Kodama Duo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Set Up the Start of the Game
• Game Play
  • Start of Season: Decree Phase
  • Growing Phase
  • End of Growing Phase
  • End of Season: Kodama Phase
  • End of the Game
• Expanding Kodama: The Tree Spirits
  • Growing Phase Variant for Kodama: The Tree Spirits
• Credits

Components

• 36 Branch Cards: Each branch card displays an assortment of six possible features: caterpillars, clouds, fireflies, flowers, mushrooms, and stars. The branches themselves come in a variety of shapes and positions.
• 21 Kodama Cards: Each Kodama card depicts a tree spirit and the conditions it prefers for its new home.
• 2 Trunk Cards: Each trunk card displays one feature unique to that trunk. Several branches emerge from the trunk and extend beyond the card's borders.
• 6 Spirit Tokens: Each token shows one of the six types of features that will appear on your tree — Splitter marker, Chooser marker.
• 9 Decree Cards: Each Decree card adds a new rule for either Spring, Summer, or Fall. Note that the three seasons have different card backs.
• 2 "50" / "100" Point Tokens
• 1 Score Track
• 2 Player Tokens
• 1 Season Token

Set Up the Start of the Game

1. Set the score track on the table. Place the season token on the season track next to the word "Spring."
2. Give each player a random trunk card. Place your trunk card so that the bottom of the card is on the edge of the table.
3. Place both player tokens on the "0" space of the score track. Each player's token corresponds to the icon printed on their trunk card.
4. Shuffle all of the Kodama cards together, then deal four to each player.
5. Shuffle the Decree cards for each season separately. Set one Decree card for each season facedown to the side of the play area.
6. Return any unused Kodama cards and Decree cards to the box.
7. Shuffle all of the branch cards together to form the deck. Keep it facedown beside the play area.
8. Set aside a clear space beside the play area for discarded cards.
9. Place the spirit tokens beside the deck.
10. Give the player wearing the most green the Chooser marker. Give the other player the Splitter marker.

Game Play

Kodama Duo is played over three seasons. Each season is divided into a Decree Phase, a Growing Phase, and a Kodama Phase.

In the Decree Phase, the Guardians of the Forest set unique conditions for the players.

During each Growing Phase, players take turns revealing branch cards and splitting them into two piles. Their opponent will choose which one of the two piles contains the branch they want to add to their tree. Players will repeat this process until both players have added four branch cards to their trees.

In the Kodama Phase, players choose one of their Kodama to live in their tree and that Kodama awards them points.

Start of Season: Decree Phase

At the beginning of each season, reveal one Decree card from that season's deck. The Splitter reads it aloud for all players. This card will introduce a special rule for players to follow during that season. Keep the Decree card for this season visible and accessible to all players. During the Summer and Fall Decree Phases, discard the Decree card from the previous season.

Decree card and Kodama card terms

• "End card": An end card is a branch card that touches only one other card.
• "Within two cards of your trunk": A card is within two cards of your trunk if it touches your trunk card or if it touches a card that touches your trunk card.
• "Card": Trunk cards are considered cards. Branch cards are considered cards.

"50/100" point tokens

You can score up to 49 points using the score track. Once your score reaches 50 points, reset your marker to 0 points and collect a 50 point token. If you reach 100 points, flip that token over to the 100 point side.

Growing Phase

1. Reveal: The Splitter draws three cards from the top of the branch deck and sets them out faceup in the middle of the table for both players to see.

2. Split: The Splitter divides the cards into two smaller piles. Each pile must have at least one branch card.

3. Choose: The Chooser chooses one of the two piles of cards to keep. The Splitter takes the other pile.

4. Play a branch card: Each player connects one of their new branch cards to their tree. When placing a branch card, you must abide by the following rules:

   • Note where the branch extends off the edge of the card. That must touch the bark on another card. (In other words, it should look like a growing branch.) The width of the bark where the two cards touch does not have to match.
   • The newly played card can touch only one other card.
   • You must not cover the features of any branch card.
   • Your branch card must not hang over the edge of the table.
   • You cannot place a branch card that would cause you to score more than 10 points this turn. (See Step 5 below. This 10-point maximum does not include any points gained from Decree cards.)
   • Try not to move any of the other cards on your tree. Once a branch card has been scored, it is not allowed to be moved.

5. Score points: You and your opponent may take this step simultaneously. After placing a branch card on your tree, look at the features on that card. You score 1 point for each instance of those features in that contiguous line of cards. You do not score points for other instances of that feature if they are not part of the contiguous line of cards containing that feature.

   You only score points based on the features on the branch card you played this turn. In order to score a feature, that feature must also be on the card that the branch card you played is touching. Features that are only on the branch you played and not the card it is touching will score zero points.

   Those features must be part of a contiguous line of cards with the card you just played. Any other features elsewhere on the tree do not score points.

   The contiguous line of cards extends from the card you just played, continuing down toward the trunk or until the shared features do not appear on a card.

Example of Placing a Branch Card

You've just taken one card and you want to add it to the tree below. You test out a few locations first to see if they are legal:

• A. Illegal because it hangs over the edge of the table. Also because it covers a feature.
• B. Illegal because it overlaps more than one card. Also illegal because it covers two features.
• C. Legal because it directly touches only one card, does not cover a feature, and does not overhang the table.

Example Scoring

You just placed a card featuring one caterpillar, two fireflies, and one flower. Tracing this line of cards down to the trunk, you score:

• D. 1 point for each firefly on those contiguous cards, including the card you just placed. (Noted here by blue checks.)
• E. 1 point for each caterpillar on those contiguous cards, including the card you just placed. (Noted here by orange checks.)
• F. You don't score points for flowers, despite there being a flower on your newly placed card. Why? The next card in the contiguous line has no flower. Even though there is a flower further down the line, it won't be scored because of that gap.
• G. You also don't score the firefly or caterpillar on the card noted here. It is not part of the contiguous line tracing from the card you just placed down to the trunk.

6. Claim spirit token: One player now has a branch card left over because they chose a pile with more than one card. That player must discard the leftover card faceup.

   The other player must now claim one spirit token matching one of the features on the discarded card. When you claim a spirit token, place it on your tree so that it covers one of the existing features on your tree.

   When you score points later in the game, the covered feature is now considered the feature shown on the spirit token.

   • You may claim a spirit token from the general supply or one that is already part of your opponent's tree.
   • A spirit token may not be placed on top of another spirit token.
   • Spirit tokens may not be moved once placed, unless you are claiming that spirit token again in a later turn.

Example of Claiming a Spirit Token

(Continuing the example from the previous page.)

• A. Your opponent discarded a branch card with a cloud, star, and flower. You decide to claim the flower spirit token.
• B. Remembering that you were unable to score flowers because of a gap here, you decide to place the spirit token over one of the firefly features on that card. That will help you more easily score flowers from this branch later in the game.

End of Growing Phase

After completing all six steps, advance the season token one space. The players exchange Splitter and Chooser roles. Repeat the six steps. Continue repeating this process until each player has added four branch cards to their tree this season.

End of Season: Kodama Phase

The season ends after each player has added four new cards to their tree. At the end of each season, each player chooses one of their Kodama cards and scores points based on the conditions noted on the card. After a Kodama card has been scored, set it aside. It will not be used again.

After each player has scored a Kodama card, the Splitter marker passes to the player with the lowest score. If there is a tie, give the marker to the player who did not have it last season.

Then start the next Decree Phase.

End of the Game

The game ends after the third Kodama Phase. Each player will be left with one Kodama card in their hand. This is discarded and will not be used this game.

The player with the most points wins! If tied, the player with most occurrences of their trunk's feature on their tree wins. If there is still a tie, all tied players win.

Expanding Kodama: The Tree Spirits

Take the following steps to have enough cards for a 6th player:

• Shuffle the branch cards from Kodama Duo into the standard branch card deck.
• Shuffle the Decree cards with a Kodama: The Tree Spirits logo on the bottom right corner into the standard Decree card deck.
• Shuffle the Kodama cards with a Kodama: The Tree Spirits logo on the bottom left corner into the standard Kodama deck.

If you want to play Duo after mixing it with the Kodama base game, you can by using all the cards mixed together. Additionally, you can separate the two games using the following information:

The branch cards in Duo have card numbers in the lower left corner.

The Decree and Kodama cards have the Kodama Duo logo in the lower right corner.

Growing Phase Variant for Kodama: The Tree Spirits

After the Decree Phase, deal four branch cards facedown to each player instead of a faceup display.

During the Growing Phase, follow these steps:

• A. Each player simultaneously chooses one of the branch cards in their hand and places it facedown in front of them. Once all players have done this, the branch cards are revealed.
• B. Each player simultaneously places their branch card on their tree according to the placement rules and scores points for it according to the scoring rules.
• C. The remaining three cards are passed to the player on their left, then each player draws a new branch card. Then advance the season token.
• D. Repeat this process until each player has placed four branch cards on their tree for that season. Proceed with the Kodama Phase as normal.
• E. At the beginning of the next Growing Phase, shuffle all of the unused branch cards into the branch deck and deal each player four new branch cards to choose from.

When playing with this variant, do not use the following Decree cards from Kodama: The Tree Spirits:

• Gust
• Invocation of Spring

Credits

• Game Design: Daniel Solis and Nick Little
• Game Development: Brian McCarthy and Jon Zierden
• Editor: Rachael Mortimer
• Illustration: Kwanchai Moriya
• Art Direction and Graphic Design: Daniel Solis
• Playtesters: Graham Russell, Ansleis Kalb, and The Game Designers of North Carolina
• Special Thanks to: Atomic Empire in Durham, NC; Gamers' Armory in Cary, NC

© 2018 Lone Oak Games - Oakland, CA 94610. All rights reserved.