The Gardens of Versailles

Objective of the Game
In 'The Gardens of Versailles,' players take on the role of gardeners at the royal court of Louis XIV. Your goal is to garner the most prestige by designing magnificent gardens.

Game Materials

• 1 Game Board: The board features a grid representing various garden beds.
• Garden Tiles: These come in various shapes (similar to Tetris pieces) and depict plants or decorations.
• Prestige Tokens: Tokens that represent each player's earned prestige.
• Weather Cards: These influence gameplay and the conditions for planting garden beds.
• Gardener Figures: Each player has a figure to move around the garden.

Game Setup

1. Set up the board: Shuffle the garden tiles and prepare a stack. Shuffle the weather cards and place them face down next to the board.
2. Starting Positions: Each player places their gardener figure on the starting field.
3. Prestige: Each player receives a prestige token and places it on the starting field of the prestige track.

Gameplay

The game is played over successive rounds, with each round consisting of:

1. Reveal a Weather Card

Draw the top weather card and lay it face-up. This card dictates special rules or modifications for that round, such as "enhanced irrigation," which allows planting two tiles in a round.

2. Player Turns

Players take turns executing their actions to lay out their gardens: - Movement: Move your gardener figure up to three fields in an orthogonal pattern. - Place Plants: Place one of your garden tiles on a vacant field adjacent to your gardener figure. Be sure to adhere to the current weather card conditions. - Prestige Bonus: Gain additional prestige points for planting special patterns or combinations, such as aligning three identical tiles.

3. End of Turn

Each player updates their prestige track in accordance with the points gathered in that round.

End of the Game

The game ends after a set number of rounds, typically 10. The player with the most prestige points on their track is the winner and is declared the master gardener of Versailles.

Strategic Tips

• Planning: Try to plan garden tiles in advance for optimal combinations.
• Utilize Weather: Strategically utilize weather card advantages and challenges to your benefit.
• Flexibility: Be prepared to adjust your plan if other players block your path or patterns.

Have fun gardening at the royal Versailles!