Overview

A la Carte is a dexterity-based cooking game where players are chefs preparing dishes. Players must heat their stoves to the right temperature and physically tip condiment dispensers to season dishes in their pans. Perfectly finished dishes earn victory points and stars. Over-seasoned or burnt dishes go to the trash. The first chef to collect 3 stars wins instantly; otherwise, the player with the most victory points wins.

Components

• 4 stoves (each: 1 plate, 4 pedestals, 1 adjusting knob, 2 plastic rivets)
• 4 pans
• 4 condiment dispensers with colored lids
• 80 condiments (20 lemon, 20 pepper, 20 paprika, 20 herbs)
• 25 salt crystals (white)
• 20 dish tiles (double-sided: recipe/illustration)
• 4 crepe tiles
• 13 coffee cups
• 3 cooking spoons
• 1 coffee tray
• 4 trays for finished dishes
• 1 trash can
• 2 sinks
• 9 star tokens
• 1 heating die

Setup

Each player receives:

• 1 stove (knob set to “zero”), 1 pan (placed on stove)
• 1 randomly drawn coffee cup (pink side up)
• 1 tray for finished dishes
• 1 crepe

Central table:

• 20 dishes sorted by color (recipe side up)
• 4 dispensers (each with 15 condiments of one color + 5 salt crystals)
• 1 sink, coffee tray with remaining cups (green side up)
• Heating die, trash can, 9 cooking stars

First Player chooses a dish for their pan; others follow in order. First Player takes the 3 cooking spoons.

Turn Structure

The active player has 3 regular actions per turn. After each action, the player to the left takes 1 spoon. When all 3 spoons are taken, the turn ends and the next player (now holding 3 spoons) begins.

Additionally, the player may take 1 free coffee break per turn (does not cost an action).

Actions

1. Heat the Stove

Roll the heating die and adjust the stove knob:

• Number: Heat up that many levels.
• All players symbol: Every player heats up 1 level.
• Choice symbol: Heat up 1, 2, or 3 levels (your choice).
• Coffee cup symbol: Draw a coffee cup from the tray (or steal one from another player if tray is empty; cannot steal VP cups).

Maximum heat level is 7 (surplus is ignored).

2. Season a Dish

Take the appropriate colored dispenser, hold it over the pan opening-down in a single movement, then return it upright. All condiments that fall out go into the pan (even those that miss).

Rules:

• May shake dispenser before the movement, but not during.
• No tapping during seasoning.
• If unsuccessful, try again with another action.

3. Coffee Break (Free – once per turn)

Use one of your coffee cups and discard it face-up to the tray:

Cup	Effect	Copies
1 Victory Point	Place on finished dishes tray permanently	3
Exchange Stoves	Swap your stove/pan/dish with another player (not burnt/over-seasoned/crepe dishes)	3
3 Spoons	Gain 3 extra actions; cannot use another coffee cup this turn	2
Re-season	Season another player’s dish once (any condiment, even one already at 2)	3
Decrease Heat	Reduce your heat by 1, 2, or 3 levels (works even if burnt, even at “7”)	2

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Finishing a Dish

A dish is finished when:

1. Stove is at the required heating level (green range on recipe), AND
2. The required condiments are in the pan.

Move finished dish to your tray (illustration side up). Put condiments in the sink. Choose a new dish (must be a color you haven’t finished before, if possible). Reset heat to zero.

Cooking Stars

A dish earns a star if finished perfectly: exact number of required condiments with zero salt. Dishes requiring no condiments never earn stars.

Spoiled Dishes

• Over-seasoned: 3+ condiments of the same color in the pan, OR 3+ salt crystals.
• Burnt: Stove reaches the red heating level.
• Spoiled dish goes to trash. Condiments go to sink. Choose new dish, reset heat.

End of Game

The game ends when:

• A player cannot place a new dish in their pan, OR
• A player finishes 5 dishes (crepes count), OR
• A player collects 3 stars (instant sole winner – VP does not matter).

Otherwise, the player with the most VP wins. Ties are shared.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Crepe rules: Place crepe recipe-side up in pan; your turn ends immediately. On your next turn: (1) roll heating die, (2) attempt up to 2 flips. Flip = toss crepe from pan and catch it image-side up. Success = finished (any heat below 7 is valid). Failure = try again next turn. Heat 7 = burnt. No coffee breaks while crepe is in pan. Each player may do only 1 crepe per game.
• Dispenser refill: When empty or only salt remains, return all condiments of that color from the sink. Refill to 5 salt crystals if possible.
• Spoiled dishes from opponent re-seasoning stay in your pan until your turn.
• New dish selection does not cost an action.
• You must choose a new dish color you haven’t previously finished (if available).

Player Reference

Resource Values
Lemon condiments	Yellow
Pepper condiments	Black
Paprika condiments	Red
Herb condiments	Green
Salt crystals	White (bad!)

Heating Die Faces
1, 2, 3	Heat up that many levels
All players	Everyone heats 1
Choice	Heat 1, 2, or 3
Coffee cup	Draw a cup

End Triggers
3 stars	Instant win
5 finished dishes	End game, most VP wins
No available dishes	End game, most VP wins
Over-season threshold	3+ same color or 3+ salt
Max heat	Level 7