Rising Cultures Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Game Overview
• Setup
  • Create Your Individual Player Deck
• How to Play
  • Phase I: Income
  • Phase II: Play Cards from Your Hand
    • 1) Receive 2 Coins
    • 2) Increase Your Military Strength
    • 3) Increase Your Resources
    • 4) Construct a Building or Place a Leader
  • Optional: Move Up 1 Progress Level in Your Progress Area
  • Unlocked Abilities
  • Phase III: Province, Progress Marker, Coin Limit
    • 1) Province Card
    • 2) Progress Marker
    • 3) Coin Limit: 7 Coins Max
• End of the Game
• Optional
• Province Cards
  • Provinces (1-15)

Components

• Persia: 24 civilization cards, 1 civilization board, 1 civilization overview
• Rome: 24 civilization cards, 1 civilization board, 1 civilization overview
• Abbasid Caliphate: 24 civilization cards, 1 civilization board, 1 civilization overview
• Egypt: 27 civilization cards, 1 civilization board, 1 civilization overview
• 1 score pad
• 15 province cards
• 28 coins
• 1 progress marker

Game Overview

Over 7 rounds, your task is to build the most impressive civilization the world has ever seen, by playing cards from your player deck into the 4 areas around your civilization board.

Draw 4 cards each round, you will play 3 cards and return 1 to the top of your deck for later. Each area around your civilization board offers you a different way to advance your nation.

Collect resources, gain coins to expand your scope of action, construct unforgettable buildings, and place your leaders... but make sure you don't neglect your military! When the round ends, you have an opportunity to add a province to your civilization — if your military can provide them with the best protection. Each civilization will need to make the most of their nation's resources and forge their own path toward a Golden Age. Ultimately, history will only remember the victor, whose civilization has scored the most points at the end of the game.

Setup

Shuffle all the province cards and draw 7. Place those cards in a row on the table, in ascending numerical order (1). Remove the remaining province cards from the game.

Place all the coins in a general supply (2) near the row of province cards.

Create Your Individual Player Deck

Choose a civilization. Place your corresponding civilization cards (3), civilization board (4) (silver symbol up) and civilization overview (5) in front of you. Shuffle your player deck and place it face down a short distance from your civilization board. Draw 4 cards from your deck. Overlap 2 of them so they line up with the resource streams in your resource area, below your Civilization tableau (6). Return the remaining 2 cards to your deck face down, placing 1 of your choice at the top and 1 at the bottom. If there are coin symbols in your resource area (on your cards and/or civilization board), immediately receive that many coins (7).

We recommend you use the civilizations Rome and Persia while you are still learning the game. Egypt and the Abbasid Caliphate are more complex, but offer new game options. You can find explanations for your civilization board and your corresponding player deck on your civilization overview. The province cards are explained in more detail at the end of these rules.

Each player takes 2 coins (8). The person who got up first this morning takes the progress marker (9). The player with the progress marker always starts the round.

How to Play

You play 7 rounds, each divided into 3 phases.

Phase I: Income

Both players simultaneously take a number of coins from the general supply equal to their income, which is shown on their played cards and civilization board.

Phase II: Play Cards from Your Hand

After gaining income, both players simultaneously draw the top 4 cards of their player deck.

Swap up to 2 cards for 1 coin each: At the start of Phase II, you may return 1 or 2 coins to the general supply and draw a new card for each coin you return. For each new card you draw, place one card from your hand at the bottom of your deck. This may also be the newly-drawn card.

Each player plays 3 cards from their 4-card hand as follows: Starting with the player who holds the progress marker, players alternate playing 1 card. Immediately decide how to use each card after you play it. At the end of Phase II, return your remaining card to the top of your deck (face down).

Use a card for one of the following options:

1. Receive 2 coins, or
2. Increase your military strength, or
3. Increase your resources, or
4. Construct a building or place a leader.

1) Receive 2 Coins

Discard 1 card to immediately take 2 coins from the supply. Put your coins in front of you and place the discarded card face up on your personal discard pile.

You may look at the cards in your discard pile at any time.

2) Increase Your Military Strength

You can increase your military strength by playing a card into the military area on the right of your civilization board. Rotate the card and place it so the red military symbol on the card lines up with the highest free red band on your civilization board.

This may activate a symbol printed on your civilization board, but that symbol only remains unlocked while a card is there.

There are 3 types of military symbol (sword, horse, and shield). At the end of each round, the player with the most symbols among the types shown on the province card wins that province.

Example: Rome plays a card into their military area. The horse symbol on the card they played increases their military strength by 1 horse. Rome's card also activates the sword symbol on their civilization board because it lines up with that symbol. This increases Rome's military strength by 1 sword.

3) Increase Your Resources

Playing a card in the resource area at the bottom of your civilization board increases your number of available resources (wood, brick, stone, gold). Place the card below your board so the resources on the card line up with the resource streams on your civilization board, as well as with any cards you have previously played there.

When you play a card showing a coin icon, gain that coin once immediately; it does not persist. All other resources have a permanent effect for as long as the card is in your resource area.

Example: Rome plays a resource card into their resource area. It adds 1 wood, 1 brick, and 1 gold to their available resources. Rome then immediately gains 1 coin shown on that card from the general supply (one-time gain; it does not persist).

4) Construct a Building or Place a Leader

If you play a card into the display above your civilization board, you can construct the building or place the leader shown on that card. This allows you to use the effects printed on the bottom half of the card.

You can play a card into your display if you meet the resources shown on that card. You don't spend those resources; you only need to have them. If you're short, pay 2 coins to the general supply per missing resource.

Example: Rome wants to build a Brewery. To place the Brewery in their display, Rome must have 2 wood, 2 brick, and 1 stone available. Rome has 2 wood and 2 brick but no stone, so they pay 2 coins to the general supply for the missing stone. They then place the Brewery in their display. (Resources are not spent.)

You can arrange your buildings and leaders however you wish. You may build any number of buildings. You may have one leader in play at a time; when you play a new leader, place it on top of (cover) the previous one.

Optional: Move Up 1 Progress Level in Your Progress Area

Each time you construct a building or place a leader, you may choose to move up 1 progress level by removing your last-played resource card. If you do, flip that card face down and place it in the progress area to the left of your civilization board so its cogwheel aligns with the highest free green band. The removed card no longer provides resources. Moving up unlocks additional abilities, rewards, and victory points.

Example: Rome wants to move up 1 progress level. After placing the Brewery, they flip their last-played resource card (Market) face down and place it in the progress area to the left of their civilization board, aligning its cogwheel with the highest free green band. This moves Rome up 1 progress level.

Unlocked Abilities

If you unlock new abilities by constructing buildings, placing leaders, using your military strength, or moving up a progress level, you may use those abilities from that turn on.

Phase III: Province, Progress Marker, Coin Limit

After both players have played 3 cards and returned their 4th card to the top of their deck, resolve these in order: 1) Province card; 2) Progress marker; 3) Coin limit.

1) Province Card

The player who meets the condition of the current leftmost Province card — that is, the player with the most symbols among the types shown on that card — wins it. The winner places the card near their civilization board.

In case of a tie, the player with the progress marker wins the Province.

Province cards grant victory points and may have an immediate or later effect. If the Province you just won has an immediate effect, resolve it now.

As the cost for winning a Province: discard your last-played card in your military area face up to your discard pile.

Example: Rome has won a province by having the most sword and horse symbols. Rome places the province card face up in front of themselves, then checks whether that province card has an immediate effect. In this case, it does not. Finally, Rome discards their last-played military area card face up on their discard pile.

You may choose not to compete for a Province. If only one player competes, that player takes the card as above. If neither player competes — or if neither player has any of the required symbols — return the Province card to the box.

2) Progress Marker

Give the progress marker to the player whose civilization has moved up the most progress levels — that is, the player with more cards in the progress area to the left of their civilization board. In case of a tie, the progress marker passes to the other player.

Example: Rome has 3 cards in their progress area. If that is more than their opponent, Rome takes (or keeps) the progress marker. If both players have 3, the marker passes to the other player.

3) Coin Limit: 7 Coins Max

If you have more than 7 coins at the end of the round (Egypt's limit is 5), return any surplus coins to the general supply.

End of the Game

The game ends after 7 rounds, once you have resolved the final Province card, awarded the progress marker to the correct player, and applied the coin limit. Return the remaining card in your hand to the box instead of placing it on your deck. Then total your victory points. You score victory points from:

1. Your buildings and leaders;
2. Your civilization board;
3. Your Provinces; and
4. The progress marker.

Record the points from your played cards, Province cards, and civilization board on the score pad. Holding the progress marker is worth 3 victory points. The winner is the player with the most victory points. In case of a tie, the player holding the progress marker wins.

Important: Leaders covered by another card do not count toward your final score. Exception: If Persia or Rome reaches the relevant progress level, they may also score their covered Leaders.

Persia scoring example: 1) Buildings and leaders = 32 VP 2) Civilization board = 6 VP 3) Provinces = 11 VP 4) Progress marker = 3 VP Persia's total: 52 victory points

Golden Age: 3 VP Progress level 6: 2 VP Progress level 7: 1 VP Progress marker: 3 VP

Optional

Play two games in a row. Note down your respective points for your first game and then swap civilizations. Use the same provinces as for your first game.

After you have both played the same 2 civilizations, the winner is the player with the most overall points from both games.

Province Cards

Provinces (1-15)

At the end of each round, you may compete to win the leftmost Province card in the row. Each Province card shows 1-3 military symbols on its left side (sword, horse, shield).

The player with the most of those symbols across their military area and civilization board wins that Province card (you do not need to have all symbol types shown). The winner places the card near their civilization board. In case of a tie, the player with the progress marker wins the Province.

When you win a Province, discard your last-played card in your military area face up on your personal discard pile as the cost.

Each Province card also shows one of three Province icons on its right side; these icons can be worth victory points via your played cards and/or your civilization board. Province cards may also grant immediate or later effects (resources, coins, victory points, abilities).

(1) Gaul You win this province if you have the most swords and horses at the end of the round. Permanent effect: You have 1 wood available whenever you need it. Game end: Score 1 victory point.

(2) Indus You win this province if you have the most swords and shields at the end of the round. Permanent effect: You have 1 brick available whenever you need it. Game end: Score 2 victory points.

(3) Caucasus You win this province if you have the most military symbols at the end of the round. Permanent effect: You have 1 stone available whenever you need it. Game end: Score 1 victory point.

(4) Britannia You win this province if you have the most swords and shields at the end of the round. Once only: Immediately receive 4 coins. Game end: Score 1 victory point.

(5) Armenia You win this province if you have the most military symbols at the end of the round. Once only: Immediately receive 2 coins. Game end: Score 2 victory points.

(6) Germania You win this province if you have the most swords and horses at the end of the round. Once only: Immediately receive 3 coins. Game end: Score 2 victory points.

(7) Maghreb You win this province if you have the most swords at the end of the round. Once only (choose one):

• Immediately place any card from your discard pile in your progress area; or
• Immediately place your last-played card from your military area in your progress area instead of discarding it. Game end: Score 2 victory points.

(8) Aksum You win the province if you have the most horses at the end of the round. Permanent effect: You have 1 gold available whenever you need it. Game end: Score 1 victory point.

(9) Mauretania You win the province if you have the most horses and shields at the end of the round. Permanent effect: Once per round, you may rotate this card 90° to swap 1 card from your hand for free. Game end: Score 3 victory points.

(10) Scythia You win the province if you have the most horses and shields at the end of the round. Once only: When you win this Province, you do not discard your last-played card in your military area. Game end: Score 3 victory points.

(11) Carthage You win this province if you have the most swords at the end of the round. Once only: Immediately receive 1 coin. Game end: Score 4 victory points.

(12) Andalusia You win the province if you have the most horses and shields at the end of the round. Game end: Score 1 victory point for each pair consisting of one card in your progress area and one card in your military area.

(13) Anatolia You win the province if you have the most swords and horses at the end of the round. Game end: Score 2 victory points, plus 3 additional victory points if you have flipped your civilization board to its Golden Age side.

(14) Libya You win the province if you have the most shields at the end of the round. Game end: Score 1 victory point for each coin in front of you. (If Egypt is in play, include any coins on the Nile that belong to you.)

(15) Babylonia You win the province if you have the most shields at the end of the round. Game end: Score 4 victory points, plus 2 additional victory points if you hold the progress marker.