Symphony

From Doppio Gioco:

Take your musician band to the stage, and join with the other bands, to form an orchestra!

Each Symphony game is divided into two phases: Orchestra Phase and Symphony Phase.

During the Orchestra Phase, the Orchestra is formed by placing the Instrument cards on the boards, and the players gradually take possession of the instruments they prefer. In turn order, every player play an instrument card on the board, choose an instrument and place its note discs on the choosen instrument.

Each instrument plays a fixed number of notes and has two kind of abilities: an ability always-on, and another that is activated only if the instrument is placed in the proper location for its acoustics.

During the Symphony Phase, the so arranged orchestra plays the music score, which is modular, and therefore different in each game. The orchestra is divided into 5 columns, and each column plays in a specific part of the score (for example, column A plays in the first 2 bars, column B in the second, third and fourth, and so on).

When a column of instruments has finished its notes, the next column plays, and so on. Within a column, the lower instrument start playing a note, then the instrument immediately above plays a note, and so on, upward. Once at the top, the lower instrument plays again, and so on, until all the notes of the column are played.

Obviously the player who has their note disks on the instrument controls is it, and decide where to place the related disks to score VPs. In this way, the game is not subdivided in player tyrns, but rather into instrument turns.

The main aim is to play better than their opponents (= score more VPs), so it is not important to play many notes, but play them properly. First, each note provides VPs according to the Voice that is placed on (1-3 VPs). Secondly, there are extra VPs for the Sheet note majorities (at the completiion of each sheet) and Voice note majorities (at the end of game).

Also, different areas or notes on the music score are Scoring Areas, and grant you to advance on corresponding Scoring Tracks to score extra PV at the end of the game. Finally, some notes, as well as the placement of the initial instruments, provide yous Bonuses, that can be placed on your instruments (max 1 for Instrument) to potentiate their effects.

So, to play better in such melodious context requires a careful strategy and good tactics.