Labores de Bizâncio

In this may-or-may-not-follow-the-suit trick-taking game, success depends on how players win rounds and allocate their workers. Demeter determines whether the highest or lowest value prevails, challenging players to manage their hands carefully. Manage resources by gathering, trading, and selling goods, while the delayed return of workers until the end of the next turn emphasizes the importance of blocking locations and precise planning. The game demands constant decision-making and adaptation to changing conditions. Game Turn: On their turn, a player begins by playing a card from their hand. All players participate by following the suit or choosing not to, depending on the suit’s availability for allocating workers to specific locations. Players play one card each in a round. After all cards are played, the winner of the round is determined based on the current state of Demeter: If Demeter is in Blessing, the highest card wins. If Demeter is in Trial, the lowest card wins. In case of a tie, the last card played wins. The winner of the round collects the played cards, places them face down in their area, and then places their worker in a location corresponding to the suit of the winning card. Each location allows players to gather, trade, or sell resources. The available locations are: Market (accessible with any suit): Sell goods for Miliarenses. Forest (only with Forager): Collect wild fruits or mushrooms. Field (only with Farmer): Collect cabbage or barley. Pasture (only with Shepherd): Collect sheep or Angora goats. Shearing Hut (only with Shearer): Exchange sheep or Angora goats for wool and meat, or collect baskets. Players can also choose to perform a special action, such as offering their Garlands to trigger Demeter’s Blessing, which can help them manipulate the flow of the game. Game End: The game ends when all the cards have been played, meaning no cards are left in the draw pile or in players’ hands. Players then proceed to the final scoring. Winning the Game: The player with the most Miliarenses at the end of the game is the winner. However, in the case of a tie, the player with the most unsold goods wins. If the tie persists, the player with the most round victories is declared the winner. If the tie continues, the players share the victory.