Goal of the Game

In Orchestra, you are the conductor of a music academy, competing to become the most prestigious institution. Your goal is to accumulate mastery points by evolving musicians, fulfilling Scenario Cards, occupying spaces in the Orchestra, and filling the Audience. The game ends when one of the end-game conditions is met (such as filling all Audience areas or reaching a minimum number of musicians in each section of the Orchestra). The player with the most mastery points at the end wins.

Setup

1. Place the Theater Board in the center.
2. Distribute one Academy Board to each player.
3. Give 3 specialty banners to each player, ensuring they have access to all Sections (Strings, Woodwinds, Percussion, and Brass).
4. Distribute the Musicians (4 Beginners, 4 Professionals, 4 Instrumentalists, and 4 Virtuosos) and the Audience Pieces of corresponding colors to each player.
5. Position the score markers, the Column Track, and the Conducting Track on the Theater Board.
6. Place the PCR Pieces on the corresponding banner on the Theater Board.
7. Shuffle the Scenario Cards by level (I, II, III, and ★) and reveal 3 cards (4 in 4-player games) from levels I and II.
8. Position the Freelance Musicians in the indicated spaces on the Theater Board.
9. Shuffle the Social Media Cards and form a draw pile.
10. Give each player 3 Money coins (value 1) and 2 Prestige coins (value 1).
11. Organize the Performance Poster pieces next to the board.
12. Distribute 2 Theater Cards to each player; each player will choose one as a secret objective.
13. Determine the first player (whoever recently attended a concert or randomly) and hand them the First Player Marker.

Gameplay Flow

The game is divided into rounds, each consisting of two phases:

1. Allocation Phase: In clockwise order, players place their musicians on action spaces (such as evolving the academy or fulfilling Scenario Cards).
2. Resolution Phase: Players resolve the effects of the allocated actions in any order they prefer.

After these phases, there is a Check Step to verify end-game conditions and a Maintenance Step to prepare for the next round. If an end-game trigger is activated, a Special Round occurs before final scoring.

Actions and How to Play

Main Actions

• Evolve your Academy: Allocate musicians and pay costs to add specialty banners, gaining benefits such as ignoring "closed eyes" on Social Media Cards.
• Evolve your Musicians: Transform Beginners into Professionals, and these into Instrumentalists, by paying the indicated costs.
• Move on the Column Track: Advance your marker on the track, jumping over occupied spaces, and receive bonuses when passing or landing on specific columns.
• Go Viral on Social Media: Draw Social Media Cards to gain bonuses, but beware of "closed eyes" (lack of engagement).
• Exchange Currency: Trade Money coins for Prestige or vice versa.
• Fulfill Scenario Cards: Allocate musicians to cards to gain points and bonuses. Some require two musicians (one can be a Hired Freelancer).

Complementary Actions

• Build an Audience: Use 3 fulfilled Scenario Cards with identical or different audience icons to advance on the Conducting Track.
• Perform a Brilliant Show: Use a ★ Scenario Card to advance on the Conducting Track.
• Send Musicians to the Orchestra: Place Instrumentalists or Virtuosos in the Orchestra, gaining bonuses and placing pieces in the Audience.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when:

• All Audience areas (A, B, C, and D) are filled;
• There is a minimum number of musicians in each section of the Orchestra (4 for 3-4 players, 3 for 2 players);
• A Scenario Card pile runs out without replacement.

During Final Scoring, players sum points for:

• Orchestra: Area control by section (12/8/4/2 points per position).
• Audience: Pieces in areas A (3 pts/piece), B (2 pts), C (1 pt), and D (0.5 to 3 pts, depending on PCR Pieces).
• Theater Cards: 1 pt per occupied white space (25 pts if all are filled).
• Coins: 1 pt for every 5 unused values in Money/Prestige.

Tips for Winning

• Focus on Academy evolution: Having more banners allows you to allocate more musicians to the Orchestra and ignore "closed eyes" on social media.
• Prioritize ★ Scenario Cards: They offer multiple rewards and can be used to advance on the Conducting Track.
• Control Audience areas: Filling strategic areas (like A or B) yields more points at the end.