The forces of nature are fierce and unrelenting. Only strategic command over the elements will prevail.
A cooperative card based game where players race to collect nature’s bountiful treasures all while avoiding its many obstacles. Players will take turns playing their element cards to switch between elemental affinities to either align or counter randomly placed challenges. Tactful maneuvering of the play space is key to achieving a timely success as there is a limit to the amount of cards in play.
Elements is designed for two to four players and games take approximately ten minutes to reach conclusion. The aim was to design a game where the players create the play space and the puzzles that they will be solving thus rewarding preplanning and group cooperation.
Rules
Set-Up
Place the exit tile in the middle of the table and place 4 map tiles on each side of the exit. This starting map tile can not be a temple.
Each player draws 3 element cards.
The oldest player has weathered the most of what mother nature has to offer so they will go first.
Each player is going to draw 2 map tiles and place them adjacent to any of the already existing map tiles until there are no map tiles left on a 5x5 grid.
Reminder: Setting the map tiles up is an important part of the game, the way you set it up is important so any player gets stuck on a tile. Work together as a team to build the best map.
Actions
The player decides which element card to play.
The player transforms into the element in the card and places that card in front of them in order to remember which element they are. Once you play that card, draw a new element card.
On their following turn, the player is going to discard that old element card that was placed in front of them and play a new one. The player always has to play an element card at the beginning of the turn.
Players can not have more than 3 elements cards in their hand. Players should always have 3 cards at the end of their turn unless the element card pile is empty.
The player moves their totem.
Players can move across two tiles in any direction except for diagonally.
If the Player is currently in under the fire element they can move an additional time for a total of three moves.
In order for the player to advance through an obstacle, they must be one of the elements written in the map tile.
Example: If there is a spider web obstacle present in the map, the player must be fire to burn them and advance through the obstacle.
Players can also cross the board with a single turn if they are on the edge of the board, and if the tile on the opposite end of the board can be landed on.
Example: A player can move from the top-left tile to the bottom left, counting as a single move.
If the player gets to a temple with a key, they must trade two of the element cards on their hand for the key, this element cards must be of the same element as the temple.
Example: If the player wants to obtain a key from the Fire Temple, they must trade in two fire elements in order to get the key.
Sliding: If the player is currently ice(fire) and they move to an ice(metal) tile, they will slide in the direction they were moving.
The key card acts as an element card. If the player obtains the key card, that card is added to their element hand, meaning that the player that possesses that card will only have access to 2 elements instead of 3. If they get a second key, they will only have access to one single element on their hand.
Every player has to make it back to the exit if they have all of the keys to win the game.
If all of the element cards are discarded, players lose the game. A card is not discarded if it is an active player’s element. Discarded means the card is placed on the discarded pile.
At the beginning of a player’s turn, they must play an element card, if this action is impossible because of all the element cards are discarded the game is lost.
Mechanics
Setting up the map
The playing field starts out with the exit and four tiles around it that are NOT one of the temples. The second image shows the first part of putting down the tiles, as each player takes turns putting down 2 tiles. The last image is the tiles being complete and the last tile being set down, and the playing field is finished.
Becoming an element
The first image, the player has their three cards in their hand, which they have at all times. The second photo is selecting what element card they want to play. The third photo is placing it into the discard pile so that the player is now the element that is selected in the discard pile.
Movement
In the images, the player is the metal element. In the first image, the player is picking up their token, also thinking where they are able to move. The second picture is the player moving onto a spot that they are able to go onto. The third picture, they see a temple that they can go to, so that’s their second move.
Drawing Cards
In the first picture, they have two elements, in which they need three at the end of their turn. The second image is them picking up the top of the shuffled deck. The third image is having the three elements in their hand, in which the next player starts their turn.
Obtaining keys
The first picture is showing that they have two fire cards that is needed for the fire temple that the player is on. The second image shows the two fire cards in the discard file and the player grabbing a key that is needed for the exit. The third picture is the player with a key in their hand and a new element card as well. They do not have a third element card because the key is taking up a slot of the three elements.