Bitoku

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Details

Sourced from: https://jmo.name/games

Player Aid Author: Jarrod Moore

Description

Become the next great spirit of the forest exploring it and helping lost souls.

  • Place board on table:
    • 1-2P: Use side of board with no gaps
    • 3-4P: Add die-cut pieces in corresponding spaces as shown in the gaps
  • Place Great Spirit marker on 1st space of round track
  • Place Pagoda counter on Spring space of phase track
  • Prepare Torii gate tiles:
    • Shuffle decks A and B separately
    • Randomly place tiles on Path of Wisdom spaces:
      • Place tiles from deck A on spaces marked "A"
      • Place tiles from deck B on spaces marked "B"
  • Prepare Bitoku cards:
    • Shuffle and place at top of board
    • Place 1 Bitoku card sideways in each of the Hills spaces
  • Prepare Yokai cards:
    • Separate starting Yokai cards from others
    • Shuffle the remaining cards and place in deck at top right of board
    • Place 1 Yokai card in each space of Hills area, partially covering Bitoku cards
  • 1-3P: Prepare Ancient Building tiles:
    • 1-2P: Place one on each of lower leftmost spaces of four inhabited areas of board
    • 3P: Place one on each of following areas:
      • Lands of Yomi
      • Glade of Jade
  • Prepare Forest Treasure tiles:
    • Randomly place one tile in each forest region
    • 2P: Also place a Kodama counter of neutral colour on fourth space of each region's Kodama track
  • Prepare Vision cards:
    • Shuffle deck and place on Rift of Visions space on board
  • Prepare Iwakura Rock tiles:
    • Randomly give one to each player
    • Then place one random tile face-up in each space of Rock Garden
  • Prepare Building tiles, Crystal tiles, Mitama Spirit tiles and Dragonfly tiles:
    • Shuffle each deck of tiles separately
    • Place each deck in stacks on their corresponding spaces
    • Turn over enough tiles to fill all spaces next to stacks
  • Place Jade, Sake, Wood, Stone, x3 resource tiles, Hikaru markers and Amulets near board to form supply

  • Each player receives:
    • 1 player board
    • 1 player aid
    • Player components in colour of choice:
      • 5 Kodama counters:
        • Place 1 on first space of each Kodama track in forest areas of main board
      • 11 Pilgrim counters:
        • Place 3 with their awakened side face-up in the upper right area of player board
        • Place the rest with their sleeping side face-up on the 8 spaces of Crystal areas so they cover VP symbols
      • 6 Building counters:
        • Place them on spaces in building area of player board
      • 3 Player counters:
        • Place 1 on Bitoku path on your player board
        • Place 1 on river space at the beginning of Ascension (VP) track on the main board
        • Place 1 on the Turn Order track (below Phase and Round tracks)
      • 1 flag of your colour:
        • Place on player board on dedicated space
      • 5 starting Yokai cards of your colour:
        • Shuffle and place face-down next to player board
      • Place 3 dice on red spaces of player board with values 3, 2, 1 from left to right
    • 1 random Dragonfly from any face-down stack:
      • Place face-up in matching area of player board
    • 1 random Vision card:
      • Place face-up next to player board
    • Place starting resources next to player board:
      • 1 wood
      • 1 jade
      • 1 "+1" amulet
    • Place Iwakura Rock you received during board setup in the leftmost space of player board
  • Randomise order of tokens on turn order track

The game is played over 4 rounds, with each round consisting of 4 phases, one for each season of the year.

During each round, you will use 3 cards and 3 dice to take actions

Unlocking Dice

You can unlock dice in the following ways:

  • Play a Yokai card to your player board
  • Use an action that allows you to unlock a die
  • Discard an available Pilgrim from the game

  • Draw Yokai cards from your deck until you have 4 in hand
  • Discard one Yokai card
  • Collect rewards indicated on the Dream Crystals on your player boards:
    • These rewards can be received in any order

  • Following the turn order on the turn order track, players do one of the following basic actions:
    • Play a Yokai card from their hand
    • Use an unlocked die from their player board
    • Cross the river
    • Pass

This phase ends when all players have passed. Once a player passes, they are out for the rest of this phase

Note: If all 3 card spaces on your board are full, you cannot take this action

  • Play a Yokai card from your hand to an empty card space on your player board:
    • You cannot move a Yokai card to another space after it has been played
  • Unlock the die next to the card you just played:
    • Move it from the red space (to right of card) to its corresponding green open space, if needed
    • You may play a Yokai card even if the die in that space is already unlocked or has been played to main board
  • Additionally, you may choose to do each of the following (i.e. both parts are optional) in any order:
    • Activate Yokai card you played this turn by carrying out action shown on card
    • Activate action shown on a connected Crystal (if you have one):
      • Each card space can only have one Crystal connected to it for the entire game

  • Optionally, you can discard amulets at the start of this action to increase the die's value:
    • If the value of a die would exceed 6 by doing this, any additional value points are lost
  • Move an unlocked die to any empty space on the forest area of the game board
  • Optionally, perform the following:
    • 1 forest action available in the area the die was placed in:
      • The value of the die must be equal or greater to the action you wish to trigger
    • 1 building action available in the area the die was placed in:
      • The value of the die must be equal or greater to the building you wish to trigger the action of
      • If you use another player's building, the owner of the building receives the bonus shown on the building
      • If you use your own building, you do not receive this bonus

  • Choose one of your dice in the forest and move it to an empty space in the matching Hills area on the other side of the river:
    • This die must have a value of at least 2 to take this action
    • You cannot choose a die at the Home of the Great Spirit when taking this action
    • 2P: You can reach both Hikaru Hills on each side of the Home of the Great Spirit
  • Reduce the value of your die by 1 point:
    • If the die's value is 6, instead reduce it by 3 points
  • Optionally, gain one of the available benefits linked to the space you moved the die to:
    • The value of the dice does not impact which favours you may take
    • The actions you can take are:
      • Take the Bitoku card from this space:
        • Place it face up below your player board to begin or extend your Bitoku path
      • Take the Yokai card from the space:
        • Add it directly to your hand
        • You can play this card in a later turn this round
      • Perform 2 of the following actions:
        • Draw 1 vision card
        • Take 1 Iwakura rock
        • Place 1 available Pilgrim adjacent to a Iwakura rock on your player board
        • Move one of your Kodamas on any Kodama track forward 1 space
    • Block the space with the action(s) you just performed with a Hikaru marker
  • Once a die has crossed the river, it remains there until the Winter phase and cnanot be moved again this round

  • Set the new turn order:
    • From highest to lowest position of dice in the Home of the Great Spirit, rearrange player counters in that order on the turn order track, pushing other markers to the right:
      • If a player placed multiple dice in this location, the highest die up is chosen
    • If no dice were placed there, the turn order is unchanged

All players must follow these steps:

  • Return your dice to the red spaces on your player board in the order of your choice, keeping their current values
  • Optionally, discard one of your Yokai cards on your player board from the game to score VP:
    • You must have at least 5 Yokai cards between your hand, your deck, your player board and your discard pile to take this option
    • Score the VP for the selected card:
      • Multiply the number of copies of each item shown on the card that you have under your control by the number shown on the card
    • Place the card face-up under your player board next to the flag so that its type is still visible
  • Place all remaining Yokai cards on your player board on your discard pile
  • Advance the round track marker one space:
    • If the round track marker reaches the Ascension space, go to final scoring
  • Prepare the game for the next round:
    • Discard all remaining Bitoku and Yokai cards from game board
    • Refill spaces in Hills with new cards:
      • If either deck runs out of cards, shuffle discard pile to create new deck
    • Return any Hikaru tiles from Hills to supply
    • Prepare tile displays:
      • Remove tile furthest away from stack from following displays:
        • Mitama Spirits tiles
        • Dragonfly tiles
        • Building tiles
        • Crystal tiles
      • Move all tiles to right to fill any empty spaces
      • Fill all spaces with tiles from stacks
      • Note: Iwakura Rock tiles are never refilled

The game ends after the Winter phase of the 4th round. Immediately proceed to final scoring.

Final scores are calculated by adding earned victory points in the following categories:

  • Rewards shown on Dream Crystals on player board
  • First player on Turn Order track scores 3 VPs
  • Score VPs based on the number of different Bitoku cards you have on your Bitoku path, if any:
No. of Unique Types on Bitoku PathVictory Points11223447511616722
* You receive these points regardless of how far down the Bitoku path you travelled
  • Reward VPs to players on Kodama tracks of each forest region:
    • If there is a tie, add rewards of tied positions and divide evenly between tied players, rounding down
    • The final space on a Kodama track can only be occupied by one Kodama
  • Each Pilgrim you have next to an Iwakura rock awards you 1 VP for each item you have that matches the requirements shwon on the tile:
    • If an item appears on two different rocks, you may count it both times
    • The items on the rocks can be found on:
      • Yokai cards
      • Buildings
      • Mitama Spirits
    • Yuma-uba Yokai cards and Shinigami Mitama Spirit cards act as wildcards for this step
  • Add up the current value of all of your three dice, plus the number of resources you still have hold, then divide that number by 4 and score that number of VPs
  • Score points for Vision cards:
    • Earn VPs shown on each completed Vision card
    • Lose 1 or 2 VPs for each uncompleted Vision card as indicated on card
    • Each game element can only be used to fulfill the requirements of one Vision card
  • Score end of game Virtue points on your player board, Buildings and Crystal areas

Whoever has the most points after all of that wins.

Tiebreakers:

  • Most completed Vision cards
  • Furthest ahead on Turn Order track

When placing a die in a forest region:

  • You are only allowed to place the die if there are no dice of equal or higher value already placed in that region
  • You are then only allowed to take an action if the placed die has a value equal or higher than the value of the action

  • Die value 1+:
    • Move your Kodama in this region forward one space
  • Die value 2+:
    • Pay indicated cost and obtain one of the following:
      • 1 Dragonfly
      • 1 Mitama Spirit
  • Die value 3+:
    • Pay indicated cost and obtain one of the following:
      • 1 Dragonfly
      • 1 Mitama Spirit with a discount of 1 resource
  • Die value 4+:
    • Pay indicated cost and obtain one of the following (with a discount of 1 resource):
      • 1 Dragonfly
      • 1 Mitama Spirit
  • Die value 6:
    • Pay indicated cost and obtain both of the following, with a discount of 1 resource for one of the purchases:
      • 1 Dragonfly
      • 1 Mitama Spirit

  • Die value 1+:
    • Move your Kodama in this region forward one space
  • Die value 2+:
    • Gain 1 movement point
  • Die value 3+:
    • Gain 2 movement points
  • Die value 4+:
    • Gain 3 movement points
  • Die value 6:
    • Gain 4 movement points

You can take the action in a space in this region regardless of the dice used to trigger that action

  • 1-2P:
    • Space 1:
      • Gain a +2 amulet
    • Space 2:
      • Gain a +1 amulet
      • Draw 1 Vision card
    • Space 3:
      • Gain a +1 amulet
      • Choose 1 of the following:
        • 1 movement point
        • Any 1 resource of your choice
    • Space 4:
      • Note: To use this space, the die placed must be of value 2+
      • Reduce the value of the die by 1 point
      • Choose any other player's die that is on any forest space and perform the forest action for the region that die is in, using the value on that die:
        • You cannot choose a die that has crossed the river
        • You are not allowed to perform a Building action using this space
  • 3-4P:
    • Space 1:
      • Gain a +2 amulet
    • Space 2:
      • Gain a +1 amulet
      • Draw 1 Vision card
    • Space 3:
      • Gain a 1 amulet
      • Gain any 1 resource of your choice
    • Space 4:
      • Gain a +1 amulet
      • 1 movement point

  • Die value 1+:
    • Move your Kodama in this region forward one space
  • Die value 2+:
    • Take 1 of the following:
      • Wood
      • Jade
  • Die value 3+:
    • Take 1 of any of the following:
      • Wood
      • Jade
      • Sake
      • Stone
  • Die value 4+:
    • Take any 2 of the following in any combination:
      • Wood
      • Jade
      • Sake
      • Stone
  • Die value 6:
    • Take any 3 of the following in any combination:
      • Wood
      • Jade
      • Sake
      • Stone

  • Die value 1+:
    • Move your Kodama in this region forward one space
  • Die value 2+:
    • Construct 1 building in an empty space of that building's type in any forest area
  • Die value 3+:
    • Do one of the following:
      • Obtain 1 crystal
      • Construct 1 building in an empty space of that building's type in any forest area
  • Die value 4+:
    • Do one of the following with a discount of 1 resource:
      • Obtain 1 crystal
      • Construct 1 building in an empty space of that building's type in any forest area
  • Die value 6:
    • Do both of the following with a discount of 1 resource:
      • Obtain 1 crystal
      • Construct 1 building in an empty space of that building's type in any forest area
    • Only one of the above is discounted, not both

  • Move any of your own Kodama (or an opponent's if the action icon is red) one step forward/backward
  • If there are several movement points, you can split them up between multiple Kodamas
  • Any number of Kodamas can occupy each space on the track, except for the last space which can only be occupied by 1 Kodama at a time
  • VPs are scored at the end of the game based on the position of Kodamas on each track

  • Pay the cost and take one tile from the display
  • Do not refill empty spaces at this time
  • Take the action shown on the Mitama Spirit tile
  • Place the tile on your player board
  • If you have a Dragonfly tile on your player board, you may combine the tiles:
    • Take the action on the selected Dragonfly tile
    • Move the combined Dragonfly and Mitama Spirit together beside your player board

  • Pay the cost of the dragonfly tile from the display
  • Do not refill empty spaces at this time
  • Place the Dragonfly tile on your player board
  • If you have a Mitama Spirit tile on your player board, you may combine the tiles:
    • Take the action on the Dragonfly tile you just chose
    • Move the combined Dragonfly and Mitama Spirit together beside your player board

  • Take an awakened Pilgrim from your player board
  • Spend 1 MP to place it on one of the following:
    • A path next to the starting gate
    • Next to a Torii gate already occupied by one of your other pilgrims
  • You may start as many pilgrimages as you like
  • You can acquire more pilgrims by obtaining crystals

  • Move a pilgrim one space forward per movement point you wish to spend
  • Each path is one-way only
  • Multiple pilgrims may occupy the same space only if the circle on that space is open at the top
  • Along the journey, your pilgrims will land on the following types of spaces:
    • Bridge spaces:
      • To cross a bridge, pay 1 movement point
      • You must have advanced 1 card on your Bitoku path to be able to cross the first bridge
      • You must have advanced 2 cards on your Bitoku path to be able to cross the second bridge
    • Illumination spaces:
      • Flip pilgrim to their sleeping side when they move to this space
      • Receive VPs and amulets marked on the space
    • Torii Gate spaces:
      • Flip pilgrim to sleeping side when they move to this space
      • Immediately receive VPs as marked on the tile
      • Perform the action shown on the tile
      • From now on, when you start a new pilgrimage you can start from the space below the side path your pilgrim is resting on

  • Pay cost and take 1 crystal from display
  • Add crystal to an empty space on player board that matches the type of crystal that was chosen:
  • Move the pilgrim in that space to the top right area of the player board, flipping it awakened side up
  • VPs are earned at the end of the game for revealed crystal spaces
  • Crystals give different benefits depending on their colour:
    • Purple: Collect the reward during the Spring phase of the round
    • Orange: Collect the reward when the corresponding action on the crystal tile is performed
    • Pink: Collect the reward whenever a Yokai card is played to the card space immediately to the left of the placed crystal

  • Pay the cost underneath the leftmost building token on your player board
  • Choose a building tile from the display on the board
  • Do not refill empty spaces at this time
  • Add the building to any space on the board that matches the chosen building's type
  • Place the building token from the space you paid the cost for onto the building you built to show you own it
  • Move your Kodama forward on the track in the area you built the building according to the Kodama bonus shown on the building tile
  • Receive a 1+ amulet if indicated on the tile

Note: You can only take this action if you have at least one clear space in the Iwakura rock area of your board

  • Take 1 Iwakura Rock token from the rock garden area of the board
  • Place it on the leftmost empty space on your rock path on your player board

  • Pay resources before placing awakened Pilgrim if there is any cost shown on space
  • Place the pilgrim sleeping side up on any empty space on the rock path of your player board if the space is next to at least one Iwakura Rock
  • You cannot use that pilgrim token again for the rest of the game

  • Take top two cards from Bitoku card deck
  • Keep one and put it on your Bitoku path
  • Place the other face down on the bottom of the Bitoku card deck

  • Take top two cards from Vision card deck
  • If you wish to keep one of them:
    • Place it face up next to your player board
    • Place the other face down on the bottom of the Vision card deck
  • Instead, if you do not wish to keep any of them:
    • Place both cards face down on the bottom of the Vision card deck
    • Take any 1 resource from the supply
  • You cannot choose to keep both Vision cards you received in one action

Thumbnail courtesy of BoardGameGeek and the respective publisher.