Game Objective: Lead Your Tribe to Prosperity in the Ice Age!

Prepare for an epic journey in North America in 10,000 BC in **Endless Winter: Paleoamericans**! In this fascinating game, you and your friends will take on the role of tribal leaders, guiding your people from humble nomadic hunter-gatherers to prosperous and established societies. Your objective is simple yet challenging: **accumulate more victory points than your opponents by the end of the fourth round**, proving that your tribe is the most adaptable and successful amidst the rigors of the Ice Age. Migrate, settle new lands, establish cultural traditions, hunt megafauna, and build eternal megaliths to leave your mark on history!

Setup: Setting Up Your Base Camp

Let's set up the table and prepare the ground for your tribe to prosper! Follow these steps to set up the game:

1. Place the **Main Board**, the **Animal Board**, and the **Idol Board** in the center of the table, with plenty of space below the Main Board for three rows of cards.
2. Position the **Round Marker** on the leftmost space of the Round track.
3. Separate the **Sacred Stones** into Era I and Era II. Shuffle each set face down. Then, place one piece randomly, face up, in each Sacred Stone reserve space, according to the number of players (Era I on the left, Era II on the right). Return any excess to the box.
4. Organize the **Tribe Cards** into 5 decks, one for each type, with 15 identical cards in each. Place them face up below the Main Board.
5. Organize the **Culture Cards** into two decks (Era I and Era II). Shuffle them separately and place them face down below the Tribe Cards. Place the **Culture Cover Card** on top of the Era II Culture deck.
6. Place the top 8 cards from the Era I Culture deck, face up, to the right of the Culture decks, forming the **Culture Panel** (two rows of 4).
7. Each player takes:
   • 1 **Player Board**
   • 2 **Resource Markers**
   • 2 **Neutral Megaliths** (gray)
   • 1 random **Chief Card** (choose which side to use)
   • All components of their chosen color (including their 9 **Starting Cards**)
   Position your Player Board in front of you, leaving space for card areas.
8. Shuffle the **Setup Cards** and deal one randomly to each player. Each player:
   1. Gains the bonuses indicated on the card (adjust **Food** and **Tools**, add the bonus **Tribe Card** to their starting cards, add **Animal Cards** to their Animal Area, and if indicated, place a **Camp** on the Starting Terrain tile). Return the card to the box.
   2. Separates the bonus Tribe card, 1 brave, and 1 tribal woman from their starting cards. The rest of the starting cards are shuffled to form their personal deck.
   3. Places the 3 separated cards in their hand, and draws 2 more cards from their deck to have an initial hand of 5 cards. Remember, your hand is secret!
9. Place each player's **Score Marker** on the "0/100" space of the Score track, using the side that does not display "+100".
10. Place each player's two **Idol Markers** on the Idol Board, below the bottom space of each track.
11. Shuffle the **Animal Cards** and place them face down in the indicated space on the Animal Board, forming the **Animal Deck**.
12. Take a number of Animal Cards from the top of the deck equal to the number of players +1 and place them face up on the Animal Board. This is the **Hunting Zone**.
13. Take a number of **Player Aid Cards** equal to the number of players (using the lowest numbered ones first). Shuffle them and give one to each player.
14. Place the **Tribe Markers** on the Turn Order indicator according to the number on your Player Aid Card (No. 1 at the top, and so on).
15. According to turn order, players receive starting bonuses:
    • 1st player: (nothing)
    • 2nd player: 1 **Food**
    • 3rd player: 1 **Tool**
    • 4th player: 1 **Tool** and 1 **Food**
16. Terrain Board Setup:
    1. Place the **Starting Terrain Tile** within reach of the players.
    2. Take 1 tile of each of the 6 types of **Terrain Tiles** (excluding Glacier).
    3. Add the appropriate number of **Glacier Tiles** (6 for 2-3 players, 3 for 4 players).
    4. Shuffle the remaining Terrain tiles face down and randomly add until you have a total of 18 tiles.
    5. Shuffle the 18 chosen tiles and place them randomly around the Starting Terrain, face up.
    6. Place the leftmost **Camp** from each Player Board on the Starting Terrain Tile.
17. Megalith Board Setup: Shuffle the 4 **Megalith Tiles** and arrange them in one of the recommended setup patterns for the number of players.

Phew! Now we are ready to begin the adventure!

The Game Turn: Daily Life of the Tribe

A game of Endless Winter unfolds over 4 **rounds**, each representing a generation. Each round is divided into 3 phases: **Action Phase**, **Eclipse Phase**, and **Preparation Phase**.

Action Phase: Your Turn to Act!

In this phase, players take turns in turn order until each has taken 3 turns. On your turn, follow these steps:

1. Play Culture Cards:

   You may play any number of **Culture Cards** from your hand, face up, above your Player Board. For each card beyond the first, you must discard 1 card from your hand. When playing a Culture card, immediately perform the actions described on it. Playing Culture cards is optional.

   Tip: Many actions cost **Labor**. You generate Labor by playing **Tribe Cards** from your hand and spending **Food**.

2. Place 1 Miniature and Perform Actions:

   You must place 1 of your remaining **Chief** or **Tribe** miniatures in one of these locations:

   • In the top space of an **Action Column** on the Main Board.
   • In the **Rest Action** space on your Player Board.

   Action Columns (Main Board):

   Each Action Column has three sections:

   • TOP: When placing a miniature for the first time, position it to the left. You can perform any action described there as many times as you wish and in any order. Then, slide the miniature to the central section.
   • CENTRAL: You can perform the displayed action only once. After performing it, move the miniature to the bottom section.
   • BOTTOM: If you are the first player to move a miniature to this section in the round, place it on the action icon and perform the action. If the icon is already occupied, place your miniature in the larger space directly below and you cannot perform the bottom action.

   The presence of a miniature does not prevent other players (or yourself) from using the same Action Column again, but the bottom section can only be used once per round.

   Playing Tribe Cards: During this step, you can play any number of **Tribe Cards** from your hand into the area above your Player Board. Each card played generates **Labor** (as per the top left corner). Some cards generate "Additional Labor" if played in specific Action Columns, or have abilities that can be used once at any time during your turn. Eclipse abilities are not activated in this step.

   Rest Action (Player Board): Place 1 miniature in the Rest Action space. This has two immediate effects: you can draw 1 card from your deck and **Flip 1 Animal**. Additionally, each miniature here will provide 1½ Labor points during the next Eclipse Phase. You cannot play Tribe Cards from your hand while resting, but Chief abilities can be used.

   Spending Food: You can spend **Food** to generate **Additional Labor**. Move your marker on the Food track to the left and gain 1 Additional Labor for each Labor icon your marker passes.

3. Discard Played Cards:

   Place all cards you played this turn (above your Player Board) into your **discard pile**, face up. Do not draw cards to your hand now.

4. Prepare the Eclipse Pile (only on your third turn):

   If this is your third turn of the round, you may place any number of Culture and/or Tribe Cards from your hand into your **Eclipse pile**, face down, above your Player Board. All cards not placed in the Eclipse pile remain in your hand for the next round.

Eclipse Phase: The Event That Changes Everything!

The Eclipse Phase marks the transition between generations. Move the **Round Marker** to the next Eclipse space on the Round track. Then, follow these steps:

1. Reveal Eclipse Piles and Compare Labor: All players simultaneously reveal their Eclipse piles and sum the Labor:
   • Labor icons on revealed cards.
   • 1½ Labor per miniature in their Rest Action space.

   Note: Revealed Culture cards do not add Labor and return to your hand. You cannot spend Food for Additional Labor in this phase.

2. Adjust Turn Order: The player with the most Labor moves their **Tribe Marker** to the top of the Turn Order indicator. The second most Labor goes to the next position, and so on. In case of a tie, the player who played last in the current round wins.
3. Perform Eclipse Actions (in the new turn order): Each player performs the following steps, in any order and optionally:
   1. Turn Order Indicator: Gain the benefit shown next to your Tribe Marker.
   2. Cards from Eclipse Pile: Perform the **Eclipse abilities** shown on each Tribe Card in your Eclipse pile, one at a time.
   3. Terrain Benefits: Gain the benefits of each **hex** where you have the most influence (or are tied for the most). Each **Camp** provides 1 Influence, and each **Village** provides 2 Influence for each of the 3 hexes where it is located.
   4. Player Board: Gain any Eclipse phase benefits revealed on your Player Board (e.g., from removing Megaliths and Villages, or from Sacred Stones).

After the last player has completed their Eclipse actions, everyone discards the cards from their Eclipse piles into their discard piles. Then, we move to the Preparation Phase.

Preparation Phase: Renewing Energies

If this is not the last round of the game, follow these steps to prepare for the next generation:

1. Advance the **Round Marker** from the Eclipse space to the next numbered space on the Round track.
2. Return all miniatures to their respective Player Boards.
3. Replenish the **Hunting Zone** by drawing new cards from the deck until there is 1 more card than the number of players.
4. Update the **Culture Panel**:
   • At the end of Round 1: Fill empty spaces with Era I cards. Move the Cover Card to the top of the Era I deck.
   • At the end of Round 2: Remove all cards from the Culture Panel and fill it with 8 cards from the Era II deck.
   • At the end of Round 3: Fill empty spaces with cards from the Era II deck.
5. Each player draws 5 cards from their deck and adds them to their hand. There is no hand limit.

And then, the next Action Phase begins!

End of Game and Scoring: The Legacy of Your Tribe

The game ends after the 4th Eclipse Phase. It's time to tally the final points and discover which tribe prospered the most! The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, the tied player who is currently ahead in turn order wins. Players receive points for the following:

• Offerings Track: The position of your marker on this track determines the ratio of remaining **Food** and **Tools** that convert into points. Sum your resources and divide by the ratio shown (ignoring remainders). If you have not advanced your marker, you do not score points for resources.
• Honor Track: Gain points for your total number of **Buried Cards**, according to your relative position on the Honor track. The player in the highest position uses the leftmost diagram, the second uses the middle, and the others use the rightmost. If you have not advanced your marker, you do not score additional points for Buried cards.
• Tribe and Culture Cards: Place all your cards (hand, deck, discard, and Buried) face up. Gain any points displayed on them.
• Unflipped Animal Cards: **Animal Cards** that are in the upright position (not Flipped) are worth points based on sets of the same type. The maximum size of a set is shown on the card (2 for Woolly Mammoths, 4 for others). Argentavis cards are wildcards and can be added to a set to increase its value. Flipped cards do not count for set points.

Tips for Winning: Strategies for Survival

To excel in Endless Winter, it is crucial to plan your actions and make the most of each round. Here are some tips for beginners:

1. Labor and Resource Management: **Labor** is the primary currency for many actions. Plan your **Tribe Card** plays and **Food** spending to always have enough Labor for the actions you want to perform. Remember that the Food limit increases when you remove **Camps** from your player board.
2. Turn Order Control and Eclipse Actions: The **Eclipse Phase** is crucial for scoring and for setting the turn order for the next round. Try to have a good amount of Labor in your Eclipse pile (either from cards or miniatures in