Pueblo
Pueblo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 1 Game board
- 1 Cloth bag
- Building Blocks: 27 colored Building Blocks (8 each in blue and orange, 6 in yellow, 5 in pink), and 16 neutral (white) Building Blocks
- 4 double-sided player Pieces, showing a "0" side and a "60" side (1 each in blue, orange, yellow and pink)
- 1 Chieftain token
- 1 Eagle tile
"Pro" Version Only:
- 4 Orders of play Pots
- 4 Garden tiles
The Building Blocks are all the same shape. Each side has 3 square "surfaces". The stepped front and the flat left-hand side each show the 3 surfaces on that side of the Block.
Objective
The players are the builders. Each one has the neutral-colored blocks favored by the chieftain, but also a number of colored ones to play with wisdom and skill. Once a block has been set, the chieftain moves forward by up to 4 squares, and if it lands on a square from which it is able to see in a straight line any colored block(s), the corresponding player receives an amount of penalty points on the scoring track. Once the blocks have all been used, the player with the lowest amount of penalty points is the winner of the game.
Game Grid, Chieftain's Path and Scoring Track
You will construct the pueblo in the 8 x 8 square playing area in the middle of the Game board, and move the Chieftain along the path that surrounds the playing area. Penalty points are recorded on a scoring track that counts 60 spaces. When you receive more than 60 penalty points during a game, flip your Piece to the side showing the number 60 and add 60 to your score at the end.
Preparation
Place the Game board in the middle of the table and the Chieftain in one of the 4 corner squares of the path.
Each player chooses a color and places the corresponding Piece, with the "0" side face up, on the "0/60" space of the scoring track.
Depending on the number of players in the game, use the appropriate combinations of chosen color and neutral Building Blocks:
| Number of players | Block colors | Number of colored Blocks | Number of neutral Blocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | blue, orange | 8 | 7 |
| 3 | blue, orange, yellow | 6 | 5 |
| 4 | blue, orange, yellow, pink | 5 | 4 |
Group your Building Blocks in pairs, consisting of one colored and one neutral Building Block each, and place them on the table in front of you. Keep the spare colored Block in front of you. Everyone else does the same.
Put the Eagle tile aside, as it won't be used until the Chieftain takes its final lap around the grid.
Leave the Orders of play Pots and Garden tiles in the box, as they are only used in the "Pro" version of the game.
Playing the Game
The youngest player goes first, the others follow, playing in clockwise order.
During your turn, you must do the following steps in this order:
- Build 1 colored or neutral Block, taking it from your own stock.
- Move the Chieftain along its path up to 4 squares and, eventually, issue penalty points.
Building
The following rules apply:
- The Building Blocks can be placed anywhere inside the 8 x 8 grid on the Game board. Building Blocks of different colors can touch each other.
- In each turn, you must use 1 Building Block from your own stock.
- The single colored Building Block that is in front of you at the beginning of the game must be used first.
- When you begin with a new Building Block from a new pair, you have to decide whether to use a colored or a neutral one first. During the next round, you must then use the remaining Building Block before going on to use another pair.
- You can turn and tilt the Building Blocks any way you wish, provided you follow the rules.
- All three square surfaces on one side of a Block must touch either the Game board and/or another Building Block (i.e. there cannot be empty spaces below a Block).
Moving the Chieftain and Issuing Penalty Points
Once you have placed a Building Block in the grid, you have to move the Chieftain token clockwise along its path by 1, 2, 3 or 4 squares.
Once the Chieftain is on the last square of this move, check to see whether it can "see" any colored Building Blocks, looking straight ahead to the building row of the pueblo. All of the players whose Building Blocks are in the Chieftain's sight, regardless of distance and level, are dealt penalty points.
Penalty points are given as follows: one visible square surface on the first level costs a player 1 penalty point, 2 on the second level, 3 on the third and so on.
Example 1: The Chieftain is moved two squares, from A to B. It can see a neutral square surface on the first level, and a yellow square surface on the second. Yellow is given 2 penalty points.
Example 2: The Chieftain is moved from B to C, passing along four squares. It can see one square blue surface on the first and second levels, which results in 1 + 2 = 3 penalty points for the Blue player.
Example 3: The Chieftain is moved two squares, from C to D. It can see one square orange surface on the first, third and fourth levels, and one yellow one on the second level. Orange receives 1 + 3 + 4 = 8 penalty points, and Yellow receives 2 penalty points.
The Game board is divided into 4 quarters (marked by two darker lines). If you move the Chieftain into a corner square, it sees the corresponding quarter from above. Every player with colored Building Blocks that the Chieftain can see from above is given 1 penalty point per surface. If you move the Chieftain to a random square from where it is unable to "see" any colored Building Blocks nothing happens, and the next player continues with the game.
Example: The Chieftain is on the bottom right corner. It can see the bottom right quarter: Blue gets 3 penalty points, Orange 1 and Yellow 1 as well.
Last Round and End of the Game
Once the last player has played their last move and the pueblo is complete, the Chieftain takes its last walk around it. Place the Eagle tile on the square where the Chieftain is standing. Starting with the next square and moving in a clockwise direction, the Chieftain checks every square to see whether any penalty points need to be issued. When the Chieftain is back on the Eagle tile marked square, checking this one as well to see if any penalties need to be scored, the game is over.
The winner is the player with the lowest amount of penalty points.
"Pro" Version
If you want an even harder challenge, play Pueblo by the "Pro" rules. The same rules apply as in the basic version, with the following additions. This is when the Orders of play Pots and Garden tiles are used.
Preparation
Regardless of the number of players, each player sets 2 pairs (= 4 Building Blocks) aside, you will use them in the second part of the game.
Players agree on the number of Garden tiles to be used and where to place them. The level of difficulty is determined by the number and position of the Garden tiles. You can not place the Building Blocks on a Garden tile.
Playing the Game
Auctioning the Pots
Use as many Orders of play Pots as there are players. If there are three players, remove Pot number "4" from the game, if there are 2 remove the number "3" as well.
The order of play is auctioned off twice during the game:
- once at the beginning of the game, and again
- when the players have used all of the Building Blocks in the first part of the game.
Use the Building Blocks that you earlier placed aside after the second auction.
Note: When playing the "Pro" version in addition to the "Demolition" rules, the order of play is auctioned a third time before demolishing.
The Auction
You bid for the order of play in clockwise direction. The tallest player goes first and bids their stake in penalty points. The other players can now beat the offer or pass. If you pass, you are not allowed to bid again for that auction. Carry on bidding until all but one have passed. This remaining player now takes an Order of play Pot and places it face up on the table in front of them. They move their player Piece forward on the scoring track by the amount bid. The person to the left of the one who auctioned the last Pot begins by giving a new bid for the new Order of play Pot. The player who receives the last Pot is not given any penalty points. If the first player passes at the beginning of the auction and all the other players do the same, the first player takes an Order of play Pot without receiving any penalty points.
The player who holds Pot no. 1 goes first in each round, followed by the player with Pot no. 2, and so on.
"Demolition"
You can play the "Demolition" version with both the basic and the "Pro" version of the game. Once the Chieftain has completed its last inspection and is now back on the Eagle tile marked square, remove the Eagle tile from the game.
The player who moved first now begins to demolish the pueblo. During the demolition process, your turn consists of the two following activities:
- Remove 1 Building Block from the Game board. You can remove a Building Block only if it is possible to grab it and lift it upwards, without taking or moving any other Building Block. You can only remove a Building Block in your own color or a neutral one. Note: If you have no Building Blocks left on the Game board, you are not allowed to remove a neutral one either.
- Moving the Chieftain 1 to 4 squares and deal penalty points. Apply the same rules as in the basic version. You must move the Chieftain, regardless of whether or not you can remove any Building Blocks.
End of the Game
The game is over when the last colored Building Block has been removed from the game. The winner is the player with the lowest amount of penalty points.