🏴☠️ Cartanera — Game Rules
Escape the island — one card at a time!
1. Goal of the Game
You lead a crew of pirates escaping from the tunnels of Cartanera Island. The goal is to move all your pirates from S (Start) to F (Finish). The first player to get their full crew out — wins!
2. Setup
- Each player chooses a color and gets 6 pirate tokens.
- All pirates start on the Start (S) cell.
- The card deck has six symbols: 🗝️ Key, ⚔️ Cutlass, 🍾 Bottle, 🎩 Hat, 🚩 Flag, 🔫 Gun.
- Shuffle the deck and deal 6 cards to each player.
- Decide who starts — maybe the last one who watched a pirate movie!
3. Player Turn
On your turn, you must do one of two actions:
3.1. Move Forward (Play a Card)
- Choose a card from your hand.
- Find the next cell forward with the same symbol.
- Move one of your pirates to that cell.
- Discard the played card.
- If the cell already has 3 pirates — you can’t enter it.
💡 Example:
You play a “Key” card — your pirate jumps ahead to the next cell with a key symbol.
3.2. Move Backward (Retreat)
- Choose one of your pirates.
- Move it backward to the nearest cell that already has 1, 2, or 3 pirates.
- Draw that many cards (1–3) from the deck.
💬 Example:
You retreat onto a cell with 2 pirates — draw 2 cards into your hand.
4. Restrictions
- No more than 3 pirates can stand on one cell.
- You can only move forward if you have a matching card.
- If you cannot move — you skip your turn.
- You can move only one pirate per turn.
5. End of the Game
As soon as a player moves all six pirates to the Finish (F) — the game ends immediately. That player is the winner! 🏁
6. Pirate Tips 💀
- Don’t waste identical cards in a row — you might get stuck!
- Sometimes a retreat gives you the best advantage.
- Keep 2–3 different symbols in your hand for flexibility.
- Watch others — blocking is part of the fun!
7. Game Mode
- Quick Game: Play with 4 pirates instead of 6.
- Team Mode: 2 vs 2 players — team wins when both finish.
- Play vs Bots: Bots always move forward if they have a card.