Innovation - General game info
Innovation
2-4 players, 30-60 minutes, 14 years and older
AuthorCarl Chudyk
IllustratorsAlanna Cervenak
Cara Judd
Published byAsmadi Games
Online since 2022-03-19
Developed by (Watno)
Boardgamegeek63888
Yucata.de owns a license for the online version of this game. A big "thank you" to the copyright owners (publisher and/or author and illustrator) who make it possible to have this game for free online here!
Innovation - Rules

Innovation

Full Rules PDF

Introduction

Innovation is a game of civilization building through technologies, ideas, and ingenuity. Starting in the Stone Age, you will choose the innovations that define your people’s destiny through history from the humble beginnings of The Wheel and Clothing, to Gunpowder, Democracy, and Combustion, all the way to Satellites and The Internet. Each of these will give your civilization a specific ability. Some will allow you to advance through the ages faster, others will help build your infrastructure, and yet more will give you the ability to attack your rivals.

Each of these innovations is depicted in the game by a card, and all are unique. There are no maps or pieces to move around, as the cards provide all of the action and scorekeeping in the game. A card’s primary use is as an innovation, played face-up in front of you to be used for effect, but cards can also wind up face-down in your score pile or as achievements, representing your civilization’s power, influence, and legacy.

Content

Game Setup

Expansions Setup

A game of Innovation always requires the base set. Any or all of the expansions can be added, but we recommend using one at a time, and never using expansions with firsttime players.

Each Innovation expansion has 105 additional cards that are split into 10 ages, just like the base set. These cards are kept as separate supply piles. Depending on the amount of table space you have available, they can be stacked at a 90 degree angle underneath each deck, or placed next to the base supply piles.

Each expansion has rules for several mechanics and a couple of additional setup steps. These are listed below:

CITIES OF DESTINY

  • Include the Cities cards during setup.
  • Add the five Cities special achievements.
ARTIFACTS OF HISTORY
  • Include the Artifacts cards during setup.
  • Optional: Add the five Relics.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
  • Include the Echoes cards during setup.
  • Add the five Echoes special achievements.
FIGURES IN THE SAND
  • Include the Figures cards during setup.
  • Place the five Decrees near special achievements.

1) Split the base set cards into their ten supply piles, arranged like a clock as shown above.

2) Without looking, draw one base card from each supply pile of ages 1-9, and place them in the center as normal Achievements.

3) Place the base set’s five Special Achievements nearby.

4) Perform the setup steps for each expansion you choose to play with.

5) Each player draws two cards from the age 1 supply pile, and all players simultaneously choose one to be the first card on their board. The other card is kept to form each player’s initial hand.

Note: If playing with the Echoes of the Past expansion, draw one base card and one Echoes card instead of two base cards for this setup step.

6) The player who chose the card whose title comes first alphabetically goes first. The first player (or the first two in a four or more player game) will take only one action instead of two on their initial turn. Subsequent turns are normal.

ANATOMY OF A CARD

CARD TITLE

Each of the 105 innovations is unique.

VALUE

Matches the age of the supply pile it came from.

DOGMA EFFECTS

Each card you play grants you abilities called dogma effects. Some are demands that attack other players. Others help you advance your civilization. A featured icon precedes each effect.

ICONS

Each card has four potential icon locations. Icons help you defend against demands, and share in other players’ dogma effects.

CARD IMAGE

One of the four icons on each card is an image depicting the innovation. It does not provide any benefit.

CARD ICONS

1-3 4-10 7-10

Basic: There are six basic icon types that appear on cards in Innovation. Three of them can be on cards in any age, but the other three are restricted to certain periods of time.

A handful of expansion cards have icons that appear outside of these restrictions. Basic icons help you share other players’ dogma effects and issue demands.

Cities have a number of special icons.

Bonuses are worth points while visible.

Echo effects stack on to your Dogma actions.

Inspire effects enhance your Draw actions.

YOUR CIVILIZATION

As you play, you will accumulate cards of five different colors in an area in front of you called your board. Your most important cards are the top cards of each color, as they can be activated for their effects through the Dogma action. Cards that you cover up over time are still useful, because some effects will allow you to splay a color in a direction. Splaying will reveal additional icons from your covered up cards.

Your board consists of all the cards you have put into play.

Visible basic icons will help you share in other players’ actions, demand from opponents, and also defend against their demands.

Your score pile contains face-down cards. Each card is worth its value (the age number) in points.

Achievements are one way to win in Innovation. Once claimed, they can never be taken away from you.

YOUR TURN

On each turn, you must take two actions. There are four types of action: Draw, Meld, Dogma, and Achieve. You can perform the same action twice, or take two different actions.

If you receive a free action from an effect or rule, it does not count as one of your two per turn.

EXAMPLE SUPPLY PILES

Below is a set of supply piles used in the Draw and Achieve examples. Ages 2, 4, and 5 have no base set cards in them, and are therefore empty.

DRAW ACTION

A Draw action lets you draw one card from a supply pile into your hand. You draw from the age matching your highest value top card. The value of a card is the age number in the top right corner.

If all the base set cards in a supply pile are gone, that age is considered to be empty. When an age is empty, you draw from the next higher age instead. If multiple ages are empty, continue skipping as necessary.

If you have to skip age 10 and try to draw an age 11 card that doesn’t exist, the game ends immediately.

If you are playing with expansions, each has its own rule governing how its cards are drawn.

DRAW ACTION EXAMPLE

You take a Draw action, in the example to the right. Your highest top card is a 2. Even though a 4 is visible on a splayed card, it is not at the top of the purple stack and therefore is not a top card. You attempt to draw a 2, but age 2 is empty. Instead, you draw a 3.

SKIPPING AGES

If you need to draw a card from an empty age’s supply pile through a dogma effect or other rule, you skip to the next available pile in the same way. If a card instructed you to "draw a 4" or "draw and meld a 5" in the example to the right, you would draw a 6 instead, skipping the empty ages 4 and 5.

If a card instructs you to take a card of a specific value from any place other than a supply pile, you only do so if that value of card is present. Do not skip to the next available card.

MELD ACTION

Choose a card from your hand and place it on your board. If you have cards of that card’s color already, stack it on top of them. Continue the splay direction of the pile, if its cards are already splayed.

Examples of melding Coal and Mysticism on to existing stacks:

CITIES OF DESTINY

If you created a new color on your board with the Meld Action, draw a City of value equal to your highest top card. If you melded a city with with your Meld action and it has a special icon, it takes effect now.

ARTIFACTS OF HISTORY

After your Meld action, dig up an artifact and place it on display if either of the following is true:

(1) The melded card is equal to or lower than the card that it covered up.

(2) The hexagonal card image on the melded card is in the same location as on the card that it covered up (ignoring splays).

ECHOES OF THE PAST

After a Meld action, you may promote one card from your forecast, as long as the forecast card is equal to or lower than the melded card. To promote the card, meld it, and then you may take a free Dogma action, targeting the promoted card.

FIGURES IN THE SAND

After your Achieve action, each opponent will draw a Figure equal to their highest top card.

ACHIEVE ACTION

WINNING THE GAME

Achievements are one way to win in Innovation. The number of achievements required depends on the number of players and the number of expansions being used:

NUMBER OF EXPANSIONS
NUMBER
OF
PLAYERS
0 1 2 3 4
2 6 7 8 9 10
3 5 6 7 8 9
4 4 5 6 7 8

You may only take an Achieve action if you are eligible to claim one of the available achievements. To be eligible for an achievement, you must satisfy both of two conditions. First, your score must be at least five times the age number of the achievement. Your score is the total value of all cards in your score pile. Second, you must have a top card on your board of equal or higher value to the age number of the achievement.

When you take the Achieve action and claim an achievement you are eligible for, place it under the right side of your reference card. Your score pile only tells whether or not you are eligible, you do not spend cards from it when taking an Achieve action.

You can only be eligible to claim an achievement if it is available in the center of the table. Once another player has an achievement, it cannot be claimed by anyone else.

Example: You, in the supply-pile example above, have 15 points (4 + 4 + 4 + 3), and the 1 achievement has already been claimed. Your highest top card is a 2. You are only eligible to claim the 2 achievement, even though you have enough points for the 3, as you must satisfy both conditions. The 1 has already been claimed. You take an Achieve action and claim the 2.

DOGMA ACTION

CHOOSE A CARD

To start a Dogma action, you must choose one of your top cards to activate. This represents your civilization turning its main focus to one of the innovations you have discovered. All of the effects on the card you choose will be executed, regardless of anything else that happens to it or other cards during the action.

SHARING/VULNERABILITY

Each dogma effect is preceded by a small copy of the icon most prevalent on the card, indicating that it is the featured icon for the card. Before any effects are executed, each player counts how many of that icon are visible on their board. Any player that has at least as many as you is eligible to share in the use of your innovation. Any opponent that has fewer than you is vulnerable to demands from your innovation.

Eligibility for sharing and vulnerability to demands are only determined once during a Dogma action. Even if cards on players’ boards change during the action, they remain eligible or vulnerable for its duration.

EXECUTE EFFECTS

Many cards have multiple effects. You must execute all of them during a Dogma action. Always complete an effect entirely before you move on to the next effect.

Before you execute a non-demand effect (any effect that does not start with ‘I Demand’), each player who is eligible to share must also do so. Starting to your left and going clockwise, each of them must follow the effect’s instructions. Then, you must perform them.

Demand effects are in darker boxes and all start with ‘I demand.’ Read demand effects out loud to make it clear what your opponents must do. In clockwise order, each vulnerable opponent follows the instructions. Other opponents ignore it.

If you can only perform part of an effect, do as much as you can and ignore the rest. If any effect forces you to choose between multiple cards (ex: your ‘highest top card’, and two cards are tied), you decide which of your cards is affected.

SHARING DRAW BONUS

If one or more players that were eligible to share your effects did so, then you take one free Draw action after the Dogma action is complete. This only occurs if an opponent’s use of the shared effect caused a change in the game’s state. A change is one or more cards being revealed, or moved from one location to another (ex: melding, splaying in a new direction, scoring, etc)

You do not get a free Draw action due to players affected by demands.

FIGURES IN THE SAND

During your free Draw action, draw a Figure instead of a base card.

KEYWORDS

Actions (Draw, Meld, Achieve): A dogma effect that instructs you to draw, meld, or achieve does not count as an action of that type. It does not count as one of your two actions per turn. It does not trigger expansion draws or foreshadow promotion.

Bottom: The bottom card in your stack of a color. If you have only one card of a color, it is both the bottom and top card of that color.

Card Image: The image in a hexagon on a card, depicting the innovation. The location of the image affects which splays are most effective, and are used by the Artifacts of History draw rule.

Draw and X: Many dogma effects instruct you to draw and tuck, draw and meld, or draw and score a card of a specific value. First, draw the card, skipping empty ages as appropriate. Then, perform the action (tuck it, score it, meld it, etc) on the card you drew. ‘Draw and reveal’ effects place the card in your hand, unless the effect takes it away afterward.

Exchange: Swap cards from the two locations given, even if one half of the exchange is empty. An exchanged card has not been "scored," (or "melded", "drawn", etc) for the purposes of special achievements or karma effects.

Execute each of its non-demand dogma effects. Do not share them: Do not share effects on the targeted card, regardless of icon count. The effects can still impact other players (ex: Rocketry), just not by sharing.

Highest / Lowest: Refers to the value (age number) of the cards in question.

Non-demand effect: Any dogma effect that does not begin with "I Demand." (or "I Compel" with Artifacts of History)

Remove: A removed card is placed in the game box, out of play.

Return: A returned card is placed at the bottom of its supply pile, face down. If multiple cards are returned at once, choose the order. If you return a base card of an empty age, it is no longer empty.

Score: To score a card, place it in your score pile, face-down. Your score is the total value of all the cards in your score pile.

Top: The top card of each color is the card on top of its stack. If you have only one card of a color, it is both the bottom and top card of that color.

Transfer: Move a card from one area in play to another. Transferring a card does not count as melding, achieving, scoring, etc.

Type: The type of a card is which expansion it comes from.

Tuck: To tuck a card, place it on the bottom of the matching color pile, continuing a splay if possible. If no cards of its color are on your board, it forms a new pile.

Visible: A card is visible if it is a top card, or if it is in a splayed stack and you can see any part of it. An icon or echo/inspire effect is visible if it is on a top card or can be fully seen due to a splay.

Value: The value of a card is its age number. If a card refers to the value of something you don’t have, like your top purple card if you have none, treat the value as 0.

SPLAYING

Many dogma effects will instruct you to splay a color in a direction. At any given time, a color is either unsplayed, splayed left, splayed right, or splayed up.

To splay a color, take the top card and slide it in the direction indicated, revealing one icon if splaying left, two icons if splaying right, and three icons if splaying up. If there are more than two cards, repeat the process so that all cards in the color are splayed. If the color was already splayed, unsplay it before splaying it in the new direction. If a color contains zero or one card, it is always considered unsplayed. If a splayed color is reduced to zero or one card, it does not remember that it was previously splayed.

To the right are examples of purple splayed left (two cards), blue splayed right (three cards), and red splayed up (three cards).

SCORE, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Over the course of the game, you will accumulate cards in your score pile through dogma effects. Each card in your score pile is worth points equal to its value (the age number). When you slide them under your reference card, the number will be visible in the top left. Your score is the total value of all these cards. When playing with expansions, your score may be increased by visible bonus icons. To the right is an example score pile with 15 points:

Nine normal achievements are available to start the game, one of each from ages 1 through 9. You can claim an achievement with the Achieve action, if you have enough points and a top card of the achievement’s value or higher. Once gone, they are not replenished. You do not have to claim them in order, and on occasion it is makes strategic sense to take a higher achievement first.

Example: During a dogma effect, you meld a card with on it, bringing your total number of icons to 13 . You pause to immediately claim World, and then continue the dogma effect.

Special achievements can be claimed at any time, even in the middle of an effect, or during another player’s turn. If you meet the conditions for one of them, take it immediately. Like normal achievements, once a special achievement is claimed by a player, it is no longer available for others to claim. In the rare case that two players simultaneously become eligible to claim a special achievement, the tie is broken in turn order going clockwise, with the current player winning ties.

WINNING AND GAME END

There are three ways to win a game of Innovation: by achievements, score, or special card effect.

To win via achievements, you need to claim a number of achievements depending on how many players are in the game. For a two player game with just the base set, 6 achievements are needed. For each extra player, subtract one. For each expansion included, add one. A minimum of 4 achievements are needed, regardless of player count.

Optional Rule: If you are looking for a longer game, increase the number of achievements required to win by 1. Agree on this before starting the game.

NUMBER OF EXPANSIONS
NUMBER
OF
PLAYERS
0 1 2 3 4
2 6 7 8 9 10
3 5 6 7 8 9
4 4 5 6 7 8

To win by score, the game must end due to a player attempting to draw a card higher than age 10. This can happen if the age 10 supply pile runs out, or through various dogma effects. The moment the card would be drawn, the game ends immediately. In this case, each player’s current score is more important than achievements, as time has passed by their relevance. The player (or team) with the highest current score wins. If tied, most achievements wins. If still tied, the game is a draw.

Several cards can end the game early. Some allow you to win given a certain condition, which if satisfied ends the game immediately. Others let "the single player with the most X" win. These also end the game immediately, but only if there is no tie for X. If there is a tie, the effect is ignored entirely. In a team game, this grants victory to all players on the team.

STRATEGY TIPS

Innovation plays differently nearly every time you take it out of the box. While long term planning is possible, it is often much more beneficial to seize the best tactical option at any given moment. Splaying and thus amassing icons is important, as is spending time to accumulate points. The first few times you play, it is probably easier to focus more on the cards that you have rather than trying to internalize every possible action each player could take.

Tips:

icons (which appear in ages 1-3) are very powerful early, but can quickly be a liability later if not covered, due to cards like Gunpowder and Engineering.

icons begin appearing in age 4. You will want to get some as soon as possible. Being completely shut out of the new technologies can be very painful, as the cards that use can yield many points in the mid-game.

icons arrive in age 7. Late game effects are very powerful, and having on your board can protect you from demands and help you share in what your opponents are doing.

If you can take the Achieve action, it is almost always the correct decision. If you don’t, you might lose cards from your score pile before your next turn, or someone else could claim the achievement first!

Don’t be afraid of sharing! While it’s true that you don’t want to actively help opponents, it’s often a smart play to give another player a small benefit if you’ll reap a larger one. Always factor in the free Draw action you’ll receive for sharing.

Remember that eligible opponents must share your dogma effects, and they perform their actions before you do. If the age 1 supply pile has a single card left in it, and you share a dogma effect that says "draw a 1," your opponent will get the 1, and you’ll get a 2!

Age 9 and 10 cards are very powerful, and can end the game immediately. If you’re trying to win by achievements, you want to finish up before the game reaches this stage. On the other hand, if you’re behind in achievements, you may want to get to these cards as soon as possible. They may be your last, best hope for victory! Until the game is over, no lead in Innovation is safe.

These tips focus on playing with just the base set.

INFORMATION VISIBILITY

  • You may never look at the identity of normal achievement cards, even if you have achieved them.
  • You can always look at the cards in your hand, score pile, forecast, and board (even if covered up).
  • You can always count and see the value and type of cards in each supply pile, each hand, and each score pile.
On Yucata:
  • All cards on all players boards (both splayed and unsplayed) are considered open information.
  • Information you get from card movements is automatically tracked, unless the "No card tracking" option is selected in the invitation.
  • You never need to reveal cards to prove anything, unless an effect explicitely states that a card or its color should be revealed.

VARIANT: TEAM RULES FOR FOUR PLAYERS

With four players, you can play in teams. Team play with four players is less chaotic and more strategic than a normal four-player game.

In a team game, demand effects are not executed by your teammate, and if you share a non-demand effect with your teammate only, you do not get a free Draw action. Any dogma effect that refers to ‘opponent’ does not affect your teammate. Your team’s achievements are counted together for determining victory, but you claim achievements without your partner’s score. The number of achievements for a team to win is the same as in a 2-player game.

If the game ends from a dogma effect, an individual player winning grants that victory to their team. If the game ends by a player trying to draw a card higher than age 10, the team with the highest combined score wins.

PLAYING WITH EXPANSIONS

Once you’ve played the base game a few times, you can add in expansions. Playing with expansions before learning the base game is not recommended. The rules for each expansion are explained in the chapters below.

Each expansion you play with has additional setup steps. Once in play, expansion cards behave similar to base cards. They can be in score piles, on your board, and have value equal to their age number. The type of cards in your hand, score pile, etc are public knowledge, because they have a different colored back.

Cities of Destiny is the simplest expansion, and Figures in the Sand is likely the most complex. You can mix and match expansions in any combination (even playing with all of them!) but we recommend that you learn them one at a time. Each expansion’s rules are independent, except that Figures in the Sand contains Echo Effects and Duplicated Achievements from Echoes of the Past.

Remember that with each expansion used, you must claim one additional acheivement to win.

NEW ACTION TYPES

Innovation’s expansions introduce several new special action types: Endorse, Decree, and Inspire. These new action types can be taken as one of your two actions per turn, just like Draw, Meld, Dogma, and Achieve. Each Special action can only be used once per turn, but you can use two different special actions as your two per turn. A special action can only be used if its corresponding expansion is in use.

ACTION TRIGGERS

Many effects in Innovation’s expansions trigger off the completion of an action or other occurrence within the game. If a rule or effect references a Meld action, Dogma action, Draw action or Achieve action, it does not include effects that cause you to meld, draw, or achieve. For example, Executing Sailing (Draw and meld a 1) would not cause you to check your forecast for cards to promote, because it was not a full Meld action.

Multiple events may trigger after you take a Meld action. If this happens, perform them in the following order:

1) Execute a City icon’s effect.

2) Draw a City.

3) Dig an Artifact, and place it on display.

4) Promote a foreshadowed card.

5) Execute a figure’s "When" karma effect.

BONUS ICONS

A bonus icon grants you additional points as long as it is visible. Your highest visible bonus is worth its value in points. All your other visible bonuses are worth one point each.

DRAWING EXPANSION CARDS

When playing with expansions, there are specific rules governing how each expansion’s cards can be drawn. An Echo might be drawn in place of a base card at any time, while Figures, Cities, and Artifacts are drawn in response to specific events occuring.

If all the base cards from an age’s supply pile are gone, that age is considered empty for all types of cards. When drawing an expansion card of a value, skip empty ages and draw from the next available non-empty age.

Example: There are 0 base cards and 8 Figures cards in the age 4 supply piles. You need to draw a Figure of value 4. Age 4 is empty, and you draw a Figure of value 5 instead.

If an expansion’s supply pile has no cards in it, and you try to draw from it (after skipping empty ages), draw a base card of that value instead.

Example: There are 2 base cards and 0 Cities cards in the age 2 supply piles. You need to draw a City of value 2, so you draw a base 2 instead.

Cities of Destiny

DRAWING CARDS

There are two situations that cause you to draw a Cities card. If you already have a Cities card in your hand, ignore these conditions.

1) When you take a Meld action to meld a card that adds a new color to your board, draw a City.

2) Immediately after splaying a color in any new direction, draw a City.

In either case, draw a Cities card of value equal to your highest top card.

ENDORSE ACTION

The Endorse action allows you to perform a doubled Dogma action.

It can be used as either of your two actions during a turn, but cannot be used twice.

To take an Endorse action, perform the following steps:

1) Choose the top card on your board that you want to Endorse, and note its featured icon.

2) Choose a top city on your board. It must have the featured icon on it.

3) Pay for the Endorse action by tucking a card from your hand of equal or lower value to the city you chose. The tucked card’s color and icons are irrelevant.

4) Execute the effects from the card you chose in step 1 as if it were a Dogma action:

  • Determine eligibility for sharing, vulnerability to demands, and which echo effects are visible as you normally would.
  • When you execute a non-demand effect, do it twice.
  • When you issue a demand, affect all opponents twice (go around the table clockwise, and then a second time).
  • When another player shares a non-demand effect, they execute it only once.
  • Draw for sharing, if applicable.
To endorse on Yucata you first choose the city and then the to be endorsed card.

CITY ICONS

Each city has one or two special icons. Plusses, Searches, and Arrows grant an immediate effect when melded, but only if the city was melded with a Meld action (not through an effect). Flags and Fountains provide benefits as long as they are visible. If a city has two special icons, both take effect.

Plus: Draw a card of value one higher than the city’s age.
Arrow: Splay the city’s color in the direction indicated by the arrow.
Search (normal icon with a magnifying glass): Search icons count as normal icons while visible. In addition, the Search effect causes you to draw and reveal X base cards of value X, where X is the value of the city. Of all the revealed cards, take all cards that bear the same icon as the Search into your hand. Return the rest. Ignore all expansion draw rules and effects during a Search action, and do not draw from the next higher age if the stack is depleted.
Flag: While a flag is visible, it counts as an achievement if no opponent has more visible cards of the flag’s color than you do.
Fountain: While a fountain is visible, it counts as an achievement.

ENDORSE EXAMPLE

You take an Endorse action, targeting The Pirate Code. You choose Jakarta to endorse The Pirate Code because its featured icon, , is present on Jakarta. To pay for the action, you must tuck a card of value 3 or less from your hand (it can be any card of any color). You then determine eligibility and vulnerability as with a normal Dogma action. You issue the demand twice, then share the non-demand effect, then execute it twice for yourself.

Echos of the Past

DRAWING CARDS

Whenever you would draw a base card for any reason, you might draw an Echoes card instead. If you have cards in your hand, but none of them is an Echoes card, draw an Echo of value matching the base card you would have drawn.

If playing with multiple expansions, the following rules apply:

1) If playing with Echoes and Figures, the Figures draw rule takes priority when drawing a card for sharing.

2) If another expansion’s supply pile is empty, and you are forced to draw a base card instead, check the Echoes draw rule before drawing that base card.

If you are drawing multiple cards, evaluate the Echoes of the Past draw condition on cards one-by-one. A card that is ‘drawn and revealed’ is part of your hand.

ECHO EFFECTS

Example: When taking a Dogma action targeting Umbrella, first check to see who is eligible for sharing. Then, execute the three echo effects (1, 2, 3), and finally Umbrella’s dogma effect (4). Before each effect, players eligible to share would do so.

An echo effect is a special type of effect that appears where an icon would normally be. During a Dogma action, before executing the dogma effects of a card, first check to see if any echo effects are visible in its color. Execute each of those effects, starting from the card on the bottom of the stack, and ending with the card on top. Each effect is shared with eligible players as if it were a normal dogma effect.

Echo effects are also executed when a card’s dogma effects are performed for a reason other than a Dogma action. Other expansions add various ways for this to occur, including Endorse, Promoting and displayed Artifacts. In all of these cases, echo effects in that card’s color are executed.

Contrary to some versions of the printed rules, echo effects are not executed when an effect causes you to execute the non-demand effects of another card.

FORESHADOW

Foreshadowing allows you to store cards for future use in an area called your forecast. Cards in your forecast are face-down and tucked under the top edge of your reference card. You may look at them at any time, but your opponents may not. When an effect causes you to foreshadow a card, place it in your forecast.

At the conclusion of a Meld action, any card in your forecast of equal or lower value to the card you melded is eligible to be promoted. You may choose one eligible card to promote (meld it). If you do, you may also take a free Dogma action targeting the promoted card. This free Dogma action does not count as one of your two actions for the turn.

DUPLICATE ACHIEVEMENT ELIGIBILITY

Echoes of the Past can add or remove cards from the standard achievements area, or allow you to claim a card as a standard achievement directly from a different area. These cards often take effect only if you are eligible to claim that achievement.

Typically, you are eligible to claim an achievement if your score is at least five times its age (5, 10, 15... for ages 1, 2, 3...), and if you have a top card equal to or higher than its age. If you already have a standard achievement of that age, you need twice as many points to be eligible. If you already have two, you need three times as many, and so on.

Example: You already have age 1 and 3 standard achievements. An additional age 3 achievement has been added to the available standard achievements. You would be eligible to claim it if you had at least 30 points in your score pile, and a value 3 or higher top card on your board.

Figures in the Sand

DRAWING CARDS

There are two situations that cause you to draw a Figures card.

1) When you take a Dogma action, and would receive a free Draw action for sharing, draw a Figure instead of a base card.

2) When you take an Achieve action, and claim a standard achievement, each opponent draws a Figure, in clockwise order from you.

In either case, draw a Figures card of value equal to your highest top card.

KARMA EFFECTS

Each Figure has one or more karma effects. They do not need to be activated with a Dogma action to be used. There are four types: "When," "Each," "Decree," and "Would." Karma effects never chain or trigger off of other karma effects. In the rare case that multiple "Would" karmas are triggered by the same action, the current player decides which karma occurs and ignores the others.

Remember, any time some portions of an effect are not possible, do as much of the effect as you can, and ignore what you cannot do.

"When" karma effects

"When" karma effects begin with "When you meld this card," Follow the instructions immediately when the Figure is melded.

Example: You meld Alexander the Great during the dogma effect for Sailing. You immediately check all opponents’ boards for top figure of value 1 or 2, and place any that are present in your score pile.

"Each" karma effects

"Each" karma effects begin with "Each" and then list something on your cards that will be modified. This can be icons, cards in a certain location, or your score, and the karma effect will describe how they are changed. Each karmas stay in effect as long as the figure remains a top card.

Example: Fu Xi is a top figure on your board, and your opponent takes a Dogma action with as a featured icon. When you count up your to check for sharing, demands, or any other purpose, you add one for each of the cards in your score pile and forecast.

"Decree" karma effects

"Decree" karma effects allow you to take a Decree action with two figures in your hand instead of three, and also remove the need to have a figure of the correct color to issue the decree. Decree karmas stay in effect as long as the figure remains a top card.

Example: Sneferu is a top card on your board, and you wish to take a Decree action to issue an Expansion Decree. The requirement is now to have any two figures (ignoring their color and value entirely). Normally, you would need to have three figures of different values, one of which would have to be yellow.

"Would" karma effects

"Would" karma effects begin with "If you would," and then have a triggering condition and a reaction. When that condition occurs, the karma effect interrupts whatever effect or action was in progress. If the reaction starts with "instead," cancel the original effect and follow the instructions of the karma effect instead. If the reaction starts with "first," follow the instructions of the karma effect, and then continue with the original effect. Would karmas stay in effect as long as the figure remains a top card.

Example: Homer is a top figure on your board, and you take a Decree action, which requires you to remove all the cards in your hand from the game. Each figure in your hand that would have been removed is tucked on your board instead.

Example: Takiyuddin is a top figure on your board, and you take an Inspire action. Before the Inspire action begins, you splay your green cards right. This reveals an inspire effect, which you can use during the action.

DECREE ACTION

Instead of typical special achievements, Figures in the Sand includes five Decree cards, one for each color. Decrees are a special type of achievement, but one that is not safe and can be stolen. All five Decrees begin in the center of the table with the other Special Achievements. Decrees are claimed by taking a Decree action.

You may only take a Decree action if you have Figures of three different values in your hand. To do so, remove all the cards in your hand from the game (including both Figures and non-Figures). Then, choose a Decree matching the color of one of the Figures you removed.

Example: You have four cards in your hand, including three figures (one of which is yellow). You take a Decree action, removing them all from the game and claiming Expansion. You decide to splay up your purple cards.
  • If it is in another player’s Achievement pile, return it to the area with the Special Achievements. Do not activate its effect.
  • If it is in the center of the table, claim it as an Achievement and activate its effect.
  • If it is already in your possession, activate the effect.

Decrees are very powerful! Using them effectively is key to victory.

Many Figures have a karma effect stating that you may issue a specific Decree with any two Figures. This allows you to take the Decree action with two Figures in hand instead of three, choosing that specific Decree. The colors of the Figures are irrelevant, but you still must remove your entire hand from the game.

FADE

At the end of any action (on any player’s turn), if you have more than one top Figure you must fade the excess. To fade a Figure, score it. You must continue fading Figures one by one until you have only one top Figure. You choose which Figures to fade.

If you meld a card on top of a Figure, the Figure card becomes a part of the stack of that color, continuing to contribute icons, bonuses, echo effects, and inspire effects to your board, just like a normal card. Figures that are partially visible due to splaying do not count for fading.

INSPIRE ACTION

Example: Taking an Inspire action and targeting your red stack would cause you to (1,2) execute two Inspire Effects, and then (3) draw a card of value equal to your top red card, a 2.

Inspire is a new action type that serves as an enhanced Draw action. You may take an Inspire action as either of your two actions, but you may not Inspire twice in one turn. Choose one color with visible Inspire effects, and execute each of them in order from the bottom card to the top. Then, draw a card of value equal to your top card in that color, ignoring the other top cards on your board. These effects are not shared.

Inspire effects have a in the top left corner and a brighter, non-checkered background to distinguish them from echo effects.

Artifacts of History

DRAWING ARTIFACTS: DIG

The way you acquire Artifact cards is different from all other sets. Instead of being drawn into your hand, they go on display, face-up on your reference card. A dig event occurs after your Meld Action if you:

1) Covered up a card with a lower (or equal) card.

2) Covered up a card with another card, and both cards have their hexagonal card image in the same location.

If either or both are true, draw an Artifact card of value equal to the covered up card, and place it face up on your reference card. The artifact is now On Display. If there is no Artifact card of that age (after skipping empty ages) to draw, or if you have a card On Display already, ignore the dig event .

COMPEL EFFECTS

Artifacts contain a special type of demand effect that starts with "I Compel." A player is vulnerable to compel effects only if they would be eligible to share your non-demand effects. Other than this difference, they behave exactly like demand effects. When it is time to execute a compel effect, you read it aloud to vulnerable opponents, and they each perform the instructions in clockwise order.

In many cases, an opponent will be forced to execute the instructions of a compel effect and then share in other non-demand effects on an Artifact card.

Remember that to obtain a free Draw action as a sharing bonus, a non-demand effect must be shared. Compel effects are considered to be demand effects for all purposes.

ARTIFACTS "ON DISPLAY"

Once on display, there are three things you can do with an Artifact:

1) At the start of your turn, you may take a free Dogma action targeting the card on display. Determine sharing and vulnerability, adding the icons from the card on display to your total. Execute all its effects (and before that, any echo effects on your board in its color). At the conclusion of the free Dogma action, return the displayed artifact. This free Dogma action does not count as one of your two actions per turn.

2) At the start of your turn, you may return the displayed card. This is useful if you do not want the artifact.

3) As a normal Meld action, you may treat the card on display as if it is in your hand, and meld it.

A card on display is not part of your board or hand, and cannot be affected at all by any effects. Its visible icons do not count as part of your board, except for determining sharing and vulnerability during its free Dogma action.

RELIC CARDS: OPTIONAL

Five Relic cards are included with Artifacts of History, in place of special achievements. These are an optional addition to the Artifacts of History set. If you choose to use them, during setup place them face-up next to the supply piles matching their age. Each of the five Relics is a ‘lost card’ from one of the five Innovation sets.

After you dig an artifact, you may seize a Relic of the same value as the Artifact card drawn. You may only do this if the Relic is next to its supply pile, or in any achievements pile (even your own!)

To seize a Relic, choose to either transfer it to your achievements, or your hand. If the Relic card is from an expansion not being used in this game, it must be transfered to your achievements.

If a Relic would be returned, place it face-up next to its matching supply pile. If a Relic is in your achievements pile for any reason, it should be face-up, so all players know it is available to be seized.

→ Show rules for unused expansions → Hide rules for unused expansions

Overview - Game Start
Card Icons
Actions
  • Draw - skipping Ages, Drawing Expansion cards
  • Meld - Meld Effects: Draw a City, City icons, Dig an Artifact,Promote,When Karma
  • Dogma - Non-Demand Effects, Demand Effects, Compel Effect, Echo Effects, Inspire Effects
  • Achieve - Basic Achievements, Duplicate Achievements, Special Achievements
  • Endorse
  • Decree
  • Inspire
Keywords
Game End

Overview

Game start

Each player draws two cards from the age 1 supply pile, and all players simultaneously choose one to be the first card on their board. The other card is kept to form each player’s initial hand.

Note: If playing with the Echoes of the Past expansion, draw one base card and one Echoes card instead of two base cards for this setup step.

The player who chose the card whose title comes first alphabetically is start player. The first player (or the first two in a four or more player game) will take only one action instead of two on their initial turn. Subsequent turns are normal.

Card Icons

1-3 4-10 7-10

Basic: There are six basic icon types that appear on cards in Innovation. Three of them can be on cards in any age, but the other three are restricted to certain periods of time.

A handful of expansion cards have icons that appear outside of these restrictions. Basic icons help you share other players’ dogma effects and issue demands.

Bonus: Bonuses are worth points while visible: Highest bonus + 1 for each further bonus.

Cities have a number of special icons.

Plus: Draw a card of value one higher than the city’s age.
Arrow: Splay the city’s color in the direction indicated by the arrow.
Search (normal icon with a magnifying glass): Search icons count as normal icons while visible. In addition, the Search effect causes you to draw and reveal X base cards of value X, where X is the value of the city. Of all the revealed cards, take all cards that bear the same icon as the Search into your hand. Return the rest. Ignore all expansion draw rules and effects during a Search action, and do not draw from the next higher age if the stack is depleted.
Flag: While a flag is visible, it counts as an achievement if no opponent has more visible cards of the flag’s color than you do.
Fountain: While a fountain is visible, it counts as an achievement.
Echo: Echo effects stack on to your Dogma actions.
Inspire: Inspire effects enhance your Draw actions.

Actions And Action Triggers

On each turn, you must take two actions. There are four types of basic actions: Draw, Meld, Dogma, and Achieve. You can perform the same action twice, or take two different actions.

If you receive a free action from an effect or rule, it does not count as one of your two per turn.

Effects are only triggered by direct actions, not through action effects.

Expansions introduce more action types:

  • Endorse, Decree, and Inspire
  • Each can only be used once per turn.

Draw

A Draw action lets you draw one card from a supply pile into your hand. You draw from the age matching your highest value top card.

Skipping Ages

If all the base set cards in a supply pile are gone, that age is considered to be empty. When an age is empty, you draw from the next higher age instead.

If you have to skip age 10 and try to draw an age 11 card that doesn’t exist, the game ends immediately.

Expansions each have their own rule governing how its cards are drawn.

Drawing Expansion cards

If all the base cards from an age’s supply pile are gone, that age is considered empty for all types of cards. When drawing an expansion card of a value, skip empty ages and draw from the next available non-empty age.

If an expansion’s supply pile has no cards in it, and you try to draw from it, draw a base card of that value instead.

CITIES OF DESTINY

You draw a City of value equal to your highest top card if you don't have a Cities card in your hand and one of these happen:

  • You take a Meld action to meld a card that adds a new color to your board
  • You splay a color in any new direction
ARTIFACTS OF HISTORY

Artifacts are not drawn directly to your hand, you dig them up instead if you take a Meld action and either:

1) Cover up a card with a lower (or equal) card.

2) Cover up a card with a card, and both cards have their hex icon in the same location.

If either or both are true, draw an Artifact card of value equal to the covered up card, and place it face up on your reference card. The artifact is now On Display. If there is no Artifact card of that age to draw, or if you have a card On Display already, ignore the dig event.

ECHOES OF THE PAST

Whenever you would draw a base card for any reason, have already cards in your hand, but none of them is an Echoes card, draw an Echo of value matching the base card you would have drawn.

If playing with multiple expansions, the following rules apply:

1) If playing with Echoes and Figures, the Figures draw rule takes priority when drawing a card for sharing.

2) If another expansion’s supply pile is empty, and you are forced to draw a base card instead, check the Echoes draw rule before drawing that base card.

If you are drawing multiple cards, evaluate the Echoes of the Past draw condition on cards one-by-one. A card that is ‘drawn and revealed’ is part of your hand.

FIGURES IN THE SAND

Draw a Figures card of value equal to your highest top card either when

1) you take a Dogma action, and would receive a free Draw action for sharing, draw a Figure instead of a base card, or

2) your opponent takes an Achieve action and claims a standard achievement.

Meld

Play a card from your hand to your board, on stack of matching color.

Continue any splay if present.

Meld Action effects

If multiple effects are triggered by an action, follow this order:
  1. Execute a City icon’s effect.
  2. Draw a City.
  3. Dig an Artifact, and place it on display.
  4. Promote a foreshadowed card.
  5. Execute a figure’s "When" karma effect.

City icon effect

CITIES OF DESTINY
Plus: Draw a card of value one higher than the city’s age.
Arrow: Splay the city’s color in the direction indicated by the arrow.
Search icon: Draw and reveal X base cards of value X, where X is the value of the city. Of all the revealed cards, take all cards that bear the same icon as the Search into your hand. Return the rest. Do not draw from the next higher age if the stack is depleted.

Draw a city

CITIES OF DESTINY

If you created a new color on your board with the Meld Action, draw a City of value equal to your highest top card.

Dig an artifact

ARTIFACTS OF HISTORY

After your Meld action, dig up an artifact and place it on display if either of the following is true:

(1) The melded card is equal to or lower than the card that it covered up.

(2) The hexagonal card image on the melded card is in the same location as on the card that it covered up (ignoring splays).

Promote

ECHOES OF THE PAST

After a Meld action, you may promote one card from your forecast, as long as the forecast card is equal to or lower than the melded card. To promote the card, meld it, and then you may take a free Dogma action, targeting the promoted card.

"When" Karma

FIGURES IN THE SAND

"When" karma effects begin with "When you meld this card," Follow the instructions immediately when the Figure is melded.

DOGMA

Pick a top card on your board. Execute each effect on it, in order.

There are different type of Dogma Effects:

  • Demand Effect
  • Non-Demand Effect
  • Compel Effect
  • Echo Effect
  • Inspire Effect

Non-Demand Effects, Sharing and free Draw

Non-demand effects are executed by opponents before you, if they have at least as many or more of the featured icon, going clockwise.

If any opponent shared a non-demand effect, take a single free Draw action at the conclusion of your Dogma action.

FIGURES IN THE SAND

When you take a Dogma action, and would receive a free Draw action for sharing, draw a Figure instead of a base card.

Demand Effects

Demand Effects are executed by each player with fewer of the featured icon than you, going clockwise.

Compel Effects

ARTIFACTS OF HISTORY

Artifacts contain a special type of demand effect that starts with "I Compel." A player is vulnerable to compel effects only if they would be eligible to share your non-demand effects.

Other than this difference, they behave exactly like demand effects. Compel effects are considered to be demand effects for all purposes.

Echo effects

ECHOES OF THE PAST

An echo effect is a special type of effect that appears where an icon would normally be. During a Dogma action, before executing the dogma effects of a card, execute each of the visible echo effects in that color, starting from the card on the bottom of the stack, and ending with the card on top.

Each effect is shared with eligible players as if it were a normal dogma effect.

Echo effects are also executed when a card’s dogma effects are performed for a reason other than a Dogma action.

Inspire Effects

FIGURES IN THE SAND

Inspire effects are triggered when you use the Inspire action with the a card having them.

Inspire effects are not shared.

Achieve

Nine basic achievements are available to start the game, one of each from ages 1 through 9.

To claim a basic achievement, you must have a score of at least 5x the age number in points, and a top card of equal or higher value.

Points are kept, not spent.

Once a basic achievement is claimed by a player, it is no longer available for others to claim.

FIGURES IN THE SAND

After your Achieve action, each opponent will draw a Figure equal to their highest top card.

Duplicate Achievements

Echoes of the Past can add or remove cards from the basic achievements area, or allow you to claim a card as a basic achievement directly from a different area, if you're eligible.

If you already have a basic achievement of that age, you need twice as many points as usual to be eligible. If you already have two, you need three times as many, and so on.

Special Achievements

Special achievements can be claimed at any time, even in the middle of an effect, or during another player’s turn. If you meet the conditions for one of them, take it immediately.

Once a special achievement is claimed by a player, it is no longer available for others to claim.

Endorse

The Endorse action allows you to perform a doubled Dogma action, once per turn by performing the following steps:

  1. Choose card to Endorse, note its featured icon and choose a top city on your board which has the featured icon on it.
  2. Tuck a card from your hand of equal or lower value to this city.
  3. Execute the effects from the card you chose in step 1.
    • Execute a non-demand effects twice; any player sharing the effect only executes it once.
    • When you issue a demand, affect all vulnerable opponents twice (go around the table clockwise, and then a second time).
    • Draw for sharing, if applicable.
To endorse on Yucata you first choose the city and then the to be endorsed card.

Decree

Instead of typical special achievements, Figures in the Sand includes five Decree cards, one for each color. Decrees are a special type of achievement, but one that is not safe and can be stolen. Decrees are claimed by taking a Decree action.

You may only take a Decree action if you have Figures of three different values in your hand. To do so, remove all the cards in your hand from the game (including both Figures and non-Figures). Then, choose a Decree matching the color of one of the Figures you removed.

  • If it is in another player’s Achievement pile, return it to the area with the Special Achievements. Do not activate its effect.
  • If it is in the center of the table, claim it as an Achievement and activate its effect.
  • If it is already in your possession, activate the effect.

Inspire

FIGURES IN THE SAND

Choose one color with visible Inspire effects, and execute each of them in order from the bottom card to the top.

Then, draw a card of value equal to your top card in that color, ignoring the other top cards on your board.

These effects are not shared.

Keywords

Actions (Draw, Meld, Achieve): A dogma effect that instructs you to draw, meld, or achieve does not count as an action of that type. It does not count as one of your two actions per turn. It does not trigger expansion draws or foreshadow promotion.

Bottom: The bottom card in your stack of a color. If you have only one card of a color, it is both the bottom and top card of that color.

Card Image: The image in a hexagon on a card, depicting the innovation. The location of the image affects which splays are most effective, and are used by the Artifacts of History draw rule.

Draw and X: Many dogma effects instruct you to draw and tuck, draw and meld, or draw and score a card of a specific value. First, draw the card, skipping empty ages as appropriate. Then, perform the action (tuck it, score it, meld it, etc) on the card you drew. ‘Draw and reveal’ effects place the card in your hand, unless the effect takes it away afterward.

Exchange: Swap cards from the two locations given, even if one half of the exchange is empty. An exchanged card has not been "scored," (or "melded", "drawn", etc) for the purposes of special achievements or karma effects.

Execute each of its non-demand dogma effects. Do not share them: Do not share effects on the targeted card, regardless of icon count. The effects can still impact other players (ex: Rocketry), just not by sharing.

Fade ( Figures): At the end of any action (on any player’s turn), if you have more than one top Figure you must fade the excess.
To fade a Figure, score it. You must continue fading Figures one by one until you have only one top Figure. Figures that are partially visible due to splaying do not count for fading.

Foreshadow + Forecast ( Echoes): Foreshadowing allows you to store cards for future use in an area called your forecast. When an effect causes you to foreshadow a card, place it in your forecast.

Highest / Lowest: Refers to the value (age number) of the cards in question.

Non-demand effect: Any dogma effect that does not begin with "I Demand."(or "I Compel" with Artifacts of History)

Promote ( Echoes) When you take a Meld action, you may Promote an eligible card from your forecast by melding it. You may then take a free Dogma action, targeting the promoted card.

Remove: A removed card is placed in the game box, out of play.

Return: A returned card is placed at the bottom of its supply pile, face down. If multiple cards are returned at once, choose the order. If you return a base card of an empty age, it is no longer empty.

Score: To score a card, place it in your score pile, face-down. Your score is the total value of all the cards in your score pile.

Splay: Many dogma effects will instruct you to splay a color in a direction. At any given time, a color is either unsplayed, splayed left, splayed right, or splayed up.
To splay a color, take the top card and slide it in the direction indicated.
If a color contains zero or one card, it is always considered unsplayed. If a splayed color is reduced to zero or one card, it does not remember that it was previously splayed.

Top: The top card of each color is the card on top of its stack. If you have only one card of a color, it is both the bottom and top card of that color.

Transfer: Move a card from one area in play to another. Transferring a card does not count as melding, achieving, scoring, etc.

Type: The type of a card is which expansion it comes from.

Tuck: To tuck a card, place it on the bottom of the matching color pile, continuing a splay if possible. If no cards of its color are on your board, it forms a new pile.

Visible: A card is visible if it is a top card, or if it is in a splayed stack and you can see any part of it. An icon or echo/inspire effect is visible if it is on a top card or can be fully seen due to a splay.

Value: The value of a card is its age number. If a card refers to the value of something you don’t have, like your top purple card if you have none, treat the value as 0.

Game end

There are several ways a game of Innovation can end:

  • Someone has enough achievements - that someone wins the game.
  • Through a card effect - the card effect describes who has won. In a team game, this grants victory to all players on the team.

    Some allow you to win given a certain condition, which if satisfied ends the game immediately. Others let "the single player with the most X" win. These also end the game immediately, but only if there is no tie for X. If there is a tie, the effect is ignored entirely.

  • Having to draw a card of value 11 or higher. The moment the card would be drawn, the game ends immediately. In this case the player (or team) with the highest score wins. If tied, most achievements wins. If still tied, the game is a draw.

Hints for handling

Cards are always drawn face-down in order to allow more undos. Once you reveal them with the "Reveal cards"-button, you are no longer able to undo past that point.
The number of cards in a stack on your board is indicated by the number in the bottom right. If the stack is splayed, the icons revealed by the splay are shown below the top card. To view the cards contained in the stack, click the number in the bottom right. This is also how you can select those cards for an effect.
You can click on any area containing cards to see the cards in that area. Cards you have trackable information about are shown face-up, even if they are in an area you can't see (such as an opponent's hand).
When clicking a draw pile or the i-Icon on a facedown card in your hand, all cards with that back you don't know the position of will be shown (these are the cards that could be there).
When selecting cards on your board, colors are used to indicate what type of action will be performed:
  • Red: Dogma
  • Black: Dogma, but you don't have more of the featured icon than each opponent (also, a warning icon will be displayed)
  • Orange: Endorse
  • Blue: Inspire
In rare cases it can make sense to dogma a card that has no dogma effects of its own (for example with the figure "Ximen Bao"). This is possible with the "Dogma (no effect)" button on the bottom right.
You can click a card name in the log or the grey status bar to view the full card.
In order to display the cards on a player's board in a single row even on smaller displays, they can shrink a lot with the standard settings. If you want the cards to be displayed bigger, but with a linebreak, increase the "minimum card width" in the settings.
By default, the board of the most recently active opponent is displayed. By clicking in their info areas, you can toggle additional opponents' boards. In the settings you can change this to always displaying all opponents' boards, or just a single opponent's board.
 
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