Take a Seat Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
  • 1. Get a Reservation Panel
  • 2. Choose an Usher's Ability or Gain Victory Points
  • 3. Mark a Reservation
  • 4. Assign Seats on the Theater
• End of Game and Scoring
  • 1. Objective Cards
  • 2. Reservation Majorities
  • 3. Usher's Bonus
• Final Scoring
• Annex: Objective Cards
  • Category 1
  • Category 2
  • Category 3
• Solo Mode (Automa)
  • Introduction
  • Setup
  • Game Play
  • End of the Game
• Credits

Components

• 6 double sided personal theater boards (FACE A and FACE B)
• 6 reservation panel boards
• 6 markers (3 different colors)
• 4 objective identifier cards
• 14 objective cards
• 8 Automa cards (solo mode)

Setup

1. Each player receives a marker. In 2 or 3 player games, all colours must be different. In 4 to 6 player games, the marker color of the player on your left and the marker color of the player on your right must be different as yours.
2. Each player receives a personal theater, face A side up. If you want to increase the difficulty, use face B. The theater is divided into 4 zones: authorities (red background), celebrities VIP (pink background), press (green background) and general public (orange background). The scoring panel is on the right of the personal theater and is only used at the end of the game.
3. Place a reservation panel between each two players. During the game you will share the reservation panel on your right with the player on your right, and the reservation panel on your left with the player on your left. On odd turns you will use the reservation panel on your right and on the even turns you will use the reservation panel on your left. You will always use the usher section that is aiming at you. Paint the left arrow on the reservation panel on your right, and the right arrow on the reservation panel on your left to remember your game space.
4. Place the identifier cards in the center of the table, sorted one next to each other (A, B, C and D).
5. Choose randomly 4 objective cards and place them below the identifier cards. These will be the objectives you will need to accomplish during the game. For a first play, we recommend using 4 "Category 1" cards (see card description under Annex: Objective Cards). After a first play, you can try 2 "Category 1" cards, 1 "Category 2" card and 1 "Category 3" card. If you are a risk-taker, use any combination of objective cards.

How to Play

All the players will play their turn simultaneously. On each turn all the players carry out the following actions in this order:

1. Get a reservation panel
2. Choose an usher's ability or gain victory points
3. Mark a reservation
4. Assign seats on the theater

1. Get a Reservation Panel

On each turn, alternately left and right, the players take the reservation panel that is on the corresponding side.

On the first turn, all players take the reservation panel on their right and place it on the right of the personal theater. On the second turn they will take the one on their left and place it on the left of the personal theater. The arrow with your colour on the reservation panel must aim at your personal theater.

They will alternate left and right each turn until the 14 turns that the game lasts.

2. Choose an Usher's Ability or Gain Victory Points

On each turn, you choose between applying one of the usher's ability or gaining victory points:

• If you choose the ability, mark a circle around the chosen ability and scratch the victory points next to it. You must apply the ability in that same turn.
• If you choose the victory points, mark a circle around the chosen victory points and scratch the ability next to it.
• If the ability or victory points are already scratched or circled, they are not eligible for the rest of the game. This choice can be made between among all ability pairs, it is not necessary to do it in any order.

Usher's abilities

These abilities are triggered during phases 3 or 4, depending on each ability.

• Rotate and/or flip: You can rotate and/or flip the figure during the phase 4 "Assign seats on the theater".
• No area restriction: You can skip the restriction of having at least one seat associated with the area ticket during the phase 4 "Assign seats on the theater". Hence, the figure can be placed at any location of the theater.
• Extra seat (+): During phase 4 "Assign seats on the theater", mark an extra seat on the theater adjacent to the figure you are drawing this turn.
• Last minute reservation (+): Mark one extra seat at any place of the theater during the phase 4 "Assign seats on the theater".
• Double reservation (x2): You can mark a second location on the reservation panel during phase 3 "Mark a reservation". Dividing the piece into 2 separate pieces is not allowed.

3. Mark a Reservation

Scratch on any non-scratched slot on any of the 4 tickets in the reservation panel. The scratch cannot divide the piece into two separate parts. The set of squares that have not yet been scratched on the selected piece represents your reservation for that turn.

• Not valid: the figure is divided in 2 separate parts.
• Valid: the figure is not divided in 2 parts.

4. Assign Seats on the Theater

Mark the outline and the circles that correspond to the selected piece in the previous step onto the personal theater. The seats assignment needs to follow these rules:

• It cannot be overlapped with other previously marked reservations.
• It cannot get out of the theater.
• It cannot be rotated or flipped (unless you use the particular usher's ability).
• It must have at least one of the seats marked in the corresponding area selected on the phase 3 "Mark a reservation" (authorities, celebrities, press or general public).

Following the previous example, you move the non scratched boxes from the Authorities ticket onto the theater. The movement is correct since there is at least one of boxes marked corresponds to the Authorities zone.

Players return the reservation panel to its original place between the two players and wait for the rest of the players to finish their turn.

End of Game and Scoring

The game lasts 14 turns. Once the 14th turn is completed, the game ends proceeding to the final score. There are 3 areas to score:

1. Objective Cards

Players score their objective cards (see Annex: Objective Cards) and write the scoring points onto the corresponding area on the scoring panel. Objective A doubles its scoring points (the scoring of this objective is multiplied by two).

2. Reservation Majorities

Check the scratches on each ticket on both reservation panels (on the one on your left and on the one on your right). Each player has to check 8 majorities. If a player has a majority of scratches in a single ticket, he marks 2 circles on the corresponding area on the scoring panel. If there is a tie, both players add a circle on the corresponding area on the scoring panel.

Your scoring on each ticket is determined by the circle that is further to the right on the scoring panel. Example of scoring for the blue player: 20 + 10 + 2 = 32 points.

3. Usher's Bonus

Players add up the scoring points they chose during the "Choose usher's ability" step and write them on the usher section on the scoring panel.

Final Scoring

Players then add up all points to get the total scoring. The player with the highest score wins the game. Congratulations! Your theater has raised the most money!

In the event of a tie, the player with most points from the usher's bonus wins the game. If the tie persists, the tied players share the victory.

Annex: Objective Cards

Category 1

Target audience (Authorities / Celebrities VIP / Press / General public) — Players score based on the empty slots remaining on the corresponding area. If there are 6 to 10 empty slots, the player scores 4 points. If there are 1 to 5 empty slots, the player scores 9 points. If all slots are filled (sold out), the player scores 15 points.

Complete columns — Add a mark on each complete column. Players score 4 points for each complete column. Note: you only score the columns with a mark at the end of it.

Complete rows — Add a mark for each complete row. Players score 3 points for each complete row. Note: you only score the rows with a mark at the end of it.

Category 2

VIP fans — Fans want seats next to VIP celebrities and authorities in order to ask for autographs. Fan locations are marked with a specific icon. Based on the empty VIP fan slots remaining players score 15 points (sold out), 9 points (1-5 empty slots) or 4 points (6-10 empty slots). Note: VIP seats do not need to be fulfilled.

Visibility through pillars — A pillar affects the visibility to all seats behind it. Players score based on the empty slots behind all pillars. If all affected seats are occupied (sold out), the player scores 15 points. If there are 1-5 empty slots, the player scores 9 points. If there are 6-10 empty slots, the player scores 4 points.

Relevant people — Relevant people slots are marked with a large icon that occupies 4 slots in a square shape. When all 4 slots are occupied, the VIP slot is considered completed. Players score 2 points for each completed VIP large icon.

Pillars area — Players score based on the occupancy around a pillar. If all 4 slots around a pillar are marked, this is considered a completed pillar. Players score 1, 3, 6, 10 or 15 points based on the number of completed pillars.

Category 3

Aisle seats — Players score based on the empty slots remaining on the aisle area on the sides (seats with diagonal stripes). Between 6 and 10 empty slots, the player scores 4 points. Between 1 and 5 empty slots, it is 9 points. If all slots are filled (sold out) the player scores 15 points.

Largest square — Players score for their biggest complete square. Sum up the squares of one of the sides and multiply x2 to obtain your score.

Lowest occupancy rate — Players score for the area with the lowest number of circles. Each circle in this area scores one point.

Empty areas — Players score 1 point for each empty area. An empty area is a set of adjacent empty slots (diagonals are not considered as adjacent).

Solo Mode (Automa)

Before playing the solo mode, please get familiarized with the standard rules for more players.

Introduction

A new competitor has appeared on the theater scene. The new trendy venue eclipses the latest theatrical premieres. Compete to re-occupy the front page of newspapers by making your premiere shine again. In this solo mode, you will manage your own theater, trying to retain most of your audience and prevent all bookings from going to this new competitor.

Setup

1. Place a personal theater in front of you and 2 reservation panels, one on each side of the personal theater.
2. Take one marker for you, and a marker of another color for the Automa.
3. Shuffle all 8 Automa cards. Place the deck face-down (with the grid and arrows face-up) in the center of the table. If the top card shows a "x2" symbol, reshuffle the deck.
4. Use the identifier cards and objective cards as the standard rules (steps 4 & 5 of setup).

Game Play

The game play follows the standard rules, with an extra step after the player's turn. Once the turn is completed, the Automa is activated:

1. Reveal the top card of the Automa deck and place it face-up next to the deck.
2. Take the marker from Automa. Select the reservation board not used in your turn. Mark the space according to the combination of the drawn card and the first card of the Automa deck:
   • The color of the drawn card entry tells you which of the 4 areas you must mark.
   • The arrow on the top card of the Automa deck indicates which space you should mark. Find and mark the first empty space following the direction of the arrow that doesn't divide the piece into two figures.
3. If the top card has a "x2" symbol, find a second available slot to scratch.
4. Discard the revealed card. If there is just one Automa card on the deck, shuffle all Automa discarded cards and form a new deck, trying to avoid having the "x2" symbol on the top.

End of the Game

Once all 14 turns are completed, score your points following the standard rules. The Automa only scores the majorities section. Multiply the Automa scoring by 4. If you beat the Automa scoring, congratulations, you win the game!

Credits

• Design: Eloi Pujadas & Ferran Renalias
• Art & graphic design: Meeple Foundry
• Published by: Salt & Pepper Games (www.saltandpeppergames.es)