How to Play Aeos

Game Objective

Aeos is a strategic board game where 2-4 players compete by shifting elemental tokens called Aeos across a 5x5 board to interact with Gates on the edges. The goal is to be the first player to reach 50 Victory Points (VP) or be the last player standing by eliminating your opponents.

Each player starts with 10 HP and 0 VP. When your Aeos reach a Gate of the same element, you gain VP. But when they hit a different element, you lose HP. Reduce an opponent's HP to 0 to eliminate them!

The Five Elements

Aeos is built around five magical essences, each represnting a different elemental force.

Fire

The essence of destruction and transformation

Water

The essence of flow and adaptation

Air

The essence of speed and freedom

Earth

The essence of stability and endurance

Spirit

The essence that binds all others

The Board

The game is played on a 5x5 matrix. The 16 border positions (excluding corners) hold Gates, while the 9 inner positions (3x3) hold Aeos. Gates and Aeos are both assigned one of the five elements.

G

G

G

G

G

G

A

A

A

G

G

A

A

A

G

G

A

A

A

G

G

G

G

G

G

Gate (border)

Aeos (inner)

Key Stats

Health Points (HP)Start with 10 — reach 0 and you're eliminated

Victory Points (VP)Start with 0 — reach 50 to win

Shifts per Turn3 shifts each turn

How Shifts Work

On your turn, you perform 1 to 3 shifts. Each shift moves all Aeos along a chosen line in one of 8 directions:

1. Cardinal Directions: Up, Down, Left, Right — shift entire rows or columns
2. Diagonal Directions: Up-Left, Up-Right, Down-Left, Down-Right — shift along diagonal lines

When you shift, all Aeos on that line move one position in the chosen direction. If an Aeos reaches a Gate:

1. Match (same element): You gain VP! The amount depends on your Attunement level for that element.
2. Mismatch (different element): You lose HP. For each mismatched element whose attunement is 1x, lose 1 VP.

After a turn is ended either by the player having no more shifts remaining or by the player choosing to end their turn after making at least 1 shift, the gate that was shifted into is replaced by the gate waiting in the preview and the Aeos in the preview track backfill the board.

Getting Started

1. Create or Join a Lobby: From the dashboard, create a new game or join an existing public lobby.
2. Wait for Players: Games require 2-4 players. Once ready, the host starts the game.
3. Take Your Turn: On your turn, select a shift direction and line to move the Aeos. You have 3 shifts per turn. If you run out of shifts or there are no more Aeos on the line you are shifting, your turn ends.
4. Score Points: Match your Aeos with same-element Gates to earn VP. Avoid mismatches to protect your HP.
5. Win the Game: Be the first to reach 50 VP, or eliminate all opponents by reducing their HP to 0.

Strategy Tips

Watch the Gates: Before shifting, look at which Gates are on each edge. Try to line up your Aeos with matching Gates to score VP while avoiding mismatches.

Use the Preview Queue: The preview shows upcoming Aeos. Plan your shifts to position the board favorably for when new Aeos enter.

Manage Your HP: Sometimes a mismatch is unavoidable. Keep track of your HP and avoid risky plays when you're low.

Think in Chains: A single shift affects multiple Aeos. Look for moves that create multiple matches or set up chains across your 3 shifts.

Round Order Matters: At the start of each round, players are reordered by VP (lowest goes first). Being behind in VP can be an advantage — you get to see opponents' moves and react.

Win Conditions

VP Victory: The first player to reach 50 VP wins immediately. Focus on creating matches to accumulate points quickly.

Last Standing: If all other players are eliminated (HP reaches 0), you win. This can happen even if you haven't reached 50 VP.