Village

Overview

Village is a worker-management game where players guide families through generations of village life. Family members pursue careers in crafts, politics, travel, and religion, earning prestige through their achievements – and their deaths. The Village Chronicle records the accomplishments of the deceased, providing bonus points. The game uniquely features a time track; performing certain actions advances time, eventually causing family members to die. Players must strategically decide who lives, who works, and who dies memorably.

Components

• 44 Family members (11 per player in 4 colors)
• 4 Black monks
• 40 Goods tiles (horses, oxen, wagons, plows, scrolls)
• 24 Customer tiles
• 15 Coins, 20 Grain bags
• 72 Influence cubes (6 colors including plague cubes)
• 4 Farmyards with bridge markers
• Game board (9 action areas)
• 2 Cloth bags (green for cubes, black for monks)
• Scoring markers and reference cards
• Rulebook

Setup

1. Each player takes a farmyard, 4 generation-1 family members, 1 coin, and 2 markers (bridge and score track).
2. Place customer tiles based on player count.
3. Put influence cubes and plague cubes in the green bag. Place black monks in the black bag.
4. Seed action spaces with cubes drawn from the green bag.
5. Place the game board centrally with all areas visible.

Turn Structure

Round Sequence

1. Seed Action Spaces: Draw cubes from the green bag and place them on action spaces.
2. Player Turns: Clockwise, each player takes 1 cube from an action space and performs that action (or passes). Continue until all cubes are taken.
3. Mass: Conduct the church mass (draw from black bag, advance family in church).

Individual Turn

Take 1 cube from any action space:

• Influence cube: Keep it on your farmyard for future use.
• Plague cube (black): Return to supply; immediately costs 2 time on your life track.

Then perform the corresponding action.

Actions

Grain Harvest

If you have family members on your farmyard, take 2 grain. With horse + plow: 3 grain. With ox + plow: 4 grain.

Family

Add a new family member from supply to your farmyard, or return an employed family member to the farmyard.

Crafts

Produce goods at craft buildings:

• Time Payment: Place a family member (costs time), then produce a good (costs more time).
• Resource Payment: Pay influence cubes or grain without a family member.
• Mill produces 2 coins instead of goods.

Market

Serve customers using goods. First customer served is free; additional customers cost 1 green cube + 1 time each. Non-serving players pay 1 green cube + 1 time to serve.

Travel

Send family members to cities on the travel map. Cost: 2 time + 1 wagon + 2 influence cubes (color depends on direction). Each city visited earns 2 cubes, 1 coin, or 3 prestige.

Council Chamber

Place or advance family members through 4 stages, gaining increasing benefits (starting player marker, cubes, goods, prestige).

Church

Add family member to the black bag (costs 1 brown cube or 3 time). Family drawn during masses are placed on church windows.

Well (Substitute)

Return 3 same-colored influence cubes to perform any other action without taking a cube from the board.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Game End Trigger

The game ends when the last space in either the Village Chronicle or the anonymous graves is filled.

Time and Death

Advancing the bridge marker past the bridge on the life track causes a death. The family member with the lowest generation number must die. Dead family members enter the Village Chronicle (if space exists for their profession) or anonymous graves.

Final Scoring

Category	Points
Travel (1/2/3/4/5/6 cities)	1/3/6/10/14/18
Council (Stage 1/2/3/4)	0/2/4/6
Church windows	2/3/4/6 (right to left)
Village Chronicle (1-2/3/4/5+ members)	0/4/7/12
Customer tiles	Face value
Coins	1 per coin

Tiebreaker: Most customers served; then most living family members.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Death Timing: Finish the chosen action before death occurs (exception: market day causes immediate death choice).
• Lowest Generation Dies First: When death occurs, the family member with the lowest number always dies first.
• Chronicle vs. Graves: The Chronicle has limited slots per profession. If full, the deceased goes to anonymous graves (no scoring).
• Coin as Joker: Coins can substitute for any 1 influence cube.
• Farmyard Limit: Maximum 5 grain bags on your farmyard.
• Goods Are Permanent: Goods used for harvest bonuses (horse, ox, plow) are not consumed.
• Family Selection: Always take the lowest-numbered available family member from supply.
• Missing Players: Use unused colors’ family members to block Chronicle/grave spaces in 2-3 player games.
• Market Timing: Complete the entire market day before checking for game-end triggers.
• Church Mass: Draw 4 pieces from the black bag. Players pay 1 coin each to secure their family from the bag. Place secured family members on the rightmost church window.

Player Reference

Action Space	Key Effect
Grain Harvest	2-4 grain (depends on equipment)
Family	Add/return family member
Crafts	Produce goods (time or resource cost)
Market	Serve customers for points
Travel	Visit cities for VP/resources
Council	Advance through 4 stages
Church	Enter bag; drawn during mass -> windows
Well	Trade 3 matching cubes for any action

Time Track: Actions cost time -> Bridge = death -> Lowest generation dies