Torres

Overview

Torres is a strategic castle-building game where 2-4 players compete to build and occupy castles on a game board. Players use action points to place castle blocks, move knights, and play action cards. Scoring occurs three times during the game (at the end of each of three phases), with knights scoring based on the height and area of the castle they occupy. The player with the most points at the end wins.

Components

• 1 Game board (8x8 grid)
• Castle blocks (stackable building pieces)
• Knights (player pieces in 4 colors)
• Action cards
• Scoring markers
• King piece
• Phase markers
• Rulebook

Setup

1. Place the game board centrally.
2. Place the King on the designated starting castle.
3. Each player receives knights in their color and a starting hand of action cards.
4. Place initial castle blocks on predetermined spaces.
5. Each player places 1 knight on the board per setup rules.
6. Determine starting player randomly.
7. Set phase marker to Phase 1.

Turn Structure

The game consists of 3 phases, each ending with a scoring round.

On your turn, spend 5 Action Points (AP) on any combination of actions:

Actions

Action	AP Cost	Description
Place a castle block	1 AP	Add a block to any castle (expanding or heightening it)
Place a knight	1 AP	Add a new knight from supply to the board at ground level
Move a knight	1 AP per step	Move a knight horizontally or vertically; can climb up 1 level but cannot descend
Play an action card	0 AP	Use a card for special effects (extra AP, special moves, etc.)
Buy an action card	1 AP	Draw a card from the deck

Castle Building Rules

• Blocks can be placed on any existing castle or to start a new castle.
• Blocks can be stacked to increase castle height.
• A castle is a connected group of blocks (orthogonally adjacent at the same level or stacked).
• The King’s castle provides bonus scoring.

Knight Movement

• Knights move orthogonally (horizontal or vertical), 1 space per AP.
• Knights can climb UP 1 level of castle blocks per step.
• Knights CANNOT descend levels (must stay at same height or go up).
• Multiple knights can occupy the same space.

Action Cards

• Provide special abilities like extra AP, teleportation, or special block placements.
• Playing a card does not cost AP.
• Drawing a new card costs 1 AP.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Scoring occurs at the end of each of the 3 phases. Each knight scores:

Score = Castle Height x Castle Area

Where:

• Height = the level at which the knight stands (the highest block in the castle counts)
• Area = the number of connected spaces the castle covers at the knight’s level

King Bonus: Knights in the same castle as the King score additional bonus points.

After 3 scoring rounds, the player with the most cumulative points wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Castle Merging: If a block placement connects two separate castles, they merge into one larger castle.
• Height Restriction: Knights can only climb 1 level per movement step. They cannot jump or descend.
• Action Card Limit: Players have a hand limit for action cards.
• King Movement: The King can be moved by certain action cards, affecting scoring for all players.
• Phase Length: Each phase lasts a set number of rounds (varies by player count).
• Block Supply: Castle blocks are limited; once depleted, no more can be placed.
• Knight Limit: Each player has a limited number of knights. Once all are on the board, no more can be placed.
• Ground Level: Knights placed on the board always start at ground level (level 1).
• Tied Scores: Ties are broken by the highest single scoring knight.

Player Reference

Phase	Scoring
End of Phase 1	Height x Area per knight
End of Phase 2	Height x Area per knight
End of Phase 3	Height x Area per knight

AP per turn: 5

Score Formula: Height x Area (of the castle containing the knight)

Knight Movement: 1 AP per step, can go up 1 level, cannot descend