Tabletop games
Cartographers
Intrafin GamesJordy Adan2019
- players
- 1–100
- minutes
- 45
- years
- 10+
In the box
Exploration cards · Ambush cards · Season cards · Edict scoring cards · 1 pad of blank double-sided cards
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- Jordy Adan
- Artwork
- Luis Francisco, Lucas Ribeiro
- Publisher
- Intrafin Games
- Mechanics
- Paper and PencilGrid CoverageObjectivesSimultaneous Action SelectionSolo Play
- Expansions
- Cartographers: Map Packs · 2021
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
Affiliate link: Marquoir may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The basics
Each player draws the map of a kingdom on their sheet to best fulfil the Queen's edicts, over four seasons. For each explore card turned over, everyone draws the shape shown using one of the terrain types offered; an ambush makes you draw a monster on your neighbour's sheet. Each season scores two edicts, the coins earned and a penalty per empty space next to a monster; after winter, the highest total over the four seasons wins.
The rules, step by step
Setup
1 sheet and 1 pencil, 4 edicts A, B, C, D, Explore deck
- Each player takes a map sheet and a pencil.
- Draw four edicts and place them under the letters A, B, C and D.
- Prepare the explore deck with the ruins cards and one ambush card.
How to play
Draw the shape, Seasons of 8, 8, 7, 6, Neighbour's ambush
- Turn over an explore card: everyone draws the shape shown, using one of the terrain types offered.
- Some smaller shapes earn a coin.
- Surrounding a mountain on all four sides earns a coin.
- After a ruins card, the next shape must, if possible, cover a ruins space.
- Ambush: each player passes their sheet to their neighbour, in the direction shown on the card. That neighbour draws the monster shape on it, wherever they like, then hands the sheet back.
- Each card has a time value; the season ends when the total reaches its length: 8, 8, 7, then 6.
Scoring
2 edicts per season, 1 point per coin, Empty next to monster −1
- Spring: edicts A and B. Summer: B and C. Autumn: C and D. Winter: D and A.
- Each season, add 1 point per coin earned since the start of the game.
- Each season, subtract 1 point per empty space adjacent to a monster space.
End of the game
After winter, 4 seasons added up, Highest total
- After winter, add up the four seasons. The highest total wins.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
Are coins only counted once?
No, the coins you have accumulated count at the end of every season.