Patterns: A Mandala Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
• Setup
  • Sample setup reference
• Course of Play
  • Establishing a new color group
  • Expanding a color group
• Color Groups
• Game End and Scoring
  • Scoring example
• Credits

Object of the Game

In front of you lies sand in all kinds of colors chaotically scattered, without any apparent pattern. Your task is to manipulate the sand in the Mandala, and to create and claim color groups to earn points. The bigger the group and the later it is formed—the better. In the end, the player with the most valuable groups wins.

Components

• 12 claim markers (6 each of 2 player colors)
• 12 color markers (1 set per player)
• 54 sand tokens (9 each of 6 colors) — each token has a colored border with a pale center on one face (face up), and a solid color on the other (face down)
• 1 playmat

Setup

1. Place the playmat between the two of you.
2. Set aside 6 sand tokens, one of each color.
3. Turn all tokens on the playmat face up (with a pale center and colored border).
4. Shuffle the remaining 48 sand tokens and then work together to shift each token onto one of the playmat spaces. Leave the 4 marked spaces in the center empty for now. Move the tokens onto the spaces randomly, without considering their pattern.
5. Randomly place 4 of the 6 sand tokens that you set aside earlier on the 4 empty spaces in the center of the playmat.
6. Determine a start player. The other player chooses one of the remaining sand tokens to keep as their bowl token and gives the other token to the start player. Place your bowl tokens face down on the illustration of a wooden bowl on your side of the playmat.
7. Take the 6 claim markers that match the river spaces on your side of the playmat, and place them on the matching numbers. Also take a set of color markers and place them in your bowl.

Sample setup reference

The playmat layout includes: color markers and a bowl on your side, holding your bowl token; the mandala of sand tokens in the middle; the 4 central spaces (marked); and your river of claim markers along your river space.

Course of Play

Beginning with the start player, take alternating turns. On your turn, carry out one of the following actions:

• ESTABLISH a new color group

or

• EXPAND one of your color groups

You must take an action if possible. The game ends when a player cannot take an action on their turn.

Establishing a new color group

Throughout the course of the game each player will establish up to 6 color groups.

You may only choose this action if your bowl token shows a different color than all of your previously established color groups.

Carry out the following steps in this order:

1. Swap sand tokens: Take a face up sand token in the Mandala and put it in your bowl. It will be your new bowl token.
2. Place claim marker: Take the claim marker with the lowest number from your river and place it on the sand token you just placed in the Mandala.
3. Place color marker: Place the matching color marker below the vacated spot in the river.

Note:

• Once placed, you may not remove a claim marker or move it to a different sand token.
• Tokens that are placed face down will remain that way until the end of the game.
• Only tokens that are face down build color groups.

Example: Maya swaps the selected token with her bowl token, face down. She places her lowest-numbered claim marker (1) on top of that token. She places her black color marker in her river as a reminder to both players.

Expanding a color group

Instead of establishing a new color group, you can expand an existing group, increasing its end-of-game value.

When taking this action, either FLIP or SWAP:

FLIP

Select a face up sand token in the Mandala that is orthogonally adjacent to one of your color groups and which matches the color of that group. Flip the selected token face down.

Example: Maya already has established a black color group. She can now expand the group by flipping the orthogonally adjacent black sand token to the right of the token with the claim marker.

You may not expand a color group diagonally.

or

SWAP

Take a face up sand token from the Mandala that is orthogonally adjacent to one of your established color groups. Swap it with your bowl token that needs to match that group's color. Place your bowl token face down on the vacated spot.

Example: Several turns later, Louis has established his sixth group and expanded it by flipping an adjacent matching orange token. He has a matching token in his bowl which he swaps with the green token adjacent to his orange group.

Color Groups

There can only ever be at most two groups of the same color, each established by a different player. These two groups must never connect. This means that you may not ESTABLISH or EXPAND your own color group in a space that is orthogonally adjacent to your opponent's color group of the same color (diagonally is allowed).

If you have a green token in your bowl, you may also not swap it with any of the marked tokens as this would connect the two green groups. You also may not flip the marked green token—for the same reason.

Game End and Scoring

Remember: You may not simply choose to end the game. On your turn, you must take an action if possible!

The game ends when a player cannot take an ESTABLISH or EXPAND action.

Before scoring, the opponent may take any number of additional FLIP actions to expand their color groups (following the normal rules). However, no more ESTABLISH or SWAP actions are possible.

Now, both players score the Mandala. For each of your color groups, carry out the following steps:

• Collect all sand tokens in the group, except for the token with the claim marker on it.
• Place them in your river, onto the space with the corresponding color marker.
• Each sand token is worth a number of points equal to the number of its river space.

Add up the values of the sand tokens in your river to determine your score. Your bowl token and color markers are not worth any points. The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, play again.

Scoring example

In one recorded end state, Maya's six color groups score 4, 6, 3, 16, 0, and 12 points respectively, for a total of 41 points. Louis's six color groups score 4, 8, 9, 8, 5, and 12 points respectively, for a total of 46 points. Louis wins!

Credits

• Designers: Trevor Benjamin & Brett J. Gilbert
• Illustrations: Klemens Franz
• Graphic Design: atelier198
• © 2023 Lookout GmbH, Elsheimer Straße 23, 55270 Schwabenheim, Germany
• For rules questions and suggestions, contact [email protected]. For missing pieces or damaged parts, please contact your point of purchase.