Overview

Build a marvelous machine in a thought provoking two step process. In order to take a tile, you must first place it on your side of the board so that it can later be released by placing another tile on the central row.

Round Basics

3 new tiles are drawn.

The starting player is called the Mecha player, who will take a tile first.

For each round, the Mecha player takes 2 tiles, and the non-Mecha player takes 1 tile.

At the end of a round, change the starting player so the non-Mecha player will become the Mecha player in the following round.

Turn

On your turn, take a tile from those available and place it either on your side OR on a central pile.

If you place it on your side, it must either match the colour and/or shape as the adjacent tile in the central row AND the space you wish to place it on must be empty. If the chosen tile cannot be placed on your side, then you are forced to place it on a central pile.

If you place it on a central pile, there are no criteria and it can be placed on whichever pile you wish. After placing, check if a link is still established between the new central tile and BOTH player areas, i.e. still shares a colour and/or shape. If the connection is broken, meaning no shape or colour similarities, then the tile is released. A release can happen for you, your opponent, or both.

Release

A release phase only occurs if triggered as outline above.

Regardless of who triggered the release, whenever a tile on your side is released, you must immediately add it to your machine.

It must be placed orthogonally adjacent to at least one other tile.

Pipes can only connect to other pipes. Pipe-less edges can only connect to other pipe-less edges.

Your pipe network can never be completely closed.

All tiles must be added to your machine upon release. If you cannot legally place it, the tile is removed from the game.

Mecha-Botanist

The face tiles, Mecha-Botanists, are different to the normal tiles when released.

When a Mecha-Botanist is released on your side, you swap it with one of the top tiles on the central piles (excluding another Mecha-Botanist tile). You will gain that tile from the central pile, and then add it to your machine.

By swapping the central tiles, you can trigger another release and gain second tile to add to your machine.

However, you can have no more than 1 extra tile from this chain reaction.

Game End

The game ends when the last tile is played.

All tiles not connected to your main pipe network are removed.

Earn 1 point for each tile in a same coloured group of 3+ adjacent tiles.

Earn 1 point per flower. Flowers on a Plant or Vegetable tile are only scored if they are connected by another pipe of the same colour.

The player with the most points wins.

If tied, the player with the most tiles in their machine wins.