Plateau X
Plateau X Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Number of Players
2, 3 or 4 players, 10 years and up.
Duration
2 players: 10–20 minutes (mini-game), 15–30 minutes (double-game) 3 or 4 players: about 30 minutes
Game Materials
1 gameboard consisting of a large and a small playing area 4 playing pieces, each in a different color 8 building tiles of 1 space (single) 4 building tiles of 2 spaces (double) 37 building tiles of 3 spaces (triple)
The large playing area is 7x7 and the small playing area is 6x6.
Object of the Game
Each player tries to build high plateaus with his tiles and move his playing piece to a plateau as high as possible. The object is for your playing piece to occupy a plateau that is at a higher level than the other players' pieces at the end of the game.
Terms
Spaces: The gameboard has 49 (and, respectively, 36) single spaces. If there are building tiles lying on the spaces, the surface of the building tiles shows the spaces.
Levels: The surface of a building tile represents a higher level, in comparison to the gameboard. In Illus. 1, the green playing piece is on a space of the gameboard, whereas the orange playing piece is on a space at the second level. The space A5 is located at the third level.
Plateaus: One space or several spaces at the same level that are connected form a plateau. Only those spaces are considered connected that are touching on one complete side; so diagonally adjacent spaces are not connected. A plateau at the first level is, for example, C1+C2+B2. A3 is not part of this plateau since it borders B2 only at the corner. So, A3 forms a plateau of its own. B5 + B6 make a plateau at the second level; other ones are A4 and E4+F4. Spaces directly on the gameboard are not called plateaus.
Set-up (4 Players)
Use the larger playing area (with 49 spaces). Give each player one playing piece plus one double building tile and two single building tiles. The triple building tiles form the collective supply from which each player can avail himself as needed. The youngest player determines who will start. After that, players play in turn.
The printed set-up above covers four players only. The two- and three-player set-ups are given under Game Variations.
Game Turns
On your turn you may either 1 place one building tile or 2 bring your piece into play (once) or you may 3 move your playing piece.
1 Placing building tiles: You may use a building tile either from your own stock (singles or doubles) or from the general supply (triples). All spaces covered with that tile must be at the same level. As soon as the building tile has been placed, pieces may move onto it.
- You may not occupy a space on which there is a playing piece.
- You may not put a building tile flush on top of another building tile of the same kind. This applies also to singles: you may not put one on top of another.
Illustrations on the printed page show three cases: placement that is allowed, since the building tile is not put flush on a tile of the same kind; placement that is not allowed, since a triple building tile would be placed flush onto another triple building tile; and placement that is not allowed, since one of the spaces is at a different level.
2 Bringing your playing piece into play: On your turn, you place your piece on any unoccupied space on the gameboard. If there are already building tiles lying on the gameboard, you may not place your piece on a building tile but only on the gameboard; only from your next turn on may you continue moving from there.
3 Moving your playing piece: A move consists of any number of permitted steps in a row. A step is permitted if
- it leads to a neighboring space,
- this space is exactly one level higher or lower and
- the space entered is not part of a plateau on which there is already an opponent's playing piece.
The gameboard is not considered a plateau and may also be entered when other playing pieces are on it. You may not move diagonally. Sometimes a move can lead your own playing piece to quite a different spot on the gameboard, such as with Yellow in example 1.
Example 1
Black moves from A4 to A5, since A5 is exactly one level higher than A4 and directly adjacent. Yellow moves from F3 through E3, D3, D4, C4, B4 and B5 to A5. (Too bad for Black, if he placed his single building tile on A5 during his previous turn.) Orange cannot move from B5 to A5, since a diagonal step would be required.
Example 2
Orange now moves from D5 through E5 and F5 to F4. Yellow can not move from F3 through E3, D3, D4, C4, B4 and B5 to A5, since it is not allowed to enter D4 – the plateau D4+D5 is occupied by Orange. But if Yellow moves from F3 through E3 to E4, Orange may no longer enter the plateau E4+F4. Black, if it's his turn, could go from B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5 to A5. Orange would not be allowed to go from D5 to D4, since both spaces are at the same level and each step to an adjacent space requires a difference of one level, either up or down.
When plateaus are subsequently connected with each other, it can happen that two playing pieces wind up standing on the same plateau. If a player now, on his turn, leaves this joint plateau, he may not re-enter it on the same turn.
End of the Game
The game is over when a player, on his turn, can no longer place a building tile (either from his own stock or from the common supply), be it because all pieces have been placed or because there are no possibilities of placement anymore, and he doesn't want to move his playing piece. As such, whether other players might still be able to move doesn't matter. Finished is finished.
Winning the Game
The winner is the player whose playing piece stands on a higher plateau than all other players' pieces at the end of the game. This does not necessarily have to be the highest plateau on the gameboard. In case there are several playing pieces at the same level, the player whose piece is standing on the larger plateau wins. If these plateaus are of the same size or the pieces are on the same plateau, the player who came to this plateau first or has been standing there continuously for the longer time wins.
Example: Player A is standing on a plateau. Later, Player B reaches a plateau of the same level. Player A leaves his plateau for some reason and re-enters it later. When the game then ends, player B wins (provided the plateau is of the same size), because he is the one who has been standing on his plateau longer, without leaving it.
Game Variations
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Plateau X – Basic game tournament for 4 players: If you play several rounds, the player in first place scores 4 points, second place scores 2 points, and third place scores 1 point, per round; 4th place doesn't score any points. The winner is the player who has the most points after the agreed-upon number of rounds. In case of a tie, the player with the most overall victories wins.
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Plateau X Mini-game for 2 players: Use the small gameboard. Each player gets a starting stock of 1 double building tile and 3 single building tiles.
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Plateau X Double for 2 players: Play on the large gameboard. Each player gets two playing pieces. During the game, plateaus on which there is an opponent's playing piece may not be entered, but plateaus with one of your own pieces may be entered. Each player has a starting stock of 1 double building tile and 3 single building tiles.
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Plateau X Triple for 3 players: Play on the large gameboard. Each player has a starting stock of 1 double building tile and 2 single building tiles. If you play several rounds, the winner scores 3 points, the second 1 point and the third does not score.