ARBORETUM
Hey there! Ever wanted to have your own peaceful arboretum? Well, now you can! Welcome to my game, where you get to create your very own arboretum and invite visitors to come and explore. But here’s the twist – the paths you create in your arboretum will also determine your success. Keep reading to find out more!
SETUP
Let’s get started with the setup. The number of species you use will depend on how many players are in the game. If there are two players, you’ll need six species. For three players, you’ll need eight, and for four players, you’ll need all ten species. Make sure you have the right amount before we begin!
When it comes to starting the game, the player who watered a plant most recently gets to go first. That player becomes the dealer, and they will shuffle the deck and give every player seven cards. Each player gets to start with these cards facing down. The remaining cards are put face down in the middle to create the draw pile.
How to Play
Now that everything is set, let the game begin! The first player will start, and the game continues clockwise around the group. There are three important steps to follow during your turn:
Step 1: Draw Two Cards – It’s time to replenish your hand. You can choose to draw both cards from the draw pile or take one from the draw pile and another from the top of any player’s discard pile. It’s up to you!
Step 2: Play One Card – It’s time to add some cards to your arboretum. Choose a card from your hand and place it in the arboretum. You can choose any of the cards you drew or any card from your hand that you no longer need. Make sure you strategize and think carefully about your placement.
Step 3: Discard One Card – Lastly, choose one card from your hand and place it on top of the discard pile. It’s important to stay strategic while discarding so you don’t give away any valuable cards to your opponents.
When I start playing the game, I’ll pick a card from my hand and place it in front of me to start my arboretum. Each turn after that, I have to play a card that is next to one of the cards already in my arboretum, either horizontally or vertically.
Once I’ve played my card, I’ll have to discard another card from my hand. This discarded card goes face up in my personal discard pile. I can choose any card from my hand to discard, as long as it’s not the one I just played. At the end of my turn, I should have seven cards left in my hand.
The game ends when all the cards in the draw pile have been used up. The last player gets to finish their turn, and then we start scoring.
When it’s time to score, we compare the cards in our hands with each other. For every type of tree, whoever has the highest value of cards for that tree gets points for their path that starts and ends with that tree.
THE END OF THE GAME
When the draw pile runs out of cards and there are no more left to play, that’s when the game comes to an end and it’s time to count up the scores. A path in this game is a series of cards that are next to each other and have cards that increase in value. The first card and the last card in the path must be of the same species.
In order to create a path, each card you add to it must have a higher value than the one before it. The only requirement for the species is that the beginning and ending cards of the path must match.
Now let’s talk about how points are scored. You get one point for each card that is part of the path. If the path is at least four cards long and all of the cards are of the same species, you score an additional point for each card in the path. If the path starts with a one and ends with an eight, you score an extra two points. Once all the points have been calculated, it’s time to add them up.
At the end of the game, the player with the highest score wins! So make sure to create long paths with cards of the same species and try to start and end your paths with a one and an eight for extra points. Good luck!