Skyliners Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Components
• Setup (4 Players)
• Introductory Game
  • The Construction Area
  • Starting Setup
  • Gameplay
  • Construction
  • The Players Want to See Objects
  • The Skyscraper Cards
  • Game End
  • Final Scoring
  • Winner
• The Full Game
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • I. Construction
  • II. Planning
  • Game End
  • Final Scoring
  • Winner
• Changes for 2 and 3 Players
  • 2 Players
  • 3 Players
• Storing the Game
• Short Overview

Introduction

In SKYLINERS, your goal is to see the most objects (skyscrapers and parks) at the end of the game. Together, the players build a city of skyscrapers, a so-called Skyline. However, it's important that you skillfully build your floors so that you yourself profit most from their construction. And profit you shall if you're able to see more buildings from your point of view than your opponents can from theirs. This often means you'll need to hatch a plan and stick to it, while staying one step ahead of your opponents. To ensure that your Skyline is the most beautiful of all, you must always be on your guard, as your opponents will also be trying their hardest to ruin your view.

In order to introduce you to the basic rules of Skyliners, there is an introductory game. For now, just read to the end of the "Introductory Game" (up to the boy image before "The Full Game"). The rules after that aren't needed to play the introductory game. In addition, any text following a stop sign can be ignored for the time being. Once you've completed the introductory game, read the remaining rules and try out the full game.

Some changes are required for playing with 2 or 3 players (see "Changes for 2 and 3 Players").

Components

• 76 Floors (16 each in 4 colors: blue, yellow, green, red; and 12 white)
• 40 Antennas
• 8 Roofs (2 each in 4 colors: blue, yellow, green, red)
• 5 Parks
• 20 Planning cards
• 16 Starting Setup cards
• 4 Skyscraper cards
• 12 Scoring seagulls
• 1 Planning office

Setup (4 Players)

1. Assemble the Planning office and place it on the table within easy reach of all players. (Fold part A. Insert part B in the slot of part A. Place the intermediate shelf (part C). Place the folding insert (part D) on the shelf with the cutout notch on the bottom. Open the insert.)
2. The game is played in the Skyliners box itself. First, remove all the components from the box (leave the insert). Then position the box (and yourselves) so that one side of the box faces each player. If the players wish to raise the construction area, they can do so by placing the box top underneath the box bottom. The box is the ground floor of the construction area.
3. Place the game board in the box. The color on each side of the board should match the player colors. If not, players must exchange colors and/or seats so that they do. Note: When placing the game board, make sure that the 2 corners containing the antennas remain open. Each player should now place their antennas in these corner containers. The 4 small corner compartments must remain open.
4. Place the remaining Park in the very middle of the game board.
5. Shuffle the Starting Setup cards and draw as many as needed, based on the number of players. For a 4 player game, draw 6 Starting Setup cards to form the Starting Setup pile. Place 6 neutral floors (white) next to these cards. Return the unused Starting Setup cards and neutral floors to the box. Reveal the Starting Setup cards one at a time and place a neutral floor on the depicted space of the construction area (see "Starting Setup").
6. There are 4 player colors (blue, yellow, green, red). Each player chooses a player color and takes the following building pieces: 12 floors, 10 antennas, 2 roofs, 1 park. Each player places the components in their color (building pieces, seagull, and Planning cards) in front of themselves. Place any remaining floors in the player colors back in the box. They are only needed for 2 and 3 player games.
7. Each player takes 1 scoring seagull in his player color. Additional seagulls are simply used as spare parts.
8. Finally, each player takes the 5 Planning cards in his color.
9. Shuffle the 4 Skyscraper cards, and deal 1 to each player facedown. Players should only look at their own Skyscraper card. The use of these cards is described under "The Skyscraper Cards".

Introductory Game

The Construction Area

As the game progresses, a great city will be erected. The players share the responsibility of placing the available parks and skyscrapers on the board. Before you lies the construction area: a 5x5 grid of construction sites. The game begins with a park on the middlemost construction site.

• Each player's side of the game board has 5 rows marked with the letters A-E in his color.
• Each row has 5 construction sites. Each construction site has room for the development of a single skyscraper or park. These skyscrapers and parks are hereafter often referred to as objects.
• The red spaces on the board are possible construction sites for building pieces.

Each player will literally approach this construction area from a different point of view: his own view of the board. A player can only "see" objects that are not obscured by other objects. At the end of the game, each player has an individual skyline that will be different from the other players.

In this introductory game, you simply want to see as many objects as possible. Throughout the game, the players will submit plans that indicate how many objects they wish to see in each row. Since players only score points for correct plans, they will have to be careful to ensure these plans are fulfilled by the end of the game.

Starting Setup

Before the game begins, the players must place a few neutral floors on the game board. Take the pile of Starting Setup cards (the ones with a crane on the back) that you prepared during setup. They will determine the placement of the neutral floors, thereby influencing the later development of your city.

What is a Starting Setup card and where do I place the neutral floors?

• Each Starting Setup card depicts the same construction area with the pre-existing park set in the middle. The park is simply there for reference.
• The letters A-E printed on each card indicate that the player must use the card from his point of view.
• One of the letters is highlighted in yellow (not to be confused with the yellow player). This means that the player must construct a neutral floor in this row.
• A specific construction site is indicated on each card. The player must place a neutral floor on that specific construction site. The row and the construction site itself are highlighted in yellow.

The youngest player begins by taking 1 neutral floor and drawing a Starting Setup card. Once that player is finished, the player to his left continues. He, too, takes 1 neutral floor, draws a Starting Setup card, and places the floor in the depicted position. This continues until all Starting Setup cards have been drawn, thereby completing the construction of the neutral floors.

Note: Players always place the floor according to their own point of view. This is why each player has rows labeled A-E in front of them.

Note: It is possible that multiple neutral floors end up being placed on the same construction site, leading to buildings of varying height before the game even begins.

Example 1: Red is the start player and has drawn a card highlighting row D and construction site 5. Red places a neutral floor on the 1st construction site in row E from his point of view (as depicted on the card).

Example 2: It is now Blue's turn, and he draws a card. Blue places a neutral floor on the 2nd construction site in row B from his point of view.

Example: In a 4-player game, 6 Starting Setup cards are drawn causing 6 neutral floors to be placed.

Gameplay

Whichever player placed the first neutral floor is the start player. Beginning with this player, each player will take turns in clockwise order.

It is now the start player's turn. He must perform the construction action twice. Once he is done, the next player takes their turn, and must also perform the construction action twice. Then the next player takes their turn, and so on.

The game continues in this way until all players are out of building pieces, at which point players proceed to final scoring.

Important: In the last round, each player will only be able to perform the construction action once.

Construction

To perform the construction action, a player must choose 1 building piece (floor, roof, or park), and place it in the construction area. A player can freely choose from all his available building pieces. A player may choose a different building piece each time he performs the construction action. The following must be observed during construction:

• In principle, a player may place a building piece on any construction site of the 5x5 construction area. However, no player may place a building piece on the park in the middle.
• You may place building pieces on construction sites that have zero, 1, or even more floors.
• When placing floors or roofs on top of another building piece, the color of the piece you build on is irrelevant.
• You may not place anything on a construction site where a park or a roof has already been placed.
• Exception: You may not construct a building piece on the same construction site twice in the same turn. This means that you may not place a roof on a floor that you placed in the same turn. You may, of course, construct on these sites again during a later turn.

The different building pieces have different limitations:

You want to place a floor.

• You may place a floor directly on the ground.
• You may place a floor on top of another floor.
• You may not place a floor on top of a roof.
• You may not place a floor on top of a park.

You want to place a roof.

• You may place a roof on top of a floor.
• You may not place a roof directly on the ground. This means that a construction site must have at least 1 floor before you may place a roof there.
• You may not place a roof on top of a park.
• You may not place a roof on top of another roof.

You want to place a park.

• You may place a park directly on the ground.
• You may not place a park on top of a floor.
• You may not place a park on top of a roof.
• You may not place a park on top of another park.

Special case: In rare cases, a player may find that there is no suitable site for a park to be constructed. In this case, if the player has nothing else they can construct, they must forfeit the action.

The Players Want to See Objects

The goal of the game is to see as many objects as possible (reminder: parks, floors, and roofs). During final scoring a player scores points only for the objects he can see from his point of view. The details of final scoring in the introductory game are given under "Final Scoring" below. Once you are familiar with Skyliners, the rules for scoring the full game are given under "The Full Game".

When does a player see an object?

Each row (A-E) is considered individually, and always from the player's own point of view. There are 5 construction sites in each row. A construction site with no building pieces is considered to be empty.

A player always sees only those objects that are not obscured by larger objects. This means that a player can only see an object if it is taller than all objects that stand in front of it. Therefore, a player may not see a smaller object hiding behind a larger one, nor will a player see an object that is behind another object with the same height. Just like in real life, a skyscraper will obscure the view of a small house constructed behind it.

Examples of objects:

• 1 object consisting of 1 park

• 1 object consisting of 1 floor

• 1 object consisting of 1 floor and 1 roof

• 1 object consisting of 2 floors

• Each player always looks at the individual rows from his point of view (specifically a frontal view).

• A construction site without a building piece is not an object. However, as soon as at least 1 building piece (a floor or a park) is placed there, it is possible for players to see it.

• Each player has their own skyline. In other words, each player's perspective will present a different view of the various objects.

• Once placed on the construction area, the sets of building pieces (i.e., the objects) do not belong to any player. They are now part of the city and have no owner.

Tip: Place smaller objects closer to you so that you have a better chance of seeing more objects behind them.

Example: Consider row B from Red's point of view (buildings in the other rows are omitted to avoid confusion). Red sees a total of 3 objects: a park on site 1, a skyscraper on site 2, and a skyscraper on site 4. The skyscrapers on sites 3 and 5 are obscured, so the red player cannot see them.

The Skyscraper Cards

Each player begins the game with 1 Skyscraper card. This card indicates in which district the tallest building should be located. The tallest building is the object that has the most floors and possibly a roof. It is possible for several buildings to be tied for the tallest building, in which case there is simply more than one tallest building. However, each player will have a different district depicted on their Skyscraper card, which leads to a fierce competition.

What is a district?

The 9 construction sites in each corner of the game board each form 1 district. This means that the districts overlap. In addition, the park in the middle belongs to all 4 districts, on which no one may perform further construction. (Construction sites along the edge between two corners belong to two districts, for example the northwest and southwest districts, or the northwest and northeast districts.)

At the end of the game, each player reveals their Skyscraper card. Any player with the tallest building in their district scores 3 points.

Game End

The game is over when the players have placed all their building pieces. In the final round, each player will only have 1 remaining building piece. Therefore, each player performs only 1 construction action on their turn, as he will not have any pieces left for a 2nd building action. Then players proceed to final scoring.

Final Scoring

During final scoring, players will finally score points for visible objects, and bonus points with the help of antennas. Players might also score points for their Skyscraper card.

1. Score points for visible objects

Check each row separately and score the according points. The start player begins and scores points for the objects he can see in row A. He might also place antennas, which are scored later. Then the next player clockwise scores points for what he can see in row A, including possibly placing antennas, and so on. All rows (A-E) are scored in this way one after the other.

A. Check how many objects are visible in a row and score points accordingly. The player first counts how many objects are visible in the current row. The player scores 1 point for each object he can see. When a player scores points, he moves his scoring seagull forward on the scoring track accordingly. When a player scores points for the first time, he must hang his scoring seagull on the 0 space of the scoring track and move the seagull forward to track his points.

Example: Consider row B of the red player. Red sees 3 objects in row B and scores 3 points. Red moves his seagull 3 spaces forward on the scoring track.

Note: If all 4 players have the same score, 1 of the seagulls will have to be placed on the table beside the box, next to the appropriate score. When this player scores more points, his seagull is placed back on the track and moved forward.

B. Place antennas. A player places 1 antenna on each object that he can see. The player does not place an antenna on the objects he cannot see (those hidden behind larger objects). If there is already an antenna on a given object, a player may not add another antenna. Note: An antenna does not cause an object to become any taller! Each player does this in clockwise order until all rows have been scored and all possible antennas have been placed.

Example: Red still sees 3 objects in row B. In step 2, Red places antennas. He only places 2 antennas, because the 3rd object already has an antenna Green placed earlier.

2. Score points for antennas

Now each player counts the antennas he has placed throughout the entire construction area. For each such antenna, a player scores 1 point.

Example: Red has a total of 5 placed antennas. He scores 5 points.

Tip: Whoever places antennas first will also score more points, so try your hardest to see as many objects as possible in your first row.

Note: This order of antenna placement (all players do row A, then row B, etc.) is only used in the introductory game. This leads to similar outcomes, but this is perfectly fine when you're just learning the game. Both the scoring of rows and the placement of antennas change when playing the full game.

3. Score points for the Skyscraper card

First, determine the tallest building. The player (or players) whose Skyscraper card depicts the district where the tallest building is located scores 3 points. When there are several buildings tied for the tallest building, they all count as the tallest building. In this case, all players whose Skyscraper card depicts a district where one of the tallest buildings is located score 3 points.

Note: Ignore the antennas when determining the tallest building. It also does not matter whose floors and roof were used to create the highest building.

Example: The tallest building is located on a construction site that belongs to 2 districts, the northwest and the northeast. The players with the northwest and northeast district cards each score 3 points.

Winner

Whichever player has scored the most points is declared the winner. If there is a tie, the tied player with the most placed antennas wins. If there is still a tie, then there are multiple winners.

The Full Game

Now that you have learned the introductory game, you should be familiar with the basic principles of Skyliners. The changes and additions for the full game are explained below.

Setup

Set the game up as described earlier. All game components will now be used. Please go back and read the sections with stop signs that were skipped earlier. Game setup continues as described under "Setup" and "Starting Setup".

Gameplay

Beginning with the start player, the players take turns until one player has no floors remaining in his player color. Finish going around the table (so that all players get the same number of turns) then proceed with the final scoring.

On a player's turn, he must perform 2 actions. Then the next player takes their turn, and so on.

The Actions:

• I. Construction
• II. Construction or Planning

The first action of each player's turn is always construction. However, a player chooses his second action: he may perform construction or planning.

I. Construction

The construction action is exactly the same as it is in the introductory game.

II. Planning

As his 2nd action, a player may perform the planning action. He chooses 1 of his 5 Planning cards, and places it facedown in the Planning office in the orientation of his choice. By the end of the game, each player wants to have as many correctly placed Planning cards in the Planning office as possible. This is the main way of scoring points.

What exactly is being planned?

As in the introductory game, players want to see objects in the rows of their skyline. However, the players must now plan exactly how many objects he expects to see in each row. In other words, a player's plans must match his actual skyline in order to score points at the end of the game.

How do I use the Planning cards?

• Each player has 5 Planning cards. Each Planning card represents one row (A-E). This means that each player has exactly 1 Planning card for each row.
• Each Planning card is divided in 4 segments. If a player wishes to perform the planning action, he must first decide which row he will plan. Then he chooses one of the 4 segments. Each segment depicts a different number of objects, representing the number of objects the player wishes to see in that row at game end.

What do the individual segments mean?

The letter (A in the example) represents the row where the player would like to see the objects at the end of the game. The number indicates how many objects the player would like to see in the given row.

• If the player places the segment showing 1 in the Planning office, he will want to see exactly 1 object in row A at the end of the game.
• If the player places the segment showing 2, he will want to see exactly 2 objects in row A at the end of the game.
• If the player places the segment showing 3, he will want to see exactly 3 objects in row A at the end of the game.
• If the player places the segment showing 4/5, he will want to see 4 or 5 objects in row A at the end of the game. The points he scores will depend on whether he sees 4 or 5 objects.

The bars with the yellow borders on the card represent objects that the player wants to see. The gray bars represent objects that are shorter than the objects in front of them. These are objects the player cannot see.

Important: The pictorial on the card is only intended to be used as an abstract example. The objects on the card depicted in gray do not actually need to be on the board.

How does the player place a Planning card with the chosen segment in the Planning office?

The player holds the chosen segment between his thumb and forefinger. He then places the Planning card in the Planning office face down so that his opponents cannot see what he is planning, and lets go of the card.

Example: Green would like to place segment C 3 in the Planning office. He holds it with his thumb and forefinger. Green turns the Planning card facedown so that his opponents cannot see what he places in the Planning office.

Note

• The Planning cards are evaluated at the end of the game during final scoring. Players must therefore submit their Planning cards in advance.
• Only Planning cards that have been placed in the Planning office can score points. A player who does not place any Planning cards will not score any points. Try to submit them earlier in the game, as the end of the game can sneak up on you.
• Remember that only correctly placed Planning cards score points. Those players who place correct Planning cards earlier will likely get to place more antennas. See the final scoring rules below for more detail.
• Planning cards only indicate how many objects a player wants to see at the end of the game. Where exactly in the row those individual skyscrapers and parks are located is irrelevant.
• If a player believes they are likely to forget how many objects they wanted to see, they are welcome to write it down somewhere.

Game End

The end of the game is triggered when one of the players has no remaining floors in his color (he might still have a park and/or roofs left). The game ends once all players have played the same number of turns (this means that the player to the right of the start player is always last to play). Then players proceed to final scoring.

Note: Parks and roofs are not floors, and are not considered when checking for the game end trigger. If a player has no roofs or parks left, but he still has floors, the game end is not triggered.

Final Scoring

During final scoring, players will finally score points for their correct Planning cards, as well as bonus points for their antennas. In addition, they might also score points for their Skyscraper card.

1. Score points for correctly placed Planning cards

The start player folds the Planning office's insert shut and removes it from the container. He then flips it over and removes the square intermediate floor. The intermediate floor is no longer needed and is placed to the side. The players now see the triangular section that reveals the first placed Planning card. Only the section of each Planning card that is visible in this triangular section will be used to score points.

Review the Planning cards, one by one, and score points for those that are correct.

Note: The players only score points for Planning cards that were correctly placed in the Planning office.

Note: Placing your Planning cards earlier means more chances to place your antennas.

A. Check how many objects the player can see in that row. The visible section of the current Planning card is evaluated. For each card, the start player communicates which player the Planning card belongs to, and how many objects this player had planned to see in which row. The player to whom the Planning card belongs looks at the row being evaluated. He shares the number of objects he can see in that row.

B. Is the Planning card correct? A Planning card is correct if the player can see the exact same number of buildings as indicated on the Planning card. If so, the player scores 1 point for each object he can see in that row. In addition, he might also place antennas on these buildings. As explained in the introductory game, the player now places one of his antennas on each object he can see in that row that does not already have an antenna.

Example: Red placed this Planning card in the Planning office. He wanted to see 3 objects in row B, and he does (Red sees 3 objects in row B). The Planning card matches the player's view and is therefore correct. He scores 3 points. Red only places 2 antennas, as the 3rd object already has an opponent's antenna on it.

Note: If a player sees a different number of objects (greater or fewer) than is listed on the Planning card, he scores no points. In this case, he places no antennas either.

Reminder: For details on how a Planning card should be placed in the Planning office, see "II. Planning".

Special case: Each player has 10 antennas. Should any player exhaust their personal supply, they immediately score 1 point for each further antenna they would place, but cannot.

2. Score points for antennas

After all Planning cards have been evaluated and scored, each player counts how many antennas he has placed. Exactly as in the introductory game, players score 1 point for each of their placed antennas.

Example: Red has a total of 5 placed antennas. He scores 5 points.

3. Score points for the Skyscraper card

The Skyscraper cards are also scored like they were in the introductory game.

Winner

Whichever player has scored the most points is declared the winner. If there is a tie, the tied player with the most placed antennas wins. If there is still a tie, then there are multiple winners.

Changes for 2 and 3 Players

The changes required to play with 2 or 3 players are described below. Any element of the game not mentioned here remains the same as in a 4-player game. After setup is complete, place all unused components to the side.

2 Players

• The two players must sit next to each other. This means that they play on 2 neighboring sides of the game board. They do not play opposite each other.
• Each player takes 16 floors in his color.
• During setup, create a pile of 12 Starting Setup cards, which the players will take turns drawing in order to place neutral floors.

3 Players

• Each player takes 14 floors in his color.
• During setup, create a pile of 9 Starting Setup cards, which the players will take turns drawing in order to place neutral floors.

Storing the Game

After storing the components in the box, turn the game board 90 degrees to cover the antenna compartments. This will prevent the components from moving around and becoming disorganized.

Short Overview

Players	Floors per player	Antennas	Roofs	Parks	Starting Setup cards
4	12	10	2	1	6
3	14	10	2	1	9
2	16	10	2	1	12