meeples reaches the sky palace. When a meeple reaches the Sky Palace, place it on the first place golden cloud. Any meeple reaching the palace during the same round is placed on golden cloud in order. After 3 races, the player with the most points wins the game. In case of a tie, the player who won the last race wins.

Write down the points received after each race on a paper to track the score.

Scoring

Players that have reached the palace during the same round score victory points according to their position (1st place scores 5 points, 2nd place scores 3 points, 3rd place scores 2 points and the 4th place scores 1 point). However, any player still on the track gets no points.