"Tuki" comes from the languages of the Inuit people of the northern Polar region (Inuktitut) and is derived from "Tukilik" (plural Tukiliit), a word used to denote objects that have a certain meaning.

The best-known of these objects are without doubt the Inukshuk: man-made stone towers resembling human beings in both form and function.

The Inuit use these stone towers as guides in the snow-filled expanses of Canada and Greenland, to show the way to caribou hunting grounds, areas abundant with fish, or the next village.

In Tuki, you build your own Tukilik out of stones and blocks of snow - but you'll need to build quickly and accurately for your stones to be helpful guides.

Components

• 12 Stones
• 12 Blocks of Snow
• 50 Normal level Tukilik Cards
• 50 Advanced level Tukilik Cards
• 1 Card Stand
• 1 Die
• Instructions

Object of the Game

Be the fastest Tukilik builder using stones and blocks of snow. Avoid being the slowest, as that gets you an Tukilik card. When a player collects their fifth (5th) Tukilik card they are out of the game.

Setup

First, decide which set of Tukilik cards to use. Choose between the normal game (with 3 stones) or the advanced game (with 4 stones). Continue setup as follows:

1. Place the card stand in the middle of the table, so that each player is able to see the cards that are and will be inserted into it over the course of the game.

   
   
   

2. Shuffle the chosen Tukilik cards well and place them in the bottom of the card stand.

3. Carry out the following steps according to the number of players:

   • In standard games of two or three players, each player takes one grey, one blue and one purple stone, as well as one block of snow of each shape (seven pieces altogether).
     
     In advanced games, everyone gets an orange stone too.

   • In games of four players, only three players take part in each round, and so only three sets of stones and blocks are needed (as above). The fourth player performs a special role.

Now the game can start!

Game Play

In Tuki, you keep playing rounds until any player has received their fifth (5th) Tukilik card. How the game ends depends on the number of players.

each round, a Tukilik card is revealed. Each player must then build this Tukilik as fast as possible, using their stones and blocks of snow.

Tukilik Card

The picture on the Tukilik card just shows the positions of the colored stones. You use your blocks of snow in various ways to help build this formation, for example, as supports or to provide a counterbalance.

Round Sequence:

Step 1: Determine The Scout

In the first round, the last player to go skiing is the scout. Otherwise, the player who received the Tukilik card in the previous round receives this role.

With four players, the scout doesn't take part in the round. Instead, he gives all his stones and blocks of snow to the previous scout, letting him take part again.

Step 2: Present the Task

A The scout rolls the die and places it beside the card stand.

B The scout draws the top card of the deck in the bottom of the card stand.

C The scout inserts the card into the slot at the top of the card stand so that the rolled symbol appears at the bottom.

Step 3: Build

Now, everyone taking part in the round uses their colored stones and blocks of snow to build the Tukilik shown on the card as fast as possible.

The die: The die shows another important building rule.

No Block

If the die doesn't have a white block () under its animal, then your colored stones must touch the playing surface (e.g. the table).

Block

If the die has a white block () under its animal, your Tukilik must be built on blocks of snow, so that no colored stones touch the playing surface.

Your Tukilik must be exactly the same as the one on the card. Each stone is divided into 5 identical segments. These can be seen on the stone and on the card, letting you know exactly how the stones must be aligned.

This example shows how the pictured Tukilik could be built.

End of the Round

If you think you have built your Tukilik correctly, let your opponents know. Once all players have done so, the round ends. Now, check the Tukiliit together:

• If everyone has built correctly, whoever was last to finish building gets the Tukilik card and places it in front of that player.

• If one player made a mistake while building, he gets the card, even if he was not the slowest.

• If more than one player made a mistake, the one who announced earliest that they were finished gets the card.

If nobody has a fifth (5th) Tukilik card yet, start a new round.

End of the Game

How the game ends depends on the number of players:

• With two players, the game ends as soon one of the players gets their fifth (5th) Tukilik card. The player with the fewer cards wins!

• With three or four players, after a player gets his fifth (5th) Tukilik card, one final round is played. That player will be the scout, and will not take part in this final, deciding round. In this round, the first player to build his Tukilik wins the game!

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