Ritus — How to Play

Goal of the Game

In Ritus, you are students of the Triora School of Little Witches and Sorceresses, learning the arcane arts. The goal is to complete Rites (magical challenges) to earn points. The first player to accumulate 3 victory points wins the game. Alternatively, you can play to 5 points for longer games.

Setup

1. Shuffle the Rites Cards and form a face-up deck.
2. Reveal 3 Rite cards and leave a space below each one.
3. Shuffle the Knowledge Cards and form a face-down deck, leaving a discard pile space next to it.
4. Each player draws 5 Knowledge Cards to form their hand (kept secret).
5. Place the Monitor Medallion in the center of the table. In the first round, no one holds it.

Gameplay Flow

The game takes place in turns where players play cards simultaneously into the open Rites. The playing order is determined by the Order of Priority:

• 1st: The holder of the Monitor Medallion (if any).
• 2nd: The card with the lowest number.
• In case of a tie: fewer dots on the symbol → fewer points on the flag.

After everyone has played, the Monitor Medallion passes to the player who played last in the round.

Actions and How to Play

Completing Rites

When playing your last card:

1. Draw one card from the Knowledge deck and place it face-down in front of you (1 point).
2. Draw 5 new cards for your hand.

Exception: The Medallion holder does not earn points when completing rites (only step 2).

Breaking Rites

If you are unable to play a card into any Rite:

1. Give the card to the Monitor (it becomes 1 point for them).
2. Discard the Rite with the most cards (in case of a tie, choose one).
3. Replace the Rite with a new card from the deck.
4. Discard your hand and draw 5 new cards.

Monitor Medallion

Advantages of the holder:

• Always plays first.
• Earns 1 point if another player breaks a Rite.
• Never breaks Rites: can block a Rite with their face-down card (no player can play cards into it until the end of the round).

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends immediately when a player reaches:

• 3 points (standard mode) or 5 points (long game).

Points are earned by:

• Completing Rites (except for the Medallion holder).
• Blocking other players (Medallion holder).
• Breaking Rites (the Monitor earns 1 point).

Tips for Winning

• Prioritize the Medallion: Being the Monitor provides crucial advantages, such as blocking Rites and earning points passively.
• Watch the current Rites: Some are easier to complete (e.g., cards of the same color), while others require diversity (e.g., different symbols).
• Manage your hand: Completing Rites quickly empties your hand and earns points, but it can leave you without options later.