One Card Wonder
One Card Wonder Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Base Game Components
- 18 Wonder Cards
- 60 Resource Cubes (12 in each color) and one bag
- 16 Coin Tokens
- 72 Stage Markers
- 24 Obelisks
- 1 Supply/Setup Mat
- 12 Player Mats
The five resource colors are knowledge, wood, clay, stone, and iron.
Setup
I. Give each player four obelisks.
II. Add the following number of resource cubes in each color to the bag, based on player count. Note that coins are never added to the bag.
| Players | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resources | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 |
III. Return the rest of the cubes to the box - they will not be used this game.
IV. Deal two random player mats to each player.
V. Shuffle the wonders, and reveal one more than the number of players. For each wonder, draw two random resources and place them on the wonder.
Note: Wonders have a number I, II, III in the lower left or right corners showing the relative complexity. For the first game, it is recommended to use only wonders marked I.
VI. Choose a starting player. Going counter-clockwise, beginning to the right of the starting player, each player picks one wonder with its two resources, and places it in the area in front of them. After all players have selected, the remaining wonder is placed back in the box, and its resources are returned to the bag.
VII. Place the supply/setup mat (supply side up), coins, stage markers, and resource bag in the center of the table. Note that coins have their own supply pile and are never added to the supply board. Add one of each resource to the appropriate spot on the supply side of the supply/setup board.
VIII. Each player selects one of their two player mats, puts it in front of them face-up and places the other mat back in the box. They then place their two resource cubes from their wonder on to the spaces provided on top of this mat, one cube per space.
Taking a Turn
Beginning with the start player, each player performs one of the following four actions, then passes the resource bag to the next player to take their turn.
Produce
Draw three resources from the bag. Keep two resources, adding them to your player mat. Place the third resource in the matching space in the supply.
Claim
Take all resources of one type from the supply, adding them to open spaces on your player mat.
Build
Pay resources and coins from your player mat matching the cost of a building or wonder stage. Return the spent resources to the bag and any spent coins to the coin supply.
Multiple wonder stages can be built in the same action. The player can also build at most one support building in addition to or instead of building wonder stages. The support building may be built before or after the wonder stages, but not between them. Building wonders and support structures is described later.
Sell
Pay resources from your player mat to the bag for coins. The exchange rate is 2:1, so every pair of matching resources yields 1 coin which is added to the player mat. Multiple pairs of resources may be sold for coins during the same action.
Note: Player mats can store at most eight resources (including coins). Players with full mats may still take actions that grant resources, and can select which resources to keep, but must immediately return surplus to the supply (not the bag) or coin supply.
Special Actions
Some support buildings provide abilities that start with "New Action". These can be selected on your turn, instead of any of the above actions.
Wonder Cards
Wonder cards are labeled with the name of the wonder, its location, and approximate year(s) of construction.
Each wonder is formed by about 10 stages that must be built from the ground up. Many stages have arrows leading into them and out of them. Stages cannot be built until all of the stages pointing into them have been built. Stages without arrows pointing to them can be built at any time.
The cost of a wonder stage is shown in each block as one or two resources and/or coins. To build the stage, return the shown resources to the bag and any coins used to the coin supply, then place a stage marker on the wonder stage, completing it.
Multiple stages can be built at a time, so completing one stage can immediately make additional stages available.
Wonders also include at least one support building which can help the player complete their wonder faster. See the next section for details of buildings.
Support Buildings
Each player has a set of buildings on their player mat card, in addition to building(s) on the wonder card. These are all considered support buildings. Unless noted, support buildings may be built in any order, or not at all.
The resource cost of a building is shown above the building on the player mat and to the left on a wonder card. To build a support building, return the resources shown to the bag and any coins used to the coin supply. Then place an obelisk on the cost. The building is now complete, and the player may use its ability.
Support building abilities that list the four basic actions (Produce:, Claim:, Build:, or Sell:) apply only when you perform that action on your turn.
Note: Once all 4 obelisks have been placed, the player can no longer build buildings.
Support building abilities that start with "New Action:" add new actions the player can select on their turn. These actions are self-contained, and do not trigger any abilities that apply specifically to the Produce, Claim, Build, or Sell actions.
Support building abilities that start with "Immediately" take effect as soon as the player pays the cost for the building, then have no further effect in the game. Resources gained from these buildings and abilities that apply to the Build action may be used if the player continues to build.
Miscellaneous
Coins
Coins do not count as a "resource" but do take up room on the player mat. Coins may be used as any resource when building, to cover all or part of a cost. However, coins that appear in costs must be paid as coins (like Garden, shown here).
Trading
In games with 4 or more players, players may negotiate and trade resources. However, you may only actively negotiate or trade when it is not your turn.
Note: Once you receive the resource bag, you must immediately stop negotiating (see Notes). Trades need to be mutual (i.e. gifts are permitted), but beware that negotiations are non-binding.
Winning the Game
The winner is the first player to complete his or her wonder. The wonder is complete when all stages have been built. No buildings need to be completed to win.
Clarifications, Notes and Reminders
Trading
The intent of the trading rules is to permit players to complete an exchange if the negotiations were already completed, but players may instead choose before starting the game to interpret the trade as part of the negotiation, which must be paused during your turn.
For further clarification on trading, trades may include resources, coins, or promises, but must be self-contained in the game (i.e. no external benefit, money, or conditions outside of the game may be part of negotiations).
Players may give gifts. However, negotiations are non-binding. Players may choose to make negotiations binding by unanimous agreement before playing.
Gain
"Gain" means acquiring the resource or coin through your normal turn action or ability, but does not include trading resources between turns.
Take (a resource icon), or (a coin)
Look in the bag and take the specific resource. In general, instructions to 'take cubes' mean from the bag unless specifically instructed to take from elsewhere (e.g., The general supply).
Timing Clarifications
Generally, players may resolve any simultaneous abilities in an order that benefits them most. If multiple support building abilities are triggered at the same time, the player may choose the order to resolve them.
Place cubes used to pay for things (like support buildings) into the bag before doing anything else (like an immediate effect on the built support building).
Wild Resources vs. Coins
Costs that include wild resources can be paid with any color resource, including coins. Some buildings call for multiple wild resources. These resources can be different or the same.
As mentioned in the rules, coins can be used as any resource, however costs that specify coins must be paid with coins.
Cost Reductions
Wild resources and coins in costs cannot be reduced with abilities that reduce a specific material cost.
Support Buildings
Support building effects become active immediately when built. For example, if during the build action you complete a support building that can turn a wood into a knowledge, you can use that building to convert the wood and use the knowledge to complete a wonder stage during the same build action.
Resources and the Player Mat
Player mats can store at most eight resources (including coins). Players may still take actions that grant resources, but must then immediately discard down to eight.
Leaders Expansion
Contents
- 10 Leader Tiles
Setup
During setup, randomly deal each player one leader tile which they place face-down on the table in front of themselves. Players may secretly look at their leader.
Activating a Leader
Each leader shows a name, a one-time effect, and a cost to defeat. These leaders have the potential to play a huge role in deciding victory.
At any point in the game, a player may reveal their leader, announcing its effect and cost to defeat (shown under the X). Play pauses momentarily and the other players may decide whether to defeat the leader by paying the cost to defeat. Any number of players may cooperate to pay the total cost.
If the cost is collectively paid, the player who activated the leader receives the cost as tribute, and the leader has no other effect. If the cost is not paid, the leader's effect is performed. The leader is returned to the box after it is activated, whether the effect occurs or not.
Some leaders have the globe logo under the cost. In 2-3 player games, one resource can be taken from the supply to pay the cost.