K2

Each player receives two climbers (one smooth, one jagged) and places them on their player board. Two acclimatization markers are placed on the '1' space of their acclimatization track. The weather track is set up with a black token on day 1, and weather tiles are placed to show the forecast for the next few days. Risk tokens (numbered 0, 1, 2) are placed face down, with three (two '2's and one '1') revealed face up. Each player shuffles their deck of 18 cards and draws a hand of 6 cards. The game board can be set to an easier or harder side, and players can choose between summer or winter weather conditions, affecting the difficulty.

The primary objective of K2 is to accumulate the most victory points by successfully ascending the K2 mountain. Points are awarded based on the highest elevation reached by each of your two climbers. However, a crucial part of the objective is to keep your climbers alive throughout the 18-day expedition, as any climber who dies will only contribute 1 point to your final score, regardless of their highest reached elevation. Players must strategically manage their climbers' movement and acclimatization to survive the harsh conditions and outscore opponents.

Each turn consists of five phases. First, players simultaneously select 3 cards from their hand of 6 to play face down. Second, players reveal their chosen cards, and the player(s) with the highest total movement value must take a risk token from the available face-up tokens (or a face-down one if no positive tokens remain). Third, in the action phase, the start player (indicated by the ice pick token) and then players clockwise use their chosen cards to move their climbers up or down the mountain, or pitch a tent. Movement costs vary by terrain, and pitching a tent costs 1 movement point. Fourth, acclimatization checks are performed, adjusting climbers' acclimatization scores based on their current elevation and the day's weather. Finally, the turn ends, the weather marker advances, and the start player token passes clockwise.

Points are scored at the end of the game based on the highest elevation reached by each of your climbers. Each space on the mountain board has a flag with a number indicating the points awarded for reaching that elevation. When a climber reaches a new highest point, their corresponding marker on the score track is moved to that number. If a climber dies, they only score 1 point. The player with the highest total points from their two climbers wins the game. In case of a tie, the player whose climber reached the highest point on the mountain first wins. If still tied, the game ends in a tie.

The game concludes after 18 rounds, representing 18 days of climbing. The weather track serves as a calendar, and once the black token reaches the end of the 18th day, the game immediately ends after that round's phases are completed. All players then calculate their final scores based on the highest points achieved by their surviving climbers. The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. If multiple players are tied for the highest score, the tie-breaker is the player whose climber reached the highest elevation first. If a tie still persists, the game ends with shared victory.