Fly Home!
Fly Home! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Content
- 42 cards
- 32 birds
- 6 owls
- 4 binoculars
- 4 Habitats
- 16 trait tables
- 4 per language
Goal
Observe and memorize the common traits of the birds. The more birds you return to their habitat before nightfall, the higher your score will be at the end of the game.
Setup
Of the 4 trait tables, choose 3 and return the last one to the box. It will not be used during this game. Look at the traits and decide which side you want to play with: these are the traits you will be using during the game.
There are 2 kinds of traits: the visible traits, which can be seen on the birds directly and the invisible traits, which are represented by icons.
The printed examples of the two kinds are:
- Visible: Feather colour, with the options Grey/black/white only; Brown; Blue; Orange/red.
- Invisible: Food, with the options Insects; Seeds; Carrion; Small mammals.
Note on the other two trait tables: the PDF shows their names only in small thumbnails ("Beak shape" and "Beak color" appear on the setup example page), and their option lists are not legible as text in the printed rules, so they are not reproduced here. The rules text itself does not list them.
Shuffle the remaining cards and place them face down on the table, forming a rectangle of of 6x7 cards. Place the 4 habitats and the 3 trait tables next to the cards so everyone can see them.
Example of setup
How to Play
Players take turns in clockwise order. You are always allowed to communicate with each other.
On your turn, reveal 3 cards. Observe them carefully: if all three birds have one of the three chosen traits in common, you can put one of them in their habitat.
Caption: These three birds eat insects.
Note: There are 16 types of birds, and 2 copies of each. However, you can only return 1 bird of each type to its habitat.
As a group, the players choose 1 bird and place the card in its designated space on the habitat. Memorize the other cards and flip them face down again.
Caption: The group decides to return the tufted duck to its habitat by the shore.
If you can't find any common traits, too bad! Now, the player to your left takes their turn.
Bonus: When you complete a habitat by placing the 4th bird on it, you may immediately return one of the other 2 face-up birds to its habitat, provided it's not present there already.
Special Cases
A special action is performed if you reveal:
- Two identical birds: Bad luck! Your turn ends immediately.
- The owl: The owl triggers nighttime. Place this card to the side and reveal a different bird (see End of the Game).
- Binoculars: You may look at a face-down card. You are not allowed to show it to the other players, but you may describe the bird to them or even call it by its name. Place the bird back face down where you found it and reveal a new card, so there are 3 visible birds again. The binoculars card is removed from the game.
Note: It's possible to reveal more than one special card during your turn. If that is the case, resolve their actions in order until there are three bird cards face up on the table.
End of the Game
The game ends when:
- ... the sixth owl has been revealed: Night falls! Count the birds that have returned to their habitat and look at the table below to determine your score.
- ... all birds have safely returned to their habitat before nightfall: Bravo, you are true ornithologists!
Scoring table ("You saved" / "Congrats, you are"):
| You saved | Congrats, you are |
|---|---|
| 0-4 birds | Aspiring bird watchers |
| 5-8 birds | Real pros! |
| 9-12 birds | Ornithologists in training |
| 13-16 birds | The world of birds keeps no secrets from you! |
Caption: The 4 habitats have been completed.
Variants for High Flyers
Each time you return a bird to its habitat, flip the chosen trait table. You will have to alternate between 6 traits throughout the game. Your memory and your observation skills are tested with this variation!
We only recommend using this variation after you've familiarized yourself with the game.
Bird Reference
Each card lists the bird's visible traits (beak, head, feathers, tail, neck, legs) and its habitat, wingspan, family, behavior and food.
White wagtail
- Beak: narrow and black
- Head: grey (nuanced)
- Legs: black
- Habitat: shore
- Wingspan: 30 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: migratory
- Food: insects
Eurasian wigeon
- Beak: filtered grey
- Head: orange
- Legs: brown
- Habitat: shore
- Wingspan: 80 cm
- Family: ducks
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: insects
Yellow-legged gull
- Beak: filtered yellow and red
- Feathers: grey (nuanced)
- Legs: yellow
- Habitat: shore
- Wingspan: 130 cm
- Family: water birds
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: insects, small mammals, carcasses
Tufted duck
- Beak: filtered grey
- Feathers: grey (nuanced)
- Legs: black
- Habitat: shore
- Wingspan: 70 cm
- Family: ducks
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: insects, grains
Barn swallow
- Beak: narrow and black
- Head: red
- Feathers: blue
- Legs: grey
- Habitat: countryside
- Wingspan: 32 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: migratory
- Food: insects
Common kestrel
- Beak: hooked, yellow and black
- Feathers: brown
- Legs: yellow
- Habitat: countryside
- Wingspan: 75 cm
- Family: birds of prey
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: insects, small mammals
Common buzzard
- Beak: hooked, yellow and grey
- Feathers: brown
- Legs: yellow
- Habitat: countryside
- Wingspan: 130 cm
- Family: birds of prey
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: small mammals
Red kite
- Beak: hooked, yellow and grey
- Feathers: brown
- Legs: yellow
- Habitat: countryside
- Wingspan: 150 cm
- Family: birds of prey
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: small mammals, carcasses
Wood nuthatch
- Beak: thick and grey
- Feathers: blue and orange
- Legs: yellow
- Habitat: forest, mountains
- Wingspan: 25 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: sedentary
- Food: insects, grains
Chaffinch
- Beak: thick and grey
- Head: blue
- Feathers: brown
- Legs: brown
- Habitat: forest, mountains
- Wingspan: 26 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: partially migratory
- Food: insects, grains
Spotted nutcracker
- Beak: thick and black
- Feathers: brown
- Legs: black
- Habitat: forest, mountains
- Wingspan: 50 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: sedentary
- Food: insects, grains
Bearded vulture
- Beak: hooked, black and grey
- Feathers: brown
- Legs: grey
- Habitat: forest, mountains
- Wingspan: 270 cm
- Family: birds of prey
- Behavior: sedentary
- Food: carcasses
Black redstart
- Beak: narrow and grey
- Tail: orange
- Legs: grey
- Habitat: city, parks, gardens
- Wingspan: 25 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: migratory
- Food: insects
Robin
- Beak: narrow and black
- Feathers: red/orange
- Legs: black
- Habitat: city, parks, gardens
- Wingspan: 20 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: migratory
- Food: insects
Eurasian jay
- Beak: thick and black
- Feathers: brown and blue
- Legs: pink
- Habitat: city, parks, gardens
- Wingspan: 55 cm
- Family: sparrows
- Behavior: sedentary
- Food: insects, grains
Rock dove
- Beak: narrow, grey and white
- Neck: green and purple
- Feathers: grey
- Legs: pink
- Habitat: city, parks, gardens
- Wingspan: 65 cm
- Family: pigeons
- Behavior: sedentary
- Food: grains