How to Play
Gemnix Terra is a deck-building exploration game for one to four players. Reach the most Renown once the final round ends. Play solo against the computer, or pass one device around the table.
The turn
- 1
Start
Your characters ready up, and any Gems you stored last turn return to you.
- 2
Draw
Draw a hand of five cards — Tritons draw six.
- 3
Play
Tap a card to play it, or use Play whole hand. Cards give Gems, Movement, Power and Influence for this turn.
- 4
Explore
Click a glowing gold tile next to your characters to reveal it for its Movement cost. It may hide a Crystal Shard (+2 Renown) or an encounter.
- 5
Act
Select a character banner to open its actions: Move one tile, Gather gems, Claim control or Challenge a rival on the same tile. Characters that have acted turn grey.
- 6
Acquire
Spend Gems in the Market. Six Adventure cards, three Gear cards and two basic gems are always on offer; Gear attaches to a character. Once per turn you can pay 1 Gem to replace all six Adventure cards.
- 7
End
Press End turn. Unplayed cards are discarded, up to three leftover Gems are stored, and play passes on.
Earning Renown
Crystal Shards
+2 Renown each, found by exploring.
Encounters
Beat an encounter's Power requirement to earn its Gems and Renown. Power from your cards is spent; if you fall short, your characters there are exhausted. Not strong enough? Leave it on the tile for later. Flamekins earn +1 Renown for each encounter they overcome.
Control
The first player to claim a location scores its Renown. You can take a rival's location for 1 extra Influence, but it pays no Renown again. Gargoyles earn +1 Renown for taking a rival's location or first claiming a mountain or ruin.
Challenges
Once per turn, fight a rival character on your tile. Your card Power is spent, win or lose. Win to gain 1 Renown and 1 Influence, and either exhaust them or push them back to a neighbouring tile. Wins count toward Trials of Terra.
Quests
You get two quests at the start, such as Reveal 5 tiles or Equip 2 items. Each pays 1–3 Renown once.
Destiny
Your faction's big goal, shown on your player board. Fulfil it once for +3 Renown.
Factions
Feywilds
Swift scouts of the pale wood
- Ability
- Your first exploration each turn costs 1 less Movement (minimum 1).
- Leader · Sylwen, Grove Warden
- Gains +1 Movement at the start of each turn.
- Destiny · +3 Renown
- Reveal 8 tiles during the match.
Tritons
Tidewardens of the drowned reach
- Ability
- Draw one extra card each turn.
- Leader · Nerai, Tide Speaker
- Once per turn, recover a card from the discard pile when gathering.
- Destiny · +3 Renown
- Acquire 6 cards from the market (7 with 3+ players).
Gargoyles
Stone sentinels of the high crags
- Ability
- Claiming control costs 1 less Influence (minimum 1). +1 Renown for taking a rival's location or first claiming a mountain or ruin.
- Leader · Vorn, Ruin Sentinel
- Rivals need 1 extra Influence to take your controlled tiles.
- Destiny · +3 Renown
- Control 4 locations at once.
Flamekins
Emberborn raiders of the caldera
- Ability
- Gains +1 Power whenever you play a card. Characters have +1 Power, and overcoming an encounter earns +1 Renown.
- Leader · Ashka, Ember Herald
- May spend 2 Gems for +2 Power in a challenge (used automatically when it wins the fight).
- Destiny · +3 Renown
- Win 2 encounters or challenges (3 with 3+ players).
Tap a faction to bring it forward.
Glossary
- Renown
- Victory points. When someone reaches 12, the round is finished so everyone gets an equal number of turns, then the most Renown wins. A Final round banner shows everyone's scores and the turns left.
- Ties
- Broken by most Crystal Shards, then most controlled locations, then most stored Gems.
- Gems
- Spent in the Market. Up to three carry over between turns.
- Movement
- Spent to explore tiles and move characters. Each tile shows its Move cost.
- Power
- Spent against encounters and in challenges. Characters' own Power and gear are never used up.
- Influence
- Spent to claim control of the tile a character stands on.
- Exhausted
- A character that has acted this turn. It turns grey until your next turn.
