Tikal

1999

Dive into Tikal, an immersive board game of exploration and adventure. Guide your team through Central American jungles, unearth lost temples, and secure priceless treasures!

90
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Tikal is a beautifully designed and immensely engaging board game that transports players to the dense jungles of Central America. Echoing the spirit of Indiana Jones, this game plunges you into the shoes of adventurous archaeologists, excavating the ruins of an ancient Mayan civilization.

In Tikal, you and your fellow players lead teams of explorers through the jungle, uncovering temples and finding treasures. Each player takes turns placing hexagonal tiles onto the game board, gradually revealing the jungle and its hidden wonders. As you delve deeper, you’ll encounter towering temples, vast jungles, and valuable artifacts.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Tikal is a strategy board game packed with various components that work together to create a thrilling adventure of exploration. Here are the components included in the game and their functions:

1. Game Board: The game board represents the unexplored jungle. It is where the players place their tiles to discover new areas and treasures.

2. Hexagonal Terrain Tiles: Tikal includes 36 hexagonal terrain tiles. Players draw and place these tiles on the game board to explore new territories. These tiles can represent a part of the jungle, a temple, or a treasure site.

3. Action Points Tokens: These tokens help players keep track of their action points. In each turn, a player has ten action points that they can use to perform various actions.

4. Player Markers: There are four sets of player markers in different colors. Each set includes an expedition leader, assistants, and camps. Players use these markers to explore the jungle, excavate temples, and uncover treasures.

Expedition Leader: This marker represents the player’s main explorer. It is used to claim temples and treasures.
Assistants: These markers represent the player’s team of explorers. They help in excavating temples and uncovering treasures.
Camps: These markers represent the player’s base in the jungle. Players can place them on the game board to create a starting point for their exploration.

5. Temple Tiles: There are 13 temple tiles in the game, each with a value between 1 and 10. Players place their leaders or assistants on these tiles to claim them. The value of the tile represents the number of victory points a player can gain from it.

6. Treasure Tokens: These tokens represent the treasures that players can find in the jungle. There are three types of treasure tokens: vases, masks, and jewelry. Collecting sets of different treasure tokens can earn players extra victory points.

7. Volcano Tiles: These tiles are used to trigger scoring rounds. When a player draws a volcano tile, they place it on the game board, and then all players score points based on the temples and treasures they have claimed.

8. Scoring Track: The scoring track is located around the edge of the game board. Players move their scoring markers along this track to keep track of their victory points.

9. Rulebook: The rulebook provides the complete rules and instructions for playing Tikal. It includes details about the game components, the setup process, the gameplay mechanics, and the scoring system.

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

Tikal is a board game of strategy and exploration, where players take on the role of expedition leaders in the dense jungles of Guatemala. Here are the step-by-step instructions for setting up the game:

Step 1: Player Roles

Each player assumes the role of an expedition leader. The goal is to explore the jungle, uncover temples, and collect treasures. There are no specific roles beyond this; all players have the same abilities and opportunities.

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the game board in the center of the playing area. The board is a grid of empty spaces where the terrain tiles will be placed during the game. Each player should be able to reach it easily.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player receives an expedition team consisting of one leader figure, two camp markers, and 18 action markers. They also receive a scoring marker, which is placed on the scoring track that borders the game board.

Step 4: Terrain Tiles

There are 36 hexagonal terrain tiles in the game, each showing a piece of the jungle. These tiles are shuffled face down and placed in a stack next to the game board.

Step 5: Volcano Tiles

Separate the four volcano tiles from the terrain tiles. These are placed face up in a row next to the stack of terrain tiles. They will be drawn at specific points in the game.

Step 6: Treasure Tokens

There are 48 treasure tokens in the game, split into 24 pairs. These tokens are shuffled and placed in a pile face down next to the game board.

Step 7: Base Camps

Each player places one of their camp markers on one of the starting hexes indicated on the game board. This represents their base camp from where their explorations will start.

Step 8: Random Elements

The order in which the terrain tiles are drawn from the stack during the game represents the main random element in Tikal. The treasures that players find when they discover temples are also drawn randomly from the pile of treasure tokens.

Game flow Round and round we go

‘Tikal’ is a strategic board game where players take on the roles of explorers in the dense jungles of Guatemala, discovering temples and treasures while seeking to control various temple sites. The game is played over several rounds, with each player taking turns to perform a series of actions. Here is a detailed breakdown of the game’s structure:

The game of ‘Tikal’ begins with a Setup Phase, which includes:

Board Preparation: The starting tile is placed in the center of the table, and the remaining terrain tiles are shuffled and placed in stacks.
Setting Up Base Camp: Each player places their base camp and a set number of expedition members on the starting tile.

After the setup, the main game starts. Each Round has two main parts:

Tile Placement: The active player draws the top tile from the stack and places it on any empty space on the board that is accessible from their current position. The tile can be a part of the jungle, a temple, or a volcano.
Action Phase: The player then has 10 action points to spend on various activities, including:

Moving an expedition member.
Digging to increase the level of a temple.
Discovering a new temple.
Recovering a treasure.
Establishing control over a temple.

After the Action Phase, play passes to the next player in clockwise order. This cycle continues until a Scoring Phase is triggered, which happens after all players have taken a turn and a volcanic eruption (volcano tile) is drawn. In this phase:

Players score points based on their control over temples and possession of treasures.
Points are recorded and play continues with the next round.

The game ends after the final round and the last Scoring Phase. The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Tikal is a strategic board game where players explore the jungles of Guatemala, discovering temples and treasures. Each player’s turn in Tikal is a critical part of the game, consisting of several potential actions and strategic choices.

During a player’s turn, they initially draw a hexagonal tile from the stack and place it on the board, effectively expanding the jungle and uncovering either a part of a temple or a treasure. This action can potentially give the player more options for exploration and scoring points.

After placing the tile, the player has 10 action points to spend. The number of action points used will depend on the type of action performed. Here are the possible actions and their costs:

Move a figure – This costs 1 point per hexagon moved.
Uncover a level of a temple – This costs 3 points per level. Uncovering levels in temples can yield a significant number of points during scoring phases.
Discover a treasure – This costs 3 points. Treasures can be valuable for players who collect sets of them.
Establish or remove a guard – This costs 3 points. Guards can be placed to protect a player’s claim over a temple or treasure.
Establish a camp – This costs 10 points. Establishing a camp allows a player to start their move from that point in future turns, potentially providing a strategic advantage in terms of mobility.

A player can choose to perform any combination of these actions during their turn, as long as they do not exceed their 10 action points. This provides a range of strategic choices, with different actions offering different potential benefits and risks.

At certain points during the game, there will be a scoring phase. During this phase, players earn points based on the temples they control and the treasures they have discovered. Thus, the actions a player chooses to perform during their turn can have a significant impact on their score.

Understanding the potential outcomes of each action, and balancing short-term gains against long-term strategy, is key to success in Tikal.

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

Tikal is a strategy-based board game where players lead an expedition team into the depths of the Central American jungle in search of lost temples and precious treasures. The game ends after the last volcano tile is drawn and placed, which initiates the final scoring round.

The game comprises of a series of rounds, each of which ends with a scoring phase. During the scoring phase, players accumulate victory points based on control of temples and possession of treasure. It’s important to note that the final scoring round after the last volcano tile is drawn is crucial – it often determines the overall winner of the game.

Before final scoring, players are allowed to use up to ten action points in the final round to better position themselves for scoring. These actions can include:

Moving explorers
Excavating a level of a temple
Discovering a new temple
Retrieving a treasure

The final scoring then proceeds in the same way as the normal scoring rounds, but with a few key differences:

Each player, starting with the player who placed the last volcano tile and proceeding in clockwise order, takes a final turn where they can use up to ten action points.
After all players have taken their final turn, scoring occurs. Each player adds up their points from temples and treasures.
The player with the most points from their temples adds the value of their treasures to their score.

In the event of a tie, the player with the most treasures wins. If there is still a tie, the player who placed the last volcano tile wins. Thus, the game of Tikal ends by rewarding the player who has most effectively managed their expedition and discovered the most valuable temples and treasures.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Tikal’, players earn points by controlling temples, collecting treasures, and during volcanic eruptions. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

Controlling Temples:

Each temple has a numbered level, and the player who controls a temple earns a number of points equal to the temple’s level. For example, a level 5 temple will award the controlling player 5 points.

Collecting Treasures:

Each treasure token a player collects is worth 1 point. However, if a player collects multiple treasures of the same type, they earn additional points equal to the number of matching treasures. For example, two matching treasures are worth 4 points in total (2 points for each treasure), and three matching treasures are worth 9 points in total (3 points for each treasure).

Volcanic Eruptions:

Drawing a volcano card triggers a scoring round where players earn points based on their current temple control and treasures. After the scoring round, the volcano card is discarded, and the game continues.

Tie-breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the player who most recently completed a turn is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most treasures wins. If there is still a tie, the player who controls the highest level temple wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most expedition members on the board wins. If there is still a tie after all these tie-breaking rules have been applied, the game ends in a draw.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Tikal is a strategic board game where players explore the jungles of Guatemala, uncovering temples and treasures. While the rules are straightforward, there are a few special cases and exceptions that may arise during gameplay:

1. Action Points:

Unused Action Points: In the event a player does not use all ten of their action points in a turn, the remaining points are lost. They do not carry over to the next turn.
Excess Action Points: Players cannot perform an action that requires more action points than they have remaining. For example, if a player only has 2 action points left, they cannot perform an action that costs 3 points.

2. Volcano Round:

Volcano Scoring: When a Volcano tile is drawn, no player may perform actions until scoring is completed. Unlike normal rounds, players do not get to use action points during Volcano rounds.
Placement of Volcano Tiles: Volcano tiles must be placed adjacent to a tile that has already been placed. They cannot be placed on the starting tile or on tiles already holding temples or treasures.

3. Temples:

Incomplete Excavation: If a player begins to excavate a temple but does not complete it in one turn, the level of the temple remains at its original level until excavation is completed in a later turn.
Temple Ownership: The player with the most explorers on a temple tile at the time of scoring owns that temple. If there is a tie, the player who placed the last explorer wins.

4. Treasures:

Picking Up Treasures: A player may only pick up one treasure from each treasure tile per turn. Picking up a treasure costs 3 action points.
Trading Treasures: Players may only trade treasures during their own turn. Both players involved in the trade must agree to it, and each must trade one treasure. Trading does not cost any action points.

5. The Final Round:

Final Scoring: In the final round, the player who drew the last tile does not get to use action points. Instead, all players immediately proceed to scoring.
Tiebreaker: In case of a tie at the end of the game, the player with the most treasures wins. If there is still a tie, the player who went first at the beginning of the game wins.