Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King

To set up Isle of Skye, place the central board in the middle of the table with the active scoring tiles for each round indicated on the board. Each player receives a player screen, a starting castle tile, five starting coins, and scoring markers placed on the start of the scoring track. Shuffle the landscape tiles and keep them in bags or stacks nearby, ready for players to draw during the game.

The main goal is to develop the most prosperous and valuable clan territory on the Isle of Skye. Players act as chieftains attempting to expand their lands, build fortresses, herd livestock, and connect roads to score the most victory points by the end of the game.

Each round is divided into several phases. First, players collect income based on their castle and connected whiskey barrels. Second, players draw three landscape tiles from the bag and place them behind their screen. They secretly assign prices to two tiles using their own coins and discard one tile. Third, players simultaneously reveal their tiles and prices, and going clockwise, each player may buy one tile from an opponent by paying the set price. Any unsold tiles must be bought by the original owner at their own set price. Fourth, players place their newly acquired tiles onto their territory, matching terrain edges and connecting roads where possible.

Scoring takes place at the end of every round. Players examine the active scoring tiles for that round and earn victory points based on how well their territory meets specific conditions, such as having complete lakes, specific numbers of cattle, or certain buildings adjacent to roads.

The game concludes after a set number of rounds depending on player count. Final scoring awards additional victory points for completed scroll objectives, bonuses for fully enclosed areas, and point conversions for leftover coins. The player with the most victory points wins, with ties broken by the most remaining money.