How to Play Cartographers: Explore Cards, Ambushes & Seasons
Cartographers is a simultaneous map-drawing game played across spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each revealed Explore card gives everyone a terrain type and shape to draw, while four public scoring cards determine which map patterns earn reputation.
Scope: original Cartographers base game, not Cartographers Heroes or map-pack rules.
Reveal Explore cards until the season timer is reached
Reveal one Explore card at a time. Players simultaneously choose an allowed terrain/shape from that card and draw it into empty map squares. Continue until the total time values meet or exceed the current season’s threshold.
Shapes cannot overlap existing filled spaces
Place the chosen polyomino completely within the map and on empty spaces unless a card or map rule says otherwise. If a listed shape cannot legally fit, use the rulebook’s fallback single-square placement.
Mountains can generate coins
When all four orthogonally adjacent spaces around a mountain are filled, mark the coin reward. Coins contribute reputation each season after they are earned.
Ambush cards let opponents place monsters
When an Ambush appears, pass your map as directed and another player places the monster shape in a legal location. Monster spaces themselves do not score like normal terrain and can create penalties if their edges remain exposed.
Each season scores two public goals
The four scoring cards sit under edicts A–D. Spring scores A+B, summer B+C, autumn C+D and winter D+A. This means each goal scores twice during the game.
Subtract monster penalties
At each season end, lose reputation for empty spaces adjacent to monster terrain according to the base-game rules. Filling around monsters before the season closes can therefore protect points.
Highest reputation after winter wins
Add seasonal scoring, coin reputation and monster penalties across all four seasons. The player with the highest total reputation wins.
Publisher reference: Thunderworks Games: Cartographers. Checked September 21, 2026.