Hike It!: The Backpacking Board Game
Hike It!: The Backpacking Board Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Objective
- Components
- Preparation
- Player Setup
- Your Packboard
- Your Turn
- Weather / Morning
- Actions / Afternoon
- Trail Cards / Evening
- Trading
- Passive Bears
- Scenic Spots & Waypoints
- Campsites, Gear & Hiker Box
- Water Tiles, Spots & Supplies
- Refilling Water Supplies
- Skill Cards
- Skill Set Tokens
- Skill Masteries
- Campfires
- Changing Turn Order
- Side Hikes
- Trailhead Bonuses
- Completing Your Hike
- Aggressive Bears
- End of Game
- Scoring
Objective
Your objective is to have a great experience trekking to your three waypoints in the Great Smoky Mountains before hiking back to your trailhead.
Your experience is measured in victory points, earned by collecting scenic spot and skill set tokens, completing side hikes, and maintaining your health.
And by completing your hike first you earn extra victory points and can return to the game as an aggressive bear to scare the remaining hikers back to their own trailheads!
Components
- 1 Game Board
- 4 Packboards
- 4 Hiker Aids
- 3 Trailhead Bonus Tiles
- 4 Weather Dice
- 1 Aggressive Bear Die
- 1 1st Player Token
- 3 Bear Meeples
- 4 Vehicle Markers (1 each color)
- 4 Hiker Meeples (1 each color)
- 12 Waypoint Markers (3 each color)
- 16 Campfire Tokens (4 each color)
- 4 Health Markers (1 each color)
- 4 Turn Order Markers (1 each color)
- 35 Weather Cards (19 Sun / 9 Rain / 4 Storm / 2 Heat / 1 Snow)
- 32 Side Hike Cards (16 Easy / 16 Difficult)
- 45 Gear Tiles (11 Shelter / 10 Clothing / 9 Food / 8 Tools / 7 First Aid)
- 20 Water Tiles
- 54 Skill Cards
- 100 Trail Cards
- 30 Skill Set Tokens
- 43 Scenic Tokens
- 1 Gear Bag
- 1 Scenic Token Bag
Preparation
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Skill Cards: Shuffle all SKILL CARDS and place the deck face down on the leftmost position of the SKILL CARDS area on the board. Draw the top 3 cards and place them face up on the remaining three positions to the right of the deck.
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Skill Set Tokens: Separate the required amount of each type of SKILL SET TOKEN (player count + 1 of each) and stack them by type near the board where they can be seen by all players. Return unneeded tokens to the box.
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Trailhead Bonus Tiles: Place the required TRAILHEAD BONUS TILE(S) next to the board:
- 2 Players: 5 point
- 3 Players: 5 & 7 point
- 4 Players: 5, 7 & 10 point
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Weather Cards & Dice: Shuffle all WEATHER CARDS and place the deck face down on the 2 DAYS OUT position of the FORECAST area on the board. Reveal the top 3 cards, placing the first on the TODAY position, the second on the TOMORROW position, and the third on the 2 DAYS OUT position (on top of the deck). Leave the 4 WEATHER DICE within reach of all players.
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Regional Water Supplies: For each face up WEATHER CARD in the FORECAST area with a water symbol on the lower half of the card, place one WATER TILE in each of the three regional WATER SUPPLIES (maximum of 3 in each at the start of the game).
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Water Discard Pile: Stack the remaining WATER TILES and place them somewhere on the table within reach of all players.
About Regions: The park is divided into three regions: Western, Central and Eastern. Regions play an important role in the game, as they influence the location of waypoints, who you can trade with, where WATER is available, and where bears can move.
Player Setup
Player Pieces: All players choose a color and acquire their pieces:
- 1 Hiker Meeple
- 1 Vehicle Marker
- 1 Packboard
- 1 Health Marker
- 3 Waypoint Markers
- 4 Campfire Tokens
- 1 Turn Order Marker
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Health Marker: Place your HEALTH MARKER on level 5 of the HEALTH METER of your PACKBOARD.
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Campfire Tokens: Place your 4 CAMPFIRE TOKENS in the CAMPFIRE area of your PACKBOARD.
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Hiker Aids: Players may make use of a hiker aid, if desired.
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Turn Order Markers: Collect each player's TURN ORDER MARKER and draw them randomly from your hand. Place them on the TURN ORDER area of the board in the order they were drawn (the first marker drawn is the first player, and so on). NOTE: There is an alternate turn order option on page 20.
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Scenic Spots, Waypoints & Trailheads: Place all SCENIC TOKENS in the supplied pouch, then randomly distribute four to each player. In reverse turn order, each player chooses one of the 43 unique SCENIC SPOTS in the park to visit during their hike, until all players have chosen three.
Each player's three SCENIC SPOTS must:
- a) be in a different region of the park (Western, Central and Eastern),
- b) have the same symbol as a SCENIC TOKEN received, and
- c) be available (without a WAYPOINT MARKER on it).
Each player places their WAYPOINT MARKERS on top of their selected SCENIC SPOTS, then sits the required SCENIC TOKEN on top of the marker.
Players may also choose their TRAILHEAD (the place where they will enter and leave the park) immediately after placing any of their three WAYPOINT MARKERS by placing their HIKER MEEPLE and VEHICLE at the desired TRAILHEAD. As with SCENIC SPOTS, players must choose different TRAILHEADS. Once all players have chosen their three unique WAYPOINTS and TRAILHEAD, place the remaining SCENIC TOKENS on the map (including the one each player didn't use), ensuring that all 43 SCENIC SPOTS on the board have a token on them with the matching symbol.
Tip: For more interaction in a 2-player game, choose Trailheads on the same side of the park.
Hiker Aids
The following is the text printed on the hiker aid card.
1 Weather (Morning): Roll the WEATHER DICE. If any of the dice match today's WEATHER CARD, overcome it to earn a SKILL CARD or lose 1 HEALTH.
2 Actions (Afternoon): Add up your ACTIONS and use as many as you wish. Health + Storage + Waypoints (max 3) = ACTIONS (max 19).
- Ways to spend ACTIONS: Reroll a WEATHER DIE; Hike a space on the trail; Collect a GEAR or H2O TILE; Change the turn order.
- Ways to increase ACTIONS: Increase HEALTH; Collect your WAYPOINTS; Carry fewer GEAR and/or H2O TILES.
3 Trail Cards (Evening): Draw a TRAIL CARD. Read it aloud and follow its instructions. If presented with a challenge, overcome it for a SKILL CARD or lose 1 HEALTH.
- Ways to increase HEALTH: Completing columns of SKILL SET TOKENS; Placing CAMPFIRE TOKENS at CAMPSITES.
Your Packboard
1. Health
Players begin the game with a HEALTH level of 5. Your HEALTH is one of the factors used to determine how many ACTIONS you will have for the ACTIONS / AFTERNOON phase of your turn. In addition, each level of HEALTH is worth 2 points at the end of the game, so staying healthy can be key to a successful hike.
Depending on the choices you make during your hike, your HEALTH may increase or decrease. There are 4 opportunities to increase your HEALTH, twice by completing columns of SKILL SET TOKENS and twice by placing CAMPFIRES on the map. There are two ways that your health can decrease, by not meeting the requirements of WEATHER or TRAIL CARDS and by encountering an AGGRESSIVE BEAR.
Your Health can never go higher than 8, even with bonuses.
If your HEALTH should ever drop below 1 due to not meeting the requirements of a WEATHER CARD or TRAIL CARD, lay your HIKER MEEPLE on its side and end your turn immediately. During your next turn you must rest and recover: do not roll the WEATHER DICE, do not spend ACTIONS, and do not draw a TRAIL CARD. Instead, you must spend some of your accumulated victory points to recover some HEALTH:
- 1 health level costs 1 point;
- 2 health levels cost 3 points;
- 3 health levels (maximum) cost 6 points.
These points can come from your SCENIC TOKENS, SKILL SET TOKENS, or completed SIDE HIKE CARDS. SCENIC TOKENS used to recover health are discarded back to the box; SKILL SET TOKENS are returned to the general supply and can be collected again by any player (including the player who returned it). Completed SIDE HIKE CARDS used to recover health are discarded back to the box.
If your HEALTH drops below 1 because of an encounter with an AGGRESSIVE BEAR, your hike ends immediately (see AGGRESSIVE BEARS, p.22). Remove your HIKER MEEPLE, VEHICLE MARKER and any remaining WAYPOINT MARKERS from the board, returning them to the box. You are now an aggressive bear for the rest of the game! Victory points accumulated up to this point are retained, but no more can be gained.
2. Storage
This is the area of your PACKBOARD where you keep GEAR and WATER TILES for future use. These tiles do not have to be placed in any specific arrangement, but they cannot be stacked and you may not have more than 8 tiles at any time. Each empty compartment is used, in part, to determine how many ACTIONS you will have during your ACTIONS / AFTERNOON phase: the fewer tiles you carry, the lighter your pack, meaning you can do more and travel farther during your turn (see ACTIONS / AFTERNOON, p.11).
3. Waypoints
Your principal objective during the game is to collect your 3 WAYPOINT MARKERS from the board. As you collect each one, place it in the WAYPOINTS area of your PACKBOARD (order does not matter). Each collected WAYPOINT MARKER gives you one additional ACTION on every subsequent turn.
Third Waypoint: Once you collect your third and final WAYPOINT MARKER, you must discard an easy and/or a hard SIDE HIKE CARD if you haven't already completed both of these objectives (see SIDE HIKES, p. 21).
4. Skills
This is the area of your PACKBOARD where you keep your SKILL SET TOKENS.
SKILL SETS are created by collecting 3 SKILL CARDS with a matching icon. For example, if you collect 3 SKILL CARDS all having a Tool icon on them, you may trade them in for a Tool SKILL SET TOKEN.
Each of these tokens are worth 5 victory points, and, depending on which ones you collect, can offer other advantages (see SKILL SET TOKENS, p.17 and SKILL MASTERIES, p.18).
5. Campfires
CAMPFIRE TOKENS can be placed on the map when you end your ACTION / AFTERNOON phase at a CAMPSITE. They not only provide the immediate bonus shown on the PACKBOARD, but may also protect you from the next day's weather and can permit you to change your position in the player turn order.
CAMPFIRES are taken from your PACKBOARD from left to right, in numerical order. Players may not place a second CAMPFIRE at a CAMPSITE that already has one, but everyone may continue to use that CAMPSITE for collecting and dumping GEAR (see CAMPFIRES, p.19).
Your Turn
Each turn has three phases:
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Morning Phase (Check Weather): Before you set out for the day you must check the forecast to see if you will encounter inclement weather (see WEATHER / MORNING, p.10).
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Afternoon Phase (Perform Actions): Do some hiking and sightseeing in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains (see ACTIONS / AFTERNOON, p.11).
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Evening Phase (Resolve Events): Find out if anything unexpected – good, bad, or otherwise – happened today (see TRAIL CARDS / EVENING, p.12).
Overcoming Challenges
During your turn you may encounter challenges on WEATHER CARDS and TRAIL CARDS. There are four different ways to deal with them:
- Gear or H2O Tiles: Discard the required GEAR or WATER TILE from your packboard.
- Skills Cards: Discard 3 SKILL CARDS with the matching icon from your hand.
- Skill Set Tokens: Discard the required SKILL SET TOKEN from your PACKBOARD to the general supply.
- Skill Masteries: Possess two or more matching SKILL SET TOKENS. (Do not discard.)
When you overcome a challenge, you earn a face-up SKILL CARD (see SKILL CARDS, p.17). Otherwise you must reduce your HEALTH level by 1 by moving the HEALTH MARKER on your PACKBOARD one space to the left. If you do not possess the necessary item(s) to overcome the challenge, trade for them with other players in your region (see TRADING, p.12).
Weather / Morning
1. Forecast
The FORECAST consists of three face-up WEATHER CARDS in the TODAY, TOMORROW, and 2 DAYS OUT positions.
Each WEATHER CARD shows a specific type of weather as well as the GEAR or WATER TILE needed to protect yourself from its effects.
2. Checking the Weather
At the beginning of your turn, roll the 4 WEATHER DICE. If any of the icons on the dice match today's forecast (the WEATHER CARD in the TODAY position) then the forecast was correct and you will have to overcome the weather using one of the methods listed on the previous page. If you do not possess (or do not wish to discard) the required GEAR or WATER items, you must immediately decrease your HEALTH by 1 level. If you resolve the WEATHER CARD'S requirements, you get to choose a SKILL CARD (see SKILL CARDS, p.17).
3. Advancing the Weather Forecast
At the end of the round (after the last player's turn) the weather advances by one day. The face-up WEATHER CARD in the TOMORROW position moves over to the TODAY position, the face-up card in the 2 DAYS OUT position moves to the TOMORROW position, and the top card on the deck is turned face up to reveal the new forecast for 2 DAYS OUT.
Shifty Weather: There are also TRAIL CARDS that require you to advance the weather immediately, in addition to advancing it at the end of the round.
Wet Weather Icon: This icon in the upper right of "wet" WEATHER CARDS is a reminder to add WATER TILES to the appropriate regions when they're encountered.
4. Refilling Water Supplies
Above each of the three regions of the park are WATER SUPPLIES that are replenished with WATER TILES whenever "wet" weather is encountered. The quantity of tiles to place in each supply is equal to the number of HIKER MEEPLES present in that region (see REFILLING WATER SUPPLIES, p.16).
Actions / Afternoon
Adding Up Actions
Add up your HEALTH value, your empty STORAGE spaces, and the number of WAYPOINT MARKERS you have collected. This is the total number of ACTIONS available to you for the AFTERNOON phase of your turn.
Example: This example PACKBOARD has the HEALTH MARKER at level 6, three empty STORAGE spaces, and two WAYPOINT MARKERS. This player would have 11 (6 + 3 + 2) ACTIONS available for their turn.
Available Actions
Below is a list of ACTIONS that players can take during the game. Some of them have a cost, while others are free. Note that while almost all ACTIONS can only be performed during the AFTERNOON phase of your turn, there are a few exceptions.
Spend one action to:
| Action | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Reroll a WEATHER DIE | At a CAMPSITE with your CAMPFIRE TOKEN | MORNING phase |
| Hike a space on the trail | Anywhere on the trail | AFTERNOON phase |
| Collect a WATER TILE | At any WATER SPOT | AFTERNOON phase |
| Collect/draw a GEAR TILE | At any CAMPSITE | AFTERNOON phase |
| Change the turn order | At a CAMPSITE with your CAMPFIRE TOKEN | AFTERNOON phase |
Free actions include:
| Action | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Dumping WATER TILES | At any WATER SPOT | AFTERNOON phase |
| Placing a CAMPFIRE TOKEN | At any CAMPSITE | AFTERNOON phase |
| Dumping GEAR TILES | At any CAMPSITE | AFTERNOON phase |
| Collecting SCENIC TOKENS | At a SCENIC SPOT | AFTERNOON phase |
| Claiming WAYPOINT MARKERS | At a SCENIC SPOT | AFTERNOON phase |
| Shooing a BEAR with SKILL CARDS | In the same region | AFTERNOON phase |
| Exchanging SKILL CARDS for SKILL SET TOKENS | Any time during the game | Any time during the game |
| Trading items with other players | Any time during the game |
Hiking Along the Trail
Every space hiked along the trail uses 1 ACTION. You may move to any available adjacent space, including reversing course. You may share spaces with other players and AGGRESSIVE BEARS (see p.22), but not with PASSIVE BEARS (see p.12).
Whenever you collect SCENIC TOKENS, WAYPOINT MARKERS, GEAR TILES, and/or WATER TILES, you may continue moving as long as you have ACTIONS to do so. You do not have to use all your available ACTIONS. In fact, there are situations when it can be beneficial to stop moving prior to using all of them (see CAMPFIRES, p.19).
Trail Cards / Evening
The third and final phase of your turn determines if anything significant happened during your time on the trail that day. TRAIL CARDS present challenges to overcome, offer bonuses, or initiate events.
Draw a TRAIL CARD, read it out loud, and follow its instructions. The challenge, bonus or event presented must be resolved immediately. If you successfully overcome a TRAIL CARD challenge, take a new SKILL CARD; if you cannot or choose not to overcome the challenge, decrease your HEALTH by 1.
Trading
Trading is an important way to acquire items that you desperately need to overcome challenges or to complete objectives. Shrewd negotiation is encouraged! Players in the same region of the park may trade items with one another at any time during the game. Trades cannot be made by players in different regions, or with anyone who is not hiking (players at TRAILHEADS or players who have had their HIKER MEEPLE removed from the board by an AGGRESSIVE BEAR).
Can be traded:
- GEAR TILES
- H2O TILES
- SKILL CARDS
- SKILL SET TOKENS
- SCENIC TOKENS
Cannot be traded:
- SIDE HIKE CARDS
- WAYPOINT MARKERS
- CAMPFIRE TOKENS
Example: It is Blue's turn. They need SHELTER to overcome a WEATHER challenge. Both Red and Yellow are in their region. Red offers to trade a Shelter TILE for a WATER TILE and two SCENIC TOKENS. Yellow offers a Shelter SKILL SET TOKEN in exchange for a Food SKILL SET TOKEN. Blue accepts Yellow's offer as it will give them the required SKILL MASTERY.
Passive Bears
The park is divided into 3 regions: Western, Central & Eastern. Each has its own BEAR MEEPLE that – for most of the game – must remain in that region. During this time the bears are considered passive and will not harm you, but they must be avoided and can be inconvenient when they are blocking the ideal route to your next destination.
- You may not share a space with – or move through – a passive BEAR MEEPLE.
- Passive bears can be moved by drawing a "SHOO BEAR!" TRAIL CARD, or by discarding 2 SKILL CARDS with a paw icon on them (see SKILL CARDS, p.17).
- When passive BEARS are moved they must remain in their own region and can only be moved to an unoccupied BEAR SPACE or BEAR DEN (one not occupied by a HIKER MEEPLE).
- After the first hiker gets back to their TRAILHEAD with all 3 of their WAYPOINT MARKERS, the passive BEARS turn aggressive and the rules change! (see AGGRESSIVE BEARS, p.22).
Scenic Spots & Waypoints
1. Scenic Spots
SCENIC SPOTS are the orange spaces on the board that represent actual locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There are 5 types of SCENIC SPOTS on the map:
- Mountain (15)
- Waterfall (12)
- Historical (9)
- Tower (4)
- Bridge/Tunnel (3)
2. Scenic Tokens
SCENIC TOKENS are the orange discs on top of every SCENIC SPOT at the start of the game.
Players may collect any SCENIC TOKEN on the board by hiking to its SCENIC SPOT, including those with another player's WAYPOINT MARKER underneath it.
Each of these tokens in your possession at the end of the game is worth 1 point.
Collecting a SCENIC TOKEN does not cost an ACTION.
3. Waypoint Markers
WAYPOINT MARKERS identify the 3 specific SCENIC SPOTS that you must visit during your hike. You may only collect your own WAYPOINT MARKERS, and doing this does not cost an ACTION.
When you collect a WAYPOINT MARKER, place it in the WAYPOINTS area of your PACKBOARD to gain an additional ACTION starting on your next turn.
WAYPOINT MARKERS are not worth points at the end of the game, but all 3 must be collected prior to returning to your TRAILHEAD.
Campsites, Gear & Hiker Box
1. Gear Tiles
There are 5 types of GEAR TILES that can be placed in the STORAGE area of your PACKBOARD: Shelter, Clothing, Food, Tools and First Aid.
GEAR TILES can only be collected or dumped at CAMPSITE spaces. One ACTION is required for each GEAR TILE collected from the HIKER BOX, but dumping GEAR TILES from your PACKBOARD into the HIKER BOX costs no actions.
2. Campsites
CAMPSITES are spaces on the map with a campsite icon that allow you to collect and dump GEAR TILES.
You may NOT collect or dump WATER TILES at a CAMPSITE.
CAMPSITES may also offer protection from WEATHER if you have built a CAMPFIRE there (see CAMPFIRES, p.19).
3. Collecting Gear Tiles
GEAR TILES can be taken from the HIKER BOX found at the bottom right of the board. You may also draw GEAR TILES blindly from the GEAR BAG (one ACTION per tile drawn).
You may choose any of the 6 visible GEAR TILES in the HIKER BOX, but you may also "dig through" stacks of tiles to find the exact one you need. Spend an additional ACTION for each GEAR TILE taken from the HIKER BOX to get to the tile desired. Any unwanted GEAR TILES taken in this manner (or drawn from the GEAR BAG) can be immediately dumped back into the HIKER BOX rather than adding them to your PACKBOARD.
If any of the six spaces in the HIKER BOX are empty at the end of your turn, draw one GEAR TILE from the GEAR BAG for each, so that there are six visible GEAR TILES at the start of the next player's turn.
4. Discarding Gear Tiles
Discarded or dumped GEAR TILES are placed onto one of the six stacks of tiles in the HIKER BOX. If there are fewer than six stacks, start a new stack by placing the GEAR TILE on an empty space in the HIKER BOX. In addition, GEAR TILES cannot be "double stacked": a Tool tile cannot be placed directly on top of another Tool tile, for example.
Recycling the Hiker Box
If 4 or 5 of the visible GEAR TILES in the HIKER BOX are ever identical, the current player may opt to recycle the entire HIKER BOX by returning all its tiles back to the GEAR BAG, shaking it up, and drawing 6 new ones.
If all 6 of the visible GEAR TILES are ever identical, the HIKER BOX must be recycled immediately.
Water Tiles, Spots & Supplies
1. Water Tiles
WATER TILES represent the water you drink during your hike, and can only be collected or dumped when you are at a WATER SPOT on the trail. One ACTION is required for each WATER TILE added from a WATER SUPPLY to the STORAGE area of your PACKBOARD, but dumping tiles to the WATER DISCARD pile costs no actions.
2. Water Spots
WATER SPOTS are spaces on the map with a blue water droplet icon that allow you to collect and dump WATER TILES.
You may NOT collect or dump GEAR TILES at a WATER SPOT.
3. Collecting Water Tiles
Each of the three regions in the park – Western, Central and Eastern – has a WATER SUPPLY that is replenished by wet weather. Regional water levels will fluctuate throughout the game, sometimes dramatically.
When collecting WATER TILES at a WATER SPOT along the trail, the tile is taken from the WATER SUPPLY located above the region that the WATER SPOT is in. If a region's WATER SUPPLY is empty, no WATER TILES can be collected in that region until wet weather refills it (see following page).
4. Discarding Water Tiles
Discarded or dumped WATER TILES are placed onto the WATER DISCARD pile. Never add discarded or dumped WATER TILES to the regional WATER SUPPLIES.
Refilling Water Supplies
Regional WATER SUPPLIES are replenished with WATER TILES whenever the current player hits wet weather. Any time today's forecast is calling for Rain, Storms or Snow and it is correct, place 1 WATER TILE on each regional WATER SUPPLY for each hiker in that region.
Regional WATER SUPPLIES are filled from the WATER DISCARD pile. If there are not enough WATER TILES in the WATER DISCARD pile to refill the supplies as required, the current player chooses which region(s) will receive the available tiles.
If there are no WATER TILES in the WATER DISCARD area, it is not restocked until a player discards or dumps one or more of their WATER TILES.
Example:
- The current player hits the Rain forecast on TODAY'S WEATHER CARD by rolling at least 1 WEATHER DIE with a RAIN icon.
- There are two hikers in the Western Region, one hiker in the Central Region, and no hikers in the Eastern Region.
- 3 WATER TILES are taken from the WATER DISCARD pile. Two are added to the Western WATER SUPPLY, one is added to the Central WATER SUPPLY, and none are added to the Eastern WATER SUPPLY.
Skill Cards
Acquiring Skill Cards
Any time you overcome a WEATHER CARD or TRAIL CARD challenge, take one of the 3 face-up SKILL CARDS available on the board. Afterwards flip over the top card from the SKILL CARD deck and place it in the empty position. Most CAMPFIRE bonuses also provide SKILL CARDS. When it provides two, choose 2 of the 3 face-up cards and then flip over two from the deck.
It is possible to collect up to 4 SKILL CARDS in one turn (without trading) and you can hold up to 6 SKILL CARDS at one time. If you ever have more than this at the end of your turn, you must immediately discard down to six or find another way to reduce how many you hold: exchange three for a SKILL SET TOKEN, discard two to move a BEAR, or trade them for different items with other players in your region.
Using Skill Cards
In lieu of GEAR or WATER TILES, 3 SKILL CARDS with the same symbol can be used to counter a WEATHER CARD or SKILL CARD challenge requiring that symbol. Those three cards must then be discarded from your hand in order to earn a new SKILL CARD for overcoming the challenge.
SKILL CARDS are not worth any points at the end of the game, but they can be traded in during the game for valuable SKILL SET TOKENS.
"Shoo" a Bear!: Several SKILL CARDS have a BEAR PAW icon in the lower right corner. Discarding two of these cards from your hand during the ACTIONS / AFTERNOON phase of your turn allows you to move a BEAR in your region to another BEAR SPACE or the BEAR DEN in the same region (similar to a "Shoo Bear!" TRAIL CARD).
Skill Set Tokens
Building Skill Sets
To collect a SKILL SET TOKEN, discard 3 SKILL CARDS with identical icons from your hand in exchange for the matching token. Add the SKILL SET TOKEN to your PACKBOARD in the indicated space.
There is a limit on the availability of each type of SKILL SET TOKEN (player count + 1), but there is no limit on how many of these a player can collect.
SKILL SET TOKENS are worth 5 points each at the end of the game.
If you obtain 2 SKILL SET TOKENS of the same type, you acquire SKILL MASTERY in that specific skill.
Using Skill Sets
In lieu of GEAR or WATER TILES, a SKILL SET TOKEN can also be used to counter a WEATHER CARD or TRAIL CARD challenge requiring that symbol. The token must be removed from your PACKBOARD and returned to the general supply in order to earn a new SKILL CARD for overcoming the challenge.
Skill Column Bonuses: Completing a column of 3 SKILL SET TOKENS on your PACKBOARD increases your HEALTH by 1. You may do this twice, once for each column. Do not reduce your HEALTH if you discard a SKILL SET TOKEN from a completed column. Do not increase your HEALTH again if you complete the same column more than once.
Skill Masteries
Whenever you have 2 or more identical SKILL SET TOKENS on your PACKBOARD, you have successfully mastered that skill.
Possessing a SKILL MASTERY allows you to automatically overcome any WEATHER or TRAIL CARD challenge that would normally require you to discard that GEAR or WATER TILE from the STORAGE area of your PACKBOARD, and without having to discard any SKILL SET TOKENS.
Using a SKILL MASTERY in place of a GEAR or WATER tile in order to overcome a challenge earns you a new SKILL CARD.
SKILL MASTERIES are not worth any additional points at the end of the game (but their SKILL SET TOKENS are still worth 5 points each).
You may collect as many SKILL MASTERIES as you can.
Extreme Challenges: Extreme WEATHER CARDS require two items to overcome their challenges, and any valid combination of TILES, SKILL CARDS, SKILL TOKENS and/or SKILL MASTERIES can be used. When both items are the same type, having SKILL MASTERY in that item overcomes the challenge.
Example:
- You have 3 SKILL CARDS in your hand with the Clothing symbol.
- Turn in these SKILL CARDS for a Clothing SKILL SET TOKEN and add it to your PACKBOARD.
- Since this is your second Clothing SKILL SET TOKEN, you now have a SKILL MASTERY: You do not have to carry Clothing GEAR TILES to overcome challenges that require Clothing.
Campfires
Placing Campfires
If you end your ACTIONS / AFTERNOON movement at an available CAMPSITE, you may place one of your CAMPFIRE TOKENS next to it. Placing a CAMPFIRE TOKEN on the map does not cost an ACTION.
CAMPFIRE TOKENS are taken off your PACKBOARD from left to right and provide immediate one-time bonuses:
- 1st: Choose a SKILL CARD.
- 2nd: Increase HEALTH by 1.
- 3rd: Choose two SKILL CARDS.
- 4th: Choose a SKILL CARD and increase HEALTH by 1.
By building a CAMPFIRE you have decided to end your hike for the day. As such, you cannot use any remaining ACTIONS to move more spaces along the trail. However, you may use them to collect GEAR TILES at that CAMPSITE and/or move up in the PLAYER TURN ORDER.
You may not place a CAMPFIRE TOKEN at a CAMPSITE that already has one next to it, but you may continue to use that CAMPSITE to collect and dump GEAR TILES as usual.
Protection from the Weather
CAMPFIRES can also be used to try to protect yourself from the weather. If you begin your turn at a CAMPSITE with one of your CAMPFIRE TOKENS next to it, during the MORNING phase of your turn you may spend ACTIONS to reroll any WEATHER DICE that matched today's WEATHER CARD. Once no dice match the card, you have successfully "waited out" the inclement weather.
First, count up your ACTIONS to know how many you have for this turn. Then spend 1 ACTION for each WEATHER DIE rerolled. You may reroll as many times as required, but if you run out of ACTIONS (or give up) before rolling favorable dice, you must overcome the weather as usual or lose HEALTH. Once finished, advance to the AFTERNOON phase of your turn to spend your remaining ACTIONS.
Spend 1 ACTION for each WEATHER DIE rerolled. You may reroll as many times as required, but if you run out of ACTIONS (or give up) before rolling favorable dice, you must overcome the weather as usual or lose HEALTH.
You do not earn a SKILL CARD for avoiding the weather.
Changing Turn Order
Placing a CAMPFIRE at a CAMPSITE also gives you the opportunity to change the PLAYER TURN ORDER. You may only do this on the same turn that you placed the CAMPFIRE TOKEN and have the ACTIONS required to do so.
Spend 1 ACTION to move your TURN ORDER MARKER to the bottom row of the TURN ORDER track, on top of the leftmost unoccupied campfire icon. If there are any TURN ORDER MARKERS already on this half of the track, you may spend another ACTION to switch places with the marker directly to the left of yours. This can be repeated as desired until your marker occupies the leftmost campfire icon.
After the last player of the round has completed their turn, update the PLAYER TURN ORDER before moving on to the next day. Any players who placed a CAMPFIRE TOKEN at a CAMPSITE move ahead of players who did not, maintaining the order of the markers in each row.
Turn order diagram (5 steps):
- Yellow is first player, Purple is last.
- On their turn, Blue places a CAMPFIRE TOKEN at a CAMPSITE and spends 1 ACTION to move up in the turn order.
- On their turn, Purple also places a CAMPFIRE TOKEN and spends 1 ACTION to move up in the turn order.
- Purple decides to spend an additional ACTION to move ahead of Blue in the turn order.
- At the end of the round, the TURN ORDER MARKERS are reorganized to reflect the new player turn order.
Alternate Turn Order Rule
Rather than using the TURN ORDER track or TURN ORDER MARKERS, choose the first player at the start of the game and give them the FIRST PLAYER MARKER. Turn order will move clockwise around the table. At the end of each round, the FIRST PLAYER MARKER moves left (clockwise) to the next player.
This is a good alternative when playing Hike It! for the first time, or until all players are familiar with the game.
Side Hikes
Your Personal Objectives
All players start the game with 4 SIDE HIKE CARDS that they can try to complete for additional points at the end of the game. These objectives are personal (unique) and should remain hidden from the other players.
Two of the SIDE HIKES are fairly easy to accomplish (worth 4 points) and two are a bit harder (worth 8 points). You may only complete – and collect points for – one of each, for a maximum total of 12 points. There is no penalty for not completing these optional objectives before the end of the game.
Upon completing a SIDE HIKE, reveal the card and its objective to the other players. Keep this card next to your PACKBOARD and discard the other card of equal value. If you happen to complete both SIDE HIKE CARDS of the same value at the same time, keep one and discard the other. It is not necessary to reveal discarded SIDE HIKE CARDS.
Example SIDE HIKE CARDS shown in the rulebook: 8 points – Acquire any two SKILL MASTERIES; 8 points – Hike 15 miles (spaces) during your turn; 4 points – Acquire a water and a gear tile during your turn; 4 points – Complete your hike with a HEALTH level of 5.
Discarding Incomplete Side Hikes
If you haven't completed both SIDE HIKE objectives by the time you collect your third and final WAYPOINT MARKER, you must choose one 4-point card and one 8-point card to keep, and discard the other(s).
Trailhead Bonuses
Players who successfully complete their hike by making it back to their TRAILHEAD can claim TRAILHEAD BONUSES. There are fewer bonuses available than players, and faster players claim larger bonuses.
Each player count has different bonuses available:
- 2 Players: 1st = 5 points
- 3 Players: 1st = 7 points; 2nd = 5 points
- 4 Players: 1st = 10 points; 2nd = 7 points; 3rd = 5 points
Completing Your Hike
Once a player successfully returns to their starting TRAILHEAD with all 3 WAYPOINT MARKERS, their hike is over… but their life as a bear has just begun! Reminder: Do not draw a TRAIL CARD on the turn that you returned to your TRAILHEAD.
Aggressive Bears
When Bears Attack!
As soon as any player successfully completes their hike, all three bears become AGGRESSIVE. From this point on in the game, bears are controlled by any players who have successfully completed their hike – as well as any players who have their HEALTH reduced to zero by a bear! – by rolling the BEAR DIE during their subsequent turns.
As an AGGRESSIVE BEAR, your objective is to put an end to the remaining players' hikes as quickly as possible, either by forcing them back to their TRAILHEADS or by reducing their HEALTH to zero. If a player's HEALTH is reduced to zero by a bear, they cannot spend their next turn recovering HEALTH. Immediately return their HIKER MEEPLE and VEHICLE to the box.
Players completing their hike when bears become aggressive must still collect all three of their WAYPOINTS before returning to their
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Aggressive Bear Rules
- Bears can no longer be "shooed" by TRAIL CARDS or SKILL CARDS.
- Bears can now share spaces with other bears and hikers.
- Bears can now cross regions and there can be more than one bear in the same region.
- The same bear cannot be moved by two players in a row on back-to-back turns.
- If a bear crosses paths with a player by moving past their HIKER MEEPLE or landing on the same space, that player takes 1 HEALTH damage. A bear can injure more than one player during the same movement, but cannot inflict more than 1 damage to any player.
- A player may also move their HIKER MEEPLE through an AGGRESSIVE BEAR, but will take 1 HEALTH damage each time they do so.
The Aggressive Bear Die
AGGRESSIVE BEARS can either move a specific number of spaces along the trail, to an adjacent BEAR PAW or BEAR DEN space, or to a nearby BEAR DEN:
- Die face 8: Move the BEAR the number of spaces shown on the die. The BEAR must move all its spaces, and cannot change direction (backtrack) unless it has to travel down and reach the end of a dead-end trail in order to pursue a player on that part of the trail.
- Paw icon: Without lifting the BEAR MEEPLE off the map or backtracking, move it along the trail to any adjacent BEAR PAW or BEAR DEN space.
- Bear Den icon: Move the bear to the BEAR DEN in the adjacent or current region. The bear is "transported" to the BEAR DEN and does not injure any players en route (unless a hiker happens to be at the destination BEAR DEN). If transporting the BEAR to a BEAR DEN is not desirable, it may instead be moved along the trail to any adjacent BEAR PAW or BEAR DEN space.
End of Game
The game ends when there are no more HIKER MEEPLES in the park – all players have either returned to their TRAILHEAD or have been taken out by an AGGRESSIVE BEAR. Now it's time to find out who had the best hiking experience!
Scoring
| Item | Value | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Skill Set Tokens | 5 | Each SKILL SET TOKEN in your possession is worth 5 points each. |
| Health Level | 2 | Your HEALTH at the end of the game is multiplied by 2. |
| Scenic Tokens | 1 | Each SCENIC TOKEN in your possession is worth 1 point each. |
| Side Hikes | 4 and/or 8 | SIDE HIKES can be worth up to 12 points if you complete them both. |
| Trailhead Bonus | 5, 7 or 10 | Getting back to your trailhead faster than other players earns you bonus points. |
Example (from the rulebook):
| Item | Value | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill Set Tokens | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| Health Level | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Scenic Tokens | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Side Hikes | 4 and/or 8 | – | 4 |
| Trailhead Bonus | 5, 7 or 10 | – | 7 |
| 56 |
Tie Breaking
- In case of a tie, the hiker with the most SCENIC TOKENS wins.
- If still tied, the hiker with the most SKILL TOKENS wins.
- If still tied, the hiker with the highest HEALTH level wins.
- If still tied, then the hikers deservedly share the victory.