PALATINUS



OBJECTIVE OF PALATINUS: The objective of Palatinus is to be the player with the most influence and highest number of points when the game comes to an end. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 5 Players 

MATERIALS: 1 Linen Bag, 60 Inhabitants, Scoring Counters, 5 Player Screens, 12 Scoring Dice, 7 Laurel Tokens, 7 Territory Tiles, and Instructions 

TYPE OF GAME: Area Control Board Game 

AUDIENCE: Ages 8 and Up 


OVERVIEW OF PALATINUS 

Throughout the game of Palatinus, players attempt to conquer their neighboring lands. The players will use their inhabitants to battle others, forcing their hand, and taking what is now theirs. Each inhabitant has a usefulness and power that can be put to good use when strategically placed on the board.  

SETUP 

The player who owns the game will begin setup by picking who will act as the starting player. The territory piles are then shuffled, and one of them is placed in the middle of the playing area with the Palatinus token placed on it. The first player will begin by drawing and placing a second tile adjacent to the first. The next player will do the same.  

Once all seven of the Hies has been placed, the rest of the laurel tokens are mixed, with one being placed on each of the six hies. Each player will then collect a player screen and scoring counter that match in color. Each player will then collect their assigned number of inhabitants, depending on the number of players. The rest of the game materials are returned to the box, and the game is ready to begin. 

GAMEPLAY 

The game is played in clockwise order, with each player taking a turn. During their turn, a player will place an inhabitant of their choice on an unoccupied space of the board. Soldiers are not to be played within the last three turns, so ensure that they are used early on. The players will continue to take turns until all of the inhabitants have been placed.  

Inhabitants that have a wolf side must be revealed when they are played. Players are permitted to check their concealed inhabitants at any point throughout the game. 

END OF GAME 

The game comes to an end once all of the inhabitants have been placed. The players will place their screens on the table in order to use their influence track to score their area control. Depending on the number of inhabitants around an area, the player may win points.  

The players will determine the influence that each inhabitant has, leading to the determination of who controls the hill. The player with the most influence will control the hill and win the points. The player with the most points, wins the game! 

Ellie Phillips
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