Your first five minutes
You do not need to understand the whole economy before playing. Follow this loop once, then use the deeper sections when a new tile appears.
Your Roll Dice button always tells you what must be handled before the road opens again.
- 01
Create your hero
Choose a champion. Your player begins at Shepherd’s Hollow with two Threads of Ariadne.
- 02
Roll the die
Your signet moves 1–6 spaces. Your first roll opens a fresh turn with two action credits.
- 03
Read the tile
Open the tile you landed on. Holdings offer ownership actions; special tiles present a decision.
- 04
Use your turn
Mint units, claim rent, influence holdings, or challenge Troy when the opportunity is right.
- 05
Clear the road
Pay rent or resolve any special-tile gate, then roll again. That is the complete game loop.
Roll first. A fresh roll establishes the turn state that most actions need.
What happens on your turn
Isles of Elysium has no separate end-turn button. You act between rolls, and the next roll advances you when every required obligation is clear.
Move 1–6 spaces and refresh your turn.
Pay rent or answer a special tile.
Use credits and resources where useful.
Continue as soon as the road is clear.
Spend tempo, not turns
You may hold up to two action credits. After the first roll, each later roll restores one credit up to that cap. A fresh turn lasts 24 hours.
The button explains the gate
Labyrinth, Toll, Troy tribute or capture, Gate rewards, and unpaid holding rent can all pause the next roll. Resolve the named blocker, then continue.
If your current holding owes rent, Roll Dice can request approval, pay it, and then move you.
Know what each resource unlocks
Most choices become simple once you know whether they ask for DRACHMA, tax points, an action credit, or a Thread.
DRACHMA
Used to mint holding units, pay rent, post bail, offer Troy tribute, and buy tax points.
Keep a reserve. Rent and tile obligations can block your next roll.
Tax Points
Spend them to contribute, sabotage, damage Troy, or settle Charon’s Toll.
Earn them from eligible DRACHMA spending, exchange, and Gates of Elysium prizes.
Action Credits
Minting, sabotage, Troy capture, and Troy damage each spend one credit.
You can hold at most two. Later rolls restore one, and turn state expires after 24 hours.
Threads of Ariadne
Spend one to leave the Labyrinth immediately without paying bail or offering a bribe.
You begin with two and can win more at the Gates of Elysium.Holdings, units, and rent
The eighteen named locations are shared holdings. Players own units inside them rather than locking the entire location away from everyone else.
Recognise this art from a holding popupBuy a share of the road
- Mint units: spend one credit and the current DRACHMA price. You get one mint action per visit.
- Hold units: rent paid into that holding is divided across units.
- Claim rent: a fresh turn and at least one available credit are required, but claiming does not spend it.
- Burn units: recover 80% of their cost basis; 5% goes to remaining holders and 15% to protocol fees. If the last unit is burned, the holder share also routes to protocol fees.
Each set has its own strategy. Inside it, entry, standard, and landmark holdings offer different opening costs and rents; live mint prices rise as units are minted.
| Set | Holdings | Set strategy | Opening mint range | Base rent range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadian MeadowsPan pipes | Shepherd's Hollow · Pan's Grotto · Mount Lycaeus | Accessible high-dilution yield | 21.68K–30.6K DRACHMA | 810–1.08K DRACHMA |
| Argonaut ShoresShip's prow | Iolcus Harbor · Argo's Berth · Colchis Grove | Early-entry scarcity | 30.6K–43.2K DRACHMA | 675–900 DRACHMA |
| Delphic HeightsLaurel wreath | Castalian Spring · Oracle of Delphi · Temple of Apollo | Cash-flow yield | 43.35K–61.2K DRACHMA | 810–1.08K DRACHMA |
| Wine-Dark IslesTrireme and wave | Ithaca · Delos · Palace of Knossos | Balanced ownership | 54.19K–76.5K DRACHMA | 630–840 DRACHMA |
| Athenian AcropolisOwl and olive | The Agora · The Propylaea · The Parthenon | Deep accumulation | 65.03K–91.8K DRACHMA | 585–780 DRACHMA |
| Heights of OlympusThunderbolt and eagle | Forge of Hephaestus · Hall of the Muses · Throne of Olympus | Premium low-dilution yield | 91.04K–128.52K DRACHMA | 675–900 DRACHMA |
Hold at least one unit in all three locations of a set. Each of your units in those holdings then receives 5% more rent weight. The renter pays the same bill—the existing rent pool is divided with your completed-set advantage.
Discord changes rent
Contributions raise a holding’s score and drive out the shields of Discord. Fewer shields mean a stronger rent multiplier. Sabotage pushes the score the other way.
Lowers the holding score and can restore Discord.
Raises the holding score. It does not consume an action credit.
The multiplier applies to that holding’s base rent. Contribution and sabotage are unavailable while you stand on Charon’s Toll.
Recognise every special tile
These illustrated locations interrupt the normal holding loop. The popup always shows the valid routes for your current state.
Bottom-left cornerThe Labyrinth
Landing here locks your next roll until you choose a release route.
- Bail
- Pay the current bail for guaranteed release. It begins at 5K DRACHMA.
- Bribe
- Post 40% of the current bail for a 55% success chance. Half is returned on success.
- Thread
- Spend one Thread of Ariadne. No DRACHMA is required.
Top-left cornerCharon’s Toll
If you arrive with tax points, the ledger must be settled before you can roll again.
- File Return
- Take a 50/50 chance: double your full tax-point balance or lose it all.
- Use Points
- Spend 30% of your current balance to clear the Toll without chance.
Top-right cornerWalls of Troy
Troy begins with 50K integrity and a 7.5K DRACHMA claim price. Captures raise the price; each breach fortifies its next life toward a 75K ceiling.
- Claim
- Land here and spend one credit plus the displayed DRACHMA total to take command.
- Tribute
- If another hero controls it, pay the 7.5K DRACHMA base tribute to clear your visit.
- Damage
- Spend tax points and one credit. Remote strikes cap at 25% of maximum integrity; a hero on the tile can finish the breach.
Bottom-right cornerGates of Elysium
Passing the Gate and landing on it are different rewards.
- Pass Through
- Moving past the Gate queues a 1,500 DRACHMA reward.
- Land Exactly
- Spin Tyche’s Wheel once, wait for it to settle, then claim the result.
- Possible Prizes
- DRACHMA, tax points, or one to two Threads of Ariadne.
Bribes, Toll filings, and wheel prizes are decided by a fair on-chain draw. The animation only shows the result.
Use the Player Dashboard as your checklist
The board tells you where you are. The dashboard tells you what you have, what you can claim, and whether your turn is ready.
Position, total rolls, turn freshness, and remaining action credits.
Liquid DRACHMA, estimated unit value, total wealth, and lifetime activity.
Your current Threads of Ariadne.
Complete sets, set decrees, and every unit you own.
Claimable rent by holding. Claiming requires a fresh turn and at least one credit, but does not spend it.
Convert 150K DRACHMA into 100 tax points after any active Toll obligation is cleared.
Why some actions ask twice
The first wallet confirmation can approve DRACHMA for the game contract. The second performs the actual action. Once enough allowance exists, later actions can need only the action confirmation.
Simple strategy for your first game
The strongest opening is not a fixed build. It is a balance between keeping the road open and buying productive positions.
Keep a road reserve
Do not commit every DRACHMA to minting. Rent, bail, and tribute can stand between you and the next roll.
Watch the credit cap
At two credits, rolling cannot bank a third. Spend a useful credit before rolling when the road is clear.
Build with a set in mind
A scattered portfolio earns rent; the dashboard also recognises when you hold all three locations in a named set.
Choose certainty deliberately
Bail and Toll payment routes cost more certainty; bribes and filings trade cost for risk.
Use tax points with purpose
Contribution improves rent, sabotage disrupts rivals, and Troy damage can erase a controller’s claim.
Read before confirming
The popup reflects current prices, balances, odds, and route availability. Treat it as the final word for that action.
Rules reference & common questions
Use these short answers when a button, balance, or board state does not behave the way you expected.
Why can’t I roll?
Read the Roll Dice button. You may need to resolve Labyrinth, Toll, Troy passage, Gates of Elysium, a wallet transaction, stale turn state, or the automatic rent due when leaving your current holding. Rent waiting for you to claim never blocks a roll.
Can several players own the same holding?
Yes. Ownership is measured in units. Rent assigned to the holding is distributed across the units that exist there.
Do I have to stand on a holding to use every action?
You must stand there to mint. Claim, burn, contribute, and sabotage follow their own balance and turn requirements; contribution and sabotage are blocked on Charon’s Toll.
Why did the holding price change?
Each set has an opening price and a price increment. New units make the next unit more expensive, so the popup’s live price is authoritative.
Does claiming rent spend an action credit?
No. You need a fresh turn and at least one available credit, but the claim itself does not consume that credit.
When do action credits expire?
Your fresh turn window lasts 24 hours from the latest roll. After it expires, roll again before using actions that require a fresh turn.