MegaGem — Rules

Rules

Players: 3–5 Game time: ~30 min

Materials

30 Gem cards (6 cards each of 5 different colors: Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, Yellow)
25 Auction cards
30 Mission cards
5 Value Charts (A–E)
80 coins (20 × "5" unit coins, 60 × "1" unit coins)

Objective

The goal of the game is to earn the most coins. Win auctions to add valuable gems to your Collection and complete Missions to win extra coins. Manage your coins by taking loans and investing throughout the game.

Each player will be dealt some secret information about the value of gems, which will slowly be revealed as the game progresses. Use your information and limited supply of coins to acquire the best collection of gems!

Important

At the start of the game, each player will be dealt a number of Gem cards.

These cards:

Represent each player's initial share of the information about what gems will be worth at the end of the game.
Are revealed and placed in the Value Display as the game progresses.
Won't end up in a player's Collection and don't contribute to players' final scores.

The remaining Gem cards begin the game in a face-down deck.

These cards:

Are revealed throughout the game, are bought via auctions, and end up in players' Collections.
Contribute to players' final scores.

Components

Player

Hand: These cards represent each player's share of the information as to what various gems will eventually be worth.
Collection: This is where you will place gems, loans, investments, and completed Missions that you acquire throughout the game.

Center of play

Value Chart: There are five different Value Charts; you will only use one per game.
Value Display: As players win auctions and reveal Gem cards from their hands, the Gem cards are placed near the Value Chart. This area is the Value Display. During the game, all of the Gem cards that began in players' hands will eventually be revealed and placed in the Value Display.
The Value Chart and Value Display will determine how many coins each gem is worth at the end of the game.
The Supply: Where coins are paid to and loaned from.
Mission cards: Each Mission card specifies a set of gems that are required to complete it. If a player has the required gems in their Collection, they add that Mission card to their Collection. This will be worth extra coins at the end of the game and is no longer available for other players to complete.
Gem card deck: These Gem cards are bought via auctions, end up in players' Collections, and contribute to players' final scores. They are not placed in the Value Display and don't affect the value of any gems.
Auction cards: A new Auction card is revealed at the beginning of each round. See Gameplay section for more info.

Setup

Shuffle each deck. Distribute coins and Gem cards to each player:

Players	Coins (public)	Gem cards (private)
3	35	5
4	25	4
5	20	3

Select one Value Chart for your game. We recommend using chart A for your first game.
Reveal four Mission cards. Put the remaining Mission card deck away for the rest of the game.
Put the remaining Gem card deck in the center of play and reveal two cards.
Place the Auction card deck face down in the center of play.

Gameplay

1. Begin the round by revealing an Auction card.

There are three types of Auction cards:

Treasure (17 cards: 5× 2-gem, 12× 1-gem)

The winner adds the number of gems specified by the Auction card to their Collection. If the auction is for one gem, it is for the one that was revealed first.

Note: If an Auction card with two gems is revealed with only one gem remaining in the game, treat it as an Auction card with one gem.

Loan (4 cards: 2× 20-coin, 2× 10-coin)

Each card details a coin amount. The winner receives that many coins from the Supply, places the loan in their Collection, and must pay the loan amount back in full at the end of the game.

Example: If you win a 20 coin loan card with a 5 coin bid, you take 15 coins from the Supply. Place the loan card in your Collection. At the end of the game, you must pay back 20 coins to the Supply.

Invest (4 cards: 2× 10-coin, 2× 5-coin)

Each card details a coin amount. The winner places the investment into their Collection and places the coins they bid for it on top of the card. These coins are "locked" until the end of the game, when the player will receive them back in addition to the coin amount of the investment card.

Example: If you win an auction for a 5 coin investment card with a 3 coin bid, place the card in your Collection and put 3 coins on top of the card. At the end of the game, recoup your investment. In this instance, you'd receive 8 coins (the 3 that won you the card and 5 from the Supply).

2. Place bids to win that Auction card.

Players may do this either by writing bids down and simultaneously revealing or announcing them, or by concealing coins in their hands. The player with the highest bid pays that many coins to the Supply and adds the card to their Collection.

Note: In case of a tie for the highest bid (even if all players bid zero coins), the winner is the tied player closest to the left of the previous auction's winner. If it is the first auction of the game, the winner is chosen randomly among the tied players.

Beware! Players cannot bid more coins than they have, except if they're bidding to take a loan, then they may pay out of that loan. If a player has no coins, they will find it difficult to win auctions. Think carefully before putting yourself in this position!

3. The winner chooses one of the Gem cards from their hand and reveals it in the Value Display.

If a player has no Gem cards remaining in their hand, they may still participate in auctions but just reveal no cards if they win. A single card is revealed regardless of the type of Auction card.

Remember: The Value Display is public information and is separate from each player's Collection. The gems placed here do not count toward any player's score. At the end of the game, the Value Display and Value Chart will determine how many coins each gem color is worth.

4. Replenish any gems that were auctioned off.

Move the remaining gem into first position and reveal a new gem behind it. If both gems were auctioned, reveal two new gems.

5. Complete any possible Missions.

Each Mission card specifies a set of gems that are required to complete it. Once a player has the required gems in their Collection (not their hand), they add that Mission card to their Collection. This will be worth extra coins at the end of the game and is no longer available for other players to complete.

Example: If one of your Mission cards requires blue, purple, and pink gems, and you possess the same gems in your Collection, claim the Mission card and add it to your Collection.

Note: The same gems in a player's Collection may be used to complete multiple Missions. Mission cards are not replenished throughout the game.

Mission card breakdown (30 cards)

Shields (2 cards, each requiring 4 gems)

1× worth 10 coins — requires 4 different colored gems.
1× worth 15 coins — requires 2 pairs of gems (each pair any color).

Pendants (16 cards, all worth 5 coins, each requiring 2 gems)

1× generic — requires 2 gems of the same color (any color).
5× specific same-color — one for each color, requiring 2 gems of that specific color.
10× specific two-color — one for each pair of distinct colors (C(5,2) = 10), requiring 1 gem of each.

Crowns (12 cards, all worth 10 coins, each requiring 3 gems)

1× generic — requires 3 gems of the same color (any color).
1× generic — requires 3 gems of different colors (any colors).
10× specific — one for each combination of 3 different colors (C(5,3) = 10).

Round complete! Return to step 1 of Gameplay to start the next round.

Game end

Once all Gem cards have been auctioned off, the game is over. If any player has any gems remaining in their hand, they must reveal them in the Value Display.

Value Charts

Each chart maps the number of gems of a given color in the Value Display to the coin value of one gem of that color in a player's Collection. The same chart applies to all five colors during a game.

Gems	A	B	C	D	E
0	0	20	0	20	0
1	4	16	2	18	4
2	8	12	5	15	10
3	12	8	9	11	18
4	16	4	14	6	6
5+	20	0	20	0	0

Scoring

Count the number of each gem color in the Value Display and compare it to the Value Chart to determine how many coins each gem is worth in each player's Collection.
Example: If you're using Value Chart A and there are four green gems in the Value Display at the end of the game, each green gem in each player's Collection is worth 16 coins.
Calculate the value of gems in each player's Collection.
Example: If you have two green gems in your Collection, they are worth a total of 32 coins.
Pay all loans back, recoup investments, and gain coins for completed Mission(s).

The player with the most coins wins!

Game design by: Richard Garfield and Jane Street

Development by: Christian Kudahl and Three Donkeys