Passing Through Petra
Passing Through Petra Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Game Board
- 5 Canyon Wall Pieces
- 1 Treasury Card Holder
- 1 Velvet Bag
- 85 Trader Tiles
- 5 Gold Trader Tiles
- 20 Permanent Settlement Tiles
- 12 Building Tiles
- 10 Market Extensions
- 30 Camel Tokens
- 24 Villager Cards
- 4 Player Boards
- 22 Influence Cards
- 4 Reference Cards (Trader Tile Track Bonus / Action Reference)
- 4 Merchant Pawns
- 20 Marker Discs
- 20 Workers
- 36 Influence Cubes
Action Reference (on the reference cards)
PLAZA — Take 2 Trader Tiles from the Plaza.
SIQ — Take 1 Trader Tile from the Siq.
MARKET — Initiate a trade between a group of traders in your settlements and another group of traders in your market row.
VILLAGE — Retrieve workers. Hire 1 available villager equal to or less than the number of workers you retrieved.
Game Setup
Game Board & Supply
- Place the game board in the center of the play area.
- Fit the 5 canyon wall pieces into their slots on the game board, starting with the piece in slot A, then moving to B-E in order. Ensure that the straight edge of each canyon wall piece is facing inward, toward the caravan.
- Assemble the treasury card holder and place it in its marked position on the game board. Shuffle the villager deck and the influence deck and place them both face down in the treasury card holder.
- Draw the top 3 cards from the villager deck and place them face up in the "1+", "2+", and "3+" slots.
- Draw the top 3 cards from the influence deck and place them face up in the 3 slots next to the Local Traders track.
- Place the camel tokens, permanent settlement tiles, market extensions, gold trader tiles, and building tiles off to the side as the supply.
The Caravan
- Place all 85 trader tiles into the velvet bag and shake it thoroughly to randomize them.
- Draw tiles from the bag, 1 at a time, and push them into the channel between the canyon wall pieces, face up, to form the caravan. When you are finished, there should be 20 tiles in the caravan — 6 tiles in the Plaza section and 14 tiles in the Siq section.
Player Pieces
- Give each player a player board, selected at random.
- Give each player 9 influence cubes in their color, to be placed in the recessed spaces in the middle of their player board.
- Give each player 5 workers in their color, to be kept next to their player board.
- Each player places 1 of their marker discs, blank side up, on the start spaces of each of the progress tracks on the game board. (The start spaces are marked with an X.)
- Each player places their merchant pawn in the center of the 3x3 city grid in the center of the game board.
- Deal 1 influence card to each player, face down. Each player may look at their influence card, but must keep it hidden from their opponents.
- Choose a start player randomly, then give each player camel tokens equal to their position in turn order: the start player receives 1 camel, second player receives 2 camels, third player receives 3 camels, and fourth player receives 4 camels.
Markets & Settlements
- Each player draws 6 trader tiles at random from the bag, then arranges them in a row along the bottom of their player board, in the order that they were drawn, to form their market row. (A player may not draw more than 3 tiles of a single type in this step; if that happens, put back the extras and redraw until that is not the case.)
- Each player draws 4 trader tiles at random from the bag, then arranges them by type above their player board, to form their settlement columns. (A player may not draw more than 2 tiles of a single type in this step; if that happens, put back the extras and redraw until that is not the case.)
Key Elements
The Game Board
Understanding the various sections of the game board will help you make sense of the rest of this rulebook. Below is a breakdown of the important sections:
- A) Caravan. The long line of trader tiles which passes between the canyon wall pieces is the caravan. The section of the caravan with canyon walls on both sides is known as the Siq, while the section with only a single canyon wall is known as the Plaza.
- B) City Grid. The 3x3 grid in the center of the game board is the city grid. Each side of the grid is associated with a particular action. Players move their merchant pawns around within the grid to take actions.
- C) Progress Tracks. There are 4 main progress tracks: Egypt, Rome, China, and India. Players have marker discs that move around the progress tracks. Passing certain spaces on these tracks gives you bonuses and allows you to place influence cubes.
- D) Local Trader Track. This is also a progress track. Passing the bonus spaces on this track is how you gain more influence cards and camel tokens. However, on this track there are no spaces that allow you to place influence cubes.
- E) Treasury. The assembled card holder sits here during play. One half holds the deck of influence cards, and the other half holds the deck of villager cards.
- F) Influence Card Row. This row has 3 face-up influence cards at all times, which are the available options (along with the top card of the influence deck) when any player gains an influence card.
- G) Villager Card Row. This row has 3 face-up villager cards at all times, which are the available options when any player hires a villager.
The Player Board
Each player board is unique, but they all have the same basic information. Below is a breakdown of the important sections:
- A) Market Row. This area along the bottom of your player board is where trader tiles go when you take them from the caravan. They enter at the left edge and are slowly pushed along until they exit at the right edge.
- B) Settlements. This area above your player board has 5 virtual columns. When trader tiles are pushed out of your market row, they move to the matching settlement column. After being used in a market action, trader tiles in a settlement are returned to the velvet bag.
- C) Trading Partners. Each settlement column has an icon that indicates the trading partner for traders of that type. Each player board's distribution of trading partners is unique.
- D) Worker Spaces. There is a space below each settlement column where you can place a worker in order to initiate a market action. Workers remain where you've placed them, limiting your future market options, until you take a separate action to recall them.
- E) Building Spaces. When you acquire a building tile, you place it in the recessed space below any matching settlement column. Buildings produce camels, which allow you to move around the progress tracks faster.
- F) Influence Cubes. These recessed spaces hold your influence cubes until you place them, either on the game board or on influence cards.
How to Play
Players take turns, beginning with the start player and proceeding clockwise, until someone wins. On your turn, carry out these steps, in order:
- Move Merchant Pawn
- Take Location Action
- Complete Influence Cards (optional)
- Refill the Caravan (as needed)
1. Move Merchant Pawn
To begin your turn, you must move your merchant pawn 1 space in any direction. You cannot move your pawn diagonally. If your merchant pawn is already up against a side of the city grid, then you cannot move it further in that direction.
2. Take Location Action
Each side of the city grid is associated with 1 of 4 location actions. Carry out the action associated with the side of the city that you just moved your merchant pawn toward (see Location Actions).
3. Complete Influence Cards
After taking an action, you may, but are not required to, reveal from hand any influence cards which you have completed, and place 1 influence cube on each (see Influence Cards).
4. Refill the Caravan
At the end of your turn, check to see if the number of trader tiles in the caravan has fallen below the minimum threshold. If it has, draw new trader tiles at random from the bag and push them into the Siq end of the caravan, 1 at a time, until it is full again. If the bag runs out, you may not be able to refill the caravan fully.
Location Actions
PLAZA
In this action, you take 2 trader tiles of your choice from among the 6 tiles in the Plaza section of the caravan. Add those 2 tiles to your market row, in either order, pushing them in from the left side. (You may add them to your market row in either order. Their positions relative to each other in the caravan no longer matters.)
This will push 2 trader tiles out of your market row. Move the 2 pushed-out tiles to your settlements, placing them in their corresponding columns by color. Finally, push the trader tiles in the caravan so that there are no gaps.
Example A: Cesar takes the PLAZA action. He chooses 2 trader tiles of his choice (both orange) from the Plaza and pushes them into his market row. The 2 tiles that are pushed out of his market as a result are blue and purple, and Cesar moves them to his corresponding settlement columns. Finally, he closes the gaps in the caravan.
(All tiles you take enter your market from the left. Pushing them in causes some tiles to exit your market on the right. Move all tiles that exit your market into your settlement columns.)
SIQ
In this action, you take 1 trader tile of your choice from among the tiles in the Siq section of the caravan. Add that tile to your market row, pushing it in from the left side.
This will push 1 trader tile out of your market row. Move that pushed-out tile to your settlements, placing it in the corresponding column by color. Finally, push the trader tiles in the caravan so that there are no gaps.
Example B: Reileen takes the SIQ action. She chooses 1 trader tile of her choice (red) from the Siq and pushes it into her market row. The tile that is pushed out of her market as a result is orange, and Reileen moves it to her corresponding settlement column. Finally, she closes the gap in the caravan.
(All tiles you take enter your market from the left. Pushing them in causes some tiles to exit your market on the right. Move all tiles that exit your market into your settlement columns.)
MARKET
In this action, you initiate a trade between a group of traders from your settlements and another group of traders from your market row. Each group of traders is looking to trade with a certain other group, known as their trading partner, indicated by the small colored icon under the associated column at the top of your player board.
To take a MARKET action:
- Place worker: Use 1 of your 5 workers to choose a group of traders from your settlements that you wish to send to market. Place the worker on the space beneath that settlement column. You must choose a space that does not currently have a worker.
- Find trade value: Multiply the number of tiles in the chosen settlement column by the number of tiles of their trading partner in your market. That number is the trade value.
- Move marker: On the progress track for the tile type in the chosen settlement column, move your marker disc clockwise a number of spaces equal to the trade value. You may spend camel tokens (returning them to the supply) to move additional spaces, 1 space for each camel token spent. As you move your marker disc on the track, there are several important spaces you may pass: bonus spaces and influence spaces.
Bonus Spaces: Each of the 4 main progress tracks has a single bonus space, marked with a triangle. Once per turn when your marker disc reaches or passes a bonus space, you gain the associated bonus (see Progress Track Bonuses). In addition, whenever you pass a bonus space on 1 of the 4 main progress tracks, flip that marker disc so that it is "active" side up (i.e., showing the cube). On the Local Traders track, gain the bonus for every bonus space you reach or pass.
Influence Spaces: If your marker disc is "active" side up (i.e., showing the cube) when it reaches or passes an available influence space, place 1 of your influence cubes on that space. (Some influence spaces are only available in games with 3+ or 4 players.) Then, flip that marker disc back to the "inactive" side. It is possible to place multiple influence cubes in a single turn. Once all of a track's regular influence spaces are filled, then — and only then — an unlimited number of influence cubes can be placed in the large influence pool.
- Remove settlement tiles: Send the traders on their way! Take all the tiles from the chosen settlement column (except any permanent settlements) and return them to the velvet bag. The tiles in your market row remain where they are.
Example C: Sheldon takes the MARKET action. He places a worker under the settlement column he wishes to send to market. The 2 Chinese traders (red) in his settlements trade with the 3 Indian traders (purple) in his market. The trade value is 2x3 = 6. Sheldon moves his marker disc 6 spaces on the China progress track. He passed the bonus space (take 1 building, flip marker disc to "active" side) and an influence space (place influence cube, flip marker disc to "inactive" side). Finally, he removes the 2 Chinese trader tiles from his settlements and returns them to the velvet bag.
(A. Place Worker — B. Find Trade Value — C. Move Marker — D. Remove Settlement Tiles)
VILLAGE
In this action, you first retrieve as many workers from your player board as you wish, returning them to your supply. (You must retrieve at least 1 worker.)
From the game board, hire 1 villager of your choice from the villager card row. The cards available for you to hire are those in the slots equal to or less than the number of workers you retrieved. (For more details on the abilities of the villagers, see Villager Card Reference.)
After hiring a villager, slide the remaining face-up villager cards down, away from the treasury, to close the gap. Then reveal a new card from the villager deck and place it face up in the empty "3+" slot, closest to the treasury.
Example D: Lupita takes the VILLAGE action. She has 3 workers on her player board, and she retrieves all of them. Because she retrieved 3 workers, she can hire a villager from any of the 3 slots. She chooses to hire the Craftsman from the "2+" slot. The Craftsman has an immediate effect, so Lupita carries out the effect immediately (build a market extension) and then discards the card. Finally, Lupita slides the remaining villager cards down and refills the "3+" slot from the top of the villager deck.
(A. Retrieve 3 Workers — B. Hire Villager — C. Perform Effect — D. Slide Remaining Cards Down)
Progress Track Bonuses
Each progress track has a bonus space (except the Local Traders track, which has multiple bonus spaces). Each time you reach or pass a bonus space on a progress track, you gain the associated bonus.
Important! On each of the 4 main progress tracks, you cannot gain the bonus more than once per turn, no matter how many times you reach or pass the bonus space. But on the Local Traders track, you can gain multiple bonuses per turn.
If you cannot gain a bonus because the supply is empty or you cannot legally place the gained bonus (e.g., permanent settlement or building), ignore it.
EGYPT (orange): Take a market extension and place it at the left end of your market row. This extends your market row by 1 space. Immediately draw 1 trader tile at random from the bag to fill the open space. Trader tiles will now enter your market row at this space.
ROME (blue): Select a permanent settlement tile of your choice and place it in your settlements. Permanent settlements work like other trader tiles in your settlements, except that they are never removed after a market action. You may only have 1 permanent settlement per type. Permanent settlements do not trigger buildings.
CHINA (red): Take a building tile and add it to your player board below any settlement column that does not already have a building. When you place a trader tile (but not a permanent settlement tile) in that settlement column, gain 1 camel token from the supply. Each building can only produce 1 camel token per turn.
INDIA (purple): Take a gold trader tile and immediately push it into your market row. (Move the tile that gets pushed out of your market up to your settlements.) Gold trader tiles count as the trader type of your choice during a market action. When a gold trader tile is pushed out of your market, return it to the supply instead of moving it to your settlements.
LOCAL TRADERS (green): Take 1 camel token for each camel space you reach or pass. You may use these camels immediately (to move further on the Local Traders track) or save them for a future turn. In addition, take 1 influence card for each card space you reach or pass. For each influence card, you may choose a card from a face-up slot or take the top card of the influence deck. If you take a face-up card, immediately replace it from the top of the deck.
Influence Cards
Influence cards are private goals that allow you to place influence cubes when completed. After taking an action, you may, but are not required to, reveal any influence card you have completed and place it face up in your player area, putting 1 influence cube on it. You may complete multiple influence cards in a single turn.
Example E: Cesar has 1 influence in China and 2 influence in Rome. On his turn, he takes the market action, creating a trade value of 4 and moving his marker disc 4 spaces on the China progress track. He passed an influence space, and his marker disc was "active" side up, so Cesar places an influence cube. Cesar then reveals an influence card from hand, which he has now completed: "Have an equal number of influence cubes in Rome and China." He places an influence cube on the card and places the card in his player area.
End of the Game
The game ends immediately as soon as a player has placed their ninth influence cube. That player wins the game!
Villager Card Reference
Villager cards come in 3 types, indicated on the card:
- IMMEDIATE: Perform the villager's ability immediately upon hiring them, then discard the villager.
- PERMANENT: Place the villager in your player area. You have that villager's ability for the rest of the game.
- ONE-TIME USE: Place the villager in your player area. Discard the villager on any of your turns to perform their ability.
Ambassador (immediate): Take 2 trader tiles at random from the bag. You may (but are not required to) place them directly in your settlements.
Baker (immediate): Take 2 trader tiles from the Siq.
Broker (permanent): When earning a track bonus, you may choose one from any of the 4 main tracks. (This does not apply to bonus spaces on the Local Traders track.)
Builder (immediate): Take 1 building tile.
Craftsman (immediate): Take 1 market extension. Take 1 trader tile at random from the bag to fill the new space.
Dealmaker (one-time use): Take 1 trader tile from the Plaza. Then take a market action without moving your merchant pawn. (You must still use a worker.)
Farmer (permanent): You may discard incomplete influence cards at any time for 3 camel tokens each.
Herder (immediate): Take 3 camel tokens.
Jeweler (immediate): Take 1 gold trader tile.
Laborer (immediate): Take 1 permanent settlement tile.
Master Trader (permanent): During a market action, traders of this type in your settlements may trade with any type in your market — OR — any type of traders in your settlements may trade with traders of this type in your market. Discard after use.
Nomad (one-time use): During a market action, treat this card as if it were a trader tile of this type, in either your market or settlements. Discard after use.
Merchant (immediate): Take 3 trader tiles from the Plaza.
Noble (one-time use): You may move any tiles from your market to your settlements or from your settlements to your market. You may then rearrange your market. (You must fill all market stalls.)
Priest (immediate): Draw the top 2 cards of the villager deck. Keep 1 and discard the other.
Scribe (one-time use): Take 1 trader tile from the Plaza. Then take 1 influence card, either from a face-up slot or from the top of the influence deck.
Influence Card Reference
Influence cards are drawn from the influence deck and display 1 of the following private goals. When completed, they let you place an influence cube on the card (see Influence Cards):
- Have 3 of your influence cubes in Rome.
- Have an equal number of influence cubes in Rome and Egypt. Must have at least 1 in each.
- Have an equal number of influence cubes in the south (India + Egypt) as in the north (China + Rome). Must have at least 1 in each pair of regions.
- Have a building in India or China, and have a permanent settlement in India or China.
Credits
Game Designer: J. Alex Kevern Developer: T.C. Petty III Illustrator: Jani Orban Graphic Designer: Jeanne Torres Editor: Dustin Schwartz Production Artist: Jeff Oglesby
RENEGADE GAME STUDIOS President & Publisher: Scott Gaeta Controller: Robyn Gaeta Director of Operations: Leisha Cummins Director of Sales & Marketing: Sara Erickson Creative Director: Anita Osburn Senior Producer: Dan Bojanowski Associate Marketing Manager: Danni Loe Customer Service: Jenni Kingma
Special Thanks
The designer would like to extend a special thanks to the enthusiastic playtesters and the tireless development team for helping create a game I am over the moon about. Thank you to my encouraging family, supportive friends, and extraordinary wife for the inspiration they give me day in and day out. Stay inspired!
Renegade Game Studios would like to thank Will Raiman, Dave Satterfield, and Josiah Bojanowski.
©2018 Renegade Game Studios. All Rights Reserved.