Trekking Through History

2022

Trekking through History: A captivating board game that invites players to journey through significant historical events, earn points, and manipulate time with Time Crystals. Perfect for gamers and non-gamers alike!

60
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium Light

About the game

‘Trekking Through History’ invites you to embark on an exciting journey through different eras, exploring the rich tapestry of our shared past. This innovative board game expertly combines strategic gameplay with an educational experience, allowing players to learn about historical events, figures, and discoveries while engaging in friendly competition.

Set against the backdrop of a beautifully illustrated timeline, the game transports players across ancient civilizations, medieval kingdoms, modern revolutions, and more. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Space Age, the game’s setting is as vast as history itself, offering an immersive backdrop for players to delve into.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Trekking Through History is an immersive board game that takes players on a journey through different time periods. Here is a detailed breakdown of all the components included in the game and how they interact within the gameplay.

1. Game Board: The game board is a map of different historical sites and paths connecting them. Players move their trekker pieces on this board to visit sites and collect cards.

2. Trekker Pieces: Each player receives a trekker piece, which they move across the game board. The position of a trekker piece on the board determines the player’s options during their turn.

3. Event Cards: These cards depict historical events that players can encounter during their journey. When a player lands on a site with an event card, they can choose to pick it up and add it to their collection.

4. Knowledge Cards: These cards contain facts about different time periods. Players can collect these cards to increase their score, with the goal of having the highest score at the end of the game.

5. Time Tokens: These tokens represent different time periods. Players collect these tokens by landing on corresponding sites on the game board. Each token is worth a certain amount of points.

6. Journey Cards: These cards determine a player’s movement on the game board. Each card has a number and a color, and the player can choose to move their trekker piece the number of sites indicated on the card, following the color path.

7. Site Tokens: These tokens are placed on the game board at the beginning of the game. When a player lands on a site with a token, they can collect it. Each token is worth a certain amount of points.

8. Dice: The dice is used to determine the initial player order. The player who rolls the highest number gets to go first.

Game Board: The focal point of the game where players move their trekker pieces and interact with different game elements.
Trekker Pieces: Represent the players in the game and their positions on the board.
Event Cards: Add an element of surprise and strategy to the game.
Knowledge Cards: A way for players to gain points and learn about history.
Time Tokens: Help in tracking the player’s journey through different historical periods.
Journey Cards: Determine the player’s movement and strategy in the game.
Site Tokens: Give players additional chances to earn points.
Dice: Decides the starting player and adds an element of luck to the game.

Each of these components plays a crucial role in making Trekking Through History a fun and educational experience. The game’s interactions and dynamics change with every play, ensuring a unique experience each time.

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

‘Trekking Through History’ is a fun and educational board game that takes players through key events and eras in history. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Setting up the board

First, unfold the game board and place it in the middle of the playing area. The board features various historical eras represented by different paths. Each path contains spots for event cards, which players will collect throughout the game.

Step 2: Preparing the event cards

Shuffle the event cards, which are divided into separate eras such as Ancient Times, Middle Ages, Modern Age, etc. Each era has a designated colour on the board. Place the event cards face down on the corresponding coloured spots on the board.

Step 3: Arranging the resource cards

Next, shuffle the resource cards, which represent different historical artefacts or resources. Place these in a draw pile next to the game board. Reveal the top five cards from this pile and place them face up next to the draw pile.

Step 4: Defining player roles

Each player chooses a coloured pawn to represent them on the board. The roles of players are equal; everyone is a ‘trekker’ aiming to collect the most points from event cards and resource sets. The player who most recently read a history book goes first.

Step 5: Distributing initial resources

Each player draws two resource cards from the draw pile to start their hand. Players should not reveal these cards to other players.

Step 6: Placing trekker pawns

All players place their trekker pawns on the start space of the board, ready to begin their journey through history.

Step 7: Random elements

Timing and chance play a role in ‘Trekking Through History.’ The order in which event cards are drawn is random, and the available resources change as players draw cards. Players must adapt their strategies based on these unpredictable elements.

Now, you are ready to start playing ‘Trekking Through History’. Remember, the goal of the game is to earn the most points by gathering event cards and creating sets of resource cards. Good luck!

Game flow Round and round we go

‘Trekking Through History’ is a strategy-based board game where players traverse through different eras of history, collecting artifacts and gaining knowledge. The game is divided into rounds, and each round is subdivided into certain phases. Each player performs specific actions in each phase.

A game of ‘Trekking Through History’ typically follows this structure:

Setup Phase: At the beginning of the game, the board is prepared with era tiles laid out in a grid structure. Each player picks a color and places their corresponding pawn at the start. The artifact deck is shuffled and four cards are drawn and placed face up next to the board.
Exploration Phase: In this phase, players take turns to roll the dice and move their pawn across the board. The number rolled determines how many spaces a player can move. Players may move in any direction but cannot move diagonally.
Collection Phase: If a player lands on a space with an artifact, they may choose to collect it. To do so, they must discard a number of cards from their hand that matches the number on the artifact card. The collected artifact is then replaced from the deck.
Knowledge Phase: Players can also gain knowledge points by landing on era tiles. Each era tile has a specific knowledge value. The player can choose to learn about the era, which gives them the knowledge points on the tile. Once an era has been learned, the tile is flipped over.
End Phase: The game ends when all artifacts have been collected or all era tiles have been learned. The player with the highest combined score of artifacts and knowledge points is the winner.

During a player’s turn, they may perform the following actions:

Move their pawn according to the dice roll.

Collect an artifact, if they land on a relevant space and have the necessary cards.

Learn about an era and gain knowledge points, if they land on an era tile.

Draw a card from the artifact deck at the end of their turn.

Through these actions, players navigate their way through history, enriching their collection of artifacts and expanding their knowledge of different eras.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Trekking Through History is a board game that combines strategy and knowledge of history. A player’s turn in this game comprises of several key steps, each offering different actions and strategic choices. Understanding these steps is crucial to mastering the game.

1. Draw Cards:

The turn begins with the player drawing two cards from the deck, which can either be Trek cards or History cards.

Trek cards are used to move across the board. They have a range of values and can also be used to claim Historical Sites on the board.
History cards provide historical facts and trivia. They can be used to gain points by correctly answering the trivia questions.

2. Movement:

After drawing cards, the player may choose to move their game piece on the board. The number of spaces they can move is determined by the value of the Trek card they choose to play. Strategic movement is important to claim Historical Sites and to reach Journey’s End spaces where additional points can be scored.

3. Claiming a Historical Site:

If a player lands on a Historical Site, they may choose to claim it by discarding Trek cards from their hand. The value of the cards discarded must equal or exceed the value of the Site. Claiming a Site rewards the player with points and the Site marker, which can provide additional benefits.

4. Answering History Trivia:

If a player chooses to play a History card, they must answer a history trivia question. If they answer correctly, they score points corresponding to the difficulty of the question.

5. Draw Up:

At the end of their turn, the player refills their hand to a limit of 5 cards. If the deck is exhausted, the discard pile is reshuffled to form a new deck.

Understanding these actions and making strategic choices can greatly affect the outcome of the game. For instance, knowing when to move, when to claim a Historical Site, and when to answer history trivia can give players an advantage. Similarly, managing the hand is also key – players need to balance their Trek and History cards to maximize their options.

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

The game of ‘Trekking Through History’ ends when a player reaches a specified historical event or the draw deck of historical event cards is exhausted. After either of these conditions are met, players must complete one final round before proceeding to final scoring.

Victory Conditions:

The main objective in ‘Trekking Through History’ is to gain the maximum points by visiting historical events, collecting artefacts, and completing bonus objectives. Here are the various ways to gain points:

Every historical event visited is worth a certain number of points, as indicated on its respective card.
The artefact cards collected throughout the game also contribute to your final score. Each artefact card has a point value.
There are bonus objectives, which if completed, can give you extra points. These objectives are different for every game and are revealed at the start of the game.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Before proceeding to final scoring, players must take the following actions:

Players must reveal their collected artefact cards and calculate their individual points from these cards.
Players must also calculate points from the historical event cards they have visited.
All players must check whether they have completed their bonus objectives. If completed, these points are added to their total points.
In the case of a tie, the player who has visited most historical events wins. If there’s still a tie, the player with the most artefact cards wins.

Once all these actions are taken, the player with the highest total points is declared the winner of ‘Trekking Through History’.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the game ‘Trekking Through History’, points are awarded in a variety of ways:

Collecting Artifacts: Each artifact card collected during the game awards a certain number of points. These points are totaled at the end of the game.
Exploring Sites: Points are also awarded for exploring sites. Each site has a specific number of points attached to it. The first player to reach a site gets the full point value, while subsequent players receive fewer points.
Completing Quests: Quest cards represent various historic events or tasks. When a player completes these quests by collecting the necessary cards or reaching certain locations, they earn the point value listed on the quest card.
Traveling Distances: Players also receive points for the total distance they travel during the game. Each mile traveled equates to one point.

The game ends when all artifacts have been collected, all sites have been explored, or all quest cards have been completed. At this point, players add up all the points they have earned throughout the game to determine their final score.

In the event of a tie, the following tie-breaking rules are applied:

Most Artifacts: The player with the most artifacts collected wins.
Most Quests Completed: If there is still a tie, the player who has completed the most quests wins.
Longest Travel Distance: If there is still a tie, the player who traveled the most miles wins.

If there is still a tie after all these tie-breakers, the players share the victory.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The game ‘Trekking Through History’ is a strategic and educational board game that requires careful planning and understanding of the rules. While most of the rules are straightforward, there are a few special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that are important for a smooth gameplay experience.

Special Rule: Historical Site Tiles

The historical site tiles are special tiles that provide a unique advantage to the players who claim them. These tiles allow players to perform actions that they normally wouldn’t be able to do. For example, a player can move to a different region regardless of the distance or claim a card that they normally couldn’t afford. However, these actions can only be performed once, after which the historical site tile must be returned to the game board.

Exception: Movement Rules

In ‘Trekking Through History’, players are generally allowed to move to any location on the game board. However, there is an exception to this rule. If a player’s piece is currently on a mountain, they cannot move to another mountain in their next turn. They must first move to a non-mountain location before they can move to another mountain.

Rule Clarification: Drawing Cards

When drawing cards, players are allowed to draw any of the face-up cards from the draw pile. However, they must replace the drawn card with a new card from the deck. If there are no more cards in the deck, the discarded pile should be shuffled and placed face-down to form a new deck.

Special Rule: Endgame Scoring
In the event of a tie at the end of the game, the player with the most leftover resources wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most historical site tiles wins. If there is yet another tie, the player who went first during the game wins.

Exception: Card Limit
Normally, players can hold as many cards as they like. However, if a player has more than 7 cards at the end of their turn, they must discard down to 7.

Remember, the goal of ‘Trekking Through History’ is not only to win but also to learn and enjoy the journey through the rich history of our world. Happy trekking!

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Always plan ahead. If you can plot a route that allows you to visit more historical sites or collect more bonus points, go for it.
Don’t ignore the importance of the right cards. The right cards at the right time can give you a significant advantage.
Take advantage of your opponents’ moves. If an opponent is headed for a historical site, consider if you can reach it first or block their path.
Don’t be afraid to take risks. Sometimes, the reward is worth the risk, especially if it means gaining a significant lead or preventing an opponent from winning.

Beginner Tips:

Try to understand the rules fully before you start to play. If you’re unsure about anything, ask for clarification.
Focus on collecting points early on. The more points you have, the more options you’ll have later in the game.
Don’t forget about the bonus points. They can make a big difference in the final score.
Practice makes perfect. The more you play, the better you’ll become at strategizing and predicting your opponents’ moves.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t neglect your hand of cards. It’s easy to focus solely on the board, but your cards are just as important.
Avoid becoming too focused on one strategy. The game is dynamic and often requires you to adjust your strategy on the fly.
Don’t underestimate your opponents. Even if you’re ahead, a clever move from an opponent can quickly change the game.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on your opponents’ progress. You need to know what they’re up to in order to make the best decisions for your own gameplay.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Make every move count. Think about how each move will impact your overall strategy and the game as a whole.
Try to maximize your points with every turn. The more points you can score in a single turn, the better.
Stay flexible. Being able to adapt your strategy based on the current game state is crucial.
Learn from your mistakes. Every game is a chance to improve and refine your strategy.