Cartographers
2019
In Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale, strategically draw maps, meet the queen's demands, and outwit rivals to earn the title of the greatest cartographer.
45
minutes
1 - 100
player(s)
10+
Medium Light
About the game
Queen Gimnax has ordered the reclamation of the northern lands. As a cartographer in her service, you are sent to map this territory, claiming it for the Kingdom of Nalos. Through official edicts, the queen announces which lands she prizes most, and you will increase your reputation by meeting her demands. But you are not alone in this wilderness. The Dragul contest your claims with their outposts, so you must draw your lines carefully to reduce their influence. Reclaim the greatest share of the queen’s desired lands and you will be declared the greatest cartographer in the kingdom. In Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale, players compete to earn the most reputation stars by the time four seasons have passed. Each season, players draw on their map sheets and earn reputation by carrying out the queen’s edicts before the season is over. The player with the most reputation stars at the end of winter wins! —description from the publisher
Setup and rules summary
Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go
Cartographers is a flip-and-write style game where players take on the role of royal mapmakers. The objective of the game is to earn the most reputation stars by the time four seasons have passed. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game.
1. Player Roles:
In ‘Cartographers’, all players are equal and take on the role of mapmakers in the kingdom. There’s no specific player roles or turn order as all players will be drawing on their map sheets simultaneously.
2. Board Placement:
Each player receives a map sheet and a scoring sheet. The map sheet is where players will be drawing their maps while the scoring sheet is used to keep track of reputation stars earned throughout the game. Players should place these in front of them within easy reach.
3. Initial Resources:
Along with the map sheet and scoring sheet, each player will also need a writing utensil. This is not provided in the game box and will need to be sourced separately.
4. Random Elements:
The game’s exploration cards, which determine the shapes and types of land that players can draw, are shuffled and placed in a deck within reach of all players. Four of these cards are flipped over and placed next to the deck.
The game’s ambush cards, which represent monster attacks and are drawn onto players’ maps, are shuffled into the bottom half of the exploration deck.
The game’s scoring cards, which determine how players earn points each season, are shuffled and four are drawn. These are placed in the A, B, C, and D slots on the scoring pad.
5. Season Cards:
Finally, the four season cards – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter – are placed in order next to the scoring pad. These cards determine the length and order of the rounds in the game.
After all of these steps, the game is ready to begin with the first season: Spring.
Players'turn One turn to rule them all
During a player’s turn in ‘Cartographers’, there are several possible actions and strategic choices that can be made. These choices have an impact on the gameplay and can affect the outcome of the game.
1. Drawing Cards:
The player’s turn begins with drawing a card from the deck. These cards dictate what type of terrain the player can draw on their map and in what shape. Players must decide where on their map to draw the terrain, keeping in mind the scoring conditions for the current season and future ones.
2. Placing Terrain:
The next step is to place the terrain on the map. The player can choose to place the terrain in any orientation, but it must fit within the grid on their map. If the player cannot or chooses not to place the terrain, they may instead draw a 1×1 square of any terrain type. This decision requires strategic thinking, as the placement and type of terrain can influence scoring.
3. Scoring:
At the end of each of the four seasons (rounds), players score points based on the conditions set by the scoring cards. These conditions can relate to the arrangement or type of terrain on the map. The strategic placement of terrain can help players to meet these conditions and score points.
4. Monster Cards:
When a monster card is drawn, all players must draw the monster shape on their map in a location chosen by the player to their right. This can disrupt a player’s plans and requires them to adapt their strategy accordingly.
Strategic Choices:
- Optimizing Scoring: Players should aim to meet as many scoring conditions as possible. This often involves planning ahead and considering the impact of their terrain placement on future rounds.
- Managing Space: As the game progresses, available space on the map becomes limited. Players must manage their space effectively to ensure they can continue to place terrain and score points.
- Reacting to Monsters: When a monster card is drawn, players must quickly adjust their strategies. Choosing where to place the monster can be a key decision, as it could potentially disrupt the plans of other players.
Overall, ‘Cartographers’ is a game of strategy and planning, where players must make careful decisions about terrain placement to maximize their scoring potential.
End of the game All good games must come to an end
The game of ‘Cartographers’ is played over four seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The game ends after the Winter season is completed. Each season is marked by a draw of a season card, and Winter is the final season card drawn. Once the Winter season ends, this signals the end of the game.
Before final scoring begins, players must ensure that they have fulfilled all the requirements of the scoring cards for each season. These scoring cards, known as “Edict cards”, dictate the different ways players can earn points throughout the game. There are four of these cards and they are scored in a specific sequence (A, B, C, D) over the four seasons.
Each Edict card has a unique objective that players must achieve to score points. These objectives may involve having certain types of land in particular configurations on your map, having certain types of land surrounding the edge of your map, or having the least amount of a certain type of land on your map.
At the end of the game, the following aspects are considered for final scoring:
- Edict Cards: The points from all four edict cards are added together. Each card is scored twice over the course of the game, once in its designated season and again in the season indicated by the small letter on the card.
- Coins: Players earn coins during the game for certain actions, such as drawing a pattern that completely fills a 2×2 square on their map. At the end of the game, each coin is worth one point.
- Monsters: Any square on a player’s map that is filled with a monster is worth negative points. The number of negative points depends on the number of empty squares surrounding the monster.
The player with the highest total score at the end of the game is the winner. In the event of a tie, the player who has the most coins wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the fewest monster squares wins.
Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?
In the game ‘Cartographers’, players earn points by achieving various goals, which are determined by the cards drawn each round. Scoring is done at the end of each of the four seasons (rounds).
The scoring system is as follows:
- Edict cards: At the start of the game, four edict cards (A, B, C, D) are drawn, each representing a unique scoring method. These are scored in sequence (A-B, A-C, B-D, A-D) at the end of each season. For example, at the end of the first season (spring), you score the A and B edict cards. At the end of summer, you score A and C, and so on.
- Coins: Players earn points for each coin they have. Coins are obtained by filling in a row or column on your map. Each coin is worth one point.
- Monsters: At the end of the game, players lose points for each empty space adjacent to a monster on their map. Each empty space incurs a negative point.
It’s important to note that the edict cards can dictate a wide range of scoring methods, such as rewarding points for having certain land types touching the edge of your map, or having different land types clustered together.
In the event of a tie, the tie-breaking rules are as follows:
- The player with the fewest empty spaces on their map wins.
- If there is still a tie, the player with the most coins wins.
- If there is still a tie, the player who played first wins.