Newton

2018

Embark on a journey through Europe in Newton, a strategic board game where you play as a young scientist. Perform actions, acquire new theories, and strive to become the greatest genius of the Scientific Revolution.

Average play time 90
minutes

Number of player(s) 1 - 4
player(s)

Recommended age 14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Welcome to the world of Newton, a strategic and immersive board game that takes you back to the 18th century, during the peak of the Age of Enlightenment. In this game, you are a young scientist, striving to become one of the great geniuses of this era. Along the journey, you will travel across Europe, attend universities, study, send out students, and generally work to make your mark in the scientific world.

Newton is set in a vibrant historical context, where each player strives to craft their own unique path to scientific discovery. The game is played over six rounds, each representing a year of research and study. The board is a map of Europe, filled with cities and universities, and each player’s individual tableau represents their personal study and progress in the five disciplines of the game: Work, Technology, Travel, Lessons, and Study.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

‘Newton’ is a strategy board game that allows players to take the role of young students in the 17th century, trying to become the best and most successful scientists. The game components and their uses are as follows:

1. Game Board:
The game board is a map of Europe, upon which players will place their markers to indicate their movement and progress. The board is also divided into various sectors representing different areas of study, each with its unique rewards and advancements.

2. Player Boards:
Each player receives a personal player board that represents their area of study. Players will use this board to track their progress in different fields of study, perform actions, and store their cards.

3. Cards:
The cards in ‘Newton’ have various functions, from providing additional actions to granting special abilities. Each card represents a specific action or advancement in the game. Players will use these cards to execute their strategies and advance in their field of study.

4. Tokens:
There are different types of tokens in the game, such as Study tokens, Work tokens, and Travel tokens. These tokens are used to perform various actions on the game board. For example, the Work tokens are used to perform work actions, the Study tokens are used to study and advance in knowledge, and the Travel tokens are used to move on the game board.

5. Markers:
Markers are used to track a player’s progress on the game board. Each player has a set of markers in their color. The markers are placed on the game board to indicate a player’s position and their progress in different fields of study.

6. Coins:
Coins are the currency of the game. Players can earn coins through various actions, such as working, studying, and traveling. Coins can be spent to acquire new cards, perform certain actions, and progress in the game.

7. Dice:
The game includes one die, which is used to determine the random outcomes in the game. For example, the outcome of a study action or a travel action may be determined by rolling the die.

8. Bonus Tiles:
Bonus tiles are special rewards that players can earn throughout the game. These tiles provide various benefits, such as extra actions, additional resources, or advancement in certain fields of study. The bonus tiles add an extra layer of strategy to the game, as players need to decide when and how to use them to their advantage.

9. Objective Cards:
Objective cards provide players with specific goals to achieve during the game. These cards can guide a player’s strategy and provide additional ways to score points. Each player will have their own set of objective cards.

10. Master Cards:
Master cards represent the masters of the various fields of study. These cards provide powerful bonuses and abilities to the players who manage to acquire them. However, acquiring a master card requires a significant amount of study and progress in the game.

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

Newton is a board game that takes you through the lives of great scientists during the 17th century. It’s a strategy game that requires both careful planning and adaptation to the changing game circumstances. This is a step-by-step guide to setting up the game, understanding player roles, arranging the board, and managing initial resources and random elements.

Step 1: Player Roles

Each player will take on the role of a young scientist trying to become a great scholar. Players will work to make discoveries, expand their network of students, and travel around the world to learn from the greatest universities. They need to gather knowledge through the study of specific books, expanding their knowledge and increasing their skills.

Step 2: Arranging the Board

Place the main game board in the center of the table where all players can easily reach it. Each player should then take a player board, a Master marker of their chosen color, and 6 lesson cubes of the same color. The player board should be placed in front of each player.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player gets a set of 6 action cards that they will use to perform actions during the game. These cards have different symbols that represent different types of knowledge: Technology, Alchemy, Religion, and Politics. In addition, each player starts the game with 1 book of each type (4 in total).

Step 4: Placing the Master Markers

Players place their Master marker on the starting space of the scoring track that circles the main game board. They also place one of their lesson cubes on the first space of the study track on their player board.

Step 5: Random Elements

Shuffle the objective cards and place them face down next to the main board. Draw the top 4 cards and place them face up next to the deck. These are the objectives that players can achieve during the game. Finally, shuffle the discovery tiles and place them face down in a pile. Draw the top 6 tiles and place them face up on the corresponding spaces of the main game board. These represent the potential discoveries that players can make during the game.

You are now ready to start the game. The player who last read a science book goes first.

Game flow Round and round we go

Newton is a strategic board game where players take on the roles of students in the 17th century, striving to become renowned scientists. The game is played over six rounds, and each round consists of three phases – the action phase, the income phase, and the end of round phase.

Action Phase: During the action phase, players take turns performing actions, which are represented by cards. On a player’s turn, they play one card from their hand onto their desk (the playing area in front of them) and perform the action depicted on the card. The actions include:

Learning: This action allows the player to acquire a new action card.
Work: This action provides the player with coins.
Technology: The player can advance on the technology track, which can provide various benefits.
Travel: The player can move their student token on the map, visiting different cities and universities.
Study: Players can place their book tokens on their individual bookshelves to gain bonuses and victory points.

Income Phase: After all players have played five cards and no one has any cards left in their hand, the income phase begins. Players receive income based on their position on the income track and any bonuses gained from the technology track or from visiting certain cities.

End of Round Phase: After the income phase, the end of round phase begins. Here, each player must place one card from their desk into a box on their player board, which will provide a permanent bonus for future rounds. However, this card can no longer be used for its original action. The round marker is then advanced, and a new round begins.

The game continues in this way for six rounds. At the end of the sixth round, the final scoring takes place. Players add up points from their position on the scoring track, points from their bookshelves, and points from objectives. The player with the most points is the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘Newton’ is an engaging board game that offers players numerous strategic choices. In each turn of the game, a player may perform various actions that affect the gameplay in different ways. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn in ‘Newton’:

A. Choosing and Playing a Card:

The player selects a card from their hand and places it onto their desk. Each card represents a different action, and the action the player can perform depends on the card chosen.
The player performs the action indicated on the card. This action might involve moving their student across the board, acquiring new cards, or advancing in their studies.
Each card also has a certain number of action points. The player can use these action points to perform additional actions during their turn.

B. Performing Actions:

Moving the Student: The player can use their action points to move their student across the board. This can allow the player to reach new cities, which can provide additional resources or benefits.
Studying: The player can spend their action points to advance in their studies. This can lead to acquiring new knowledge (represented by cards), which can be useful later in the game.
Working: The player can use their action points to perform work actions. These actions can provide the player with coins, which can be used to purchase resources or pay for other actions.
Learning: The player can use their action points to learn new lessons. These lessons can provide the player with new abilities or bonuses that can be used in future turns.

C. End of the Turn:

After the player has performed their actions, they end their turn by drawing a card from the deck. This card will be added to their hand for use in future turns.
If the player has more than three cards in their hand at the end of their turn, they must discard down to three cards.

Each player’s turn in ‘Newton’ involves making strategic decisions about which actions to perform and when. The various actions can affect the gameplay by providing the player with new resources, advancing their position on the board, or granting them new abilities. Understanding these actions and how they interact is key to mastering the game.

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

The game of ‘Newton’ ends after the 6th round. At this point, players need to cease their actions and prepare for final scoring. Players must ensure that they have completed all possible actions and used all available resources before the end of this round as there are no further opportunities to make any adjustments.

Victory Conditions:

In ‘Newton’, the player with the highest total victory points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Victory points can be earned in several ways throughout the game. It’s crucial to note that some victory points are calculated and awarded at the end of the game.

Master Cards: These are worth a set number of victory points as indicated on the card.
Study Track: The further you progress on this track, the more victory points you earn.
Work Track: Similar to the Study Track, progression on this track equates to more victory points.
Lessons: Completing Lessons can earn you victory points.
Objective Cards: Meeting the conditions on these cards can earn you additional victory points.
Travel: Travelling to different cities and placing your student marker can earn you victory points based on the city.

Final Scoring:

Once the game has ended, players then proceed to the final scoring phase. The following steps must be taken:

Players add up the victory points from their Master cards.
Victory points are awarded based on the players’ positions on the Study and Work tracks.
Points are awarded for completed Lessons.
Players reveal their Objective cards and points are awarded if the conditions on the cards have been met.
Points are awarded for each city that a player’s student marker is in.
All points are added together to give a final score.

The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most coins wins. If there’s still a tie, the player who is furthest ahead on the Study track wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Newton’, players score points in several ways throughout the game. The game’s scoring system is a key part of the strategic planning and decision-making processes.

1. Study Track:

Players score points based on their progress on the Study Track. The further a player advances on this track, the more points they receive. The exact number of points is indicated on the spaces of the Study Track.

2. Work Track:

Like the Study Track, the Work Track allows players to score points based on their progression. However, points on the Work Track are only scored at the end of the game.

3. Master Cards:

Master cards are a significant source of points. Players score points for each Master card they have collected during the game. The value of these cards varies, and is indicated on the card itself.

4. Bonus Tokens:

Bonus tokens, which can be earned throughout gameplay, also contribute to a player’s final score. The points value of these tokens is determined by the symbols on them.

5. Lessons:

Players can earn points by learning lessons. The points for these are awarded at the end of the game, and the value is determined by the number of lessons learned.

In the event of a tie, the tie-breaking rules are as follows:

The player who has advanced furthest on the Study Track wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has advanced furthest on the Work Track wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most Master cards wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most Bonus tokens wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has learned the most Lessons wins.
If there is still a tie after all these tie-breakers have been exhausted, then the game ends in a draw.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The board game ‘Newton’ is a complex, strategic game that requires a keen understanding of the rules, as well as the various exceptions and special rules that can apply. Here are some of the more important ones to remember:

Master Card Limit

One of the first things to understand about ‘Newton’ is the limitation on Master cards. Each player can only have a maximum of three Master cards in their study area at any one time. If a player wants to add a fourth Master card, they must first remove one of their existing Master cards and place it in their discard pile.

Special Action Tiles

There are also some exceptions to the rules regarding the use of Special Action tiles. These tiles can only be acquired when a player’s marker reaches the last space of a Technology track. However, a player cannot acquire a Special Action tile if they already have one. In this case, the player must first use their existing Special Action tile before they can acquire a new one.

End of Round Scoring

A common area of confusion in ‘Newton’ is the end of round scoring. At the end of each round, players do not immediately score their points. Instead, they must first complete the current round and then perform the end of round scoring in the order of their markers on the Initiative track. This means that a player who is further ahead on the Initiative track will score their points before a player who is further behind.

Travel Restrictions

Another rule clarification worth noting involves travel restrictions. A player cannot travel to a city if they do not have enough travel symbols on their active cards. In addition, a player cannot travel to a city if they do not have enough coins to pay for the travel cost. These restrictions can sometimes limit a player’s movement options during the game.

Exception for the Final Round

Finally, there is an important exception to remember for the final round of the game. During the final round, players do not perform the end of round scoring. Instead, they immediately proceed to the final scoring after the last player has taken their final turn. This can sometimes catch players off guard if they are not prepared for it.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for ‘Newton’:

Focus on your track movement: Advanced players know that moving up the tracks can earn significant points. The Medicine and Technology tracks are particularly valuable.
Master the book strategy: Collecting books can earn you a lot of points. Try to get your student to the library and invest in bookshelves early in the game for the best results.
Manage your hand carefully: Remember, the cards you play in a round stay on your desk for the entire game, limiting your available actions. Choose wisely to avoid limiting yourself too much.

Beginner Tips for ‘Newton’:

Learn the game in stages: Newton has a lot of moving parts. Start by focusing on learning how the basic mechanics work before trying to master advanced strategies.
Use all your actions: Every action in Newton is valuable. Try to use all of them every round to maximize your progress.
Experiment with different strategies: Newton is a complex game with many paths to victory. Don’t be afraid to try different strategies to see what works best for you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Newton’:

Not planning ahead: Newton is a game that rewards careful planning. Try to think a few moves ahead to get the most out of your actions.
Ignoring the tracks: The tracks can earn you a lot of points. Don’t neglect them in favor of other strategies.
Forgetting about your student: Your student is a valuable resource. Make sure to use them effectively and don’t leave them sitting in the library for too long.

Optimizing Gameplay in ‘Newton’:

Streamline your strategy: Try to focus on one or two primary strategies. Spreading yourself too thin can lead to inefficiency.
Incorporate feedback: After each game, take a few minutes to analyze what worked and what didn’t. Use this information to improve your strategy for the next game.
Practice: Like any complex game, the best way to improve at Newton is to play it regularly. The more you play, the better you’ll understand the game’s intricacies and the more effective your strategies will become.