Golems

About this board game

Golems is a 1–2 player board game played in about 20 minutes, in which you collect resources, summon Golems, and compete for the most victory points.

Players take alternating turns, using Gems to choose cards from a shared grid. The way you claim a card changes as a row empties: place Gems on unwanted cards, move a Gem to redirect your choice, or collect the Gems before taking the final card. Once a row cannot be refilled, the game ends.

Three card types shape your options:

• Golem cards can become resources or be summoned for points.
• Gem cards provide bonuses or contribute to Gem dust and set-collection scoring.
• Rune cards can be used as resources or kept in hand for additional points.

During your turn, you may use Golem and Rune cards as resources. When you have everything required for a Golem, summon it face-up and tuck one to three matching resource cards underneath. Those cards can no longer be used, but each scores one point at the end of the game. Every summoned Golem also scores two points.

Rune cards in hand can add further points, although using them for this purpose requires at least three Gems in your reserve and a payment of one Gem to the supply. Gem cards offer another choice: take one for its immediate bonus, or place it face-down beside your Rune cards to create Gem dust and pursue set-collection points.

In Golems, every card claim can affect both your available resources and your final score. Add points from summoned Golems, tucked-under cards, Gem dust symbols, and Rune cards in hand; if players tie, the player with more points from summoned Golems wins.