Caterpillars
Caterpillars Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
In Caterpillars, you roll the dice to feed your hungry caterpillars. Choose the best way to use your rolls and aim for the highest score. The game offers 4 difficulty levels. In its simplest form, it's perfect for young children (suitable from age 5 or 6, depending on their math skills). Or step it up a few notches and play all the way to EXPERT level!
Contents
- 5 scorepads (25 sheets each)
- 3 regular dice
- 1 action die
- 1 pen
Game Overview
The core gameplay for each difficulty level is the same:
- The game is played over 12 rounds.
- Each round, the next player clockwise rolls the dice once. All players use the same set of rolled values, playing simultaneously.
- Each player records one score per round in one of the 12 score boxes on their caterpillars. At the ADVANCED and EXPERT levels, players may also fill in one of the 3 Bonus boxes (A, B, and C).
- After all 12 rounds, it's time for final scoring and to determine the winner. More about scoring later, but to give you an impression: You'll score based on the caterpillar with the median total, not the highest or lowest.
Game Setup
Prepare the game as follows:
- Give every player a scoresheet and a pen.
- Each of the 3 caterpillars on your scoresheet has 4 boxes (12 in total). 6 of these boxes are already labeled with a number (1, 2, 5, or 6). Let's assign numbers to the 6 blank labels on your sheet:
- Roll the 3 regular dice. All players will label 3 of their blank labels with the 3 rolled values (each die value goes to one label).
- Keep rolling and filling in labels until all score boxes have a label.
- Take the 3 regular dice, unless you are playing the BEGINNER level, then take 2 regular dice. The action die is only used at EXPERT level. At all other levels, you can leave it in the box.
- Hand the dice to the youngest player: they are the starting player.
Setup Variation
To add an extra challenge, you can use this setup variation for step 2 in the INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, or EXPERT levels:
Roll all 3 regular dice. Choose 1 die and assign its value to a blank label. Then, add up the values of the other 2 dice, and assign that total to another blank label. Each player will use the same dice values, but may choose how to group and assign the dice values themselves.
Tip: The value you assign to a label may now be higher than 6.
Scoresheet
Your scorepad features 3 caterpillars: Alex, Bobby and Charlie. Each caterpillar contains 4 score boxes. Six of these are already labeled (1). The other 6 score boxes are labeled during setup (2).
Below each caterpillar you'll total their score (3) and fill in their linked Bonus box (4, ADVANCED and EXPERT level only). At the end of the game, the caterpillar with the median total will be your final score (5).
(The scoresheet diagram marks these items: 1 = pre-printed label, 2 = label assigned during setup, 3 = caterpillar total box, 4 = linked Bonus box, 5 = final score.)
Base Game: Beginner
Let's start with the BEGINNER level, which is the foundation for the other levels. You'll only need 2 regular dice; the action die is not used.
Each round, you'll choose one of the rolled dice as your score, and use the other die to determine where to place it. To assign your score, look for an empty score box with a label matching the number on the other die. This can be a pre-printed label or one you assigned during setup.
If multiple labels match your die, you're free to choose the one that suits you best. If there's no empty score box with a matching label or no score box with that label at all, you must write a zero in an empty score box of your choice.
When all 12 score boxes are filled, continue with scoring.
Example: You rolled a 3 and a 5.
- You choose to use the 5 as your score.
- That means the 3 determines where to place it. You must find an empty box labeled 3 and write the score (5) there.
Level 2: Intermediate
At the intermediate level, add the third regular die and roll all 3 dice together each round. Most of what you've learned in the base game still applies, but now each round, you must choose whether to...
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Use 2 dice to create your score (by adding them together), and use the third die to determine which empty box to assign that score to.
OR
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Use 2 dice to determine the box label (by adding them together), and use the third die as your score.
This new rule gives you a lot of extra options each round. It also means the scores you assign can now be higher than 6. And if you're using the Setup variation described earlier, you may even need to combine 2 dice just to assign a score to a box with a label higher than 6!
Example: You roll 2, 3, and 6.
- You could add 2 + 3 = 5 to get your score, and assign it to an empty box labeled 6.
- Or, you could add 3 + 6 = 9 to determine the box label, and place the remaining die value (2) as your score in an empty box labeled 9 (this of course only works when you use the setup variation).
Level 3: Advanced
At the Advanced level we introduce the 3 Bonus boxes, labeled A, B, and C. You'll find them below the regular scoring boxes on the scoresheet. Each Bonus box is linked to one of your caterpillars.
Each round, you may choose to assign the value of one of the 3 rolled dice to an empty Bonus box (A, B, or C). If you do, that die is no longer available to you this round, and you'll continue the turn using only the remaining 2 dice (like in the base game).
At the end of the game, the score of the Bonus box linked to the caterpillar that takes flight will be added to your final score.
Tip: You may fill in only one Bonus box per round, and each Bonus box can only be used once in each game.
Example: You roll 2, 3, and 5.
- You decide to assign the 5 to Bonus box A. That leaves you with 2 and 3 for this round.
- You choose to score 3 and assign it to a box labeled 2.
- After the final round, your caterpillar A(lex) takes flight and you add the 5 points from Bonus box A to your final score.
Level 4: Expert
At the EXPERT level, you'll use all 3 regular dice plus the action die, which adds a new twist to each round. The action die has 6 unique faces: A, B, C, 2x, 10, and Butterfly.
Each round, roll all 4 dice together. The action die introduces a special effect, explained below. You all use the same action die result, but how it affects each of you may differ, especially when it references your personal Bonus boxes.
Action die faces:
- A, B, or C: The action die takes on the value written in your Bonus box A, B, or C. If the referenced Bonus box is empty, the die is not relevant for you this round (you'll still play with the 3 regular dice).
- 2x: Choose any one of the other 3 dice and treat its value as doubled for this round.
- 10: The action die counts as a fourth die with a fixed value of 10.
- Butterfly: You may write the total value of all of the available dice into any empty box of your choice.
Tip: At this level, you have 4 dice available if you roll A, B, C, or 10. This means you must use 1, 2, or even 3 dice to choose a box or determine the score. Note that you may not, in the same turn, both write a number in a Bonus box and use that Bonus box's value.
Example: You roll 2, 5, 6, and the Butterfly.
- You decide to assign the 6 to Bonus box C. Using the Butterfly, you write the total value of the remaining two dice (2 + 5 = 7) in any empty box of your choice, ignoring the label.
Next round, you roll 1, 2, 2, and a C.
- Not a great roll, but the action die shows C, meaning you can use the 6 stored in Bonus box C as an extra 6 die value. You now have 1, 2, 2, and 6 to play with, and choose to score 2 + 2 + 6 = 10 points in an empty box labeled 1.
Scoring
After 12 rounds, each of your 3 caterpillars will have all 4 score boxes filled with scores. Now it's time to see which one takes flight!
- Add up the total score for each caterpillar, and write the totals in the = boxes on your scoresheet (the total box below each caterpillar).
- Strike out the caterpillar with highest and lowest totals. In case of a tie, choose which caterpillar to strike out.
- The remaining caterpillar is the one that takes flight. Write its score in the = box on the bottom line of your scoresheet.
- If the Bonus box linked to the caterpillar that took flight contains a value, write it as a bonus in the ABC box on the bottom line.
- Add up the = box and the ABC box to get your end total.
The player with the highest end total wins. In case of a tie, the tied player with the highest combined score across all 12 score boxes wins.
Playing Solo
Caterpillars can also be played solo! Simply follow the standard rules for any difficulty level you like. Your goal? Beat your personal best or compare your scores with those of your friends.