Through the Desert is a fun little 2 to 5 player 45 min game where you place camels in the desert searching for water holes and oases.

Setup
2 player game remove 10 camels of each color
3 player game remove 5 camels of each color
2 to 3 player game small section of the board separated by the dark solid white line is not used.
Each player places their camel rider on a gray camel to indicate/remind what color they are.
Each player places a camel rider on each of the five colors of camels (In five player game each player removes one camel rider).
Place the five palm trees randomly on tree sections to indicate an oasis.
Water hole markers consist of fifteen 1 point, fifteen 2 point, and fifteen 3 point markers. Place them randomly face up on the board on the water hole markers and any empty oases.

Confusion - The five different colors of camels belong to everyone. On a turn you can place two of the same or two different of any color as long as it connects to one of your caravans of the same color.

Object of game is to recover water hole markers (range 1 to 3 points) , connect to oases (palm trees) for 5 points each, and enclose areas gives 1 point for each space enclosed, create largest caravan in the five different colors which are 10 points each color. Player with the most points wins.

Starting player (just choose one) begins by placing a caravan leader. Rules are you can't place a caravan leader next to an oasis nor on top of a water hole marker so this is an ILLEGAL placement.

This is a legal placement for green player so the next player (clockwise) places his caravan leader. During the first round of caravan leader placement another player must place a DIFFERENT color caravan leader so this is ILLEGAL.

So instead pink player places a yellow caravan leader. Then blue player places a green caravan leader.

You may not place a caravan leader next to another caravan leader so this is an ILLEGAL placement.

Green player places his green caravan leader one hex from the blue player's green caravan leader. What this does is kill any hope for green or blue player of getting the 3 point water hole marker between them since it's ILLEGAL to place the same color next to another players caravan of the same color, otherwise confusion of ownership of the camels would result.

After everyone has placed all of their caravan leaders the game begins. Everyone places two camels on their turn EXCEPT the very first round the first two players only place ONE camel due to their advantage of going first.

Green player places a green camel connecting to an oasis so he is given a 5 point oasis marker.

Pink player places a pink camel on a 3 point water hole marker which he claims immediately.

Blue player places a green camel next to pink player's yellow caravan. This is legal as long as the other caravan is not the same color camel.

Green player decides to play a purple camel and pink camel on their turn.

Green player connects to the oasis and gets 5 points. Multiple players may connect to an oasis and each player collects 5 points but only once per oasis.

Blue player places two green camels in an attempt to enclose off the area with the solid white line border.

Blue and green player's purple caravans can't get the 3 point water hole marker but green player's blue caravan could possibly get it.

Pink player's blue caravan is connecting to two different oases for 5 points each.

Green players enclosed off the entire area so gets to claim the 2 and 3 point water hole markers. At the end of the game will receive 12 points for the enclosed area spaces.

Blue players encloses off an area and gets the 1 point water hole marker and at the end of the game will receive 10 points for the enclosed area spaces.

Pink player enclosed area and gets 3, 3, and 1 water holes and at end of the game will receive 13 points for enclosed spaces. If you enclose and oasis you also get 5 points without having to connect to it but it doesn't count as a point for an enclosed area space like water holes and empty spaces do.

Game ends immediately when a player places the last camel of a single color.

Game is over and points are added. Score enclosed areas and largest caravans. Note blurred out green camel due to illegal placement guess I was sleeping.

Players get 10 points for each color they have the largest caravan of a paticular color. Players tied share 5 points each.

Largest Green Caravan blue player with 11 camels gets 10 points
Largest Pink Caravan pink player with 11 camels gets 10 points
Largest Purple Caravan green player with 11 camels gets 10 points
Largest Yellow Caravan blue player with 7 camels gets 10 points
Largest Blue Caravan green player with 15 camels gets 10 points

Through the Desert rules throughthedesertrules.pdf 336KB

Updated Nov 9, 2005

Back German Board Games