Sakura Heroes
Sakura Heroes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Aim of the Game
Collect flowers and lucky charms to master the challenges of the magic mountain. You'll need to roll the right symbols to ascend to the next level! Collect the most valuable diamonds on your way to the top of the magic mountain to be named the heroic winner!
Contents
- 32 dice
- 1 double-sided playing board (in 2 pieces)
- 4 playing figures with 4 stands
- 13 diamond tiles
- 30 task tiles (17 normal and 13 pro tasks)
Game Setup
- Each player takes 5 dice and chooses a playing figure.
- Put the two pieces of the playing board together so that the number of players fits the board. The symbols on the board indicate which side to use: for 2 players, for 3 players, or for 4 players.
- Place your playing figures in the starting area at the foot of the mountain.
- Turn all 13 diamond tiles number-side-down and mix them up. Place 1 diamond tile face down on each challenge level for each player and 1 diamond tile at the top of the magic mountain.
- For your first few games, remove the pro task tiles (golden lanterns) and return them to the box. Sort the normal task tiles (red lanterns) according to their challenge level and shuffle them separately. The tasks become increasingly difficult the higher you ascend up the magic mountain.
- Simple tasks
- Medium tasks
- Difficult tasks
- Now place a task tile matching the challenge level face up on each diamond tile. The respective challenge level is displayed on the playing board.
- Place an additional die next to each challenge level for each player.
You won't need any of the other diamond tiles, task tiles, or dice for this game, so you can return them to the box.
The setup diagram on page 3 shows the game setup for the four-player game.
Gameplay
You play several rounds until you reach the top of the magic mountain. Each round involves rolling the dice and then determining your score.
Roll the Dice
All say "On your marks, get set, go!" together and start rolling your dice all at the same time.
The aim is to be the first player to complete one of the tasks on the next level of the magic mountain.
At the beginning, you'll all be at the foot of the mountain and have to complete one of the Level 1 tasks. To do this, all of the symbols on your dice must match one of the task tiles on Level 1.
Rules for rolling the dice
- All play at the same time and roll the dice as fast as they can.
- You may use both hands to roll the dice.
- You may choose any task from the next level and change your choice at any time while rolling the dice.
- After each roll, you may keep as many of the dice results as you like and/or roll again with as many dice as you wish.
Example: In your first roll, you roll three lucky charm symbols. You decide to try to complete the task tile with the lucky charm symbol. For this, all of your dice must show the lucky charm symbol (color doesn't matter). Keep the dice showing the right symbol and continue rolling the remaining dice.
- For each player, only the tasks on the next level apply. Example: When your playing figure is standing at the foot of the mountain, you have to complete a Level 1 task. If your playing figure is on Level 1, you have to complete one of the tasks on Level 2.
- If players are on different levels, you will have to complete different tasks. If several players are on the same level, you can try to complete the same task at the same time.
Roll the dice until one of you has completed a task and shouts out "Stop!". You must stop rolling the dice immediately, as this round of rolling the dice is now over. If a player calls "Stop!" by mistake (e.g., they solved a task on the wrong level or their dice do not show the correct sides), they must start rolling again with all of the dice while the other players may continue with their result so far.
Scoring
Whoever finishes rolling the dice wins the round! Take the task tile with the task you just completed and the diamond tile underneath it. Place both face down in front of you. You now move up a level: move your playing figure up to the next level and take one of the dice lying next to the new level. In the next round, you have to master a new task with an additional die!
The remaining players will have to try again in the next round to complete their current level! All players re-roll with all of the dice. No dice results may be kept.
If two players shout "Stop!" at the same time and have completed different tasks, they may each take the matching task tile with diamond tile. If two players shout "Stop!" at the same time and have completed the same task, one player takes the task tile they have just completed (with the diamond tile underneath it), while the other player takes another task tile and diamond tile on the same level.
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as a player has completed the last task and reached the top of the mountain. Now turn the diamond tiles you've collected over and add up their values. The player with the most valuable diamonds (= highest score) wins the game! In case of a tie, the tied player whose playing piece is on the highest level wins. If there is still a tie, all of the players involved in the tie win.
Pro Play Variation
Once you've ascended the magic mountain a few times, you can attempt the more challenging pro tasks! Use the playing board pieces for 4 players (even when playing with 2 or 3 players) and place the pro task tiles (golden lanterns) instead of the normal task tiles. The same rules of play apply otherwise.
Explanation of the Tasks
The task tiles show dice symbols (flowers and lucky charms, each in one of the colors pink, yellow or dark blue) with a crossed-out option in some tasks. Each task requires the following:
- Same symbol: All of the dice must show the same symbol (color doesn't matter).
- Same color: All of the dice must show the same color (symbol doesn't matter).
- Same symbol in the same color: All of the dice must show the same symbol in the same color.
- Crossed-out symbol and color: All of the dice must not show the crossed-out symbol and color.
- Exact number of matching symbols: All of the dice must show exactly the right number of matching symbols in the matching color (the tile shows the required count next to each symbol, such as "3x" or "2x").
- All symbols in each color once: All of the dice must show all of the symbols in each color once.
- Exact number, with remaining dice restricted: All of the dice must show exactly the right number of matching symbols in the matching color (so the dice must not show four pink lucky charms on the first task tile, for example). The remaining dice also must not show the crossed-out color.