Koi

Here is a general overview of how to play the game, structured step-by-step from setup to the end of the game.

Setup

• Place the main board in the center of the table and put all pond tiles, expansion tiles, koi tiles, coins, and luck tokens into a common supply within reach of all players (p. 14).
• Shuffle the remaining playing cards and place the deck face down next to the main board, then reveal the top 5 cards face up in the board's designated spaces (p. 14).
• The player who most recently admired a pond becomes the first player, receiving the summary card and taking starting tiles and koi into their storage from the supply based on player count and turn order (p. 13, 14).

How a Turn Works

• Players take turns in clockwise order (p. 6). On your turn, you must choose one of two main options: Meditate or Work (p. 6).
• Regardless of your choice, you may spend luck tokens at any point during your turn to gain specific pond tiles or acquire a koi at an increased cost (p. 6).
• After meditating or working, you can claim a Goal if its requirements have been met (p. 6).

The main actions work as follows:

• Meditate: Choose 1 of the face-up cards on the board, take it along with any rewards below it, pay any required fees, and carry out its effect (p. 6). Afterward, slide the remaining face-up cards to the right and draw a new card from the deck to fill the empty space on the left (p. 16).
• Work: Perform 1 Sensei action (such as placing water, foliage, shore, or koi tiles from your storage into your pond, or moving an already placed koi) (p. 19, 20). If you own Helper cards, you may also activate them before or after your Sensei action for additional actions (p. 19).

How the Game Ends

• The game nears its end when there are no more cards in the deck or the last koi is taken from the supply (p. 11).
• Play continues until the end of the last player’s turn, after which everyone takes one final turn before the game ends and points are tallied (p. 11).