Praga Caput Regni

Heart of the Empire

Charles IV has been crowned King of Bohemia and ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. From his castle in Prague, he oversees construction of new fortifications, a bridge across the Vltava River, a university, and a cathedral rising within the walls of the castle itself. Prague is already among the largest cities in Europe. King Charles will make it the capital of an empire!

Game Overview

Players take the role of wealthy citizens organizing various building projects in medieval Prague. By expanding their wealth and contributing to the construction, they gain favor with the king. Players choose from six actions which are always available, but weighted with a constantly shifting array of costs and benefits. Clever players will discover synergies between carefully timed actions and the rewards from constructing the civic projects. At the end of the game, the winner is the player who most impressed King Charles.

Components

• main board
• 4 player boards
• 6 action tiles
• 4 action boards
• 11 cube markers in each color
• 4 score markers, one in each color
• 4 King’s Road markers, one in each color
• 8 large plastic rivets
• 1 small plastic rivet
• 24 technology tiles
• 8 production tokens
• 2 quick reference sheets
• 30 upgrade tiles, 11 regular and 4 special in each era
• 36 building tiles, 14 regular and 4 special in each era
• 36 wall tiles, 14 regular and 4 special in each era

• Hunger Wall
• Cathedral
• 3 alternate Hunger Wall tiles
• 3 alternate Cathedral tiles
• 3 King’s Road tiles
• Charles Bridge
• 12 bridge tiles, in two groups of 6
• 11 plaza tiles
• 30 red and blue bonus tokens
• 8 red and blue bonus tokens with denomination 3
• 12 eggs
• 4 eggs with denomination three
• 1 five-point token
• 6 gold windows
• 14 silver windows

Assembly

Assemble the parts of the game board as shown on the enclosed parchment.

• Action Crane
• Player Boards
• Charles Bridge
• Hunger Wall and Cathedral – Note: These 3D components are not required for play. Two-dimensional equivalents are printed on the board in case you prefer to play that way.

Main Board Setup

1. Put windows, bonus tokens, and eggs where everyone can reach them.
2. Place Charles Bridge across the river. Note: The bonuses offered by the bridge are double sided and can be set up in any combination.
3. Separate the bridge tiles by number (IV or V). Shuffle the IV stack and place it face down by the bridge.
4. Shuffle the V tiles and divide the stack in half. Place one stack of 3 tiles by Charles Bridge, as shown. The other half goes by the Cathedral.
5. Spread the production tokens in the river. Their order is not important.
6. The King’s Road tiles and the alternative tiers (labeled A and B) should stay in the box for your first game. They can be used to modify the game for greater variety, as explained on page 17.
7. Assign the plaza tiles randomly to plaza hexes of the same color. Return any leftover plaza tiles to the box.
   • Plaza hexes marked like this are used only in a 4-player game.
   • Plaza hexes marked like this are used with 3 and 4 players, but not 2.
8. Sort the technology tiles by number, shuffle each stack separately, and place them face down beside the board.
9. Place the Hunger Wall and Cathedral tiers as shown.
10. Keep the blue 5-point token near the end of the blue zone.
11. Set up the action crane as described below. For your first game, we recommend that you place tiles in the order shown here. In later games, you can try a random order. Use side A of all six action tiles. For a less symmetric setup, use side B. Do not mix A sides and B sides. Action tiles will keep their same side for the entire game.
12. Separate the hex tiles by type (building, wall, or upgrade), by rarity (special or normal), and by era (I or II). Set the Era II stacks aside. Shuffle the Era I stacks face down and place them by the board, as shown. For each type of hex tile, turn up 1 special tile and 3 normal tiles. Place them as shown.
13. In a 2- or 3-player game: Certain hexes in the city are marked to show that they begin the game already occupied by buildings. Give these hexes normal Era I buildings drawn from the top of the stack.

The Action Crane Setup

This setup depends on the number of players.

1. Turn the wheel so that the white arrow points to the icon depicting the number of players. (The main picture shows a three-player game. A four-player game is illustrated here.)
2. The six action tiles go in the first six empty slots, starting with the first red slot on the top of the Crane. That is, none of them go in the blue zone; they all go in the red or green zones.
3. Place one turn-counting cube on the wheel in the space shown.
4. Place the other turn-counting cube on the space of the platform corresponding to the number of players. These cubes will count turns, as explained on page 15.

Player Setup

Players choose colors. Each player gets a player board and pieces in their chosen color, as well as an action board.

Player Board Setup Steps

1. Use 4 cubes to mark your status on your 4 tracks (gold mine track, quarry track, technology track, and Charles University track). The cubes start in the positions shown.
2. Place three cubes on the bonuses by the wheels of your cranes (wealth bonus cubes).
3. Set the wheels of each of your cranes to 2, indicating you start with 2 gold and 2 stone.
4. Take an action board and keep it near your player board.
5. These pieces are your markers on the main board. Place a cube on the lower right corner of the Hunger Wall and the lower left corner of the Cathedral. Set the pawn figure beside the board near the King’s Road. Use the round token as your score marker.

Turn Overview

The starting player is the one who was most recently in Prague. (Or you can choose randomly.) Players take turns in order, clockwise around the table. On your turn, you do the following:

1. Choose one action tile from the action crane.
2. Perform one action, and possibly one extra action.
3. End your turn by rotating the action crane and returning the action tile.

The action crane tracks players’ turns. Midway through the game, the building, wall, and upgrade tiles will be replaced by the Era II tiles. The game will end when each player has taken 16 turns. These timing mechanisms will be explained in detail later.

Choosing an Action Tile

Your action board depicts the six actions available to you. You start your turn by deciding which action to take. Then you choose a tile from the action crane that depicts your chosen action.

Each action tile depicts two actions, one inside the wheel and one outside. This inside-or-outside position does not matter. You simply choose the action you want and ignore the other.

Costs and Bonuses for Position

• Red zone: Action tiles that have been chosen most recently will be in the red zone of the crane. If you choose one of these tiles, you must immediately pay the cost depicted on the board in gold. If you cannot pay the cost, you cannot take that tile.
• Green zone: Tiles in the green zone may be taken without additional bonuses or penalties. (You still get the bonus depicted on the wheel.)
• Blue zone: Tiles that have not been chosen for a while will end up in the blue zone of the crane. When you choose one of these, score the number of points depicted on the board.

Bonuses from the Wheel

The action tile you choose grants you a bonus. Explanations can be found on page 19. Generally, you take this bonus right away, but it is legal to delay the bonus until later in your turn.

When you take this tile, you gain the opportunity to buy an egg. If you have gold, you can buy it immediately. But if you don’t have gold, it is legal to use the tile to perform an action that earns you gold during your turn, then use the gold to buy an egg.

Windows & Extra Actions

Windows

During play, you will encounter various ways to earn silver and gold windows. Silver windows are used to move up on the Hunger Wall or St. Vitus Cathedral. Gold windows (possibly with the help of a silver window) are used to buy an extra action. You can’t save more than 2 windows for your next turn; use them up, or you will have to discard any extras.

Buying an Extra Action

In addition to the action you get from your action tile, you may be able to pay for an extra action:

Once per turn, you may pay two gold windows or one gold window and one silver window to buy an extra action. You may choose any of the six actions. It can be used at any time during your turn, even before you take an action tile.

Action Summary & Notes on Timing

Action Summary

• Each turn you will perform at least one action – this will be one of those from your chosen action tile.
• You also have the opportunity to buy one extra action – which can be any of the 6.
• Certain technologies have effects that will let you perform additional actions.
• Actions may be performed in any order.
• The effect of an upgrade tile applies whenever you perform that action. If you perform the same action multiple times, the upgrade tile applies each time.

Notes on Timing

In general, timing is loose enough to allow you to do things in the order that works best for you. In particular, the following things may be done in any order during your turn:

• Using a single-use technology.
• Buying an extra action.
• Performing that extra action.
• Taking an action tile.
• Choosing one of the actions from that tile and performing it.
• Resolving horizontal moves on the Cathedral or the Hunger Wall that you get from building tiles or other sources.
• Buying vertical moves on the Cathedral or the Hunger Wall.
• Resolving “immediate” effects from a King’s Road action you have performed this turn.

Despite the flexibility of your turn, it is not possible to use a thing or gain its rewards before you have paid for it. For example:

• You can’t take an action tile from the red zone until you have paid for it.
• You can’t gain any benefits from a wall or building tile until you have paid for it.

See also the first two points in the Rules Reminders.

1 & 2. Manage Mines & Manage Quarries

Manage Mines

This action gives you gold. You have a certain number of gold mines, represented by the highest number to the left of your marker on your gold mine track. When you choose this action, do one of the following:

• Gain 1 gold and increase your gold mines by 1. (Move the marker one space to the right.)
• or Produce gold: gain gold equal to your number of gold mines, and gain all production bonuses shown to the left of your marker.

Represent gold you gain by turning the wheel of your gold crane. This may give you a wealth bonus the first time you hit a certain number. (See the Wealth Bonuses box on this page.) You are limited to 9 gold. If gaining gold ever gives you more than 9, you end up with 9 and the excess is wasted.

EXAMPLE: If your cube is on this space, you produce 6 gold, 2 points, and the bonus shown on your production token.

Manage Quarries

This action is analogous to the Manage Mines action. When you choose this action, do one of the following:

• Gain 1 stone and increase your quarries by 1. (Move the marker one space to the right.)
• or Produce stone: gain stone equal to your number of quarries, and gain all production bonuses shown to the left of your marker.

Production Tokens

Your gold mine and quarry tracks each have a space marked like this . When you reach that space, choose 1 production token from the river Vltava. Put your chosen token on the leftmost space of the track that earned it. From now on, whenever you choose the produce option on that track, you also get that bonus.

Wealth Bonuses

1. Bonus for 6 gold.
2. Bonus for 6 stone.
3. Bonus for 9 gold or stone.

The first time you reach these levels of wealth, you gain a wealth bonus. When you reach 6 gold, remove the corresponding cube and gain the bonus depicted underneath. Similarly when you reach 6 stone. When you reach maximum gold or stone, remove the cube in the center and gain that bonus. (You can use removed cubes as markers elsewhere in the game.)

Each bonus can be gained only once per game. Removing the cube reminds you that you have already taken that bonus and cannot take it again.

Seals

When you reach the end of your gold mine track, and also when you reach the end of your quarry track, you gain the ability to claim one of the five seals – the five red spaces in the upper left part of the board. The seal can be claimed immediately or later in the game during one of your turns.

To claim an unclaimed seal, pay the cost depicted at the bottom of the seal (if any) and put a cube of your color on it. Once someone has claimed a seal, no one else can claim it. The seals affect final scoring at the end of the game.

If you choose not to claim the seal immediately (perhaps waiting until a later turn so you can pay the cost) place the seal-claiming cube at the end of the track to remind you that you still have the ability to claim one.

Choosing Hex Tiles (General Rules)

Three actions involve choosing a hex tile from one of the rows on the board. After taking a tile, immediately deal a replacement from its stack.

Special Tiles

The rightmost tile of the row is a special tile. It is unavailable to you unless you have the special tile bonus .

The only way to get the special tile bonus is to choose an action tile from this slot. The special tile bonus applies only to the action you choose from the action tile; it does not apply to your extra action, if you take one. If you do not use the special tile bonus, score the indicated number of points instead. (You can score the points even if you initially planned to use the bonus, then changed your mind.)

EXAMPLE: If you choose the Construct a Building action by choosing this tile, you have two options: you can either take a regular building tile and score 1 point, or take a special building tile.

Refreshing a Row

Once per turn, you may pay 1 gold or 1 stone to remove two hex tiles from one of the three rows. The removed tiles can both be regular tiles, or you can remove one regular tile and the special tile. Each removed tile goes face down to the bottom of the corresponding stack. Replace each removed tile with a new one from the same stack, face up.

You are allowed to refresh a row any time during your turn – even before choosing an action tile from the wheel. You have no obligation to choose an action that uses the row you refreshed.

3. Upgrade an Action

When you perform this action, choose a hex tile from the upgrade row. (General rules for choosing hex tiles are explained in the box on the right.)

The tile goes on your action board, on the matching hex. You can choose any of the six orientations. Orientation is important, but it won’t come into play until you add another upgrade or a wall. Details are at the top of the next page.

Every time you upgrade an action, you move up 1 or 2 spaces on your Charles University track – 1 point for an Era I upgrade tile or 2 points for an Era II upgrade. A reminder of this rule is printed on every tile.

It is legal to upgrade an action that is already upgraded, but the upgrades are not cumulative. Stack the new one on top and ignore the old one. You don’t get any bonuses from already used connections. Brand new connections are evaluated like usual.

Whenever you perform the action that you upgraded, you get the bonus printed in the middle of the upgrade tile. If you perform that action twice in one turn, you get the bonus twice. Furthermore, when you place the upgrade, you can retroactively take the bonus for that action if you performed it earlier during the current turn.

EXAMPLE: If you choose the hex tile above, you must place it on the Upgrade an Action hex of your action board. You may place it in any of six orientations. You gain two bonus advances on your Charles University track. In this example, the red symbol on the corner and the silver window symbol have no effect at this time because this is your first tile placed. Whenever you perform the Upgrade an Action action, you will gain 2 stone. In fact, you gain 2 stone immediately by retroactively applying the bonus to the action that allowed you to take this tile.

4. Construct a Wall

When you perform this action, choose a hex tile from the wall row. (General rules for choosing hex tiles are explained above.) You must immediately pay the tile’s cost, depicted on the red sign printed on the tile. If you cannot pay the cost, you cannot choose that tile.

The tile immediately gives you the rewards depicted in the green window. Then you place the tile adjacent to your action board. (Note that a new wall tile does not have to be adjacent to any previously placed wall tiles.) Depending on how you place the tile, you may gain one or more bonuses, as explained on the next page.

Adjacency Bonuses

Wall tiles and upgrade tiles may give you an adjacency bonus. When you place a tile, check for a symbol on one of the sides. If you place this tile so that the symbol lines up with a symbol on an adjacent tile, you gain the bonuses represented by each symbol. For example, the placement illustrated here would give you a bonus silver window and a bonus advance on your technology track. A more detailed example is on page 14.

If you place the symbol adjacent to a side that has no symbol, you get no adjacency bonus.

These symbols are not an adjacency bonus. They are a reminder that placing an upgrade tile always gives you 1 or 2 advancements on your Charles University track.

Red Corner Bonuses

Some hex tiles offer a corner bonus. Walls and upgrades have red corner bonuses. When you place a tile with a corner bonus that matches another corner bonus, take one corner bonus token of that color.

Blue Corner Bonuses

A building tile can give you its blue corner bonus by matching the corner with another building or with a corner bonus printed on the board.

Two Corner Bonuses

If the tile you place matches two other corner bonuses, take two corner bonus tokens of that color.

5. Construct a Building

When you perform this action, choose a hex tile from the building row. (General rules for choosing hex tiles are explained on page 9.) You must immediately pay the tile’s cost, depicted on the red sign printed on the tile. If you cannot pay the cost, you cannot choose that tile.

The tile immediately gives you the rewards depicted on its green sign. Then you place the tile on any legal building site.

Legal Building Sites

• Old Town side: On the Old Town side of the King’s Road, building space is at a premium. A building on one of these hexes will cost you extra gold. (If you can’t pay the cost immediately, you can’t build there.) In return, you gain the number of points depicted on the building site.
• New Town side: On the New Town side of the King’s Road, buildings have no additional cost and give you no additional reward.
• The red- and blue-roofed houses along the river have already been built. You can’t build there.
• The King’s Road runs through the middle of town. You can’t build on it.
• You can’t build on hexes that are already occupied by a tile.
• You can’t build on the green spaces of the countryside, nor on the walled-off spaces in town.
• You can’t build on plazas.
• With fewer than four players, one or two plaza sites will be left empty during setup, but they still count as plazas, and they are not legal building sites.

Plaza Bonuses

The city board has 8 to 10 plazas placed during setup. Players compete for the bonuses these plazas offer. Every time you place a building, it will be next to exactly one plaza.

• Claim on the plaza: If your building has a space for a cube , put a cube of your color on that space when you place the building. This indicates you have a claim on the plaza.
• Immediate points: If your building has no space for a cube , it will score you points immediately. Score 1 point for every building tile currently around the plaza, including the one you just placed.
• Completing a plaza: If your building is the last one that can be built around that plaza, each player with a claim on that plaza gets to choose one of the two rewards depicted on the plaza.
• Majority of cubes: The player with the most cubes around the plaza gets to take both rewards (instead of just one). Break ties in favor of the player who spent the most on their buildings. (Add stones and gold together; ignore buildings with no cube.) If players are still tied for the most, all tied players get both rewards.
• If you have no cubes on buildings around the plaza, you get no reward from it.

EXAMPLE Walkthrough

1. Green has chosen a Construct Building action tile from a slot that allows her to choose a special hex tile. The tile’s cost is 2 gold.
2. She pays the cost and gains the depicted benefits – she advances one space on her technology track, and she gains one stone.
3. Green chooses to place the building as shown. Because the blue corner meets a blue corner printed on the board, she gains a blue corner bonus token.
4. This building has no place for Green’s cube. That means she immediately scores one point for every building around the plaza. In this case, she scores 3 points. (If there had been a place for a cube, she would have put her cube there and scored no points in this step.)
5. This building completes the plaza, so now it is time for players to get plaza bonuses. Red and Blue each have one cube, so they apply the tiebreaker of comparing building costs. Blue’s building cost 4 resources and Red’s cost only 3. As the winner of the tiebreaker, Blue gets both plaza bonuses. Red must choose between two silver windows or 4 points. If Green had a cube there, she would also get to choose either of those bonuses, but she doesn’t, so she gets nothing for completing the plaza. Red and Blue will take their cubes back.

6. Construct the King’s Road

To perform this action, advance your marker one space along the King’s Road.

Street Spaces

When you advance on the King’s Road, move your marker to the next space in your color. To the left of the colored spaces are two effects, which you resolve immediately. One of the effects requires an egg. If you choose to not spend the egg and not gain the benefits of that effect, you still resolve the other effect.

Charles Bridge

• Space IV: Space IV is by Charles Bridge. To advance to space IV, you must pay one egg. If you don’t pay the egg, you cannot perform the action. When you advance to space IV, draw the top 3 bridge tiles from the silver IV stack. Choose one, and return the others to the bottom of the stack. Place your chosen tile as a plank in the bridge. Gain the bonuses depicted on the spaces you cover up and gain the bonus on the tile.
• Space V: Space V is actually on the bridge. Again, to advance to space V, you must pay one egg. When you advance to space V, choose any of the bridge tiles from the gold V stack. Place it as a plank on the bridge and put your marker on it. Gain the bonuses on the spaces you cover up. Your chosen tile will play a role in the final scoring.
• Once you are on Charles Bridge, your marker can no longer advance along the King’s Road, and you can no longer perform that action.
• Bridge Completion: Once 5 planks have been placed, the bridge is complete. If you advance to space IV when the bridge is complete, you choose a tile from the IV stack and gain its bonus, as usual, but you cannot gain the bonuses from placing it on the bridge. Instead, discard the tile. If you advance to space V when the bridge is complete, take the tile from the V stack, place it in front of you, and put your marker on it to remind you that its bonus will play a role in final scoring. (If the V stack is empty, there is no point in advancing to space V.)

CHARLES BRIDGE EXAMPLE: Green chooses a King’s Road action. Because she is already on space IV, she must now move onto the bridge. To do this, she must pay 1 egg. After paying, she will choose one of the gold tiles by the bridge and place it across a pair of spaces. She can choose any pair except the pair already occupied by the silver tile. For example, if Green chooses the spot in the middle, she will immediately gain 1 egg and one blue token. Then she will put her tile there and put her marker on the tile to indicate that she gets that tile’s benefit at the end of the game.

The Hunger Wall and St. Vitus Cathedral

Construction of the Hunger Wall and St. Vitus Cathedral is represented by two tiered grids in the corner of the board. The king will appreciate your help with these important projects.

Moving Sideways

• When you construct a wall tile with the Hunger Wall icon , move your marker one space sideways on the Hunger Wall grid. (On the Hunger Wall, a sideways move is always to the left.)
• Similarly, when you construct a building tile with the Cathedral icon , move your marker one space sideways on the Cathedral grid. (On the Cathedral, a sideways move is always to the right.)
• You might also gain sideways moves from other effects.

Moving Up

To move up, you must pay 2 silver windows. You can do this as often as you want at any time during your turn.

The grid is split into 3 tiers. Crossing from tier I to tier II or from II to III has an additional cost (in gold and stone), which must be paid.

Consequences of Moving

Some moves have immediate effects:

• If your marker lands on a square with points on it, score those points immediately.
• If your marker lands on a square with a sideways arrow on it, move one more space, in the indicated direction.
• If your marker lands on a square with an up arrow, you may move one space up, but if this moves you to a different tier, you must pay the standard gold-and-stone cost for crossing tiers.
• If you reach the top tier of the Cathedral, you may claim one of the three final-scoring tiles that were placed by the Cathedral at the beginning of the game. Take the tile and keep it in front of you to show that no one else may claim that tile.

Upward moves will give you more points at the end of the game. Sideways moves will make your red or blue tokens worth more. See Final Scoring on page 16 for details.

EXAMPLE:

1. Green chooses an action tile from a slot that gives her a silver window. She chooses to construct this building. It costs her 4 gold to place it in the New Town. This gives her a second silver window and a sideways move on the Cathedral.
2. Green pays 2 silver windows to move up one space on the Cathedral. The arrow on her new space allows her to move up one more without paying additional silver windows. However, that move climbs up to the next tier, so it would still cost her 1 gold and 1 stone. If she doesn’t pay, she will stay on the space with the arrow, and she can’t save the arrow for later. So she decides to pay and move up.
3. Now she chooses to use the Cathedral symbol from her building tile to move to the right. This gives her 2 points. Note that she could have used the sideways move first, before moving up, but then she would have missed the arrow.

Technologies & Charles University

Technologies

During play, you will have various opportunities to advance on your technology track. During the game, you may gain up to four technologies.

When your marker moves onto a marked space, draw the top three tiles from the corresponding stack. Choose one and return the other two face down to the bottom of the stack. Keep your chosen technology face up by your player board – no one else can use it.

• Level I and II technologies give you permanent abilities you can use throughout the game, beginning with your next turn. Because you cannot use a level I or II technology when you take it, you may allow the next player to begin his or her turn while you are still deciding which technology to take.
• By contrast, level III and IV technologies give one-time benefits that can be used immediately. Alternatively, you can save the tile and use it on a later turn. Once you use it, discard the tile to help you remember that it can be used only once.
• You can’t gain any more technologies after the space labeled IV, but being higher on the track will give you more points at the end of the game. If you are at the top space, for each further advance, you immediately score 2 points instead of advancing.

Charles University

During play, you will have various opportunities to advance on your Charles University track. Your height on this track determines the worth of your technology track at the end of the game. (See page 16.)

In general, you gain no immediate reward for advancing along the Charles University track. However, if you are already at the top, for each further advance, you immediately score 2 points instead of advancing.

Comprehensive Player Turn Example

EXAMPLE: Player Turn: Upgrade an Action + Extra Action – Construct a Wall

1. Green starts her turn by choosing an action tile that allows her to Upgrade an Action. She already has an upgrade that gives her a golden window bonus for this. She chooses the upgrade shown and places it on her action board. (She can choose the orientation, but she must place it on the matching action.)
2. Because the tile is from Era II, Green advances 2 spaces on her Charles University track.
3. Green placed the tile to trigger 2 adjacency bonuses. (They always come in pairs.) She advances 1 space on her technology track and takes a silver window. Note that she gets no corner bonus because the red corner does not match up with anything yet.
4. Normally, Green’s turn would be done now, but she decides to spend 1 gold window and 1 silver window to buy an extra action.
5. For her second action, she decides to build a wall. She doesn’t need an action tile for this; she just tells everyone she is building a wall. She has just upgraded that action, so this choice gives her 1 point. She chooses the tile shown and spends 4 stone to build it. It gives her 6 points.
6. She places the wall as shown. The red corners match up, which gives her a red corner bonus token. In the future, if she places another wall’s red corner there, she will get 2 more red corner bonus tokens, one for each red corner already present.
7. Green has taken two actions. She is not allowed to take more than two, so she rotates the action crane and returns her action tile.

End of Turn Procedure

At the end of your turn, do the following:

1. Discard down to 2 windows if you have more than 2.
2. Rotate the wheel of the action crane one space clockwise. (Normally, you rotate the wheel one space. However, when the arrow of the wheel is in the position shown here, rotate it 2 spaces.)
3. Place your action tile in the empty space at the beginning of the red zone. If this space is blocked by the square box on the action wheel, rotate it one more space so you can put your action tile there.
4. In the rare event that a tile rotates beyond the blue zone, remove it and place it in the first open space in the green zone. It is still worth 5 points. Place the 5-point bonus token on it as a reminder.

Counting Turns & Midgame Transition

1. The cube on the platform begins in a space that depends on the number of players.
2. After several players have taken their turns, the cube on the wheel will drop into a hole in the mechanism.
3. At that time, move the platform cube one space toward the hourglass on the end.

At the end of the next player’s turn, the wheel cube can be momentarily lifted out of the hole so that the player can rotate the wheel as usual.

Roughly midway through the game, the platform cube will move across the line between Era I and Era II. The exact position of this line depends on the number of players. When this happens, remove the three rows of Era I hex tiles. Replace their stacks with the Era II stacks. Shuffle the Era II stacks if you have not already done so and deal out new hex tiles.

In a two-player game, this midpoint does not occur when the platform cube moves. Instead it occurs a few turns later, when the wheel’s white arrow reaches the final space of the red zone, as indicated by the star symbol.

End of Game Trigger

When the cube moves to the last space on the platform, there are 11 turns left in the game. Players who are wondering how many turns they, personally, have left can refer to this table.

EXAMPLE: In a three-player game, the 11-turn countdown begins at the end of the starting player’s turn. Players 2 and 3 will have 4 more turns, whereas the starting player should plan for only 3. The game will keep track of all this automatically.

The game ends when the platform cube moves off the platform and onto the hourglass at the end. Each player will have taken exactly 16 turns. Now it is time for final scoring.

Final Scoring

In addition to the points you accumulate during the game, you will also receive points during final scoring. An overview is given on the back side of the quick reference sheets.

1. Unresolved Plazas

   Any plaza that was not enclosed during the game will give out rewards at this time. Every player with a claim on the plaza will get the reward depicted in the lower half of the plaza tile.

2. Points for Academics

   You score 0, 1, 2, or 3 points for each space you advanced on the technology track. The number of points you score is determined by your height on the Charles University track. For example, let’s say you advanced in technology 7 times. (That is, your marker is one space above the level IV technology space.) You would score zero points if your Charles University marker is still in the lower end of the track. But you would score 21 points if your Charles University marker is on the 3 space at the very top.

3. Hunger Wall and St. Vitus Cathedral

   • Rows: Score points for your row on the Hunger Wall and Cathedral tiers. Each row has a point value depicted in a black box at the end of the row. You score that many points.
   • Columns and Corner Bonus Tokens: Score points for your red and blue corner bonus tokens. Each column has a point value depicted at its head. Multiply that point value by the number of corresponding tokens and score that many points. The Hunger Wall gives you points for blue tokens for each sideways advancement you made. The Cathedral rewards red tokens (and its sideways advancements are in the other direction).

   

   EXAMPLE: Green’s marker is in the top row of the Cathedral, which is worth 13 points. (When she reached the top tier, she also earned a tile, which she will evaluate in step 5 of scoring.) In Green’s column, red bonus tokens are worth 3 points. She has 3 red bonus tokens, so she gets 9 points for them.

4. Walls

   • Gain 4 points if you have exactly 3 walls built around your action board.
   • Gain 10 points if you have 4 or 5 walls.
   • Gain 18 points if you have 6 or more.

   Count the total number of wall tiles you built; they don’t have to be adjacent to each other.

   

5. Final-Scoring Abilities

   During play, players can claim personal final-scoring abilities by claiming a V tile at Charles Bridge or at the Cathedral or by claiming one or two seals. Use your final-scoring abilities at this time.

6. Leftover Eggs

   Finally, gain the indicated number of points based on the number of eggs you have left. For example, if you have 4 or more eggs, you gain 10 points.

   

Winning

The winner is the player with the most points. In the unlikely event of a tie, break ties in favor of the player who started later. (For example, the player on the starting player’s right will win all ties.)

Take a moment to savor your accomplishments, then start putting the game away. As you dismantle the game board, remember that the real St. Vitus Cathedral, Hunger Wall, and Charles Bridge are still standing tall in the heart of Prague.

Solo Variant

For a single-player game, set up the game as you do for 2 players. You will be the starting player.

After each of your turns, play the opponent’s turn as follows:

1. Choose the action tile that is farthest ahead (closest to the blue zone).
2. Immediately return the tile to the crane according to the usual rules.

You are playing to see how high a score you can get. We think anything over 140 points is a good score. If you are looking for a solo variant in which the opponent’s turn is simulated in more detail, check out deliciousgames.org.

Modifications

• Action Tiles B Sides: For a less symmetrical set of actions, try the B sides of the action tiles. (Do not mix A and B sides.)
• Alternative King’s Road Tiles: Some or all of the non-egg effects on the King’s Road can be replaced with these tiles. Roman numerals indicate where the tile should be placed.
• Alternative Wall / Cathedral Tiers: The Hunger Wall and the Cathedral can be given different tiers. Tiers are in sets, so a project should either get all A tiers or all B tiers. However, the two projects are independent. For example, if you give the Hunger Wall its A tiers, the Cathedral can use A tiers, B tiers, or even the original tiers.

Rules Reminders

• Bonuses from the action crane can be delayed until later in your turn.
• When you upgrade an action, you can retroactively gain the upgrade bonus if you have already used that action on that turn.
• The upgrade bonus on an action applies whenever you perform that action – as an action on a tile taken from the wheel, as your turn’s extra action, or as an effect of a technology.
• When taking a hex tile, the special hex tile is available only if you are using the action from your chosen action tile, and only if you have the special tile bonus (which is available only from the wheel).
• Level I and level II technologies cannot be used during the turn in which you gain them.
• Level III and level IV technologies can be used immediately or saved for a later turn.
• If other players have already built Charles Bridge, you can’t get the bridge bonuses anymore, but you can still get the bonuses from the IV and V tiles.

Crane Bonuses

• Gain a window token of the indicated color.
• Choose a special tile according to the rules on page 9 or score 1 point.
• You may buy an egg for the indicated cost. Because this bonus comes from the wheel, you are allowed to delay using it until later in your turn if you cannot pay immediately.
• Advance one space on the indicated track.

Seals

• At the end of the game, you can buy 2 points for every gold you spend. (So the maximum possible is 18 points.)
• At the end of the game, you can buy 2 points for every stone you spend. (So the maximum possible is 18 points.)
• At the end of the game, you can buy 3 points for every pair of gold and stone you spend. For example, if you had 5 gold and 8 stone, this seal could give you (at most) 15 points – you would spend 5 gold and 5 stone and have 3 stone left.

King’s Road

• Score 3 points for each Era I upgrade tile you have.
• You may pay 1 gold to score 4 points. (You can’t pay more to buy more.)
• You may pay 1 egg to gain one of the two indicated rewards. (You can’t pay more to buy more.)
• You may pay 1 egg to gain one of the two indicated rewards. (You can’t pay more to buy more.)
• Immediately score 2 points for every silver window token you have. You do not pay anything; just score the points.
• While your marker is on this space of the King’s Road, whenever you take the Upgrade action, you score 2 points and gain either 1 gold or 1 stone.
• While your marker is on this space of the King’s Road, whenever you construct a building without the Cathedral symbol, you score 3 points.
• While your marker is on this space of the King’s Road, whenever you take the Construct a Wall action, you score 2 points.

Bridge Tiles

• You may move 1 space left on the Hunger Wall. You also gain a silver window and score 2 points.
• You may move 1 space right on the Cathedral. You also gain a silver window and score 2 points.
• Advance on the indicated track three times.
• Immediately score 3 points. At the end of the game, score points equal to your height on the Charles University track. For example, if your marker is in the topmost space, you would score 8 points.
• At the end of the game, score 3 points for each upgrade tile you have. (If you upgraded the same action twice, both tiles count.)
• At the end of the game, score 2 points for each wall tile you have.
• Immediately score 3 points. At the end of the game, score points equal to your number of gold mines. For example, if your marker is on the rightmost space, you would score 8 points.
• Immediately score 3 points. At the end of the game, score points equal to your number of quarries. For example, if your marker is on the rightmost space, you would score 7 points.
• At the end of the game, score points based on the row you achieved on the Hunger Wall and the Cathedral. For example, if you are in row 3 of the Hunger Wall, that is 6 points, plus whatever you get from the Cathedral. (On the Cathedral and the Hunger Wall, these icons are not effects. They simply indicate which row you are in.)

Plaza Tiles

The upper bonus is a sideways move on either the Hunger Wall or the Cathedral. A player who earns both plaza bonuses gains 3 gold as well, but still must choose only one of the two moves.

Technologies

Level I and II technologies give you permanent abilities that can be used on all subsequent turns. However, they cannot be used on the turn in which you take them.

By contrast, level III and IV technologies have a one-time effect. This effect can be used on the turn in which you take the technology or on any later turn. (Discard the tile afterwards to remind you that you have already used it.) If a technology tells you to perform an action, it does not count as the one extra action you are allowed to buy each turn.

Level I Technologies

• Whenever you gain the indicated bonus from the wheel, gain one more and score 1 point.
• Each time you advance on the depicted track, score 2 points.
• Whenever you move up one row on the Cathedral or the Hunger Wall, score 2 points.
• On your turn, if you score 1 or more points when choosing your action tile, score 1 additional point. (The points could come from the wheel or the blue zone. This technology gives you at most 1 additional point per turn.)

Level II Technologies

• When you construct a building with this symbol, gain the indicated resource and score 1 point.
• Once per turn, if you gain the indicated token, score 1 point and gain the indicated stone or gold.
• Whenever you construct a building that does not have the indicated symbol, gain the indicated resource and score 1 point.
• Whenever you gain (or buy) an egg, score 1 point and gain 1 stone.
• When you construct a wall tile with this symbol, gain the indicated resource and score 1 point.

Level III Technologies

• Gain 1 egg. Perform the action Construct the King’s Road.
• Move up one space on the Cathedral or the Hunger Wall. If you cross to the next tier, ignore the usual stone and gold costs.
• Advance 4 times on your Charles University track.
• Perform the action Upgrade an Action, and score 3 points.
• Produce gold and gain 2 stone. (This is not a Manage Mines action, so it does not trigger bonuses from a Manage Mines upgrade.)
• Produce stone and gain 2 gold. (This is not a Manage Quarries action, so it does not trigger bonuses from a Manage Quarries upgrade.)

Level IV Technologies

• Perform the action Construct a Building. The total cost of the building is reduced by 2 gold. (The total cost includes the cost printed on the tile and any cost printed on the board. The total cost cannot be reduced below zero.)
• Perform the action Construct a Wall. The cost of the wall tile is reduced by 2 stone.
• Perform any action.
• Perform the action Upgrade an Action, and gain 1 gold window.
• Gain both rewards depicted on one plaza tile. (It doesn’t matter whether the plaza has been evaluated yet; however, it can’t be one of those that was not put on the board.)
• Increase either your gold mines or your quarries by 1. Then either produce gold or produce stone. (The two choices are independent. For example, if you increase your gold mines by 1, you still get to choose whether you produce gold or stone. This triggers no upgrades.)

History of Charles IV’s Prague

• Charles IV: Charles IV was the Czech king from 1346 to 1378. In 1355, he was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. One of the most educated rulers of the Middle Ages, he spoke five languages. During his reign, the Czech Kingdom flourished. Prague became one of the most important cities in Europe thanks to his ambitious construction projects.
• Prague’s Old Town: Prague’s Old Town lies in a bend of the river Vltava, as shown on our game board. Outside its walls, construction began on a planned city – the New Town, which had new walls of its own. These are the walls and buildings you get to construct during the game. Across the Vltava lies a smaller town known today as Malá Strana, which could be translated as “The Little Side of the River” – it is squeezed between the Vltava and the steep hillsides below Prague Castle.
• Charles Bridge: Charles Bridge was built to connect the two banks of the Vltava, which runs through Prague. They had originally been joined by Judith’s Bridge (named for an earlier Czech queen), but a flood in 1342 destroyed the old bridge, necessitating construction of a new one. In later years, the Charles Bridge was decorated with baroque statues and to this day it is one of the major landmarks of Prague. According to legend, the bridge has stood so long because eggs were mixed into the mortar.
• The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert: St. Vitus Cathedral is the pinnacle of Prague Castle. King John laid the cornerstone while his son, the future King Charles IV, looked on. During his reign, Charles placed Peter Parler in charge of construction, which he supervised for nearly 50 years until his death. Construction continued until the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, not resuming until the 19th century.
• The King’s Road: The King’s Road more-or-less followed the route outlined on our map, crossing the Charles Bridge and heading up to the castle. After Charles IV’s time, it became the route followed by the coronation procession for the Czech king.
• Charles University: Charles University was established in 1348, the first university in central Europe. Its original location is noted on our map by the yellow plaza – the one that offers advancements on your Charles University track or your technology track. Many more buildings have been added to the university since its founding, and it is still one of the premier academic institutions in the Czech Republic.
• The Hunger Wall: The Hunger Wall was built as a defensive structure above Malá Strana. Taking a construction job on the wall was a good way to earn food, and the legend grew that Charles had built the wall specifically to care for those suffering from the famine of 1361.
• Our board also includes several other structures which stand to this day in the heart of Prague, such as:
  • The Old New Synagogue
  • Church of Our Lady of the Snow
  • Prague Castle