Karuba is a simultaneous tile-laying race game where each player leads an expedition of four adventurers through a dense jungle island to reach temples and collect treasures. One player acts as expedition leader, revealing numbered tiles that all players must use simultaneously. Players choose to either lay tiles to build paths or discard tiles to move adventurers. The first to reach each temple claims the most valuable treasure.
Components
4 island boards
144 jungle tiles (36 per player, numbered 1-36, in 4 colors)
16 adventurers (4 each in brown, blue, purple, yellow)
16 temples (4 each in brown, blue, purple, yellow)
16 temple treasures (worth 2, 3, 4, or 5 points in matching colors)
64 crystals (worth 1 point each)
16 gold nuggets (worth 2 points each)
Setup
Each player takes an island, 4 adventurers, 4 temples, and 36 jungle tiles.
Set up temple treasure stacks by color, sorted in descending value. Stack sizes depend on player count:
2 players: treasures worth 5, 3
3 players: treasures worth 5, 3, 2
4 players: treasures worth 5, 4, 3, 2
Place crystals and gold nuggets in the center of the table.
Adventurer and Temple placement: Players cooperatively decide positions. Place adventurers on beach numbers and temples on jungle numbers (minimum 3 numbers distance between matching colors). ALL islands must have identical placement.
Expedition leader: Shuffles their 36 tiles face-down into a stack. Other players sort their tiles face-up by number around their island.
Turn Structure
Each turn:
Expedition leader reveals the top tile and calls out its number.
All players find the matching tile simultaneously.
Each player chooses Option A or Option B for that tile.
Actions
Option A: Lay Tile on the Island
Place on any free field in the island grid.
Number must be in the upper left corner (no rotation).
Tiles do not need to connect to existing tiles.
Paths may create dead ends where pathless edges meet.
If the tile shows a crystal or gold nugget symbol, all players take the corresponding item from the supply and place it on that tile on their board.
Option B: Discard Tile and Move an Adventurer
Discard the tile; move one adventurer a number of steps equal to the number of path exits on the discarded tile (2, 3, or 4 steps).
One step = one tile forward along a path.
Adventurers may only move along paths.
Only one adventurer per tile; no leaping over others.
At intersections, adventurers may turn in any direction.
Movement points cannot be split among multiple adventurers.
Unused movement points may be forfeited.
Collecting Gold Nuggets and Crystals
An adventurer must END their movement on a tile containing a gold nugget or crystal to collect it (forfeiting remaining movement).
Collected items are placed on the adventurer’s picture beside the island. Not mandatory to collect; you may pass by.
Reaching a Temple
When an adventurer reaches its matching-color temple position, that player takes the most valuable treasure of that color remaining from the center stacks.
The adventurer stays at the temple for the rest of the game.
If multiple players reach the same colored temple on the same turn, each receives the same total points: first takes the top treasure, others take lesser treasures and make up the difference with crystals from the stockpile.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The game ends when:
The last of the 36 jungle tiles is revealed, OR
All 4 adventurers of one player have reached their temples (whichever comes first).
Final Scoring
Temple treasures: printed value
Gold nuggets: 2 points each
Crystals: 1 point each
Gold nuggets and crystals still on island tiles (uncollected) score nothing.
Highest total points wins. Tiebreaker: most jungle tiles placed on island. If still tied, joint winners.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
If multiple players cannot decide what to do and their decisions depend on each other, the player with the most current points decides first. Tiebreak: oldest player.
Tiles cannot be rotated; the number must always be in the upper left corner.
Tiles cannot be placed outside or overlapping the grid edge.
Dead ends are legal and can strand adventurers, so plan carefully.