Eldur - Cooperative game
GAME OVERVIEW
Eldur is a cooperative game for 2–4 players, ages 8 and up. Players must work together to evacuate the island before the active volcano takes control.
There are 4 helpers that players cooperatively activate to fulfill the task; the Gatherer seeks goods, the Herder searches the mountains and hidden valleys for sheep, and the Seeker looks for lost families. All of them are safely transferred to the harbors where the Knerrir sails them to safety on the newly discovered island.
However, the volcano is unpredictable; no one knows where the lava will flow. Ash falls, cracks, or new fissures may open at any time, making no place safe. The challenge is to see whether the humans can complete their evacuation or if the volcano will regain control of the island.
Which side will prevail in the end?
MAIN GAME MECHANISM
- Fully cooperative. Players use other players’ cards to match & activate helpers on the board. Card layout on each player´s board will also influence other players’ turns.
- Various setups. The game comes with 8 preset scenarios, in different difficulty. Once familiar with the game, players can set up their own scenarios to challenge.
- Action sequence. During a turn, each player goes through 5 actions. 4 of them are mandatory. One of these actions is the Volcanic effect; lava will flow & some other effects might activate as well.
- Activation cards. Activation cards have white or dark borders around them, the majority of these cards (white or dark) will influence the next player’s Incident card action. If white majority it is good, if dark majority it is challenging.
- Incident cards. The Incident cards have two opposite incidents on each of them, controlled by the majority of activation cards of the player to the right. Once activated, these cards are placed in a space holder on the box. While there, they will affect all player’s turns until the player that activated the card goes again.
- Lava tiles. As the game progresses, lava tiles / lava flow will start to fill up the board. Players need to evacute sheep, wheat & people meeples located on the board before the lava will get to them. Other incidents might also speed up the process, for both parties.
- Scoring. When humans manage to safely evacuate sheep, wheat or people to the new island, they gain harmony points. If the Volcano effects the board so any of the 3 will be removed, the Volcano will score harmony points.
- Balance bar & harmony marker. On the back side of the box, there is the balance bar & on it the Harmony marker. When humans or the Volcano gain points, it is moved back and forth accordingly. The final placement of the Harmony marker will indicate the victor.
