Each player gets a 36 card deck, constructed from 3 each of 12 different ceremony cards (there are 16 different ceremonies in the base game).

Every player has a player board with spaces for four ceremonies. Their play area is made up of the four spaces of their board, and the two nearest spaces on their left and right neighbors (for a total of 8 spaces). On a turn, they can draw a card, start a ceremony on personal player board, as long as there is not a ceremony of that type on in their play area; or play a card from their hand into any ceremony in their play area. Once begun, a ceremony in your player grants a special ability until it is completed.

Ceremonies are finished after the fourth card is played to it, with the player claiming a victory point tile, and putting out a game end token if none is available. When all of the game end tokens have been put out the game is over and the player who has collected the most Victory Points is the winner.