Tentacolor
Tentacolor Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 65 expedition cards, including:
- 60 Tentacle cards
- 1 Expedition Leader card (Chef d'expédition)
- 4 Extremity cards (Extrémité)
- 4 Tentacolor cards
Setup
Example setup for 3 players.
- Place the 4 Tentacolor cards in the centre of the table to form the creature as illustrated in the rulebook. Then turn the cards to their front or back side so that as many fish symbols appear as there are players. The Tentacolor is shared by all players. Each player has a single tentacle to make evolve: the one in front of whom they sit.
- Place the 4 Extremity cards face up near the play area. They are only used at the end of the game and for the Expert Oceanographer variant (see page 8 of this rulebook).
- Shuffle the 60 Tentacle cards and deal one of them face down to each player. Form a stack with the remaining cards and place it face down in the centre of the table. This is the draw pile (pioche).
- Each player chooses one of the starting points of the creature's tentacles. On each turn, players must place their card next to that starting point.
- The last player to have been at the seaside receives the Expedition Leader card and draws 1 additional card. That player starts the game.
Goal of the Game
The first player to complete their tentacle with a run of 5 cards sharing a common colour wins the game (6 cards with 2 players).
Playing the Game
On your turn, you must perform the following three actions, in this order:
- Draw a Tentacle card.
- Extend the creature's tentacle.
- Give a card to your neighbour.
Play proceeds clockwise.
Draw a Tentacle Card
Draw 1 Tentacle card from the draw pile without showing it to the other players, and add it to your hand.
Extend the Tentacle
Choose 1 card from the 3 you have in hand and place it at the end of your tentacle, respecting the colour matching. Each Tentacle card has two colours, but only one is needed to complete your series of cards.
Example
Adrien plays 1 yellow/green Tentacle card (a) on his first turn. On his next turn, he plays 1 yellow/orange Tentacle card (b), because the two cards form a run. They have one colour in common: yellow!
You must always play a card; you can never pass your turn. It may be that you cannot play a card that extends a run. In that case, with the cards in your hand, you must start a new series of colour at the end of your tentacle.
Explorer's tip: If you are forced to start a new series, try to place a card sharing a colour with the previous card so that you already have 2 cards in a row!
Example
Adrien has already played 2 consecutive cards, yellow/green and yellow/orange. He has no more yellow cards in his hand and must play a card of another colour. He decides to play an orange/blue card to start his new series, with orange as the common colour!
Give a Card to Your Neighbour
Once your Tentacle card is placed, choose 1 card from those remaining in your hand and give it to the player on your left. You must have exactly one card left in your hand at the end of your turn.
Explorer's tip: Look carefully at the colour series started by your opponent before giving them a card!
Encounter Cards
Tentacolor sometimes attracts the curious, and on some Tentacle cards various animals appear: the shark, the school of fish and the rare specimen. These are Encounter cards. When you place an Encounter card, immediately apply its effect:
- Shark: "Oh no, a shark! Does it have bad intentions? When in doubt, it is better to move away." Remove the last card of an opponent's tentacle of your choice. This card is returned to the box.
- School of fish: "These fish travel in groups. They are more and more numerous and you can hardly see anything anymore..." Choose another player. That player discards their card and returns it to the box. They immediately draw 1 new card so that they have one in hand.
- Rare specimen: "This fish is sublime with all these colours! It will make a fine photo for your collection." Draw 1 new card, then place 1 card of your choice at the end of your tentacle.
End of the Game
When a player places their 5th Tentacle card of a same-colour series, they immediately win the game. They may place the Extremity card of their choice to signify their victory.
Well done, explorer! You managed to photograph the creature! These photos will help the scientists learn a little more about it. But be careful, Tentacolor still holds many mysteries... Continue your expedition and dive back in to uncover its secrets!
Example
During the game, Adrien has managed to place 4 cards in a row with orange in common. On his turn, he places a 5th card, an orange/red one, respecting the orange series. His tentacle is now complete and he immediately wins the game!
Victory with 2 Players
In a 2-player game, the first player to complete a series of 6 cards wins the game.
Variant: Expert Oceanographer
Once you have mastered the rules, you may add the 4 Extremity cards to your games.
Setup: deal 1 Extremity card face down at random to each player. Each player looks at their card to learn their secret end-of-game objective. Each Extremity card has three colours. You must make a series of 5 or 6 cards in one of these three colours.
Once your series of 5 cards is placed (6 cards with 2 players), you do not immediately win the game. On your next turn, you must reveal your Extremity card to the other players and place it at the end of your tentacle to show that you are the winner.
Example
At the start of the game, Adrien received the orange/green/red Extremity card. He has just placed a 5th card completing his orange series (a). On his next turn, he reveals his Extremity card and places it at the end of the series (b). He has therefore won the game!