Mine Your Business Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Set Up
• Rules for Standard Play (2 Players)
  • Step 1: Take Up to 3 Actions (Optional)
    • Actions
  • Step 2: Read the Sign
  • Step 3: Move the Cart
  • Step 4: Refill the Mine
• Game End
• Resource Scoring Variant
• Rules for Solo Play
  • Chapter 1: Risky Digs
  • Event Card Effects
  • Solo Game End and Titles
  • Chapter 2: The Gobblin' Goblin
  • Resolving the Goblin
  • Goblin Actions
• Chapter 3: Gnome Ore Tears
• Rules for Cooperative Play
• Rules for 3 or 4 Players
• Player Counts and Two-Goblin Variant

Components

• 2 Gnome Figures - 1 in each player color
• 1 Goblin Figure
• 2 Cart Cards - 1 in each player color
• 2 Player Keys
• 1 Solo Play Card
• 6 Bonus Action Cards - 1 set of 3 for each player
• 54 Mine Cards
• 10 Event Cards
• 15 Resource / Goblin Cards

Set Up

1. Each player takes a Gnome Figure, 1 set of 3 Bonus Action Cards, and 1 Cart Card.
2. Shuffle the Player Keys face down, then each player takes one randomly. The player who receives the Key marked with a "star" is the starting player for the game.
3. Thoroughly shuffle the Mine Cards, rotating some cards in different directions as you do so. NOTE: Randomizing the card directions is important!
4. Create the Mine by revealing a 4 x 4 grid of face up Mine Cards. Always deal Mine Cards from left to right, then top to bottom (from your position at the table). Leave cards facing the direction they appear when they are revealed, do not turn them once they have been seen! Place the deck of remaining Mine Cards facedown nearby where both players can reach it.
5. Each player places their Cart Card next to the first card on their side of the Mine, as shown. This is the first space of the "Track", which encloses the Mine.
6. Each player places their Gnome Figure on their Entrance space adjacent to their Cart Card, as shown.
7. Each player places their 3 Bonus Action Cards faceup in front of themselves.
8. Return the Event Cards and Resource / Goblin Cards back to the box, they will not be used at this time.

You are now ready to begin!

Rules for Standard Play (2 Players)

Players will alternate taking turns until the game end, beginning with the player who received the Key.

There are 3 Resource types on cards in the Mine: Gold, Gems, and Coal. Each card shows 1 or 2 resources that cross the card in a line. Your aim on your turn is to align together as many of one Resource type as you can into a Chain, and then collect that Chain into your Cart as it travels down the mountain.

To do this, you will move your Gnome Figure around in the Mine, manipulating cards to form Chains, which you'll attempt to collect, if that pattern leads all the way to the card edge that is adjacent to your Cart.

Your turn consists of carrying out four Steps, then it is your opponent's turn to do the same. Turns will alternate between players until the end of the game is triggered. Afterward, each player counts the total number of cards collected into their Carts, and the player with the most wins!

The steps of each turn are performed in the following order:

• Take up to 3 Actions
• Read the Sign
• Move the Cart
• Refill the Mine

Step 1: Take Up to 3 Actions (Optional)

At the beginning of each turn, you have 3 "Actions" you may spend. You may choose to spend less than 3 Actions, but no more than 3 can be spent each turn.

You may take any of the following Actions on your turn, in any order, and any Actions you choose may be repeated.

Actions

• Move: Move your Gnome Figure from its current Mine Card to an adjacent orthogonal Mine Card space. You may not Move onto a Mine Card occupied by your opponent.
• Rotate: Turn the Mine Card beneath your Gnome Figure to face any desired direction, leaving the card in the same location. You may not Rotate a Mine Card occupied by your opponent.
• Swap: Choose a Mine Card directly adjacent to the Mine Card your Gnome Figure occupies, and swap the locations of both cards. Do not change the orientation of either card. Your Gnome Figure "rides" its Mine Card to the new card location. You may not Swap a Mine Card occupied by your opponent.
• Load: If a Resource leads directly into your Cart (the card edge adjacent to your Cart Card), you may collect it by tucking it beneath your Cart Card, as well as all other Mine Cards that connect to your Resource Chain with a matching Resource type. (i.e.; all Mine Cards on which a continual line of one resource type leads back to your Cart Card may be loaded.) You may perform this Action from anywhere in the Mine, your Gnome's proximity to your Cart and the Resource Chain you are loading does not matter. Do not yet refill empty Mine Card spaces after taking this Action. (The number of individual resources in an image is irrelevant, only the "path" they make across the card is important.)

NOTE: You MAY Load Mine Cards that are occupied by your opponent, if they occupy a card that is a part of your Resource Chain. This is the only Action in which you can affect your opponent's Mine Card space.

NOTE: There can often be empty spaces in the Mine on your turn. Your Gnome Figure may Move into, and even Swap with these empty Mine spaces.

• Change Camp: A Mine Card that has an image of a campfire can take the Swap and Rotate Actions as if your Gnome Figure occupies that space. Campfires can be controlled by both players.

NOTE: Each player also has 3 one-time Bonus Actions available to them during the game. On your turn, while performing Step 1: Take up to 3 Actions, you may flip a chosen Bonus Action Card over to its opposite face to gain the listed Bonus Action. Using Bonus Action Cards do not count as taking an Action. Multiple Bonus Action Cards may be used on a turn, but once a card is used, it is unavailable for the remainder of the game.

Bonus Action Cards:

• "Lunchtime" +2 Actions: Gain an additional 2 Actions to spend for this turn.
• "Apply Brakes" Don't Move Cart: Do not move your Cart forward this turn (skip Step 3).
• "Teleport" Switch with Location Adjacent to Cart: Switch the card at your Gnome's location with the card that is adjacent to your Cart. Do not change the orientation of either card. (Gnomes ride the card to new location.)

Step 2: Read the Sign

This step is optional, and only applies if your Gnome Figure occupies a Mine space that contains a Sign. If you begin Step 2: Read the Sign with your Gnome Figure on a space with a Sign, you may gain the Encantation bonus that is displayed on that Sign. You must take the Action listed on the Sign before Step 3, if you choose to resolve the Encantation shown. (You may activate multiple Signs on your turn.)

The Encantation bonuses are as follows:

• +2 Move: Gain up to 2 additional Move Actions for your Gnome Figure.
• Rotate 2 Adjacent: Choose up to 2 Mine Cards that are adjacent to the card your Gnome Figure occupies and Rotate the orientations of both adjacent cards to face any desired directions. Leave both Mine Cards in their same locations. You may not Rotate a Mine Card occupied by your opponent.
• Swap 2 Adjacent: Choose 2 Mine Cards that are adjacent to the card occupied by your Gnome Figure and switch the locations of both cards. Do not change the orientation of either card. You may not Swap a Mine Card occupied by your opponent.
• Jump to Camp / Corner: Teleport your Gnome to any unoccupied campfire card, or to any unoccupied corner space in the Mine.
• +1 Load w/ Wild: This Sign gives you a Load Action, and you may also treat 1 Mine Card as a WILD in your Resource Chain. (i.e.; you can "change" one Resource type on a Mine Card into a Resource type that you need, if it is part of a Resource Chain leading into your Cart.)

Step 3: Move the Cart

Move your Cart Card forward (clockwise) 1 space on the Track, so that it is adjacent to the next Mine Card. Your Cart Card will move one space each turn, and it will ultimately move along 2 sides of the Mine. Once it reaches the end of the Track (after 8 Cart movements), your Cart Card will "exit" near your opponent's entrance. Once your Cart moves beyond the exit, you cannot collect any more Resources. After both players' Carts have moved beyond their exits, then the game is over.

Step 4: Refill the Mine

When you reach this step, all empty Mine Card spaces are refilled. Draw cards from the Mine Card deck and place them faceup into the empty Mine Card spaces one at a time until all spaces have been filled. Always fill these empty spaces from left to right, and top to bottom from your perspective, no matter which side of the Mine you are on. Leave cards facing the direction they appear when they are revealed, do not turn them once they have been seen.

Game End

The game ends one of two ways: both players' Carts have moved past their respective exits, or in the rare case that there are not enough Mine Cards in the deck to refill all empty Mine Card spaces in Step 4: Refill Mine.

Each player will now count the Resource cards they've mined under their Cart Card. The winning Gnome with the most cards stakes the claim!

If both players have a tied number of collected Mine Cards, then the player with the most Gems cards wins. If still tied, the most Gold wins. If a tie remains, both Gnomes have some ale by the firelight.

Resource Scoring Variant

This variant adds some tactical decision and can provide a larger point spread for scoring.

Follow the same set-up rules as Standard Play, but with the following changes:

During Set Up, shuffle the Resource / Goblin Card Deck, then reveal 5 of them faceup. If all three Resources (Gold, Gems, & Coal) are present on these cards, return the rest to the box. If all 3 Resources are not showing, reveal cards from the deck one at a time until all Resources are present.

The number of cards for each Resource determines the total point value of each Resource for the game. (i.e., if 3 Gold cards are showing, then each Mine Card you collect with Gold on it is worth 3 points.) Score all Resources on each card.

NOTE: Ignore the icons shown on the bottom of these cards, only the Resource in the image shown is relevant.

Rules for Solo Play

There are 3 modes for playing Mine Your Business solo. You may wish to play them in order as "chapters", with each mode introducing a new challenge, beginning with the easiest, and increasing in difficulty.

Chapter 1: Risky Digs

Old Pierre de Purpelle has decided to lift the trespassing law on his mine for an evening! You'll get to keep all of the treasure you're able to mine, but you must agree to shoulder any liability, should harm come your way. The mine has been closed for some time, so who knows what dangers might come? Ah, it's going to be worth it. Especially if you can avoid one of Pierre's dumb nicknames at the end!

Follow the same set-up rules as Standard Play, but with the following changes:

• Shuffle the Event Cards, and deal 1 card each to the three corners of the Mine that do not contain your Cart Card, as shown. Keep these Event Cards facedown. Return the remaining Event deck to the box, these cards will not be used.

There are 2 important changes in the solo game:

1. Your Cart Card will now make the full revolution around the Mine, and the game will end once your Cart exits near your Entrance space.
2. Each time your Cart Card passes over a corner area of the Track, it will reveal the Event Card that it passed over. When this happens, finish Step 4: Refill the Mine, and then activate the Event Card by reading and executing its listed effects.

NOTE: The orientation of the Event Card must remain aligned with the top of the Mine. This means that the top-left corner of the card should align with your Entrance!

Event Card Effects

Diagram note: On the printed Event Cards and rulebook, the cards affected by each event are shown as highlighted spaces on a 4 x 4 Mine diagram. The diagrams are not reproduced here; the text below describes the affected cards as shown.

• Failed Brakes: You must move your Cart Card ahead another space forward along the Track. (Card text: "Failed Brakes! Move Cart +1".)
• Carbon Monoxide Detected: Return your Gnome Figure to your Entrance space. You may only use up to 2 Actions this turn.
• Sinkhole: Gather up the Mine Cards shown in the diagram, and thoroughly shuffle them, taking care to turn some cards in different directions as you do so. (Card text: "Sinkhole! Shuffle these four cards together, then replace in Mine".)
• Cave In: Discard the Mine Cards shown on the diagram to the bottom of the deck. Then, draw cards from the Mine deck and refill the empty spaces one at a time. Leave cards facing the direction they appear when they are revealed, do not turn them once they have been seen.

NOTE: Randomizing the card directions is important!

• Rockslide: Gather up the Mine Cards shown in the diagram, and thoroughly shuffle them, taking care to turn some cards in different directions as you do so. Then replace these cards into the Mine. (Card text: "Rockslide! Shuffle this column, then replace in Mine".)

NOTE: Randomizing the card directions is important!

NOTE: In some game modes, Mine Cards can sometimes be facedown. When resolving Cave In and Rockslide, the shuffled cards keep their facing, so facedown cards remain facedown.

Solo Game End and Titles

Once your Cart Card reaches your Exit space (adjacent to your Cart's starting space), the game ends. Count the Resource cards you've mined under your Cart Card. Consult the chart to see your final score, and what Pierre de Purpelle will now refer to you by!

• 30-32 cards = Shortest Shoveler!
• 33-35 cards = Diminutive Dredger!
• 36-38 cards = Mighty Mucker!
• 39+ = Major Miner!

Chapter 2: The Gobblin' Goblin

It's beginning to seem as if the mine won't reopen anytime soon. The owners decided to board up the entrance when a Gnome was bitten by a Goblin a while back. Apparently he almost didn't make it out of there! If it weren't for summoning a campfire to scare away the beast, he surely would have been lunch!

So many treasures still sit inside the mine, just waiting to be collected. Are you brave enough to dig for them with a hungry Goblin lurking in the darkness?

Follow the same set-up rules as Solo Play: Chapter 1, with the following changes:

• Place the Goblin Figure lying on its side near the bottom right Mine Card.
• Shuffle the Resource / Goblin Card deck and place it facedown where it can be easily reached. Leave room for a discard pile next to it.

NOTE: You now have an additional available Action: Reveal. This allows you to flip a facedown card your Gnome Figure is adjacent to, or occupies, faceup.

NOTE: Your turn now has an additional step you must perform at the end: Resolve the Goblin.

After you Refill the Mine, you must draw and reveal the top card from the Resource / Goblin deck.

NOTE: It is important to keep the orientation of the Goblin Cards upright, with the top left of the card aligned with the Gnome's Entrance at the top left of the Mine.

Then you must resolve the card by performing the Actions shown for the Goblin Figure. (If the Goblin deck is ever empty, shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw deck.)

The final step of your turn will be to Resolve the Goblin.

NOTE: Do NOT draw a Goblin Card after your first turn. Instead, "wake the Goblin" by standing it up and placing it into the bottom right Mine Card. You begin drawing and resolving Goblin Cards on the second turn of the game.

Resolving the Goblin

Once a Goblin card is revealed, note the Resource shown, and compare it to the location of the Goblin.

• If the Resource on the card is present at the Goblin's location, then you must perform the Actions listed in the "=" box.
• If the Resource on the card is NOT present at the Goblin's location, then you must perform the Actions listed in the "≠" box.

Each Goblin card has three boxes, "≠", "=", and "✕". Most boxes contain 2 Actions. Resolve the Actions in the appropriate box from left to right.

If a shown Action cannot be performed, then skip it (i.e., the Goblin is on a border card, and cannot move the direction depicted).

However, if the Goblin cannot perform either Action shown in the box, and you would have to "skip" both, then you must instead resolve the Action listed in the "✕" box. (Additionally, if there are no Resources at all in the Goblin's location, you must resolve the "✕" box.)

NOTE: When resolving box "✕", if the Goblin cannot perform the Action above the slash, it will instead perform a Hunt Action (see below).

The Goblin moves through the Mine "Gobbling" cards by turning them facedown. You may spend an Action on your turn to "Reveal" facedown cards that your Gnome is adjacent to, or the one that you occupy. You MAY reveal cards occupied by the Goblin.

NOTE: The Goblin puts out campfires. When the Goblin moves onto a campfire space, flip this card facedown.

NOTE: When you Reveal a Mine Card faceup for an Action, you may also Rotate the card any way you wish.

• You may not Swap or Rotate the card that the Goblin occupies, but you may Load the card from beneath it.
• The Goblin does Gobble Gnomes, so if any Gnome is ever in the same location as the Goblin, then the game immediately ends in a loss.
• If you manage to collect more than 30 cards by the time the Cart exits, you win! Use the same scoring table from Chapter 1.

Transcription note: The Goblin card action boxes show Actions as pictograms. Their names are given by the Goblin Actions key below (Turn, Move, Gobble, Hunt, Call, Swap).

Goblin Actions

• Turn: Turn the card that the Goblin occupies 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow shown.
• Move: Move the Goblin from the card it occupies to the orthogonally adjacent space shown by the arrow.
• Gobble: Beginning with the space occupied by the Goblin and extending outward, determine the longest Resource Chain. If there are multiple Chains that tie, break that tie first by Gems, then Gold, then Coal. Flip the card that the Goblin occupies facedown, as well as each other card that is a part of that longest Chain. If playing with Mine Owner (Chapter 3), the card gets "buried".
• Hunt: Move the Goblin 1 adjacent space toward the nearest Gnome. The Goblin must travel the shortest path toward a Gnome. If there is ever more than one equal option, decide together which of those options to resolve.

NOTE: Sometimes there is a small arrow beneath the Hunt symbol. If this arrow matches the direction that the Goblin was moved for the HUNT Action, then the Goblin performs another HUNT Action, for a total of two. Ignore this small arrow if the Hunt Action does not match the Goblin's movement.

• Call: Find each card that is adjacent to the one occupied by the Goblin, and determine if any of them contain matching Resources to the Goblin card. Any Mine Cards that do match are rotated clockwise until those Resources are aligned to face the Goblin's location.
• Swap: The Goblin swaps his location card with the card that is adjacent in the direction of the small arrow within the icon. The Goblin "rides" along with this card, and no orientation is changed.

Chapter 3: Gnome Ore Tears

Times are getting desperate for a Gnome out of luck. With the mine having been closed for so long, there aren't many options left for miners. Why are they still keeping the mine boarded up anyway? Rumors are the owners actually now keep the Goblin as a pet!

Well, you're left with no choice but to start your cart and sneak into the mine for some quick riches. Try not to get caught!

Follow the same set-up as Solo Play: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, with the following changes:

• Place an unused Gnome Figure onto the bottom-right most card, laying it down on its side. This represents the Mine Owner, who patrols the mine alongside its pet Goblin. Place the Goblin laying on its side onto the table next to the bottom-right most card.

NOTE: Do NOT draw a Goblin Card after your first turn. Instead, "wake the Mine Owner and the Goblin" by standing them each up in their current locations (the Mine Owner on the bottom right Mine Card, and the Goblin on the table to the right of the Mine Owner). You begin drawing and resolving Goblin Cards on the second turn of the game.

Each time you draw a Goblin Card after each of your turns, the Mine Owner will first resolve the card, always followed by the Goblin.

As soon as the Mine Owner moves away from the bottom-right Mine Card, you must move the Goblin onto that location. You will now resolve each Goblin Card for both the Mine Owner and the Goblin for the rest of the game.

Delay bringing the Goblin onto the board until the Mine Owner leaves their starting space.

NOTE: The Mine Owner and their pet will never be on the same card, though they will often remain close to one another.

• The Mine Owner behaves similarly to the Goblin, resolve the Goblin Cards with the same descriptions.
• If the Goblin Card ever instructs either the Mine Owner or the Goblin to move onto the other's location, instead resolve the "✕" section.
• The Goblin behaves normally, but if the Mine Owner ever lands on your space, he kicks you back to the Entrance, and retrieves all of the Resources you've collected. Return your Gnome to your starting card. Your Cart stays where it is, and you must shuffle all of the Resource cards you've collected back to the bottom of the Mine deck.

You lose if the Goblin eats you, or if you fail to collect 25 cards.

• 25-27 cards = Shortest Shoveler!
• 28-30 cards = Diminutive Dredger!
• 31-32 cards = Mighty Mucked! (as printed; Chapter 1 prints "Mighty Mucker!")
• 33+ cards = Major Miner!

Rules for Cooperative Play

• Follow the same set-up rules as Standard Play, but with the following changes:
  • Each player takes a Gnome Figure. Use only one Cart Card for this game, the color of it does not matter. Each player will load "Resources" into this shared Cart.
  • All players share one set of 3 Bonus Action Cards, and decide together when to use them.
  • The start player places their Gnome on the normal starting Entrance card, and the second player places their Gnome onto the card to the right of the first player.
  • Place the Goblin Figure lying on its side near the bottom right Mine Card.
  • Shuffle the Resource / Goblin Card deck and place it facedown near both players.

Gameplay and the rules are similar to the other play modes, with the changes noted as follows:

• You may Swap, Rotate, Move onto and through Mine Cards occupied by your teammate's Gnome Figure.
• You now have an additional available Action: Reveal. This allows you to flip a facedown card your Gnome Figure is adjacent to, or occupies, faceup.

NOTE: You may reveal cards occupied by your teammate's Gnome Figure and the Goblin.

• Your turn now has an additional step you must perform at the end: Resolve the Goblin. After you Refill the Mine, you must draw and reveal the top card from the Resource / Goblin deck. Each player performs this step on their turn.
• The Goblin behaves exactly the same as described in the rules for Solo Play: Chapter 2.
• The final step for each player's turn will be to Resolve the Goblin.

NOTE: Do NOT draw a Goblin Card after each player's first turn. Instead, "wake the Goblin" by standing it up and placing it onto the bottom right Mine Card, after the second player completes their first turn of the game. You begin drawing and resolving Goblin Cards on the second turn of the game.

If the players manage to collect more than 30 cards by the time the Cart exits, they win!

Rules for 3 or 4 Players

If you have both editions of Mine Your Business, then you can play 3 to 4 player games by combining both sets together. Each edition can later be separated by the small dots in a corner of each card showing which set it belongs to.

All important changes are as follows:

• Players: 3 — Shuffle the Mine Cards from both editions together, creating a deck of 108 Mine Cards. Create the Mine by dealing out a 5 x 5 grid of cards. Each player starts their Cart & Gnome together in a corner near themselves. Each Cart will still travel along two sides of the Mine before exiting.
• Players: 4 — Shuffle the Mine Cards from both editions together, creating a deck of 108 Mine Cards. Create the Mine by dealing out a 6 x 6 grid of cards. Each player starts their Cart & Gnome together in a corner near themselves.

NOTE: Each Cart will now only travel along one side of the Mine before exiting.

Player Counts and Two-Goblin Variant

Transcription note: Page 15 of the source carries no printed heading for this section; the heading above is editorial.

(For 1-2 players, build a 4 x 4 Mine using the Mine Cards from one edition. To play with more than two, shuffle together the Mine Cards from both editions. You must also shuffle together the Goblin Cards from both editions. For 3 players, build a 5 x 5 Mine, for 4 players, build a 6 x 6 Mine. Everyone will still share one Cart, and only one set of Bonus Cards. The Cart will make a full revolution around the Mine for all player counts, so games with a higher number of players can be a bit lengthy!)

• In turn order, each player places their Gnome onto the Entrance space, or onto the next unoccupied Mine Card to the right of the previous player going clockwise.
• In this variant both Goblins begin awake in the Mine. Place one Goblin in the lower right corner, and place the other Goblin 3 Mine spaces to the left of the lower right corner, as shown.

NOTE: Both Goblins cannot occupy the same location.

• Each "Resolve the Goblin" step will now apply to both Goblins, beginning with the darker Goblin. This Goblin will always perform the "Resolve the Goblin" step first throughout the game.
• Each "Resolve the Goblin" step will only require one card to be drawn from the Goblin deck, and each Goblin will resolve this same card in turn order.
• If the Goblin deck is ever empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw deck.

The game ends when the below winning objective has been met, the Cart exits the Mine, a Gnome is eaten by a Goblin, or the Mine Card deck is empty.

To win, you need enough Resources to pay your crew. This is equal to 7 cards collected per player.

• 1 Player - 7 Mine Cards
• 2 Players - 14 Mine Cards
• 3 Players - 21 Mine Cards
• 4 Players - 28 Mine Cards