Lanterns:TheHarvestFestival

ByChristopherChung|FromFoxtrotGames
Players: 2-4 | Time: 20-30 Minutes
---- Thisisaprototyperulebook.Therewillbelayoutandartworkchangesbeforethefinalversion.

Synopsis:
The harvest is in, the workers are fed, and it's time to celebrate! Play as artisans of the emperor
adorning the imperial lake with lanterns in preparation for the harvest festival. Decide on lantern color
arrangements, match colors next to platforms to impress the emperor, and dedicate sets of lanterns to
become the most honored artisan when the festival begins.

Components:

35 Lake Tiles

56 Lantern Cards (7 colors, 8 of each color)

30 Dedications
(9 of each type plus 3 generic)

Favor Tokens

Setup:
Separate all Lantern Cards into 7 piles (one pile for each lantern color with eight lanterns in each
pile), then place each pile face up on one side of the play area.
o 3 Players: Remove 1 lantern from each pile (leaving seven).
o 2 Players: Remove 3 lanterns from each pile (leaving five).
Separate the Dedications into 3 stacks (one stack for each type of dedication). Arrange each
stack in descending order based on point value, with the most valuable one on top. (Set aside
the generic gray dedications worth 4; these are only used if a stack of dedications runs out.)
o 3 Players: Remove the one token from each stack with a 4+ in the bottom right corner.
o 2 Players: Remove the three tokens from each stack with either 3+ or 4+ in the corner.

 Place the starting Lake Tile with a star in the center of the play area face down in a random
orientation. Flip the tile so that each side of the starting Lake Tile faces exactly one player. This
may require you to place the tile at an angle or adjust your seating position in such a way that
each side of the Lake Tile is across from one of the players, or else agree upon and indicate which
direction (north, east, south or west) of the Lake Tiles belongs to each player.
Deal 3 Lake Tiles to each player face down from the top of the stack. Lake Tiles are held in hand
and kept secret from other players.
Create a stack of Lake Tiles with the following number of tiles (corresponding to the number of
players). Remove any remaining tiles and place them back in the box.
o 4 Players: 20 tiles (removing two).
o 3 Players: 18 tiles (removing seven).
o 2 Players: 16 tiles (removing twelve).
Each player takes one lantern card corresponding to the lantern arrangement color on the side
of the starting tile facing him. (Players keep their lantern cards face up in front of them, visible
to all other players.) The player starting with the red lantern card takes the first turn.

Turn Overview:
On his turn, the Active Player does the following in this order:
1. Exchange A Lantern (Optional)
2. Dedicate Lanterns (Optional)
3. Place Lake Tile (Mandatory)

Turn Details:
1. Exchange (Optional)
The Active Player may spend two favor tokens to exchange one of their lantern cards for a
different colored lantern card available in the Lantern card stacks. (This can only be done once per turn,
at the very start of the turn. (Players can earn favor tokens by placing lake tiles: [see below].)
2. Dedicate Lanterns (Optional)
The Active Player may make a dedication by forming a specific set of Lantern Cards. There are
three possible types of dedication: Four Of A Kind (four cards all the same color), Three Pair (three
different colors, two cards of each color), and Seven Unique (seven cards, one of every color). You may
only make one dedication per turn, before playing a Lake Tile. Return the cards needed for the
dedication back to the appropriate stacks of lantern cards, and claim the top Dedication Token of the
type of set and place it face up in front of you. (Lantern cards are distributed when lake tiles are placed:
see #3 below.)
(The Dedication Tokens are not intended to be limited. If a particular type runs out, place the
generic 4 tokens in place of the empty stack. Dedications of that type can still be made for 4 points.)
Four Of A Kind requires a set of four of the same color Lantern Cards.

Three Pair requires three pairs of two matching color Lantern Cards.

Seven Unique requires one of each all seven different color Lantern Cards.

At the end of this phase, players cannot have more than 12 lantern cards. If a player begins his turn
with more than 12 lantern cards, he must make a dedication and/or discard Lantern Cards until he has
only 12 lantern cards remaining before placing a tile.

3. Place Lake Tile (Mandatory)

The Active Player places a new Lake Tile face up adjacent to any existing Lake Tile. (The new Lake
Tile does not need to match an existing tile; matching gives a bonus [see below], but it is not required.)
Every player will now receive Lantern Cards from the newly-placed Lake Tile and place the cards
face-up in front of them. Distribute the Lantern Cards as follows:
1. Matching Matching the edges of Lake Tiles so that identical lantern color arrangements are
touching earns the active player bonuses. If the newly placed Lake Tile matches any adjacent
Lake Tiles, the Active Player will receive a Lantern Card of the matched color for each
matched side.
If either of the matched tiles (the newly-placed tile or the existing tile that was matched) has
a platform on it, the player also receives 1 Favor Token for each platform matched.
Note: Lake Tiles could match multiple adjacent tiles, providing multiple lantern cards and
multiple favor tokens to the Active Player.
2. Orientation Every player, starting with the Active Player and going clockwise, receives one
Lantern Card matching the lantern arrangement color depicted on that players side of the
newly placed Lake Tile (i.e. the player sitting in the North position receives the lantern shown
on the North side of the Lake Tile).
If tiles remain in the draw pile, the Active Player draws a Lake Tile to replenish his hand to three
lake tiles.
Play then continues clockwise with the next player becoming the new Active Player.
Lanterns being Unavailable:
If any of the Lantern Card stacks have been reduced to 0, those Lantern Cards are now Unavailable.
Players can no longer receive cards of that lantern color arrangement. Simply ignore that lantern color
when lake tiles are placed and lantern cards are distributed. Lantern cards will come back available as
players use their lanterns to make dedications.

End Game:
Players take their turns, placing a Lake Tile and (if possible) drawing a Lake Tile, until all the tiles are
drawn and placed. Players then take one final turn in which they may optionally exchange a lantern
and/or make a dedication as normal.
Players then add up all the honor awarded for their Dedications. The player with the most honor wins
the game. In the case of a tie, the tied player with the most favor tokens remaining wins. In case of a
further tie, the tied player with the most Lantern Cards remaining wins. Subsequent ties stand.

Appendix: Gameplay Example (4-Player Game)

Play #1

1. Player 1 (South) chooses to place a Lake Tile (outlined) next to the starting Lake Tile with the blue side matching
the starting tile and with a pink side facing him. Player One receives one blue lantern card (for matching a blue to
a blue) and one pink lantern card (for the pink facing him).
2. Player 2 (West) receives one blue lantern card.
3. Player Three receives one yellow lantern card.
4. Player Four receives one black lantern card.

Play #2

1. Player 2 (West) chooses to place a Lake Tile with a platform (outlined) next to the
previously-placed tile. Player Two receives one pink (for matching pink to pink) and receives 1
favor token (because one tile in the match contained a platform). Player Two also receives one
black (for the black facing him).
2. Player 3 (North) receives one pink lantern card.
3. Player 4 (East) receives one green lantern card.
4. Player 1 (South) receives one pink lantern card.

Play #3

1. Player 3 (North) chooses to place a Lake Tile with a platform (outlined) next to the
previously-placed tile. Player Three receives a black (for matching black to black) and 2 favor
tokens (because two tiles in the black-to-black match contained a platform). Player 3 also
receives one blue (for the blue facing him).
2. Player 4 (East) receives one black.
3. Player 1 (South) receives one pink.
4. Player 2 (West) receives one black.