Province
Province Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Winning
Players win by having the most Victory Points (VP) at the end of the game. VP values are indicated by the red ruby icons found on the Province Board and Goal Tokens, and are earned by building Structures and completing Goals. The game can end in three ways: When a player has built 7 Structures, when one of each Structure has been built, or once all Goal Tokens are claimed or removed. When the game ends, the player who ended it must finish their turn.
Components
- 1 Province Board
- 7 Red Structures
- 7 Blue Structures
- 3 Green Workers
- 1 Yellow Camp Worker
- 1 Orange Village Worker
- 3 Red Sailor Workers
- 3 Blue Sailor Workers
- 2 Ship Tokens
- 9 Goal Tokens
- 10 Silver Coin (I, Value 1)
- 3 Gold Coin (V, Value 5)
- 1 Platinum Coin (X, Value 10)
- 1 Lender Token (LIII)
- 1 Labor Tracker
Setup
Place one Green Worker on each space of the Work Cycle (the three spaces at the center of the board). Then place all Coin below the Board. Put the other Workers, the Lender Token, and the Ship Tokens off to the side. Turn the Goal Tokens face-down, and randomly choose five of them, then stack the chosen tokens above the board face-down. Remove extra Goal Tokens from play. Each player takes all Structure Tokens of one color. After choosing who goes first, the first player takes two Coin from the supply, the second player takes three. To start the game, turn the topmost Goal Token on the stack face-up.
Turn Order
You and your opponent take turns which are broken into two phases. You begin with the Work Cycle Phase, where you move Workers to generate resources. Then it's the Resource Spending Phase, where you spend those resources to build Structures or hire Workers. Once both phases are complete, it's your opponent's turn.
How to Play
Work Cycle Phase
During this phase, move one or more Workers one step clockwise on the Work Cycle. Each Worker that lands on the Coin Space (indicated by a coin icon) earns 1 Coin, which you take from the supply. You do not earn Coin if none remains in the supply (but your opponent must make change, if they can). Each Worker that lands on either Labor Space (indicated by an arrow icon) earns 1 Labor. Earned Labor lasts only for that turn: Any extra Labor you have at the end of your turn is lost. (You may flip Workers over to keep track of which ones you have moved, and you may use the Labor Tracker to keep track of the Labor you have earned that turn.)
You may move a Worker only if you have access to it. You always have access to the Green Workers. You gain access to additional Workers by building specific Structures or from the Harbor. For example, you may move the Yellow Camp Worker if you have built a Camp. If an opponent has built a Camp and you have not, you cannot move the Yellow Camp Worker without using the Lender Token (see Lender Token section below). You never have access to your opponent's Sailor Workers. You must move at least 1 Worker during the Work Cycle Phase.
Resource Spending Phase
During this phase, if you have the necessary resources, you may build one Structure on a given turn. A Structure's cost is indicated on the border of the Board next to the labels that indicate the Structure's name. The arrow icon indicates the required Labor and the coin icon indicates the required Coin. For example, The Lender costs 2 Labor and 2 Coin. If you wish to build the Lender, you must pay the cost by returning 2 Coin to the supply and spending 2 Labor. Then place one of your Structures next to the Lender's label to the side of the Province Board. You cannot build two of the same Structure.
If you are the first to build a type of Structure, it is worth the VP listed at the top of that Structure's cost area. While some Structures are only worth 1 VP, other more advanced Structures are worth 2 VP. For example, the Lender is worth 1 VP and the Bank is worth 2.
If your opponent has already built a Structure, place your Structure next to the theirs, further from the board. This further Structure is worth 0 VP, but you still have access to its effects. Some Structures have arrows pointing to them from other Structures. You cannot build these until you have built the Structure below it. You cannot build the Bank before you build the Lender, the Village before the Camp, and the Smithy before the Mill.
If you need Coin, you have the option to Grind by spending Labor (see Grind section). If you have access to the Union, you can spend Coin to earn Labor. You may also hire Sailors in this phase if you have access to the Harbor (see The Harbor and Sailors section).
Structure Effects
When a player builds a Structure, they have access to its effects for the rest of the game.
The Lender (1 VP): Unlocks the Lender Token.
The Bank (2 VP): Each Worker that lands on the Coin Space earns 2 Coin instead of 1.
The Camp (1 VP): You may now move the Camp Worker. If the Camp Worker isn't on the Work Cycle, place it on the top Labor space.
The Village (2 VP): You may now move the Village Worker. If the Village Worker isn't on the Work Cycle, place it on the top Labor space.
The Mill (1 VP): Earn 1 Labor at the start of each turn.
The Smithy (2 VP): Earn an additional Labor at the start of each turn.
The Union (1 VP): You may spend 2 Coin to earn 1 Labor during the Resource Spending Phase.
The Harbor (1 VP): Receive benefits corresponding to the Ship Tokens. See Harbor and Sailors section for details.
Lender Token
If you have built the Lender, during your turn, you may use the effects of an opponent's Structure until the end of your turn. If you do so, you must take the Lender Token. If you borrow the effects of a resource-earning Structure such as the Mill, you will earn the corresponding resource immediately. You can return the Lender Token to the supply by paying 3 Coin during your turn. If both players have built the Lender, one may take the Lender Token from the other in order to borrow a Structure. You may not use the Lender Token if you already possess it, and cannot borrow the effects of an opponent's Structure that you have also built. You cannot pay off the Lender Coin the same turn you took it. If you still have the Lender Token when the game ends, you lose 2 VP.
Harbor and Sailors
The first player to build the Harbor is designated the Harbormaster. The Harbormaster must shake and cast the Ship Tokens at the start of each of their turns. The Harbor offers a random benefit to the players who have built it depending on the cast tokens' results. The Harbor benefits indicated at the top of the Province Board are: If the tokens are white, earn 1 Labor at the start of your turn. If they are black and white, you can hire a Sailor. If the tokens are black, earn 1 Coin at the start of your turn.
To hire a Sailor, pay 3 Coin during the Resource Spending Phase. Then take a Sailor Worker of your color from the supply and place it on the top Labor Space of the Work Cycle. Up to three Sailors of any color may be on the Work Cycle. Once there are three, you can no longer hire Sailors. Players may only hire one Sailor per turn. A Sailor Worker can only be moved by the player that hired them and cannot be borrowed with the Lender Token.
Grind
You also have the option of spending 2 Labor to earn 1 Coin. This action is always available during your Resource Spending Phase. Players can choose to Grind as much as they can afford. A tab is at the bottom of the Board to represent this action.
Goal Tokens
Players have the opportunity to earn VP if they meet the face-up Goal condition. If a player meets the face-up Goal condition, they immediately claim that Goal Token, each of which are worth 1 VP. When a Goal Token is claimed, turn the next one face-up. If both players meet the new Goal condition, remove that Goal Token and turn the next one face-up. The Goal Tokens are:
- Workers Goal: Have access to 2 Workers besides the Green Workers.
- Labor Goal: Earn 5 Labor on a single turn.
- Structure Goal: You have built 4 Structures.
- 5 Coin Goal: Possess at least 5 Coin at the end of your turn.
- 2 VP Structure Goal: You have built 2 Structures that are worth 2 VP each.
- Crowd Goal: End your turn with at least 3 Workers on one space.
- Spending Goal: Spend at least 4 Coin in one turn.
- Grind Goal: Grind twice in one turn.
- 10 Coin Goal: Possess the Platinum Coin.
Ending the Game
The game is over once one of the game-ending events occurs: one player has built 7 Structures, one of each Structure has been built, or all Goal Tokens have been claimed or removed. The player who ended the game must finish their turn. Each player then totals their VP earned by Structures and Goal Tokens. If a player has the Lender Token, they lose 2 VP. Whoever has the most VP wins. If players have equal VP, the player with more Structures wins. If players have the same amount of Structures, the player with more Workers wins. If players have the same amount of Workers, the game is a tie.
Sam Strick — Game Designer / Illustration / Graphic Design Clayton Grey — Assistant Designer / Business & Development