How to Play

Near and Far

2-4 players 90-120 min 7.6 Board Game Geek Rating

Players embark as wanderers seeking the legendary Last Ruin containing a powerful artifact. This story-driven adventure game spans ten sessions across unique maps, where you gather resources, recruit companions, and battle creatures. Friends read encounter stories that present meaningful choices, creating personalized narratives. Victory goes to whoever becomes the most renowned traveler through strategic exploration and storytelling.

Published 2017

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Place the main board

Set the Town board "day side up" (look for the pack bird and tortoise) and open the map book to map #1

Add pack animals

Place pack birds/tortoises on the spaces shown on the board (they are reversible)

Place the chiefs

Set out the 4 chief tokens near the board

Prepare adventurer supply

Place all adventurers in the bag except the 5 animal companions, then draw 5 to place on the board

Set reputation markers

Each player places their reputation marker on the tracker at 0

Choose first player

Select a starting player by any method

Place quest tokens

Randomly place Quest tokens (book icons) on map spaces with open book icons using 7/10/13 tokens for 2/3/4 players

Prepare threat deck

Place the threat deck face-up on the board from values 4-15

Take character standees

Each player takes a character standee

Shuffle card decks

Shuffle the Treasure cards and place on Town board; World cards don't need shuffling

Distribute player components

Each player takes a player board, 14 camps (placed on player board), black marker (on 0 of heart track), 3 coins, and 1 animal companion

Draft artifact cards

Shuffle both artifact card types separately, deal 5 basic and 2 advanced cards to each player, draft the 5 basic cards until you have 5 new ones, then discard at least 1 advanced card and any unwanted cards

Two-player adjustment

Place a random character standee at the town hall that will not move

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Choose your action type

Either "visit" a space in town OR "adventure" on the chosen map

Fulfill artifact cards freely

As a free action at any time, fulfill any number of artifact cards by spending required Coins/Gems/Banners/Food (reputation is just "met"), then place completed cards in front of you for ongoing bonuses and end game points

Claim chiefs

The first player to own 4 banners in 1 color takes the associated Chief who acts as another banner and is worth 5 points

Move to a building

Move your standee to a new building in town, or from the map to any town location

Duel if occupied

If entering a space with 2+ characters, choose one player to duel

Use Town Hall

Perform up to three actions: trade items using the value chart, discard 1 artifact card, and spend coins/gems to adjust reputation

Recruit at Saloon

Recruit 1 adventurer and place in matching banner slot or as inactive, paying the coin cost (1 coin discount per matching banner you have); spend 1 food to refresh the row before recruiting

Visit Stables

Take 1 pack bird for 1 food or 1 tortoise for 1 gem (max 3 animals); each unlocks treasure card capacity

Use General Store

Take 1 coin OR draw 4 artifact cards (any mix of basic/advanced) and keep/discard any

Harvest at Farm

Gain 1 food for each "skill" (hand) symbol in your party

Visit Mystic's Hut

Draw 3 treasure cards and keep 1 (or replace an existing treasure)

Work the Mine

Place camps starting upper left, adjacent to existing camps, if your skill value meets or exceeds the space number; earn treasures/reputation shown

Declare fighting style

Choose "Honorably" (gain 1 reputation if you win) or "Dirty" (lose 1 reputation if you win, but gain +1 sword)

Roll and calculate

Both players roll a die and add sword icons; attacker gets +1 if fighting Dirty

Spend hearts for bonus

Only the attacker can spend remaining hearts for +1 each to their total

Resolve the duel

Ties go to defender; if attacker wins, use the building normally; if attacker loses, go to jail and gain +1 food

Enter the map

Move your character to Main Town (big heart icon), rearrange your party, and reset hearts to your current heart value (max 13)

Move across the map

Use your default 2 movement (plus bonuses from cards/pack birds) to move between circles

Pay movement costs

Spend 1 heart for each empty circle you pass by; camps (yours or opponents') make spaces not empty

Collect treasures

When passing over a treasure symbol, draw 1 treasure card if you have room; can move back and forth for multiple treasures

Handle threats

When passing a threat symbol, take the top threat card, roll a die plus swords; if you meet or exceed the threat value, keep it for points and place a camp

Complete quests

When ending movement on a Quest token space, another player reads the matching story and choices

Build camps

After stopping (and possible questing), spend 3 hearts to place a camp on your current space if none exists; collect gems/coins equal to your search icons (eye symbols)

Claim trade routes

Placing camps on both matching trade route spaces (peppers, machine parts, Ichor stone, tea leaves) earns the large point value; sharing with another player gives both the small value