Marajoara Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Objective
• Areas of the Museum (Individual Board)
• Setup
• Course of Play
• Main Action (Mandatory)
  • 1. Capture a die
  • 2. Update the value of the die that jumped
  • 3. Research increment
  • Spending dice
  • 4. Die action
• Free Actions (Optional)
  • 1. Exhibit a Vase (red dice)
  • 2. Restore a Vase (blue dice)
  • 3. Fund Restoration
  • 4. Fund Fieldwork
• Spending Money
• Placing a Research Piece
• End of Turn (Recycling)
• End of the Game
  • Excavation Success Prizes
• Excavation Track Spaces
  • Blue Track
  • Yellow Track
  • Red Track
• Solo Mode
  • Mission Objectives
• Player Turn Summary
• Wheelbarrow Assembly

Components

• 1 action board, integrated into the cradle (the game box).
• 28 research pieces (7 of each color). Stick 1 sticker on each.
• 4 individual museum boards.
• 52 dice (14 yellow, 13 red, 13 blue and 12 gray).
• 24 vase pieces (6 for each player, identified by the color of their back).
• 1 wheelbarrow (assemble before the first game; instructions on the last page).
• 4 +30/+60 point markers.
• 1 first player marker.
• 1 round marker.
• 16 discs (4 of each color).
• 20 vases (5 of each color).

Objective

In Marajoara you manage a museum and its collection of Marajoara vases. Over the course of 14 turns, carry out excavations, restore a large vase and exhibit the vases you find, receiving victory points for your collection. At the end of the game, whoever has the most victory points wins.

Areas of the Museum (Individual Board)

1. Restoration area;
2. Exhibition area;
3. Slate (summary of actions): place for dice in the Recycling phase and for end-game scoring;
4. Place to store blue dice;
5. Place to store red dice;
6. Place to store yellow dice.

Setup

Place the open box in the center of the table, take out all the components, and fit the action board back into the box.

Each player:

a. Chooses a color and takes the museum board of that color;

b. Places 3 research pieces on the spaces with the research piece icon on their museum. Leave the other research pieces of their color beside their museum;

c. Keeps the 5 vases of their color near their museum;

d. Places the 6 pieces of their vase near their museum. The backs of these pieces have the same color as the player to make them easy to find/separate.

Then, prepare the board and the play area:

1. Place the assembled wheelbarrow in the center of the table, within everyone's reach.
2. Place the round marker on the first space of the round track.
3. Place 1 disc of each player on space 0 (zero) of the scoring track and 1 disc of each player on each of the 3 excavation tracks.
4. Randomly place the dice on the action board, from top to bottom, left to right. All must show the value 1. Do not place dice on the spaces indicated with a shaded mark (no die on those spaces).
5. The first player is the one who most recently watched something about archaeology (this does not change during the whole game). Starting with the last player and continuing counterclockwise, each player takes 1 research piece of their color and places it on a space of the action board.

In the example in the original rulebook, Orange is the last player, so places their piece first, followed by Black and Purple. The Turquoise player, being the first player, is the last to place their piece.

Now the game can begin!

Course of Play

The game lasts 14 rounds. In each round, starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player takes their turn. A turn consists of one main action and as many free actions as the player can and wishes to perform, ending the turn with the recycling step, when necessary. At the end of the last round, final scoring takes place and whoever has the most points wins.

Main Action (Mandatory)

On their turn, the player chooses a die that will jump over another die, capturing it. After the capture, the die that jumped has its value updated. Then the player may perform a research increment (if applicable) and performs the action related to the color of the captured die. Follow this order:

1. Capture a die

Choose a die on the action board and "jump" over a second die, capturing it. For this, the space on the opposite side of the captured die must be empty (not occupied by a die). Take the captured die, without changing its value, and leave it beside your board.

The die that "jumps":

• Jumps over only one other die.
• Cannot "land" on a space that is not adjacent in a straight line to the captured die.
• Cannot make turns during the jump.
• May land on one of the spaces surrounded by a rope.

(The original shows a valid capture and several invalid captures in diagrams.)

2. Update the value of the die that jumped

Change the face of the die according to the following sum:

a. Always add 1 to the value of the die; b. If it landed on a space marked +1, add 1 extra (+2 in total); c. If it landed on a space marked +2, add 2 extra (+3 in total).

ATTENTION: A die can NEVER have a value higher than 6. If the resulting sum for a die is greater than 6, simply keep the face at value 6.

3. Research increment

If the die that jumped lands on a research piece, the value of the die's face will be changed, so check:

a. If the piece is of the color of the current player (+1): add 1 to any die that is on the current player's board, or to the newly captured die.

b. If the piece is of another player's color (+2): that player adds 2 to any die that is on their board (at the choice of the owner of the piece). This value may be split between two dice.

Spending dice

When spending any number of dice in free or mandatory actions, the player must follow this procedure:

1. Place any dice used, without changing their value, in the wheelbarrow in the highest possible space. The value must remain as spent in the action. For example: when spending a yellow 5 die to pay for 2 red dice exhibitions of values 2 and 3, it must be placed in the wheelbarrow with the face 5 up (without reducing its value).
2. If 5 other dice are already in the wheelbarrow, remove any dice from lower down so that the new dice enter at the top.
3. Place the dice removed from the wheelbarrow, without changing their value, on your slate for the Recycling step (see page 11).

4. Die action

a. Store the captured die (if the captured die is yellow, red or blue): place the die on the leftmost free space of the corresponding color on your museum board. If you already have 3 dice of that color, you cannot perform this action. You cannot capture a die if you do not have a free space for it on your board. The first time you place a yellow die on the third space of your board, collect the research piece on that space (see "Placing a research piece" box, page 10).

b. Perform an excavation (captured gray die): move one of your discs down one of the excavation tracks a number of spaces equal to the value of the die, and receive the bonus of the space where the disc stopped. More than one disc may occupy the same space, except for the last space of each track, where only 2 discs may be placed. The first player to place their disc on the last space of a track places it on the space "1st", which yields a higher score at the end of the game. The second player places it on the space "2nd", of lower score.

It is not allowed to split the value of the die to move down more than one track. It is not allowed to move down fewer spaces than the value of the die, except if the disc reaches the end of the track, wasting the excess. The bonuses of each space of the excavation tracks are described on pages 12 and 13. Then follow the steps of the "Spending dice" box above.

Free Actions (Optional)

On their turn, the player may perform as many free actions as they wish and can, in any order, before and/or after their main action. The free actions are:

1. Exhibit a Vase (red dice)

Spend money to exhibit complete vases in your museum. (See the "Spending money" box, page 10.)

Each vase (red die) has a value, and you must pay in money (yellow dice) the same value as the die (example: to exhibit a die of value 5, spend 5 money). Immediately receive victory points equal to double the value of the red die. Place one of your vases on the free space of lowest value on your player board, and immediately receive the research piece (see the "Placing a research piece" box, page 10) when exhibiting the first vase, and victory points when exhibiting the other vases.

You may exhibit up to 5 vases over the course of the game.

After performing the exhibit action, follow the steps of the "Spending dice" box, on page 6.

If the player wishes, they may exhibit more than one vase in the same exhibit action, needing to pay all the money in the same action, resolving one red die at a time.

Example: Clara decides to exhibit two vases, one of value 2 and another of value 5. She must pay 7 money and decides to use a yellow 6 die and reduces another from 3 to 2. These are the first two vases Clara exhibits in the game, so she immediately receives 4 points (for the vase of value 2), 10 points (for the vase of value 5), a research piece (for the first exhibited vase) and 2 extra points (for the second vase), placing 2 of her vases on the first two spaces of the exhibition track.

2. Restore a Vase (blue dice)

Use blue dice to restore a piece of the Marajoara vase, immediately receiving victory points for it.

Each piece of the vase has a requirement that must be met. Pieces can be restored in any order, but you cannot restore the same piece more than once, or use a piece of another player's vase.

The criteria are:

• > 4 and > 5: use as many blue dice as you wish, as long as the sum is greater than or equal to 4 (on the top piece) or 5 (on the central piece). Receive, respectively: 4 victory points and collect the research piece (see "Placing a research piece" box, page 10); and 5 victory points.
• One blue die >= 3: use only one blue die, as long as it is greater than or equal to 3. Receive 3 victory points.
• One blue die = 6: use only one blue die, as long as it is equal to 6. Receive 7 victory points.
• Two blue dice >= 6: use exactly two blue dice, as long as their sum is greater than or equal to 6. Receive 6 victory points.
• Two or three blue dice, different faces, >= 9: use two or three blue dice with different faces, as long as their sum is greater than or equal to 9. Receive 10 victory points.

After performing the restoration, follow the steps of the "Spending dice" box, on page 6.

Adjacency bonus: When placing a vase piece on your board adjacent to another piece, receive 1 victory point for each piece adjacent to the piece you are placing.

Example: Ana restored a vase piece, and when placing it she sees that this piece is adjacent to two other pieces, receiving 2 points, in addition to the 10 for the piece.

3. Fund Restoration

Spend 2 money to add or subtract 1 (immediately change the die's face to the new value) from the value of a blue die that is on your museum board (see the "Spending money" box, page 10).

4. Fund Fieldwork

Spend 2 money to move a die of any color on the action board to an adjacent space that has no other die. (See the "Spending money" box, page 10.)

This movement is not a capture, so it does not trigger any of the effects on pages 5 and 6; it only changes the position of a die, changing the possible captures.

Spending Money

For each point of money spent, reduce by 1 the value of the face of a yellow die on your board. It is allowed to reduce the value of more than one die at the same time to use the sum of the values. If the entire value of a yellow die is spent in an action, instead of reducing its value, remove the die from your player board and follow the steps of the "Spending dice" box, on page 6.

Example: Bruna wants to exhibit a vase of value 4 and has two yellow dice, one of value 3 and one of value 2. She would have two options: spend the whole die 3 (placing it in the wheelbarrow) and reducing the value of die 2 to 1; or spend die 2 (placing it in the wheelbarrow) and reducing die 3 to 1. The final result on the player board would be the same, but the value of the die that will be placed in the wheelbarrow will be different.

Placing a Research Piece

Players can receive research pieces of their color, placed on their player board during setup, whether by restoring, exhibiting or collecting money, in addition to extra pieces received on the excavation tracks.

When collecting a research piece, immediately place it on a space without dice and without other research pieces. Once placed, the research piece cannot be moved and is kept on the chosen space until the end of the game.

It is not allowed to place research pieces inside the corner quadrants (highlighted with a white rope around them). Nor is it allowed to place pieces on the +1 or +2 spaces.

End of Turn (Recycling)

After the main action and the optional free actions, Recycling takes place and then the turn ends, beginning the next player's turn.

Recycling: without changing the value of the dice on your slate, return them to the action board in any order you wish, on a space without a die, giving priority to one of the four corner quadrants of the board (highlighted with the rope around them). If there is no space in any quadrant, place the die on one of your research pieces. If there is still no valid space, place the die on any space without dice (including spaces with opponents' research pieces). Do not trigger the research increment effect when covering any research piece, nor change the value of the die if placed on a +1 or +2 space.

After recycling all the dice, pass the turn to the next player. If the next player is the first player, they must, before starting their new turn, advance the round marker 1 space. If the marker is already on the last space, the game ends immediately and final scoring begins.

End of the Game

At the end of the 14th round, the game ends and the final count of points begins. To the points each player already has, add points based on the following criteria:

Exhibited vases: the players who exhibited the most vases receive points according to the table. The first receives 7 points, the second 5 and the third 3. If a player has not exhibited any vase, they do not enter this count. In case of a tie, add up the points for the positions those players would occupy and divide equally, rounded down.

Restored vase pieces: repeat the process, now with how many vase pieces each player restored, following the table, which works the same way as the previous one (including in case of a tie): first 7, second 5, third 3.

Excavation Success Prizes

The first two players who reached the last spaces of each of the tracks receive points according to the criterion, depending on the order of arrival.

RED TRACK:

• First player: receives 2 victory points for each exhibited vase.
• Second player: receives 1 victory point for each exhibited vase.

BLUE TRACK:

• First player: receives 2 victory points for each restored vase piece.
• Second player: receives 1 victory point for each restored vase piece.

YELLOW TRACK:

• First player: receives 10 points.
• Second player: receives 6 points.

The player with the most victory points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most money on their player board wins. If the tie persists, the players share the victory.

Excavation Track Spaces

Blue Track

1. Increase by 1 the value of a blue die on your board.
2. Place a research piece (page 10).
3. Increase by 2 the value of a blue die on your board (may be split among more than one die of that color).
4. Receive 3 victory points.
5. Increase by 3 the value of a blue die on your board (may be split among more than one die of that color).
6. Receive 5 victory points.
7. This round, restore as many vase pieces as you wish, considering all dice with their value doubled.
8. Choose a vase piece in your museum and score 2 points for each piece adjacent to the chosen piece.
9. Only at the end of the game (available only to the first 2 players who reach the space): 1st receives 2 victory points for each restored vase piece. 2nd receives 1 point for each restored vase piece.

Yellow Track

1. Increase by 1 the value of a yellow die on your board.
2. Place a research piece (page 10).
3. Increase by 2 the value of a yellow die on your board (may be split among more than one die of that color).
4. Receive 3 victory points.
5. Increase by 3 the value of a yellow die on your board (may be split among more than one die of that color).
6. Receive 5 victory points.
7. Swap 2 dice from your museum for 2 dice from the wheelbarrow. Do not change the value of any die. In the wheelbarrow, the newly arrived dice must be placed in the upper spaces.
8. Receive 2 victory points for each research piece of your color on the action board (remember to count your pieces that are covered by dice).
9. Only at the end of the game (available only to the first 2 players who reach the space): 1st receives 10 victory points, 2nd receives 6 victory points.

Red Track

1. Increase by 1 the value of a red die on your board.
2. Place a research piece (page 10).
3. Increase by 2 the value of a red die on your board (may be split among more than one die of that color).
4. Receive 3 victory points.
5. Increase by 3 the value of a red die on your board (may be split among more than one die of that color).
6. Receive 5 victory points.
7. Exhibit 1 vase of any value paying only 1 money (receive the points normally for 2x the value of the red die).
8. Remove the last exhibited vase from your museum and receive double the additional points according to the number of points of the position (e.g. 8 for the fourth vase). The vase becomes available to be exhibited again. You cannot perform this action if you have 0 or 1 exhibited vases.
9. Only at the end of the game (available only to the first 2 players who reach the space): 1st receives 2 victory points for each exhibited vase. 2nd receives 1 point for each exhibited vase.

Solo Mode

Solo Mode consists of missions. In each one, your goal is to recover some vases scattered through the game before the end of the game. These are the rule changes for solo mode:

• Do not use the round counter marker;
• In setup, place vases of a color other than yours in the places the mission indicates; these vases will be your mission objectives. An objective at some location on the museum board is collected as soon as you are about to place a piece or die in its location. Objectives on the scoring track are only collected at the end of the game if you have more points than indicated;
• After capturing a die, choose, if any, one of the dice adjacent (orthogonally or diagonally) to the die you captured. Place that die on the lowest-value available space on the round counter. The game ends when the last space of the track is occupied. If there is no adjacent die, skip this step;
• The majority scores for exhibition and restoration are not counted. The scores relating to the last spaces of the excavation tracks are counted;
• You win if you fulfill all the objectives. When you win you may proceed to the next mission.

Tip: to remember which die was moved in the round, use a disc of an unused color on it.

Want more challenge in Marajoara solo mode? Add 10 VP to the point objective of each mission. For example, in mission 1, place the objective vase at 60 points (+30 marker on space 30).

Mission Objectives

MISSION 1

• Vase on the piece >= 9 of the restoration area.
• Vase on the last space of the yellow excavation track.
• Vase on the fourth space of the exhibition area.
• Vase on 50 points of the scoring track (use the +30 marker on space 20).

MISSION 2

• Vase beside the restoration area (take only when completing the whole vase).
• Vase on the last space of the blue excavation track.
• Vase on the last space of the yellow excavation track.
• Vase on 50 points of the scoring track (use the +30 marker on space 20).

MISSION 3

• Vase on the last space of the yellow excavation track.
• Vase on the last space of the red excavation track.
• Vase on the fifth space of the exhibition area.
• Vase on 50 points of the scoring track (use the +30 marker on space 20).
• At the end of the game, subtract the values of the dice on the round track from your total points.

MISSION 4

• 1 vase beside each indicated space. The player takes the vase on arriving with a die at that space.
• Vase on the second space of the exhibition area.
• Vase on 60 points of the scoring track (use the +60 marker on space 0).

MISSION 5

• Vase on the third space of the exhibition area.
• Vase on 50 points (use the +30 marker on space 20). At the end of the game, subtract double the values of the non-yellow dice on the round track from your total points.

MISSION 6

Additional rule: you manage 2 museums at the same time. Use 2 player boards. When capturing a die, choose in which museum to allocate it. Choose the yellow area of only one of the museums to use. This money serves both museums. When scoring the last blue and red tracks, add up the vases/pieces of both museums.

Additional action: spend 1 money to swap blue and red dice between the museums, as many times as you wish until the end of the round.

• Vase on 50 points (use the +30 marker on space 20). At the end of the game, you lose 3 points for each empty exhibition space and unrestored vase piece.

MISSION 7

Additional rule: in setup, roll the dice before placing them on the action board. Every time a die needs to be increased and it goes past value 6, it returns to 1 and the player loses 4 points.

• Vase on 30 points of the scoring track (use the +30 marker on space 0).
• End of game: add up the value of all dice on the round track and lose that total in points.

MISSION 8

• Vase beside your reserve of research pieces. You must take all the research pieces to win this vase.
• Vase on 35 points (use the +30 marker on space 5). At the end of the game, subtract the values of the dice on the round track from your total points.

Player Turn Summary

MAIN ACTION (MANDATORY, PERFORMED IN THIS SEQUENCE):

1. Capture a die
2. Update value
3. Research increment
4. Die action
   • 4a. Store the captured die (captured die yellow, red or blue) or
   • 4b. Perform an excavation (captured die gray)

FREE ACTIONS (BEFORE AND/OR AFTER THE MAIN ACTION, AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WISH AND CAN):

• Exhibit a Vase
• Restore a Vase
• Fund Restoration
• Fund Fieldwork

END OF TURN:

• Recycling (if there are dice in the recycling area)
• Pass the turn to the next player (if this is the first player, advance the round marker)

THE GAME ENDS AT THE END OF THE 14TH ROUND.

Wheelbarrow Assembly

After detaching the pieces from the punchboard:

1. Fit piece A into the upper slots of pieces C and D;
2. Fit piece B into the lower slots of pieces C and D;
3. Fit pieces E1 and E2 on each side of pieces C and D;
4. The final result should look like the example shown in the original.