imhotep
In Imhotep, the players become builders in Egypt who want to emulate the first and best-known architect there, namely Imhotep.
Over six rounds, they move wooden stones by boat to create five seminal monuments, and on a turn, a player chooses one of four actions: Procure new stones, load stones on a boat, bring a boat to a monument, or play an action card. While this sounds easy, naturally the other players constantly thwart your building plans by carrying out plans of their own. Only those with the best timing — and the stones to back up their plans — will prove to be Egypt's best builder.
LB_NUMBER_OF_PLAYERS: 2 - 4
Game duration: 21 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
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Play imhotep and 959 other games online.
No download, directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
Objective
Score the most points by moving your blocks from your quarry to your sled, to a boat, and finally to a location board.
Setup
- Determine start player.
- They start with two blocks of their colour on their sled.
- Each other player starts with one more block on their sled than the player before them in turn order.
- Place the 5 location boards in the centre of the table, each either on A side or B side.
- With expansion C or D sides also available. You can play with a mix of letters.
- Place 4 boats for the first round based on first boat card.
Game Play
- Game plays over 6 rounds.
- On your turn you take one action, and then play passes clockwise.
Actions
Fill Sled
Add 3 blocks from your quarry to your sled. If your sled has 1 or 2 spaces, fill it. You cannot take this action if your sled is full.
Add to a Boat
Place 1 block from your sled to any open spot on an unsailed boat.
Sail a Boat
Choose a boat which has enough blocks on it (the number of small cube icons at the bow). It does not matter if you have any blocks on it or not. You choose which unvisited location you want it to go to. Then all blocks unload into that location, in order from front of the boat to back.
Play an Action Card
(blue card): Do what the card says. Then the card is used up. Unused action cards are worth 1 point at end of game.
Locations
Market
(A): Each block in turn claims a card from the market and go back to quarry supply.
Pyramid
(A): Blocks gain the points they land on. Place blocks into the grid, filling columns from top to bottom, starting with the leftmost column. Once the base is completed you build the second level (4 blocks total) then the capstone. All extra blocks after that score 1 point each.
Temple
(A): Blocks build from left to right. Once the row is filled, go back to the left and stack on top of the previously placed blocks. At the end of each round, score 1 point per block of yours that is visible when looking down on the temple.
Burial Chamber
(A): Place blocks into the grid, filling columns from top to bottom, starting with the leftmost column. At end of game each player scores for their groups of connected blocks.
Obelisks
(A): Each player has their own obelisk (stack of their own blocks). At end of game score based on player count and relative height of obelisks - but an obelisk of height 0 always scores 0. In case of a tie, the tied players average the scores.
Cards
Cards are gained from the Market.
Blue cards
Provide a one-off action. Unused action cards are worth 1 point.
Green cards
End game points as indicated.
Purple cards
Statues: score at end of game according to the number collected.
Red cards
Immediate effects that happen and are then discarded.
Variants
Wrath of the Pharaoh
Any player who has not delivered at least 1 stone to each of the four building sites by the end of the game must have 5 points deducted from their score.
