Mountain Climbers
A Casually Competitive Climbing Game
Climb On!
In Mountain Climbers, players race to be the first climber to reach the top of the mountain. Climbers take turns playing cards to ascend towards victory. However, the climb won't be that easy, as other players and even the mountain itself may have other plans.
2-4 Players • 15-30 Minutes • Ages 8+
Components
8 Climber Tokens - 1 big and 1 small in each player color
8 Health Tokens - 1 big and 1 small 1 in each player color
52 Climber Cards - 13 for each player color
1 Six Sided Dice
1 Custom Weather Dice
9 Mountain Frame Pieces - Border around the Mountain Squares
8 Mountain Squares - each square has 4 spaces - front and back
5 Mountain Tiles - Climb Up, Fall Down, Play Again, Danger, +1 Heart
1 Intro Card - Reference card for the game
Learn more about Mountain Tiles and Climber Cards on the tiles and cards page.
Objective
Be the first player to reach the top of the mountain with all of their climbers.
Mountain Setup
A. Connect the Mountain frame pieces (9)
B. Place the Mountain Squares (6) inside the Mountain frame.
- You will have 2 Mountain Squares left over
- for first time players try the easy mountain:
from the Start, place squares A through F. Using the easy brown circle side.
** easy mountain shown
C. Place the Mountain Tiles
- Mountain Tiles should never cover Camps or the Finish
- Feel free to place the Mountain Tiles wherever you want when setting up the Mountain ( Just don't cover Camps or the Finish)
SUGGESTED SETUP: Pick a column (1, 2, 3, or 4) and randomly place the 5 Mountain Tiles covering the Mountain Squares.
D. Setup Complete
If you have played before, feel free to design your own mountain. Each Mountain Square has a shape in the center that indicates its difficulty level:
Easy Side = Circles
Hard Side = Diamonds
Beginner Mountain - Use all Mountain Squares on the Easy Side and have 2 Camps in the mountain (Squares C and E have Camps)
Medium Mountain - Use a mix of the Easy and Hard Side Mountain Squares
Hard Mountain - Use all Mountain Squares on the Hard Side
** TIP ** Make sure you have a Camp - It's recommended your Mountain has at least one Camp square in it to avoid an extremely difficult and long game.
Player setup
A. Each player chooses a climber color and places their big and small Climber Tokens on the Start Base Camp.
B. All players start with 3 health. Place both your big and small Health Tokens on the 3 heart space of the Health Tracker (located at the bottom of the mountain frame).
C. Shuffle your 13 Climber Cards and draw a hand of 4 cards. Place the remaining 9 cards face down to form your draw pile.
Starting player
1. The player who has climbed a Mountain (or tallest hill) most recently goes first . . . or
2. Each player rolls the dice. The player with the highest dice roll goes first.
Gameplay
1. On your turn, Play a Card
Play 1 climber card from your hand
- Do the actions on the card from top to bottom (order is important)
- All movement is for one of your climbers unless it is a Team Card then it is for all
- You can move your other climber back with the "Move 1 other climber back" cards
- When you have a choice to "move up to" you must move at least 1 (cant choose 0)
Resolve the Mountain Effects for all climbers that moved
Mountain effects may chain together. Resolve the effects each time any climber moves.
Mountain effects are resolved starting with the climber highest up the mountain
- If you play the [play again] card resolve all of the mountain effects before playing a new card
Typically your turn is over after playing a climber card.
- However, you might play more cards on your turn if you played a [play again] or one of your climbers landed on a [play again] tile.
- It is possible to go through your whole hand in one turn. If you run out of cards to play, your turn is over.
2. At the end of your turn - Put all cards played on the discard pile and draw back up to 4 cards
- Whenever you run out of cards to draw, shuffle your discard pile and make a new draw pile.
3. Play continues to the player to your left
Movement
Follow the Mountain Path
Arrows along the Mountain Path indicate the forward direction to move Climber Tokens.
The direction of the Mountain Path zig-zags up the Mountain, like hiking up switchbacks.
When you reach the end of a row on the Mountain Path, follow the blue arrows and continue your move to the row above.
The Start and Finish are both spaces on the Mountain Path.
Mountain Effects
As you ascend the mountain, you will land on tiles that affect your Climber.
Mountain effects happen any time a Climber is moved to a space on the Mountain Path. This can result in a chain of events where a climber is moved to multiple spaces as the result of a single Climber Card being played.
Refer to Tiles and Cards for clarification on all Mountain effects.
If a climber ever gets stuck between two spaces with counteracting effects (ex: Shortcut to a Fall Down), place the climber on the lower of the two spaces.
Some Mountain Effects only apply when it is your turn, ex: the [play again] tile
There is no limit to the number of climbers that can occupy one mountain space.
Camps
These are your safe spaces
- All climbers in Camps are immune to Weather effects and cannot lose health
- You cannot be moved by other Players or Weather effects when in a Camp
Health
It's important to stay healthy as you climb the mountain.
Players start the game with 3 health.
Max Health
Max player health is 5.
Ignore +♥ Mountain and Card effects when at max health.
Zero Health
If a Climber's health is ever reduced to 0, follow these steps:
Immediately move your climber backwards to the nearest Camp. (The Start is also a Camp.)
Your turn is over (if it was your turn)
Reset your Health Token back to 3.
Mountain Tiles
Whenever you play a "Move a Tile" card you MUST move a Mountain Tile.
Mountain Tiles can be moved from any one spot to another on the mountain:
Except - Mountain Tiles should never:
— cover Camps or the Finish
— be placed on a tile that a climber already occupies
— be moved if a climber is on it
Dice
Weather Dice
Whenever your climber lands on a Weather space (even if it’s not your turn) roll the Weather Dice and resolve its effects.
- If multiple climbers land on a Weather space at the same time, roll 1 at a time, starting with the climber highest up the mountain. Order is important because if you get moved off a weather space before it is your turn to roll then you don't have to roll!
- if your health goes to zero before its your turn to roll, you don't have to roll!
- Weather effects do not effect climbers in Camps
6-sided dice
Players role this dice whenever they play the Sprint or Team Sprint cards
Summiting
The game is over when a player reaches the finish first with all of their climbers.
Optional play for 2nd and 3rd place if you are playing with 3 or 4 players
Reaching the summit
Movement to the Finish Tile does not need to be exact.
Be sure to count the Finish Tile as a space when planning your move.
Once one of your Climbers reaches the summit remove that climber's Health Token from the Health Tracker.
3 Climb Challenge
Got a bit more time on your hands? Play for stars in a best of 3 climb series. All aspects of Summiteers are the same, except for the following:
3 Climb Challenge
Summiting for Stars
Players receive Summit cards with stars on them based on the order they reached the top of the mountain. Once the round is over,
Awarding Summit cards
Award placement cards (1st, 2nd, 3rd) to the respective climbers
Any player who was eliminated from the round from having no health receives a purple participation card (worth zero stars)
3 Climb Challenge
Rounds 2 & 3
After the first round of climbing, play continues for two more rounds. After awarding Summit cards, do the following:
1. Reset players
Each player does the following:
Shuffle all movement cards, making sure to include the newly awarded Summit card. Draw 4 cards.
Place health token on 3
Place climber token back at start
2. Reset mountain
Mix-up all mountain tiles and randomly place them to form a new mountain
3. Winner of previous round goes first
2-Player Variant
Want a more Strategic challenge? Try playing with 3 Climbers each.
- Team cards will effect all 3 of your climbers
4-Player Variant
Want to mix things up? Try playing as Teams.
- Players sitting opposite of each other will be on the same team - turns will alternate from one team to the next.
Team cards effect all climbers of that team (4 climbers)
Climber Cards
Move one of your Climbers forward 3 spaces
Then Move another climber back 3 (this is optional)
- you can move your other climber back 3 if you want to
Move one of your Climbers forward 4 spaces
Then Move another climber back 2 (this is optional)
- you can move your other climber back 2 if you want to
Move one of your Climbers forward 5 spaces
Then Move another climber back 1 (this is optional)
- you can move your other climber back 1 if you want to
All of your climbers gain a heart
Then they All move forward 2 spaces
Move all of your Climbers forward 3 spaces
Roll the 6 sided dice
Then Move all of your climbers up to the amount rolled - both climbers must move the same choice (but at least 1)
Rolll the 6 sided Dice
Then Move one of your climbers up to the amount rolled (but at least 1)
Move one of your Climbers forward 3 spaces
- resolve all the mountain effects
- Then Your turn continues. Without drawing, Play another card from your hand.
- the next card played can move either climber your choice
- Your turn is over if you have no cards remaining in your hand.
One of your climbers gains a heart
Then that Climber Moves forward 4 spaces
Move a Mountain Tile to another space without any Climbers, Camps or existing Mountain Tiles.
- You Can't move a Mountain tile if a climber is on it
Then Move one of your Climbers forward up to 2 spaces- your choice (but at least 1)
Move one of your Climbers forward up to 3 spaces- your choice (but at least 1)
Then Move a Mountain Tile to another space without any Climbers, Camps or existing Mountain Tiles.
- You Can't move a Mountain tile if a climber is on it
Move one of your Climbers forward up to 4 spaces- your choice (but at least 1)
Then Move a Mountain Tile to another space without any Climbers, Camps or existing Mountain Tiles.
- You Can't move a Mountain tile if a climber is on it
Move one of your climbers forward up to 5 spaces- your choice (but at least 1)
Then Move a Mountain Tile to another space without any Climbers, Camps or existing Mountain Tiles.
- You Can't move a Mountain tile if a climber is on it
Mountain Tiles
Blank Space
Nothing happens
Health
Gain health equal to the number of hearts indicated for that climber
Move Space
Move forward the number of spaces
Back Space
Move backward the number of spaces.
Danger!
Whenever your climber lands on a Weather space (ever if it’s not your turn) roll the weather dice and resolve its effects
- If multiple climbers land on weather spaces at the same time, roll 1 at a time, starting with the climber highest up the mountain. Order is important because if you get moved off a weather space before its your turn to roll, you don't have to roll!
Play Again
Your turn continues. Without drawing, Play another card from your hand.
Ignore this tile if you land on it when it's not your turn, or if you have no cards remaining in your hand.
Minus Health
Lose health equal to the number of hearts indicated for that climber
Base Camp
This is your safe space
- All climbers in Camps are immune to Weather effects and cannot lose health
- You cannot move other player’s climbers when they are in a Camp
Shortcut
Climb up to the space above.
If a Shortcut is on an edge, move to the nearest space on the above level. See example below:
Fall Down
Fall down to the tile on the level below this space
Ignore this effect if the Fall Down is in the bottom row of the mountain.