Components
- 60 tiles
- 4 Scoreboards
- 20 Score Markers
- Instructions
Object of the Game
In turn order, each player will add 1 tile face up to the display thereby adding to the black circles.
Each player will score points for color symbols in each black circle being formed in the display that matches the color symbols on the tile they have played. These points will be tracked on their Scoreboard.
At the end of the game, players will compare the scores for their lowest scoring color. The winner will be the player with the highest number of points for their lowest-scoring color. The specific color does not matter.
During the game, you must pay close attention to your weakest color so that you can increase its score.
Setup
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Each player takes:
- 1 Scoreboard,
- 5 Score Markers - 1 each in red, green, blue, orange, purple.
Place the Scoreboard in front of you. Then place each Score Marker on the matching colored start space (0). The Scoreboards must remain easily visible to all players during the game.
When playing with fewer than 4 players, return any unused Scoreboards and Score Markers back to the box.
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Mix the tiles thoroughly facedown. Turn up 4 tiles and create a 2x2 square display in the middle of the playing area. If there are any tiles with empty corners on the outside of the square, rotate them so that any empty corners are in the center.
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Each player now takes 12 tiles and, without looking at them, places them facedown to create a stack in front of them as a personal supply. Then each player draws 1 tile from their stack to their hand being careful not to reveal its color symbols to other players.
Put remaining tiles aside as a general supply.
Game Play
First, here is a quick overview:
Determine a start player however you like. This player places the tile in their hand face up in the display, scores the tile, and then draws a new tile from their stack.
Then the next player in clockwise order takes their turn in the same way. Play continues in similar manner until each player has played all of the tiles in their stack. Then the winner is determined.
Now, here are the details of play:
On your turn, perform the following steps in order.
- Place a tile in the display.
- Score the tile.
- Draw a new tile.
1. Place a tile in the display
You must play the tile from your hand so that it is adjacent to one or more tiles in the display.
Try to place your tile so that you can score as many points as possible. At the same time, try to prevent your fellow players from gaining a higher score.
2. Score the tile
Each tiles contains 4 black areas, 1 in each corner. When placed adjacent to other tiles in the display, these will add to the black circular shape.
You will score each of the 4 corners of the tile you have placed one by one. You will not score any points for a corner that is not adjacent to any other tiles in the display.
Scoring can have 2 different results:
Result A: The corner you are evaluating shows a color symbol.
Look at all of the black areas in the circle adjacent to the corner being evaluated. It doesn't matter if the circle is complete or incomplete.
Score 1 point for each matching color symbol in this circle's black area. The color symbol you have placed does not score for itself.
Example: 1 point for purple and 1 point for blue. The corner with the green color symbol scores 0 points because there are no adjacent green color symbols.
The corner with the orange color symbol does not score because there is no adjacent tile for this corner.
Example: 2 points for red and 1 point for blue.
Example: 1 point for red and 1 point for blue.
Result B: The corner you are evaluating is empty.
Name any color and evaluate the empty corner as if it had that color symbol. The scoring is the same as for Result A.
Note: You may only name a color symbol if the tile you have just placed has an empty corner. You cannot name a color symbol for any empty corners that were already in the display. Such corners will not score any points.
Example: 1 Point for purple and 1 point for blue, if you name blue for the empty corner.
The corner with the red symbol scores 0 points because the adjacent corner does not have a color symbol.
Example: 1 point for blue and either 2 points for red or 1 point for purple, depending on whether you name red or purple for the empty corner.
Add your points to the Scoreboard
Move each of your Score Markers for the appropriate colors to the right to score your points.
Example: You score 2 points for red and 1 point for blue. You will move the red Score Marker 2 spaces and the blue Score Marker 1 space to the right.
3. Draw a new tile
At the end of your turn, draw a new tile from the top of your personal supply stack.
If a score marker reaches space 12 on the scoreboard - call out "axio" and gain an extra turn.
You can't have more than 12 points for any color. If you reach the 12th space when scoring for a color, any points past 12 are lost and you will no longer score for this color. After you finish scoring this tile, call "AXIO!"
You now immediately gain an extra turn. Take 1 tile from the general supply - not from your stack! - and play it as described in steps 1 and 2. (It is possible to gain multiple extra turns - up to 5, 1 per color). Do not draw a tile from your stack to end your turn until after you have completed any extra turns.
Note: Once all of the tiles in the general supply are used up, no one can gain any more extra turns.
End of the Game
As soon as each player has placed and scored all of the tiles in their personal stack, the game ends. Now determine the winner of AXIO rota as follows:
Compare each player's lowest scoring color. Whoever has gained the most points for their lowest scoring color wins. It doesn't matter what color it is or whether any scores have reached the final 12th space.
If 2 or more players score the same number of points for their lowest scoring color, the tied players then compare their score for their next lowest scoring color to determine who has won.
In the very rare case that 2 (or more) players all have equal scores for all 5 Score Markers, the tied players share the victory.
Special Case: If a player succeeds in scoring 12 points with all five colors, they win immediately.
Solo Play
All rules are the same with the following adjustments: You play one turn after another and try to score as high as possible.
At the end of the game, make a note of your score for your lowest scoring color. Try to beat this score in subsequent games. What is the highest score you can achieve?
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