Sphinx
Sphinx Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
1 game board 11 secret door inserts 11 secret door bases 4 explorer figures 6 sphinx figures 6 colour cards 3 dice 24 sphinx cards (4 sets of six colour cards)
Object of the Game
The player who reaches the treasure chamber in the middle of the game board and conquers the three sphinxes with the correct sphinx cards wins the game.
Preparation
Before the very first game:
- Carefully remove the pre-punched parts from the game board and push the board into the mould, so that the walls become visible above the board.
- Remove the eleven secret door bases, the 24 sphinx cards and the six colour cards from the prepunched sheet.
- Slide one secret door insert at a time from the top through the rectangular hole in the middle of the secret door base. This will eventually give you eleven secret doors, which you then clip into the eleven large holes on the game board. After attaching them, turn the doors so that they are in line with the corridor.
- The six colour cards show how each sphinx can be conquered. The cards are clipped to the underside of the six sphinxes so that the colour is revealed when the sphinx is lifted and viewed from underneath.
Before each game:
- Mix the sphinxes thoroughly and place them on the six spaces on the board displaying a small sphinx: three immediately in front of the treasure chamber and three in the temple chambers at the edge of the pyramid.
- Each player selects a playing piece and places it on the square with the arrow to start.
- Place the sphinx cards and the dice next to the box.
The Search Begins
The youngest player starts. Throw the dice to advance your playing piece.
Each player's move consists of three sub-moves. Throw all three dice at the same time and then move the number of places shown on each dice, in any order. Each of the three sub-moves is a separate and complete action to which the following rules apply. During a move you may:
- Go forwards or backwards in the corridor. However, the direction can only be changed between two sub-moves, so you cannot move back and forth in one move.
- Go past other figures, but a sub-move must not end on a space occupied by another player.
- Cross any number of special squares, such as a "Mummy Square" or "Sphinx Square".
While you are roaming through the pyramid, a lot of things can happen.
Swapping Sphinxes
One of the dice has two snake symbols. If you throw a snake, you must swap over two sphinxes without looking underneath. Exchange any one of the three sphinxes in front of the treasure chamber with any one of those in the temple chambers.
The Secret Doors
If one of your moves finishes on one of the two squares next to a secret door, push your figure against the wall. The figure will rotate with the door by 180 degrees to appear on the other side of the wall. Only after this manoeuvre, is your move complete. Figures adjacent to this secret door will automatically rotate as well.
The Special Squares
If you land on or go over a "Sphinx Square" during a move, you may take a corresponding coloured sphinx card from the pile if you do not already have one. However, if you already have a card of this colour, you must return it to the pile.
On some of the squares in the pyramid, mummies point the way. If a figure moves onto or over a "Mummy Square", the player receives a valuable tip: permission to secretly look underneath one of the six sphinxes. Afterwards the player returns the sphinx to its position without showing the bottom of the sphinx to the other players. Each player may only look at one sphinx per turn, even when landing on or crossing several "Mummy Square"!
Pinching Sphinx Cards
If you move over another player, you may pinch any one sphinx card from them, as long as you do not already have it yourself. If the other player does not have a suitable sphinx card, you cannot take one. You may take a card from several different players during one turn, but only once from each individual player.
End of the Game
If you believe that you know the colours and the order of the three sphinxes in front of the treasure chamber and you have the sphinx cards in these colours, advance to the treasure chamber to challenge the three sphinxes. To reach the end, it is sufficient to reach the first sphinx. The sphinx does not have to be reached with the exact number on the dice and does not have to be at the end of a move.
Once you have reached the first sphinx, place your figure on the square with the treasure, and present three of your sphinx cards to predict the sphinxes' three colours and their order. Check the bottom of the three sphinxes, without letting the other players see and compare the sphinxes' colours with your prediction.
- If the colours and order of your sphinx cards are identical to those of the three sphinxes, you win the game.
- If at least one colour or the order is wrong, you return the sphinxes to their positions. You lose all your sphinx cards and have to return to the starting square. The game then continues as normal.
Any More Questions?
Any move carried out cannot be reversed.
It does not matter if a Special Square is occupied by another player while you cross it. For example, if you cross an occupied "Sphinx Square", you first take the appropriate sphinx card from the pile, if possible and then pinch another one from your opponent, if possible.
To simplify the game for younger children, use the following rules.
- Only use two dice, leaving out the dice with the snakes on it.
- Secret doors can be used only if the player wishes to use them.
- Sphinx cards do not have to be returned if a player crosses a "Sphinx Square" a second time.
- To win the game, the order of the cards in a player's prediction does not have to match the sphinxes order.