# Tribulation ## General Info - **Year Published**: 1974 - **BGG Rating**: 5.8 - **BGG Rank**: #23611 - **Players**: 1-6 - **Duration**: 30 min - **Weight**: 1.50 / 5 - **Designers**: (Uncredited), Heinz Wittenberg - **Artists**: P. Engelmann - **Publishers**: Éveil & Jeux, Joker, Murfett, Otto Maier Verlag, Ravensburger AG, Spear's Games, Western Publishing Company, Whitman - **Categories**: Educational, Math, Number, Real-time - **Mechanics**: Real-Time, Score-and-Reset Game, Square Grid ## Verdict If you enjoy a fast-paced game that tests your math skills and mental agility, Tribulation is a great pick! It's like Boggle with numbers, perfect for those who love real-time challenges.Fast math challengePure mental agilitySuper dynamic and addictiveEasy to learnCan become repetitiveMath-focused onlyFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Hey everyone! Ready for a brain-bending challenge? In Tribulation, we set up a 7x7 grid with numbers, and the clock starts ticking. The goal is that while a disk with a number from 1 to 50 is drawn, you and the other players race against time to find three tiles on the grid that, combined with mathematical operations (multiplication, addition, subtraction), add up to exactly that drawn number. Whoever is fastest and most accurate, gets the disk. The game continues like this, round after round, until all disks are claimed. The player with the most disks at the end is the champion! It's a super dynamic game, perfect for those who enjoy testing their mental and mathematical agility under pressure. It can be played by 1 to 6 people, but the fun is guaranteed regardless of the player count. If you like games that mix fast-paced thinking with a touch of Boggle, but with math, Tribulation is a sure bet to liven up any afternoon or evening. It's light, fast, and surprisingly addictive! ## How to Play Game Objective In Trio, players aim to collect a specific number of Trios, which are sets of three cards with the same number. The number of Trios needed depends on the chosen difficulty level: MILD requires collecting 3 Trios, while PIKANT requires collecting 2 connected Trios. Alternatively, a player can win by collecting the 7s Trio, which trumps all other conditions. Connected Trios are identified by small numbers in the corner of the cards, indicating which Trios are linked. For example, collecting the 2s Trio and the 5s Trio would result in a win if they are connected. Setup To set up the game: First, players must agree on a difficulty level: MILD or PIKANT. Shuffle the cards and deal a specific number of cards face down to each player, based on the player count: 3 players: 9 cards per person 4 players: 7 cards per person 5 players: 6 cards per person 6 players: 5 cards per person Place the remaining cards face down in the center of the table. The number of cards to place in the center also varies by player count: 3 players: 9 cards 4 players: 8 cards 5 players: 6 cards 6 players: 6 cards Each player takes their dealt cards into their hand and sorts them from left to right by numerical value in ascending order. The player who most recently ate an avocado starts the game. Game Flow The game proceeds with players taking turns in clockwise order. On your turn, you will reveal cards one by one. For each card you reveal, you have a choice: A: Reveal a card from the center of the table. You can reveal any face-down card from the center. B: Reveal a card from a hand. You can reveal either the lowest or highest card from your own hand or from another player's hand. The revealed card is then left face up on the table. Your turn ends immediately when you have revealed three cards with the same value. This means you have successfully collected a Trio, and you should place it face up in front of you. If a revealed card has a different value than the previously revealed card, the revealed cards are flipped back face down or returned to the player whose hand they came from. Then, the turn passes to the next player in clockwise order. IMPORTANT: You may perform the same action (A or B) multiple times in a row, even on the same player. When revealing cards from hands, you are always restricted to revealing only the lowest or highest card. If you run out of cards in your hand, you continue playing normally but can only reveal cards from the center of the table or from other players' hands. Actions and How to Play On your turn, you will reveal cards. For each card revealed, you have two primary options: Action A: Reveal a card from the center of the table. You may choose any face-down card from the center of the table and reveal it. This card is then left face up on the table. Action B: Reveal a card from a hand. You may choose to reveal a card from a hand. This can be your own hand or another player's hand. When choosing from a hand, you must select either the lowest card or the highest card. The revealed card is then left face up on the table. Ending Your Turn: Your turn concludes as soon as you have revealed three cards of the same value. This constitutes a collected Trio, which you then place in front of you. If your revealed cards do not form a Trio: If a card you reveal has a different value than the one revealed immediately before it, your turn ends. The cards that were revealed are either flipped back face down or returned to the player whose hand they originated from. The turn then passes to the next player. End of Game and Scoring You win the game immediately when you achieve one of the following conditions: Collect 3 Trios (in MILD mode). Collect 2 connected Trios (in PIKANT mode). Collect the 7s Trio. This condition overrides all others. Team Variant End of Game: In the Team Variant, a team wins the game immediately when the team collectively achieves one of the following conditions: Collect 3 Trios (MILD). Collect 2 connected Trios (PIKANT). Collect the 7s Trio. Tips for Winning Here are a couple of tips to help you in your quest to collect Trios: When revealing cards from hands, always consider whether revealing the lowest or highest card is more beneficial for you or detrimental to your opponents. Pay attention to the connected Trio numbers if playing on the PIKANT difficulty. Strategically collecting these linked sets can lead to a quicker victory. ## FAQ ### What is the main objective of Tribulation? The objective is to be the player with the most score disks at the end of the game. You earn disks by finding combinations of three numbers on the grid that add up to the value of a drawn disk. ### How many players can participate? Tribulation is for 1 to 6 players. While the upper limit is flexible, the experience can vary slightly depending on the number of participants. ### How long does a game take? Games are quite fast, generally lasting around 30 minutes, making it ideal for short gaming sessions or as a warm-up before longer games. ### Is the game difficult to learn? No, the rules are quite simple. You set up the grid, draw a disk, and race to find the mathematical combination. It's easy to pick up and play within minutes. ### What kind of components come with the game? The game includes a board (or tiles to form one), numbers for the grid, and numbered disks that serve as objectives. ### Is it a game for children? Yes, it's a great game to introduce basic math concepts (multiplication, addition, subtraction) in a fun, real-time way for both children and adults. ### Can I play it solo? Although the game is designed for multiple players, suggested solo modes exist, such as trying to collect the most disks within a time limit or against a countdown timer.