Monster Baby Rescue! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Components
• Setup
  • Player Setup
• Gameplay
  • Play Order
  • Turn Overview
  • Cost of a Tile
  • Tile Effects
  • Meeting the Goal Tiles
  • Reveal a New Tile
  • Next Player's Turn
• Tiles and Their Effects
  • Parts of a Monster Care Tile
  • Looking After Your Monster
  • Diamonds
  • Playtime!
  • A Comfy Bed
  • Visiting the Witch Doctor
  • Want Tiles
• Goal Tiles
• End of Game
• Scoring
  • Winning
  • Scoring Example
• Key to Goal Tiles
• Key to Final Scoring Tiles

Overview

Monster Baby Rescue is a family game – it's simple enough for kids to play, but it offers sophisticated strategic opportunities that will keep adult board gamers engaged.

Each player starts the game with a sad, scared baby monster. Players take turns choosing tiles representing different ways of caring for their foundling. Taking a tile costs a variable amount of time, and players must weigh the benefits of a tile against the amount of time it will cost.

As the monsters get more care, they become healthier and happier. At the end of the game, the winner is the player whose monster has received the best care.

Components

• 68 care tiles
• 9 comfy bed tiles
• 9 diamond tiles
• 6 witch doctor tiles
• 8 playground tiles
• 30 condition improvement tiles
• 6 want tiles
• 4 double-sided final scoring tiles
• 10 double-sided goal tiles
• 12 diamond gems, 6 red and 6 green
• 5 monster sets (Basilisk, Cerberus, Orc, Manticore, Dragon)
• 5 player boards
• 5 cardboard monster figures, each with its own plastic stand
• 1 main board with a timing track on one side and a score board on the other
• 1 tile row
• 1 forbidden path marker
• 5 thirty-points scoring markers
• this rulebook

Setup

1. Set the main board in the middle of the table. The side with the timing track should be face up.
2. Go through the monster care deck and remove tiles to make it the correct size for the number of players in the game. A 5-player game will use all the tiles. In a 4-player game, remove all tiles marked 5. In a 3-player game, remove all tiles marked 5 or 4+. In a 2-player game, remove all tiles marked 5, 4+, or 3+. Shuffle the monster care deck and place it next to the main board.
3. Place the tile row next to the main board. Deal the top 6 care tiles to the tile row. If necessary, rearrange the tiles as follows: Tiles with no hearts should be down, on the cheapest position. Above them should be any tiles with one heart. On the upmost position should be any tiles with two hearts. Note: When rearranging cards during setup, a tile with a heart linked to a diamond should be counted as a tile with no heart.
4. Place the 10 goal tiles and the 4 final scoring tiles on the table with random faces up. These tiles offer points for various achievements.

Player Setup

Your monster is represented by six tiles. Start with the three level-1 tiles face up above your player board, as shown. During play, you might flip some of them over to represent that a part of your monster has achieved level 2. For level 3, replace the level 2 tile with its level 3 equivalent. You represent level 4 by flipping level 3.

Each player should put the cardboard figure representing their monster in a plastic stand. Place the figures in a random order on the rocks of the river location on the left edge of the timing track, as shown. Put the forbidden path marker behind the last figure. No figure can cross this marker while moving.

Gameplay

Players take turns choosing tiles from the card row, but they do not always choose in the same order.

Play Order

During the game, players' monster figures will move clockwise around the timing track. When your figure is farthest behind, that means it is your turn to take a tile.

Turn Overview

On your turn:

1. Choose a care tile. Pay the cost by moving forward.
2. Perform the tile's effects, if any.
3. Keep the tile in case it scores points at the end of the game.
4. Check to see if you have met one of the goals depicted on the blue goal tiles.
5. Add a new tile to the top of the row.

These steps are explained in detail below.

Cost of a Tile

When it is your turn, you choose one of the six tiles in the tile row.

For example, the tile being taken in the illustration below costs 3.

The board is divided into 6 locations, as shown here.

You pay your cost by moving ahead a certain number of locations. If yours is the only figure in the new location, place it on the first rock in that location. If there is already a figure in that location, place your figure on the first unoccupied rock. (An example is shown on page 4.)

During the game, you will go around the board many times. No one will get lapped, because the player farthest behind always gets the next turn.

Tile Effects

After paying the cost, resolve your tile's effect. Some tiles immediately improve your monster's outlook on life. Some tiles are collected for points at the end of the game. And some tiles may help you achieve one of the goals on the blue goal tiles.

Tiles and their effects are explained in detail in the next chapter. The chapter after that will explain goal tiles.

Meeting the Goal Tiles

Goal tiles are a reward for the first player who accomplishes a particular goal. When you take a tile that completes the goal's requirements, you immediately take the goal tile from the board and score the indicated number of points. No one else gets points from that tile.

Reveal a New Tile

Once you have taken your tile and resolved any tile effects, your turn ends. The tile row now has one empty space. Slide tiles toward this empty space as illustrated below. Thus, some of the most expensive tiles may become a little cheaper.

This results in an empty space on the far right of the tile row. Fill this space with a new tile from the top of the deck.

Note: Unlike the setup at the start of the game, tiles are not reordered. Newest tiles are always most expensive and oldest tiles are always cheapest.

Next Player's Turn

The next player is whoever is farthest behind on the timing track. In some cases, the same player may be able to take two turns in a row. Taking full advantage of these opportunities is a key part of the tactics of the game.

Example: All players have taken several turns and the orc player is farthest ahead. The basilisk and cerberus players are in the same location, and the basilisk player has been there longer, so it is his turn.

The player chooses the third tile, which costs 3. The player moves his basilisk figure ahead 3 locations. Because the orc is already there, the basilisk goes on the rock ahead of the orc. The player keeps the tile beside his monster. (In this case, the tile has no other effect right now.)

The player ends his turn by sliding tiles to the left into the tile row's empty space and then adding a tile from the top of the deck to the right end of the row.

The cerberus player will play next, and she is in an interesting position. Because the other players are three locations ahead of her, she can take two turns in a row if she chooses a tile that costs only 2.

Tiles and Their Effects

Parts of a Monster Care Tile

Hearts are points you score at the end of the game.

The illustration shows you the card's effect.

Looking After Your Monster

Tiles like these allow you to improve the condition of your monster, which increases the level of the body part shown. When you take an improvement tile, increase the illustrated part of your monster by one level (by flipping or replacing the indicated body tile).

If that body part is already at level 4, the level cannot be increased, but you still may take the tile and any points it offers will be scored at the end of the game.

This improvement tile allows you to choose which body part gets increased by one level.

Diamonds

Some tiles offer you red diamonds and some offer green. For example, if you choose the tile above, take 2 green diamonds and place them near your board.

If a tile shows one of each, that means you must choose one or the other. Choosing this tile allows you to take a red diamond or a green diamond, but not both.

Diamonds can be assigned to certain tiles to score points at the end of the game. Each of the tiles shown here requires a diamond to get the indicated point. The upper tile requires a red diamond. The lower tile requires a green diamond.

Playtime!

It's always good to play with your monster. At the end of the game, you will score points based on the number of rungs in your rope ladder. Keep playtime tiles in a column on the left side of your monster.

This tile adds one rung to your rope ladder. This tile adds two rungs to your rope ladder.

A Comfy Bed

Tiles like this one help you build a comfy place for your monster to rest. This tile has one comfy bed symbol, but some tiles have two or more. You can collect as many of these tiles as you like. Certain goal tiles and final scoring tiles care about the number of comfy bed symbols you have. Keep comfy bed tiles in two columns to the right of your monster.

Visiting the Witch Doctor

It's good to give your monster some basic medical care. This tile will impact scoring at the end of the game, and getting more of these is better, especially if you have taken a lot of goal tiles. Keep witch doctor tiles near the witch doctor section of your player board.

Want Tiles

The pink tiles illustrate something that your monster wants. When you take a want tile, keep it in front of you. It may combine with your other tiles to give you points at the end of the game.

Your monster likes treasure. At the end of the game, you score 1 point for every two diamonds you have, regardless of color. (This tile also gives you an additional 2 points, depicted in the upper right corner.)

Your monster wants to play! At the end of the game, score 1 point for each rung in your rope ladder.

Your monster likes to be clean. At the end of the game, you score 1 point per level for the indicated body part. For example, this tile would give you 4 points if you had improved the legs up to level 4. If you left the legs at level 1, it would still score 1 point.

Your monster wants comfort. At the end of the game, you score 1 point for every 2 comfy bed symbols you collected. For example, 4 or 5 bed symbols would score 2 points. (This tile also gives you 1 additional point, depicted in the upper right corner.)

Goal Tiles

A key to the various goal tiles can be found on the back page of this rulebook.

Example: The orc player chooses a tile that gives baby orc a pedicure. The player flips baby orc's leg tile over to show that the legs are now at level 2. Because the player has already cared for baby orc's head and torso, all of baby orc is now at level 2. This fulfills a goal. Because the player is the first one to meet this goal, the player takes the goal tile, which will be worth 2 points at the end of the game. No other player may take this goal tile. The player keeps the pedicure tile; it will be worth 1 point at the end of the game.

End of Game

The end of the game is triggered when the last tile in the deck is dealt to the tile row. All players will get exactly one more turn. (The player whose turn triggered the end of the game will also get one more turn.) Players take their final turn in the order shown on the timing track, as usual. Because you will not get another turn, there is no need to pay for your last tile or to slide tiles in the tile row. At the end of your turn, remove your monster figure from the track to show that you are done with the game.

Scoring

When all players are done, flip over the timing track and the tile row to reveal the scoreboard and scoring help. It is time to score the game. The player who ended the game can take charge of scoring by moving figures along the scoreboard.

1. Score all hearts each player has on tiles they took. If you have tiles that require diamonds to produce points, you assign any diamonds you collected to these tiles. Each diamond can be used on only one such tile. If such a tile does not get its diamond, it does not score its point.
2. Score all hearts from goal tiles each player has taken. (These are points for being the first to accomplish the goal.)
3. Score all points from want tiles.
4. Score 3 points for each line of tiles you have built on your player board as it is indicated on the bottom right of your player board. Each line consists of one playtime tile and two comfy bed tiles.
5. If you have witch doctor visits, multiply the number of visits by the number of blue goal tiles you collected and score that many points (as indicated on the bottom right of your player board).
6. Score points for each of the four orange final scoring tiles. If a final scoring tile counts diamonds players collected, count diamonds that were assigned to tiles as well as those that were not assigned.

Winning

The winner is the little monster that you worked so hard to take care of. You can send it home knowing that it will be all right now. (Of course, the winner of the game is the player with the most points.)

Scoring Example

1. Michael has collected 5 heart symbols. He also has one heart symbol he can pay for with a green diamond. So he scores 6 points.
2. He has 6 points from goal tiles.
3. His want tile gives him a point for every two comfy bed symbols. Since he has six, he scores 3 points.
4. Because he has at least one playtime tile and at least two comfy bed tiles, he scores 3 points. (If he had one comfy bed tile more, he could score a second line for more 3 points.)
5. He has two witch doctor visits and three goal tiles. Multiplying these together gives him 6 points.
6. A) He has two diamonds (including the green one used to activate the playtime point), which give him 2 points. B) He has five comfy bed symbols, but so does Kathy. Because they are tied for first (and second) they split ten points. So Michael gets 5. C) All parts of his basilisk are improved to at least level 2, so he gets 4 points. (If one of his pampering levels was still at level 1, he would have lost 3 points. If two of his pampering levels were still at level 1, he would have lost 6 points.) D) Michael's ladder has two rungs, which is worth 2 points. (This is okay. If he had no rope ladder, the final scoring card would have caused him to lose 1 point.)

Total for Michael is 36 points. Because this causes him to loop around the score track, he uses his 30-point marker to remember that he has 36 and not 6.

Key to Goal Tiles

• Score 1 point if your monster is the first to visit the witch doctor for a second time.
• Score 2 points if you are the first player with at least one diamond of each color.
• Score 2 points if your monster is the first to have all body parts improved to at least level 2.
• Score 2 points if your monster is the first to have its torso improved to level 4.
• Score 2 points if you are the first player to have at least 4 comfy bed symbols.
• Score 2 points if you are the first player to have at least 3 rungs in your rope ladder.

Key to Final Scoring Tiles

• Score points according to your monster's lowest-level body part. If all parts are at least level two, score 4. If at least level three, score 8. If all parts are at level four, score 12. If any part is at level one, score no points. Instead you lose 3 points for each body part at level one.
• Score points based on the number of the rungs in your rope ladder, relative to other players. The player with the most gets 5 points, second most gets 3 and third most gets 2. If you collected no rope ladders, lose 1 point.
• Score points according to the number of diamonds you collected during the game (ignore their colors). For example, four diamonds would be worth 6 points from this card.
• For each complementary pair of diamonds (one red, one green) you score 3 points. If you collected no diamonds, lose 1 point.
• Score points based on how many knots you collected, relative to the other players. The player who collected the most gets 5 points, second most gets 3, third most gets 2. In case of ties, add the points, divide evenly, and ignore the remainder. For example, two players tied for second will divide the points for second and third. So they have 5 points to divide. Each gets 2 and the remaining point is ignored. Players with no knots are not allowed to get points from this tile.
• This is the same as above, except for comfy bed symbols. For example, suppose two players are tied for most comfy bed symbols. They split 10 points, so each gets 5. Now suppose the next two players are also tied. They are tied for third, not second. (Points for second were already given out to the first two players.) They split the 2 points for third, so each gets 1. Players with no comfy bed symbols are not allowed to get points from this tile.