Il était une forêt
Once Upon a Forest Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Content of the Box
The game contains 66 cards.
64 Forest cards corresponding to the 4 different levels of the forest:
- 16 Canopy cards
- 16 2nd Level cards
- 16 1st Level cards
- 16 Ground cards
The back side of a card indicates the level of the forest it belongs to.
You can find animals on the cards. There are 2 different animal species per level, meaning a total of 8 species.
There are also some elements linked to human activity (chain saw).
4 Ground cards are used for Game Start: a native human being (autochthone) is on the card.
Plus 1 Point Counting card, and 1 Solo mode card.
How to Play
Aim of the Game
To get the largest, the best equilibrated, and the less damaged forest.
Game Set Up
Put aside the 4 Game Start cards (the Ground card with a human being on), and mix the Forest cards together. Divide them in 5 piles of 12 cards each, hidden side, and side by side: these will be the 5 piles.
Each player takes one of the 4 Game Start cards and puts it in front of him/her: this will be the start of his/her forest. With 3 or 2 players, put the remaining card(s) in the pile of your choice.
One after the other one, each player chooses 3 cards out of the 5 piles.
Course of the Game
The last one who went walking in a forest starts the game. The first player puts one of his/her 3 cards to build up his/her forest in front of him (see "How to Put a Card in Your Forest" below), and gives one of his/her 2 remaining cards to the player of his/her choice who has to put it immediately in his/her forest. The first player ends his/her turn by taking 2 cards out of the piles (in order to have again 3 cards in his/her hands).
Then, the player on the left side of the first player proceeds in the same way: he/she puts one of his/her 3 cards in his/her forest to build it up, gives one to the player of his/her choice (who has to put it in his/her forest), and takes 2 cards out of the piles. The game goes on clockwise.
At the end of the game, the players will have in their hands only one card that they have to put in their own forest.
How to Put a Card in Your Forest
You put a card in your forest when it's your turn (one out of your 3 cards), but also when another player gives you a card. You can put a card in your forest in two different ways:
- In an empty space. However, you can't start a new column unless the previous one is complete (4 levels).
OR
- On top of a previously played card (hence corresponding to the same level of the forest) in order to cover it (in a complete or incomplete column).
The first card of a new column can be put wherever in the 4 levels of the forest.
Example: once a column is complete, you can start a new column or cover one of the cards of that completed column.
Points Counting
At the end, each player counts his/her points in this order:
- +3 points by complete column
- -1 point if an incomplete column
Then, all the cards of the incomplete column are discarded and the counting goes on:
- +1 point when the number of animals from one specie corresponds to the number of complete columns of your own forest
- -1 point by degraded place (presence of a chain saw)
Example:
- 3 complete columns (3 x 3 points): +9 points
- 1 incomplete column (on the right): -1 point
From now on we only look at the complete columns.
- 4 animal species with the right number (since there are 3 complete columns, 3 animals per specie are required to get 1 point): +4 points
- 2 chain saws: -2 points
Total number of points for this player at the end of the game: 9 - 1 + 4 - 2 = 10 points
Semi-Cooperative Version (for 4 Players)
Everything goes on like in the normal version, however the players are divided in 2 teams of 2 players. The 2 players of the same team can't be side by side but facing each other. Each of the 4 players basically builds up his/her own forest in front of him/her.
At your turn, you play one card in your forest, give one to the player of your choice out of the 3 other players, and then take 2 cards from the piles.
At the end, the points are counted like usual, however your points and the ones of your team member are added up. The team with the highest total of points wins the match.
Solo Version
The solo version of the game is explained on the dedicated Solo mode card included in the box; its text is not reproduced in this rules document.