In Golems, you will need to collect resources and summon Golems to score victory points while trying not to be anticipated by your opponent.
You will take alternating turns. During each turn you collect cards from the grid by using your Gems and choosing how to use the collected cards to maximize your strategy.
There are 3 types of cards: Golem cards, Gem cards, Rune cards.
To pick a card from a row that contains 3 cards, place a Gem from your reserve on each of the 2 undesired cards and then take the card.
To pick a card from a row that contains 2 cards, move the Gem from the desired card to the undesired card.
To pick the last card of a row, collect the Gems and then take the card. Immediately refill the row with 3 new cards from the deck.
During your turn:
- You may use a Golem card as a resource by placing the card upside down in front of you.
- You may summon a Golem if you have all the resources needed to do this, by placing the card face-up next to your resource cards and by discarding 1 to 3 cards with the matching resources of the Golem you want to summon. Tuck the cards under the summoned Golem. These resources cannot be used anymore, but each card will score 1 point at the end of the game.
- You may use a Rune card as a resource.
- You may take a Rune card in hand and use it to score additional points, but only if you have at least 3 Gems in your reserve and pay 1 Gem to the supply.
- You may take a Gem card in hand to gain the bonus shown on the card.
- You may take a Gem card to gain set-collection points by placing the card face-down next to your Rune cards and creating Gem dust.
The game ends when you are not able to refill a row with new cards.
Score 2 points for every summoned Golem, 1 point for every card under your summoned Golems, additional victory points for your collected Gem dust symbols, and additional points depending on your Rune cards in hand.
Whoever has the most points, wins. In the case of a tie, whoever collected the most points for their summoned Golems wins.