How to Play Sand Board Game if you hate rulebooks

Hate reading the rulebook? I have summarised the essential how to play Sand board game rules to help you get started quick.
If you are looking to find out more about Sand and whether it is a game for you, visit the our Sand page.

Overview of Sand

Setting:

• The setting is a vast place called the Desert, with no memory of what existed before.
• The golden age of humans is over; now only sand and humidity remain.
• Travelers cross the desert from the Akaishi Mountains to Seapaw cliffs.
• Ancient, half-ruined cities house the last human communities, surviving on scarce greenery.
• Travelers transport goods on giant Worms, aiming to make money while inadvertently restoring life by carrying small plants from city greenhouses to distant areas.

Gameplay

• In the game “Sand,” players act as these desert travelers.
• Players travel across the board, visiting towns, collecting goods, and transporting them to earn gold.
• Players’ Worms, if well-cared-for, will grow and aid in tasks more efficiently.
• Players are joined by Companions and given Missions that provide benefits when completed.
• The winner is the player who accumulates the most money by the end of the game.

Mission Cards

• Separate by day, shuffle each deck.
• For 4 players, remove the last workday deck.
• Take cards equal to the number of players plus one.
• Stack cards face down from last workday to first.
• Reveal first workday cards, arrange numerically left to right.

Specialization Seals
Place on the game board.

Indicator Cubes

• Set aside four white cubes; each player takes one.
• Do the same with black, red, blue, and gray cubes.
• Put 20 matching cubes (plants) in the bag, others (crafts, relics, Iwakura rocks) next to the board as a common reserve.

City Setup:

• Draw and place random Boxes in the cities as indicated.
• One Box in each of the four cities closest to the sea.
• Place random Boxes in both spaces of other cities.

Camp Tiles:

• Separate by color.
• Place blue tiles near the sea, gray tiles near the mountain.
• Place two Minor Tribe tokens on each tile (value 1 below value 2).

Dice and Money

• Place dice stand near the board, dice next to it.
• Leave money within reach of players.

Player Setup

Player Selection: Choose color, take player board and helper card.

Desert Worm: Place in the port space of the main board.

Track Indicators:

• Blue cube: “15” on Hydration Track.
• Red cube: “15” on Food Track.
• Gray cube: “10” on Health Track.
• White cube: “0” on Prayer Track.
• Black cube: “0” on Prestige Track.

Coins: Take 5 coins of value 1.

Action Tokens: Place four Action tokens in Action Pool, side with Box face down. Cover the first space of Actions Used section with “Action Section Blocked” tile.

Shelter: Place in the corresponding space.

Song Tokens: Place six Song tokens in the corresponding space.

Companion Tiles: Place face down in corresponding spaces.

Worm Tile: Place in corresponding space, basic side up.

Turn Markers: Randomly place on game board. Second, third, and fourth players get Prestige reward.

Desert Traveler Tiles:

• Shuffle and place tiles equal to the number of players plus one.
• In reverse turn order, each player chooses one tile and places it on their player board.
• For the first game, skip this step and use the basic version of the characters.

First Player: Rolls the dice (can reroll once), places them on the dice stand, and takes the first turn.

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Sand Gameplay

Sand is played in rounds that are called Workdays.

Number of Workdays:

• 1 to 3 players: 6 workdays.
• 4 players: 5 workdays.

Phases in Each Round/Workday

In each of the following phases, players take turns in order.

• Morning
• Afternoon
• Night

Taking Turns

Player’s goal in each turn: Transport loads in the desert to sell them.

Action Tokens

• Four tokens, each corresponding to the color of one of the four dice.
• Dice determine the power of actions based on color and value.

Turn Setup:

• Take active Action tokens (not showing the Box side).
• Place tokens in available spaces of Actions Used section (start with 3 slots, unlock the 4th later).
• Place all Action tokens you want to use before performing actions.

Performing Actions:

• Use Action tokens to perform actions (in any order).
• Return tokens to their proper place after use.
• Repeat actions if you have the appropriate Action tokens (each token can only be used once per turn).

Available Actions during the turn

• Travel: Move across the desert.
• Load Plants: Collect plants.
• Deliver Goods: Sell transported items.
• Care for Your Worm:
  • Hydration
  • Food
  • Health
• Pray: Gain benefits through prayer.
• Earn Prestige: Increase prestige points.
• Compose Songs: Create songs for rewards.
• Special Acolyte Actions: Unique abilities of acolytes.

During End of Turn

• Turn ends after resolving all actions.
• Next player’s turn begins.
• Phase marker advances after all players complete their turns.
• Move to the next phase
• Round ends after Night phase, followed by Upkeep Phase.

Upkeep Phase (end of each round except the last):

1. End of Round:
   • It is the end of the night phase and the round concludes.
   • If no Mission cards left, game ends
2. Choose a Mission Card:
   • In reverse turn order, players place Turn marker on an unclaimed Mission card.
   • Players decide to keep the card (score at the end) or take the immediate reward and discard it.
   • Discard any unchosen Mission cards.
3. Determine Turn Order:
   • Adjust Turn markers based on positions.
   • Rightmost marker is first position; leftmost is last.
   • Set Phase marker to Morning.
4. Replenish Plants:
   • Draw new plant Boxes from the bag.
   • Place Boxes in empty city spaces following the numbered order.
   • Keep existing Boxes in place.
5. Roll the Dice:
   • First player rolls the dice.
   • Optional reroll all dice once, keeping the second result.
6. Reveal New Missions:
   • Reveal new Mission cards (number of players plus one).
   • Arrange cards numerically left to right (highest to lowest value).
7. Start Next Round:
   • Begin with the player whose Turn marker is in the first position.

End of Game

Final Income Evaluation

• After the last Night Phase, evaluate income and determine the winner.

Missions Accomplished

• If no Iwakura rocks delivered, get rewards for all completed Missions on your player board.

Specialization Seals

• Get an additional coin for each Box of the corresponding plant type on your Record of Plants Delivered.

Support for Minor Tribes

• If you have the highest value of Minor Tribe tiles (even if tied), get 12 additional coins.

Songs

• If you have the most Song tokens on the game board (even if tied), get 3 coins for each token.

Determine the Winner:

• Player with the most money wins.
• Tiebreakers, in order:
  1. Most plants delivered.
  2. Most Iwakura rocks delivered.
  3. Most Missions accomplished.

Understanding the game board

Dice Stand:

• First player rolls dice each round and places them on the stand.
• Stand can be moved and used to indicate the active player.

Specialization Seals:

• Obtain seals by delivering at least four of the same color plant.
• Each seal gives an additional coin per Box of that plant type at the end.
• Multiple seals can be obtained but not exchanged.

Turn Markers:

• Each player has a Turn marker.
• Turn order determined by marker position.
• Used to choose Mission cards at the end of each round.

Mission Deck and Current Round Missions:

• Cards indicate the current round.
• Choose Mission cards at the end of each round, then reveal new cards.

Phase Marker:

• Advance to the next phase after all players have taken their turns.
• Upkeep Phase occurs after the Night Phase.

Locations:

• Port: Deliver crafts, relics, and Iwakura rocks for high prices. Plants are less valued.

• Cities: Deliver crafts and relics at the basic rate. Obtain plant Boxes during Upkeep Phase. Compose Songs and display acolyte colors.

• Oasis: Build Shelters. Interrupt routes; players must stop here.

• Camps
  • Camps near the sea have a blue back; camps near the mountains have a gray back.
  • Each community has a main tribe and a minor tribe with different demands and payment capacities.
  • Main Tribes:
    • Request a specific combination of plants.
    • Pay a higher rate for each plant delivered.
    • Joint delivery of both required plants provides:
      • Money.
      • A Box of crafts (sea camps) or relics (mountain camps) for transport and delivery to any city or port.
  • Minor Tribes:
    • Pay only the basic rate for plant deliveries.
    • Joint delivery of the two required plants provides:
      • Money.
      • A minor tribe token from the top of the stack (if available).

Shelters:

• Available after delivering the third Box of plants.
• Place in any city, oasis, or camp without other players’ Shelters.
• Unlocks four spaces on your player board for goods transfer.
• Transfer goods without action cost; reactivates occupied Action tokens.

Routes:

One can travel two types of routes: established paths and shortcuts. To take one route or another, you must pay the cost indicated on your Worm tile.

• Established Paths: Easy, safe, often pass near oases.

• Shortcuts: Direct but dangerous and difficult

Knowing your player board

Traveler: Place your Traveler tile here.

Worm: Place your Worm tile here (basic side up, flip/evolve as necessary).

Tracks:

• Hydration: Track and manage Worm’s hydration costs.
• Food: Track and manage Worm’s food costs.
• Health: Track and manage Worm’s health costs.
• Prayers: Track Prayers used to increase die values.
• Prestige: Track extra coins earned during deliveries.

Action Tokens:

• Four tokens matching dice colors.
• Place in Actions Used section during actions.

Actions Used Section:

• Four spaces representing action time.
• Start with three slots; unlock the fourth after Worm evolves.

Shelter:

• Place after delivering the third plant Box.
• Store goods and reactivate Action tokens.

Song Tokens: Store until used in cities.

Abandoned Goods: Place abandoned Boxes here.

Specialization Seals: Place obtained seals here.

Money: Store gathered money here.

Rates: Reminder of delivery prices.

Record of Delivered Goods:

• Plants: Place delivered plant Boxes.
• Crafts: Place delivered craft Boxes.
• Relics: Place delivered relic Boxes.
• Iwakura Rocks: Place delivered Iwakura rock Boxes.

Money Chest: Place additional Boxes after filling delivery records for a flat 5-coin reward.

Travel Companions:

• Unlock Companions by covering spaces in your Record of Goods Delivered.

Custodian

• Allows taking the Care for your Worm (Health) action with a single Action token (black or white).
• Option to repeat the action using the other Action token.

• Navigator:
  • Once per turn, allows traveling two route segments with one Travel action.
  • You can take other actions between the two trips (e.g., Load Plants, Care for your Worm).
  • Place your Action token on the Navigator tile instead of the Actions Used section.The die value of the Action token must satisfy both paths.
  • You can choose any combination of paths (established path + shortcut, two different established paths, etc.).
  • Must pay all necessary requirements for both paths.

• Young Worm:
  • Allows placing two Boxes of the same color in the Actions Used section.
  • If passing through a city with a Box of the same color as an occupied Action token, you can load it without using an action.
  • Ensure you do not exceed the limit of two Boxes in that space.

• Shaman:
  • If your Shelter is on the game board, once per turn, your Shaman can convert any relic Box there into an Iwakura rock Box.
  • Iwakura rock Boxes can be transported and sold at the port like other goods.
  • When you deliver at least one Iwakura rock Box, discard all saved Mission cards without receiving immediate rewards.
  • You cannot score for any completed Missions at the end of the game.
  • You can still collect immediate Mission rewards from discarding Mission cards but cannot save Missions for end-game scoring.
  • The Shaman’s Acolytes can perform a special action (only can be performed with a Shaman)

Record of Goods Delivered:

• Place delivered Boxes on corresponding tracks.
• Receive rewards indicated on covered spaces.

Desert Travelers

• Eight Desert Traveler tiles, each with unique abilities.
• For the first game, use basic versions without special abilities for balanced play.

Travelers and Abilities:

• Sonett, The Achiever: Exchange cargo Boxes in your Shelter for different colors of the same type.
• Zhaslir, The Walker:
  • Once per turn, take a shortcut without using any Action tokens.
  • Ignore the required die value for the route. Pay all other required costs plus an additional 3 Health points.
  • This allows an additional free Travel action without using any Action tokens.
  • Alternatively, you can use an Action token and pay normal costs for the shortcut if preferred.
• Zorthack, The Druid: Take Acolyte actions without matching merchandise color for 2 coins. Normal actions for 1 coin if Shaman is flipped.
• Narosh, The Whisperer: Gain 6 extra spaces for Hydration or Food actions, 4 extra spaces for Health.
• Stamash, The Skilled: Action tokens remain active and are not occupied when loading plants. To use Young Worm’s ability, temporarily occupy the token.
• ZhirTalla, The Devotee: Advance 6 spaces on the Prayer Track at the start of each Morning Phase.
• Surmesh, The Pythoness: During your turn, flip two dice to their opposite sides and return them after your turn.
• Zhema, The Muse: Other players cannot remove your Song tokens from cities, increasing money earned from deliveries.

Explaining Missions

1. Decks:
   • Five different decks, one for each round.
   • For 4 players, the fifth-round deck is not used.
2. Choosing Missions:
   • Select Missions at the end of each round (except the last).
   • Used to determine turn order for the next round.
   • Earn rewards or money throughout the game.
3. Mission Card Parts:
   • Immediate Reward: Shown at the top, earned when discarding the card.
   • Mission Task: Shown at the bottom, complete it to earn additional money at the end (unless Iwakura rocks are delivered).
4. Arrangement:
   • Reveal and arrange Mission cards in descending order at the end of each round.
   • Highest value on the left, lowest on the right.
5. Round Indicator:
   • Black squares at the bottom/back indicate the round in play.
   • Helps easily identify the current round.

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Taking Actions

Travel

Purpose: Move your Worm from one place to another.

Route Selection: Choose an established path (gray or green) or a shortcut (orange).

Action Token and Die:

• Use an Action token of any color.
• Die value must be equal to or greater than the required value for your Worm to travel the selected path.
• Modify die value if necessary (using Prayers or Money).

Movement:

• Move your Worm along the chosen route.
• Update Hydration, Food, and Health Tracks as indicated on your Worm tile.
• If you cannot meet the requirements or the die value is insufficient, you cannot travel that section.

Oases: Interrupt routes even if the road color matches on both ends.

Multiple Legs: Each travel action allows one leg of travel; use another Action token to travel again.

Worms

Starting Worm: Each player begins with a basic Desert Worm.

Evolution:

• First Evolution: Flip the Worm tile.
• Second Evolution: Discard the Worm tile.
• Evolution improves travel efficiency and reduces costs.

Evolution Trigger: Place Boxes on your Record of Goods Delivered.

Benefits of Evolution:

• First evolution removes the “Action Space Blocked” tile, allowing four actions per turn.
• Gain boons on several tracks as indicated on the Worm tile.

Load Plants

• Arrival: Reach a city with available plants.
• Action Token:
  • Use the Action token matching the plant’s color (blue for flowers, red for fruit, white for buds, black for seeds).
• Flip Token: Flip the used Action token and place it in your Actions Used section (Box side up).
• Place Box:
  • Take the Box and place it on the flipped Action token.
  • The space in your pool and the Action token are now “locked.”
  • Locked items cannot be used for further actions until the Box is delivered or abandoned.
• Unlock: Deliver or abandon the Box to free the space and reactivate the Action token.

Delivery of Goods

No Action Token Needed: Deliver goods without spending an Action token.
Delivery Location: Deliver goods at any location.
Quantity: Deliver up to the number of Boxes you carry, all in one go.
Joint Deliveries: In camps, perform joint deliveries for additional rewards.
Same Workday: Load goods, transport, and deliver in one workday if planned well.

Collect Rewards:

• Receive money for the fare.
• Gain benefits indicated on the Prestige Track and from your Songs.
• Reset Prestige Track indicator to “0.”

Record Delivery:

• Place delivered Box on the first empty space of the corresponding Record of Goods Delivered on your player board.
• Take the reward from the covered space.

Load/Deliver Crafts or Relics

• Crafts/Relics Exchange:
  • Deliver two plant Boxes matching the main tribe’s color requirements at a camp.
  • Receive a craft or relic Box in return (e.g., white and red Boxes give an orange Box).
  • Load crafts or relics like plant Boxes (no Action tokens needed, but occupies space in Actions Used section).
• Delivery Locations:
  • Crafts and relics can only be delivered in the port and cities.
  • Collect indicated money based on delivery rate, Prestige, and Songs.
  • Place delivered Box on the first empty slot of the corresponding Record of Goods Delivered (crafts or relics) and get the reward from the slot covered.

Delivery Rates and Money

• Rates:
  • Port, cities, and tribes pay fixed rates for goods.
  • Higher rates are more lucrative than basic rates.
• Money:
  • Key element to determine the winner (most money at the end wins).
  • Players keep coins on their personal board.
  • Change can be made from the common pool.
  • Coins are always of value 1 unless otherwise indicated.

Abandoned Goods

• Occupied Action Tokens:
  • Action tokens are occupied when used to load plant Boxes onto your Worm.
  • If you need to use an occupied token, you must abandon the Box.
• Abandoning Goods:
  • Place the Box in the Abandoned Goods space on your player board.
  • Not considered an action.
• Starting on your Next Turn:
  • Use the die of the corresponding color without using the Action token.
  • Return the abandoned Box to the bag after use.

Care for your Worm

Use an Action token matching the die color (blue, red, black, white) for care actions.

1. Hydration:
   • Use blue Action token.
   • Advance Hydration Track marker as per blue die value (max space “15”).
   • Use Prayers or money for extra spaces (1 Prayer/coin per space).
2. Food:
   • Use red Action token.
   • Advance Food Track marker as per red die value (max space “15”).
   • Use Prayers or money for extra spaces (1 Prayer/coin per space).
3. Health:
   • Use both black and white Action tokens.
   • Place tokens in separate spaces on Actions Used section.
   • Advance Health Track marker as per higher value of black or white die (max space “10”).
   • Use Prayers or money for extra spaces (1 Prayer/coin per space).

Pray

• Use white Action token.
• Advance Prayer Track by white die value (max space “10”).
• Cannot enhance with Prayers or money.

Earn Prestige

• Use black Action token.
• Advance Prestige Track by black die value.
• Used for extra money when delivering goods.
• Indicator returns to “0” after each delivery.
• Cannot enhance with Prayers or money.

Compose Songs

• Use any Action token when in a city.
• Place a Song token in that city.
• Earn 1 additional coin per Delivery of Goods action for each Song token.
• Replace existing Song tokens unless the owner is present.
• End of game: player(s) with most Song tokens get 3 coins per token.

Special Action of the Acolytes

The Shaman has acolytes in various cities of the Desert, each corresponding to a plant color.If using an Action token matching an acolyte’s color and the city has a Box of goods of the same color:

• Pay the acolyte one coin.
• The Box can be deposited in your Shelter.

You do not need to be in the same city as the acolyte or the Shelter.