EXPLORER
60 cards
from the start
correct = +1
Game rules
How to play Bitcoinlumbus
A quiz expedition for 2–4 players. Answer knowledge questions, collect knowledge markers, and move from the Harbor across 12 spaces to the Citadel. Cards answered incorrectly go to your personal Learning Harbor and must be mastered later.
2–4 players
158 cards
12 topics
56 markers
NAVIGATOR
76 cards
3 markers from 3 topics
correct = +2
CAPTAIN
22 cards
5 markers from 4 topics + Navigator
correct = +3
Objective
You win only when all five conditions are met at the same time: you have reached the Citadel, you have 7 knowledge markers, they represent at least 5 different topics, you have answered at least 1 Captain card correctly, and your personal Learning Harbor is empty.
Setup
Separate the 158 cards into Explorer, Navigator, and Captain. Shuffle each deck separately and place it face down. Each player receives one player piece and one Expedition Pass. Everyone starts in the Harbor. Set out the 56 markers: 48 topic markers and 8 neutral bonus markers.
Who starts?
In the first game, the youngest player starts. Play then continues clockwise. If you play another game, the loser of the previous game starts.
Unlocking levels
Explorer is available from the start. Navigator unlocks with 3 knowledge markers from 3 different topics. Captain unlocks with 5 knowledge markers from 4 different topics and at least 1 correctly answered Navigator card. Previously unlocked easier decks remain available.
Your turn
Choose either a new card from a deck you have unlocked or a card from your personal Learning Harbor. For a new card, draw it yourself, read the question and A–D aloud, state your answer, and only then turn the card over.
New card – correct
You receive the appropriate knowledge marker under the marker rules and move: Explorer +1 space, Navigator +2, Captain +3. Then place the card in the discard pile for its difficulty level.
New card – wrong
You receive no knowledge marker and do not move. Read the correct answer and the brief explanation aloud. Then place the card face down in your personal Learning Harbor.
Learning Harbor
A card answered incorrectly is stored face down under your Expedition Pass. Only the topic symbol or topic color may remain visible; the question, A–D choices, and solution stay hidden. This lets you strategically choose a card from a topic you still need without seeing the solution.
Learning Harbor – free answer
When you choose a Learning Harbor card, another player first reads only the question, without A–D. Answers with the same factual meaning count; the card solution is the reference. If there is doubt, the group decides together. If your free answer is correct, you receive the appropriate marker, move 1 space, and remove the card from the Learning Harbor.
A–D help in the Learning Harbor
If you cannot answer freely, you decide: either decline A–D and keep the card for a later attempt, or ask for the A–D choices. Correct with A–D: receive the marker, move 0 spaces, and remove the card. Wrong with A–D: no marker and no movement; read the correct answer and explanation again, and return the card face down to the Learning Harbor.
Navigator and Captain cards from the Learning Harbor
Navigator and Captain cards count as correctly answered when successfully removed from the Learning Harbor, both with a correct free answer and with a correct answer after A–D help. A Navigator card can therefore count toward unlocking Captain, and a Captain card can satisfy the Captain victory condition.
Knowledge markers
There are 48 topic markers: 12 topics × 4, plus 8 neutral bonus markers. Each player may hold at most 1 topic marker for each topic. If you already have that topic marker, you may receive a neutral bonus marker instead. Each player may hold at most 2 neutral bonus markers. Movement for a correct new card still applies even when you cannot take another marker.
Full Expedition Pass
The Expedition Pass holds at most 7 markers. Only when you already have 7 may you replace one neutral bonus marker with a newly earned topic marker, if you need that topic to increase your topic variety.
Route to the Citadel
Harbor → 1 → 2 → 3 → … → 12 → Citadel. The Citadel is the position after space 12. Once you reach it, you stay there. Any excess movement is lost. Continue playing until all remaining victory conditions are also met.
Empty deck
If a deck runs out, shuffle its discard pile and use it again.
What is read aloud?
After an answer, read the correct answer and the brief explanation aloud. The detailed explanation and sources used are also available through the QR code on each card on the website.
Victory in one sentence
Citadel + 7 knowledge markers from at least 5 topics + at least 1 correctly answered Captain card + empty Learning Harbor.