Sacred Valley Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Welcome to the Sacred Valley! An Introduction to The History, Culture & Geology of the Region
• Game Contents
• Object of the Game
  • Key Terminology
• Setup
  • Player Setup
  • Sacred Valley Setup
    • Additional Setup for a 3 Player Game
    • Additional Setup for a 4 Player Game
• How to Play
• 1. Plant
  • Farmland
  • Requirements for Planting a Seed Tile
  • Alpacas
  • Unlocking the 2nd and 3rd Terrace Levels
• 2. Harvest
• 3. Purchase
  • Seed Tiles
  • Camayo (Specialist) Tiles
  • Technology Cubes
• 4. Work
• Refill the Catus (Markets)
• End of the Game
  • End Game Scoring Example
• Camayo Tile Descriptions
  • Age I: Early Stage
  • Age II
  • Age III: Mastery

Welcome to the Sacred Valley! An Introduction to The History, Culture & Geology of the Region

Located in the Andes Mountains in Peru, the Sacred Valley stretches from the town of Pisac to Ollantaytambo. This game is set in 1500 CE, and the Incas, one of the most notable civilizations in the region, inhabit the land. The Inca Empire covered a large geographical area making it one of the most diverse empires. At that time, more people were living in the Inca Empire than in the entire country of Spain!

Agriculture played a dominant role in this region and in Inca culture. The main focus of this game is agriculture, specifically the Incas' strategic use of agricultural terraces and knowledge of cultivating a diverse set of crops. The Incas built upon the knowledge of past civilizations, such as the Wari civilization, to create a vibrant and diverse community. The Sacred Valley board game is designed to give you an insight into their way of life.

The Incas did not use currency until the arrival of the Spanish in 1532. Instead, they built their economy through trading or bartering on an individualized level and in local markets known as Catus. This game reimagines the Inca society through the lens of a modern monetary economy while including traditional Inca concepts, culture, and ideas.

After the arrival of the Spanish, documentation appeared of land disputes between Inca families. Sacred Valley's objective incorporates this history. Your goal is to expand your family's farmland in competition with other families to achieve a more prosperous harvest.

Along with trading, both family and "ayni," the Inca word for reciprocity, were building blocks of Inca society. One example of "ayni," would be a family agreeing to help another family with a potato plot today in return for help on their farm tomorrow. Often, in this game, helping an opponent cultivate a certain crop may assist you in your quest for victory.

The valley was the breadbasket for the Inca Empire, and even today, it exports many of its products to the rest of Peru and the world beyond. Many aspects of Inca culture are still alive in the Sacred Valley today. One major agricultural technique still in use is terracing. Terraces or "pata," are carved like steps into the mountainside and provide a flat area for farming.

When creating terraces, you adjust the landscape through carving, which prevents rainwater from running off and also reduces erosion. The multiple altitudinal layers made viable through terracing create microclimates suitable for a variety of crops. Terraces, river canals, and extensive irrigation networks permit a diverse culture of crops such as maize (corn), potatoes, chili peppers, lima beans, and quinoa.

Corn, the most important crop to the Inca, was grown on the valley floor and fed through an irrigation system as rainfall is unpredictable. At the highest elevation, you will find llama and alpaca herders and no crops. Chili peppers are low-elevation crops, whereas potatoes are higher-elevation crops.

More than 100 different kinds of potatoes are grown in the Sacred Valley today. Parque de la Papa is a project devoted to protecting the cultivation of native potato species and is made up of many communities in the Sacred Valley. This project provides community-based eco-tourism to teach tourists the ancient and modern agricultural techniques used in the valley. The Sacred Valley retains ties to its history while welcoming tourists from around the globe in a successful balancing act.

Now it's time for you to try your hand at cultivating crops in the Sacred Valley!

Game Contents

• 3 Game Boards
• 3D Terraces (assembled from punchboard pieces)
• 80 Coins ($1 x 20, $2 x 15, $5 x 15, $10 x 30)
• 1 Bag
• 60 Seed Tiles (10 of each crop, including vines)
• 48 Camayo (Specialist) Tiles (16 of each Age: I, II and III)
• 20 Farmer Meeples (4 red, 4 yellow, 4 brown, 4 green and 4 purple)
• 20 Technology Cubes (4 red, 4 yellow, 4 brown, 4 green and 4 purple)
• 4 Alpacas (2 white, 2 gray)
• 2 Terrace Covers (one for the 2nd-level Terrace, one for the 3rd-level Terrace)
• 5 Player Boards
• 5 Player Screens

Object of the Game

Create expansive Farmlands to grow your family business by planting crops, developing new technology and hiring Camayos (Specialists). The most successful family wins the game.

Key Terminology

• The Terrace is the ascending 3-level board that is placed in the center.
• A grid is any empty square space on the Terrace.
• Any grid with a Seed Tile on it is a Farmland. A Farmland can expand by connecting matching Seed Tiles. A Farmland can be any size from 1+.
• A Seed Tile is a Crop.
• A Camayo is a Specialist and the Catu is a Market.

Setup

Player Setup

1. Each player chooses a starting crop and takes a matching colored Player Screen, Player Board, and Technology Cube. Place the Technology Cube on the Player Board on the Technology Storage space marked with a crop symbol.
2. Give each player $3. Players place the $3 and all acquired Coins during the game behind their Player Screens.
3. Give each player the Seed Tile that matches their Player Board color. Players place their Seed Tile in the Warehouse on their Player Board. Each crop has an associated color: Chili (Red), Corn (Yellow), Potato (Brown), Beans (Green), Quinoa (Purple).

(Player Board parts: Technology Storage, Warehouse, Camayo (Specialist) Work Zone. Player Screen.)

Sacred Valley Setup

1. Assemble the 3-part Terrace.
2. Place the Seed Tile Catu (Market) to the left, the Terrace in the center, the Camayo Catu (Specialist Market) to the right and the Harvest Track below the Terrace in the center. (The Seed Tile Catu consists of the Main Seed Catu and the Vine Catu.)
3. Each player places a Farmer Meeple of their color on the number "0" of the Harvest Track.
4. Place all remaining Farmer Meeples below the Seed Tile Catu. This is the reserve.
5. Place the 2nd-level Terrace Cover and 3rd-level Terrace Cover on the 3rd and 5th rows of the 3D Terrace respectively.
6. Place a white Alpaca on each of the indicated grids. Put the remaining 2 gray Alpacas below the Seed Tile Catu near the Farmer Meeples. This is the reserve.
7. Shuffle the Camayo (Specialist) Tiles of the three ages separately and place them above the Camayo Catu.
8. Deal the top 5 Age I Camayo Tiles face up to the Camayo Catu starting from the bottom space.
9. Place 1 Seed Tile from each crop randomly on the Main Seed Catu starting from the bottom space.
10. Put all the remaining Seed Tiles, including Vines, into the bag. Draw 1 tile from the bag to fill the top space of the Main Seed Catu. Note: When filling the Main Seed Catu, if you draw a vine, place it on the Vine Catu instead (next to the Main Seed Catu). Keep drawing until the Main Seed Catu is filled.
11. Sort the Coins by their denominations and place them where all players can reach. This is the supply.
12. To determine how many Technology Cubes are in play, take the player number minus 1. Place them in the Reserve Area. Return the excess cubes to the box. Note: The cube on your player board counts as 1. Thus, there will be more Technology Cubes available for purchase matching non-chosen player boards.

The last player to have eaten corn will be the starting player.

(The setup diagram also shows the Camayo Reserve Area, the Camayo Discard Area, the Seed Discard Area and the Harvest Track.)

Additional Setup for a 3 Player Game

In a 3-player game, randomly place the Seed Tiles of the 2 remaining crops on the grids under each Alpaca. (1 tile per grid).

Additional Setup for a 4 Player Game

In a 4-player game, place the Seed Tile of the remaining crop on the grid under the Alpaca on the lower level Terrace.

How to Play

On your turn, choose ONE of the following actions.

1. Plant;
2. Harvest;
3. Purchase;
4. Work.

After a player has completed their turn, the next player in clockwise order takes their turn. This continues until game end.

1. Plant

If you choose to plant, place 1 Seed Tile from your Warehouse onto any legal grid space (see below), thus turning that grid into a Farmland. The plant action has two steps. First, you plant 1 Seed Tile, then you move your Farmer Meeple on the Harvest Track in accordance with the size of the Farmland. You gain Harvest Points according to the size of the Farmland where you just placed the Seed Tile. Harvest points can be turned in to receive coins (explained under Harvest).

A single Seed Tile creates a Farmland of size 1. To make that Farmland a size 2, add a matching Seed Tile to an orthogonally adjacent grid space. Add up the value of the Farmland where you just placed a Seed Tile to calculate your Harvest Points for that turn. Keep in mind that each crop of the same type in the same connected group (Farmland) awards you 1 Harvest Point. The maximum Harvest Points that you can accumulate is 7. Anything beyond that is forfeited, unless specific Camayos such as the Supervisor are hired into your service.

Legal Seed Tile Placement: The 1st Seed Tile must be planted on the first row. Afterwards, Seed Tiles can be planted next to an existing Seed Tile on an empty grid or on the first row. A Seed Tile may be planted underneath a grid with an Alpaca if there is no Seed Tile already there. You cannot plant on a grid that has a Seed Tile or Farmer Meeple on it, unless a Camayo allows you to do so.

Farmland

When a Seed Tile is placed on the Terrace, it will turn the empty grid into a Farmland. Every Seed Tile of the same crop that is vertically or horizontally adjacent to each other is considered a single Farmland of a larger size. Any player who plants a Seed Tile of the same crop on an adjacent space is expanding the Farmland, which will earn one extra Harvest Point. You only gain Harvest Points on your turn after you plant a Seed Tile.

Example: This Potato Farmland earns you 3 Harvest points if you place a potato Seed Tile on grid A or B. However, you may want to place the Potato Seed Tile on grid C, since you will earn 4 Harvest Points.

Requirements for Planting a Seed Tile

• The Seed Tile must be purchased and in your Warehouse.
• The corresponding Technology Cube must be on your player board. The Technology must be developed before you can plant that crop. For example, if you wish to plant a given crop, you must have that crop's Technology Cube on your player board. Every player starts the game with the Technology enabling them to plant the crop of their family's color. Technologies which enable you to plant other crops can be purchased later in the game. (See "Purchase")
• The newly planted Seed Tile must be vertically or horizontally adjacent to another Farmland or on the first row of the lowest Terrace. It does not have to be the same type of crop. In a 3 or 4 Player game, you cannot Plant next to the Seed Tiles placed under the Alpacas until your tile placement will connect the tile under the Alpaca to an expanding farmland.

Editor's Note: Sacred Valley is a game about efficiency. Sometimes you want to plant a big Farmland and earn more Harvest Points. However, you are expanding the Farmland for other players to earn more Harvest Point as well. So, think carefully before you place your Seed Tiles.

Alpacas

An Alpaca can stand on a Seed Tile, but cannot share the same space with another Alpaca. When you plant in a Farmland with Alpacas you will receive an extra Harvest Point for each Alpaca, regardless of their color. However, they differ when certain Camayos are in play.

Example: If you place a Chili Seed Tile on grid A or B, the Chili Farmland earns you 3 Harvest Points (1 for each of the Chili tiles) plus 1 Harvest Point for the Gray Alpaca for a total of 4 Harvest Points. If you place a Chili Seed Tile on grid C, you earn 5 Harvest Points. Both the Gray and White Alpacas provide an additional extra point for a total of 2 extra points.

Unlocking the 2nd and 3rd Terrace Levels

The 2nd and 3rd Terraces are locked at the beginning of the game. To unlock a Terrace, players need to work together through ayni (reciprocity) to create a new Terrace with suitable soil for growing crops. If you are the first player to plant a Seed Tile on the 2nd or 3rd Terrace, you must pay $1 or $2 respectively before placing the Seed Tile. Then, choose another player to pay the same fee as a llank'aqmasi or work partner. Place the Terrace Cover out of play after the fee is paid.

If the chosen work partner does not have enough Coins to pay the fee, place the Terrace Cover in front of them. Once they have enough Coins, they must first pay the fee before they can take any other action. Once the Terrace Cover is taken off the Terrace, every player is free to Plant on that Terrace level.

When a Terrace is unlocked, the following items will be discarded:

1. The bottom Seed Tile in the Main Seed Catu (Market).
2. The bottom 3 Camayo Tiles in the Camayo Catu.
3. All Age I Camayo Tiles when unlocking the 2nd Level; All Age II Camayo Tiles when unlocking the 3rd Level.

Place the discarded tiles off to the side.

2. Harvest

You earn Coins by Harvesting. Take Coins from the supply according to the position of your Farmer Meeple on the Harvest Track. Then, reset your Meeple to "0" on the Harvest Track.

Example: You earn $9 by resetting your Meeple to "0" from "4".

3. Purchase

This action allows you to purchase Seed Tiles, hire Camayos and develop Technology. You can acquire as many Seed Tiles, Technology Cubes and Camayo Tiles as you want in one action and in any order as long as you have enough Coins.

Seed Tiles

The costs of the Seed Tiles are listed on the Seed Catus. The first 2 in line cost $1, the 2 in the middle cost $2, the last 2 cost $3.

Vines: Vines are also Seed Tiles that can be purchased from the Seed Catu. They do not belong to any player and always cost $2 per tile. You do not need any Technology to plant a Vine; however, no matter how large the Vine Farmland is, you will only receive 2 Harvest Points.

Place purchased Seed Tiles in your Warehouse. You can store 3 Seed Tiles at most, unless you have the Warehouse Keeper Camayo that expands your Warehouse. If you purchase a new Seed Tile, but your Warehouse is full, you may discard a Seed Tile of your choice to make room for the new one.

You can purchase a Seed Tile even if you do not have the respective Technology.

Editor's Note: Buying a Seed Tile when you do not have its respective Technology can be strategic. It is important to plan for the future since the Seed Tile you want may not always be available or maybe you want to prevent other players from acquiring certain Seed Tiles.

Camayo (Specialist) Tiles

Hire a Camayo and place the Tile in the Camayo (Specialist) Work Zone on your Player Board. You can have a max of 3 Camayo Tiles at the same time. Any time you want to hire a new Camayo, but have no space in the Work Zone, you must first discard a Camayo Tile from your board to its respective discard area. For any discarded Camayo, you will not get any coins back nor the end game reward. Whenever a Camayo asks you to use a Farmer Meeple, take one of your color from the Reserve. If you discarded a Camayo that allowed you to use Farmer Meeple, discard all of the extra farmers and place them in the Reserve.

Cost: The cost of each Camayo Tile is shown on the tile. The top 2 available Camayo Tiles will cost an extra $1 to acquire as shown on the board.

Ability: Some Camayos will grant you a permanent ability, while some of them are one shot only. For all Camayos abilities, please refer to the Camayo Tile Descriptions below.

End Game Reward: This value will add to your end game scoring.

Some Camayos cannot be discarded. (Each tile also shows its Role in Inca Society.)

Technology Cubes

Purchasing a new Technology Cube allows you to plant a new type of crop. The cost of developing Technology is listed on your Player Board, where the leftmost open slot will show the cost for your next Technology Cube. When purchased, place the Technology Cube on the leftmost open slot. You can only own 4 different Technology Cubes of different types, including the starting one.

4. Work

You can only perform this action when you have no Coins behind your player screen. Reveal your screen to show that you do not have any Coins. Gain $1 from the supply.

Refill the Catus (Markets)

At the end of your turn and only at the end of your turn, the Catus will be refilled if there is any open space. Always slide the tiles to the bottom before refilling.

• Draw Seed Tiles from the bag to refill the Main Seed Catu. Remember to always place Vines on the Vine Catu! If it is full, discard the newly drawn Vine Tile.
• If there are not enough Seed Tiles to refill the Main Seed Catu, put all discarded Seed Tiles back into the bag. Then, refill the Main Seed Catu as normal.
• Take Camayo Tiles from the current age to refill the Camayo Catu.
• If there are not enough Camayo Tiles of the current Age to refill the Camayo Catu, refill with Camayo Tiles from the next Age.
• If there are no Camayo Tiles left, do not refill the Camayo Catu.

End of the Game

As soon as the last grid on all Terraces is occupied the endgame begins IMMEDIATELY. Remember, a grid is counted occupied if there is a Seed Tile, Alpaca or Farmer Meeple on it.

Starting with the game-ending player, every player will perform one last Harvest. Then add up the Coins and the rewards from Camayos. Whoever has the highest value is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with most Seed Tiles in their Warehouse wins. In case of a tie again, share the victory over some mashed potatoes.

End Game Scoring Example

Jeffrey has $32 in hand. He hired Hatun Runa, Supervisor and Tocricoc. These Specialists rewarded Jeffrey $14. Due to Hatun Runa's ability, the Camayos' End Game Rewards are doubled. As the result, Jeffrey has $32 + $14 x 2 = $60.

(Note: the printed rulebook says Hatun Runa doubles the rewards; the Camayo tile that doubles End-Game Rewards is listed in the Camayo descriptions below as Hatun Rantic. Transcribed as printed.)

Camayo Tile Descriptions

Icons: one icon marks an ability performed immediately after Purchase. Another marks an ability used once only: take a Farmer Meeple of your color and place it in the Farmer Meeple slot above the tile to indicate that it has not yet been used. Discard the Farmer Meeple after use.

Age I: Early Stage

Alpaca Worker - Cost: $3. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: Place a Gray Alpaca from the reserve onto any grid of your choice. This ability can only be used once but can be reserved for a later turn. The Alpaca Worker Camayo also gives you a secondary ability that can be used throughout the game. When you plant on a Farmland with any Alpaca on it (not just the one with the Alpaca you placed), gain $1 for each Alpaca on that Farmland.

Herder - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $3. Ability: After you Harvest, you may move up to 2 Alpacas to any grid on the Terrace.

Yanacona - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: You do not need the corresponding Technology Cube to plant a Seed Tile. However, no matter how large the Farmland is, you can only gain a max of 2 Harvest Points. For example, with this tile you can plant a potato on a Farmland with two other potatoes without having the potato technology. However, you would receive 2 Harvest Points instead of 3.

Seed Rantic - Cost: $4. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: The cost of any Seed Tile, including Vine Tiles, is always $1. Ignore the price marked on the Seed Catus.

Barterer - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $3. Ability: After performing a Plant or Harvest action, you may take an additional purchase action. This ability can only be used once. It can be reserved for a later turn.

Irrigator - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: After planting a Seed Tile, gain an extra Harvest Point if your Farmland would only give you 1 Harvest Point.

Ayllu Member - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $1. Ability: When you plant the crop that matches your player board, gain 1 extra Harvest Point. For example, if you have the corn player board and plant a corn tile on a corn Farmland of 2 to make it 3 you would get 4 Harvest Points.

Warehouse Keeper - Cost: $1. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: You can now store 5 Seed Tiles instead of 3.

Terrace Worker - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $1. Ability: Perform this ability immediately: Gain 1 Seed Tile from the Catu for free. Additional Benefit: When you unlock a new Terrace level, or are chosen as a llank'aqmasi (work partner) to unlock the Terrace, you do not need to pay. You can still be chosen as a llank'aqmasi with this tile in your possession.

Cleaner - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: You may discard a Vine Tile from the Terrace and Plant another Seed Tile in the same spot. This ability can only be used once. Take a Farmer Meeple to keep track if you are not using it immediately.

Age II

Harvest Worker - Cost: $5. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: Whenever you Harvest, gain an extra $2.

Rantic - Cost: $4. End Game Reward: $6. NO SPECIAL ABILITY.

Hatun Runa - Cost: $4. End Game Reward: $3. A Hatun Runa is an Inca tributary worker. Ability: After you Plant, you may take another Plant action. This ability can be used only once. Take a Farmer Meeple and place it on your player board to reserve this ability for a later turn.

Warrior - Cost: $4. End Game Reward: $3. Ability: Perform this ability immediately: Place a Farmer Meeple of your color on any unoccupied grid of any Terrace. Only you can place a Seed Tile on it. This Camayo cannot be discarded.

Tocricoc - Cost: $6. End Game Reward: $4. In Inca Society, the Tocricoc would oversee tribute service. Ability: Perform this ability immediately: Place a Farmer Meeple of your color onto a Farmland. If other players Plant a Seed Tile to expand that Farmland, they must first pay you $2 or they cannot Plant there. This Camayo cannot be discarded.

Weaver - Cost: $3. End Game Reward: $3. Ability: On your turn, you may discard one pair of non-Vine Seed Tiles of the same crop from your Warehouse to gain $4.

Age III: Mastery

Chasqui - Cost: $8. End Game Reward: $5. Chasquis were messengers in Inca Society. Ability: You may perform an additional action after the regular one. This ability can be used only once. Take a Farmer Meeple and place it on your player board to reserve this ability for a later turn.

Cultivator - Cost: $5. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: After you Plant, check the position of your Farmer Meeple on the Harvest Track. If it is on "5" or higher, gain 1 Seed Tile for free from the Seed Catu.

Foreigner - Cost: $6. End Game Reward: $4. Ability: When you Plant, you can play 1 Seed Tile even if you do not have the corresponding Technology Cube. This ability can be used only once. Take a Farmer Meeple and place it on your player board to reserve this ability for a later turn.

Harvest Expert - Cost: $7. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: When you Harvest, if a Farmer Meeple is being reset to "0" from "7", you gain an extra $4. You can only gain the extra income once.

Hatun Rantic - Cost: $14. End Game Reward: $6. Ability: Double all End-Game Rewards of your Camayos, including this one.

Saboteur - Cost: $2. End Game Reward: $0. Ability: When you purchase a Vine tile, you may plant it immediately. All rules regarding the Plant action apply. This ability can only be used once per turn.

Supervisor - Cost: $8. End Game Reward: $4. Ability: Place an additional Farmer Meeple on the Harvest Track at 0. When you gain Harvest Points, you may choose which Farmer to advance. Reset both Farmers to "0" when you Harvest and gain the total amount of Coins from both Farmers. This Camayo cannot be discarded.

Umu - Cost: $5. End Game Reward: $4. Ability: When you Plant, gain $1 for each Harvest Point gained that exceeds the maximum of 7. Example: Your Farmer Meeple is at 6. You plant a Seed Tile that gives you 4 Harvest Points. Move your Farmer Meeple to 7 and gain $3 in coins.