Ladybugs Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Game Setup
• Game Introduction and Objective
• Gameplay
• A Turn in Detail
  • Phase 1: Play Ladybug Tiles
  • Phase 2: Draw Ladybug Tile
• End of the Game and Scoring
• Expansion Modules
  • Module 1: Special Action Tiles
  • Module 2: Lucky Clover
  • Module 3: Spider

Game Components

• 1 multi-piece game board with victory point track to assemble (setup for 3 and 4 players, and setup for 2 players)
• 4 point markers, 1 per color
• 12 special action tiles, 3 per color
• 96 ladybug tiles: 24 each in 4 colors (red, purple, yellow, blue), 4 each of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
• 12 lucky clover tiles
• 1 spider
• 4 start markers, 1 per color
• 1 rules booklet

Game Setup

1. Assemble the game board from the game board squares: With 2 players, use 2 squares; with 3 or 4 players, use all 4 squares. Place these squares together with a random side facing up and in any orientation. Then place the frame pieces around the outside as a frame: The angled corners are always used. You only need the straight connecting pieces for 3 and 4 players.

Note: When playing with two players, make sure that you lay out the frame pieces with the side showing the white dandelions.

2. Choose a color and take all 24 ladybug tiles, one scoring marker, and one starting marker in that color. Place your scoring markers on the 0 space of the scoring track.

Game for four players: In a four-player game, everyone places their starting markers on a different corner space. (Either simply take the corner space closest to you or let the youngest person choose a corner first and then continue clockwise.)

Game for three players: In a three-player game, each player chooses one of the spaces marked in the illustration.

Game for two players: In a two-player game, start on diagonally opposite corner spaces.

3. Shuffle your ladybug tiles face down and then form one or more stacks. Then draw 2 ladybug tiles each and choose one of them to place face up on your starting marker. Now draw another tile and hold both tiles in your hand, hidden from the others.

4. The player who last saw a ladybug starts the game.

Note: You are welcome to use Module 1: Special Action Tiles and Module 2: Lucky Clover in your first game. We recommend waiting until subsequent games to play with Module 3: Spider.

Game Introduction and Objective

In Ladybugs, you place your ladybug tiles on the game board in clockwise order. The board is divided into flower beds and meadows.

The goal is to place your ladybug tiles in the flower beds. At the end of the game, points are awarded for each flower bed to the players who have the most valuable ladybugs there.

Gameplay

The previously determined player starts, then play proceeds clockwise. A turn consists of two phases:

• Phase 1: Play ladybug tile
• Phase 2: Draw ladybug tile

Then it is the next player's turn.

The game ends as soon as no one can draw any more ladybug tiles or play a tile in accordance with the rules. Finally, the points are scored.

A Turn in Detail

Phase 1: Play Ladybug Tiles

The tiles you have already placed determine where you can place your new tile.

Starting from one of your own tiles (starting tile), count as many spaces in a straight line as the number of dots on the starting tile. You can place your new tile on this space (target space). You are free to choose which of the two tiles in your hand you want to play.

Note: The direction of the head of the ladybug has nothing to do with the placement rules.

Rules for placing ladybug tiles:

1. You can start from any of your tiles that are already on the board to play a new tile.

2. You can only place horizontally and vertically from a tile, but not diagonally.

3. If one of your own tiles or another player's tile is between the starting tile and your target space, you may not place the tile on the target space. The path is blocked.

4. If there is a single tile on the target space, whether it belongs to you or another player, you may place your tile on top of it. From now on, only the top tile counts for the rest of the game.

5. If there are already 2 tiles on top of each other on the target space, you may no longer place your tile on top.

6. You may not place a tile on top of another player's starting tile.

7. Just once you may place one additional tile on your own starting tile without having to start from a tile that is already in place.

Example: Timo uses the 1 tile to cover the 3 on his starting tile.

Important: If you can no longer place a tile in accordance with the rules, you must place a tile on your starting tile, provided you have not already used this option. If you have already used this option, you are eliminated from the game until the final scoring!

Phase 2: Draw Ladybug Tile

At the end of your turn, draw a new tile to your hand so that you have 2 tiles again. Keep them hidden from the other players.

Then it is the next player's turn in clockwise order.

Note: While the other players are taking their turns, you can already think about where you want to place your next tile.

End of the Game and Scoring

The game ends as soon as no one can draw another ladybug tile or everyone has been eliminated (no more tiles can be placed according to the rules). At the end, one ladybug tile remains unused in your hand.

Now it's time to score points. Each flower bed is scored individually. Add up the dots on all your tiles in a flower bed. The player with the highest total in a flower bed receives victory points equal to the number of individual game board spaces that make up that flower bed. The player in second place receives half of these points, rounded down. If there is a third and fourth place, these players receive no points.

Placement	Points
First place	Number of spaces in the flower bed
Second place	Half of first place, rounded down

If there is a tie for first place, all players involved in the tie receive the full number of points for first place. The points for second place are awarded as normal. If there is a tie for second place, all players involved receive the normal points for second place.

Important: In a two-player game, no points are awarded for second place!!

Scoring examples:

• Left flower bed: Timo (blue): 10 dots → First place → 9 points. Max (yellow): 9 dots → Second place → 4 points. Pia (red): 4 dots → Third place → 0 points.
• Right flower bed: Sarah (purple): 12 dots → First place → 6 points. Max (yellow): 5 dots → Second place → 3 points. Timo (blue): 4 dots → Third place → 0 points.

Tie examples:

• Left flower bed – Tie for first place: Pia (red): 10 dots → First place → 7 points. Sarah (purple): 10 dots → First place → 7 points. Max (yellow): 6 dots → Second place → 3 points.
• Right flower bed – Tie for second place: Timo (blue): 9 dots → First place → 6 points. Sarah (purple): 4 dots → Second place → 3 points. Max (yellow): 4 dots → Second place → 3 points.

Once all beds have been scored, the player who has advanced the furthest on the scoring track with their point marker wins.

If there is a tie, the person involved in the tie who has the higher total number of points in the center flower bed (9 spaces) wins.

If there is still a tie, you share the victory.

Example: After all the beds have been scored, Max and Sarah are tied for first place with 42 points, ahead of Timo with 39 points and Pia with 32 points. In the largest flower bed, Max (yellow) has a total of 10 points. Sarah (purple) has no tiles in this bed. Therefore, Max wins the game.

Expansion Modules

Once you are familiar with the base game, you can add one or more of the following expansion modules as you wish.

Module 1: Special Action Tiles

At the beginning of the game, distribute the 3 color-coded special action tiles to all players and place them in front of you with the effect side facing up.

You can use each of your 3 tiles exactly once during the game while it is your turn. To do so, flip the tile you want to use over to its back side and perform the effect. You can also use multiple tiles in the same turn.

Effects of the special action tiles:

• Stag Beetle: You may place your tile on top of a stack on your target space that consists of exactly 2 tiles.
• Grasshopper: You may place your tile on a target space even if one or more tiles (including stacked tiles) lie between it and the starting space.
• Rhinoceros Beetle: You may place your tile on a target space that is 1 step closer or further away than your tile on the starting space indicates.

All unused tiles (with the effect side facing up) are worth 1 point at the end of the game.

Module 2: Lucky Clover

At the beginning of the game, shuffle all lucky clover tiles with the clover side facing up. Then place one face-down lucky clover tile on each meadow space marked with a small clover leaf.

If, during the course of the game, you place a beetle tile on a field with a lucky clover tile, take it, look at the back, and place it face down in front of you.

At the end of the game, everyone receives the points indicated on the back of their collected lucky clover tiles.

Module 3: Spider

Place the spider on its starting space at the beginning of the game:

• For 3-4 players: The middle space of the flower bed in the center of the game board.
• For 2 players: One of the two middle meadow spaces. The person who does not start determines which one.

In addition to the usual rules, you have an additional option in Phase 1: Play Ladybug Tile. Instead of placing your ladybug tile on the playing field, you may return it to the box and instead move the spider in a straight line as many spaces as the number shown on the discarded bug. The spider may move over other tiles and stacks.

Ladybug tiles on the spider's target space are eaten and returned to the box. If there are several ladybug tiles on the target space, only the top one is eaten.

Note: The space where the spider is currently located cannot be the target space for a ladybug tile!

Note: If you are playing with the spider and Module 2: Lucky Clover, the following rule applies: If the spider lands on a space with a clover, the spider does not eat that clover.

Before scoring, the spider is removed from the game board.