Objective of the Game

Welcome, master builders of ancient Egypt! In Imhotep, you'll step into the sandals of a legendary architect, striving to outshine your rivals in constructing magnificent monuments. Over 6 intense rounds, your goal is to transport your stone blocks to various building sites and erect structures that earn you the most points. Will you be the one to match Imhotep's legendary accomplishments?

Points are earned in diverse ways: some immediately, some at the end of a round, and others during the final scoring. The player with the highest score after 6 rounds is crowned the winner!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get our construction site ready! Here’s how to set up your game of Imhotep:

1. Site Boards: Place the 5 site boards in the center of the table. For your first few games, make sure the "A" sides are facing up.
2. Scoring Track: Position the scoring track board to the right of the site boards. This is where you'll keep tabs on everyone's points.
3. Ship Tokens: Keep the 8 ship tokens handy above the boards.
4. Cards: Separate the 21 round cards from the 34 market cards.
5. Market Card Draw Pile: Shuffle the 34 market cards and place them face down as a draw pile to the right of the "A) Market" board.
6. Round Cards:
   • Select the 7 round cards that match your player count (2, 3, or 4 heads). Return the others to the box.
   • Since you'll only play 6 rounds, randomly pick one of your 7 selected round cards and return it to the box.
   • Shuffle the remaining 6 round cards and place them face down in a single stack next to the ship tokens.
7. Player Colors & Supply Sleds: Each player chooses a color (black, white, brown, or gray) and takes a matching supply sled token. If playing with fewer than 4 players, return unused supply sled tokens and their corresponding stones to the box.
8. Stone Quarry: Gather all the stone blocks of all colors into a pile to the right of the site boards, forming the stone quarry.
9. Initial Scoring: Each player places 1 stone of their color on the "0/40" space of the scoring track.
10. Starting Player & Initial Stones: Decide who will be the starting player.
    • The starting player takes 2 stones of their color from the stone quarry and places them on their supply sled token.
    • The second player (to the left of the starting player) takes 3 stones.
    • The third player takes 4 stones.
    • The fourth player takes 5 stones.

The Turn of Play

Imhotep unfolds over 6 rounds, with each round following a clear structure:

Course of a Round

1. Reveal Round Card: At the start of the round, flip over the top round card. This card shows which 4 ship tokens are available for this round. Arrange these ships to the left of the site boards, spaced out. Remember, ships have varying capacities for stones (1, 2, 3, or 4 spaces).
2. Reveal Market Cards: Turn over the top four market cards from the draw pile and place them face up on the market board. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to create a new one.
3. Player Actions: Starting with the starting player, players take turns performing exactly one of the following 4 actions:

Your Turn: Choose One Action!

When it's your turn, you must perform one of these four actions:

• Get new stones: Take 3 stones of your color from the stone quarry and place them on your supply sled token. Keep in mind, your supply sled token can hold a maximum of 5 stones! If you have less space, you can only take that many stones. If the quarry is empty, you can't take any.
• Place 1 stone on a ship: Take 1 stone from your supply sled token and place it on any empty space on a ship that hasn't sailed yet.
• Sail 1 ship to a site: Slide 1 ship to an open site board. You must meet two conditions:
  1. The ship must be loaded with at least its minimum required number of stones (indicated by gray stone symbols at the bow).
  2. The chosen site must have an open dock (no other ship has sailed there this round).

  Once sailed, the stones are unloaded by their owners (in order from front to back) and delivered to the site. Each site has unique rules for scoring and when points are awarded. The market and pyramid score immediately, the temple at the end of the round, and the burial chamber and obelisks at the end of the game. You can even sail a ship if you don't have your own stone on it, as long as the conditions are met. The empty ship remains at the site until the end of the round, blocking further ships from docking there.

• Play 1 blue market card: If you have a blue market card, you can play it to use its benefit. The card is then placed on the discard pile. You can only play one blue market card per turn.

Players continue taking turns until all 4 ships have sailed to the various sites. Since there are only 4 ships per round, one of the 5 site boards will always remain untouched!

End of Round

Once all 4 ships have sailed, the round immediately ends:

1. Temple Assessment: The temple is assessed. Each stone visible from above (not covered by others) yields 1 point.
2. Prepare for Next Round:
   • Return the 4 sailed ships to the pile of other ships.
   • Gather any remaining market cards on the market board and place them on the discard pile.
   • All stones already placed on site boards and supply sled tokens remain in place.
   • The starting player for the new round is the player to the left of the player who sailed the fourth ship in the previous round.
   • Turn over the next round card, get the indicated 4 ships, and place them to the left of the site boards.
   • Turn over 4 new market cards and place them on the market board.

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes after 6 rounds. Then, the final point assessment takes place:

1. Burial Chamber Assessment: Points are awarded for connected stones of a single color. The more connected stones, the more points. Each area of connected stones is scored separately.
2. Obelisks Assessment: Players earn points based on the height of their obelisks. The tallest obelisk gets the most points, with points decreasing for shorter obelisks. In case of a tie, points are divided and rounded down. You must have at least 1 stone delivered to the obelisks to score.
3. Market Cards:
   • Decoration cards (Pyramid, Temple, Burial Chamber, Obelisk) yield 1 point for every 3 stones (yours and others') at their corresponding site.
   • Statue cards score points based on the total number you've collected (e.g., 3 statue cards might be worth 6 points, with additional cards past 5 worth 2 points each).
   • Any unused blue market cards (Lever, Hammer, Sail, Chisel) are worth an additional 1 point each.

The player with the most points is the winner! In case of a tie, the player with the most stones on their supply sled token wins. If still tied, tied players share first place.

Tips for Winning

• Timing is Everything with Ships: Don't just focus on loading your own stones. Deciding when to sail a ship, even if it mostly contains opponents' stones, can be a powerful move. You control where those stones go, potentially denying your rivals valuable points or sending them to less desirable sites.
• Diversify Your Stone Deliveries: While specializing can be tempting, remember that points are earned in various ways across different sites and at different times. Spreading your stones across the pyramid (immediate points), temple (end of round points), and the end-game scoring sites (burial chamber, obelisks) can create a more robust scoring strategy and make you less predictable.
• Master the Market Cards: Don't underestimate the power of market cards. Red cards offer immediate benefits, while blue cards provide flexible actions you can use on a later turn. Collecting statue cards for end-game points or decoration cards to capitalize on overall stone presence can significantly boost your final score.