THE ARCHITECT

— Exhibition note

Carcassonne meets poker. Every face-down tile is a bluff.

Plate I — Plan
II · The Premise
— The Premise

Tile-laying territory game with bluffing. 2–4 players build a city. Each tile placed claims an area, but tiles have hidden multipliers revealed only at game end.

Decision tension

A face-down tile screams "BONUS HERE". But the best bluff is the one you sell with confidence — and a penalty.

III · The Roles
— III · Catalogue

The Roles

Architect
Exhibit A
No. 001×all

Architect

Builds the city tile by tile. Worker placement under genuine uncertainty.

IV · How a Round Plays
— IV · Procedure

How a Round Plays

01

Draw

Draw 2 tiles each turn. Inspect privately.

02

Place face-up

Place 1 tile face-up on the city grid. Visible to all.

03

Optional face-down

Place 1 tile face-down (hidden multiplier or penalty). Cannot be examined until end.

04

Worker placement

Place a Worker on a tile to claim its area for scoring.

05

End-game flip

All face-down tiles flip. Bonuses (×2 area) or penalties (-10) trigger.

V · Win Conditions
— V · Outcomes

Win Conditions

Way 01

Highest score

Sum of all claimed areas × multipliers, minus penalties.

VI · Designer's Notes
— VI · Catalogue Essay

Designer's Notes

Carcassonne meets poker. The face-down tile mechanic means every placement signals — and every signal can be a bluff. Worker placement decisions are made under genuine uncertainty.

— Visitor's Guide

Strategy

  • 01
    Bluff with penalties
    Place a face-down penalty next to your weak area to lure opponents in.
  • 02
    Read the body language
    Players who linger over a face-down placement usually have a bonus.
  • 03
    Worker timing
    Place workers AFTER the area is locked, not before.
VII · Begin
— Begin the Match

No Luck.
No Fog.
Only Cost.

Pass the device around the table, or open a remote room and play cross-device. Either way, every move is yours alone.