Ladies and gentlemen, get ready! The carnival is rolling into town. In The Grand Carnival, players battle it out to craft the most amazing carnival this town has ever witnessed. You'll have to plan your carnival layout carefully, build cool attractions, hire staff, and manage the crowds. Along the way, you'll pick up some trade tricks. Each turn, players cover a number on their board and choose an action. The covered number decides how well the action works and won't be available again until the next round. So, think smart about which number to use. Possible actions are: Place a Foundation Tile - Pick a foundation tile for your fairground. The higher the number you cover, the more tile choices you have. Tiles are 2x2 grids with construction sites and walkways. Attractions go on construction sites, and guests move on walkways, so place tiles wisely. Build an Attraction - Select a polyomino attraction and put it on construction sites. The size of the attraction you can choose depends on the covered number. Bigger attractions collect more tickets and are worth more points but can make it hard for guests to move. Move a Guest - Choose a guest token and move it on the walkways. The distance a guest can move depends on the covered number. If a guest moves next to an attraction, place a ticket token on it. Move enough guests, and you can hire a carnival barker. Barker helps guests move fast but takes up space in your fairground. After your action, check if you meet the requirements for the 'Tricks of the Trade' cards. Each trick has a condition to unlock its special ability. Once a player unlocks a trick, opponents have one turn to meet the same condition or lose access for the rest of the game. After seven rounds, the game ends. Players earn points from sets of attractions, carnival barkers, guests who move through the park, and tickets. The player with the most points wins!
To play The Ultimate Grand Carnival Game, first, each turn, cover a number on your player board and then pick an action. When placing a foundation tile, remember that the higher the covered number, the more tile options you have. Place the tiles carefully as attractions go on construction sites and guests move on walkways. For building an attraction, the size you can select depends on the covered number. Bigger attractions are great for points but might cause movement issues for guests. When moving a guest, the distance it can go is based on the covered number. If a guest gets next to an attraction, put a ticket token on it. Moving enough guests lets you hire a carnival barker. After taking an action, check if you meet the requirements for the 'Tricks of the Trade' cards. Once a player unlocks a trick, opponents need to meet the same condition in one turn or lose access. At the end of seven rounds, calculate your points from attractions, barkers, guests, and tickets. The one with the most points wins. Keep in mind to plan your moves carefully and think about how each action affects the overall game. There's no specific maintenance needed for this game, just keep all the pieces in a safe place when not in use.
