Rules Arabana-Opodopo

- Components -

• The game board includes a scoring track and 16 islands:
   
  • 4 small islands each having 3 connections to adjacent islands
  • 11 large islands each having 5 connections to adjacent islands
  • the main island (Lusepil) which has 7 connections with adjacent islands.
   
• 48 island cards (3 cards per island)
   
• 1 components bag
   
• 80 bridges in four players' colors (in each case 20 per color)
   
• 40 island pieces in four players' colors (in each case 10 per color)
   
• 4 ships in four players' colors in order to record the points on the scoring track
   
• 16 god pieces that are only needed for the "Power of the gods" variant
   
• These instructions

- Idea of the Game -

Three to four players fight over supremacy of 16 islands on the Arabana archipelago. Cards are played to determine where a bridge may be placed. The player who occupies the majority of the bridge places on an island takes control of this island and removes all of the opponents' bridges from it. This can trigger changes in control on adjacent islands.

There are two scoring rounds during which players receive points for controlled islands. Whoever has the most points after the second round wins the game.

Before the First Game

Place the island stickers on the longer cards and the god stickers on the smaller cards.

- Game Preparations -

Each player gets 20 bridges and 10 island pieces of one color as well as four island cards hidden in hand.

Players simultaneously decide which one of their cards they do not need and discard it face up. In a three-player game a fourth card is drawn from the bag and also discarded face up. During the game, cards may be drafted from the face-up cards or from the components bag. Tip: it's a good idea to hold on to identical cards or cards from adjacent islands.

The players' ships are placed on the first space of the scoring track.

- Playing and Drafting Cards -

A player may play any number of his cards on his turn. At the end of his turn, he may take just one card. The next player then plays. Played cards are placed on a common discard pile.

It is permitted to play no cards and then draw a card. However the hand maximum of five always applies.

When taking a card, the player can choose one of the four face up cards or draw one from the components bag. If a card is taken from the display, it is re-filled so that there are once again four cards showing.

Overdrawing the hand is not permitted; i.e. you must have at most four cards in hand before drawing. If playing a card is not desired or possible, a card can be discarded without showing the opponents.

When a card is played, a player places a bridge on one of the available bridge spaces going out from that island. If more than one card is played, they are played one at a time (exception: Bridge Exchange).

Bridge Exchange: by playing two cards on a spot already held by a bridge, the player can remove this bridge and replace it with one of their own color.

Example: a red bridge is on the Nuridan-Opodopo connection. Playing two Nuridan cards or two Opodopo cards, or one Nuridan and one Opodopo cards, allows the player to remove this bridge and place one of their own.

- Absolute Majority -

- Relative Majority -

If by occuping the last vacant connection on an island a player achieves a "relative majority" (i.e. has more bridges on this island than any other single player, but too few for an absolute majority), then an opponent's bridge is likewise removed. However, the island is not claimed (no piece is placed):

If a player achieves the only the "relative majority", he removes from this island one bridge of his choice belonging to an opponent.

The duty to remove a bridges may not be avoided. (Removing a bridge is not always advantageous for the active player. If he cannot occupy the newly-open bridge place, he possibly opens a spot for an opponent). Examples:

• (Small island: this rule does not apply to small islands)
   
• Large island (2-1-1-1): the active player places the second bridge of his color and three others have one bridge each. The active player removes an opponent's bridge on this island.
   
• Main Island Lusepil (3-2-2 or 3-2-1-1): the active player places the third bridge of his color, and two or three other players have in each case one or two bridges on this island. The active player removes an opponent's bridge on this island.

If a player achieves the relative majority together with one or several other players, the bridge of the player who has only one on this island is the one removed:

Examples:   Big island: 2-2-1         Main Island Lusepil: 3-3-1 or 2-2-2-1

- Round Ends -

The first stage ends when the last card is taken by a player, including all cards from the bag and the four face-up cards. At this point, the intermediate (and lesser) scoring occurs.

After the intermediate scoring, the cards are mixed and four of the cards are randomly laid out face-up.

When the last card is taken the second time, the round continues until each player has had the same number of turns. Then the major, final scoring takes place.

After each player has had a final turn, the major scoring is conducted.

During the final round a player may pass on taking his turn without losing the chance to take it later so long as a player with more points on the scoring track has yet to take their last turn. In this way the person with the least points has the chance to decide when to take a turn.

Tip: In most cases it's a good idea to play last in the round.

After each player has had a final turn, the major scoring is conducted.

- Scoring -

Each player scores the islands that he controls. The value of an island is determined by the number of connection spaces not occupiedby this player. Every free space or space occupied by another player's bridge counts one point. In the final scoring every controlled island is counted as an additional point as well.

Examples of minor scoring:
(numbers in parenthesis are major scoring)

2 own bridges on a small island: 1(2)

3 own bridges on small island: 0 (1)

3 own bridges on big island: 2 (3)

4 own bridges on big island: 1 (2)

5 own bridges on big island: 0 (1)

4 own bridges on main island: 3 (4)

5 own bridges on main island: 2 (3)

6 own bridges on main island: 1 (2)

7 own bridges on main island: 0 (1)

- Game End -

The game ends after the big scoring.The player with most points wins. In a tie, the player that ended his turn earlier wins.

Premature ending:
If a player has placed all ten island pieces, he can win immediately with the appropriation of the 11th island.

If a player has placed all 20 of his bridges, he can play his cards without placing a bridge. Or, if he removes his own bridge from the game board with a card, may not put a bridge on this same place in the same turn.

- Tactical Tips: -

• In the first round of each stage, players should only take cards since having a larger hand gives more possibilities.
   
• Pay attention to the cards that others take so you can better estimate their intentions.
   
• While playing cards, try to hit as many opposing bridges as possible, but be careful not to get caught in duels involving heavy losses.
   
• The main island Lusepil brings the most points, but it is difficult to defend. It can especially be a mistake to take this island early in the game.
  
   

- The Power of the Gods -

These additional rules allow a richly varied game with new opportunities.

Game Preparations: Before the first game, carefully remove the 16 gods tokens from the cardboard. Each player receives a god board and positions it in front of them. Even in the 2-player game, each player receives only one god board. In general, the rules are the same as for the basic game.

Gods tokens

At the beginning of the game a god token is placed, picture side up, on each of the islands. The player who first wins control of an island by absolute majority takes the god token lying there and places it in the corresponding space on his god board. Thus each player can easily see which pieces each player holds and who has what advantages. If a player possesses two identical god tokens, he stacks them one atop the other on his god board. Each god token may be used exactly once, after which it is surrendered and out of the game?

Note: all players can use god tokens of any color.

Hawai'ian Mythology

Kane: god of life, sunlight and fresh spring water. He created heaven, earth, nature and the first people.

Kanaloa: god of the sea, storms and lord of the kingdom of the dead. He is the protective patron of healers and faithful companion to Kane. He appears as a man or a squid.

Ku: god of the rising sun, war, male strength and healing plants. Human victims were brought to him. Holds the highest position in the hierarchy.

Lono: god of fruitfulness, play and peace. He is answerable for the harvest and weather and rules wind and clouds. From October to February all warfare on Hawai'i is suspended while Lono is honored and the people dance and play. Appears as a tree, fish or half-man/half-pig.

Pele: goddess of fire and volcanoes. Once upon a time she impetuously destroyed the land with her fire and was therefore thrown out of her family. Hunted by her sister, the sea-goddess Namaka, she flew from island to island. The fires she kindled there were quenched by Namaka with sea spray.

These legends describe the factual state of the Hawai'ian island chain. One after another the islands grew out of the sea from submerged volcanic activity.

Many thanks to the numerous playtesters of various game groups in Berlin, Potsdam, Hannover and Dortmund for their patient cooperation and helful suggestions.

Rules translation prepared by Rick Heli - spotlightongames.com