Zestrea

To set up the game, each player first selects a unique Boier card. Then, each player receives one couple, consisting of a 'fecior' (male peasant) and a 'mândră' (female peasant), along with three land cards. From the 'bad times' deck, five cards are randomly chosen and placed face down in the center of the table. The three 'good times' cards are then placed face down on top of this pile. The remaining cards, including the fate cards, peasant cards, and dowry cards, are placed in separate piles in the center of the table, forming the 'state' resources. If players wish for a longer game, they can add one or two additional 'bad times' cards to the initial 'bad times' pile.

The primary objective of Zestrea is to accumulate the highest amount of dowry by the conclusion of the 'bad times' period. Players must strategically manage their resources, peasants, and land to maximize their dowry collection, ensuring they can sustain their population and make advantageous decisions throughout the game's various phases.

Each turn in Zestrea unfolds through five distinct phases. First, the 'times' card is revealed, and players must follow its instructions. Second, during the 'production' phase, players roll a die for each couple with land to produce dowry or newborns, as indicated on their Boier card. Third, the 'auction' phase involves revealing a fate card, which players can bid on using dowry; the highest bidder can play the card immediately or later. Fourth, the 'weddings and negotiations' phase allows players to attempt to marry peasants (costing two dowry per attempt), buy additional land (four dowry), purchase fate cards (two dowry), or adopt children (two dowry). Finally, the 'feeding' phase requires players to pay one dowry for each peasant without land; failure to feed results in losing land or peasants.

At the end of the game, after the final 'bad times' card has been played and the 'feeding' phase is complete, players calculate their total dowry. Each dowry card in a player's possession counts as one point. Additionally, each land card a player owns is converted into one dowry point. A bonus of five dowry points is awarded to the player who has the most couples. In the event of a tie for the most couples, no player receives the five bonus dowry points. The player with the highest total dowry is declared the winner.

The game concludes immediately after the last 'bad times' card has been drawn and its effects resolved, and the subsequent 'feeding' phase for that turn has been completed. Once this final feeding phase is over, players proceed directly to the scoring phase to determine the winner. After the last 'bad times' card is played, players can no longer purchase fate cards, only play those already in their possession. Discarded cards do not re-enter the game.