Tribes in a Pocket
Read to learn the full rules for Tribes in a Pocket
Components
1 double-sided rules folio
1 resource track
2 Double sided folio maps
44 meeples (11 for each player)
2 black houses
1 white fort
16 technology cards
16 action cards
Overview
Tribes In A Pocket is a competitive area control game with elements of worker placement. You take the identity of a tribe of nomads who are competing for resources and land. Roam, raid, and research new technologies to increase your likelihood of winning. The winner is the tribe with the most accomplishments at the end of the game.
Set-Up
1. Pick the map Fertile Valley or River Oasis (indicated on each folio mat). Arrange each folio mat so they align to create a coherent map.
If there are 2 or 3 players, it is suggested to play on the River Oasis side. If there are 4 players, it is suggested to play on the Fertile Valley side.
2. Place the resource track (located inside the game box) in an area easily accessed by all players. This is where players keep track of their resources and supplies.
3. Shuffle and deal out eight technology cards face up in a row anywhere on the table.
4. Shuffle and place the action cards face down in a deck near the resource track. Also designate a discard pile for these action cards.
5. Each player picks a colored set of meeples and sorts them on their side of the play area. This is their tribe. Each player takes three of their meeples and places them on the resource tracks, starting at 0.
One marker on food, starting at 0 One marker on stone, starting at 0 One marker on wood, starting at 0
6. Keep the villages and fort in a pile out of play, yet easily accessed by players.
7. Each player selects a starting region, indicated by a yellow star icon on the map. They place three of their meeples in that region. This is their starting region and will count towards victory at the end of the game.
8. The player who most recently moved residences is the first player for this entire game. You are ready to begin the first round.
Phase 1: Collect Income
Starting with the first player, each player collects the resources indicated on regions they control by moving their resource marker up. Each resource icon printed in the region gives one of that type of resource.
To control a region you must have the most meeples there (more on this later).
Resources and Regions
There are four kinds of regions.
Plains - fields and hills with very little trees. Plains provide food.
Mountains - rocky slopes, cliffs, and caves. Mountains provide stone.
Forests - heavily wooded areas, dense trees, and wet ecosystems. Forests provide wood.
Starting Regions - Regions with a star indicator.
Phase 2: Action Drafting
Each player draws four cards from the action deck. Then, starting with the first player, pick one card to keep. Place the remaining cards facedown. Once all players have picked a card to keep, pass the face down cards clockwise to the next player.
Each player then looks at the cards that were passed to them and picks another card to keep.
Repeat this process until all players have selected THREE action cards to keep. Put the last card that wasn't picked into the discard pile.
Phase 3: Perform Actions
Starting with the first player, each player plays ONE of the action cards they drafted from the previous phase and performs it. When that card is resolved, the next player clockwise plays and performs one of their cards. Repeat until all cards from all players have been played. Place those cards in front of each player for now, keeping note that they were already used.
Keep drawing from the same deck each round until there are no more cards remaining to be drafted.
When the deck runs out, reshuffle all the action cards into a new pile and reset for the next round of drafting.
Some cards require resources to be spent. See the instructions on the card. Move the resource tracker down by that much. If a player is unable to perform a card, discard that card and play continues to the next player.
Controlling A Region
To control a region a player must have the most meeples there. This means that it is entirely possible to have meeples in a region that you don't control. If another player has more meeples than you there, they control that region
Sharing A Region
You're allowed to have meeples coexist in a region controlled by other players. Envision tribal members intermingling with other tribes. You may move freely to and from regions controlled by other players. Once you have more meeples in a region, you now control that region and take control of any villages and fort there.
Villages and Forts
Villages and forts (see components) are special game pieces that may be placed into play. To do so, simply draft and perform the settle or fortify action and pay the required costs as indicated by the action card.
A region with a village allows the controller (most meeples there) to collect income an additional time from that region. Villages also count towards end game scoring, thus making them very valuable.
A region with a fort makes it so that region may not be targeted for a raid action. Forts also count towards end game scoring.
Technologies
Technologies are unique and remain active for whoever researched it first. All technology have a cost as indicated on their card. In order to research technology, a player must draft and perform the research action. There is a finite amount of technologies in each game and functions on a first-come-first-serve basis.
To sum it up, if you want advantageous bonuses, research it first.
Phase 4: Check For Victory
The final phase of each round is when you check for win conditions. Any three of these following win conditions must be fulfilled before the game transitions into the scoring phase and the game ends.
Four or more technologies have been researched by any number of players
One tribe controls 5 or more regions (has the most meeples there)
One tribe controls (most meeples) 2 or more villages and/or forts, any combination.
Two villages are in play (controlled by anyone)
The fort is in play (controlled by anyone)
One tribe has 7 or more meeples in play
Scoring Phase
If at least three victory conditions have been fulfilled, the game transitions into the scoring phase. Each Player scores points based on these following accomplishments. The winner is the tribe with the most points.
1 point for each village that player controls
2 points for controlling the fort
1 point for each technology that player has researched
1 point for controlling the most starting regions
2 points for having most meeples in play 2 points for controlling most regions