Gamehelpnewton

[Many many thanks to dallasstars945 from the BoardGameGeek community for this rules recap!]

Game Flow

• Newton is played over 6 rounds, with each round having 2 phases – Action Phase and End Round Phase.

• During the Action phase, in clockwise order, players must play 1 card to their Study board and carry out Actions.

• During the End Round phase, players must move 1 of the 5 cards they played during the Action phase below their board which will strengthen their power during the next Action phase and act as a timer for the 6 game rounds.

• Victory Points (VP) are earned as bonuses, income each round, and by completing Objectives by the end of the game.

• After 6 rounds, the player with the most points is the winner.

• General Rule – Bonus tokens are activated and taken when stopped on or crossed over, but to gain the benefits of City, University, Ancient Land, Objective and Master spaces, you must stop on them. (See 6 Basic Actions below)

• General Rule – 1 Potion may be spent to represent 1 book of any color when needed. However, unlike books on cards, these books are one use only. Furthermore, books that you purchase using potions can be used only in the turn that you purchase them - you can't use potions to purchase books to increase your score from Objective tiles at the end of the game.

• Easily Missed But Important Rule – Your books count resets to zero at the beginning of each round. During a round, you 'possess' only the books shown on the action cards you have played to your Study board so far this round, plus the one or two conferred by the Liebniz and Fahrenheit Master cards. However, these books are never 'spent' (unlike potions), so you can use a blue book, say, to pay for a bookshelf tile in one turn of a round (or in two or more different turns), and then to move to an Objective tile in another turn, and also to take a coin from the bonus action of a relevant action card.

Pages 12-16 in the rulebook list detailed descriptions of all symbols, tiles, tokens and cards for you to reference.

Action Phase

• Starting with the Start player (going clockwise), on their turn, a player will play 1 card from their hand to the left-most open space on their Desk (on Study board), perform actions, and then the next player takes their turn. After all players have played 5 cards, the phase will end and move to the End Round phase (see below.)

• Each card has a Basic Action Symbol on the bottom and (possibly) a Special Effect on the top.

• On their turn, in any order they wish, a player may perform the Basic Action, the Special Effect, and any number of Quick Actions (see Quick Actions below.)

• Performing actions are optional, but you must still play a card on your turn (if you have one). If you don’t, I’m sorry :-(

• Basic Action – the bottom of the card shows 1 of the 6 Action symbols. Including the card you just played, the number of visible symbols of this particular action (on your board) is the “value” of that action you can perform this turn. You can always choose to execute a Basic Action at a lower value if you wish. See under “6 Basic Actions” for more details.

• Special Effects – See page 14 of the rulebook for the symbology and execution of the Special Effects.

Basic Actions

1. Work (Ruler and Pencil)

2. Technology (Cog)

3. Travel (Compass)

4. Lessons (Graduation Cap)

5. Study (Book)

6. Joker (Jester Cap)

1. Work (Ruler and Pencil)

• Move your Marker forward on the Work track (track board) up to the number of the “Action Value,” earning a number of coins equal to only the spaces you move (even if the “Action Value” is higher.)

• In order to activate the 2 Special Spaces or play a Master Card via the Master Space, you must stop on the space.

• In order to move your marker onto the Objective tile at the end, you must have 3 Green and 1 Blue Volume showing on your board and/or abilities on Master cards. You will earn points at the end for this tile.

• You may spend Potion tokens to represent 1 missing Volume that you need. Can do this multiple times.

• Even if your marker is on the last space of the Work track, you can still take this action just to earn full coins.

2. Technology (Cog)

• Move 1 of your Students forward on the Technology track (track board) up to the number of the “Action Value.”

• The tracks will split causing you to choose 1 pathway.

• If you don’t have any Students to move legally, you can’t take this action.

• When your Student stops or passes by a Bonus token (circle), activate it, and take it!

• Just like the Work track, your Student must stop on Special/Master spaces to use them.

• There is no limit to the number of Students that can be on the same space, however, there can never be 2 of the same color worker on the same final end space together.

• The final space of each pathway has a highlighted bar next to it for an easy visual.

• Like the Work track above, the 4 Objective tiles require the shown Volumes/Potions to move onto the space.

3. Travel (Compass)

• Move your Scientist a number of spaces on the Map board up to the number of the “Action Value.”

• If the route your Scientist takes has a coin cost, pay it to the supply now.

• When your Scientist stops on or crosses over a Bonus token (circle), activate it, and take it.

• Must stop on City, University, Ancient Land, Objective and Master spaces to use. Mark the space with a cube from your player board (top-bottom, left -right). Earn the VP shown next to the 9th-12th cubes when placed.

• There can’t be more than 1 travel cube of the same color on the same space.

• No limit to the number of Scientists that can be on the same space.

• In order to move your marker onto the Objective tile, you must have 3 Yellow and 1 Green Volume (and/or potions) showing on your board and/or abilities on Master cards. You will earn points at the end for this tile.

• Once you are out of cubes, you can still take this action, but no more cubes can be placed.

4. Lessons (Graduation Cap)

• Take only 1 of the face-up Action cards from a row of equal or lesser value compared to your current Action Value and put it in your hand.

• Don’t replace the card just yet. This will be done during the End Round phase.

5. Study (Book)

• Take 1 of your Bookshelf tiles (from topmost stack) and place it on your Study board (each player has their own) over a shelf space on a level that is equal to or less than the number of the “Action Value.” See the left-most part of the Study board to see the levels of the shelves.

• I know that is a tad confusing, but understand that each space of the bookshelf is on LEVEL 1, 2, or 3, and the level is what you compare your “Action Value” to. You also have to have met the requirements of the space!

• If placing the Bookshelf tile uncovers a bonus, take it now.

• The spaces all have a requirement you must meet in order to place there:

– University/Ancient Land icons mean you just have to have visited the specific space on the map.

– The Volume (book or tome) requirement means you have to possess the number of colored books shown. See under 'Game Flow' above for an important note about this!

– You can always spend 1 potion token in place of 1 needed Volume (book) as many times as needed.

– You can always spend 3 Potion tokens in place of 1 needed University or Ancient Land requirement.

• The Window pane spaces are just there to divide the rows/columns.

• At the end of each segment there is an arrow with a VP value. If this row/column is completely covered during End Round phase, you earn the shown reward on the other side of the arrow.

• The bottom-left corner of the shelves is already filled in for you with Books.

• The 5 spaces showing “!” are where you hold up to 5 Income tiles to earn you more rewards during Income.

• Can’t place more than 1 tile per turn, and if you don’t have any Bookshelf tiles left, you can’t take this action.

6. Joker (Jester Cap)

• When played, the Joker can represent any other Basic Action, and calculated like normal using the symbols on your board of that chosen type this turn (including the Joker you are playing.)

• However, once on your board (or tucked under), a Joker can’t be included when calculating a Basic Action value.

Quick Actions

(Perform any number of these on your turn in any order)

• Flip 2 Cards – Repeatable, spend 1 coin to flip over 2 more cards from any of the 3 Action card rows.

• +1 to Basic Action – 1x per turn, spend 2 coins to boost your “Action Value” of an Action Card by +1. You can’t boost the “Action Value” from an action granted by a tile or Master card.

• Buy a Potion – Repeatable, spend 3 coins to take 1 Potion from the supply.

• Enroll a new Student – repeatable, spend 5 coins to move 1 of your Students from your supply (not the Track board) to the Start Space of Technology track.

End Round Phase

(When Action Phase is over, all players do this simultaneously)

1. Choose 1 card from the 5 played this Action Phase and tuck it under your Study board in the left most slot so that only the bottom symbol is showing. The card can no longer be used for its special effect, but still can be used for the symbol.

2. Take back the other 4 cards you played this round into your hand. They can be played again next Action Phase.

3. Receive income as shown on your Bookshelf.

• – Income Tiles you placed with “!” earn you what they show. You can have max 5 of these showing at a time.
• – Rows/Columns that are completely filled with Bookshelf tokens earn what the arrow is pointing to.

4. All face-up cards in the Action card rows are placed under their deck, and 3 new ones are flipped over.

• – If fewer than 3 cards are left to flip over, flip those that are left.

5. Pass the 1st player marker clockwise.

6. If this was the end of round 6, go to End Game now, if not, go back to the Action Phase for the next round and continue.

Game End

• After the end of the 6th round, the game will end. (Use the cards placed under your board as a timer.)

• Each player earns additional VP for Objectives spaces they reached and Master cards they played.

• Most VP is the winner.

• No tie breaker.

Tokens, Tiles and Cards

(see page 12-16 in rulebook for more details)

[Please note: some content still needs to be implemented in BGA. Thank you for your patience! - Cranio Creations]

• Bonus Tokens - Immediate bonus to the 1st player who stops/crosses them, keeping tile. (Circle tiles-Map/Tech boards)

• Specialization Tiles – Must stop on these, gain a bonus of an Income/Development tile to place on Study board.

• Development Tiles – Place on 1 of your “free drawers” in 2nd row. If all 5 full, you can replace one you added earlier.

• Income/Medicine Tiles – Gives you income during End Round phase. Medicine income tile gives 1 or 3 VP depending on the number of cities showing the Medicine symbol you visited. Place on “!” space on bookshelf, can replace earlier tiles.

• Invention Tiles – When stopping on these tiles, take the bonus immediately. Basic Actions of Invention tiles trigger up to the number shown as the “Action Value” and can’t be boosted by spending 2 coins.

• City Tiles – When you place a travel cube on this tile, take the bonus.

• Objective Tiles – Earns VP at end of game if your marker is on it. Must meet the 4-Volume requirement to reach the tile.

• Master Cards – Play using the Master space of the Work, Technology, and Map tracks and using the 9th bookshelf tile. If grants a Basic Action, must use up to the “Action Value” shown and can’t be boosted by spending 2 coins. VP at bottom.

– Robert Boyle (0) – Perform a “Study” action with 4-value. Value can be split into multiple bookshelf tiles placed.

– Tycho Brahe (5) – 2 permanent Blue Volumes.

– Thomas Browne (1) – Perform a “Lesson” action with 4-value. Value can be split allowing multiple cards taken.

– Giordano Bruno (4) – Earn 6 coins.

– Rene Descartes (1) – Perform a “Lesson” action with 1-value. Then take the Basic Action of the card you chose as if you played it. Count the symbol on the card when calculating the “Action Value.”

– Margaret Cavendish (6) – Permanently remove your topmost 2 bookshelf tiles.

– Nicolaus Copernicus (2) – Perform a “Study” action with 3-value. Ignore the requirement of the space you cover.

– Nicola Cusano (4) – Earn 3 Potions

– Daniel Fahrenheit (6) – 1 Volume of any color (you choose the color each time you need it.)

– Galileo Galilei (3) – Perform the “Travel” action with 3-value. May place 1 cube on each space you pass.

– William Gilbert (7) – Place 1 of your Students at the bottom of the Technology Track from your reserve.

– Edmond Halley (2) – Perform a “Technology” action with 4-value. You can split movement between Students.

– Christaan Huygens (2) – Perform a “Work” action with 3-value. If you reach the end of the track, ignore the Objective tile requirements.

– Johannes Kepler (4) – Perform a “Work” action with 6-value. Do not receive coins.

– Gottfried Leibniz (5) – Permanent 2 Orange Volumes

– Isaac Newton (5) – Permanent 2 Green Volumes

– Paracelsus (3) – Perform an action of your choice with 3-value.

– Blaise Pascal (4) – Perform a “Travel” action with 5-value. You don’t have to pay travel costs.

– Evangelista Torricelli (2) – Perform a “Technology” action with 3-value. If you reach an Objective tile, ignore the requirements.

– Maria Winkelmann (2) – Place 1 travel cube on a space of your choice, except the Master space or Objective tile.