Herbaceous Sprouts
Herbaceous Sprouts Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Gameboard
- 40 Tool Cards
- 30 Seed Dice
- 1 Lemonade Card
- 8 Bonus Information Cards
- 4 Wheelbarrow Mats
- 60 Player Sprout Tokens (in 4 player colors)
- 20 Rival Sprout Tokens
- 1 Seed Dice Bag
- 4 Reference Cards
Game Setup
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Place the Gameboard in the center of the playing area.
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Give each player the Wheelbarrow Mat and 15 Sprout Tokens of their chosen color and a Reference Card.
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For a 2 and 3-player game, place 20 Rival Sprout Tokens near the Gameboard.
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Put all of the Seed Dice into the Seed Bag. Set the bag next to the Gameboard within reach of all players.
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Each player takes 2 Seed Dice from the Seed Bag, rolls them, and places each die in 1 of the 7 die spaces on their Wheelbarrow Mat.
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Set up the Tool Card deck based on player count:
- For 4 players, use all of the cards (40 Tool Cards in the deck) - the game lasts 8 Rounds.
- For 3 players, remove 4 cards (36 Tool Cards in the deck) - the game lasts 9 Rounds.
- For 2 players, remove 10 cards (30 Tool Cards in the deck) - the game lasts 10 Rounds.
After removing any excess cards, shuffle the deck and place the deck face down next to the Gameboard. Return removed cards to the box without revealing them.
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Reserve an area next to the Tool Card deck for 3-5 Cards called the "Tool Shed" (A) and reserve an area near to the Tool Card deck for a Discard Pile (B).
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Place the Lemonade Card within reach of all players.
Single Player Game Components are listed under The Master Gardener, pg. 10.
Objective
Become the Head Gardener by planting herb and flower sprouts in the community garden to score the most points. Each round, gardeners take turns collecting herb and flower seeds as well as acquiring tools which they use to plant sprouts in the garden. Players can plant quickly for low point spots, or push their luck by saving seeds to plant in the premier garden spots.
Gameplay
Herbaceous Sprouts is played over a series of rounds, each with a different Lead Gardener. The person who first grabs the Seed Bag is the first Lead Gardener.
Each round has 3 phases:
- Phase 1: Prepare the Tool Shed
- Phase 2: Pick and Plant Seeds
- Phase 3: Clean Up
Phase 1: Prepare the Tool Shed
This phase is performed by the Lead Gardener of the current round. They draw Tool Cards and Seed Dice and place them in a row to create the "Tool Shed."
The Lead Gardener draws Tool Cards from the deck equal to the number of players + 1 and places them face-up in the Tool Shed.
For each Tool Card, the Lead Gardener draws dice from the bag, rolls them, and places them on the card. The number of dice drawn is determined by the number of empty squares on the card. Note that some cards do not receive dice.
- The Lead Gardener does not decide which dice go on which cards, but must place dice on the Tool Cards in the Tool Shed in order from left to right.
- In the unlikely event there is not enough dice to fill the Tool Cards, each player returns 1 die from their Wheelbarrow Mat to the bag. Repeat this until there are enough dice and everyone has returned the same number.
Phase 2: Pick and Plant Seeds
In this phase, players pick resources from the Tool Shed and plant in the community garden. Each player takes a turn, starting with the Lead Gardener, and proceeds clockwise.
On a turn, a player performs four steps, in this order:
- A. Take a Tool Card
- B. Add Seed Dice to the Wheelbarrow Mat
- C. Perform Special Actions
- D. Plant Herb and Flower Seeds
A. Take a Tool Card (Mandatory)
The player must take one of the face up Tool Cards and any Seed Dice on the card.
B. Add Seed Dice to the Wheelbarrow (Mandatory)
Any Seed Dice taken are immediately added to the player's Wheelbarrow, unless there is no room for the dice. A Wheelbarrow may only hold 7 Seed Dice. A player may remove Seed Dice from the Wheelbarrow to make room for newly chosen dice and/or may return any chosen dice to the Seed Bag.
A player must finish Step B with no more than 7 Seed Dice in the Wheelbarrow. Excess dice, in other words, cannot be used and are forfeited. A player with more than 7 dice cannot then plant (which must be done only in Step D) in order to reduce their dice.
C. Perform Special Actions (Optional)
Some Tool Cards allow the player to IMMEDIATELY perform one or two special actions:
- If a card lists more than one action, the player may perform one or both of the actions.
- A player may choose not to or may be unable to perform a special action.
- Dice with Special Actions may also be used at this time.
After performing special actions (or not), the Tool Card is discarded unless it has a Sprout Pot (see Tools – Special Actions, pgs. 8).
Tool Cards are usually discarded whether or not their action was performed.
D. Plant Herb and Flower Seeds in a Garden (Optional)
Players may plant seeds into one of the Gardens on the Gameboard. If a player can meet a Garden's requirements, they may return Seed Dice to the bag and/or discard Tool Cards, to place a Sprout Token in a corresponding open spot in a Garden (See Gardens and Seeds, pg. 6).
A player is allowed to plant as many Sprout Tokens as they are able to on a turn. This includes a player planting multiple times in the same or different Gardens.
Gardens and Seeds
There are four Gardens on the Gameboard – each has its own requirements for planting by discarding Seeds (i.e., by returning Seed Dice to the bag). After returning Seeds to the Seed Bag, Sprout Tokens are placed in garden spots, which grant VP at the end of the game.
Each garden spot is marked with a Garden Type icon, a Seed Requirement, and the Victory Points it grants.
"All the Same" Herb Garden
Plant herb Seeds all of the same type.
For example, in the spot labeled "6," the first player to plant six of the same herb (Lavender, for example) receives 12 VPs at the end of the game.
Note: Flower Seeds cannot be used.
"All Different" Herb Garden
Plant herb Seeds of different types.
For example, in the spot labeled "3," the first player to plant three of the different herbs receives 3 VPs at the end of the game.
Note: Flower Seeds cannot be used.
"Different Pairs" Herb Garden
Plant different Pairs of herb Seeds.
For example, the first player to plant three pairs of herbs (such as 2 Rosemary, 2 Saffron, and 2 Bay) receives 9 VPs at the end of the game.
Note: Flower Seeds cannot be used.
Flower Garden
Plant one Flower Seed with a Trowel special action. Otherwise, use a Watering Can's special action (see Tools – Special Actions, pg. 8).
Note: ONLY Flower Seeds may be planted in this garden. No Herb Seeds.
The Glass of Lemonade Card
The first player to place at least 1 Sprout Token in each of the four gardens immediately earns the refreshing Lemonade Card (worth 2VPs). If there is at least one Rival Sprout Token in each of the four Gardens, no player earns the Glass of Lemonade.
Phase 3: Clean Up
The Clean Up phase has two steps; however, the first step is skipped in a 4-player game:
Step 1: Plant Rival Sprout (2 and 3-player games only):
- A. Check the banner on the unchosen Tool Card (lower left of the card).
- B. Place a Rival Sprout Token on the matching spot in that Garden.
- If the spot already has a Sprout Token, disregard this step.
- If in a Flower Garden, place in VP spot indicated.
- In any other Garden, if there are two spots available, place it in the higher-VP spot.
Step 2: Clean Up and select new Lead Gardener
- C. Return the Seed Dice, if any, from the unchosen Tool Card to the Seed Bag.
- D. Discard the unchosen Tool Card from the game.
- E. The Lead Gardener passes the Seed Bag to the next player clockwise who now becomes the Lead Gardener for the next round.
Game End and Scoring
After the Tool Deck is exhausted, players complete the final round and total their Victory Points (VPs):
- ...from all Sprouts in Garden spot. VPs indicated in the green circles.
- ...2 VPs from the Lemonade Card (if earned).
- ...from remaining Seed Dice and Sprout Pots in Wheelbarrow:
- ...2 VPs for each set of 3 different Herbs.
- ...1 VP for each pair of the same Herb.
- ...1 VP for each Flower.
Each Seed/Pot may only be used in one scoring set.
The player with the most Victory Points wins. In the event of ties, the player with more Sprout Tokens in the gardens wins the tie. If still tied, the player with more Sprout Tokens in the Flower Garden wins the tie. If still tied, those players all win and should share a glass of lemonade.
Tools – Special Actions
Most cards in the Tool Deck have Tools on them. In cases where there are 2 Tools on a card, a player may perform one or both of them (and in either order):
Seed Bag: The Seed Bag must be used before any other Tool Action or Dice Special Action is completed in Step C. Draw a random die from the Seed Bag, roll it, and add it to your Wheelbarrow Mat.
If a player has more than 7 dice on their Wheelbarrow as a result of this card, they must discard down to 7 dice, returning unwanted dice back to the bag before Step D (Planting).
Market Package: Allows you to change Seed Dice in your Wheelbarrow. There are two types:
- Seed Exchange – Turn one Seed Die showing the specified herb to any other face on that die. For example, a player may turn Lavender to any other herb Seed or to that die's Special Action.
- Gardener's Choice – Turn any one Seed Die to any other face on that die.
Gardening Gloves: Reroll any single die in your Wheelbarrow once per Gardening Gloves shown on the Tool Card.
If there are multiple Gardening Gloves, the player may reroll the same die multiple times or different dice.
Trowel: Plant a Flower Seed into the Flower Garden (see Gardens and Seeds, pg. 6).
Watering Can: Exchange any 2 matching Seed Dice symbols (Herbs/Flowers/Special Actions) to place a Sprout Token in any open space in the Flower Garden. Return the 2 dice to the Seed bag.
All Tool Cards with the above icons may only be used in Step C. Tool cards must be discarded before proceeding to Step D, except for Tool cards with a Sprout Pot.
Sprout Pot: This Tool shows an icon for a specific herb Seed, and acts as one of that specific Seed when planted. It is placed on the right side of the Wheelbarrow Mat, but does not count toward the Wheelbarrow's maximum dice limit (for convenience, tuck the card under the Wheelbarrow Mat so only the Pot icon shows). When a player Plants, they may use this Tool as one of that specific Seed, at which point the player discards the card.
- Sprout Pots CANNOT be "exchanged" using the Market Package action.
- Cards with the Sprout Pot also have a Gardening Glove. The player must use the Gardening Glove special action immediately during Step C after the card is acquired.
Seed Dice
The Seed Dice are one of 4 different colors: 6 Yellow, 7 Pink, 8 Blue, 9 Green.
All of the dice share the same 5 herb Seed sides: Lavender, Bay, Tarragon, Saffron, Rosemary.
Dice – Special Actions
Pink and Yellow dice have one face with a Special Action that can be performed during Step C of a turn. These dice can be used immediately, or stored on the Wheelbarrow for use on a future turn. The two special dice icons are:
Pink Die: Gardening Gloves + Reroll this Seed Die, plus any or all of the other Seed Dice in your Wheelbarrow at the same time (not one-by-one). After the reroll, if a pink die shows the symbol again, the player may again use the special action.
Yellow Die: Trowel The Trowel allows a player to plant one flower Seed from the Wheelbarrow into the Flower Garden. Discard the Trowel die to the Seed Die Bag after use.
Dice – Unique Seed Sides
Green Die: Flower Seeds — These dice have one side that shows one of three different flower Seeds: Peony (x3), Forget-Me-Not (x3), Black-Eyed Susan (x3).
The flower Seeds may ONLY be planted in the Flower Garden (see Gardens and Seeds, on pg. 7).
Blue Die: Wild Herb — This Seed Die can be used as any one of the 5 regular herb Seeds (not flower Seeds).
4-Player Advanced Play
4-Player Advanced Play is played per the normal game, but the Rival Sprout Tokens are used like in the 2 and 3-player game. Expect tight, constrained play, while maximizing your remaining dice at the end of the game.
The Master Gardener (Single Player Variant)
Single Player Variant by Keith Matejka
The solitude of the garden is a sanctuary where one can escape the stresses of everyday life. In the single player version of Herbaceous Sprouts, the player takes turns being the Master Gardener and Assistant Gardener while trying to best a Rival Gardener.
Single Player Components
- 1 Gardener Card (double-sided)
- 9 Rival Cards
Game Setup
Setup is the same as a 2-player game, with the following additions:
- Place the Gardener Card in the play area with the "Master Gardener" side face up.
- Gather the deck of 9 Rival Cards. Shuffle and place them face down in the play area.
Gameplay
A single player game takes place over 10 turns. Each turn, the player acts as either the Master Gardener or Assistant Gardener, as designated by the face up side of the Gardener Card.
Master Gardener Turn
- Prepare the Tool Shed as in the 2-player game by revealing three Tool Cards into the Tool Shed area, rolling and adding Seed Dice as needed.
- Gain a "Seed Bag" Tool (draw and roll 1 random Seed Die from the Seed Bag and add it to the Wheelbarrow).
- Take a turn, just like in a normal game.
- Note the banners in the lower left corner on both unchosen Tool Cards. Place a Rival Sprout Token on both of those garden spots, if possible. If the spot is already occupied with a Sprout Token, disregard this step.
- Perform the Clean Up Phase, and then flip the card to "Assisstant Gardener."
If the Rival Gardener plants a Sprout Token in all four gardens before the player, the Rival Gardener earns the Lemonade Card and gets its 2 VPs at the end of the game.
Assistant Gardener Turn
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Prepare the Tool Shed as in the 2-player game by revealing three Tool Cards into the Tool Shed area, rolling and adding Seed Dice as needed.
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Reveal the top Rival Card to determine which of the three Tool cards the Rival "chooses."
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Place a Rival Sprout Token on the spot listed on the card "chosen" by the Assistant Gardener. If the spot is already occupied by a Sprout Token, disregard this step.
An additional Rival Sprout Token is not placed after the player selects their Tool Card in Step 5.
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The player gains the Rival Card as a "Sprout Pot Tool Card" (tuck the card under the right side of the Wheelbarrow). Like other Sprout Pots, this card can be used on the current turn or future turns and does not count towards the Wheelbarrow's maximum.
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Take a turn, just like in a normal game.
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Perform the Clean Up Phase, and then flip the card to "Master Gardener."
Single Player Scoring
As in the multiplayer game, once the Tool Deck is exhausted, complete the final round and then score both the player and the Rival. The Rival player scores all Rival Sprout Tokens. Scoring is completed in the same way as the multiplayer game with the exception that the Rival cannot receive additional bonus points from Seed Dice in their Wheelbarrow, as they do not have one.
If the player's final score is higher than the Rival, they have won the game. In the event of a tie, the Rival wins the game. If the player wins the game, grade the quality of the win by seeing how many more Victory Points were scored over the Rival. Refer to the chart below to see the earned Gardener Level.
| VPs Over | Gardener Level |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Fledgling Grower |
| 4-6 | Beginning Planter |
| 7-9 | Clever Harvester |
| 10-12 | Talented Gardener |
| 13-15 | Professional Herbalist |
| 16+ | True Green Thumb Cultivator |
Single Player Advanced Play: During any Assistant Gardener turn, before the Cleanup Phase, place the Rival Sprout Token indicated by the banner on the final card as well (if possible).
Team Play
Setup is the same as a normal 4-player game, but teammates must sit across from each other so the teams' turns are alternating. The team with the youngest player goes first.
Gameplay
The game plays as normal with the following changes to Phase 2: Pick and Plant Seeds – Step A: Take a Tool Card:
After the player has selected their Tool Card and associated Seed Dice, they must provide either a Seed Die OR the Tool Card selected to their teammate. The Teammate may not use the Tool Card until their turn.
"Table talk" and discussion by teammates is permitted.
- If the Tool Card has multiple tools, the teammate gets all of the tools. Tools may not be split between players.
- In the case of the Tool Card on the right, the active player draws both Seed Dice from the bag, but does not roll them. They keep the tool (Gloves) and 1 Seed Die or both Seed Dice (giving away the Gloves). The Seed Dice are only rolled by the appropriate player(s).
- The teammate may not use Dice Special Actions until their turn.
- In the case of the Tool Card on the right, the active player gives their teammate one of the three Seed Dice.
Game End and Scoring
When the game ends, each player totals their Victory Points from their Sprout Tokens in the Garden per normal, and the teammates then add their totals together. The team with the highest Victory Point total wins.
- In the event of a tie, the team with more Sprout Tokens in the Gardens wins the tie.
- If still tied? The team with the most total Sprout Tokens in the Flower Garden wins.
Advanced Team Play
Have you had a team partner for years? Looking for more competitive play? Try out the Team Variant with either or both of these two changes:
Single Lowest Teammate Score: Instead of totalling both team members' Victory Points at the end of the game, the team's final score is the Victory Point total of the teammate with the lowest total.
No Table Talk: Players may not discuss or consult each other on strategy during the game. In addition, when selecting the Seed Die to provide to the other player, they must do so in a closed fist. If they want to give the Tool Card, they use an empty fist. Once revealed, the player may not change their decision.
Credits
Game Production: Eduardo Baraf Game Design: Steve Finn Single Player Game Design: Keith Matejka Illustration: Beth Sobel Graphic Design: Benjamin Shulman, Kim Robinson
Special Thanks to Andrea Emmes, our incredible Kickstarter backers, the amazing board game community, and our loving families.
Copyright © Pencil First Games, LLC 2018