Objective of the Game

Welcome, master builders! In Alhambra, you're competing to construct the most magnificent and sprawling Alhambra palace. You'll be hiring the best teams from Europe and Arabia, ensuring they're paid in their native currency, to build towers, gardens, pavilions, arcades, seraglios, and ornate chambers.

The core of the game is earning points by having the most building tiles of each kind in your Alhambra at the right time – during scoring rounds. You'll also score points for the longest continuous wall around your Alhambra. The player with the most points at the end of the game is crowned the winner!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get your building site ready! Here’s how to set up Alhambra:

1. Place the game board (with the building market and card display) in the middle of your table. The scoring board goes at one end.
2. Each player receives a starting tile (showing the Lion Fountain in their color) and places it in front of them. You also get a counter in your player color, which goes on the 0/100 space of the scoring board.
3. Shuffle the 54 building tiles face down and stack them in the tile dispenser tower.
4. Draw four building tiles from the tower and place them in order on the four numbered squares (1-4) of the building market. Each space corresponds to a different currency.
5. Each player gets a tile reserve board with a points table. Keep it in plain sight!
6. Set aside the two scoring cards. Shuffle the 108 money cards.
7. Deal starting money: One card at a time, deal currency cards face-up to each player until their total is 20 or more (currency color doesn't matter yet). Once all players have their starting money, they pick up their cards and keep them secret.
8. The player with the fewest cards starts. If tied, the player with the lowest amount of money starts. If still tied, the youngest player starts.
9. Fill the four spaces of the card display by drawing one money card and placing it face-up on each space.
10. Divide the remaining money cards into five roughly equal piles. Shuffle the first scoring card into the second pile and the second scoring card into the fourth. Stack the piles with the fifth pile on the bottom, then the fourth, third, second, and finally the first at the very top. Place this entire deck on the leftmost space of the card display section on the game board.

The Turn of Play

Play proceeds clockwise, starting with the first player. On your turn, you must perform one of these three actions:

1. Take Money

• You can take any one money card from the card display.
• Alternatively, you can take several money cards from the display, as long as their total value does not exceed 5 (the currency type doesn't matter for this action).

2. Buy a Building Tile

• Choose a building tile from the building market.
• You must play currency cards of the correct type (indicated above the tile in the market) that total at least the price of the tile.
• Important: No change is given! Any excess money is lost.
• The money used to pay for the tile is placed on a discard pile next to the game board.
• If you pay the exact amount for a tile, you get to take another turn immediately! You can choose any of the three actions again.
• Purchased building tiles are placed next to your Alhambra (not in your reserve) and will be built at the end of your turn.

3. Redesign the Alhambra

This action allows you to rearrange your existing Alhambra or incorporate tiles from your reserve. You can do one of the following:

• Take a building tile from your reserve board and add it to your Alhambra.
• Remove a building tile from your Alhambra and put it on your reserve board.
• Exchange a building tile on your reserve board for one in your Alhambra. The new tile must go in the exact same place as the one removed.

Remember: All building rules apply when redesigning. You cannot remove or exchange your starting tile.

End of Your Turn

Once you've completed your action (or actions, if you paid exactly), it's time to finalize your Alhambra:

• All purchased building tiles from this turn must now be placed either into your Alhambra or onto your reserve board. There's no limit to how many tiles can be on your reserve board. If you bought multiple tiles, you choose the order.
• Rules for building the Alhambra:
  • All building tiles must have the same orientation as your starting tile (roofs pointing upwards).
  • Adjoining sides must match: either both have a wall, or both do not have a wall.
  • Each building tile must be accessible "on foot" from your starting tile without crossing a wall or going off the tiles.
  • Each new tile must be joined to your Alhambra by at least one side (not just at a corner).
  • You cannot leave any "spaces" – empty areas completely surrounded by building tiles.
• After placing your tiles, refill the money card display by drawing one card for each empty space. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new one.
• Refill any empty spaces on the building market with new tiles from the tile dispenser tower, filling in ascending order from 1 to 4.

End of Game and Scoring

There are three scoring rounds in Alhambra.

Scoring Rounds

The first two scoring rounds happen when a scoring card is drawn from the money card pile. The third and final scoring round takes place at the end of the game.

When a scoring card is drawn, it's placed in front of the next player in turn order, and the display is refilled. Before that player's turn, scores are calculated. Points are recorded on the scoring board by moving your counter.

In each scoring round, points are awarded for two things:

1. Longest Continuous Wall: Count each side of a tile with a wall segment around your Alhambra. Internal walls (back-to-back walls) do not score points.
2. Most of Each Kind of Building: Points are awarded for having the most, second most, or third most of each building type built in your Alhambra (tiles on your reserve board don't count!).
   • If there's a tie for a position, the points for the tied positions are added together and split evenly among the tied players, always rounding down.

First Scoring

When the first scoring card is revealed, only the player with the most of each building type scores points. The points are shown on the card next to each building.

Second Scoring

When the second scoring card is revealed, players with the most and second most of each building type score points. These points are also shown on the card.

Third Scoring (End of Game)

The game ends when there are not enough building tiles left in the tile dispenser tower to refill the building market at the end of a player's turn.

Before the final scoring, any remaining building tiles in the building market are given to the players who have the most money of the respective currency in their hand. If tied, the tile remains in the market. These newly acquired tiles can then be added to players' Alhambras according to building rules.

The third and final scoring round then takes place. Here, players with the most, second most, and third most buildings of each kind earn points. The points for each place are shown on your reserve board.

The player with the most points on the scoring board after this final round wins! If tied, the game is a draw.

Tips for Winning

1. Master the Exact Payment: Paying the exact amount for a building tile gives you an extra turn! This is incredibly powerful, allowing you to chain actions and potentially grab multiple desirable tiles or make a crucial redesign. Always keep an eye on your money cards and the tile prices to maximize these bonus turns.
2. Wall Wisdom: Don't underestimate the points from your longest continuous wall! As your Alhambra grows, try to connect walls strategically to create a long perimeter. Remember, internal walls don't score, so focus on the outer boundary.
3. Currency Control: While it's tempting to grab any money card, try to collect full sets of specific currencies. This gives you flexibility to buy the tiles you need and increases your chances of making exact payments. Also, remember that having the most of a specific currency at the end of the game can net you a bonus tile!