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How to play
Grounded in Inis's rulebook — cite-checked answers, not guesses.
Get a straight answer with the exact rulebook passage to back it up.
The easy-to-forget bits, straight from the rulebook.
Clan figure reserve
Each player starts with 12 clan figures in front of him as his reserve.
Starting clans on board
Starting with the Brenn, each player places one clan in any territory until each player has two clans somewhere on the board.
Action card limit (4-player)
In a 4-player game, the Brenn takes all 17 Action Cards, shuffles them, randomly sets aside one card facedown, and deals four cards to each player.
Action card limit (3-player)
In a 3-player game, the Brenn takes 13 Action Cards, shuffles them, randomly sets aside one card facedown, and deals four cards to each player.
Game end trigger
During Step 2 of each Assembly phase, players check to see if there is a winner.
Pretender token required
If no player has a Pretender token, then there is no winner, even if players currently meet one or more victory conditions.
Tie-breaker (Brenn)
In case of a tie for meeting the most victory conditions, if the Brenn marker is among the tied players, he wins the game.
Tie-breaker (No Brenn)
In case of a tie for meeting the most victory conditions, if the Brenn marker is not among the tied players, there is no winner.
End of season cards
Players keep all Epic Tale cards in their hands, but they must discard all Action cards.
No clans on board
If a player has no clans in any territories when his turn begins, he must discard a Deed token if he has one, then place a total of two clans in any territories.
To set up the game of Inis, follow these steps: * If playing a 2- or 3-player game, return the Action cards marked with a "4 player action" icon to the box, as they are only used in a 4-player game. * Each player selects a color and places their 12 clan figures in front of them to form their reserve. * Place the Deed tokens, Pretender tokens, and the Festival Marker near the play area. * Shuffle the Epic Tale cards and place them in a facedown pile. * Shuffle the territory tiles and place them in a facedown stack near the play area. * Draw a number of territory tiles equal to the number of players. Place these faceup and interlocked in the center of the play area, ensuring each tile is adjacent to two other tiles. * Find the Advantage cards that match the territories currently in play and place them faceup and visible near the play area. Place the remaining Advantage cards in a facedown pile. * Give the Brenn marker to a randomly chosen player. * The Brenn chooses one territory to be the Capital and places the plastic Capital building and one Sanctuary building there. * The Brenn flips the Flock of Crows token to determine the direction of turn order for the start of the game. * Starting with the Brenn and following the indicated turn order, each player places one clan figure in any territory. Continue this until each player has two clan figures on the board. For your first game, a "Discovery Scenario" setup is recommended, which changes how the starting territory tiles are chosen and how the territory tile stack is formed, but otherwise keeps the rules the same.
On your turn in the Season Phase, you can do one of the following: * **Play a card** from your hand. This is the only way to perform actions like placing new clans, moving clans, or building Sanctuaries. * **Pass** your turn without playing any cards. You will be able to play cards again if the turn returns to you. * **Take a Pretender Token** if you meet one of the victory conditions. **Special Situation:** If your turn begins and you have no clans in any territories, you must first discard a [DEED TOKEN] if you have one. Then, you place a total of two clans in any territories. After that, you can take your turn as normal (play a card, pass, or take a [PRETENDER TOKEN]).
Rules summaries are AI-generated from the official rulebook and may contain mistakes — check the manual for anything critical.
To win Inis, players aspire to be elected High King by fulfilling the most victory conditions. Victory is checked during Step 2 of the Assembly phase. A player wins if they: * Have a [PRETENDER TOKEN]. A player takes a [PRETENDER TOKEN] if they meet at least one victory condition and do not already have one. * Meet the most victory conditions among players with [PRETENDER TOKEN]s. * Must meet at least one victory condition. In case of a tie for meeting the most victory conditions: * If the [BRENN MARKER] is among the tied players, that player wins the game. * If the [BRENN MARKER] is not among the tied players, there is no winner, and the game continues for another round. All [PRETENDER TOKEN]s are returned to the supply in this case. The three victory conditions are: 1. Be present in six or more territories (have one or more clans in six or more territories). 2. Be chieftain over a combined total of six or more opposing clans. 3. Be present in territories with a combined total of six [SANCTUARY BUILDING]s (have one or more clans in territories containing six or more [SANCTUARY BUILDING]s).
In Inis, "scoring" refers to fulfilling victory conditions to become the High King. Here's how it works: * **Victory Conditions** There are three victory conditions you can meet: 1. **Be present in six or more territories**. This means having at least one clan in six or more different territories. 2. **Be chieftain over a combined total of six or more opposing clans**. This involves adding up all opposing clans in territories where you are the chieftain. 3. **Be present in territories with a combined total of six [SANCTUARY BUILDING]s**. This counts the total number of [SANCTUARY BUILDING]s in territories where you have at least one clan present. * **Checking for Victory** Each round, during Step 2 of the Assembly phase, players check to see how many victory conditions each player with a Pretender token meets. * **Pretender Tokens** When you meet a victory condition, you take a Pretender token. Only players with a Pretender token can attempt to claim victory during the Assembly. * **Meeting Conditions** The degree to which you meet a victory condition does not matter; only the total number of conditions you meet is important. For example, being present in six territories is equally considered meeting the condition as being present in eight territories. * **Deeds** A Deed token can be earned and used to supplement a victory condition.
The game ends when a player successfully meets the victory conditions and is declared the winner during the "Check for Victory" step. Here's how and when the game ends: * **When it's checked**: Victory conditions are checked only during Step 2 of each Assembly phase. The Assembly phase is the first phase of each round. * **How a player wins**: * A player must have a [PRETENDER TOKEN] to be eligible to win. * Among players with a [PRETENDER TOKEN], the one who meets the most victory conditions wins. They must meet at least one victory condition to win. * The three victory conditions are: * Being present in six or more territories. * Being chieftain over a combined total of six or more opposing clans. * Being present in territories with a combined total of six sanctuaries. * **How ties are broken**: * If multiple players are tied for meeting the most victory conditions, and the player with the [BRENN MARKER] is among them, the [BRENN MARKER] player wins. * If the [BRENN MARKER] is not among the tied players, there is no winner, and the game continues for another round. * **If no winner is declared**: If no player wins, all [PRETENDER TOKEN]s are returned to the supply, and the game continues with the next round.