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(Completely rewrote it. I believe it is better now but of course feel free to tweak it.)
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== The Deck ==  
== The Deck ==  


* There are 5 suits (yellow, blue, white, green, and red; each corresponding to one of the coloured expedition maps on the centre board).
* There are 5 suits: yellow, blue, white, green, and red.
* Each suit consists of 12 cards: 9 cards numbered 2-10, plus 3 investment cards marked with a handshake symbol.
* Each suit has 12 cards: the numbers from 2 to 10, plus three "investment" cards marked with a handshake symbol.
* The entire deck is shuffled and used in each round.
 
== The Board ==
 
* On the board is a separate discard pile for each suit.
* Played cards will go on your own side of the board, always in the appropriate column for the suit. A group of one or more played cards is called an "expedition"; players will not necessarily have all five in each round.
* To the side of the board is a draw pile shared by both players (the number of cards remaining is shown).


== Play ==
== Play ==


* Each player maintains a hand of 8 cards.
* You hold 8 cards in hand.
* There is a shared draw deck.
* Each turn has two steps:
* You will sort your cards by suit, by tucking them under your side of the centre board.
*# First either play or discard one card.
* Your opponent will do the same on their side of the centre board.
*# Then take one card, either from the deck or from the top of any discard pile.
* Each expedition map on the centre board represents a discard spot for the corresponding colour.
* Within a particular expedition (suit): once you've played a numbered card, you may no longer play any lower-numbered card, nor any investment card. That is, numbered cards must be played in increasing order, and investment cards must come before them all.
* Both players use the discard piles jointly.
* When the draw pile is empty, the round ends instantly.
* On your turn, you must:
*# Add one card from your hand to a suit, by placing it '''below''' the corresponding colour on the centre board  '''OR''' discard one card to the appropriate discard pile '''on''' the centre board.  
*# Draw the top card from the shared draw pile '''OR''' from a discard pile on the centre board.
** Both actions are mandatory.
* Cards must be added in ascending sequence.
* Number gaps are permitted.
** ''e.g. 3-5-6-9 is allowed''
* Investment (handshake) cards are played before the corresponding suit cards.
** ''i.e. in the same position where one would play a card numbered 0''
** Investment cards can no longer be added to a suit after the player has added any numbered card(s) to the suit.
* Players need not embark on all 5 expeditions (colours); only those that are embarked on by a player count toward that player's score.
* The round ends immediately when the last card is picked up from the draw pile.
* The game continues until the players have completed three rounds (or the number of rounds selected during game setup).


== Scoring ==
== Scoring ==


Your score for each round is the sum of the points you scored for each of the five expeditions, counted as follows:
Each expedition you started is scored separately, and the results totaled. Suits in which you played no cards at all score nothing. For each one:
# Take the sum of all your numbered cards in the expedition
 
# Subtract 20 if you played any cards to it (including investment cards)
# Add up the values of all numbered cards played.
# Multiply the result from step 2. by (number of investment cards + 1). Note that the negative values is also multiplied!
# Subtract 20. (You might get a negative number.)
# Add 20 if the expedition contains 8 or more cards
# If there are N investment cards present, now multiply by (N+1). (At most this can quadruple your score, and it will do so even if your score is negative!)
# Finally, if the exhibition has eight or more total cards, add 20 points.
 
The basic idea is: if you start an expedition at all, then you need to reach 20 just to break even. Investment cards magnify your winnings OR losses relative to that target. And playing a large number of cards (whatever they may be) is worth a bonus.
 
Since BGA displays a running total as you play, this alternative (equivalent) explanation might seem more fitting:
 
* When you begin an expedition (play your first card of a suit), lose 20 points.
* When you play an investment card, lose (perhaps *another*) 20 points.
* When you play a numbered card, gain that many points, plus that many points again for each investment card present.
* If that was the eighth card of the expedition, gain another 20 points.
 
== Rounds ==
 
A game may last either one or three rounds. If three, scores are simply added. In rounds two and three, the player with the higher score plays first.

Revision as of 20:48, 8 July 2022

The Deck

  • There are 5 suits: yellow, blue, white, green, and red.
  • Each suit has 12 cards: the numbers from 2 to 10, plus three "investment" cards marked with a handshake symbol.
  • The entire deck is shuffled and used in each round.

The Board

  • On the board is a separate discard pile for each suit.
  • Played cards will go on your own side of the board, always in the appropriate column for the suit. A group of one or more played cards is called an "expedition"; players will not necessarily have all five in each round.
  • To the side of the board is a draw pile shared by both players (the number of cards remaining is shown).

Play

  • You hold 8 cards in hand.
  • Each turn has two steps:
    1. First either play or discard one card.
    2. Then take one card, either from the deck or from the top of any discard pile.
  • Within a particular expedition (suit): once you've played a numbered card, you may no longer play any lower-numbered card, nor any investment card. That is, numbered cards must be played in increasing order, and investment cards must come before them all.
  • When the draw pile is empty, the round ends instantly.

Scoring

Each expedition you started is scored separately, and the results totaled. Suits in which you played no cards at all score nothing. For each one:

  1. Add up the values of all numbered cards played.
  2. Subtract 20. (You might get a negative number.)
  3. If there are N investment cards present, now multiply by (N+1). (At most this can quadruple your score, and it will do so even if your score is negative!)
  4. Finally, if the exhibition has eight or more total cards, add 20 points.

The basic idea is: if you start an expedition at all, then you need to reach 20 just to break even. Investment cards magnify your winnings OR losses relative to that target. And playing a large number of cards (whatever they may be) is worth a bonus.

Since BGA displays a running total as you play, this alternative (equivalent) explanation might seem more fitting:

  • When you begin an expedition (play your first card of a suit), lose 20 points.
  • When you play an investment card, lose (perhaps *another*) 20 points.
  • When you play a numbered card, gain that many points, plus that many points again for each investment card present.
  • If that was the eighth card of the expedition, gain another 20 points.

Rounds

A game may last either one or three rounds. If three, scores are simply added. In rounds two and three, the player with the higher score plays first.

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