Mozaïk
Mozaïk Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 89 Image cards
- 52 Word cards
- 36 gems
Rules (2 to 4 players)
Goal
Match as many images and words as possible to compose the best possible grid. At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins!
Setup
- Shuffle the Image cards and form a face-down pile in the center of the table.
- Do the same with the Word cards.
- Place the gems within reach of everyone.
- Deal 3 Image cards to each player, who places them in their hand.
- Reveal and place in the center of the table a number of Word cards equal to the number of players +1: 3 words with two players / 4 words with three players / 5 words with four players. Read their title and description aloud.
Principle of the Game
Each player must build their grid of 9 images and 9 words, matching them as well as possible. The images must form a 3x3 square and the words must be placed around the square, at the ends of the rows and columns (maximum one word per end).
When a word is matched with a row or a column of the grid, it earns points for each image that corresponds to it.
A match is successful when:
- the word is visible on the image at least once, or
- the mood corresponds to the criteria of the word.
Examples:
- In this row, the images must have a visible moon (real or depicted) to match with the Word card Moon.
- In this row, the images must give off a dynamic atmosphere (movement or agitation) to match with the Word card Dynamic.
Course of the Game
A game is played over 9 rounds. In a round, each player chooses an image and a word that they place in their grid.
Course of a Round
1. Choice of the Image
Simultaneously, each player chooses from the 3 Images in their hand the one they wish to play during this round, and places it face down in front of them.
2. Reveal
Simultaneously, the players reveal their Image card. Play order is determined by the numbers at the top left of each Image. Play from the lowest to the highest number (so the player who has the image with the lowest number starts).
3. A Player's Turn
a. Choice of the word
On their turn, the player chooses a Word card from those available in the center of the table.
b. Updating the grid and the scores
The player places their Image card and their Word card wherever they want in their grid. The Word card must be placed at an end of a row or a column. It is entirely possible to place it at the end of a row or column that is currently empty (that does not yet have an image).
Note 1: Preview your grid and remember to leave empty spaces between your images and your words, so you can later insert the images that will complete your rows and columns.
Note 2: As soon as a player places a card in their grid (whether an image or a word), they immediately update their points by placing and moving gems on their Word cards (see Gems & Counting Points, next page).
c. Draw
Once a player has placed their Image card and their Word card, they have 2 options:
- Keep the 2 images in their hand and draw a third image to complete it.
- Discard the 2 images in their hand to draw 3 new ones. Each player has their own discard pile next to their grid. At the end of the game, each pair of cards discarded by a player makes them lose 1 point.
Then it is the next player's turn.
Example
4 Word cards are available. Each player chooses an Image card and places it face down in front of them (Léo, Marine, Alain). Then the cards are revealed: 9 (Léo), 79 (Marine), 43 (Alain).
Léo plays first because his Image has the lowest number. He chooses the Word card Time and positions it around his grid. Then he places his Image in another row, because it does not match the word Time. He then draws a new Image card to have 3 Image cards in hand again. It is now Alain's turn to play, then Marine's.
Gems & Counting Points
Points are counted on the Word cards. The more images a word is matched with in its row or column, the more points it earns.
There are 3 levels of Word cards, depending on how rarely the word appears on the images:
| EASY | MEDIUM | HARD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 2 - 4 points | 1 - 3 - 6 points | 2 - 1 - 8 points |
(Translator's note: the hard value is printed "2 - 1 - 8" in the French rulebook v1.4; transcribed as printed.)
Each player has gems to keep count of their points as the game progresses.
On their turn, as soon as they place a card in their grid, the player checks whether or not they create matches between their images and the words present in their rows and columns, then places or moves their gems to show it.
When placing an Image: check whether it matches with the words in its row and its column. When placing a Word: check whether it matches with the images in its row or its column.
For each successful match, the player places or moves their gem on the Word card, thus raising their points, shown in the corresponding box.
Example
The next round, Léo adds the word Alone (1) and the Image with the sea lion (2). He updates his points on the two Word cards. The word Time matches the image with the sea lion (there is an hourglass on the shelf): he therefore places a gem on the first box of the card. The word Alone matches the 2 images: he therefore places a gem on the second box of the card.
End of Round
Discard to the center of the table the word that was not chosen by the players and reveal new words (3 words with two players, 4 words with three players, 5 words with four players). Read them aloud.
End of the Game
After the ninth round (when each player has 9 images and 9 words in their grid), the game is over.
Each player counts their score by looking at the gems on the words of their grid and adds up their points.
Each player subtracts 1 point from their score for each pair of Image cards in their discard pile.
The player with the most points wins the game!
In case of a tie, the one who discarded the fewest cards wins the game! If the tie persists, the one who has the most perfect rows and columns (the 3 images match a word) wins the game! In case of another tie, the victory is shared.
Example of scoring
With their Image and Word cards, Léo has 29 points. As he discarded 4 cards, he loses 2 points. His final score is therefore 27 points.
Solo Mode
Setup
- Shuffle the Image cards and the Word cards, then form 2 face-down piles.
- Place 7 gems next to you (they represent your stock) and place the remaining gems elsewhere on the table (they represent the reserve).
- Draw 3 Image cards to make up your starting hand.
- Reveal 3 Word cards in the center of the table.
Principle of the Game
The goal is the same as in multiplayer: build a harmonious grid of 9 images that form a 3x3 square with words at the ends of the rows and columns.
The course of the game is special, since you must spend gems to perform actions (take words or discard images), and manage your stock.
If you run out of gems before having completed your grid, the game stops prematurely!
Course of the Game
A game lasts a maximum of 9 turns, since you must place one image and at least one word in your grid each turn.
Course of a Turn
a. Choice of the image
Choose an image from your hand and add it to your grid at the location of your choice.
b. Buying words
You must take at least one word each turn, and may take more from those remaining if you wish.
To take a word and add it to your grid, you must spend one gem from your stock: place the Word card around your grid, then the gem on this card (in order to count the points).
As soon as a Word card in your grid matches the 3 images of its row or column, immediately take a gem from the reserve and add it to your personal stock.
Note: As long as the word matches no image, place the gem on the card outside the boxes that represent the points.
Important: If you cannot buy any Word card during your turn because you no longer have a gem in your stock, the game stops immediately. Count your score nonetheless, since this is not considered a defeat, but a premature end.
c. End of turn
At the end of the turn, discard the remaining Word cards in the center of the table and reveal 3 new ones.
Also draw an Image card to complete your hand.
Special action: renewing your hand
At any time during the game, you may spend a gem from your stock to discard all the Image cards in your hand and draw 3 new ones.
End of the Game
After the ninth turn of play, the game stops. You therefore cannot go beyond 9 images in your grid, but it is possible to have up to 12 words.
Count your score by adding up the points of the gems placed on your Word cards.
The remaining gems in your stock (unused) are each worth 1 bonus point.
Scoring Scale
Do you want to know whether your grid is a resounding success or a real catastrophe? Rate your score using our scale!
- Under 30 points: Ouch... Let's say it's just bad luck! The next one will be better!
- Between 30 and 39 points: There's an idea there... It's starting to look like something!
- Between 40 and 45 points: Really not bad! It's satisfying when it all fits together, isn't it!?
- Between 46 and 50 points: Wow! Now you're playing in the big league, respect.
- Over 50 points: Incredible, bravo, you join the elite! Take a photo of your grid and tag us on social media to share this feat! @blamedition
Understanding and Debating the Words
In MOZAÏK, some words can be open to interpretation and provoke debates between players, because some will not always see the same things on the images.
Challenging
When a player places an image in their grid, its match with a Word card can be challenged by the other players. It is up to you to argue and, if at least one player agrees with the challenged match, it is validated.
If no player agrees, it is not validated and the owner of the image must adapt: they may move their Image card and choose another word than the one they had initially planned.
It is up to you to decide whether you want to try a far-fetched idea when you select the image you will play, at the risk of having it rejected!
Thinking of Double Meanings
Some words have several meanings that may deliberately be played on. For example, teeth are not only found in a character's mouth: a gear or a blade can also have teeth! Have fun finding this kind of subtlety!
Clarifications on Words
Characters (Alone, Duo, Group, No character): A character in an image can be a human, an animal or a creature, but it must be ALIVE and sufficiently VISIBLE to be considered as such.
Color (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow/Orange, Purple/Pink): A color is valid regardless of the space it takes up on the image and regardless of its shade (for example: light green, dark, pale...). If any of you are colorblind, remove these Word cards before starting the game.
Fire: The sun, a snuffed-out candle or a firearm cannot be considered fire, because no flame is visible.
Star: The sun cannot be considered a star, because the Word card Sun exists. A celebrity (a star) cannot be considered a star either.
Hat: A helmet cannot be considered a hat, because the Word card Helmet exists. All other headwear can be considered hats.
Water: A cloud is not considered water, but snow or ice is.
Extension: 23 Special Cards
Add these 23 special cards to the Image deck, then play MOZAÏK as usual. These new images have a power that mandatorily triggers when they are played.
Eye symbol: You play before the numbered images. Look at the top 2 Word cards of the Word deck, choose 1 and add it to your grid. Return the other card to the bottom of the deck. This turn, you do not take a Word card from those displayed on the table.
Hand symbol (No. 90 to 99): After revealing your image, place the 2 remaining images from your hand at the bottom of the Image deck, then draw 2 new images. Next, choose your Word card according to the normal turn order, determined by the numbers.