Altun Ha

A card bidding and building game for 2-4+ players themed around the Belize Mayan ruins of Altun Ha, occupied and built up between 200 BC and 900 AD before it was abandoned, probably due to a combination of overpopulation, drought, famine, social unrest, and civil war.

The players share a common deck comprising three types of cards: Bid Cards (also used for building), Trade Cards and Maya God Cards (wild cards). Each player starts with a hand of 5 cards.

The calendar token is used to keep track of turn order within a round. It is assigned randomly at the start of the game.

Each Round is divided into 8 Phases:

1. Calendar Phase - the player with the calendar token passes it to the player to his right.
2. Population Phase - the population level increases by 1 (it starts at level 2).
3. Draw Phase - each player is dealt 2 cards from the deck.
4. Trade Phase - staring with the player with the calendar token, each player may play one trade card from his hand. Trade cards allow players to draw extra cards, look at opponent’s hands, cause opponents to lose scoring points etc.
5. Bid Phase - all players must bid zero to two bid cards from their hands. Bidding is simultaneous with players revealing their bid cards at the same time. The player with the highest value bid wins the bid and becomes the Priest King.
6. Farm Phase - the Priest King must discard 1 or 2 Bid cards with a combined value equalling or exceeding the current population level. If unable to do so, the game ends immediately and the current Priest King loses 13 scoring points.
7. Build Phase - The Priest King may play up to 2 bid cards as build cards. A card of value 1 is placed by itself face-up in the middle of the table and is considered the first stage of a new temple. Higher level bid cards can be added onto already existing temples. They are placed staggered on the top of a temple with a level 1 less than the card being placed. (i.e. a level 2 card is placed on top of a level 1 card; or a level 6 card is placed on top of a level 5 card). The Priest King gains scoring points equal to the value of the cards he places. If unable to build, he loses 7 scoring points.
8. Cycle Phase – maximum hand is 5 cards - players discard excess cards.

The game ends immediately in any turn in which the Priest King is unable to feed his people in Farm Phase. The player with the most scoring points at the end of the game wins.