Yaxha
Recreate the Mayan pyramids on your tabletop in Yaxha, three blocks at a time.
To set up, place as many market tiles on the table as the number of players, and give each player a hand of cards that match the color of the market tiles. Deal each player a turn order card at random, then place three bonus cards on the table, whether randomly or by choice.
In each of the ten rounds, fill all market tiles by drawing three blocks at a time from the bag. Blocks come in five colors. All players simultaneously choose and reveal a card showing a market tile. If all players chose different market tiles, everyone takes the blocks from their chosen tile; if not, the tied player with the lowest turn order card takes their chosen blocks, while other tied players choose from what's left unclaimed, after which players exchange turn order cards.
Use the blocks to create a pyramid bit by bit. All blocks must touch one another as you build. The bottom layer of the pyramid will be four blocks wide and long, and once you have four blocks in a 2x2 arrangement, you can place a block on top of these four blocks — but only if it's touching a block of the same color, whether below it or next to it. If you can't place a block, you must discard it. If you don't discard anything, you'll end up with a four-level pyramid of thirty blocks.
At game's end, you score points for the largest visible group in your pyramid of each color. (Some blocks might be hidden, and they don't score.) In addition, for each bonus card that you satisfy — for example, having the most yellow blocks, having all five colors visible on the second layer of your pyramid, having the second largest group of blocks regardless of color — you score 5 points. Whoever has the highest score wins.
Number of players: 2 - 4
Game duration: 6 mn
Complexity: 1 / 5
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Play Yaxha and 1194 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
🗿 YAXHA — Quick Guide
🎯 Objective
Build your pyramid by placing colored cubes strategically over 10 rounds. At the end, score points for your largest connected group of each color and for any bonus cards you earned.
⚙️ Setup
- Place all cubes into the bag.
- In the center, form a row with as many Market Tiles as there are players.
- Each player takes the Market Cards matching their color (one per tile).
- Randomly deal Initiative Tiles (remove excess if fewer than 4 players).
- Reveal 3 Bonus Cards face up (recommended simple icons for first game).
🔁 Rounds
The game lasts 10 rounds. Each round consists of:
- 📦 Collecting cubes
- 🏗️ Building the pyramid
📦 Collecting Cubes
- Place 3 random cubes on each Market Tile.
- Each player simultaneously chooses a Market Card face down.
- Reveal all chosen cards.
If all players chose different cards: each takes cubes from their Market Tile.
If several players match: the player with the lowest initiative takes those cubes first.
Other tied players then choose from remaining groups in initiative order.
📌 After resolving, tied players swap their Initiative Tiles.
Special cases:
- 👥 3 players tied → the lowest swaps with the highest.
- 👤👤👤👤 4 players tied → 1↔4 and 2↔3.
✅ Retrieve your played card and continue to pyramid building.
🏗️ Building the Pyramid
Each round you must immediately place your 3 collected cubes following these rules:
- 🔹 Each cube must touch a cube already placed (except the very first).
- 🔹 You may start a new level before filling the current one.
- 🔹 From level 2 onward: cubes must sit on 4 cubes below.
- 🔹 From level 2 onward: cubes must be placed next to or above a cube of the same color.
😬 If you cannot place a cube legally, discard it back to the box.
🏁 End of the Game
After the 10th round, the game ends.
For each color, determine your largest connected visible group (across levels) and score points based on the reference table.
- 🎖️ Score Bonus Card effects
- 🎨 Score all visible largest groups
👑 Highest total wins.
🤝 Ties result in shared victory.
Note: center cubes at levels 1–2 are often hidden and do not score unless visible.
🃏 Bonus Cards
These award extra points based on:
- 🎨 Largest group of specific colors
- 🎯 Largest group of a single color
- 🏛️ Presence on level 1
- 📐 Height of a color across levels
- 🌈 Having all 5 colors at level 1 or 2
- 💥 Second-largest group of a single color
🔔 Ties award points to all tied players.