Songbirds Game Rules

Hey there! I want to talk to you about a fun game called Songbirds. Have you ever played it before? If not, I think you’re going to love it!

First, let me tell you why this game is so great. Songbirds is a game that helps you learn about different bird species and test your knowledge. It’s an exciting way to discover new things about our feathery friends.

So how do you play? Well, it’s quite simple. The game will play a song, and it’s your job to guess which bird is singing. You’ll have multiple choices to pick from, so listen closely and trust your ears.

Each correct answer earns you points, and the more points you get, the higher your score. So try to guess as many songs as you can to become a true Songbirds champion!

Now, let me give you some tips to improve your gameplay. When you listen to the song, pay attention to the details. Think about the bird’s habitat, its behavior, and the unique sounds it makes. This will help you make an educated guess.

Don’t worry if you don’t know the answer right away. Sometimes it takes a little practice to become an expert. Just keep playing and learning, and you’ll get better with each round.

Remember, Songbirds is not just a game, it’s an opportunity to dive deep into the world of birds. Take this chance to appreciate their beautiful melodies and learn about their diverse species. Who knows, you might even discover a new favorite!

So, are you ready to test your bird knowledge and become a Songbirds champion? I believe in you! Let’s dive into this exciting adventure together and have a blast guessing those bird songs. Enjoy the game!

As the sun rises, the forest comes alive with the melodious tunes of songbirds. They sing to attract mates and establish their territory, each trying to outdo the other in their quest for the best nesting spots and juiciest berries.

In the Box

• 28 Songbird Cards
• 10 Berry Tokens
• 5 Negative Tokens
• 1 Crow Card
• 2 Score Cards
• Instructions

Objective

Your goal is to strategically play songbird cards with different volumes from your hand onto the forest play area. You aim to dominate columns and rows to collect valuable berries, while also keeping an eye on your opponents who are vying for the same secret color to score points.

After two rounds, the forest spirit with the highest point total emerges as the ultimate winner!

Setting Up

Hey there! Let me walk you through the basic setup instructions for a 2- or 3-player game.

Step 1: First, we need to shuffle the Berry tokens and place them face-down. Take 5 Berry tokens and arrange them in a column. Then, take the remaining 5 tokens and create a row by using the top left corner of the play area as a guide. Once they’re all arranged, flip them over so they’re face-up. The spaces where the tokens intersect will create the forest, which is made up of twenty-five (5×5) spaces.

Step 2: Next, we place the 2 Score Cards above the forest.

Step 3: The Crow card should be left in the box for now. We’ll shuffle the Songbird cards and draw one card to place it in the center space, face-up.

Step 4: Now it’s time to deal cards to each player, based on the total number of players:

• If there are 2 players, each player gets 13 cards.
• If there are 3 players, each player gets 9 cards.

These cards will be each player’s hand.

Just a quick note: If you’re playing with 2 players, set aside the 1 remaining card, face-down. It won’t be used in the current round.

When it comes to starting a game, there’s a simple rule to follow: the last player to win becomes the first player for the next round. It’s like passing the torch from one winner to the next. So, if you just won a game, congratulations! You’re up next.

Let’s Play the Game!

When we start playing, you will go first, and then we will take turns clockwise. Each of us will take a card from our hand and place it in the forest. But here’s the trick – the card you play has to be next to another card already in the forest.

In the picture on the right, you’ll see seven highlighted spaces where you can place a card. Take turns with the other players, filling up all the spaces in the forest. Make sure everyone has just one card left in their hand. The songbird’s color on your last card determines your favorite songbird and how many points you score.

Once all the spaces in the forest are filled, the game is over. The songbird color that appears the most in a column or row gets berry tokens. To figure out the strength of each songbird color, add up the numbers of the same color in a column or row. The higher the sum, the stronger that color is.

In this row, there are a White 5 and a White 1, making the strength of White 6. For Red, there is a Red 2 and a Red 3, giving it a strength of 5. Lastly, there is only one Blue with a strength of 2. Based on these numbers, White is the strongest color in this row.

Now, let’s talk about the Berry tokens. The Berry token above a column is given to the strongest songbird color in that column. Similarly, the Berry token to the left of a row is awarded to the strongest songbird color in that row.

When there is a tie in a column or row, the tied songbird colors cancel each other out. In that case, the Berry token goes to the next strongest color in that column or row.

If all the strengths match or cancel each other out, no color receives the Berry token for that column or row.

In the top row, we have Green, Red, Blue, and White. Each of them has a value of 7, except for White, which has a value of 3. Since Green, Red, and Blue have the same value, they cancel each other out, and White wins the Berry token of 6.

In the bottom row, we have White with a value of 5, and Green with a total strength of 5. They cancel each other out. Blue has a value of 1, and Red also has a value of 1. So no songbird color gets the Berry token of 7.

Now, you need to place the awarded Berry tokens on the Score Cards. This will help you easily calculate the total value of all the Berry tokens.

Once the tokens for the 5 columns and 5 rows are assigned, it’s time to reveal your favored songbird. You will score victory points based on the strength value of your favored songbird, as well as the total Berry value of your favored songbird’s color.

Hey there! Did you know that it’s possible for another player to have the same favorite songbird color as you? Yeah, that’s right! If you both happen to prefer the same songbird color, then the same calculation applies for both of you.

Example: I scored 22 points because I revealed a Red 5, which is my favorite songbird, and Red is worth 17 points. Another player revealed a Red 3, so their score is 20 (17 + 3).

Chatting Between Players

You can’t show or tell another player what cards you have in your hand.

You can tell another player which space in a forest you want to keep empty.

You can discuss with the other players who should pick the favored songbird and which color to choose.

Only you can choose which card to play from your hand, but once you make the choice, you can talk about the best space to play it.

Once you choose which card to play from your hand, you can’t change your mind and have to play that card.