Above and Below – Rules and FAQ
Above and Below is a competitive storytelling board game for 2-4 players. The game combines worker placement, resource management, and a storytelling adventure in a fantasy world where players build a village above ground and explore caverns below ground. Here's a detailed breakdown of the rules and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Game Components
- Player Components:
- Player boards (representing each player’s village)
- Workers (each player starts with 3 workers: 2 regular and 1 special)
- Coins (money used for buying resources and buildings)
- Resource tokens (goods produced by buildings)
- House tokens (represent buildings placed on the player boards)
- Shared Components:
- Reputation track (measures each player’s reputation)
- Buildings deck (above-ground structures that can be purchased)
- Exploration deck (used when exploring below ground)
- Encounter book (story-driven encounters for underground exploration)
- Dice (used for resolving actions like exploring and harvesting)
Objective of the Game
The objective of Above and Below is to build the most prosperous village by the end of seven rounds. Players gain victory points (VP) through constructing buildings, producing goods, exploring the caverns, and maintaining high reputation. The player with the most VP at the end of the game wins.
Game Setup
Each player receives:
- A player board, 3 starting workers, 7 coins, and a starting house.
- Each player places their reputation marker on the 0 space of the reputation track.
Set up the main board:
- Shuffle and place the buildings and advanced buildings decks.
- Shuffle and place the exploration cards.
- Set the resource tokens, coins, and dice nearby.
First Player:
- Determine the first player randomly, and each player takes turns clockwise.
Gameplay Overview
The game is played over 7 rounds. During each round, players take turns performing various actions by using their workers. The main actions include building, exploring, harvesting, training workers, and resting.
Actions
Build:
- Cost: Varies (buildings cost coins).
- Action: Place a worker to buy a building card from the available pool.
- Benefit: Buildings can generate resources (like goods), increase reputation, or provide other special effects.
Explore:
- Cost: Requires 2 or more workers.
- Action: Send workers into the underground to explore. Draw an exploration card and refer to the Encounter Book for a narrative event.
- Resolution: Roll dice to see how many exploration points your workers earn. Based on the encounter, choose an outcome (e.g., fight monsters, find treasure).
- Reward: Gain resources, items, or underground locations to build in.
Harvest:
- Cost: Requires 1 worker.
- Action: Use workers to harvest resources from your buildings.
- Benefit: Earn resources that you can sell for money or keep for victory points.
Train:
- Cost: 5 coins.
- Action: Recruit a new worker from the available pool.
- Benefit: New workers provide more actions in future rounds.
Rest:
- Cost: Requires no resources.
- Action: Rest exhausted workers so they can be used in the next round.
- Benefit: Heals workers who are exhausted from exploring or other actions.
Exploring Underground
When players choose the Explore action, they’ll send workers underground. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how the exploration phase works:
Draw an Exploration Card:
- Each card indicates a specific entry from the Encounter Book. Read the passage and make decisions based on the story.
Roll Dice for Exploration Points:
- Each worker contributes a number of dice rolls. The results will determine the outcome (success or failure) of the exploration.
Choose an Outcome:
- Based on the encounter, players can choose different paths (such as taking a risky action for a higher reward or playing it safe). Each choice may require a certain number of exploration points to succeed.
Earn Rewards:
- Depending on success or failure, players earn rewards like resources, money, or new underground locations to build in.
End of Round and Refresh
- At the end of each round, players reset their workers (resting or healing any exhausted workers).
- Refill the available building pool if any were bought.
- Pass the first player token clockwise.
End of the Game
The game ends after the 7th round. Players tally their victory points, which come from:
- Buildings (each has a VP value)
- Goods (some resources are worth points)
- Reputation (positive or negative reputation gives or subtracts points)
- Villagers (some special villagers give bonus points)
The player with the most victory points wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most coins wins.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many workers can I use on a single action?
- Most actions, like building or harvesting, require just 1 worker. However, exploring requires at least 2 workers and can use more for a better chance of success.
What happens if I run out of money?
- If you don’t have enough money, you won’t be able to build new buildings or hire workers. However, you can sell goods during the game for coins to keep your economy going.
How does reputation affect the game?
- Reputation affects the number of victory points at the end of the game. Positive reputation increases your score, while negative reputation can subtract points.
What happens when a worker is exhausted?
- Exhausted workers can no longer perform actions until they rest. To rest workers, you must choose the "Rest" action in a later round.
Can I explore the same underground location more than once?
- No, once you’ve explored and gained control of an underground location, it is permanently added to your village for building.
How does the encounter book work?
- The encounter book provides narrative events for each exploration. Depending on the story, players will make choices and roll dice to see the outcome, which affects the rewards or consequences of the exploration.
Can I save goods for later rounds?
- Yes, goods collected during the game can be saved for later rounds to sell or keep for VP at the end of the game.
Is there a limit to the number of buildings I can have?
- There is no strict limit, but you are limited by the available space on your player board and the money you have to spend.
Can I explore in the same turn I build?
- Yes, as long as you have enough workers, you can perform multiple actions in the same turn, such as exploring and building.
How many actions can I take in one turn?
- You can perform one action per turn, but after each action, play passes to the next player. Once all players have passed, the round ends.
Above and Below combines strategic planning and storytelling, with players balancing resource management with the thrill of exploration. Each game offers a unique experience thanks to the random encounters in the caverns below!