Teotihuacan: City of Gods

2018

In Teotihuacan: City of Gods board game, command your workers, develop technologies, and construct the magnificent Pyramid of the Sun to gain ultimate fame!

120
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Welcome to Teotihuacan: City of Gods, a fascinating journey into the heart of ancient Mesoamerica. Here, you will experience the grandeur and mystique of one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world while immersing yourself in an engaging strategy game.

In Teotihuacan: City of Gods, players represent noble families striving for eternal fame and glory. You’ll achieve this by contributing to the construction of the iconic Pyramid of the Sun, painting breathtaking murals, crafting and engraving mystic masks, and performing awe-inspiring rituals to please the gods.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game ‘Teotihuacan: City of Gods’ includes a range of components, each with its own role within the game’s mechanics. Here is a detailed breakdown:

1. Game Board

The game board depicts the ancient city of Teotihuacan. It’s separated into eight main areas for different actions, such as gathering resources, building, and worshiping gods. Movement across the board is one of the game’s key mechanics.

2. Dice

Each player gets three dice, which represent their workers. The face value of the dice changes throughout the game, representing the worker’s age and experience. Dice interact with many aspects of the game, including action efficiency and worker ascension.

3. Player Boards

Every player has a board to organize their resources and track their development. These interact with the game by offering a visual overview of each player’s progress and available resources.

4. Resource tokens

Resource tokens are used to indicate the quantity of resources a player has. They include wood, stone, and gold. These resources are required for various actions on the game board, such as building.

5. Pyramid Tiles

Pyramid Tiles are used to construct the Pyramid of the Sun. Each tile has a specific resource cost and provides different rewards. They interact with the game by contributing to players’ victory points and influencing the pace of the game.

6. Decoration Tiles

Decoration Tiles are used to decorate the Pyramid of the Sun. Like Pyramid Tiles, they have a resource cost and provide rewards. They allow players to earn more points and can grant additional benefits.

7. Technology Tiles

Technology Tiles represent the advancements players can purchase. They grant special abilities or bonuses, allowing players to tailor their strategy.

8. Discovery Tokens

Discovery Tokens offer a variety of benefits, from resources to advancement on the Avenue of the Dead. They are acquired through different actions on the game board.

9. Calendar Tokens

Calendar Tokens are used to keep track of game rounds. They indicate the current era, and when all three are used, the game ends.

10. Avenue of the Dead Track

The Avenue of the Dead Track measures the number of workers a player has ascended. This interacts with the game by providing another method of scoring points.

11. Worship Track

The Worship Track is a mechanic that represents the favor of the gods. Players can move up the track by performing certain actions, increasing their end-game scoring potential.

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

Teotihuacan: City of Gods is a strategic board game where players take on the roles of powerful nobles in the ancient Mesoamerican city. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Prepare the Main Board

Place the main board in the center of the playing area. The main board consists of three temples (Jaguar, Death, and Wind), the Avenue of the Dead, and eight action boards. Rotate the action boards to match the current player count.

Step 2: Set Up Temples and Palaces

The Jaguar, Death, and Wind temples each have three slots for tiles. Shuffle the temple tiles separately and place one on each slot, from bottom to top. Shuffle the palace tiles and place them on the Palace action board.

Step 3: Prepare the Discovery Tiles

Shuffle the discovery tiles and place them face down next to the main board. Draw one tile for each space on the Forest, Stone Quarry, Gold Depository, and Palace action boards. These represent resources players can gain during the game.

Step 4: Set Up Avenue of the Dead

Shuffle the Avenue of the Dead tiles and draw as many as the number of players plus one. Place these tiles face up on the corresponding spaces on the Avenue of the Dead.

Step 5: Set Up the Pyramid

Shuffle the pyramid tiles and form a face-down draw pile. Draw tiles to form the base of the pyramid on the Construction action board. The pyramid’s base should be a 3×3 grid, with the top tile in the center.

Step 6: Prepare Player Components

Each player chooses a color and takes all the components in that color. This includes 4 workers (dice), 6 action tokens, 3 construction markers, a player board, and a eclipse score marker which is placed on the starting space of the Avenue of the Dead.

Step 7: Initial Resources

Each player starts with 3 cocoa, 2 wood, 2 stone, and 1 gold. These resources are tracked on the player’s board. Players also receive a starting tile, which gives them additional resources, worker advancements, or other benefits.

Step 8: Determine First Player

The player who most recently visited a temple in real life becomes the first player. If no one qualifies, choose randomly. The first player places one of their workers on the Palace action board. Continue clockwise until all players have placed their workers.

Now you’re all set to start playing Teotihuacan: City of Gods! Enjoy the game.

Game flow Round and round we go

Teotihuacan: City of Gods is a complex and strategic board game where players take on the roles of powerful noble families, trying to achieve everlasting glory and spiritual wealth. The game is structured in three epochs, each consisting of various rounds determined by the movement of the light disc on the game board.

Each round or turn within an epoch enables players to perform one action with one of their workers. Players move their workers around different action boards, each representing a location in the city. At each location, players can perform specific actions such as gathering resources, constructing buildings or decorations, advancing on the Avenue of the Dead, or paying tribute to the gods.

The detailed structure of a round or turn in Teotihuacan is as follows:

Worker Movement: Move one of your workers clockwise around the board to an action board of your choice. The number of steps you can move is based on the number of workers you have.
Action Execution: Once the worker is on an action board, you may choose to perform the action associated with that location. The power of the action depends on the number of your workers present and their individual levels.
Worker Advancement: After performing an action, your worker gains experience (indicated by the worker’s color) and may level up. If a worker reaches the highest level, it ascends, providing you with powerful bonuses.

After a certain number of player turns, the light disc completes a full revolution on the game board, triggering the end of an epoch. Three epochs make up a full game of Teotihuacan. At the end of each epoch, the following phases occur:

Eclipse Phase: Players score points based on their progress on the Avenue of the Dead and the number of their workers that have ascended during the epoch.
Maintenance Phase: The game board is prepared for the next epoch by refilling resources, refreshing available technologies, and setting out new building tiles.

In the final scoring at the end of the third epoch, players also earn points based on their contributions to the Pyramid of the Sun, their advancements on the three temple tracks, collected decorations, and certain technologies they possess.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Teotihuacan: City of Gods is a comprehensive board game that requires strategic decision-making and careful planning. During each player’s turn, they can take various actions, including moving a worker, performing an action, power-up a worker, or pay cocoa.

Move a worker

At the start of their turn, a player must move one of their workers. The worker can be moved one to three spaces clockwise around the main board. The space where the worker ends up dictates the possible action for that turn.

Perform an action
Collect resources

On certain spaces, the player can choose to collect resources. The type and amount of resources collected depend on the space and the number and colour of the worker dice on that space.

Construction

Other spaces allow the player to contribute to the construction of the Pyramid of the Sun. This involves spending resources to place a tile on the pyramid, which earns the player points and potentially bonuses.

Decorations

On the decorations space, players can spend resources to place a tile on the pyramid, which also earns points and bonuses.

Worship

On the worship spaces, players can perform various actions such as gaining resources, advancing on the Avenue of the Dead, or collecting discovery tiles.

Power-up a worker

If a player moves a worker to a space that already contains at least one other worker of the same colour, they can choose to power-up. This involves increasing the value of the worker die and potentially earning cocoa.

Pay Cocoa

If a player moves a worker to a space that contains other workers, either their own or others’, they must pay cocoa. The amount paid depends on the number and colour of the worker dice on the space.

Each action and decision in the game has strategic implications. For example, choosing to collect resources may set up future turns where those resources can be used to contribute to the pyramid or for decorations.
Powering-up workers can lead to more efficient actions but also requires careful management of cocoa resources.
The construction of the pyramid and decorations provide opportunities to score points, but also require a steady supply of resources.
Advancing on the Avenue of the Dead and collecting discovery tiles can provide points and bonuses, but also require the player to spend time on worship spaces.

In conclusion, a player’s turn in ‘Teotihuacan: City of Gods’ involves moving a worker, performing an action, deciding whether to power-up, and possibly paying cocoa. Each of these choices affects the player’s strategy and the outcome of the game.

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

Teotihuacan: City of Gods is a deeply strategic board game where players aim to build the most magnificent city in the Mesoamerican civilization. The game ends after the completion of the third eclipse, and then final scoring takes place.

During the game, players accumulate victory points in several ways, such as constructing the Pyramid of the Sun, decorating it, climbing the Avenue of the Dead, and making offerings to the gods. However, the final scoring only occurs after the third eclipse and includes the following elements:

Eclipse Scoring: This is the third and final time players will score points for their progress on the Avenue of the Dead and the number of light tokens they have.
Temple Scoring: Players earn points depending on the highest step reached on each of the three temples. Also, they receive points from temple bonus tiles, if any are collected.
Decoration Scoring: Points are awarded for each decoration a player has on the Pyramid of the Sun.
Construction Scoring: Players gain points for each of their own coloured worker dice in the construction zone.
Endgame Bonus Tiles: These reward points for meeting certain conditions, as depicted on the bonus tiles collected during gameplay.

Before the final scoring occurs, players must perform the following actions:

Final Eclipse: Once the third eclipse occurs, all players finish their current round so each player has had an equal number of turns.
Final Actions: Players can use any remaining resources to perform actions, such as making offerings or advancing on temples. However, they cannot perform any action that would advance the light/darkness disc.

After these steps, players proceed to the final scoring. The player with the highest total of victory points at the end of the final scoring is declared the winner of the game.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Teotihuacan: City of Gods has a multi-faceted scoring system that rewards players for a variety of actions and achievements throughout the game. Points are awarded during three scoring phases as well as at the end of the game.

1. Construction of the Pyramid: When a player contributes to the construction of the central Pyramid of the Sun, they earn victory points immediately. The number of points is determined by the level of the pyramid where the tile is added (1, 2, 3, or 4 points), plus the number of matching symbols on the newly placed tile and adjacent tiles.

2. Decorations: When a player adds a decoration to the pyramid, they score victory points equal to the number of matching symbols on the decoration and the tile it is placed on, plus the value of the decoration (1, 2, 3, or 4).

3. Ascension: When a player’s worker dies (ascends), the player scores points equal to the worker’s current level (1, 2, 3, or 4).

The game also includes three scoring phases, which occur when the light disc completes a revolution around the calendar track. During these phases, players earn points based on:

The number of their workers on the Avenue of the Dead track.
The number of masks in their collection.

At the end of the game, players earn additional points for:

Each step they have advanced on the Avenue of the Dead track.
Each set of masks in their collection.
Each leftover resource (cacao, wood, stone, gold).
Any end-of-game bonuses from technologies or temple bonuses.

The player with the highest total score wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most leftover resources (cacao, wood, stone, gold) is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player who is earlier in turn order wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

‘Teotihuacan: City of Gods’ is a complex and intricate game that requires a keen understanding of its special rules, exceptions, and clarifications. Here are some of them:

Worker Aging: In this game, your workers age as they move around the board. When they reach age 6, they die and are reborn as a younger worker, but can still provide benefits. This is a unique feature of the game that can significantly impact your strategy.

When a worker dies, the player gains 3 cocoa and a 3-point bonus.
If the player chooses to ascend their worker, they can either increase their worker’s power by 1 or gain 5 cocoa.

Temple Advancement: Advancing on the three temple tracks is another crucial aspect of the game. However, to advance on these tracks, you must first meet certain requirements.

For the Pyramid track, you must have built a part of the pyramid.
For the Avenue of the Dead track, you must have contributed to the construction of the buildings on the avenue.
For the Decoration track, you must have decorated parts of the pyramid.

Construction of the Pyramid: This is the central part of the game. However, it’s important to note that you cannot build on a space that is already occupied by another tile. Additionally, you must match the symbol of your tile with the symbol of the space you’re building on to gain an additional point.

End Game Scoring: At the end of the game, players receive points for their advancements on the temple tracks, their masks, and their remaining resources. However, it’s important to note that the player with the most points on the Avenue of the Dead track only gets points if they have at least one worker on the track at the end of the game.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Teotihuacan: City of Gods is a complex board game that requires strategic planning and careful decision making. Below are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on your worshipers: Make sure to utilize your worshipers effectively. They can be used to gain powerful bonuses, so don’t overlook them.
Plan ahead: The game is about long-term planning. Make sure you have a strategy for the later rounds from the beginning of the game.
Optimize your actions: You should always aim to perform an action that will give you the most benefits. Consider your options and choose wisely.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the rules: Before you start playing, make sure you have a good understanding of the rules. This will help you to make better decisions during the game.
Start simple: Don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on a few key strategies and expand from there as you get more comfortable with the game.
Learn from others: Watch how other players play and try to learn from their strategies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not planning ahead: This is a game that requires careful planning. If you don’t think ahead, you may find yourself in a difficult position later on.
Ignoring worshipers: Worshipers can provide powerful bonuses. Ignoring them can be a costly mistake.
Not optimizing actions: Each action you take should provide the maximum benefit. Failing to optimize your actions can lead to missed opportunities.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Think ahead: Always be thinking about your next move. This will help you to make the most of each turn.
Use your resources wisely: Don’t waste your resources. Make sure you are using them in the most effective way possible.
Learn from your mistakes: If something doesn’t work, try a different strategy next time. The key to success in this game is adaptability.