Bower Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Game Overview
• How to Play
  • 1. Take a Nest Tile from the Display
  • 2. Play a Nest Tile from Your Hand
  • 3. Get a Bonus Tile (optional)
• End of the Turn
• End of the Game
• Final Scoring Example
• Super Nest Variant
• Fair Play Variant
• Bonus Tiles Description
  • Nest Bonus Tiles
  • Egg Bonus Tiles
  • Spy Bonus Tiles
  • Token Bonus Tiles
  • Interactive Bonus Tiles
• Credits

Components

• 1 Birds board
• 8 Request eggs
• 36 Nest tiles
• 20 Bonus tiles
• 20 Egg tokens
• 5 Bonus tokens

Setup

Before the first game, put the Birds board together as shown.

1. Take a seat at the table, sitting across from each other.
2. Place the Birds board at the center of the table.
3. Shuffle the 8 Request eggs, face-down, being careful not to see the illustrated symbol. Then, deal 3 random eggs to each of you. Place your 3 Request eggs, with the symbol facing you, in the designated spaces on your side of the Birds board (1st, 3rd, and 5th space on one side, and 2nd, 4th, and 6th space on the other). You should never see the symbols on the eggs facing your opponent. Place the remaining 2 eggs to the side of the playing area without looking at them.
4. Shuffle the 36 Nest tiles and create a face-down stack next to the Birds board. Then, draw 3 tiles from the stack and place them face-up next to it to form the display.
5. Shuffle the 20 Bonus tiles and create a face-down stack next to the Birds board. Place the 5 Bonus tokens next to it.
6. Create a reserve with the Egg tokens to the side of the playing area.
7. Randomly select the first player. The first player chooses 1 Nest tile from the display and takes it into their hand; then, the second player chooses 1 Nest tile from the remaining 2 and takes it into their hand (make this choice after carefully reading the game rules). Finally, replenish the display by drawing 2 new Nest tiles from the stack.

Game Overview

In Bower, you will aim to build the most beautiful nest to attract the attention of other birds and outdo your opponent's competition.

On your turn, you must place a Nest tile on your side of the Birds board, aiming to build your nest in a 6x4 grid. While doing so, try to create groups of adjacent squares with the same material that makes up the background of the Nest tiles (Straw, Moss, or Gravel) and, in each column, aim to have more objects of the type indicated on the corresponding Request egg than your opponent. However, only 3 Request eggs are visible to you, while the other 3 are visible only to your opponent, so you can only deduce their contents.

At the end of the game, you will receive Egg tokens for the following conditions:

• The largest group of each of the 3 types of material (Straw, Moss, and Gravel). For example, the largest adjacent group of "Moss" squares can be highlighted to compare against your opponent's.
• The majority of the object indicated on the Request egg in each of the 6 columns. For example, in a column requesting red Feathers, the majority of red Feathers is counted. Request eggs showing a white Feather or a white Flower require a majority of Feathers or Flowers regardless of color.
• Some Bonus tiles also provide extra Egg tokens.

The player who, in the end, accumulates the most Egg tokens will have created the most beautiful nest and, therefore, win the game.

How to Play

Starting with the first player, you will take turns until each of you has played exactly 12 turns.

At your turn, you must perform the following steps in order:

1. Take a Nest tile from the display
2. Play a Nest tile from your hand
3. Get a Bonus tile (optional)

1. Take a Nest Tile from the Display

Choose one of the 3 Nest tiles available in the display and add it to your hand. You cannot choose to draw the tile from the stack. The tiles in your hand must not be revealed to your opponent. Then, draw a new Nest tile from the stack and add it face up to the display.

2. Play a Nest Tile from Your Hand

Choose one of the Nest tiles in your hand and place it face up in your nest. When you place a Nest tile in your nest, you must adhere to the following rules:

• The tile must be placed orthogonally adjacent to the Birds board or to a previously placed tile (at least one side must, therefore, touch the Birds board or a previously placed tile).
• The tile can be oriented in any way.
• The tile cannot extend, in whole or in part, beyond the 6x4 grid that you need to form.
• The tile cannot overlap, in whole or in part, with other tiles already placed or the Birds board.
• Once placed, the tile cannot be moved or removed.

Note: the material on the background of the Nest tiles (Straw, Moss, or Gravel) does not impose any placement constraint.

If you cannot legally place a tile, you may skip the placement and continue with the rest of your turn. Be careful when placing tiles not to seal off single-square holes that later become impossible to fill; if this happens anyway, especially near the end of the game, simply do not play a tile and conclude your turn.

Anatomy of a Nest tile. Each Nest tile is divided into two squares, each characterized by a background material (Straw, Moss, or Gravel). On each square, there are 1 to 3 of the following objects, which can be the same or different from each other:

• Flowers, in 3 colors (yellow, violet, and red). They are used to obtain the majority on a column.
• Feathers, in 3 colors (yellow, violet, and red). They are used to obtain the majority on a column.
• Gems. They are used to obtain Bonus tiles.
• Shells. They break ties during the final scoring.

3. Get a Bonus Tile (optional)

When, after placing a Nest tile in your nest, you have placed the third Gem in the same column or in a group of adjacent squares of the same material, you receive a Bonus tile. You can obtain only one Bonus tile in a turn, even if you were to satisfy more conditions by placing the tile. If you place additional Gems beyond the third in the same column or in the same group of adjacent squares of the same material, you do not receive additional Bonus tiles.

For example, if a player places their third Gem in a column, they receive a Bonus tile; a fourth Gem placed later in that same column earns nothing further. Likewise, placing a third Gem in a group of adjacent same-material squares earns one Bonus tile, even if that same placement also completes a third Gem in a column — only one Bonus tile is ever awarded per turn.

When you obtain a Bonus tile, draw 3 Bonus tiles from the corresponding stack, choose 1, and discard the remaining tiles to the side of the playing area. Reveal the chosen tile to your opponent and apply its effects (see Bonus Tiles Description below). You are never obligated to apply the effect of the Bonus tile.

In the rare case that the Bonus tile stack runs out, shuffle the discarded tiles and form a new stack of face-down tiles.

End of the Turn

After you have completed all 3 steps of your turn, your opponent will take their turn.

End of the Game

The game ends at the end of the 12th turn of both players, when both players have completed their nest with a 6x4 grid (by placing 12 Nest tiles, or fewer if they left holes in the grid). Now proceed to the final scoring as described below.

Reveal the Request eggs and award the Egg tokens obtained by each of you for the following conditions:

• The largest groups. For each type of material (Straw, Moss, and Gravel), the player who has in their nest the group consisting of the highest number of orthogonally adjacent squares receives 1 Egg token. In the event of a tie, the player with the majority of Shells in that group receives the Egg token. In case of a further tie, no one receives the Egg token. One Egg token is at stake for each material.
• Majority in each column. For each column, the player who has the most objects of the type indicated on the corresponding Request egg in that column receives 1 Egg token. In case of a tie, the player with the majority of Shells in that column receives the Egg token. In case of a further tie, no one receives the Egg token. One Egg token is at stake for each column. Important: if you achieve the majority with only 1 object of the type indicated by the Request egg, you receive 2 Egg tokens instead of 1.

If a Request egg shows a white Feather or a white Flower, it means you must have the majority of Feathers or Flowers in that column in general, regardless of color.

• Egg Bonus tiles. If during the game you have acquired Egg Bonus tiles, you can obtain additional Egg tokens as described under Bonus Tiles Description below.

The player who has earned the most Egg tokens is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most Shells in their nest wins. In case of a further tie, the victory is shared. If a player has placed the "Colored Shells" Bonus tile (see Nest Bonus Tiles), that player wins the game in case of a tie of Egg tokens.

Suggestion: placing many objects of the type requested by the corresponding Request egg in a column could ensure you the majority; however, your opponent might easily deduce the content of the Request egg not visible to them. In some cases, successfully bluffing could be useful and earn you more Egg tokens.

Final Scoring Example

Simone and Pier reveal the Request eggs and obtain Egg tokens.

Larger groups

• Gravel: Simone receives 1 Egg token because he has a group of 8 squares against Pier's group of 5 squares.
• Straw: Pier receives 1 Egg token because he has a group of 6 squares, thanks to the "Branch" token that connects two smaller groups. Simone has a group of 6 squares too, but Pier has more Shells (4 against 0) in his group.
• Moss: Pier receives 1 Egg token because he has a group of 8 squares against Simone's group of 4 squares.

Majority in each column

• Column 1 (Flowers of any color): Pier receives 2 Egg tokens because he has 1 Flower, while Simone has none.
• Column 2 (yellow Flowers): Simone receives 1 Egg token because he has 4 yellow Flowers, while Pier has none.
• Column 3 (red Feathers): Pier receives 1 Egg token because he has 2 red Feathers like Simone (the white ones), but he also has 1 Shell in that column, while Simone has none.
• Column 4 (Feathers of any color): Simone receives 1 Egg token because he has 4 Feathers like Pier (3 plus the Feather token), but he also has the "Colored Shell" in that column (this breaks the tie although Pier has 4 Shells).
• Column 5 (violet Feathers): Pier receives 1 Egg token because he has 2 violet Feathers, while Simone has none.
• Column 6 (yellow Feathers): no one gets the Egg token because both Pier and Simone have 2 yellow Feathers, but they don't have Shells to break the tie in that column.

Bonus tiles

Simone obtained 3 Bonus tiles during the game, of which 2 were Nest tiles he had played and 1 was an Egg tile. For this tile, he receives 1 Egg token because he has the majority of yellow objects (9 against 7 — the white Flowers and Feathers don't count).

Pier also obtained 3 Bonus tiles during the game, of which 1 was an Egg tile. For this tile, Pier doesn't receive the Egg token, because Simone has the majority of Shells thanks to the "Colored Shells" tile.

Pier received 6 Egg tokens in total, while Simone received only 4. Pier is the winner!

Super Nest Variant

This variant is designed for experienced players or those who are already familiar with the game and want to take on a more challenging experience. Apply all the usual rules with the following modifications.

Setup: At the end of Step 5, reveal 7 Bonus tiles from the stack and put all the other tiles back into the box. These 7 Bonus tiles will be the only ones available throughout the entire game. Also, return any Bonus tokens to the box if their corresponding Bonus tiles are not among the 7 tiles revealed.

Overview: The major difference from the base game is that you will have to build your nest on a grid of 6x5 squares instead of 6x4.

How to play: Starting with the first player, you will take turns until each player has played 15 turns instead of 12. After placing a Nest tile, if you place your third Gem in a column or in a group of adjacent squares of the same material, choose a Bonus tile from those available. If there are no more Bonus tiles, you receive nothing.

Fair Play Variant

This variant is designed for less experienced players or those who prefer less direct interaction and enjoy building their nest peacefully. Apply all the usual rules with the following modifications.

Setup: During Step 5, leave the Interactive Bonus tiles (and their corresponding Bonus token) in the box — they won't be used in this variant. You will play with only 16 Bonus tiles instead of 20.

Bonus Tiles Description

Nest Bonus Tiles

When you choose one of these Bonus tiles, after revealing it to your opponent, add it to your hand. These Bonus tiles are additional Nest tiles that increase your hand limit by 1 for the remainder of the game. You can play them in a subsequent turn as a regular Nest tile from your hand.

White Feathers and white Flowers count as Feathers and Flowers of a color of your choice (you will decide during the final scoring). Brown material (Earth) is a fourth material that does not count towards the largest group.

During the final scoring, in case of a tie, the "Colored Shells" Nest tile allows the player who played it in their nest to win the tie in the column(s) where it is placed or in the largest "Moss" square group, regardless of the number of Shells present. Additionally, having the Colored Shells in your nest wins the game in the event of a final tie in Egg tokens.

Egg Bonus Tiles

When you choose one of these Bonus tiles, place it face up next to your nest and keep it revealed until the end of the game.

During the final scoring, if you have in your nest more items (both Feathers and Flowers) of the specified color compared to your opponent, you receive 1 Egg token. If you don't have more items, you don't receive the Egg token. In any case, your opponent does not receive anything. Note: white Feathers and white Flowers do not count towards the majority count for these Bonus tiles.

There is also a Shells Egg Bonus tile: during the final scoring, if you have in your nest more Shells than your opponent, you receive 1 Egg token. If you don't have more, you don't receive the Egg token. In any case, your opponent does not receive anything. In this case as well, the owner of the "Colored Shells" gains the majority regardless of the number of Shells owned.

Spy Bonus Tiles

These Bonus tiles allow you to have some information, either direct or indirect, about the Request eggs that are not visible to you. After applying the indicated effect, keep them aside next to your nest as a reminder of their acquisition.

• Look at 1 Request egg among those facing your opponent. You can also review it later if you don't remember its content.
• Look at the 2 out-of-play Request eggs (those set aside during setup), being careful not to reveal them to your opponent. You can also review them later if you don't remember their content.

Token Bonus Tiles

These Bonus tiles are associated with the 5 corresponding Bonus tokens. After applying the indicated effect, keep them aside next to your nest as a reminder of their acquisition.

• Take the "X" Bonus token and place it on a Feather or Flower of any color (including white) in your nest or your opponent's nest. At the end of the game, the covered item should not be considered in the final scoring.
• Take the corresponding Bonus token ("white Flower" or "white Feather") and place it in your nest on a square of a Nest tile, being careful not to cover any other item. At the end of the game, it will count as a Flower or Feather of a color of your choice in that square.
• Take the "Shells" token and place it in your nest on a square of a Nest tile, being careful not to cover any other item. At the end of the game, it will count as 2 Shells in that square, both for tiebreakers in case of a tie and for the corresponding Egg Bonus tile majority counting.
• Take the "Branch" Bonus token and place it in your nest on a square of a Nest tile, arranged parallel to one of the two sides of the tile (not diagonally), being careful not to cover any other item. The two squares adjacent to the ends of the branch, if of the same Material, are considered adjacent. This adjacency applies both for calculating the third Gem in a group of squares of the same Material and for the final scoring of the largest group. For example, two separate groups of the same material connected by the Branch token are considered one combined group for both purposes.

Interactive Bonus Tiles

The majority of Interactive Bonus tiles are designed to directly impact the opponent's game. After applying their effect, keep them aside next to your nest as a reminder of their acquisition.

• Draw the tile from the top of the Nest tile stack and place it in your nest to cover 2 squares (either from the same tile or different tiles). The items on the covered squares no longer count and will be ignored during the final scoring. Instead, the items on the newly placed Nest tile will count.
• Choose a Nest tile from the display, give it to your opponent, then refill the display. On their turn, immediately following yours, your opponent cannot take a Nest tile from the display and is obligated to play the tile you gave them. If your opponent has already played 12 turns, this Bonus tile has no effect.
• At the end of your turn, your opponent plays 2 turns consecutively. If your opponent has already played 11 or 12 turns, this Bonus tile has no effect.
• Your opponent discards the Nest tile they have in hand. This effect reduces their hand limit by 1. If your opponent has more than one Nest tile in hand, they must discard one of their choice.

Credits

Game Design: Pierpaolo Paoletti

Development: Simone Luciani

Illustrations: Irene Laschi

Art Direction: Arianna Santini

Rules Editing: Stefania Niccolini

Editing: Giuliano Acquati

Published by Cranio Creations S.r.l.