La Isla - General game info
La Isla
2-4 players, 30-60 minutes, 8 years and older
AuthorStefan Feld
IllustratorAlexander Jung
Published byRavensburger Spieleverlag
alea
Online since 2015-09-26
Developed byAdrian Kügel (ak15)
Boardgamegeek154246
Yucata.de owns a license for the online version of this game. A big "thank you" to the copyright owners (publisher and/or author and illustrator) who make it possible to have this game for free online here!
Note: This online implementation uses slightly changed rules!
La Isla - Rules
If you are reading these rules for the first time, ignore the text along the right hand side. These rules serve as a summary to help you quickly familiarize yourself with the game.

Show → summary only → detailed version only → both summary and detailed version

STEFAN FELD

Dodo La Isla Golden Toad
La Isla

EXPLORE THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

INTRODUCTION

Use your explorers to find as many animals as possible.

The cards have 3 different functions to help in your quest.

The player with the most victory points is the winner.

Explore the mysterious island of La Isla, and hunt for long-thought-extinct animals: the gentle Dodo, the vigilant Giant Fossa, the elusive Golden Toad, the dexterous Sardinian Pika and the graceful Owlet Moth.

Place your explorers onto various island spaces, encircling as many of the valuable animals as possible. Play your cards to perform special functions, receive key resources, and score victory points for animals you’ve collected. If you play your cards right, you can get the upper hand!

The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is the winner.

GAME COMPONENTS
Island pieces Cards Explorers
11 island pieces (10 with “teeth”, 1 central ten-sided connector) 180 cards 32 explorers (8 per player color)
Marker large animal tiles small animal tiles
5 purple markers 5 large animal tiles (1 tile per animal type) 40 small animal tiles (8 per animal type):
Owlet Moth / Giant Fossa / Dodo / Golden Toad / Sardinian Pika
cardholders starting player card resources
4 cardholders 1 starting player card 60 resources (12 each in 5 different colors)
game board summary sheets
1 game board 2 summary sheets
GAME SETUP

Build the island in the middle of the table. Place the 35 animal tiles (7 of each color) onto the island

Give each player:

  • 1 cardholder
  • 6 explores (placing 1 on the 0/50 space as a victory point marker)
  • 5 resources (one of each color)
  • 1 large animal tile

Place the remaining explorers and resources in general supply piles next to the island

Shuffle, and place all 120 (or 180) cards face down in multiple draw piles

The oldest player begins

When playing the game for the first time, carefully remove all card-board pieces from their frames. Fold and fasten the cardholders so that the game summaries A-D are visible at the bottom of their front sides.

Important! There is one extra tile for each type of animal (i.e. 5 extra small animal tiles). These are not needed during the game, and are included as replacements only!

Build the island in the middle of the table. Add the 10 "teeth" pieces in random order to the central connector, so that a ten-sided island, La Isla, results.

Note: There are more than 3 million options for what La Isla might look like!

Take 7 of each small animal tile and randomly distribute them onto the 35 dark green jungle regions of the island. The numbers 2, 3 and 4 printed on the regions should remain visible.

Place the game board (with the victory point track and the five animal tracks) next to the island.

Place 1 purple marker onto the starting space at the bottom of each animal track.

Give each player:

  • 1 cardholder in the color of their choice, placed in front of them.
  • 6 explorers in the same color. Place one of them onto the 0/50 space of the victory point track, and the remaining 5 below the letter C on the player's cardholder.
  • Place the remaining explorers (2 per color) in a general supply pile next to the island. They will only enter the game via the corresponding cards.
  • 5 resources (one per color) also placed below the letter C on the player's cardholder.
  • 1 large animal tile (randomly distributed), placed next to the player's cardholder (easily visible by all).

With fewer than 4 players, return the unused game components (large animal tiles, cardholders, and explorers) to the game box.

Place the remaining resources next to the island as a general supply.

Sort the 180 cards by value: There are 120 1-value cards and 60 2-value cards (numbers are located in the lower middle of each card) . New players should play with the 1-value cards only, returning the 2-value cards to the game box. (After you have played the game a few times, use all 180 cards to make the game more interesting.)

Shuffle all 120 (or 180) cards and place them face down in multiple draw piles next to the island.

Give the oldest player the starting player card.

At Yucata the starting player is chosen randomly. This is the only deviation to the original rules.
GAMEPLAY

Each round consists of a card phase, followed by action phases A, B, C, and D

The game is played in multiple rounds. Each round consists of a card phase followed by four action phases (A, B, C and D).

At the end of a round, give the starting player card to the next player in clockwise order, and play a new round (starting with the card phase, followed by action phases A-D), etc, until the game is over.

Card Phase

Each player draws 3 cards, and assigns them to the letters A, B, and D of their cardholders

A: This card grants a special function

B: This card yields one resource

D: This card moves the corresponding animal marker

All players carry out action A first, then B, etc.

Action C must be played in clockwise order

In the card phase, all players draw 3 cards from the face down draw piles of their choice, and add the cards to their hands. Each card has three possible uses:

  • Perform a special function (top)
  • Receive resource (bottom left)
  • Move marker ahead (bottom right)

Place these cards face down below your cardholder, such that exactly one card is assigned to each of the letters A, B, and D. This identifies which card you will later use to perform a special function (the card under the A), which you will use to receive a new resource (the card under the B), and which you will use to advance a marker (the card under the D).

Once all players have assigned their cards, the action phases begin.

Action Phases A › B › C › D

Players first carry out action A. When all players have finished action A, they continue to action B, followed by action C, and finally action D. Action phases A, B, and D can be carried out by all players simultaneously, but action phase C must be played in clockwise order , beginning with the current starting player.

Action A

Add the card assigned to A to your cardholder

Its special function may now be used

More details about the special functions on the cards may be found at the end of the rules.

Take the card you assigned to the letter A and add it face up to your cardholder, leaving only the top half of the card (i.e. its special function ) visible. From this point on, you may continue to use this special function, even in subsequent rounds.

As long as you still have an empty slot in your cardholder (i.e. during the first three rounds), you may fill an empty space with the card that you chose. Starting in the fourth round, you must choose a card in your cardholder to cover up, taking away your ability to use the covered-up card's function. Note: You may cover up cards in the same slot multiple times.

Note! You are never allowed to have the identical special function visible in more than one slot on your cardholder. Similar functions, however, are allowed, and are often very useful.

wrong correct

Action B

Discard the card assigned to B and take the corresponding resource from the supply

Take the card you assigned to the letter B and add it face up to a discard pile next to the draw piles. Then, take a resource from the general supply that matches the one indicated on the card, and add it to your own personal supply.

Note: The general supply of resources is not intended to be limited. Should it run out, use something else temporarily as a resource.

Action C (Main Action)

In turn order, place one explorer onto a landscape space

Pay with 2 resources of the same color:

Desert space yellow

Grassland space green

Mountain space gray

Steppe space beige

Swamp space brown

In clockwise order starting with the current starting player, place one of your explorers onto the island. Take an explorer from your personal supply to start; once your supply is exhausted (i.e. after the fifth round), choose one of your already-placed explorers and move it elsewhere on the island.

Place explorers onto the middle of the colored landscape spaces, such that the space's symbols (tent, hat, rope, bottle, and backpack) remain visible.

Placing an explorer costs two resources of the same color as the space you are placing the explorer onto.

Example: Anna places her explorer onto a desert space. She returns two yellow resources to the general supply. Example Anna

Note! If you can't or don't want to place an explorer, you may instead take one resource, of your choice, from the general supply.

Animal Tiles

As soon as you have completely surrounded a jungle region with explorers, claim the corresponding animal tile and receive victory points

Once you have placed explorers onto all of the landscape spaces that surround a jungle region, you receive the animal tile from that space, as well as victory points. First, place the animal tile next to your cardholder so that it is easily visible. Then, score the number of victory points indicated by the jungle region (2, 3 or 4) by moving your victory point marker forward the corresponding number of spaces on the victory point track.

It is possible to claim more than one animal tile at the same time by surrounding more than one jungle region when placing a single explorer.

Example: Paul places his explorer onto the grey mountain space. This lets him claim two animal tiles, the Owlet Moth and the Sardinian Pika, since he has surrounded two jungle regions with four explorers. He places the two animal tiles next to his cardholder and scores a total of 5 (2 + 3) victory points.

example Paul

Notes:

  • Explorers of different colors may be on the same space, but never more than one explorer of the same color.
  • The number of victory points awarded for surrounding a region and claiming an animal tile always equals the number of explorers needed to accomplish this.
  • If you surround an empty jungle space (i.e. the animal tile has already been claimed), you receive nothing.

Action D

Discard the card assigned to D and move the purple marker that corresponds to the animal on the card one space higher; score 1 VP for each animal of that type that you own

Note! The values of the areas the purple markers are in have no effect on scoring during the game. You only score 1 VP per animal, no matter what area the purple marker lands in

Take the card you assigned to the letter D and add it face up to the discard pile. Then, move the purple marker corresponding to the animal type on your card one space higher on the animal track. You (and only you!) immediately score 1 victory point for each animal of that type that you possess. Large animal tiles are worth 2 points.

Example: Lena plays a card showing a Dodo. She moves the purple marker on the Dodo track one space higher. Since she has the large Dodo tile as well as one small Dodo tile, she scores a total of 3 victory points. All other players with Dodo tiles score nothing .

Notes:

  • Depending on the cards in your cardholder, it is possible that you could also move markers in action phases B or C, or even move the markers more than once. Each time you move a marker, score points as outlined above.
  • Once a purple marker has been moved to the topmost space of the track (the 5 space!), you can no longer move it when carrying out this action. However, you do continue to score points as normal.

GAME END

The game ends when, at the end of a round, the total value of the areas that the 5 purple markers are in is at least

  • 7 (2 players)
  • 9 (3 players)
  • 11 (4 players)

During the game, you move the purple markers higher and higher up the animal track. The values of the areas that the markers are in (0-5) not only determine the animal tile scoring multipliers used at the end of the game (see below), but also determine the end of the game itself. At the end of each round, add together the values of the areas of the five purple animal markers. If the sum is at least 7 (2 players), 9 (3 players) or 11 (4 players), then the game is over.

Final Scoring

Players now score:

  • 10 VP per complete set of animals
  • ? VP per animal
  • 1 VP per 2 resources

The player with the most victory points wins

In addition to the victory points scored during the game, each player now receives additional points as follows:

  • 10 victory points for each complete set of 5 different animal tiles (remember: the large animal tiles count as 2).
  • For each animal tile the player possesses, the player scores victory points equal to the scoring multiplier (i.e. the value of the area occupied by that animal's purple marker).
  • 1 victory point for every 2 remaining resources.

The player with the most victory points is the winner. In the case of a tie, the winner is the tied player with more resources left over. If there is still a tie, there are multiple winners.

Example: At the end of the game, Karen has the animal tiles and resources shown here. She receives an additional 57 victory points:

example Karin animal tiles example Karin game board

  • For her 2 complete sets of 5 animal types: 20 VP
  • For her animal tiles (2 x 3 + 2 x 2 + 3 x 4 + 2 x 2 + 2 x 5 points): 36 VP
  • For her 3 remaining resources: 1 VP

Card Effects

Symbol Joker
You may use 1 brown resource as any color
Symbol Joker
You may use 1 beige resource as any color
Symbol Joker
You may use 1 yellow resource as any color
Symbol Joker
You may use 1 gray resource as any color
Symbol Joker
You may use 1 green resource as any color
Symbol 1 Resource
You need only 1 resource to place an explorer on a space with a backpack symbol
Symbol 1 Resource
You need only 1 resource to place an explorer on a space with a bottle symbol
Symbol 1 Resource
You need only 1 resource to place an explorer on a space with a hat symbol
Symbol 1 Resource
You need only 1 resource to place an explorer on a space with a rope symbol
Symbol 1 Spielstein
You need only 1 resource to place an explorer on a space with a tent symbol
Symbol Marker
If you place an explorer on a space showing the hat symbol: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Symbol Marker
If you place an explorer on a space showing the rope symbol: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Symbol Marker
If you place an explorer on a space showing the tent symbol: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Symbol Marker
If you place an explorer on a space showing the backpack symbol: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Symbol Marker
If you place an explorer on a space showing the bottle symbol: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Symbol Resource
If you place an explorer on a space showing the hat symbol: + any 1 resource
Symbol Resource
If you place an explorer on a space showing the backpack symbol: + any 1 resource
Symbol Resource
If you place an explorer on a space showing the tent symbol: + any 1 resource
Symbol Resource
If you place an explorer on a space showing the bottle symbol: + any 1 resource
Symbol Resource
If you place an explorer on a space showing the rope symbol: + any 1 resource
Symbol victory points
If you place an explorer on a space showing the rope symbol: + 3 victory points
Symbol victory points
If you place an explorer on a space showing the tent symbol: + 3 victory points
Symbol victory points
If you place an explorer on a space showing the backpack symbol: + 3 victory points
Symbol victory points
If you place an explorer on a space showing the bottle symbol: + 3 victory points
Symbol victory points
If you place an explorer on a space showing the hat symbol: + 3 victory points
Resource +1
During action B, if you get a brown resource: +1 additional brown resource
Resource +1
During action B, if you get a green resource: +1 additional green resource
Resource +1
During action B, if you get a beige resource: +1 additional beige resource
Resource +1
During action B, if you get a yellow resource: +1 additional yellow resource
Resource +1
During action B, if you get a gray resource: +1 additional gray resource
Resource Marker
During action B, if you get a gray resource: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Resource Marker
During action B, if you get a yellow resource: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Resource Marker
During action B, if you get a brown resource: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Resource Marker
During action B, if you get a green resource: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Resource Marker
During action B, if you get a beige resource: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Resource victory points
During action B, if you get a yellow resource: + 2 victory points
Resource victory points
During action B, if you get a gray resource: + 2 victory points
Resource victory points
During action B, if you get a green resource: + 2 victory points
Resource victory points
During action B, if you get a brown resource: + 2 victory points
Resource victory points
During action B, if you get a beige resource: + 2 victory points
Marker victory points
During action D, if you move the marker of the golden toad: + 2 victory points
Marker victory points
During action D, if you move the marker of the owlet moth: + 2 victory points
Marker victory points
During action D, if you move the marker of the dodo: + 2 victory points
Marker victory points
During action D, if you move the marker of the pika: + 2 victory points
Marker victory points
During action D, if you move the marker of the giant fossa: + 2 victory points
Marker Resource
During action D, if you move the marker of the owlet moth: + any 1 resource
Marker Resource
During action D, if you move the marker of the giant fossa: + any 1 resource
Marker Resource
During action D, if you move the marker of the golden toad: + any 1 resource
Marker Resource
During action D, if you move the marker of the dodo: + any 1 resource
Marker Resource
During action D, if you move the marker of the pika: + any 1 resource
Landscape Resource
If you place an explorer on a gray landscape space: + any 1 resource
Landscape Resource
If you place an explorer on a green landscape space: + any 1 resource
Landscape Resource
If you place an explorer on a beige landscape space: + any 1 resource
Landscape Resource
If you place an explorer on a yellow landscape space: + any 1 resource
Landscape Resource
If you place an explorer on a brown landscape space: + any 1 resource
Landscape victory points
If you place an explorer on a brown landscape space: + 3 victory points
Landscape victory points
If you place an explorer on a yellow landscape space: + 3 victory points
Landscape victory points
If you place an explorer on a beige landscape space: + 3 victory points
Landscape victory points
If you place an explorer on a green landscape space: + 3 victory points
Landscape points
If you place an explorer on a gray landscape space: + 3 victory points
Landscape Marker
If you place an explorer on a gray landscape space: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Landscape Marker
If you place an explorer on a green landscape space: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Landscape Marker
If you place an explorer on a beige landscape space: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Landscape Marker
If you place an explorer on a yellow landscape space: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
Landscape Marker
If you place an explorer on a brown landscape space: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
The following special functions are on the 60 cards which are not used in the beginner's game:
+1 Explorer
Take 1 additional explorer from the supply. Keep it even after covering up that card.
outer ring victory points
If you place an explorer in the outer "ring": + 2 victory points
inner ring victory points
If you place an explorer in the inner "ring": + 2 victory points
middle ring victory points
If you place an explorer in the middle "ring": + 2 victory points
Marker Marker
You may move any marker instead of the owlet moth marker
Marker Marker
You may move any marker instead of the giant fossa marker
Marker Marker
You may move any marker instead of the golden toad marker
Marker Marker
You may move any marker instead of the dodo marker
Marker Marker
You may move any marker instead of the pika marker
animal resource
If you get a pika animal tile: + any 1 resource
animal resource
If you get a golden toad animal tile: + any 1 resource
animal resource
If you get a dodo animal tile: + any 1 resource
animal resource
If you get a giant fossa tile: + any 1 resource
animal resource
If you get a owlet moth animal tile: + any 1 resource
animal victory points
If you get a pika animal tile: + 3 victory points
animal victory points
If you get a golden toad animal tile: + 3 victory points
animal victory points
If you get a owlet moth animal tile: + 3 victory points
animal victory points
If you get a giant fossa animal tile: + 3 victory points
animal victory points
If you get a dodo animal tile: + 3 victory points
animal Marker
If you get a dodo animal tile: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
animal Marker
If you get a pika animal tile: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
animal Marker
If you get a golden toad animal tile: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
animal Marker
If you get a owlet moth animal tile: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
animal Marker
If you get a giant fossa animal tile: move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
+1 slot
Place this card beside your cardholder: You now have one extra slot in which to place a card.
Fourth card
In the card phase, draw 1 additional card. After assigning 3 cards, discard the unused one.
explorer swap resource
If you place your explorer on a space with another explorer: swap any 1 resource with 1 from the supply
explorer victory points
If you place your explorer on a space with another explorer: + 2 victory points
explorer 1 resource
If you place your explorer on a space with another explorer: "pay" only 1 resource

The Summary Sheet

... shows a summary of actions A to D on the upper left, and a summary of final scoring on the bottom right. It also provides a detailed explanation of each of the special card functions.

All symbols, landscape spaces, resource colors, or animals indicated on the summary sheet are only examples of the types of special functions; the cards themselves show all of the possibilities. The iconography is always the same; in most cases, players can claim an additional resource from the general supply, or gain victory points or the right to move a purple marker, etc.

If you place an explorer on a space showing the corresponding symbol:
bottle resource hat victory points knapsack marker
+ any 1 resource + 3 victory points move any 1 marker up 1 space, and possibly get victory points
If you place an explorer on the corresponding landscape space:
steppe resource swamp victory points desert marker
+ any 1 resource + 3 victory points move any 1 marker up 1 space
symbol 1 resource joker symbol
You need only 1 resource to place an explorer on a space showing this symbol You may use 1 brown resource as any color
During action B, if you get the corresponding resource:
resource +1 resource victory points resource marker
+1 additional resource of that color +2 victory points move any 1 marker up 1 space
During action D, if you move the corresponding marker:
marker victory points marker resource
+2 victory points + any 1 resource
The following special functions are on the 60 cards which are not used in the beginner's game:
marker marker fourth card
You may move any marker instead of the Dodo marker In the card phase, draw 1 additional card. After assigning 3 cards, discard the unused one.
+1 explorer extra slot
Take 1 additional explorer from the supply. Keep it even after covering up that card. Place this card beside your cardholder: You now have one extra slot in which to place a card.
If you get a corresponding animal tile:
animal resource animal victory points animal marker
+ any 1 resource + 3 victory points move any 1 marker up 1 space
If you place your explorer on a space with another explorer:
explorer swap resource explorer victory points explorer 1 resource
swap any 1 resource with 1 from the supply + 2 victory points "pay" only 1 resource
If you place an explorer in the inner/middle/outer "ring":
inner ring victory points middle ring victory points outer ring victory points
+2 victory points +2 victory points +2 victory points

The Special Functions

... typically either modify the standard game rules or improve the strength of an action. As soon as a special function is covered by another card, its effect is lost, with two exceptions: If you received a new explorer from the general supply, then you keep the explorer even after the corresponding card is covered. Similarly, the effect of the card that gives you an additional card slot is not lost once that card's special function is covered.

You are allowed to combine the effects of multiple special function cards. The basic rule is that you may use these effects, but you are not forced to.

Example: Peter has these three cards showing in his cardholder. During action C, if he chooses to place an explorer on a green landscape space with a rope, he scores 3 + 3 = 6 victory points while also receiving a resource of his choice from the general supply.

Example Peter
If you click on a card in your cardholder, the special effect of that card will be explained. This works also if you click on the symbol on the upper right of one of your handcards.
If you move your mouse over the explorer symbol on the upper right of the island board, the positions of your explorers on the map will be highlighted. If you are in tab view, you can switch to the view of another player and get the positions of his explorers highlighted.
Each animal has his name and each resource his color as a title. If you move the mouse over such an element, the title will be displayed. This also works for the colours of the locations on the island board.
If you click on the score of a player, a listing of the components of his score is shown.
In the lower right of the island board the current sum of animal points is displayed, and which sum has to be reached to end the game. If you click on this element, a corresponding explanation is displayed.
Whenever a special effect of one of your cards in the cardholder is triggered that requires a choice from you, the card which is currently dealt with shows the string "active" on top. All cards that were triggered but are already dealt with have a checkmark on them.
In some cases the position for a card in the cardholder is automatically determined. One example is if there is already a card with identical special effect in your cardholder (then it has to be replaced). Another example is if there is still an empty position in your cardholder.
 
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