Isis & Osiris

Overview

Players place wooden game stones and numbered tiles on a 6x6 grid. Tiles have positive or negative point values. At game end, each game stone scores based on the values of orthogonally adjacent tiles. The player with the highest total score wins.

Components

• 1 Gameboard (6x6 playing area with two scoring strips)
• 22 Isis tiles: 2x +1, 6x +2, 2x +3, 1x +4, 2x -1, 6x -2, 2x -3, 1x -4
• 32 Game stones (8 each in 4 player colors)
• 4 Scoring stones (1 per player color)
• 4 +/- 20 markers

Setup

1. Place the gameboard centrally.
2. Place +/- 20 markers next to the scoring strips.
3. Each player chooses a color and takes their scoring stone.
4. Shuffle all 22 Isis tiles face down.
5. Distribute game stones and tiles by player count:
   • 2 players: 8 game stones and 11 tiles each
   • 3 players: 6 game stones and 7 tiles each
   • 4 players: 5 game stones and 5 tiles each
6. Players may NOT look at the faces of their tiles; keep them as a face-down reserve.
7. Return remaining tiles and unused game stones to the box without looking.

Turn Structure

Players decide who starts. On your turn, you must perform exactly one of two actions:

1. Place a game stone on any free space on the board.
2. Place a tile: Draw a face-down tile from your reserve, reveal it to all players so they can see its value, then turn it face-down and place it on any free space. The eye on the back must always point in the same direction.

Play continues clockwise.

Actions

Place a Game Stone

Place one of your colored game stones on any unoccupied space on the 6x6 grid.

Place a Tile

Take the top tile from your face-down reserve, show its value to all players, then place it face-down on any unoccupied space. Once revealed, you must place it (cannot switch to placing a game stone instead).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when the last free space on the board is filled.

Scoring procedure:

1. Flip all tiles face up.
2. For each game stone, sum the values of all orthogonally adjacent tiles (up, down, left, right — not diagonal).
3. A game stone’s net value can be negative.
4. Each player totals the values of all their game stones.
5. Record on the blue (positive) or red (negative) scoring strip. Use +/- 20 markers if score exceeds 20.

Winner: The player with the most points wins. If all players have negative scores, the player with the least negative score wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• If you have no more tiles, you must place a game stone. If you have no more game stones, you must place a tile.
• Once a tile is revealed, it must be placed; you cannot choose to place a game stone instead.
• All tile backs (eyes) must face the same direction for fairness.
• Unplayed tiles and stones at game end are returned to the box; they do not score.
• Tiles adjacent to multiple game stones affect all of them.

Variant: Common Reserve

All Isis tiles are mixed face-down in a common reserve beside the board. When placing a tile, draw from the common reserve instead of a personal supply. When the common reserve is empty, players may only place game stones.

Player Reference

Players	Game Stones	Tiles Each
2	8	11
3	6	7
4	5	5

Tile Values	Quantity
+1	2
+2	6
+3	2
+4	1
-1	2
-2	6
-3	2
-4	1

Scoring: Sum of adjacent tile values for each game stone. Highest total wins.