Faiyum Gameplay Overview
Turn Structure
On your turn, you MUST perform one of the following three actions
Play a Card
Choose a card from your hand.
- Either pay the cards cost (the red section), to the bank or take $2 from the bank.
- If action is paid for, perform the card's action (the green section).
- Place the played card face-up on top of your discard pile.
- When placing a worker, the hex must be clear of crocodiles and workers
- Some cards don't require worker placement
- Developed Spaces can no longer be targeted for Harvest Action.
- Score 1VP when first time connecting two settlements / building sites.
- A card can be played as long as you can do at least part of it (e.g., pay the cost).
- You cannot play a card if you cannot perform any part of its action or pay its cost.
Buy a Card
Purchase one of the four cards from the market.
- Pay the cost indicated by the market slot to the bank. If the -1 marker is on the card, pay 1 less and move the marker off the board.
- Take the card and place it into your hand.
- Draw a new card and sort it between the 8 cards on the market, from lowest to highest.
- When the four yellow cards are in the top half of the market, that triggers game end.
Perform an Administration
Retrieve played cards, gain income, and determine turn order for the next 'round'.
- Gain $3 minus the number of cards in your hand. If the result is negative, do not pay any money.
- Remove 0 to 2 upright workers from any spaces on the game board and return them to the supply. Gain $1 for each removed worker.
- Take the top 3 cards from your discard stack into your hand. If less than 3 cards are on your discard stack, take them all.
- Pay $1 per card you would like to buy back additionally from the top of your discard stack.
- Never change the order of the cards in your discard stack, unless the specific card action says to do it.
Key Concepts
- Workers: Start with some active, some in reserve. Playing certain cards moves workers from reserve to active. When a worker is placed on the board, it remains there until removed by specific card effects (e.g., 'Removal of a Worker' card) or at game end. If you need to place a worker but have none active, you cannot play that card.
- Resources & Money: Used to pay for cards, card actions, or converted into other goods/PP. Stored on your player board or as coins.
- Buildings: Farms (Grapes/Grain), Quarries (Stone), Workshops (transform resources, e.g., Grapes to Wine for PP), Settlements (give PP, allow building on adjacent hexes occupied by other players' workers/buildings, may provide income or workers).
- Roads & Bridges: Extend your building reach. Workers can only be placed on hexes adjacent to your existing workers/buildings or connected by your roads.
- Pharaoh: Certain cards move the Pharaoh. When the Pharaoh lands on or passes specific spaces on its track, it may trigger benefits or activate disaster cards.
- Disasters: When a disaster card is drawn (e.g., from the market refill or Pharaoh movement), its effect is resolved immediately. Disasters can remove workers, buildings, or place crocodiles. The player who triggered the disaster often bears the brunt or makes choices.
- Crocodile: Placed by some disaster cards or card effects. If a player has the most crocodiles on hexes where they have workers/buildings at game end, they lose PP.
- Card Market Replenishment: If the market draw pile runs out, shuffle the market discard pile to form a new draw pile. If specific 'reshuffle' cards (like 'Inspection') are drawn this way, they trigger the end game.