Istanbul

Prepare the table

Use only base-game tiles one through sixteen, arranged in the rulebook's Short Paths four-by-four layout. Give each player an empty wheelbarrow, four assistants under their merchant at the Fountain, and their family member at Police Station. Leave their fifth assistant in supply. Start with two Lira for first player, then one more per next player, plus one Bonus card each.

Put mail markers on the Post Office's top row; shuffle each market's demand stack face up. Sort Mosque tiles by color with lowest requirement on top, removing five-symbol tiles with three players and three/five-symbol tiles with two. Put one ruby per player at each Mosque, except four with five players. Supply one ruby and three wheelbarrow extensions per player at Wainwright. Fill Palace and Gemstone ruby tracks through the spaces marked for your player count, following the printed setup diagram. Roll separately for Governor and Smuggler starting tiles. With two players put unused merchants at both Mosques and Gemstone Dealer.

Play a turn

On your turn move your merchant and carried assistants one or two orthogonal steps to a different Place. If one of your assistants waits there, pick it up; otherwise leave one from your stack. If you cannot or decline, your turn ends. Fountain is exempt. Then pay two Lira to each other merchant present or end your turn; Fountain is also exempt from this fee. In two-player play pay neutral merchants to the bank, then relocate each by a two-dice roll.

Take the Place action, then resolve encounters. Warehouses fill the matching goods track to capacity. Wainwright costs seven Lira for one capacity extension; completing three earns a ruby. Post Office gives its four uncovered rewards, then moves the leftmost top marker down, resetting all up if already down. Caravansary draws two Bonus cards and discards one; this draw may use the discard top. Fountain retrieves any number of your assistants from the board.

Black Market gives one red, yellow or green good, then a two-dice total of seven/eight, nine/ten or eleven/twelve adds one, two or three blue goods. Tea House declares a number from three to twelve: roll at least it to gain that much Lira, otherwise gain two. Markets sell up to five goods matching the demand tile for its printed payout, then cycle that tile to the bottom.

Police Station sends your family member, if present there, to any other Place and takes its action without encounters. Palace trades all uncovered pictured goods for the next ruby. Gemstone Dealer sells its next ruby for the highest uncovered price. At either Mosque, show the top tile's required quantity of its color and pay one of that good to take it; own at most one of each color. A pair from the same Mosque earns its ruby.

Mosque abilities give a fifth assistant; allow a two-Lira extra good when using a warehouse; allow a two-Lira retrieval of one assistant once per turn; or let you reroll both dice once or set one to four at Tea House/Black Market. Apply the corresponding printed tile. Bonus cards may be used on your turn at their stated timing and are then discarded.

After your action, catch opposing family members at your Place and send them to Police Station, gaining three Lira or one Bonus card each; no reward at Police Station. Governor offers a card for two Lira or discarding a card. Smuggler offers a good for two Lira or another good. If used, relocate each by rolling both dice. Goods can never exceed wheelbarrow capacity.

Finish and score

When someone reaches five rubies, or six with two players, finish the current round so everyone has equal turns. Players may then use leftover cards that provide goods or money. Most rubies wins; ties compare Lira, then total goods, then Bonus cards, then share victory.

Host the first game

The Reddit recommendation discussion highlights repeat play, several routes to rubies and the spatial race. Before the first move, trace a small loop that drops assistants and later picks them up. Remind players that a merchant fee can stop an otherwise carefully planned visit.

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Ideas & Twists

Choose a variation together before you start.