Das Labyrinth des Pharao

About this board game

Das Labyrinth des Pharao is a tile-placement game for 1–5 players that takes about 40 minutes. Each player builds a personal 5×5 pyramid grid, creating a winding labyrinth while trying to guide a graverobber as deep inside as possible.

Every player begins with 28 identical tiles. On each turn, everyone adds the same tile to their grid, gradually shaping the corridors of the pyramid. Tiles may show one or more scarabs; when one is placed, its player may put a treasure marker on one or more of those scarabs.

There is an important early decision: by the time the third tile has been placed, each player must choose which entrance their figure will use. From there, the developing layout determines the corridor that extends from that starting point and how far the graverobber can travel.

• Build a 5×5 labyrinth from matching tile sets.
• Place treasure markers on scarabs as they appear.
• Choose an entrance by the third tile.
• Score corridor length and treasures enclosed by four walls.

When the grid is full, each player scores one point for every space in the corridor extending from their entrance. A treasure is worth two points when it is surrounded by four walls and at least one of those walls borders the corridor walked by the graverobber.

Das Labyrinth des Pharao also includes solo rules and an advanced variant. In that version, treasures are worth 1–3 points according to their color, then multiplied by 1–4 depending on where their shared wall meets the corridor. Treasures found deeper along the path can therefore be worth more, giving the pyramid’s layout an extra scoring dimension.