Herd (Letibus)
Herd (Letibus) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Herd is a puzzle board game for one player. It comes with 6 playing pieces: 2 black Shepherds, 2 white Sheep, 1 double Herd, 1 triple Herd.
You solve puzzles by sliding, jumping and stacking the pieces on grids printed in the book. A plastic sheet is also included: you can use it to take notes.
When you feel comfortable, continue to Chapter I (of two). You can check the table of contents, solutions and the rules reference at the end of the book. Always remember: the point of Herd is to witness beautiful movement.
Chapter I
Set Up
Set up a puzzle by placing the correct pieces onto the grid, as shown by placement markings in the corners of the tiles.
Black pieces are known as Shepherds. (A black dot in the corner of a tile means a Shepherd is placed there.)
Goal
Your goal is to end the puzzle with each end tile occupied by the piece depicted on it.
Sliding
A Shepherd slides in cardinal directions. It can't stop sliding or change direction until it hits the edge of the grid or another piece occupying the next tile.
Puzzle notes (puzzle #1, "Solve your first puzzle!"):
- Each puzzle has a puzzle number. Mark the white dot when you solve it.
- An end tile doesn't stop the sliding by itself.
- Puzzle #2: place two Shepherds (as marked by the black dots).
- Puzzle #3: only one Shepherd has to reach the end tile.
Jumping
A Shepherd can also jump in cardinal directions. It always jumps over another piece and for exactly 2 spaces. It can't jump over unoccupied tiles or over the edge of the grid.
Illustrated examples: jumping over one piece and landing on the tile immediately beyond it is allowed; jumping over an empty tile is not allowed; jumping over two pieces in a row (a 3-space jump) is not allowed.
Sheep
Single white pieces are known as Sheep. Sheep can't be moved on their own! But they can be jumped over or stacked upon. (A white dot in the corner of a tile means a Sheep is placed there.)
Stacking
If a Shepherd jumps on another piece, it stacks on it. The other piece stays under the Shepherd and slides with it. When the Shepherd jumps the next time, it unstacks and leaves the other piece behind.
A Shepherd can also jump over stacks.
Puzzle #7 introduces an end tile for a Sheep (an end tile depicting a Sheep).
End Tiles
You must end the puzzle with each end tile occupied solely with the piece depicted on it. If pieces are stacked on an end tile, the puzzle isn't solved.
Reminders (puzzle #8): a Shepherd jumps over a piece or a stack. And yes, a Shepherd can stack on a Shepherd!
Optional Challenges
Some puzzles carry an optional challenge, for example puzzle #11: "Solve this puzzle in 18 steps."