Instructions Ponte del Diavolo

Objective of the Game

Ponte del Diavolo is a strategic board game for 2 players, where the goal is to create a river landscape by strategically placing stone paths and bridges. The player who manages to position their bridges and stone paths optimally to connect more cities wins the game.

Game Components

• 36 square tiles depicting rivers, cities, and bridges
• 8 bridges as separate pieces
• 2 sets of 12 stone paths each (one for each player)
• 1 starting tile

Setup

1. Place the starting tile in the center of the table.
2. Shuffle the remaining tiles and place them face down as a draw pile.
3. Each player chooses a color (stone path set) and receives the corresponding pieces.
4. Place the bridges aside.

Gameplay

Players take turns, starting with a randomly chosen player. Each turn consists of the following steps:

1. Draw a Tile: Draw the top tile from the draw pile.
2. Place a Tile: Place the drawn tile adjacent to at least one already placed tile. The tiles must connect, meaning rivers must touch rivers and cities must touch cities.
3. Optional Bridge Building: If the placed tile allows for a bridge and a bridge can be constructed, the player may take a bridge from the supply and place it.
4. Place Stone Paths: The player may place one of their stone paths on a city tile to claim control over that city.

Bridges and Stone Paths

• Bridges can be built over river segments crossing at a 90° angle.
• Stone Paths: A player can place one stone path per city tile at most. Position them strategically to connect as many cities as possible.

Game End

The game ends when all tiles are placed or no player can make a valid move. Players then count the cities they have connected with their paths.

Scoring

• Points per City: Earn points for every city connected by your stone paths.
• Bonus Points: Players who manage to connect their cities with bridges earn additional points.

Strategic Tips

• Early Connections: Try to connect central cities early to gain a strategic advantage.
• Effectively Use Bridges: Use bridges strategically to overcome difficult tile arrangements.
• Placement Choice: Choose your stone path placements carefully to control large city networks.

Through these strategic considerations, players can influence the development of the river landscape to emerge as the winner. Enjoy playing Ponte del Diavolo!