Game Objective

In Tapestry, you will embark on an epic journey to create the richest and most memorable civilization in history, from the dawn of humanity to a bright and unique future! Forget real history; your civilization will be completely original. To achieve this, you will advance along four development tracks (science, technology, exploration, and military), seeking the best benefits, increasing your income, building a stunning capital, improving abilities, and, of course, accumulating many victory points (VP) that will tell the saga of your civilization through tapestry cards. The game ends when all players complete their fifth income turn, and the winner is the one with the highest VP score. May your story be the grandest!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's set up the table for your civilization to flourish! Follow these practical steps:

General Preparation

1. Main Board: Place the board on the table. Use the large map for 4-5 players and the small map for 1-3 players.
2. Technology Cards (x33): Shuffle the technology cards, place the deck face down near the board, and reveal 3 cards.
3. Tapestry Cards (x50): Shuffle the tapestry cards and place the deck face down near the board.
4. Territory (x48) and Space (x15) Tiles: Shuffle the territory tiles and place them face down in stacks. Do the same with the space tiles.
5. Monuments (x18): Position the monument miniatures on the corresponding spaces on the monument board. Extra monuments go next to the technology deck.
6. Dice: Place the science die (green, 12-sided) near the science track and the conquest dice (red and black, 6-sided) near the military track.

Player Preparation

1. Capital Board (x6): Each player selects a capital board and sits next to it. Place 2 outpost markers (hexagons in your color) on the map territory corresponding to your capital's number. The other 8 outpost markers remain off your income board. (For 1-3 players, form pairs of capital boards, take a random pair, choose 1, and discard the other).
2. Income Board (x5): Fill each resource track on your income board with the corresponding building (5 brown farms, 5 gray dwellings, 5 yellow markets, and 5 red armories). The leftmost space of each row remains empty. Place 1 marker of each resource (coins, workers, food, culture) on space 0 of the resource track at the bottom of your board.
3. Civilization Board (x16): Receive 2 random civilization boards. Choose 1 and discard the other. Shuffle all remaining civilization boards (including the discarded ones) to form a deck.
4. Player Markers (x13): Place 1 player marker on the starting space of each of the 4 development tracks (circles to the left of each track) and 1 marker on the 0 VP space. Keep the extra markers next to you.

Randomly choose the 1st player and get ready to start! Remember: each player's first turn will be an income turn.

The Game Turn

Each turn, you have a crucial choice: either you collect your income to start a new era, or you advance on one of the development tracks. The game proceeds clockwise.

Advancing on a Development Track

Most of your turns will be spent advancing on one of the four development tracks (science, technology, exploration, and military). Follow these steps:

1. Pay the Cost: Spend the resources indicated below the track level you are advancing to.
2. Move and Receive the Benefit: Move your player marker 1 space forward on the track and receive the corresponding benefit. If you are the first player to advance to a new level (II-IV) on any track, receive the corresponding monument and place it in your capital.
3. Pay for the Bonus (Optional): If available, you can pay to receive the bonus once (e.g., pay 1 any resource to receive 1 tapestry card).

The development tracks offer different actions and benefits:

• Research (Science Track):
  1. Roll the science die (green). The result indicates a development track.
  2. You can advance your player marker on the corresponding track for free (you can choose not to advance). If you are the first to reach a new level (II-IV), take the monument.
  3. If the research icon has an "X", you do not receive the benefit or the bonus. Otherwise, receive the benefit and can pay for the bonus.
  4. If the advancement would take you beyond the 12th space, nothing happens.
• Conquer (Military Track):
  1. Place an outpost from your reserve on a map territory that has at most 1 marker and is adjacent to a territory you control (where your outpost is the only one). You cannot conquer territories you already control.
  2. Roll the 2 conquest dice (red and black) and receive the benefit of 1 of them. The red die can give 1 VP for each territory you control, and the black die can give the benefit of the territory tile.
  3. If you conquer an opponent's territory, "topple" their outpost. The territory cannot be conquered again. Beware of trap cards! If an opponent discards one, they retain control of the territory, but you still receive the benefits from the dice.
  4. When all your outposts are on the map, you can no longer conquer.
• Explore (Exploration Track):
  1. Choose 1 territory tile from your reserve and place it on an unexplored hexagon adjacent to a territory you control, in any direction.
  2. Receive 1 VP for each side of the explored territory with at least 1 aligned terrain (water, mountain, desert, etc., max. 6 VP).
  3. Receive the benefits of the territory tile (e.g., 1 culture).
  4. Upon reaching Level IV, you can explore space tiles, which offer more powerful benefits and are placed next to your income board.
• Invent (Technology Track):
  1. Receive a technology card, choosing between the face-up ones or from the top of the deck. Immediately replenish the face-up card.
  2. Place the card next to the bottom row of your capital board. There is no limit to cards per row, and there is no immediate benefit.

Receiving Your Income (Harvest Phase)

When you decide to collect your income, you are starting a new era for your civilization. Players can do this at different times. Follow these steps:

1. Activate Civilization Abilities: Use your civilization's abilities, if applicable.
2. Play a Tapestry Card: Play a tapestry card from your hand into the leftmost empty space of your income board (if allowed in the current era). If the card has a "when played" ability, use it now. If it's "this era," it remains active until the start of your next income turn. If you are the first of your neighbors to take a second income turn, gain 1 any resource before playing the card. (If you have no cards, draw one face down from the top of the deck).
3. Upgrade Technology and Score VP: Optionally, upgrade 1 technology card (see below) and receive victory points for all visible VP icons on the tracks of your income board.
   • Receive 1 VP for each technology card next to your income board.
   • Receive 1 VP for each complete row and column in your capital.
   • Receive VP equal to the number shown.
   • Receive 1 VP for each territory on the map that you control.
4. Receive Income: Receive income for all visible resource icons, territory tiles, and tapestry cards on your resource tracks. You can have a maximum of 8 of each resource (coins, workers, food, and culture).

Important: If you are the first of your neighbors to start a new era, gain the resources shown below the space that has just been covered.

Buildings and Capital

Buildings are permanently placed in your capital to help you:

• Complete districts (3x3 areas) to instantly gain 1 any resource.
• Complete rows and columns to receive victory points.

There are two categories of buildings:

• Income Buildings: Farms, dwellings, markets, and armories. When you receive them, take the leftmost building on your income board (revealing improvements to your income) and place it in your capital.
• Monuments: Miniatures with unique shapes that you place in your capital. They are received for being the first to advance to a new level on a development track or to invent something. There is only 1 of each.

You can place buildings on any free lot in your capital, even if they extend outside the grid. Impassable lots cannot be built on but count for districts, rows, and columns.

Upgrading Technology Cards

Technology cards provide benefits when upgraded. Choose a card in the bottom or middle row and move it up to the next row. Cards in the top row cannot be upgraded.

• The benefit for upgrading to the middle row is shown in the card's circle.
• The benefit for upgrading to the top row is shown in the square. For this, you or a neighbor must meet the card's prerequisite (e.g., be at least at Level II on the exploration track).

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends at different times for each player. Your game ends when you take your 5th income turn. In this last turn, you receive your civilization's benefits, 1 upgrade, and victory points as shown on your income board, but you cannot play a tapestry card or receive income.

If other players are still playing after your game ends, you can still receive victory points for passive civilization abilities, but nothing else.

When all players have taken their last income turns, the winner is the player with the most victory points. In case of a tie, the player with the most remaining resources wins. If the tie persists, players share the victory. An excellent final score is 300 VP!

Tips for Winning

1. Balance on the Development Tracks: Don't focus on just one track! Advancing on different development tracks not only gives you a variety of benefits but also rewards you with valuable monuments for your capital if you are the first to reach new levels. A good balance can give you flexibility and more tactical options.
2. Plan Your Capital for Victory Points: The buildings in your capital are crucial for the final score. Try to complete as many rows and columns as possible to maximize your VP each income turn. Additionally, completing districts gives you extra resources that can be the difference between paying a cost or not.
3. Use Tapestry and Technology Cards Wisely: Tapestry cards can have powerful abilities that change the course of an era. Plan when to play them to make the most of their effects. Technology cards, in turn, offer continuous benefits when upgraded. Keep an eye on the prerequisites for upgrading them to the top row and the benefits they grant.