A Lotta Axolotls
A Lotta Axolotls Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
Save the most axolotls by winning Collection Cards.
Contents
84 Axolotl Cards (14 of each color), 15 Collection Cards.
Setup
Shuffle the Collection Cards. Place them face down in a pile in the middle of the table. Take the top 3 cards from that pile and place them face up around the pile in a triangle.
Two Ways to Play
There are two ways to play depending on what style of game you are in the mood for. CHILL is a typical turn-based game where each player gets their own turn, and WILD is a fast free for all where everyone plays at the same time.
Chill Version
In this version, players take turns. It's chill - you can have a conversation while you play. It's a lotta fun!
Chill Setup
Shuffle the Axolotl Cards and deal 3 to each player. Place the rest face down in 2 draw piles out to the side of the Collection Cards. Players may pick up their cards and look at them.
Chill How to Play
There are two parts to your turn, drawing cards and playing cards. After choosing a player to go first, play proceeds clockwise. Keep going around and taking turns until all Collection Cards have been won.
Drawing Cards
At the beginning of your turn, draw until you have 4 cards in your hand. You may not draw from the discard pile. If the Axolotl Card draw pile runs out, shuffle the discard pile and place face down into 2 draw piles.
Playing Cards
To play a card from your hand, place it next to a Collection Card that has that color axolotl open. You can play as many of the Axolotl Cards in your hand as you want, but you must play at least 1 card. If you are unable to play on any Collection Card after drawing, you must discard at least 1 card to the discard pile and you may discard more than 1 card. You cannot choose to discard instead of playing a card if you are able to play a card. A player may not end their turn with more than 3 cards in their hand.
Example
In the illustration below, there is a 6 Collection Card (it has 6 axolotls on it). Players have already matched all the axolotls except for white and green. In your hand you have a white, yellow, red, and purple Axolotl Card. The only card you can play next to the Collection Card is your white Axolotl Card because all the other colors are matched, and you don't have a green Axolotl Card.
Chill Winning a Collection Card
Little by little, all the axolotls shown on a Collection Card get matched. The player that plays the last open color on the Collection Card wins that card. After winning a Collection Card, put the Axolotl Cards for that Collection Card in a discard pile and place the Collection Card next to the player who won it face down.
Draw a new Collection Card from the Collection Card pile and place it face up in the space where the previous Collection Card was. When the Collection Card draw pile runs out, play continues until all the remaining face up Collection Cards have been won.
When a player wins a Collection Card, they may continue to play more Axolotl Cards from their hand. This includes playing on a newly revealed Collection Card.
Chill Ending the Game
The CHILL version ends when all the Collection Cards have been won. Proceed to the "Scoring the Game" section.
Wild Version
This version of the game is a race! There are no turns! All players play at the same time. It's messy, it's a little wild and a lotta fun!
Wild Setup
Shuffle the Axolotl Cards and deal 4 to each player, but do not look at them yet. Place the rest face down in 2 draw piles out to the side of the Collection Cards. Count 3-2-1 GO! Then players pick up their cards and begin to play!
Wild Drawing and Playing Cards
All players play at the same time. Because there are no turns, players may draw back up to 4 cards at any time! If at any point no player can play, then all players may draw another card up to 5 cards. From then on, players can always draw up to 5 cards. If no player can play with 5 cards then increase to 6 cards and so on. There is no discarding.
Wild Winning a Collection Card
Just like the CHILL version, players win a Collection Card by matching the last open color on a Collection Card. When a player wins a Collection Card, they move the Axolotl Cards for that Collection Card out of the way, place the Collection Card next to themselves, and then draw a new Collection Card from the Collection Card pile and place it face up in the space where the previous Collection Card was.
Wild Ending the Game
The WILD version ends when all Collection Cards are won, OR when the Axolotl Card draw piles are gone and no player can play.
Scoring the Game (Both Versions)
Each Collection Card is worth the number of axolotls on the cards. Add up the numbers on the Collection Cards and see which player has saved the most axolotls. The player with the highest score is the winner! In the case of a tie, the player with the most Collection Cards wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most red Axolotl Cards wins.