Archipelago

2012

Dive into the era of exploration in Archipelago, a board game of strategy, diplomacy, and intrigue where your decisions can incite a natives' revolt.

240
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Archipelago is a thrilling and immersive board game that drops you right into the heart of the Age of Discovery. This board game is a fascinating blend of exploration, economy, and civilization building, set in the lush landscape of newly discovered tropical islands.

In Archipelago, you play the role of an explorer and colonial governor in the 15th-16th century. Your mission is to explore archipelagos, harvest resources, and build a flourishing colony in order to generate wealth and prosperity for the motherland. But remember, the indigenous population may not always be friendly, and rival explorers are always on the lookout for a chance to undermine your efforts.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Setting Up ‘Archipelago’

‘Archipelago’ is an exciting board game that combines strategy, negotiation, and resource management. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set it up:

1. Board Placement:

Place the mother island tile in the center of the playing area.
Shuffle the hexagonal sea and mountain tiles separately. Place them in separate stacks next to the mother island.
Shuffle the hexagonal forest, hill, and plain tiles together. Place them in a third stack next to the sea and mountain tiles.

2. Player Roles:

Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding player pieces: 3 ships, 4 citizens, 5 discs, 1 screen, and 1 player aid.
Determine the first player randomly. They get the starting player token.

3. Initial Resources:

Each player puts one disc on the ‘0’ space of the score track and the remaining discs on the ‘0’ spaces of the four resource tracks (fish, stone, wood, and gold).
Each player places one of their citizens and one of their ships on the mother island.
Each player takes one gold, one wood, and one fish from the supply. These initial resources are hidden from the other players behind their screen.

4. Random Elements:

Separate the evolution cards by their backs (I, II, and III). Shuffle each pile separately and place them in three stacks face down next to the game board. Draw the top card from the I stack and place it face up next to the stack.
Shuffle the crisis cards and place them in a stack face down next to the game board.
The first player draws one objective card from the objective deck and looks at it secretly. They then pass the deck to the next player who does the same. This continues until each player has drawn one card.

Now you are ready to start playing ‘Archipelago’! Remember, the goal of the game is to make your colony the most prosperous and powerful while keeping the native population under control.

Game flow Round and round we go

Archipelago is a complex and strategic board game with multiple phases in each round. Players are challenged to explore, manage their resources, negotiate with others, and ultimately balance their own wealth and prosperity with the stability of the shared colony. The game is divided into several distinct phases:

Evolution Phase: In this phase, players select evolution cards. The first player begins by choosing a card from the available options and then it proceeds clockwise. These cards represent technological, economic, cultural, and governmental evolution. They are used to provide special abilities or advantages throughout the game.
Order of Play Phase: Players determine the order of play for the current round. The player with the highest initiative (as shown on their character card) goes first. In the event of a tie, the player who went earlier in the previous round goes first.
Population and Harvest Phase: Players may increase their population and harvest resources from their controlled territories. Each player can perform two actions: increase population and harvest. The increase population action allows a player to add more workers to their supply, while the harvest action allows a player to gain resources from a territory they control.
Actions Phase: Players take turns in the determined order to perform actions. Actions can include moving workers, exploring new territories, constructing buildings, and trading. Each action costs a certain number of action points. Players continue taking turns until all players have passed.
Progression of Time Phase: Players age their resources. In this phase, certain resources will age and potentially decay. This is representative of the passage of time and the realistic aspect of resource management.
Domestic and Export Market Phase: In this phase, players can buy and sell goods in the domestic and export markets. This is a crucial phase for economic strategy, as players must balance their supply and demand for various resources.
Revolt Phase: This is the final phase of each round. If the collective population of the archipelago is not satisfied (as indicated by the crisis level), a revolt may occur. If a revolt happens and the players have not managed to quell it, the game ends and the player with the most victory points wins.

Archipelago continues in this way, round by round, until one of the game’s end conditions is triggered. The winner is the player who best manages their resources, controls the most territory, and accumulates the most wealth, all while keeping the archipelago stable.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Archipelago, a player’s turn comprises several stages where they can make strategic choices and perform actions. Understanding these options is key to the overall gameplay and success in the game. Here’s a breakdown of the activities in a player’s turn:

Phase 1: Order of Play Determination

During this phase, players decide the turn order for the current round. The player who offers the most resources becomes the first player and chooses a turn order card.

Phase 2: Population Effects

In this phase, the players have to manage the population of their islands. If the total number of meeples exceeds the total number of hexes, a rebellion occurs. Players can prevent a rebellion by supplying the necessary resources.

Phase 3: Actions

Each player performs their actions in the order determined in Phase 1. Actions include:

Exploration: Players can explore new territories by drawing a tile from the stack and placing it adjacent to existing tiles. This action allows players to expand their reach and exploit new resources.
Population Movement: Players can move the meeples within their territories. This action is essential to manage the population and prevent rebellion.
Construction: Players can construct buildings by paying the required resources. Buildings provide additional benefits and contribute to victory points.
Recruitment: Players can recruit more meeples to their territories. More meeples mean more actions but also increase the risk of rebellion.
Taxation: Players can collect resources from the hexes they control. These resources are essential for buying action discs, constructing buildings, and trading.

Phase 4: Evolution

In the Evolution phase, players can buy development cards using resources. These cards offer various advantages and victory points.

Phase 5: Income

During this phase, players receive income based on their buildings and the number of markets they control.

Phase 6: Market

In the final phase, players can trade resources in the market to gain other resources or money. This phase is crucial for resource management and gaining the upper hand in future rounds.

Throughout the game, players must balance their actions to maintain control, prevent rebellion, and accumulate resources. The player who best manages these tasks and accumulates the most victory points wins the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Archipelago’ ends under four possible conditions: Evolution Card Condition, Rebellion of the Natives, Bankruptcy, or End of Game Card Condition.

1. Evolution Card Condition:

This is a situation where a player has purchased evolution cards equal to or more than the number decided at the start of the game. This number is determined based on the type and length of game selected: short, medium or long.

2. Rebellion of the Natives:

If the natives’ rebellion marker reaches the last space on the rebellion track, the game ends immediately. All players lose in this condition, except for the player who has the separatist card. The player with this card wins the game.

3. Bankruptcy:

If the bank runs out of florins, the game ends immediately. The final scoring is then calculated based on the remaining assets of each player.

4. End of Game Card Condition:

At the beginning of the game, an end of game card is randomly selected and kept secret from the players. This card outlines a specific condition that, once met, will trigger the end of the game.

Before final scoring, players must perform the following actions:

Calculate the total number of victory points from their evolution cards.
Add the victory points from their secret objective card.
Add any victory points granted by the end of game card.

The player with the highest total of victory points is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most florins wins. If there is still a tie, the winner is the player with the most population cubes on the board.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Archipelago is a complex game wherein scoring depends on a variety of factors related to the player’s actions throughout the game. Below is a detailed explanation of the full scoring system in Archipelago.

Evolution Cards: At the beginning of the game, each player is given a set of evolution cards. These cards may be kept hidden from other players. At the end of the game, these cards will award the player with victory points based on their respective requirements.

Each evolution card details unique conditions that can earn the player points. For example, a card might award points for owning the most pineapple resources or for having the most buildings on the board.
The number of points a player earns from each card can vary, and is typically dependent on the player’s rank in relation to other players for a specific condition.

Population and Building Tiles:

Players can also earn points through the placement of population and building tiles on the board. Each player receives one point for each population cube and one point for each building tile they have on the board.
However, if a player has any unemployed workers (population cubes not assigned to a building tile), they lose one point for each unemployed worker.

Tie-Breaking Rules: In the event of a tie at the end of the game, the tie-breaker is determined in the following order:

The player with the most gold wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most resources wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most population cubes on the board wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most workers wins.

In summary, the scoring system in Archipelago takes into account a variety of factors, including the use of evolution cards, population and building tiles, resource collection, and employment. This makes the game a complex and exciting challenge for all players.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Archipelago is a complex board game with various rules, exceptions, and special scenarios. Here are some of the rare or special rules and clarifications that may be applicable:

1. Crisis Resolution:

In Archipelago, not all crises are resolved in the same way. Depending on the nature of the crisis, the resolution might require different resources or actions. For example, a rebellion crisis would need military intervention, while a famine crisis would need food resources.

2. Exploring New Territories:

When exploring new territories, players can only explore tiles that are adjacent to their existing territories. If a player draws a sea tile, they cannot place it if they do not have a port.

3. Population Growth and Unemployment:

Population growth happens automatically at the end of each round. However, if there are not enough resources to support the new population, the excess population becomes unemployed. Unemployed workers can cause a crisis if not managed properly.

4. Buying and Selling Resources:

While buying and selling resources, the price is not constant. The price of resources fluctuates based on supply and demand mechanics. This means the price can go up and down during the game.

5. Evolution Cards:

Evolution cards offer special abilities to the players. However, they can only be used once and are then discarded. Players need to strategically use these cards to gain maximum benefits.

6. End Game:

The game can end in several ways. It can end if the Archipelago becomes independent, if the natives rebel, if players manage to satisfy the natives’ demands, or if players reach the end of the evolution deck.

Remember, the key to mastering Archipelago is understanding these rules and exceptions and planning a strategy accordingly.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

The board game ‘Archipelago’ is a complex and strategic game that requires careful planning and foresight. Here are some tips, strategies and common mistakes to avoid that can help you improve your gameplay and increase your chances of winning.

Advanced Strategies:

Resource Control: Aim to control the supply of at least one resource. This will give you leverage over other players and can be used to your advantage during negotiations.
Population Management: Be mindful of your population’s happiness. Discontent can lead to rebellion, which will disrupt your plans. It is beneficial to invest in buildings and actions that increase happiness.
Exploration: Do not underestimate the power of exploration. The more tiles you have, the more resources you can potentially gain. This can also give you more options for expansion.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the Game Mechanics: Familiarize yourself with the game rules and mechanics. Understand how the market works, how to manage your population, and the importance of exploration.
Plan Ahead: Try to plan your moves ahead of time. This will allow you to adapt quickly if your plans are disrupted by other players.
Start Small: Do not try to do too much at once. Focus on one or two strategies at first and gradually expand your approach as you become more comfortable with the game.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the Market: The market is a crucial part of Archipelago. Ignoring it can leave you at a disadvantage. Make sure to regularly check how the market is evolving and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Overpopulation: Overpopulating your islands can lead to increased discontent. Be careful not to expand too quickly without the necessary resources to keep your population happy.
Overlooking Rebellion: Keep an eye on the rebellion track. Ignoring it can lead to a game-ending rebellion that you may not be prepared for.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Efficient Resource Management: Efficiently managing your resources can give you an edge over your opponents. Try to balance the need for growth and expansion with maintaining a happy population.
Strategic Negotiations: Negotiation is a key part of the game. Be strategic in your negotiations – sometimes it can be beneficial to help another player if it means you also get something in return.
Balance Exploration and Expansion: Balance your drive to explore new territories with the need to consolidate and expand your existing territories. This will help you maintain a steady flow of resources while also keeping your population content.