Yokohama Roll & Write Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Components
• Game Setup (Basic Game)
  • Example layout (4 players)
• Explanation of the Player Sheet
  • Town district
  • Port district
  • Warehouse district
  • Technology district
  • Technology total box
  • Round track
  • Grand total box
• Course of the Game
  • 1) Round update
  • 2) Preparation
  • 3) Employee recording
  • 4) Main action
  • 5) Additional action
  • 6) Scoring
    • Victory points in the port district
    • Cargo victory points (round 12 only)
    • Technology victory points (round 12 only)
• Area Actions
  • Fishing ground, Tea field, Silk mill, Copper mine
  • Laboratory A, Laboratory B
  • Bank, Church
• End of the Game
• Explanation of Icons
• Technology Card Details
  • LOW technologies
  • MID technologies
  • HIGH technologies
• Expansion Rules
  • Start player priority
  • New area "Chinatown"
  • New area "Chamber of Commerce"
• Achievements

Overview

Each player becomes a Yokohama merchant and tries to succeed in business and win fame.

The setting of this game, "Yokohama", is divided into districts: the town district, where employees work, and the port district, where order forms from foreign countries are placed. Employees are placed in the various areas of the town district, and by using those employees to perform the areas' actions you obtain trade goods and more. In the port district, order forms are placed; you satisfy customers' requests by gathering trade goods exactly as the order forms say.

There are also various useful technologies that came from abroad after the port opened; using their power efficiently is also a shortcut to victory.

Which player will become Yokohama's number one merchant?

Components

• Area cards (10): front and back. The front shows the area name (for example "Fishing ground"). Of these, the 2 cards Chinatown and Chamber of Commerce are for the expansion game.
• Employment cards (36): the front shows the employment number (a large number) and the card action; the back is the employment card back.
• Technology cards (24): the front shows the required power number and the effect; LOW technology 8 cards, MID technology 8 cards, HIGH technology 8 cards.
• Player sheet pad: a set of sheets with an A side and a B side.
• Area designation dice (3): one each of white, gray and black.
• Dice storage tiles (3): one each of white, gray and black.
• Area number tiles (8)
• Start player tile (1)
• Laboratory designation tiles (2): this tile is not normally used. See the note at step 8 of Game Setup.
• Manual (1)
• Pencils (6)

Game Setup (Basic Game)

1. In the basic game, the "Chinatown" and "Chamber of Commerce" area cards and the start player tile are not used; return them to the box.

2. Each player takes 1 pencil and 1 player sheet from the player sheet pad.

3. All players together decide whether to use the front A side or the back B side of the player sheet this time. (Note: all players use the same side.)

4. Place the area number tiles in a vertical column at equal intervals in the order 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

5. Shuffle 8 area cards face down, then place them face up on the table one each to the right of each area number tile. Each player writes the area names in the town district at the upper left of their own player sheet.

6. Shuffle the employment cards face down and gather them as the employment card deck.

7. Place the 3 dice storage tiles in a vertical column below the employment card deck, in the order white, gray, black. Place the area designation die of the same color on each. Reserve an "employment card place" to the right of each dice storage tile.

8. Do the following for each of the area cards "Laboratory A" and "Laboratory B". Shuffle the LOW, MID and HIGH technology cards separately face down, draw 2 of each, and arrange a total of 6 cards face up to the right of the laboratory area card. This determines the 12 technology cards used this game for "Laboratory A" and "Laboratory B" combined. (Note: if the technology cards do not fit to the right of the area card, place a laboratory designation tile elsewhere and line the technology cards up to its right.)

   The remaining technology cards are not used this game; return them to the box.

The game is now ready to start.

Example layout (4 players)

The employment card deck and the dice storage tiles (with the employment card places beside them) are on the left of the table. The area number tiles and area cards form a column in the middle; to the right of the two laboratory area cards the LOW, MID and HIGH technology cards are lined up. The player sheets are placed around the table.

Explanation of the Player Sheet

The player sheet is divided into the following sections: the town district, the warehouse district, the port district, the technology district, the round track, the technology total box and the grand total box. Each is explained below.

Town district

The section that manages employees in the areas.

• Each row represents an area (area name box, area number, and a "+1" bonus box).
• The employee track of each row is filled in by writing a circle from the left. (The first space of each employee track already has a circle written in it.)
• The topmost row of the column (above the tracks) holds the column bonuses.
• The rightmost space of each employee track is the track bonus of that track.

Port district

The section that manages order forms and buildings.

• Each square represents an order form.
• Victory point box: write the victory points from the port district at the end of rounds 6 and 12 (rows "6R" and "12R").
• Trade goods: the trade goods needed to fulfil the order form (fish / tea / raw silk / copper).
• Victory points: when all the trade goods of an order form have been crossed off (the order form is fulfilled), you receive the victory points shown on it.
• Shop: a building that doubles the victory points of the order form.
• Link bonus: a bonus that spans 2 order forms.
• Trading house (shokan): the bottom row extending from the trading houses; (number of order forms fulfilled in one column extending from a trading house) x 2 victory points.

Warehouse district

The section that manages resources.

• Money: the money stock. At the start of the game you already own 2 money.
• Faith: the stock of faith. At the start of the game you already own 1 faith.
• Cargo (funekuru-hin, "ship-borne goods"): the stock of cargo. Its spaces are marked 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 45, 50 victory points.
• Stock bonus: a bonus received immediately once a certain amount of stock has been filled.

Order in which resources are obtained

Each time you obtain a resource, write a circle. Fill the topmost row from the leftmost space to the right; when you have written a circle in the rightmost space of that row, next write circles from the leftmost space of the row one lower.

Resources are limited. Over the whole game, money and faith can be obtained only up to 30 each, and cargo only up to 14. Even if you have a chance to obtain more than that, ignore it.

Order in which resources are consumed

Each time you consume a resource, write a cross on top of a circle. Consume from the leftmost space of the topmost row to the right, just like obtaining. You never obtain any bonus through consuming a resource.

Note: cargo is never consumed. The victory points of cargo at game end: of the spaces in which a circle has been written, the star (victory points) of the rightmost one is your victory points as is.

Technology district

The section that manages acquired technologies. Laboratory A and Laboratory B each have 3 rows (LOW, MID, HIGH).

• Technology name: write the name of the technology you acquired.
• Victory point box: at game end, write the victory points from the technology.

Technology total box

Write the total of the victory points obtained from technologies.

Round track

Manages the current round number.

• Round bonus: a bonus obtained in the round update phase (described later).

Grand total box

Write the total of your victory points after the game ends.

Course of the Game

The game is played over 12 rounds. Each round is divided into the following 6 phases. Everyone performs each phase in turn. (Note: once you are used to it, you may perform phases 3) to 6) all at once without waiting for the other players.)

1. Round update
2. Preparation
3. Employee recording
4. Main action
5. Additional action
6. Scoring (rounds 6 and 12 only)

1) Round update

Each player writes a cross on the current round space of the round track at the upper right and receives the round bonus written there (if any).

2) Preparation

1. Roll all the area designation dice placed on the dice storage tiles, and place them back on the dice storage tiles.
2. Draw employment cards from the employment card deck one at a time, and place each face up on an employment card place. From round 2 on, place it on top of the employment card drawn in the previous round. (Note: the die on the dice storage tile together with the employment card placed beside it becomes a "dice and card set" as is.)

3) Employee recording

1. Each player chooses 1 of the 3 "dice and card sets".

   Example:

   • White die "3" - employment card (employment number 2)
   • Gray die "5" - employment card (employment number 3)
   • Black die "6" - employment card (employment number 4)

   Zenzaburo chose the black die set. The chosen die shows "6" and the chosen employment card's employment number is 4.

2. Record employees in the town district. Write as many circles as the employment number of the chosen employment card. In doing so, follow the rules below.

   • In the area matching the chosen die's number, you write 1 to 2 circles; in any other area you write 0 to 1 circles. (Count limit rule)
   • All areas in which you write circles must be consecutive from top to bottom. (Consecutive rule) Note: the very top and the very bottom are not connected.
   • If an employee track is full, no more circles can be written in that area.

   When an employee track is full. This may happen late in the game. If the area matching the chosen die is already full, increase or decrease the die number by 1 and look for an area whose employee track has space. It does not matter if the die number thereby becomes 0 or 7. If an area other than the area of that die number is already full, then as an exception to the consecutive rule you may skip that area.

3. You may receive bonuses by writing circles. When a vertical column is completely filled with circles, immediately receive the "column bonus" above it. When an employee track is completely filled, immediately receive the "track bonus" to its right. To make it clear that a bonus has been obtained, mark that bonus with a cross.

4) Main action

1. Choose 1 of the 8 areas of the town district, and cross off 1 to 5 of the circles written on that area's employee track, from the left to the right. However, you cannot choose an area that has not even 1 circle not yet crossed off. The area you choose may be the same as or different from the area of the die chosen in 3) Employee recording. You do not have to cross off all the circles written on the chosen area's employee track. For example, if there are 4 circles you may cross off only 2.

2. Perform that area's action with action power equal to the number of circles crossed off. If you own the "Elite" of that area, the action power is +1.

   (Note: for each area's action, see "Area Actions".)

Example: Zenzaburo wants to perform the area action of the Copper mine of 6. He crossed off 4 circles from the left. Since he has an Elite in the Copper mine, the action power becomes 5 (4 circles + Elite +1).

5) Additional action

1. Each player chooses and performs 1 of the following additional actions. You cannot perform several in one round.

   • A. Hire an Elite. Consume 1 faith and 1 money, and obtain an Elite. Trace over the dotted line of the Elite of any one area of the town district.
   • B. Build a Shop. Consume 1 faith and 2 money, and build a shop. Choose any one order form square of the port district and trace over that shop's dotted line.
   • C. Build a Trading house. Consume 2 faith and 4 money, and build a trading house. Choose one trading house at the bottom of the port district and trace over that trading house's dotted line.
   • D. Perform the main action once more. Consume 4 faith and perform 4) Main action once more. (Note: the procedure of 4) Main action is performed again from step 1. You do not get the benefit of the earlier 4) Main action twice.)
   • E. Do nothing. Do nothing.

6) Scoring

The scoring phase is performed only in round 6 and round 12. In other rounds this phase is not performed; proceed to the next round. In round 6 the victory points of the port district are calculated; in round 12 all victory points are calculated.

Victory points in the port district

Add up the following victory points, and write the total in the "6R" box in round 6, and in the victory point box "12R" in round 12.

1. Victory points of each order form square. For an order form square whose star has a circle written on it (order fulfilled), the star's number is your victory points as is. Also, if a shop is built on that order form square, the victory points are doubled.

   Examples:

   • All the trade goods of the order form square are not crossed off. The order is not fulfilled: 0 victory points.
   • All the trade goods of the order form square are crossed off. The order is fulfilled: the star's 3 victory points.
   • All the trade goods of the order form square are crossed off, and a shop is built on it: the fulfilled order's star 3 victory points x 2 (shop) = 6 victory points.

2. Trading house victory points. For each order form square extending from a built trading house that is fulfilled, you gain 2 victory points. (Note: the same order form square can yield victory points from several trading houses.)

   Example:

   • Trading house A: 2 order form squares fulfilled -> 2 x 2 victory points = 4 victory points.
   • Trading house B: 3 order form squares fulfilled -> 3 x 2 victory points = 6 victory points.

Cargo victory points (round 12 only)

Of the cargo in which a circle has been written, the number of the highest star is your victory points as is. Write it in the victory point box to the right of the cargo.

Example: 8 circles have been written on cargo. You obtain the 24 victory points of the highest star.

Technology victory points (round 12 only)

Some technologies yield victory points. Write those victory points in each technology's victory point box. After that, add up the victory points of the technologies and write the total in the technology total box.

Area Actions

Each area has several actions that can be performed. As long as you have enough action power, you may perform the same action any number of times.

Fishing ground, Tea field, Silk mill, Copper mine

Each time you consume 1 point of action power, write 1 cross on one trade good in an order form square of the port district matching the trade good designated by that area (for the Fishing ground, seafood). If you consume 2 or more points of action power, you may choose different order form squares and write the crosses on each.

If all the trade goods of an order form square are crossed off, the "order is fulfilled". Write a circle on the star of that order form square.

Example: Zenzaburo performed the area action of the "Fishing ground". The action power is 4. He crossed off 4 seafood (fish icon) trade goods in the port district.

Link bonus. Between 2 order form squares there is a link bonus drawn in a square box. When both of those 2 order form squares are fulfilled, you immediately obtain this bonus. To make clear that the bonus has been obtained, mark that link bonus with a cross.

Laboratory A, Laboratory B

A laboratory has several actions. As long as you have enough action power, you may perform several actions, and you may perform the same action several times.

A. Acquire a technology. Consume action power according to the technology's level and acquire a technology.

• Consume 2 power: 1 card from LOW technology
• Consume 3 power: 1 card from MID technology
• Consume 4 power: 1 card from HIGH technology

Write the technology's name in the technology district; from then on you may use that technology's ability. For details of a technology, see each technology card and "Technology Card Details".

Limit on acquiring technologies. Throughout the game, each player may hold only 1 of the 2 technologies of the same technology level of the same laboratory.

B. Hire an Elite. Consume 1 power and 1 money, and obtain an Elite. Trace over the dotted line of the Elite of any one area of the town district.

C. Build a Shop. Consume 1 power and 2 money, and build a shop. Choose any one order form square of the port district and trace over that shop's dotted line.

D. Build a Trading house. Consume 2 power and 4 money, and build a trading house. Choose one trading house at the bottom of the port district and trace over that trading house's dotted line.

Example: Zenzaburo performed the area action of "Laboratory A". The action power is 5.

• He consumed 3 power and acquired the MID technology "Postal service" (yubin), and
• consumed 2 power and 2 money and hired 2 Elites, tracing the dotted lines of the Elite marks of the "Copper mine" and "Laboratory B" in the town district.

Bank, Church

At the Bank you obtain money equal to the action power; at the Church you obtain faith equal to the action power. Write circles on the respective stock. When you obtain the 10th / 15th / 20th / 25th / 30th piece of stock, you immediately obtain the stock bonus written there.

Example: Zenzaburo performed the area action of the "Bank". The action power is 4. He had already obtained 6 money and used 4 of it. This time he obtains 4 money and writes circles on 4 of the money stock. Since he wrote a circle on the 10th stock, he obtained one trade good of the 4-colour trade goods of the stock bonus, and immediately wrote a cross on one seafood in the port district. As proof that the bonus was obtained, he finally wrote a cross on the 4-colour trade good icon.

End of the Game

The game ends when the 6) Scoring phase of round 12 has ended. Add up the victory points of the 6th-round and 12th-round victory point boxes of the port district, the cargo victory point box, and the technology total box, and write the total in the grand total box.

The player with the most victory points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the greater total of unconsumed money and faith wins. If still tied, the player with the greater number of unused circles on the employee tracks of the town district wins. If still tied, the victory is shared.

Example: Zenzaburo's port district victory points were 20 in round 6 and 57 in round 12. Circles were written on 8 cargo, giving 24 victory points, and technologies gave 4 victory points. The total is 20+57+24+4 = 105 victory points.

Explanation of Icons

A -> B: means that if you consume A, you obtain B.

A / B: "/" is a choice. You must choose either A or B.

A number written to the left of an icon: indicates that there are that many of what the icon shows. In the case of "2 (cargo icon)", it indicates that there are 2 cargo.

• Victory point icon (star): obtain victory points equal to the number. In the case of "*", obtain victory points according to the stated condition.
• Seafood icon (fish): obtain seafood. For each one, immediately write a cross on one seafood icon in an order form square of the port district.
• Tea icon: obtain tea. For each one, immediately write a cross on one tea icon in an order form square of the port district.
• Raw silk icon: obtain raw silk. For each one, immediately write a cross on one raw silk icon in an order form square of the port district.
• Copper icon: obtain copper. For each one, immediately write a cross on one copper icon in an order form square of the port district.
• 4-colour trade good icon: obtain a trade good of your choice among seafood, tea, raw silk and copper. For each icon, write a cross on one icon of the trade good of your choice in an order form square of the port district.
• Money icon: obtain money equal to the number. Immediately write circles equal to the number on the money stock.
• Faith icon: obtain faith equal to the number. Immediately write circles equal to the number on the faith stock.
• Cargo icon: obtain cargo. For each one, write a circle on one cargo of the cargo stock.
• Employee icon (number in a circle): obtain employees equal to the number. Immediately write circles equal to the number on the employee tracks of the town district. When writing several circles, they may be in the same area or in different areas.

Technology Card Details

LOW technologies

• Letterpress printing (活版印刷): Each time you acquire a technology, obtain 1 money. You also obtain 1 money when you acquire Letterpress printing itself. However, you cannot obtain money for technologies acquired before you acquired Letterpress printing.
• University (大学): Immediately write 3 circles on the employee tracks of the town district. The areas in which you write may be all the same area or different areas.
• Winery (葡萄酒工場): Immediately obtain 4 faith.
• Spinning mill (紡績工場): In the 4) Main action phase, after performing the area action of the "Silk mill", obtain 2 faith.
• Carriage (乗合馬車): Changes the count limit rule in 3) Employee recording. In the area of the die number you can write 1 to 2 circles as usual. In other areas you can write 0 to 2 circles. At game end, obtain 2 victory points.
• Stock system (株式制度): Immediately obtain 4 money.
• Canned food (缶詰): In the 4) Main action phase, after performing the area action of the "Fishing ground", obtain 2 money.
• Ice cream shop (アイスクリーム屋): At game end, obtain 5 victory points.

MID technologies

• Mining technology (採掘技術): In the 4) Main action phase, after performing the area action of the "Copper mine", obtain either a shop or an Elite for free.

• Postal service (郵便): In 3) Employee recording, 1 circle may be written in any area you like, without following the count limit rule or the consecutive rule. (Note: this does not increase the number of circles you can write. Be careful.) At game end, obtain 2 victory points.

• Patent system (特許制度): At game end, obtain 2 victory points for each technology you acquired. The Patent system itself is included among the acquired technologies.

• Tram (路面電車): In 3) Employee recording, you may ignore the consecutive rule. Circles may be written in separated areas. (Note: the count limit rule still applies. Be careful.) At game end, obtain 2 victory points.

• Tea machinery (製茶機械): In the 4) Main action phase, after performing the area action of the "Tea field", obtain 2 employees. Immediately write 2 circles on the employee tracks of the town district. The areas in which you write may be all the same area or different areas.

• Beef pot restaurant (牛鍋屋): At game end, obtain 7 victory points.

• Brick factory (煉瓦工場): The money you pay when performing the area action of "Laboratory A" or "Laboratory B" in the 4) Main action phase, or when building a shop or trading house in the 5) Additional action phase, is reduced by 1.

• Gas lamp (ガス灯): At game end, obtain 1 victory point for each shop written in the port district.

HIGH technologies

• Electric light (電灯): At game end, obtain 4 victory points for each trading house written in the port district.
• Telegraph (電信): In 3) Employee recording, if the employment number of the chosen employment card is 1 to 3, increase that employment number by 1.
• Telephone (電話): Once per round, by paying 1 money you may write 1 additional circle in any area you like. The effect may be used in any phase.
• Dance hall (舞踏会): At game end, obtain 1 victory point for each order form fulfilled in the port district.
• Foreign language school (外国語学校): Each time an order form is fulfilled in the port district, obtain 1 money. However, you cannot obtain money for order forms fulfilled before you acquired the Foreign language school.
• Station (駅): Immediately build 1 trading house and 1 shop, both for free.
• Newspaper (新聞): In the 4) Main action phase, when performing an area action, if the action power is 4 or less, increase the action power by 1.
• Exposition (博覧会): At game end, obtain 10 victory points.

Expansion Rules

Adopt the following rules in any combination you like.

Start player priority

When playing with 2 to 6 players, you can adopt this rule. Add the following steps at the end of Game Setup.

• The player who most recently visited Yokohama becomes the start player and receives the start player tile as proof.

In Course of the Game, add the following steps to each round.

• In the 1) Round update phase, pass the start player tile to the player on your left. (This is not done in round 1. With 5 players, it is not done in rounds 1 to 3.)
• In the 3) Employee recording phase, the start player first chooses 1 of the 3 "dice and card sets". After that, the other players simultaneously choose 1 of the "dice and card sets". At that time the other players cannot choose the "dice and card set" that the start player chose. (With 5 players, this procedure is not performed in rounds 1 to 2; follow the normal rules.)

New area "Chinatown"

This rule can be adopted regardless of the number of players. In Game Setup, change step 5 as follows.

5. Shuffle the 4 area cards Fishing ground, Tea field, Silk mill and Copper mine among the area cards, draw 1 of them and put it back in the box. Instead include the "Chinatown" area card. Shuffle those 4 cards together with the remaining 4 cards, 8 cards in total, face down again, and place them face up on the table one each to the right of each area number tile. Each player writes the area names in the town district at the upper left of their own player sheet.

Area action of "Chinatown":

• Each time you consume 1 power and 1 money, write 1 cross on any trade good you like in an order form square of the port district.
• Each time you consume 2 power and 4 money, obtain 1 cargo.

New area "Chamber of Commerce"

This rule can be adopted regardless of the number of players. In Game Setup, change step 5 as follows.

5. Shuffle all the area cards used in the basic game, draw 1 of them and put it aside. Instead include the "Chamber of Commerce" area card. Shuffle the 8 area cards face down, and place them face up on the table one each to the right of each area number tile. Each player writes the area names in the town district at the upper left of their own player sheet. The remaining area card put aside is also used in the game. (Note: when adopted together with the new area "Chinatown", mix the "Chinatown" area card into the area cards used in the basic game.)

Area action of "Chamber of Commerce": Select one other area, and perform the action of the selected area with action power minus 1. You may also select the area of the area card put aside.

Achievements

Write a circle on the achievements you attain, to leave a record of yourself as a great Yokohama merchant with a richer variety of experiences.

• Victory points: 100 or more / 110 or more / 120 or more / 130 or more / 140 or more / 150 or more / 160 or more victory points.
• Order forms: fulfil 13 or more / 14 or more / 15 or more / 16 or more / 17 or more / 18 or more order forms.
• Technology: 0 victory points from technologies; 20 or more / 25 or more / 30 or more / 35 or more / 40 or more victory points from technologies; acquire 6 technologies; acquire 0 technologies.
• Trading houses: build 3 or more / 4 or more / 5 or more / 6 or more trading houses.
• Shops: build 10 or more / 11 or more / 12 or more / 13 or more shops.
• Money: money stock of 20 or more / 25 or more / 30 or more.
• Faith: faith stock of 20 or more / 25 or more / 30 or more.
• Cargo: cargo stock of 12 or more / 13 or more / 14 or more.
• Town district: fill the employee tracks of 2 / 3 / 4 areas; fill 7 / 8 / 9 vertical columns.
• Other: play both the A side and the B side; play alone; play with 8 or more players; play with 10 or more players; play 5 or more times / 10 or more times / 20 or more times / 50 or more times.