Sfynx Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Goal of Game
• Flow of the Game
  • Action Phase
    • Basic action
    • Special action
  • Solving the riddles
    • Exhausted Riddle deck
    • No Riddle cards left
  • Sfynx Phase
    • Whirlpool
    • Curse
    • Slide
• Adjusting the Difficulty
• Credits
• Player Aid
  • Turn Structure
  • Basic actions
  • Special actions
  • Reward cards
  • Challenge tokens

Components

• 25 Civilisation tiles. Double-sided (Cursed/Restored). 3 of them are Sfynx (wild) tiles.
  • Cursed side and Restored side are shown by a picture on a dark background and the same picture on a light background respectively.
• 30 Riddle cards. Divided into 5 decks of increasing difficulty, marked on their backs with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 coin symbols (from the 1-coin deck to the 5-coin deck).
• 1 Clepsydra board.
• 8 Basic action tiles. Double-sided: Active/Exhausted.
• 6 Special action tiles. Double-sided: Active/Exhausted.
• 12 Reward cards.
• 12 Challenge tokens.
• 1 Whirlpool tile. Double-sided.

Setup

1. Form the Riddle deck.

   1. Choose a difficulty level from 1 (easy) to 8 (impossible) and set aside the 3 decks (of 6 Riddle cards each) as indicated in the chart below.
   2. Return the other 2 decks to the box.
   3. Separately shuffle each of the 3 set-aside decks, take 3 cards out of each deck and return them to the box, without looking at them.
   4. Shuffle the remaining cards together to form a deck of 9 cards (the Riddle deck).
   5. Reveal the first 3 cards of the Riddle deck in a row.

   Difficulty chart (each deck is marked on its back with 1 to 5 coin symbols; the three deck-numbers listed for a level are the decks you set aside for that level):

   Level	Decks
   1	1-coin, 2-coin, 3-coin
   2	1-coin, 2-coin, 4-coin
   3	1-coin, 2-coin, 5-coin
   4	1-coin, 3-coin, 4-coin
   5	2-coin, 3-coin, 4-coin
   6	2-coin, 3-coin, 5-coin
   7	1-coin, 4-coin, 5-coin
   8	2-coin, 4-coin, 5-coin

   Example: You decide to play at level 3, so you take the 1-coin, 2-coin and 5-coin decks. You return the 3-coin and 4-coin decks to the box. You shuffle the 1-coin deck, take three cards out of it, and return them (face down) to the box. Then you do the same with the 2-coin deck and the 5-coin deck. You shuffle the 9 remaining cards from the three decks: this is your Riddle deck for the game. You reveal the first 3 cards of this deck: these are the available riddles for the beginning of your game.

2. Shuffle the 25 Civilisation tiles and place them showing their Cursed side in a 5x5 grid ("the Antechamber"). Then flip 9 of them on their Restored side to make an X across the Antechamber. Make sure all tiles have the triangle on the bottom side.

3. Put the Whirlpool tile on the side showing the single-Riddle-slide symbol (Whirlpool icon pointing to one card).

4. Put the Clepsydra board next to the Antechamber. Shuffle all Challenge tokens and place them face down in the appropriate spots on the Clepsydra board.

5. Shuffle the 6 Special action tiles. Randomly choose 4, place them showing their Active side within reach of all players, and return the remaining 2 back to the box.

6. Give 2 Basic action tiles to each player and return any unused tiles to the box. Each player starts with their 2 tiles showing their Active side.

Goal of Game

In order to prove yourself worthy of entering the sunken city, you must solve the Sfynx's 9 riddles. These are represented by the Riddle cards.

In order to solve a Riddle card, you must position the Civilisation tiles in the Antechamber in such a way that the tiles showing the symbols represented on the Riddle card are Restored and next to each other in the order shown on the card, either from left to right or up to down.

You lose the game either if you haven't solved all 9 riddles by the end of the 12th turn, or if at any time all Civilisation tiles are on their Cursed side.

In order to restore the Civilisation tiles and position them as required by the Riddle cards, you'll have three actions per turn: two Basic actions and one Special action. After your actions, the Sfynx (to make sure you're truly worthy) will meddle, usually making things more challenging.

Flow of the Game

Players take turns in clockwise order. Each turn is divided into two phases:

• Action Phase
• Sfynx Phase

Action Phase

You must perform three actions: two Basic actions and one Special action; you can take those actions in the order of your choice.

Note: You are free to communicate as you wish with the other players, but you have the final say on the actions you want to take during your turn.

Basic action

Perform one of the two actions shown on one of your Basic action tiles, then flip this tile to its Exhausted side. You may choose between:

• Restore. Flip one Civilisation tile from Cursed to Restored.
• Swap. Swap two orthogonally adjacent Civilisation tiles.

Special action

Choose one of the 4 Special action tiles. This tile must show its Active side. Perform the action shown on the tile, then flip it to its Exhausted side. See the Player Aid section below for the descriptions of the Special actions.

Important note: For all actions and effects that allow you to swap/move Civilisation tiles, it does not matter whether those tiles are Cursed or Restored.

Solving the riddles

If after an action (Basic action tile, Special action tile or Reward card - see below), tiles in the Antechamber correspond to a pattern on a revealed Riddle card, and all those tiles are Restored, immediately solve the riddle, and return the Riddle card to the box.

The Sfynx tiles. A Sfynx tile counts as a wild Civilisation tile and can replace any Civilisation tile to solve a riddle.

Note:

• Only one Sfynx tile can be used per riddle.
• Some Riddle cards show a "no Sfynx" symbol. You may not use a Sfynx tile to solve this riddle, unless you use the Reward card that overrides this restriction (see Player Aid section below).

After solving a riddle, the following happens:

1. Take one of the three revealed Reward cards, and put this card face up next to the Special Action tiles; then replace the card you just took with the first card from the Reward deck.

   Note: You may not have more than 3 Reward cards. If you gain a 4th Reward card, you must immediately return one of the 4 acquired Reward cards to the box (decide if you apply its effects or forfeit them entirely).

   During the game, any player will be able to use this Reward card during their turn (after which the card is returned to the box). The use of a Reward card doesn't cost an action. See the Player Aid section below for a description of the Reward cards' effects.

2. Replace the Riddle card you just removed:

   • a. If you solved the riddle next to the Riddle deck, simply replace it with the first card of the deck.
   • b. If you solved the riddle in the middle, first slide the riddle next to the deck to the middle, then reveal the first card of the deck.
   • c. If you solved the riddle furthest away from the deck, slide the remaining two riddles, then reveal the first card of the deck.

Exhausted Riddle deck

When there are only 3 Riddle cards left, flip the Whirlpool tile to the side showing the two-riddle-slide symbol.

No Riddle cards left

You immediately win the game as soon as you solve the last riddle.

Note:

• Solving a riddle does not cost an action.
• You may solve several riddles during the same turn (you may even solve several riddles after the same action).
• You may not solve a riddle in the middle of an action (you have to resolve all the effects of a Special action tile or a Reward card).

Sfynx Phase

Reveal the topmost Challenge token on the Clepsydra board, apply its effect, then set the Challenge token aside.

Exception: If you reveal the 12th and last Challenge token, you don't apply its effect but instead immediately lose the game.

There are three types of effects on the Challenge tokens: Whirlpool, Curse and Slide. If two symbols are shown on the Challenge token, you must resolve all effects of both symbols, starting with the one on top.

Whirlpool

If the Whirlpool tile is on the side showing the single-riddle-slide symbol, put the Riddle card that is furthest away from the Riddle deck face down at the bottom of the deck, then slide the remaining Riddle cards and reveal the top card from the Riddle deck.

Example (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3): the riddle furthest from the deck is set face down at the bottom of the deck, the remaining riddles slide over to fill the gap, and a new riddle is revealed from the deck to fill the last spot.

If the Whirlpool tile is on the side showing the two-riddle-slide symbol, flip 2 Civilisation tiles from Restored to Cursed. You may choose freely which tiles to flip. If this results in all Civilisation tiles being Cursed, you immediately lose the game.

Curse

Flip Civilisation tiles from Restored to Cursed. The number of tiles you must flip depends on the position of the Challenge token you just revealed on the Clepsydra board. You may choose freely which tile(s) to flip.

If this results in all Civilisation tiles being Cursed, you immediately lose the game.

Example: It is the Sfynx Phase of the 6th round, and you reveal a Challenge token with the Curse effect. You must flip two Civilisation tiles from Restored to Cursed. Had you revealed this token on the following turn, you would have had to flip three Civilisation tiles instead.

Slide

Slide all Civilisation tiles in each of the columns/rows (depending on the token) where the 3 Sfynx tiles are up/down/to the left/to the right (depending on the token). Note that this can result in the same row/column sliding two or three times (if several Sfynx tiles are in the same row/column).

Example: 1. The situation of the Antechamber at the end of your Action Phase. 2. During the Sfynx Phase you reveal a Slide Challenge token (here, sliding columns up). 3. The situation of the Antechamber after resolving the Slide effect - each column containing a Sfynx tile has slid up, wrapping the topmost tile to the bottom of that column.

After revealing and resolving all the effects of the Challenge token, and before ending your turn:

• Flip your two Basic action tiles back to their Active side.
• If the lock symbol is on the Clepsydra board next to the Challenge token you just removed, flip the 3 Special action tiles that were chosen (this turn and the two previous ones) back to their Active side.

Adjusting the Difficulty

Have you found the difficulty level that suits you almost perfectly, but would like to tweak things just a bit to make the game either easier or harder? You can make the following adjustments:

For a less challenging game

• Start the game with one Reward card (drawn from the top of the Reward deck). This card can be used as if it had been acquired after solving a riddle (it counts towards the 3 Reward card limit, any player can use it and it is returned to the box after use).

and/or

• Set up the Antechamber using an alternate pattern instead of the X pattern shown in Setup.

For a more challenging game

• During setup, reveal 2 Reward cards instead of 3. During the game, you cannot keep more than 2 Reward cards (instead of 3).

and/or

• Set up the Antechamber using a denser alternate pattern instead of the X pattern shown in Setup.

Credits

• Game Design: David Purkiss
• Artwork: Olivier Derouetteau
• Development: Shadi Torbey
• Layout: Émilie Vignals

© 2024 inPatience, 100 Winston Churchill, 1180 Brussels - Belgium. www.inpatience.com

Player Aid

Turn Structure

Action Phase. Perform 3 actions: 2 Basic actions and 1 Special action (flip the tiles to their Exhausted side after use).

Sfynx Phase. Reveal the topmost Challenge token on the Clepsydra board, and apply its effect.

End of turn: Flip your two Basic action tiles to their Active side. If the lock symbol is on the Clepsydra board: flip all Special action tiles to their Active side.

Basic actions

• Flip 1 Civilisation tile from Cursed to Restored.
• Swap 2 orthogonally adjacent Civilisation tiles.

Special actions

• Flip up to 2 Civilisation tiles from Cursed to Restored.
• Horizontally swap 2 adjacent Civilisation tiles. You can do this twice. You do not necessarily have to move the same tile both times.
• Vertically swap 2 adjacent Civilisation tiles. You can do this twice. You do not necessarily have to move the same tile both times.
• Swap 2 diagonally adjacent Civilisation tiles.
• Slide 1 column up or down (the tile at its top becomes the tile at its bottom - or the other way around - and all tiles in between slide accordingly).
• Slide 1 row to the left or to the right (the leftmost tile becomes its rightmost - or the other way around - and all tiles in between slide accordingly).

Reward cards

• Flip up to 3 Civilisation tiles from Cursed to Restored.
• Swap 2 adjacent Civilisation tiles. You can do this up to 3 times. You do not necessarily have to move the same tile each time. For each move, you are free to choose whether you want to swap horizontally or vertically.
• Swap 2 diagonally adjacent Civilisation tiles. You can do this twice. You do not necessarily have to move the same tile both times.
• Slide 1 row and 1 column (in the order of your choice).
• You may use a Sfynx tile to solve a riddle, even if it has the "no Sfynx" symbol.
• Swap any 2 Civilisation tiles anywhere in the Antechamber.

Note:

• Return the Reward card to the box after use.
• Using a Reward card does not cost an action.
• Any player may use a Reward card on their turn (not only the player who acquired it after solving a riddle).
• A player may use several Reward cards during their turn.
• You may not have more than 3 Reward cards.

Challenge tokens

• Put the Riddle card furthest away from the Riddle deck face down at the bottom of the Riddle deck. OR flip 2 Civilisation tiles from Restored to Cursed.
• Flip x Civilisation tiles to Cursed (x = the number shown on the Clepsydra board at that token's position).
• Slide the column of each Sfynx tile up/down.
• Slide the row of each Sfynx tile left/right.