Overview

Aton is a two-player card-driven area control game set in ancient Egypt. Each player takes the role of a high priest of either Aton or Amon, competing to place priests in crucial positions across four temples in Thebes. Players simultaneously assign cards to four cartouches (action slots) each round, then resolve them in order to score points, determine turn order, remove and place counters. The game ends when a player reaches 40 points or achieves one of three occupation victories.

Components

• 1 six-part game board featuring:
  • 4 temples, each with 12 playing squares (including coloured squares: yellow, green, blue, black, and bonus squares)
  • Scoring strip (up to 40 points)
  • Kingdom of the Dead with 8 squares
  • 4 cartouches on each side
• 72 playing cards (values 1-4): 36 red, 36 blue
• 58 priest counters: 29 red, 29 blue
• 2 “exchange” counters (white)
• 2 scoring counters (1 red, 1 blue)

Setup

1. Assemble the game board between the two players.
2. Each player takes 29 counters in their colour, their set of cards, and one white “exchange” counter.
3. Shuffle card decks separately; place face-down as draw piles.
4. Place scoring counters next to square “1” on the scoring strip.
5. Each player draws the top 4 cards from their pile.
6. Each player assigns 1 card face-down to each of their 4 cartouches.

Turn Structure

Each round proceeds as follows:

1. Card Assignment

Both players simultaneously draw 4 cards and assign 1 card face-down to each of their 4 cartouches.

2. Reveal and Resolve

All 8 cards are turned face-up and resolved cartouche by cartouche:

1st Cartouche — Points:

• Compare both players’ card values.
• The player with the higher value receives double the difference in points.
• Equal values: no points scored.

2nd Cartouche — Turn Order / Removal: This determines two things:

a) Turn Order:

• The player with the lower card value goes first for cartouches 2-4.
• If tied, compare 1st cartouche values; the lower value goes first.
• If still tied, both players draw cards from their piles until one draws a lower value (that player goes first; cards return to bottom of pile).

b) Removing Counters (not in the 1st round):

• Calculate: card value minus 2.
• If positive: remove that many opposing counters from temples.
• If result is -1: remove 1 of your own counters.
• If not enough counters available, remove only those present.

3rd Cartouche — Determining the Temple:

• The card value indicates which temples may be used for removal (2nd cartouche) and placement (4th cartouche).
• All temples numbered equal to or less than the card value may be used.

4th Cartouche — Positioning Counters:

• The card value equals the number of your own counters you may take from stock and place in temples.
• Each counter is placed on 1 unoccupied square in an eligible temple.
• If you have no counters in stock, you cannot place any.
• Counters that cannot be placed go to the Kingdom of the Dead.

3. Cleanup

Discard used cards face-up. Draw 4 new cards for the next round. When the face-down pile runs out, shuffle discards to form a new pile.

Actions

Exchange Counter

• Once per game, a player may hand in their white exchange counter to discard their current 4 cards and draw 4 new ones instead.
• The exchange counter is removed from the game after use.

Kingdom of the Dead

Counters enter the Kingdom of the Dead when:

• Removed from temples
• Unable to be placed in a temple (no room)

Counters are placed on empty squares in the Kingdom of the Dead. If the Kingdom of the Dead is completely full, both players complete their current go, then immediate scoring takes place.

Scoring (When Kingdom of the Dead Fills)

Temple	Scoring Rule
Temple 1	Player with majority receives points equal to the difference in counter counts
Temple 2	Player with majority receives 5 points
Temple 3	Player with majority receives points equal to their own counter count in that temple
Temple 4	Player with majority receives 3 points per blue square they occupy (1 blue square per temple)
Black squares	Player with majority on black squares receives 8 points
Bonus squares	Each player receives the bonus value (+1 or +2) printed on any bonus square they occupy

• If there is no majority in a temple, no one receives points (also applies to black squares).

After scoring:

1. Both players take turns removing 4 of their own counters from temples, starting with the leader (if tied, red goes first).
2. When removing, one counter must come from each temple if possible. If a player has no counter in a temple, they remove one from the highest-numbered temple where they have counters.
3. All counters from the Kingdom of the Dead and removed counters return to players’ stocks.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends immediately when any of these conditions is met during evaluation of the 1st or 4th cartouche:

1. 40 Points: A player reaches 40 or more points on the scoring strip.
2. Temple Domination: A player occupies all 12 squares of a single temple.
3. Yellow Control: A player occupies all yellow squares across the four temples.
4. Green Control: A player occupies all green squares across the four temples.

The player fulfilling the condition wins immediately.

If the game ends via scoring (Kingdom of the Dead fills), complete scoring is carried out. The player with the most points wins (points beyond 40 count). Equal points result in a draw.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• First round exception: No counters are removed during the 2nd cartouche resolution in the very first round of the game.
• Card value of 2 at 2nd cartouche: Results in 2 - 2 = 0; no counters are removed.
• Card value of 1 at 2nd cartouche: Results in 1 - 2 = -1; the active player must remove 1 of their own counters.
• Insufficient stock: If a player has no counters remaining in stock, they cannot place any counters during the 4th cartouche.
• Kingdom of the Dead overflow: If more counters must be placed in the Kingdom of the Dead than there are spaces, excess counters return to the player’s stock.
• Order of play matters: The player going first for cartouches 2-4 resolves all three cartouches before the second player acts.

Player Reference

Round Sequence: Draw 4 cards → Assign to 4 cartouches → Reveal → Resolve 1st-4th cartouche → Discard → Draw new cards

Cartouche Summary: | Cartouche | Function | |—|—| | 1st | Points: winner gets 2 x difference | | 2nd | Turn order (lower goes first) + Remove counters (value - 2) | | 3rd | Temple selection (temples ≤ card value) | | 4th | Place counters (number = card value) |

Victory Conditions:

• 40+ points
• All 12 squares of one temple
• All yellow squares (across all temples)
• All green squares (across all temples)

Scoring Values:

• Temple 1: difference in counters
• Temple 2: 5 points (majority)
• Temple 3: your counter count (majority)
• Temple 4: 3 per blue square you occupy (majority)
• Black squares: 8 points (majority)
• Bonus squares: +1 or +2 as printed