Carpe Diem

2018

Enter the world of ancient Rome as a wealthy patrician, strategize to build a profitable district, and earn the most prestige points. A unique and strategic game by renowned designer Stefan Feld.

75
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Carpe Diem is a delightful and intellectually engaging board game designed by Stefan Feld. As the name suggests, ‘Carpe Diem’ – Latin for ‘seize the day’ – players are encouraged to make the most of each turn as they navigate through the game’s thrilling Roman empire setting.

The game’s theme revolves around the bustling life of ancient Rome. Each player takes on the role of a wealthy patrician, aiming to construct a prosperous district that will contribute to Rome’s grandeur. The game’s setting is beautifully designed, featuring elements of Roman architecture, landscapes, and commodities that make the game visually appealing and historically immersive.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game ‘Carpe Diem’ comes with several components, each playing a unique role in the game’s mechanics. Here is the list of all components included in the game and their function:

1. Game Board

The game board in ‘Carpe Diem’ serves as the primary playing area where players will move their patrician figures and select building tiles. The board is designed with seven round fields, each containing four buildings.

2. 7 Frame Parts

These are used to construct the game board. They are shuffled and placed in a circle to create a unique setup for each game.

3. 110 Building Tiles

These tiles represent the different types of buildings that players can construct in their city districts. Each tile provides unique benefits and scoring opportunities. The building tiles include residential buildings, production buildings, public buildings, well tiles, and landscape tiles.

4. 8 Scoring Cards

Scoring cards are used to determine the various ways players can earn points during the game. At the start of the game, four cards are randomly selected and placed on the four cardinal points of the game board.

5. 4 Patrician Figures

Each player receives a patrician figure, which they move around the game board to select building tiles. The figure’s location also determines the player’s turn order for the next round.

6. 4 City District Boards

Each player receives a city district board, where they will place the building tiles they select. The layout of the tiles on this board can impact a player’s score.

7. 55 Resource Markers

These markers represent the different resources that players can collect throughout the game. They include bread, herb, grapes, fish, and chicken. Players can use these resources to fulfill the requirements on the scoring cards.

8. 14 Fountain Cards

Fountain cards provide additional scoring opportunities. Each card has a unique scoring condition, and players can earn these cards by constructing fountain buildings.

9. 24 Frame Cards

These cards are placed on the frame parts of the game board. They provide additional building tile options for players when they move their patrician figure to a frame part.

10. 4 Scroll Cards

These cards are given to the players at the start of the game. They provide a one-time bonus which can be used at any point during the game.

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

Carpe Diem is a strategic tile-placing board game that explores the theme of Ancient Roman city-building. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players, each player taking on the role of a wealthy patrician with the goal of developing the most prosperous district in the city.

Step 1: Board Preparation

Each player should take a frame and 4 matching colored markers. The frame is assembled into a square, and the markers are placed on the 4 corners. The central playing board is placed in the middle of the table, with the 7 buildings placed randomly on the outlined spaces of the board.

Step 2: Player Boards

Each player receives a player board which fits inside their frame. The board is divided into squares and each player places one of their markers on the starting space of the scoring track.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player receives a starting set of resources; which consists of 3 bread, 3 denarii (coins), and 3 goods of their choice. These resources are placed next to their player board.

Step 4: Card Placement

The 96 landscape cards are shuffled and divided into 7 stacks of equal size. Each stack is placed face down on one of the 7 buildings in the central board.

Step 5: Random Elements

The 24 bonus tiles are shuffled and placed face down. Each player draws one tile and places it face up in the designated space on his player board. The remaining tiles are returned to the box.

Step 6: Player Roles

Each player assumes the role of a Roman patrician, responsible for building and managing their district. They do this by placing landscape cards and managing resources. The player who last visited Rome or lives closest to Rome is the starting player.

Step 7: Game Start

The game begins with the starting player taking their first turn. Turns continue in a clockwise direction until the game ends, which occurs when all the landscape cards have been used. The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Game flow Round and round we go

‘Carpe Diem’ is a popular strategy board game set in ancient Rome. The game consists of four rounds, each of which is divided into seven turns. The player’s objective is to build the most prosperous city district. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the game’s structure:

1. Game Setup:

Shuffle the building cards and place them in a stack.
Place the game board in the center of the table.
Each player receives a city district board, a patrician marker, and a scoring marker.
Place the patrician markers on the central forum tile and the scoring markers on the start space of the scoring track.
Place the building tiles in the frame spaces of the game board.

2. Round Structure:

Each round in Carpe Diem consists of seven turns, during which players follow these steps:

Move Patrician: Players move their patrician markers one space along the dotted line to an adjacent frame space.
Take a Building Tile: Players pick a building tile from the frame space their patrician marker is in and place it on their city district board.
Refill Frame Space: After a player takes a building tile, they replace it with a new one from the building stack.

3. End of Round:

At the end of each round, players score their city districts based on the following criteria:

Completed Buildings: Players score points for each completed building in their district.
Completed Landscapes: Players score points for each completed landscape in their district.
Banderoles: Players score points based on the number of banderoles they have collected.

4. End of Game:

The game ends after the fourth round. The player with the most points on the scoring track is declared the winner. If there is a tie, the player with the most leftover resources wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

The game of Carpe Diem revolves around drafting tiles and building your own city district. Each player’s turn is broken down into several steps, each of which presents unique strategic choices and opportunities to influence the game’s outcome.

1. Movement of the Patrician:

At the start of a player’s turn, they must move their patrician piece on the central board. This piece can move to any building tile in the next clockwise segment. The player can choose which tile to move to based on what they need for their city district.

2. Tile Placement:

After moving the patrician, the player takes the building tile from the central board and places it in their city district. Each tile must be placed adjacent to an existing tile, and placing tiles in certain configurations can score bonus points. Players must consider how each tile placement will contribute to their overall strategy.

3. Scoring:

Scoring occurs in two ways in Carpe Diem: during the game through the completion of buildings and landscapes, and at the end of the game based on players’ completed city districts. When a player completes a building or landscape, they score points immediately and may also receive bonus resources or points. The strategic choice here is to prioritize certain buildings or landscapes for immediate points or to focus on end-game scoring opportunities.

4. Forum:

At the end of each round, players can place their cards on the forum board to claim additional bonuses or points. The choice of where to place the cards can have a significant impact on the player’s final score, adding another layer of strategy to the game.

5. Preparation for the next round:

Finally, at the end of their turn, the player refills the central board with new building tiles from the supply and the next player takes their turn. This presents an opportunity for players to anticipate their opponents’ moves and make strategic decisions about their own future moves.

Strategic choices play a critical role in Carpe Diem, as players must balance immediate scoring opportunities with long-term planning. The placement of the patrician and building tiles, the completion of buildings and landscapes, the use of the forum, and the anticipation of opponents’ moves all contribute to a player’s overall strategy and success in the game.

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

Carpe Diem is a strategic board game where players aim to accumulate the most victory points (VPs) by constructing buildings and fulfilling tasks. The game ends after the fourth round, and the player with the highest number of VPs wins.

Here’s how the end of a game works:

End of the fourth round: Once all players have placed all of their seven tiles in the fourth round, the game ends. Players cannot place more tiles after this point.
Final Scoring: After the end of the fourth round, final scoring begins. All players calculate their victory points based on their completed buildings, landscape features, and fulfilled tasks. The player with the highest total victory points is the winner.
Fulfilling tasks: Throughout the game, players should aim to fulfill tasks depicted on the task cards. These can be fulfilled by placing the appropriate tiles on their player boards. At the end of the game, each fulfilled task card can earn players additional VPs.

Here are the primary ways players can accumulate victory points:

Buildings: Each building type provides a different amount of VPs. For instance, a bakery can earn a player two VPs, while a villa can earn multiple VPs based on its size.
Landscape Features: By completing landscapes like ponds or vineyards, players can earn additional VPs. The number of VPs earned depends on the size of the landscape feature.
Task Cards: Players can earn VPs by fulfilling the conditions depicted on task cards. These conditions can range from constructing certain buildings to creating specific landscape features.

In the case of a tie, the player who has the most leftover resources (like bread, wine, or herbs) is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player who went earlier in the turn order wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Carpe Diem’, scoring is a crucial part of the gameplay. Accumulating points is done throughout the game, and the final scores are calculated at the end of the 4th round.

Scoring During the Game:

Players earn points throughout the game by completing buildings and landscapes on their player board. The points awarded will depend on the specific building or landscape completed.
For each completed landscape (fields, vineyards, ponds), players will receive the points indicated on the corresponding scoring card.
For each completed building, players will receive points based on the type of building: bakeries, marketplaces, and housing estates have different point values.
Additionally, players can earn points by gathering bread, fish, and herbs, as well as by advancing on the scroll track.

Scoring at the End of the Game:

At the end of the game, players will receive additional points for their remaining resources: 1 point for each remaining bread, fish, or herb; and 2 points for each remaining coin.
Players also receive points for their progress on the scroll track, with points awarded based on their position.
Finally, points are awarded for the banderoles (seals) that players have collected during the game. The value of these points depends on the number of banderoles of the same color that a player has.

Tie-breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the game has a set of tie-breaking rules to determine the winner:

The player with the most leftover resources (bread, fish, herbs, and coins combined) is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player who is furthest ahead on the scroll track wins.
If a tie still persists, the player who collected the most banderoles wins.
In the rare case that a tie still cannot be broken, the victory is shared.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Carpe Diem is a strategic board game that requires players to construct buildings and landscapes in ancient Rome. While the game is relatively straightforward, there are rare or special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players should be aware of.

1. Order of Play:

First Player Rule: The first player is the one who most recently visited a farm. If no player has recently visited a farm, the first player is chosen at random.
Round Completion: In the rare event that all players have used their patricians, the round is immediately over. The remaining tiles are discarded, and new ones are drawn for the next round.

2. Building Rules:

Building Placement: A building tile must always be placed adjacent to an existing tile on the player’s landscape board. The only exception is the first tile placed, which can go anywhere.
Matching Frames: When placing a building tile, the frames of the placed tile must match those of the adjacent tiles. If a player cannot place a tile due to this rule, they must return it and take a ‘1 point’ tile instead.

3. Scoring:

Scoring Order: At the end of each round, scoring is conducted in a specific order. Players first score their Bandarole cards, then their green buildings, followed by their Forum cards.
Negative Points: At the end of the game, players receive negative points for any incomplete buildings and landscapes. Each incomplete feature counts as -4 points.

4. Endgame:

Endgame Trigger: The game ends immediately if a player completes their seventh landscape. If multiple players complete their seventh landscape in the same round, the game continues until the end of that round.
Final Scoring: In the rare event of a tie, the winner is the player with the most leftover goods. If there is still a tie, the win is shared.

Understanding these rare or special rules and exceptions can greatly enhance your Carpe Diem gaming experience, adding additional layers of strategy and decision-making to each play.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Ahead: Pay close attention to what buildings and landscapes are available in the central board. Try to anticipate what you will need for your city and make your moves accordingly.
Optimize Your Points: You should aim to complete as many buildings and landscapes as possible, but remember that the scoring cards are what ultimately determine your points. Focus on the scoring cards that will give you the most points based on your current city layout.
Be Flexible: While it’s important to have a plan, sometimes the tiles you need may not be available. Be ready to change your strategy on the fly and adapt to the current state of the game.

Beginner Tips:

Take the time to understand the different types of cards and how they score points. This will help you make better decisions during the game.
Don’t focus too much on one aspect of your city. It’s important to have a balanced approach to maximize your points.
Try to complete your buildings and landscapes early. This will give you more options in the later rounds.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the Scoring Cards: The scoring cards are the main way to earn points in Carpe Diem. Ignoring them and focusing solely on building your city can lead to a loss.
Not Planning Ahead: Not thinking ahead can leave you without the necessary tiles to complete your buildings and landscapes.
Being Too Focused on One Strategy: While it’s good to have a plan, being too rigid can prevent you from adapting to the game’s changing conditions.

Optimizing Gameplay:

Keep track of the tiles that have been played. This can help you predict what tiles may come up in the future.
Try to control the pace of the game. The player who completes their city first gets to choose their scoring card first, which can be a significant advantage.
Don’t forget about your opponents. Pay attention to their cities and try to anticipate their moves. This can help you make better decisions and potentially block them from getting the tiles they need.