OBJECTIVE OF TEMPLE RAIDER: The first player to have all of their relics escape the temple wins
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 – 4 players
MATERIALS: 1 temple board, 64 power cards, 40 relics, 4 player boards, 5 dice
TYPE OF GAME: Racing Board Game
AUDIENCE: Ages 8+
OVERVIEW OF TEMPLE RAIDER
Temple Raider is a dice-chucking and racing board game in which players are trying to get their relics out of the temple as quickly as possible. On your turn, you will roll and draft dice to move relics or activate power cards. Once relics have been collected in your storage room or placed on your altar, activate even more powers to manipulate dice or move your relics faster. The first player to get all of their relics out of the temple wins.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
An impressive plastic temple centerpiece is where all of the action takes place. A total of forty relics (ten for each player) will move up or down the steps of the temple. Each player has a game board for organizing their playspace as well as their own set of sixteen power cards. Five dice are included, but each player count requires the use of a specific number of them.
SETUP
Place the temple in the center of the playing area. Give each player a player board, their own set of relics, and their own set of power cards. Connect the player board to the temple. Put the relics on the top starting row for each player. Players shuffle their own deck of power cards. The pile of cards is placed next to the player board. Draw three cards and place them on the power card location at the bottom of the player board.
For a two player game, put the three dice with white numbers in the center of the temple. If you are playing a three player game, add the dice that has yellow numbers. And for a four player game, add the dice with the red numbers.
Determine who will go first by rolling a die. The person who rolled the highest number goes first. Play goes clockwise around the table. Whoever is going second begins the game with their #2 relic down one step. Player 3 begins with their #4 relic down one step. If there is a fourth player, they begin the game with their #6 relic down one step.
THE PLAY
On your turn, roll all of the dice being used for the game. After the roll, choose two of the dice and place them on your platform. Use your chosen dice to move the relics on your side of the temple. You may use each die separately, or you may combine them to move the relic that matches the total. For example, if you choose a 4 and a 5, you can either move the #4 relic and the #5 relic, or you may combine them to move the #9 relic.
Rather than move a relic, you may use the dice to activate a power card from your player board. The number on the die must match the power card you wish to activate. You may choose to perform the following combinations: move two relics, activate two power cards, move one relic and activate one power card, combine the dice to move one relic, or combine the dice to activate one power card.
After the player taking their turn has finished with their chosen dice, the rest of the dice are to be drafted by the other players. The player seated left of the person who just completed their turn chooses one of the remaining dice to either move a relic or activate a power card. A turn ends once all of the dice are drafted.
WILDS
If the two chosen dice are combined to form an 11 or 12, it becomes wild. Choose any relic to move down a step. You cannot activate a power card with an 11 or 12.
ERUPTIONS
Whenever a player chooses two dice with lava icons on them, an eruption happens. The player who caused the eruption can move any single relic that is on a lava space back up the temple one step. Power cards can also cause eruptions. If a double eruption occurs, two relics can be moved. A triple eruption means three relics may be moved. Relics cannot be moved if there is a relic directly behind it.
RESUPPLY
Whenever a player cannot (or chooses not to) move any relics or use any power cards on their turn, they may move one relic from the camp area of their player board to the storage room. Or, they may move one relic left on the step if the space is empty.
ESCAPING RELICS
When a relic takes the last step off of the temple, it escapes. Once this occurs, place that relic on your player board in the altar room, storage room, or camp.
If your storage room is full, you also get to move your smallest relic down one step when a wild is activated. Your smallest relic is the one in the space of the smallest value. Moving a relic from your storage room to camp allows you to add 1 to a single die you have chosen.
WINNING TEMPLE RAIDER
Continue playing turns until one player has moved all of their relics out of the temple onto their player board. The first person to do so wins the game.
- TRIPLE SNAKES - February 15, 2021