Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum
Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 75 Dim Sum (5 types, 15 each) — use either the cardboard Dim Sum tokens or the squishy Dim Sum pieces to play this game
- 18 Steamers
- 50 Food tokens (5 types, 10 each)
- 1 First player marker
- 1 Turntable
- 2 Feast Zone indicators (1 for 2-3 players, 1 for 4-5 players)
- 10 Feast Zone markers (1 pair per player)
- 1 Score board
- 26 Fate cards
- 50 Fortune cards
- 5 Reference cards (1 per player)
- 12 Animal boards
- 12 Animal scoring markers
- 1 Dim Sum bag
- 1 Lucky die
- 1 Steamer counter
Featured Menu
DIM SUM 點心
Commonly translated as "touching the heart," Dim Sum are bite-sized dishes served in bamboo Steamer baskets or on small plates. This cuisine is commonly enjoyed in the morning or early afternoon and shared amongst family and friends. As tea is often served alongside Dim Sum, Yum-Cha ("飲茶" in traditional Chinese), translated as "drinking tea," is used interchangeably with Dim Sum.
Chef Recommendations
BBQ Meat Bun — 叉燒包 [Char-Siu-Bao] Steamed, soft and fluffy white bun filled with juicy, sweet BBQ-flavored meat filling.
Shrimp Dumpling — 蝦餃 [Har-Gow] Steamed dumpling with juicy shrimp filling wrapped in smooth translucent skin.
Meat Dumpling — 燒賣 [Siu-Mai] Steamed with juicy meat and seafood filling, enclosed with yellow wonton wrappers.
Phoenix Claw — 鳳爪 [Fung-Zao] Braised chicken feet in black bean sauce. Gelatinous and tender. A dish that most people either love or hate.
Sticky Rice (Wrapped in Lotus Leaves) — 糯米雞 [Lo-Mai-Gai] Glutinous rice topped with Chinese sausage, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, and other delicious goodies. Wrapped in dried lotus leaves and steamed.
Central Area Setup
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Turntable: Place the Turntable in the middle of the play area.
1A. Feast Zone indicator:
- Find the appropriate Feast Zone indicator for your player count by looking at the number of dots to the left of the orange line. Return the other indicator to the box.
- Place the indicator for your player count on the Turntable, with the correct side for your player count faceup, such that the orange line aligns with the orange arrow at the top of the board.
Align the orange line on the indicator to the orange arrows on the board and the middle circular platform.
1B. Middle Circular Platform: Rotate the circular platform in the middle so the 4 arrows around its edges align with the 4 arrows on the surrounding board.
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Food Supply: Place all Food tokens and the Lucky die near the Turntable.
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Dim Sum and Steamers: Place all 75 Dim Sum pieces in the bag.
Steamers Setup:
- Divide the 18 Steamers into 3 groups of 6 each. Place 2 random Dim Sum drawn from the bag in each of the first 6 Steamers. Then place 3 random Dim Sum in each of the next 6, and 4 random Dim Sum in each of the final 6. Draw each piece blindly from the bag. An alternative way is to pour each piece out of the bag.
- Mix up all 18 Steamers and randomly stack 3 Steamers in each of the 6 spaces on the Turntable. Players should attempt to not look at what Dim Sum are in each stacked Steamer.
TIP: Once you're more comfortable with the game, you can use the "Alternative Steamers Setup" for a more interactive setup experience.
IMPORTANT — Steamer Orientation: Each Steamer should be placed with its inner protruded ring faceup.
NOTE: In a Dim Sum restaurant, each Steamer usually contains one type of Dim Sum. For the purpose of this game, a mixture of different types of Dim Sum will be served in each Steamer instead.
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Score Board: Place the Score board near the Turntable.
- Place the Steamer counter on the Steamer track at the top of the board, on the space marked with your player count.
- Shuffle the Fortune cards and place them facedown on the Fortune deck area of the Score board.
- Shuffle the Fate cards and deal 18 cards in a facedown stack on the Fate deck area of the Score board. Return the rest of the cards to the box.
TIP: If you prefer a friendlier game, remove from the game all Fortune and Fate cards marked with a symbol in the bottom right before shuffling.
Why Table No. 168? The number 8 is a lucky number in Chinese because it rhymes with "wealth" and the number 16 rhymes with "continuous." Together, the number 168 signifies "continuous wealth."
Alternative Steamers Setup
Instead of setting up the Steamers randomly during step 3, players can take turns filling and placing Steamers on the Turntable.
Players take turns filling Steamers in clockwise order, starting with any player and alternating filling with 2, 3, or 4 Dim Sum. When it is your turn, randomly draw Dim Sum from the bag to fill an empty Steamer, and then place it on the space/stack of your choice on the Turntable. Each stack can have no more than 3 Steamers.
For example, this is how players would fill their Steamers in a 4-player game: The first player draws 2 Dim Sum to fill their Steamer, then the second player draws 3, the third draws 4, the fourth draws 2 again, and so on. Continue in this way until all 6 stacks have 3 Steamers (18 total have been placed).
Peeking Through the Steamer Slats
Before the game starts, players can agree whether to allow peeking through the Steamer slats during the game.
Did you know Steamers are designed to stack on one another and sit over boiling water? This cooking method allows steam to enter each layer of Steamers through the open slats and fully cook the Dim Sum.
(Hence, the title of this game is "Steam Up")
Player Setup
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Player Seating: Players should seat themselves so that they are each facing a different Feast Zone (the space between 2 lines on the Feast Zone indicator).
For more details about Feast Zones, see "Purchasing Steamers" below.
TIP: If this is your first time playing Steam Up, using Animals marked with an icon next to their name on the board is strongly recommended.
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Choose an Animal board:
- Give each player 2 random Animal boards. Each player selects one of them to play and returns the other to the box.
- Each player places their Animal's scoring marker in the VIP Guests area on the Score board.
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Starting Resources: Each player checks the top of their Animal board to see the number of Food tokens and Fortune cards they start off with. Players may choose which Food tokens to take from the supply. If an Animal starts with multiple tokens, their board will specify whether the tokens must be different. Fortune cards are drawn from the deck.
Example: Jamie (they/them) gets 1 Food token to start. They choose a Phoenix Claw because 4 different Steamers on the Turntable have at least one. They also draw 2 Fortune cards from the Fortune deck.
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First Player: Give the First player marker to a random player.
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(OPTIONAL) Feast Zone Markers: To assist players in differentiating their Feast Zones, each player may place a Feast Zone marker near their Feast Zone and the other matching marker next to their Animal board.
Chili Oil
Chili oil is a condiment made from vegetable oil that has been infused with chili peppers. It's often requested by guests who like an extra kick to their Dim Sum.
The starting player is chosen at random so everyone has equal opportunity to enjoy Dim Sum first.
The 5 Flavors
Chinese cuisine is traditionally categorized into five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty. These flavors work in harmony and balance to achieve optimal taste and health.
In Steam Up, these 5 flavors are marked on the Feast Zone markers. Which flavor is your favorite?
How to Play
Overview
The game is divided into rounds. Each round, each player takes 1 turn. Players take their turns in clockwise order around the table, starting with the player who has the First player marker. Once the last player in turn order finishes their turn, the round is completed.
Start each subsequent round by drawing and resolving a Fate card.
The end of the game is triggered when either the Steamer counter reaches 0 on the Steamer track, or the Fate deck is empty. Players finish the round, then compare final scores.
Goal
Since Dim Sum is "touching the heart," the goal of the game is to gain the most Hearty Points (HP). The player with the most HP at the end of the game wins.
Table Etiquette
Notice the table settings on the Turntable. Chopsticks always lie flat on the tableware; never stick them into food standing up, as this symbolizes death and mourning in many East Asian cultures, and is said to bring bad luck. Tea is commonly consumed with Dim Sum. When serving tea, always pour for your companions before yourself, as a sign of respect.
On Your Turn
On your turn, you must perform 2 different actions from those available. You may take any combination of actions in any order, but you cannot take the same action twice.
| Action | Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Gain 1 token | Take 1 Food token of your choice from the supply. | See "Collecting Food Tokens" below for details. |
| Draw 1 Fortune card (and rotate) | Draw 1 Fortune card from the Fortune deck. You may then rotate the Turntable 90 degrees in either direction. | See "Drawing and Playing Fortune Cards" below and "Cards and Abilities" below. |
| Play 1 Fortune card (and rotate) | Play 1 Fortune card from your hand. Resolve its effect and place it in the Fortune card discard pile. You may then rotate the Turntable 90 degrees in either direction (you must fully resolve your card before rotating). | See "Rotating the Table" below. |
| Exchange 2 Fortune cards for 1 token | Discard 2 Fortune cards to the Fortune card discard pile and take 1 Food token of your choice from the supply. | TIP: In most cases, you will only want to exchange Fortune cards for a Food token after using "Gain 1 token" as your first action. Gaining 2 Food tokens in one turn can help you rush towards Steamers that your opponents might also want to purchase. |
| Purchase a Steamer | Acquire a Steamer in your Feast Zone by spending Food tokens that match the Dim Sum inside it, then place the Dim Sum on your board and gain HP. Place the empty Steamer near your board. Move the Steamer counter down by 1 on the Steamer track. | See "Purchasing Steamers" below. |
Collecting Food Tokens
Food tokens are used to purchase Steamers and collect Dim Sum. Tokens you collect should be placed on the table in front of you, where all players can see them. There is no limit to the number of tokens you can have at one time.
IMPORTANT — Running out of Food tokens: If all 10 Food tokens of a given type are held by players, and there are none left in the supply, that type of Dim Sum is considered sold out. Players may not gain any more tokens of that type until some of them (at least 1) are returned to the supply.
Drawing and Playing Fortune Cards
Fortune cards can be played to benefit yourself or hinder your opponents. Fortune cards you draw should be added to your hand and kept secret until you play them. There is no limit to the number of Fortune cards you can have in your hand.
If the Fortune deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck. If the discard pile is also empty, or has only 1 card left, players cannot draw new Fortune cards until the discard pile has at least 2 cards that can be shuffled to create a new deck.
See "Cards and Abilities" below for details on Fortune cards.
Rotating the Table
After you draw or play a Fortune card, you may rotate the middle circular platform of the Turntable 90 degrees in the direction of your choice. You may want to do this to move different Steamers into your Feast Zone, or move Steamers out of other players' Feast Zones.
After rotating the Turntable, each arrow in the middle circular platform must align with the next arrow on the outer board. Any Steamers that move into your Feast Zone are now available for you to purchase (see "Purchasing Steamers" below).
The Turntable's position at setup in a 3-player game has each arrow on the middle circular platform aligning with an arrow on the outer board — the orange arrows always align at setup. After rotating the Turntable 90 degrees clockwise, each arrow on the middle circular platform is aligned with another arrow on the outer board; the orange arrow now aligns with the white arrow on the right on the outer board.
Purchasing Steamers
In order to fill your stomach with Dim Sum, you need to purchase Steamers. You may only purchase Steamers that are on top of stacks inside your Feast Zone (unless an ability allows you to do otherwise). A Steamer that is partially inside your Feast Zone is considered inside your Zone. Your Feast Zone is marked by the lines on the Feast Zone indicator around the Turntable.
TIP — 5-player Feast Zone: In a 5-player game, each player always has 2 Steamers in their Feast Zone.
In a 2-player game, each player has 2 Steamers in their Feast Zone at setup, sharing 1 of them with their neighbor. After rotating the Turntable 90 degrees clockwise, each player now has 2 Steamers in their Feast Zone, but does not share any with their neighbor.
In a 3-player game, each player has 3 Steamers in their Feast Zone at setup, sharing 2 of them with their neighbors. After rotating the Turntable 90 degrees counterclockwise, each player now has 2 Steamers in their Feast Zone, but does not share any with their neighbors.
Steps to Purchase a Steamer
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Spend Food Tokens: Spend a set of Food tokens that exactly match the Steamer's contents. You may not purchase only some of the Dim Sum in a Steamer. Return all Food tokens you spend to the supply.
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Take Dim Sum: Empty the Steamer and place each Dim Sum piece in the left-most empty slot of the matching row on your Animal board. Place the empty Steamer near your board (do not return it to the supply).
Example: In this 4-player game, the Turntable is divided evenly into 4 Feast Zones. Salina (she/her), seated to the bottom right, has 2 Steamers in her Feast Zone, sharing 1 of them with her neighbor. On her turn, she purchases the shared Steamer with 1 BBQ Meat Bun, 1 Meat Dumpling, and 1 Shrimp Dumpling, then places them on her board. She gains a total of 1+1+1 = 3 HP and moves her scoring marker forward on the score board. She then slides the Steamer counter down from 13 to 12. This means the game will end after 12 more Steamers are purchased.
IMPORTANT — Filling a Dim Sum track: Once a row on your board has 6 Dim Sum, it is full. You can still purchase a Steamer with Dim Sum of that type, but you will no longer gain HP for the pieces that you can't place. Place any excess pieces to the right side of your board (do not return them to the bag).
TIP — Running out of Steamers: If there are no Steamers left in your Feast Zone, you won't be able to make purchases (unless an ability allows you to do otherwise). You'll need to either rotate the Turntable or move a Steamer into your Zone using a Fortune card or ability.
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Score: Gain the number of HP printed on each slot where you placed a Dim Sum. Track your HP by moving your scoring marker forward on the Score board.
TIP: If your score exceeds 35 HP, flip the scoring marker to the other side with the "35+" and continue tracking your score from the top of the score track.
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Move Steamer Counter: Move the Steamer counter down by 1 on the Steamer track. If the counter reaches 0, the game ends at the end of this round (see "Game End" below).
Round Structure
Each round, each player takes 1 turn and then the round is over. At the beginning of the next round, reveal a Fate card from the deck and place it faceup on the discard pile. Resolve any immediate effects. If the revealed Fate card has "during this round" effects, it remains active until the round ends and the next Fate card is revealed.
See "Cards and Abilities" below for details on Fate cards and the First player marker.
IMPORTANT: Do not draw a Fate card at the start of the first round of the game. Reveal a Fate Card from the deck starting the second round.
The First player marker does not change places unless Fate and Fortune cards change it.
Game End
The end of the game can be triggered in two ways:
A. When the Fate deck is empty.
B. When the Steamer counter reaches 0.
When the end of the game is triggered, finish the current round, so every player has had an equal number of turns. (If the last Fate card was revealed, play a full final round before scoring.)
Final Scoring
Players score the following end-game Hearty Points:
- Each player loses 1 HP for every 2 leftover Food tokens in front of them.
- Each player gains 1 HP for every 2 Fortune cards in their hand. (Do not count Fortune cards that are faceup in front of you.)
The player with the most HP wins! If there is a tie, the player who has collected the most total Dim Sum (including excess beside their board) wins. If there is still a tie, the players share the victory!
Cards and Abilities
Fate and Fortune Cards
Player With the Fewest HP: Some Fate and Fortune cards refer to the player with the fewest HP. If there is a tie for fewest HP, it is broken in favor of the player who is farthest clockwise from the current holder of the First player marker (unless the card specifies otherwise).
Gaining Resources Simultaneously: When multiple players gain tokens or Dim Sum simultaneously, gain them in turn order from the player who currently has the First player marker.
Rolling the Lucky Die
Some Fate cards, Fortune cards, and Animal abilities require you to roll the Lucky die. Most sides of the die have a number and a Dim Sum icon. The card or ability will tell you whether the number or icon matters for your roll.
In some cases, each player rolls the Lucky die, and the player who rolled the highest number gains the bonus. Whenever multiple players tie for the highest, they must re-roll until they are no longer tied.
The Missing 4: The number 4 is considered an unlucky number in many East Asian cultures as it sounds like the word for death. To fit with this tradition, the number 4 is left off of the Lucky die. It instead has a blank face, with no Dim Sum and a value of 0.
Moving and Removing Steamers
Some Fortune cards allow you to manipulate Steamers on the Turntable.
- When you move a Steamer to a different stack, you may move it to a stack that already has 3 Steamers, but you may never exceed 5 Steamers in a single stack. You may move Steamers to empty spaces on the Turntable that currently have no Steamers. (Moving a Steamer to a different stack does not count toward the number of purchased Steamers.)
- If you take the last Dim Sum in a Steamer, remove the Steamer from the Turntable and place it in the supply. Then, move the Steamer counter down by 1.
Taking the First Player Marker
Some Fortune cards and Fate cards move the First player marker to a different player.
- If the First player marker moves during a round (by playing a Fortune card), finish the round normally (each player has 1 turn).
- The player with the First player marker at the start of a round takes the first turn of that round (including if they gain it because of that round's Fate card).
Gaining and Swapping Dim Sum
Some Fate cards and Fortune cards allow you to take Dim Sum from the bag, or from Steamers on the Turntable, and place them directly on your Animal board. Other cards allow you to swap Dim Sum on your Animal board with Dim Sum in Steamers on the Turntable.
Gaining Dim Sum: When you gain Dim Sum, place each piece in the next open slot in its row and gain its HP (as if you had gained it from a Steamer). Bonuses for gaining specific types of Dim Sum can be applied. If the bag ever runs out of Dim Sum, players can no longer gain Dim Sum from the bag (unless some are returned).
Swapping Dim Sum: When you swap Dim Sum, place the piece you are "taking" on your board in the correct row, and place the piece you are "giving up" in the Steamer. You then lose HP for the Dim Sum you gave up, and gain HP for the Dim Sum you took. When giving up a Dim Sum, you do not lose any bonus HP you gained from Fortune cards or Animal abilities when you collected it, but you cannot gain that bonus again (see "Bonuses From Completing Rows and/or Columns" below).
TIP — Drawing Dim Sum from the bag: When you draw Dim Sum, draw each piece blindly from the bag. An alternative way is either pour each piece out of the bag or roll the Lucky die and take the matching Dim Sum from the bag. If you roll a blank or a type of Dim Sum that is not in the bag, re-roll until you get another result. Before the game starts, players should agree on the method to use to draw Dim Sum from the bag during the game.
Bonuses From Completing Rows and/or Columns: Some animals and Fortune cards gain HP or resources for completing rows and/or columns. You can only gain bonuses for completed rows and columns once each. So if you swap out a Dim Sum that "breaks" a column or row, and then later replace it, you do not gain the bonus again.
Example: Jose (he/him) is playing the Food Blogger, and recently gained 3 HP for filling a column of Dim Sum on his board. Next round, he plays a Fortune card to swap a Shrimp Dumpling from his Animal board with a BBQ Meat Bun in the Steamer in his Feast Zone. He loses 1 HP from the Shrimp Dumpling, but gains 1 HP for the BBQ Meat Bun, so his total score stays the same. Even though he "breaks" the column, he keeps the bonus 3 HP. (However, if he later purchases another Shrimp Dumpling, he will gain 1 HP but will not gain the bonus 3 HP for the column again.)
Animal Boards
If this is your first time playing Steam Up, using Animals marked with an icon next to their name on the board is strongly recommended. Animal Boards marked with a "3+" icon are best when playing with 3 or more players for an optimal experience.
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
The Chinese zodiac is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs based on the lunar calendar. According to legend, the 12 Chinese zodiac animals were selected through a race and the story has become a fascinating folktale since then.
Rat — The Gambler Starting Resources: 1 token and 4 Fortune cards. Ability: Once per round, at any time on your turn, you may discard 1 Fortune card to roll the Lucky die. If you do, you must do the following action according to the result:
- Blank or 1: No action
- 2: Draw 1 Fortune card
- 3: Rotate the Turntable 90 degrees in either direction
- 5 or 6: Draw 1 Dim Sum from the bag, place it on the left-most empty slot of the matching row, and gain the associated points for that slot
Example: After the first action, Apinya (they/them) discards 1 Fortune card to roll the Lucky die. They roll a 5 to draw a Shrimp Dumpling from the bag and gain 2 HP. They then take their second action.
Ox — The Grandpa (3+) Starting Resources: 2 tokens (identical or different) and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: You may purchase Steamers on stacks outside your Feast Zone by spending 1 additional token of your choice. When you do, gain 1 bonus HP per Dim Sum in the Steamer.
Example: Alex (they/them) wants to buy a Steamer in another player's Feast Zone that has 1 BBQ Meat Bun and 1 Shrimp Dumpling. They spend 1 Shrimp Dumpling token, 1 BBQ Meat Bun token, and 1 extra Sticky Rice token to purchase the Steamer. They gain 1 HP for each Dim Sum, plus a bonus 2 HP for purchasing a Steamer outside of their Feast Zone, for a total of 4 HP.
Tiger — The Seafood Lover Starting Resources: 2 different tokens and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: Collect your favorites, Shrimp Dumpling and Sticky Rice, to gain the most HP. Once per round, at any time on your turn, you may exchange 1 Shrimp Dumpling token for 1 Sticky Rice token, and vice versa.
Example: Kin (he/him) has 1 Shrimp Dumpling token and 1 Sticky Rice token. He wants to purchase a Steamer with 2 Shrimp Dumplings in his Feast Zone. Using his ability, he exchanges a Sticky Rice token for a Shrimp Dumpling token. He then uses the 2 Shrimp Dumpling tokens to purchase the Steamer.
Bunny — The Magician Starting Resources: 1 token and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: After purchasing a Steamer, before scoring, you may swap 1 Dim Sum inside it with another Dim Sum in any top Steamer on the Turntable.
Example: Anh (she/her) purchases a Steamer with 2 BBQ Meat Buns, 1 Meat Dumpling, and 1 Shrimp Dumpling. She swaps the Meat Dumpling with a BBQ Meat Bun on the Turntable. She now has 3 BBQ Meat Buns and 1 Shrimp Dumpling to place on her board for scoring.
Dragon — The Silver Spoon Starting Resources: 3 different tokens and 3 Fortune cards. Ability: When you fill a column on your board with Dim Sum, either gain 1 Food token of your choice or draw the indicated number of Fortune cards (do not rotate the Turntable). You can only gain this bonus once for each column.
Example: Mila (she/her) completes a column on her board and chooses to take a Meat Dumpling token as her bonus. Later, she completes a second column and takes a Fortune card for her bonus.
Snake — The Meat Lover Starting Resources: 2 different tokens and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: Collect your favorites, Phoenix Claw, BBQ Meat Bun, and Meat Dumpling, to gain the most HP. Once per round, at any time on your turn, you may exchange 1 Shrimp Dumpling token or 1 Sticky Rice token for 2 Fortune cards.
Example: Aranya (she/her) purchases a Steamer with 1 Sticky Rice and 1 Phoenix Claw to trigger the game end. She gains 1 HP for the Sticky Rice and 2 HP for the Phoenix Claw, for a total of 3 HP. She has 1 Shrimp Dumpling token left. Using her ability, she exchanges it for 2 Fortune cards to gain 1 bonus HP during end-game scoring.
Horse — The Speed Eater Starting Resources: 2 tokens (identical or different) and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: On your turn, you may take the same action twice instead of 2 different actions.
Example: On Aman's (they/them) turn, they take an action to gain 1 Phoenix Claw token. They then perform the same action again to take 1 Shrimp Dumpling token.
Goat — The Picky Eater Starting Resources: 2 different tokens and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: Collect your favorite Dim Sum in the top 3 rows to gain the most HP. When you gain a type of Dim Sum for the first time, place it in the left-most slot of any empty row on your board. Any Dim Sum you gain of that type for the rest of the game must be placed in that row. Once a type of Dim Sum is placed in a row, you cannot place the same type of Dim Sum in another row.
Example: Henry (he/him) purchases his first Steamer with 2 Shrimp Dumplings and 1 Phoenix Claw. He places 1 Shrimp Dumpling in the first slot of his top row. He must then place the second Shrimp Dumpling on the next slot in the same row. He gains 2 HP for each Shrimp Dumpling he placed, for a total of 4 HP.
He notices there are very few Phoenix Claws in the Steamers on the Turntable, so he decides to place his Phoenix Claw in the bottom-most row on his board. This gains him only 1 HP, so his total for the Steamer is 5 HP.
Monkey — The Naughty Kid (3+) Starting Resources: 2 different tokens and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: Once per round, at any time on your turn, you may choose to roll the Lucky die. If you do, you must do the following according to the result:
- Blank or 1: No action
- 2-3: Rotate the Turntable 90 degrees in either direction
- 5-6: Move 1 Steamer on top of any stack to the top of any other stack
Example: Yan (she/her) uses her first action to gain a token. Using her ability, she rolls a 6 with the Lucky die and moves a Steamer outside her Feast Zone to the top of a stack in her Feast Zone. She then uses her second action to purchase the Steamer.
Rooster — The Angry Customer Starting Resources: 1 token and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: After purchasing a Steamer, before scoring, you may return any number of Dim Sum inside it to the bag and draw back the same number.
Example: Naomi (she/her) purchases a Steamer with 2 Shrimp Dumplings, 1 Meat Dumpling, and 1 BBQ Meat Bun. She chooses to keep the 2 Shrimp Dumplings and return the others to the bag. She draws 2 new Dim Sum, gaining 1 Sticky Rice and another Shrimp Dumpling. She now gains 3 Shrimp Dumplings and 1 Sticky Rice.
Dog — The Loyal Customer Starting Resources: 2 different tokens and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: When you purchase a Steamer, gain bonus HP based on the number of Dim Sum inside it:
- 4 or more Dim Sum: +3 HP
- 3 Dim Sum: +2 HP
- 2 Dim Sum: +1 HP
- 1 Dim Sum: No bonus
Example: Minju (she/her) purchases her first Steamer with 2 Shrimp Dumplings, 1 Meat Dumpling, and 1 BBQ Meat Bun. She gains 1 HP for each Dim Sum, plus a bonus 3 HP for a Steamer of 4 Dim Sum, for a total of 7 HP.
Pig — The Food Blogger Starting Resources: 2 different tokens and 2 Fortune cards. Ability: When you fill a column on your board with Dim Sum, gain +3 HP. You can only gain this bonus once for each column.
Example: Jose (he/him) completes a column of Dim Sum and gains a bonus 3 HP. Next round, he plays a Fortune card to swap the Sticky Rice on his Animal board with another Dim Sum in a Steamer on the Turntable and breaks the column. If he gains another Sticky Rice, he does not gain another bonus 3 HP.
Staff
Game Design: Pauline Kong, Marie Wong, Haymen Lee
Illustration: Tim Cheng, Grace Tjahyadi, YDXart
Development: Pauline Kong, Marie Wong
3D Design: Jose Hsu
Tabletop Simulator Mod: Alexei Menardo
Animal Short Stories: Sabrina Tang, Jason Chan
Editing: Jeff Fraser, Jonathan Liu
Special Thanks: Pauline's and Marie's family, without whom none of this would be possible. We'd like to also thank Nick Elbers, Vancouver Playtest Group, Board Game Design Lab, Meeps and Peeps, Tim Chuon, Ori Kagan, Daniel Wynter, Mark Yuasa, Matt Mitchell, Stella Jahja, and our Kickstarter backers for their incredible support!
Playtesters: Salina Tang, Sarina Tang, Sabrina Tang, Sana Kong, Waiyan Kong, Jacky Wong, Lesley Yuen, Winnie Chung, David Yu, Manmeet Parmar, Mande Leung, Chester Leung, Henry Chan, Wing Chum, Sam Binney, Adam B. Wong, Kwanki, Gabriela Pazos, Phung Lam, Terri Harapnuk, R.C., Dawong, Karen Kong, Mike Lin, Annie Teng, Janice Cheung, Jackie Chan, Gary Ma, Vancouver Playtest Group, Noe Escobar Palma, Mark Ellis, Eduardo Longo A Jr., Simpson Siu, Winnie Au, Kenny Au, Dirson Cheng, Britta Ng, Melissa Chan
Thank you siu mai-ch. Hope you had a nice meal!