12 Patrols (Nano 9 Game)

In this predominantly abstract solo strategy game, you take on the role of the constable of a kingdom and must manage with only 9 cards, 9 D6 dice, and 9 dice markers. Your task: send out 12 patrols of knights and foot soldiers to secure all 9 regions.

Gameplay

Gradually, you lay out region cards in a 3x3 grid. As soon as a row or column of 3 cards is complete, patrols must be placed between the cards, in the form of dice or dice markers, fulfilling all requirements for that row or column. You win if you manage to successfully place all 12 patrols.

Setup

1. Roll all 9 dice and sort them by color if desired.
2. Keep the 9 dice markers readily available next to the dice.
3. Shuffle the 9 region cards and place the stack face down.

How to Play

1. Reveal 3 region cards.
2. Place one of the 3 cards anywhere where the kingdom is being formed, i.e., the developing 3x3 grid of region cards.
3. Draw 1 new card to replace the card just placed.
4. Place one of the 3 available region cards directly adjacent to an already played card (left, right, top, or bottom). Cards must always lie upright, without rotation.
5. If desired, you can immediately place one or more items (dice and/or dice markers) on an empty patrol space, i.e., any empty space between already laid region cards that matches the symbols required there. If a row or column of 3 cards is completed, all spaces in between must be filled immediately.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until all cards are played or you can no longer meet the requirements of the regions.