As the chief of your tribe, you are leading your people on an expedition to claim and then settle the different islands of a recently discovered archipelago.

The paradise is rich with resources, and there are whispers of a beautiful lagoon hidden somewhere between the islands. Strategically direct your people and build your settlements so you can collect as many resources as possible and become the most renowned tribe on the archipelago!


Components

  • 1 Game Board
  • 24 Wooden Resources: coconuts
  • 8 Wooden Statuettes
  • 20 Wooden Villages (4 sets of 5)
  • 120 Settlers
  • 1 Linen Bag
  • 1 Score Pad

Setup

  • Open and lay out the Game Board. It shows the 8 islands that make up the archipelago.

  • The Resources represent coconuts, bamboo, water, and precious stones. Drop all 24 into the Linen Bag with the 8 Statuettes and shake the bag to mix them up.

    Then, pick the pieces out one-by-one and place them randomly on the island spaces that feature a circle of stones.

  • Place the Score Pad near the Game Board so it is visible to all players.

  • Have each player choose a color and, depending on the number of players, have them take the following number of Villages and Settlers in that color:

    • 2-player game: All Villages and Settlers
    • 3- player game: All Villages and 25 Settlers (leave 5 Settlers in box)
    • 4- player game: All Villages and 20 Settlers (leave 10 Settlers in box)

Example of a 4-player set up.



Game Play

The game is played in 2 successive phases, the Exploration Phase and the Settlement Phase. At the end of each phase, scores are tallied and totaled.

Tip: A good way to learn and/or teach the game is to do a few rounds of the Exploration Phase. After players understand the game, add in the Settlement Phase.



The Exploration Phase

The youngest player starts, and play progresses clockwise from them. During their turn, a player must place one of their pieces (Settler or Village) on an unoccupied space of the board.

They may either:

  • 1 Place a Settler onto any unoccupied space in the sea, boat-side up. This is important because to settle an island, there must be a point of entry on the sea. Careful! A village cannot be placed on the sea.



    or

  • 2 Place a piece (Settler or Village) on an unoccupied island space that is next to a piece they placed (in the sea or on land) during a previous turn.



    In other words, players may only put a piece on land when it is going to be next to one of their own Settlers or Villages. Settlers on land are placed land-side up.

    When a player places a piece on a space that has a Resource or Statuette, they take that Resource or Statuette from the board and keep it for themselves 3.



    Players must be able to see which Resources and Statuettes were collected by other players at all time.

Important!
  • Players may only place one piece per space and per turn on the Game Board.

  • Villages placed on island spaces with Resources or Statuettes (spaces featuring a circle of stones) will be removed and discarded from the board after the Exploration Phase.

Ending and Scoring the Exploration Phase

The Exploration Phase ends one of two ways:

  • When all the Resources (coconuts, bamboo, water, and precious stones) have been collected, OR

  • When all players have placed all of their Settlers and Villages on the board.

At the end of the Exploration Phase, the scores are recorded on the Score Pad. Players get points for the following:

  • Islands: Players with pieces on all 8 islands score 20 points. Players with pieces on 7 islands score 10 points.


  • Links: Players earn points for their chain of pieces that links the most islands. For each island linked by this chain, they score 5 points.


  • Majorities: The player with the most pieces on an island scores the points indicated on the board (either 6, 8, or 10 points, depending on the island). If a tie occurs, the points are divided evenly between the players. For example, if 3 players have the same number of Settlers on an island that is worth 8 points, they each score 2 points.

  • Resources: Players score points for the Resources they collected during the phase.

    If they have:

    • 4+ matching Resources: They score 20 points
    • 3 matching Resources: They score 10 points
    • 2 matching Resources: They score 5 points

    All 4 Resource Types: They score 10 bonus points (can only be scored once)

  • Statuettes: Players score 4 points for each Statuette in their possession.


Example of Scoring



Islands:

Pink (8 islands) = 20 points. Blue (7 islands) = 10 points. Orange (6 islands) = 0 points.

Links:

Pink (4 islands) = 20 points. Blue (3 islands) = 15 points. Orange (5 islands) = 25 points.

Majorities:

Pink (4+10) = 14 points. Blue (6+6+8) = 20 points. Orange (4+10+8+6) = 28 points.

Resources:

Pink (5+5+5+5+10) = 30 points. Blue and Orange (10+20) = 30 points each.

Statuettes:

Pink (2x4) = 8 points. Blue (4x4) = 16 points. Orange (1x4) = 4 points.

At the end of the Exploration Phase, Julia has 92 points, Sasha has 91 points and Paul has 87 points.



Settlement Phase

After counting the first set of scores from the Exploration Phase, get the Game Board ready for the Settlement Phase.

Remove all the Settlers and any remaining Resources and Statuettes from the Game Board. Remove and discard all the Villages that are on the island spaces that feature a circle of stones. (where Resources and Statuettes originally were).

Leave any Villages on the other island spaces, these allow players to populate the islands during the Settlement Phase.

Then, drop the 24 Resources and 8 Statuettes into the Linen Bag. Pick them out one-by-one and place them back on the Game Board, randomly, on island spaces that feature a circle of stones.

Have all players take back their Settlers. Discard any unused Villages to the box (with the ones removed from the Game Board). Players will only place Settlers on the Game Board during this second phase.

The player to the left of the player who took the last turn during the Exploration

Phase starts the Settlement Phase. In other words, play simply continues clockwise.

The Settlement Phase is carried out like the Exploration Phase but now players can only place their Settlers onto unoccupied spaces that are next to a piece they placed during a previous turn (or a Village left over from the Exploration Phase).

In other words, players may only place a Settler on the board when it is going to be next to one of their own Settlers or Villages.

Important: Unlike the Exploration Phase, players can only place a Settler in the sea if that sea space is next to a piece they previously played.

Ending and Scoring The Settlement Phase

Just like the Exploration Phase, the Settlement Phase ends:

  • When all the Resources (coconuts, bamboo, water, and precious stones) have been collected OR

  • When all players have placed all of their Settlers on the board.

At the end of the Settlement Phase, the scores are tallied and totaled using the same rules as the Exploration Phase.


End of the Game

Each player adds up their scores from both phases. The player with the highest point total wins.

In case of a tie, the player with the most Resources and Statuettes wins. Otherwise, the players share the victory.


Continue Reading