Yaxha

Recreate the Mayan pyramids on your tabletop in Yaxha, three blocks at a time.

To set up, place as many market tiles on the table as the number of players, and give each player a hand of cards that match the color of the market tiles. Deal each player a turn order card at random, then place three bonus cards on the table, whether randomly or by choice.

In each of the ten rounds, fill all market tiles by drawing three blocks at a time from the bag. Blocks come in five colors. All players simultaneously choose and reveal a card showing a market tile. If all players chose different market tiles, everyone takes the blocks from their chosen tile; if not, the tied player with the lowest turn order card takes their chosen blocks, while other tied players choose from what’s left unclaimed, after which players exchange turn order cards.

Use the blocks to create a pyramid bit by bit. All blocks must touch one another as you build. The bottom layer of the pyramid will be four blocks wide and long, and once you have four blocks in a 2×2 arrangement, you can place a block on top of these four blocks — but only if it’s touching a block of the same color, whether below it or next to it. If you can’t place a block, you must discard it. If you don’t discard anything, you’ll end up with a four-level pyramid of thirty blocks.

At game’s end, you score points for the largest visible group in your pyramid of each color. (Some blocks might be hidden, and they don’t score.) In addition, for each bonus card that you satisfy — for example, having the most yellow blocks, having all five colors visible on the second layer of your pyramid, having the second largest group of blocks regardless of color — you score 5 points. Whoever has the highest score wins.