Hickory Dickory Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Clock Board
  • Side Boards
  • Chain Board & Weight Token
  • Clock Hand Assembly
  • Hunt Board
  • Mouse Card
  • Tiles
  • Action Space Tokens
  • Mouse Meeples
  • Favor Cards
  • Quest Cards
  • Other Components
• Setup
• Game Overview
• Resolving a Tick of the Clock
  • Priority Track
  • Activation Order Example
• Activating a Mouse
  • Jumping on the Minute Hand
  • Jumping off the Minute Hand
• Entering an Outer Ring Space
• Tiles
  • Item and Relic Tiles
  • Trading
  • Claiming
  • Example: Resolving a Tick
• Action Icons
  • Action Costs
  • X Search
  • Visit the Market
  • Throw
  • Leap
  • Gain/Teleport Scamp
  • Draw a Favor Card
  • X Climb Chain
• Action Space Tokens
• Scoring Points When Delivering
  • Score Item Tiles
  • Complete Quests
  • Place Matching Tiles on Hunt Board
  • Example: Delivery
• Example: Flow of Play
• End of the Round
• The Cat Paws
• End of the Game
• Solo Variant
• Advanced Setup Variant
• Icon Summary
• Mice
  • Scavenger
  • Scurrier
  • Spotter
  • Scamp
• Credits

Components

• 1 Clock Board
• 1 Clock Hand Assembly
• 2 Minute Hand Blockers
• 1 Chain Track Board
• 1 Pinecone Weight Token
• 2 Side Boards
• 4 Hunt Boards
• 1 Bag
• 93 Item & Relic Tiles
• 12 Action Space Tokens
• 16 Mouse Cards
• 20 Mouse Meeples
• 1 Priority Track Marker
• 4 Score Markers
• 12 Quest Cards
• 13 Favor Cards
• 1 Cat Die
• 2 Cat Paws
• 8 Point Tokens
• 2 Priority Track Blockers
• 2 Reference Tiles

Clock Board

1. Inner Ring Spaces
2. Leaf Outer Ring Spaces
3. Action Spaces
4. Lord Cuckoo Outer Ring Space
5. Clock Hand Assembly Slot
6. Score Track

Side Boards

1. Priority Track
2. Quest Deck Space
3. Face Up Quest Card Spaces
4. Quest Discard Slot
5. Itsy Bitsy's Market
6. Wild Display Area
7. Discount Bin spaces
8. Favor Deck Space
9. Favor Discard Slot

Chain Board & Weight Token

1. Starting Pinecone
2. Left Chain
3. Leaf Goal
4. Right Chain
5. Weight Token

Clock Hand Assembly

1. Hour Hand
2. Minute Hand
3. Front of the Hand
4. Back of the Hand
5. Minute Hand Blockers

Hunt Board

1. Tile Spaces
2. Mouse Starting Spaces
3. Game End Points

Mouse Card

1. Meeple Identifier
2. Storage Spaces
3. Special Ability

Tiles

• item tiles
• wild item tile
• relic tiles

Action Space Tokens

1. Setup Placement (face down)
2. Action Icons (face up)

Mouse Meeples

Scamp, Scurrier, Spotter, Scavenger, Scaler

Favor Cards

1. Action Icon
2. Bonus Item Tile
3. Starting Card Icon

Quest Cards

1. Required Item Tiles
2. Point Value

Other Components

Cat die, cat paw, score markers, priority track blockers, point token (for passing 50 on the score track), priority track marker.

Let us teach you how to play! PlaidHatGames.com/Learn-Hickory-Dickory

Setup

1. Lay the clock board in the center of the table and slot the clock hands into the center of the clock.
2. Slot the 2 side boards into the sides of the clock.
3. Set the hour hand to 7 and the minute hand to 12.
4. Place the 1, 6, 11, and 12 action space tokens face up on their matching spaces on the clock.
5. Separate the remaining action space tokens into 2 groups as marked on their backs: sun tokens and moon tokens. Shuffle those groups separately and then distribute them face up to matching spaces on the clock.
6. Gather all 10 wild item tiles and place them all on Itsy's Web.
7. Place all other item and relic tiles in the bag and shake it to randomize them.
8. Draw 4 tiles from the bag and place them on the 4 Discount Bin spaces on Itsy's Web.
9. Draw 11 tiles and place them on the 11 leaf outer ring spaces on the clock. Do not place a tile at the 12.
10. Search the favor deck for the 4 cards with the acorn icon. Shuffle these 4 cards and deal 1 to each player. Return the undealt cards to the deck and shuffle. (Keep favor cards secret from other players.)
11. Place the favor deck face down on the designated space under Itsy's Web.
12. Shuffle the quest deck and place it face down on the designated space on the other side board. Reveal the top 2 cards and place them face up on the 2 spaces below the quest deck.
13. Place the chain board below the clock board, or wherever is convenient.
14. Place the pinecone weight token at the bottom of the right chain on the chain board, just below the 9.
15. Set the cat paws, 10-sided cat die, and 50 point markers off to the side.
16. For 2 players: slot the 2-player blocker into the minute hand as shown. 3 players: slot the 3-player blocker. 4 players: no blocker.
17. Each player chooses a player color and collects the corresponding mouse meeples, mouse cards, and score marker.
18. Place the priority marker on the priority track on the color of the most punctual player. For 2 or 3 players: place priority track blockers on any colors not chosen.
19. Each player places their mouse cards and a random hunt board in front of them.
20. Each player places their Scaler on the starting pinecone on the bottom of the left chain of the chain track.
21. Each player places their Scurrier, Scavenger, and Spotter on the inner ring spaces of the clock at the numbers shown on their hunt board, and places their Scamp on their Scamp card. The Scamp starts the game out of play.
22. Each player places their score marker on the starting space of the score track.
23. Start the game by resolving the first Tick of the Clock (turn the page).

Game Overview

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mice ride 'round the clock…

In Hickory Dickory, each player controls a team of mice riding the hands of a cuckoo clock, collecting tiles that can be turned in for points, while keeping a special eye out for the ones on their hunt board. During each round, the minute hand makes a full rotation around the clock, stopping at each number (a Tick) so the mice there can jump off the hand to perform that action or onto the hand to ride to a different one. Mice activate based on their position so try to be at the front of the minute hand, but be careful not to get bumped off! At the end of the 5th round/rotation, the clock strikes midnight and the player with the most points wins!

12 ticks = 1 round

There are five ways to score points:

• Deliver item tiles — which also allows you to:
  • Complete quest cards
  • Fill rows or columns on your hunt board
• Climb the chains of the clock
• Return relic tiles to Lord Cuckoo

Resolving a Tick of the Clock

To resolve a Tick of the Clock follow these steps:

1. Move the minute hand to the next number on the clock.
2. Activate each mouse on the minute hand in order, starting with the mouse at the front of the minute hand.
3. Activate each mouse on the current inner ring space in order according to the priority track.

During the first Tick of the game, and any other Tick when there are no mice at a number (on the hand or on the clock), just move on to the next Tick.

Priority Track

The priority track determines activation order when there are multiple mice on an inner ring space. Start with the color the priority marker is on and activate ONE mouse of that color of the controlling player's choice, if present. Continue clockwise, skipping colors if there are no unactivated mice of that color, until ALL mice on that space have been activated.

"Mice on an outer ring space don't activate!"

Activation Order Example

1. The minute hand moves from the 2 to the 3.
2. The mice on the hand activate in the order below (from the front of the hand backward: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th).
3. After this, the mice on the inner ring space activate in the order below (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th). Note that the mice could have been activated 2nd and the 4th.

Activating a Mouse

When a mouse is activated, its controlling player chooses what that mouse will do.

If the active mouse is on the minute hand it can either:

• STAY where it is on the minute hand.

  OR

• JUMP OFF the minute hand to the outer ring space and PERFORM the current action.

If the active mouse is on the Inner Ring Space it can either:

• Move to the outer ring space and PERFORM the current action.

  OR

• JUMP ON the minute hand.

Jumping on the Minute Hand

When a mouse jumps on the minute hand, place it behind all the mice already on the minute hand, on the frontmost unoccupied space.

If there are no unoccupied spaces, all of the mice on the minute hand are pushed forward to make room, causing the mouse at the front of the minute hand to be bumped off. When bumped off, a mouse activates and can jump to the current outer ring space OR jump backwards to the previous outer ring space. (If the previous space is covered by a cat paw, it keeps going until it reaches a non-covered space.)

Scavenger: A Scavenger mouse takes up 2 spaces on the minute hand so can bump 1 or 2 mice off.

• No unoccupied spaces: 2 mice bumped off, first.
• 1 unoccupied space: 1 mouse bumped off.

If a Scavenger is halfway off the front of the hand, it is bumped off and all other mice are moved forward 1 space to fill in the gap.

Jumping off the Minute Hand

When a mouse jumps off the minute hand, place it on the current number's outer ring space (or on Lord Cuckoo if at 12). After a mouse jumps off the minute hand, all the other mice move forward to fill any gaps.

Scurrier: When a Scurrier mouse jumps or is bumped off, it can jump normally or it can leap clockwise to one of the next 2 outer ring spaces instead.

Entering an Outer Ring Space

Whenever a mouse enters an outer ring space during a Tick, it may do the following in order:

1. Claim the tile (if still there), AND/OR
2. Perform the listed action (see action icon reference on pp. 10-11).

Tiles

Item and Relic Tiles

Tiles represent the things your mice are searching for. Most are item tiles which can be Delivered for points. There are three unique relic tiles, designated by a star, which can be Returned to Lord Cuckoo for even more points, plus his favor.

Trading

When the minute hand is at a number, a player may freely rearrange tiles between the mouse cards of mice they control at that number (on the minute hand pointed at that number, or on the inner or outer ring spaces of that number).

Note: When Delivering items or Returning relics, a mouse cannot turn in tiles on another mouse's card.

Claiming

Because of the trading rule, a mouse can claim a tile by placing it on an empty storage space on the mouse card of ANY mouse you control at that number. If there are no empty storage spaces, return excess tiles to the bag. (Excess tiles can be either the ones just claimed or ones on the mouse cards.)

Example: Resolving a Tick

1. The Scavenger activates first and jumps off the minute hand to the outer ring space.
2. The Scavenger claims the item tile and places it on an empty storage space on its card.
3. The Scavenger then performs the Climb 3 action and ends its activation.
4. The next mouse activates and simply chooses to stay on the minute hand.
5. The next mouse activates next (due to the Priority Track) and it also chooses to move to the outer ring to perform the Climb 3 action.
6. The last mouse activates last and jumps onto the minute hand.
7. Before this Tick is resolved and the minute hand moves, the mouse trades all of its items to another mouse.

Action Icons

Action Costs

Some actions have an arrow on them. To resolve these, you must perform the action (pay the cost) on the left to perform the action on the right.

• X spend: Spend X tiles (item or relic) by removing them from the active mouse's card and returning them to the bag.
• relic: Return 1 or more relic tiles (crown, scepter, goblet) by placing them on Lord Cuckoo. For each one Returned, score 5 points and draw 1 favor card (max hand size is 2).
• deliver: Choose any number of item tiles (not relics) on the active mouse's card and Deliver them to score points (see p. 12).

X Search

Draw X tiles from the bag and claim them.

Spotter: When a Spotter mouse performs an X Search, it draws X+1 tiles, chooses 1 of the drawn tiles to return to the bag, and claims the others.

Visit the Market

Claim 2 tiles from Itsy Bitsy's discount bin OR 1 wild item tile. When Delivered, a wild item tile is a single item tile that has every color and every symbol. A wild item is not a relic and cannot be Returned.

Claimed tiles from the discount bin will be replaced at the end of the round during the "Refill" step (p. 14).

Throw

Choose one of your mice. The chosen mouse is considered to be at the active mouse's number for the purpose of trading tiles.

Leap

The active mouse can leap clockwise to an outer ring space up to 3 numbers away. A mouse on an outer ring space cannot use a favor card to leap.

Note: Multiple leap effects cannot be combined to leap more than 3 spaces in a single bound, e.g. the Scurrier cannot leap from the 12 to the 5 by combining the 12 leap action with their special ability. However, the Scurrier can use its ability to leap to the 12 outer ring space and then use the 12 action to leap forward to the 1, 2, or 3.

Gain/Teleport Scamp

Place your Scamp mouse on the outer ring space of any number on the clock and resolve it, even if your Scamp has already performed an action this round. After you perform this action for the first time, you have a 4th (non-Scaler) mouse for the rest of the game.

Draw a Favor Card

Draw a favor card.

If the deck is empty, first shuffle the discard to make a new deck. You may never hold more than 2 favor cards at a time, and if you ever draw a 3rd, you must immediately discard one without effect. Keep favor cards secret from other players.

During (not instead of) one of your mouse's activations, you may play (and discard) favor cards, and the active mouse resolves the action icons, one at a time.

BONUS TILE: Favor cards with a bonus tile can be used (and discarded) as the item printed on it when spending items for an action cost or Delivering items for points, including completing quests.

Note: Favor cards cannot be placed on your hunt board.

X Climb Chain

Move your Scaler mouse up the chain X spaces. If this would cause it to stop on an occupied space, keep moving it until it lands on an unoccupied space. If your Scaler lands on or passes any point spaces while moving on the chain, score that number of points.

When your Scaler reaches the leaf at the top of the chain, stop its movement, score the points listed just above the pinecone weight token on the right chain, move the pinecone up to cover that number (unless it was the 4 points), and move your Scaler back down to the starting pinecone at the bottom of the left chain. The 4 points is never covered.

(1) A blue mouse performs the Climb 3 action, so the Scaler moves up 3 spaces on the chain. That space is occupied, so the Scaler moves up to the next empty space. Since the Scaler passed the 1 point icon, the blue player scores 1 point.

(2) The first Scaler to reach the leaf will score 9 points and go back to the starting pinecone at the bottom of the left chain. The pinecone weight will then move up to cover the 9 points icon on the right chain. The next Scaler to reach the leaf will score 7 points.

Action Space Tokens

all actions are optional

Placement	Action
1	Spend one tile to Gain/Teleport your Scamp.
sun	Climb 3 spaces on the chain.
sun, moon	Claim 1 tile from the bag.
sun, moon	Draw a Favor Card.
sun	Spend one tile to Visit the Market.
6, 11	Deliver your active mouse's items (p. 12).
moon	Climb 2 spaces on the chain. Then, you may spend 2 tiles to Visit the Market.
moon	Climb 1 space on the chain. Then, you may spend 1 tile to claim 2 tiles from the bag.
12	Return your active mouse's relics, scoring 5 points and drawing a favor card for each. Then, leap to the 1, 2 or 3 outer ring space.

Scoring Points When Delivering

Score Item Tiles

When you perform a Deliver action, score points for all the item tiles and favor card bonus tiles delivered, as follows:

• +1 point for each item.
• +1 for each item in the largest symbol group.
• +1 for each item in the largest color group.

Complete Quests

Lord Cuckoo has specific quests he's dealt out for players to complete. If your mouse is Delivering all of the items shown on a quest card, you have completed it, scoring its points and then discarding it. You may only complete one quest card per Delivery.

Rainbow tiles on quest cards can be fulfilled by any colored tile with the matching symbol.

Completed quest cards will be replaced at the end of the round during the "Refill" step (p. 14).

Place Matching Tiles on Hunt Board

After scoring points for the delivered items, place matching tiles (in color and symbol) on empty spaces on your hunt board. Return all tiles that can't be placed to the bag. Once a tile has been placed on a space on a hunt board it cannot be moved, so choose carefully!

Reminder: An item provided by a favor card can't be placed on your hunt board.

Example: Delivery

You are Delivering the item tiles shown above.

• Score 5 points for 5 items
• Score 3 points for 3 items that are the same symbol (2 buttons + 1 wild).
• Score 3 points for 3 items that are the same color (2 purple + 1 wild)
• Score 7 points by completing the below Quest card. (The wild stands in for one of the feathers.)

You score a total of 18 points and place tiles on unoccupied matching spaces on your hunt board, returning the rest to the bag. Wild tiles can be placed on ANY space.

Example: Flow of Play

(1) The minute hand moves to the 4. The mouse jumps off and (2) claims the tile on the outer ring space by placing it on its card.

(3) The Spotter performs the 1 Search action. Because of its special ability, it pulls TWO tiles from the search bag, (4) claiming one and discarding the other back to the bag.

(5) The Scurrier activates next and uses its special ability to leap ahead to the 5.

(6) The mouse claims the tile on the outer ring space. (7) To perform the Market action, it must spend 1 item. It could spend the tile it just claimed, but uses the bonus tile on its favor card to pay the cost instead. The favor card is discarded and the mouse takes 2 tiles from the market's discount bin.

(8) All mice at the 4 have been activated, so the Tick is completed and the minute hand moves to the 5. (9) The mouse activates and jumps onto the minute hand. (The other mouse is already on the outer ring space so it does NOT activate again.) (10) While the two mice are at the same location, the mouse trades its three tiles to the other.

(11) All mice at the 5 have been activated, so the Tick is completed and the minute hand moves to the 6. (12) The mouse jumps off the minute hand, claiming the tile on the outer ring space. (13) The mouse then Delivers everything on its mouse card for a total of 9 points, places Delivered tiles on matching spaces on their hunt board, and discards the tile that can't be placed back to the bag.

End of the Round

Each round of the game ends after the minute hand has reached the 12 and the Tick of the Clock has been resolved there. Before the minute hand moves to the 1, the board must be refreshed.

Lord Cuckoo lets out a royal chirp reminding players how to refresh the board!

cat Paws: Roll the cat die twice and place a cat paw over the action space at each number rolled. If there are any mice at either number, move them clockwise to the next non-rolled number (do not claim tiles or perform actions). If the same number is rolled twice, both cat paws will cover the same action.

Note: When playing a 4 player game, roll the cat die once and place only 1 cat paw.

hour Hand: Rotate the hour hand to the next number on the clock. (If the hour hand moves to the 12, the game immediately ends. Skip to End of the Game for final scoring.)

inner Ring: Move all the mice that are on outer ring spaces to the corresponding inner ring spaces.

refill: Refill the quest cards, and refill the tiles on the leaf outer ring spaces and in the discount bin at the market.

priority: Move the priority marker to the next space on the priority track, following the arrows.

Note: In a 2 or 3 player game, skip over colors with a priority track blocker on them.

The Cat Paws

Mice (including the Scamp) can never share a number with a cat paw. When the minute hand moves to a number with a cat paw, none of the mice on the minute hand can activate, and play moves immediately on to the next Tick of the Clock.

End of the Game

When the clock strikes midnight (the hour hand is moved to the 12), the game immediately ends. At the end of the game, players score additional points as follows:

• Score 5 points for each row and for each column filled on your hunt board.

  This player completed one row and one column, so they score 10pts.

• Gather up all of the item tiles remaining on all of your mouse cards into one pool and score points for them as if you were performing the first part of the Deliver action. Do NOT complete quests or place these items on your hunt board. You MAY Deliver favor card bonus tiles.

The player with the most points wins the game and gains Lord Cuckoo's ultimate favor. Their mice will feast on the finest berries for the rest of their lives — or at least until the next time Lord Cuckoo loses his stuff.

If 1 or more players are tied, the tied player who has the most spaces filled in on their hunt board wins. If it is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Solo Variant

Your team arrives early to get a head start on the Royal Scavenger Hunt! Score 100 points before the clock strikes midnight!

Set up and start the game as normal with the following exceptions:

• Hour hand starts on 6
• Block all but 2 spaces on the minute hand (use both the 2-player and 3-player blockers)
• Place the cat paws before the first round.

Rule changes

• If a minute hand with 1 or more mice on it moves to a number with a cat paw, roll the cat die for each paw there and place accordingly. If that number is rolled, place the paw there and do not roll for that paw again. If all cat paws are moved away, the mice on the minute hand will activate.
• Whenever a cat paw is placed on a space with mice (on the hand or on the clock, even if it was just there), it SCRATCHES them—discard 1 tile for each mouse at that number from any of their mouse cards. Then:
  • Mice on that inner/outer ring space move to the next non-covered space in the same ring. Do not claim tiles or perform actions.
  • Mice on the minute hand (if at that number) activate and leap to the next non-covered outer ring space. Resolve normally, even if it is not during a Tick. Scurriers may NOT use their ability.
• If you score 100 points after final scoring when the clock strikes midnight, you've won the game! Challenge yourself on your next solo play to see if you can beat your previous score!

Advanced Setup Variant

Not recommended for games involving new players. Players may choose their starting mouse positions in priority order, one mouse at a time. Players follow these additional restrictions:

• Do not place any mice at 12 or 1.
• Do not place two of your mice at the same number.
• Place at least one of your mice on a sun space and at least one on a moon space.

Icon Summary

• SPEND (X tile): Spend X tiles and/or bonus tiles to perform this action.
• CLIMB (X chain): Move your Scaler mouse X spaces up the chain.
• SEARCH (X magnifier): Claim X tiles from the bag.
• RELIC: Return relics for 5 points and a favor card (each).
• MARKET: Claim 2 tiles from the discount bin or 1 wild tile.
• SCAMP: Activate your Scamp, placing it on any (non-cat paw) outer ring space.
• FAVOR: Draw a favor card (max 2).
• LEAP: Leap forward to one of the next 3 outer ring spaces.
• THROW: Trade between your active mouse and one at a different number.

Deliver: Score points for all Delivered item tiles (active mouse only) and favor card bonus tiles:

• +1 point for each item.
• +1 for each item in the largest symbol group.
• +1 for each item in the largest color group.
• +? if completing a quest (max 1 per Delivery).

Delivering 1 item by itself is 3 points!

Mice

Each of your mice has a special ability.

Scavenger

A Scavenger takes up 2 spaces when on the minute hand.

Scurrier

When a Scurrier jumps or is bumped off the minute hand, it can jump normally or it can leap to either of the next 2 outer ring spaces.

Spotter

When a Spotter mouse performs an X Search, it draws X+1 tiles, chooses 1 of the drawn tiles to return to the bag, and claims the others.

Scamp

When the Scamp icon is resolved, the Scamp can teleport to any outer ring space (non-cat paw) and perform that action.

Credits

Game designer: Sawyer West

Game producer: Niki Shults, Colby Dauch

Illustrator: Sonja Müller

Graphic designer: Kendall Elmen

Logo designer: David Richards

Development team: J. Arthur Ellis, Donald Shults, Kendall Elmen, Jerry Hawthorne, Nick Conley

Editor: Jonathan Liu

Playtesters: Brynn April, Tommy Barnes, Kristen Belveal, Noah Belveal, Christopher Bryan, Max Campana, Julia Christensen, Bob Craig, Rebecca Czebrinski, Ed Czebrinski, Daniel Elmen, David Elmen, Frank Elmen, Andrew Christopher Enriquez, Jim Foronda, Clay Hales, René Hawthorne, Jenna Hawthorne, Gordon Helle, Hannah Helle, Chad Hoverter, Micah Jones, Jeff Joyce, Andrew Manson, Peter Mazanec, Jared Mehlhaff, Ben Newhouse, Tyrone Nikolaidis, Ace Overton, Autumn Perkins, Mark Pruett, Micah Solusod, Kimberley Wederfoort, Therese West, Travis West, Nathan West, David West, Apphia Yu

www.plaidhatgames.com

© 2022 Plaid Hat Games. Hickory Dickory, Plaid Hat Games, and the Plaid Hat Games logo are trademarks of Plaid Hat Games. 1172 St. Rt. 96, Ashland, OH 44805. Actual components may vary from those shown. Made in Shanghai, China.