Perch
Perch Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Fountain Board
- 1 Migration Bag
- 24 Location Tiles
- 22 Objective Cards
- 5 Player Aids
- 1 Round Marker
- 5 Lightning Tokens
- 140 Birds
- 10 Nests
- The Roost
- 5 Bird Houses
- 5 Turn Order Tokens
- 5 Scoring Tokens
- 12 Clear Bases
- 9 Creature Cards & Standees: Dog, Cat, Hawk, Red Fox, Bee, Scarecrow, Cuckoo Bird, Owl, Squirrel
Setup
Remove the Roost
The circular part of the box insert, known as the "Roost," holds all 5 colors of birds in separate wells. Remove the Roost from the box, and place it within reach of all players.
Build the Homestead
Separate the Location Tiles by their backs: 6 Basic, 9 Creatures, 9 Special
Setup the homestead as follows, according to your player count:
5 Players | 13 Location Tiles
4 Players | 10 Location Tiles
2-3 Players | 8 Location Tiles
NOTE: It is important that the Location Tiles are placed in this configuration without any rows.
2-3 Players
If it's your first game, build the Homestead according to the instructions on the right. Otherwise, do the following: Randomly select 3 Basic Location, 2 Special Location, and 3 Creature Home Tiles. Shuffle all these Location Tiles together, and arrange them in columns of 3, 2, and then 3 tiles.
4 Players
Randomly select 4 Basic Location, 2 Special Location, and 4 Creature Home Tiles. Shuffle all these Location Tiles together, and arrange them in columns of 2, 3, 2, and then 3 tiles.
5 Players
Randomly select 5 Basic Location, 3 Special Location, and 5 Creature Home Tiles. Shuffle all these Location Tiles together, and arrange them in columns of 3, 2, 3, 2, and then 3 tiles.
Once the Homestead has been prepared, return any unused Location Tiles to the box.
For Your First Game
If it's your first game, we recommend using these Locations:
2-3 Players: The Scented Pine Trees, The Great Ash Tree, The Doghouse, A Country House, The Precariously Hanging Nest, The Early Bird, The Lonely Elm Tree, The Hawk's Nest
In a 4-Player Game, add the following: The Mighty Oak Tree, A Cornfield
In a 5-Player Game, add the following: The Mighty Oak Tree, A Cornfield, The Peeling Birch Trees, The Happy Birdbath, The Fox's Den
Build Nests
Some Locations have one or more Nest icons in the lower right corner (1, 2, or 3). Place a number of Nests on these Location Tiles equal to the number of Nest icons on the tile. Return any remaining Nests to the box.
Gather the Creatures
For each Creature Location in play, gather the matching Card (1) and Standee (2). Place them near the Homestead tiles, within reach of all players, then return any unused Creature cards and standees to the box. EXAMPLE: If The Fox's Den, The Doghouse, and A Corn Field Location Tiles are in play, place the Red Fox, Dog, and Scarecrow card and standees within reach.
Place the Fountain, Round Marker, Birdhouses, and Lightning Tokens
- Set the Fountain Board within reach of players, refer to the inner corner on the top right of the board (2-3 / 4-5), and place the side matching your player count faceup.
- Place the Round Marker in the "Round 1" space.
- Place Birdhouses equal to the number of players to the right of the "Round 4" space.
- Place Lightning Tokens equal to the number of players to the right of the "Round 5" space.
Return any unused Birdhouses and Lightning Tokens to the game box.
Assemble Your Flock
Each player chooses a color, noting their supply of 28 birds matching that color in the Roost. These birds are referred to as your "Flock."
- Players place their matching Scoring token on the 0/60 space on the Fountain Board, with the "60+" side facedown.
For 2-Player Games:
Select one unused Flock color to represent the "Bird-Brained" player. This Flock will not score points, but will be used throughout the game.
Select a Hidden Objective
Locate the objective cards, and refer to the player count icon in the lower left-hand corner. Return any objective cards that do not match your player count to the box.
EXAMPLE: In a 4-player game, you would return any objective cards to the box that are marked only for 2, 3, or 5 players.
Shuffle the remaining cards and deal 2 to each player. Simultaneously, each player select one objective to keep, placing it facedown in front of them, and return the other to the box.
An objective card shows: Title, Victory Point Reward, When the objective must be met/Scored, the Objective text, and the Player count.
If it is your first game:
We recommend playing without the objectives for your first game, and adding them in when you're comfortable with the different Location Tiles and Creatures.
Determine the Turn Order
The starting player is the last person who fed a bird. Give this player the Migration Bag and turn order token 1. Then, in clockwise order, distribute the remaining turn order tokens in ascending order to all players.
NOTE: During the Upkeep phase, turn order might change. Each round, turn order tokens are reassigned so that the player with the most points is first in turn order while the player with the fewest points will play last (See "Determine New Turn Order" on p.6).
Gameplay
The game takes place over 5 rounds. In each round players will place birds from their own and other player's Flocks onto Locations to earn points, trigger special actions, and take control of Creatures.
Points are awarded during the Upkeep phase of each round. The player whose Flock has earned the most points by the end of the game wins!
Round Overview
Each round of the game has 4 phases: the Migrate Phase, the Recruit Phase, the Perch Phase, and the Upkeep Phase.
Migration Phase
Remove 2 birds from each player's Flock from the Roost and add them to the Migration bag.
For 2-Player Games:
In Round 1, the "Bird-Brained" Flock will place 4 birds into the Migration Bag.
In rounds 2-5, the "Bird-Brained" Flock will place 2 birds into the Migration Bag.
Migration Conditions:
- Some Locations will allow players to place extra birds from their Flock into the Migration Bag "during migration." Place birds as specified by the Location.
- In the rare case that a player doesn't have enough birds to place in the Migration Bag, they add what they can and forego the rest.
Recruit Phase
Shake the Migration Bag, then, in turn order each player draws 2 birds from the Migration Bag and takes 2 birds from their own Flock from the Roost.
Each player will have 4 birds in total, 2 from the Roost (their own Flock) and 2 from the Migration Bag (their own and/or other players' Flocks).
EXAMPLE: During the Recruit phase, the Blue player gains 2 Blue birds plus 1 Yellow and 1 Green bird that were drawn from the Migration Bag.
Perch Phase
In turn order, each player places 1 of their Recruited birds onto any Location and may execute 1 Bonus Action. This happens in the order of the player's choice. (See "Bonus Actions" section on the right.) Repeat until all recruited birds are placed onto the Homestead.
Perch Conditions:
- Only one bird may be placed at a time.
- Birds may only Perch on Location Tiles. They cannot be placed directly onto the Fountain (See "Fountain" on p.7).
- There is no limit to the number of birds that can occupy a Location.
- Birds of the same Flock must be stacked together. A stack must contain birds of only one color. There is no limit to the number of birds that may be stacked in this way.
NOTE: Birds soaring high? You can use a clear base to help stabilize a Flock that isn't already occupying a Nest.
- A bird may be placed in a Nest if it is unoccupied, or if the Nest is already occupied by birds of the same Flock.
- A Nest always counts as +1 bird for the Flock that occupies it. This includes Scoring, Location Effects, and Creature Abilities.
- If a Nest becomes empty, a player can reposition a Flock of birds already on that Location to the empty Nest. To do so, the player must place a bird in the Nest as part of their "Perch" action, and then move the matching Flock already on this Location to the Nest.
No Wrapping Around:
Birds and Creatures cannot "wrap around" the Homestead when they are moved. This means the rightmost and leftmost columns are NOT considered to be adjacent to one another.
Bonus Actions
Once per turn during the Perch phase, either before or after placing a bird, a player may take a single Bonus Action. There are 3 possible Bonus Actions, and they are not always available: Activate a Creature, Build a Birdhouse, and Zap a Bird.
Activate a Creature
If, during the previous Upkeep phase, a player gained control of a Creature, they may move the Creature and activate its ability.
Refer to the Creature's reference card and follow its activation instructions, then turn the reference card facedown to indicate it has been activated.
Creature Conditions:
- Each Creature may be activated only once per round.
- Once activated, Step 1 must be performed and Step 2 is optional.
- A player may be in control of multiple Creatures per round; however, only one Creature may be activated on a player's turn by using a Bonus Action.
- A player may choose not to activate a Creature during the round.
NOTE: In each round every player will take 4 turns, sending their 4 Recruited birds to Location Tiles. This means a player can take a maximum of 4 Bonus Actions per round.
Build a Birdhouse
In rounds 4 or 5, players may use a Bonus Action to place a Birdhouse atop ANY stack of 1 or more birds.
Once a Birdhouse has been placed:
- Birds may not be added to or removed from that stack.
- The stack cannot be affected by Creatures or Lightning Tokens.
- A Birdhouse counts as +1 bird for the Flock it is placed on, for all purposes–regardless of who placed the Birdhouse!
Zap a Bird
In round 5, players may use a Bonus Action to remove one bird from any Location using their Lightning Token. The player whose bird was Zapped then places their bird on the Fountain (see "Fountain" on p.7).
Lightning Conditions:
- A player may Zap a bird from any player's Flock, including their own, or they may Zap an unoccupied Nest. If a Nest is Zapped, it is returned to the box, rather than placed on the Fountain.
- Birds may only be Zapped from a Location Tile, not from the Fountain.
- Lightning cannot affect a bird protected by a Birdhouse.
Upkeep Phase
- Score Each Location (see "Scoring" below).
- Determine New Turn Order (see p.6).
- Trigger Locations that activate During Upkeep (see p.6).
- Advance the Round Marker.
When the Round Marker is advanced to Rounds 4 and 5:
Round 4: Each player receives a Birdhouse.
Round 5: Each player receives a Lightning Token.
See "Bonus Actions" to learn more about using Birdhouses and Lightning Tokens.
1. Score Each Location
The game is scored during the Upkeep phase of each round. At the end of round 5, end game bonuses are also awarded (see "End of Game" on p.8).
Scoring Conditions:
- Starting from the leftmost column of Locations, tally scores from top to bottom, then repeat with the next column until all Locations have been scored. Locations without any birds are not scored.
- Locations are scored by awarding points to the player whose Flock has the most, second-most, and third-most birds on the location.
The player with the most birds is awarded the points from the top row, the middle row for second-most birds, and the bottom row for third-most birds.
Some Locations may award a player 0 points.
For scoring purposes, Nests and Birdhouses each count as +1 bird for that player's Flock.
Ties:
All ties cancel each other out. If two or more Flocks are tied for most, second-most, or third-most birds, use the guidelines below to determine how points are awarded:
Tied for the Most Birds
2 Players Are Tied: No players score points for most or second-most birds. The player whose Flock has the third-most birds scores normally.
3+ Players Are Tied: No players score points for most, second-most, or third-most birds.
Tied for the 2nd Most Birds
2+ Players Are Tied: No players score points for second-most or third-most birds. The player whose Flock has the most birds scores normally.
Tied for the 3rd Most Birds
2+ Players Are Tied: No players score points for third-most birds. The players with the most and second-most birds score normally.
EXAMPLE: At The Early Bird Location there are 5 birds of the Blue Flock, 2 birds of the Red Flock, 2 birds of the Yellow Flock, and 1 bird of the Green Flock.
The Blue Flock is awarded 3 points for having the most birds, the Yellow and Red Flocks each have 2 birds and tie. The tie cancels and the Yellow and Red Flocks are awarded 0 points.
The Green Flock, with the fourth-most birds on the Location, is awarded 0 points.
NOTE: For the purposes of objective cards and other effects, the player with the most birds at a Location is considered to be "in control" of that Location. Remember, all ties cancel, so if players are tied for "most birds" there is no controlling player.
NOTE: Birds are NOT removed after scoring unless specified by the Location. They remain in play for the duration of the game unless removed by an ability or Lightning token.
Scoring Examples
Example 1
At The Happy Birdbath there are 4 birds of the Green Flock, 2 birds of the Yellow Flock, and 1 bird of the Blue Flock.
The Green Flock is awarded 2 points, the Yellow Flock is awarded 0 points, and the Blue Flock is awarded 1 point.
Example 2
At The Mighty Oak Tree there are 2 birds of the Yellow Flock in a Nest, and 2 birds of the Green Flock.
The Yellow Flock has the most birds on the Location Tile, as the Nest adds +1 to their Flock.
The Yellow Flock is awarded 6 points for having the most birds, and the Green Flock is awarded 4 points for having the second-most birds.
2. Determine New Turn Order
After all Locations have been scored, turn order tokens are redistributed in point order. This means that the player with the most points will be first in turn order for the following round.
If there is a tie, the player who arrived at that value first (the token at the bottom of the stack) is considered to be "ahead" of any players above it.
EXAMPLE: In this 4-player game, Green has the most points, followed by Yellow, then Red (as their token is at the bottom of the stack), and then Blue.
Turn order tokens are assigned as follows: Green (1st), Yellow (2nd), Red (3rd), and Blue (4th).
3. Trigger Locations that Activate During Upkeep
Some Locations will activate during the Upkeep phase. Perform these actions starting with the leftmost column, from top to bottom. Repeat until all Locations that activate During the Upkeep phase have been completed.
In general, there are two things that could happen when a Location is activated during Upkeep:
- A player gains control of a Creature.
- Birds are moved to the Fountain or Plaza.
NOTE: Unless specified otherwise, a Location's effects only apply to the player whose Flock is in control of the Location being triggered. (See p.5 for more information about gaining control of a Location.)
Gain Control of a Creature
The player with the most birds on a Creature's home Location gains control of the Creature for the upcoming round. They take the matching Creature card and put it in front of them.
If a Creature is being controlled for the first time in a game:
The controlling player takes the matching Creature card, and the Creature standee is placed on its "home tile."
A Creature home tile is the Location that determines control of the Creature. For example, the Cuckoo's home tile is The Thorn Bush, and the Red Fox's home tile is The Fox's Den.
EXAMPLE: The Red Flock has the most birds on "The Doghouse" Location. They take control of the Dog by taking the matching Creature card and placing it faceup in front of them.
Because this is the first time the Dog has been controlled in the game, its standee is also placed on this home tile.
IN THE CASE OF A TIE: If two or more players tie for most birds, no player gains control. Instead, the Creature card is set aside until control is assessed in the next Upkeep phase.
Conditions for Taking Control of a Creature:
- Players only gain control of Creatures during the Upkeep phase.
- When determining control of a Creature, do not take the previous round's ownership or the Creature's current Location into account.
- You must control a Creature's home Location in order to become the controller. Creatures will move to different Locations throughout the game. Control of the Creature's home tile is the only factor in determining who controls any Creature in the Homestead.
- Creatures remain at the Location they are currently on until activated by the controlling player. (See FAQ on p.8 for Creature clarifications.)
The Fountain
Follow the instructions on the Location tile, moving bird(s) as instructed to either the Fountain or Plaza in turn order (see "The Plaza," right).
EXAMPLE:
- Green adds +1 bird to the bag during the Migration phase.
- Blue immediately sends 1 bird from this location to the Fountain.
Fountain Conditions:
- Throughout the game, in any situation where a bird is sent to the Fountain, either by being Zapped or by a Creature/Location ability, the player whose bird was affected is the one who places it on the Fountain.
In a 2-Player Game:
If the Bird-Brained player's bird is sent to the Fountain, the player that caused the bird to be sent there determines where it is placed.
- Whenever a bird is placed on the Fountain, it must be supported. This means that before placing a bird in an empty Perch spot, all of the Perch spots beneath it that are connected by line(s) must be filled first.
EXAMPLE:
A. The Red player wants to place a bird here, but is unable to because the Perch spots below this position are empty.
B. To place a bird on a Perch spot, all Perch spots in the row below that are connected by a line must be filled first.
EXAMPLE:
C. On a later turn, more Perch spots have been filled, allowing the Red player to place a newly affected bird here.
- Once placed on the Fountain, a bird may not be moved from its Perch spot.
- If instructed to send a bird to the Fountain but it is full, the bird is instead moved to the Plaza.
The Plaza
The Plaza is the space beneath the Fountain. Birds are placed here only if specifically instructed, or at the end of the game (see "Award End Game Bonuses" on p.8).
At the end of the game, each bird in the Plaza will score 1 victory point.
- There is no limit to the number of birds that may occupy the Plaza.
4. Advance the Round Marker
Advance the Round Marker by 1 space (shown to the right).
- At the start of round 4, distribute a Birdhouse to each player.
- At the start of round 5, distribute a Lightning Token to each player.
End of Game
Conduct the Upkeep phase in round 5 as normal before proceeding to end game scoring.
NOTE: Remember to trigger all Locations that activate during Upkeep. This includes assigning control of Creatures.
End Game Scoring
First, move any birds remaining in the Migration Bag to the Plaza.
Then, refer to the top left corner of the Fountain Board, which shows End Game Scoring as follows:
End Game Scoring
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10 — For the Largest Flock
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3 — Per Creature Controlled
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X — Per Bird in the Fountain
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1 — Per Bird in the Plaza
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X — If You Achieve Your Objective
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10 points are awarded for the single largest Flock (on a single Location). If two or more players are tied for the largest Flock, no points are awarded.
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Each player is awarded 3 points for each Creature they control at the end of the game.
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Players are awarded X points for each bird in the Fountain, where X is equal to the points indicated to the right of that level. Higher levels in the Fountain award more points, and each bird is scored individually.
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Birds in the Plaza are all worth 1 victory point each.
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Lastly, if hidden objectives are in play, determine whether each player has achieved their goal. If so, players earn points as indicated on their objective card.
NOTE: Hidden objectives are not shared. Players may only score points from their own objective card.
If a player's score goes over 60 points, they flip their scoring token to the "60+" side and continue scoring.
The Player with the Most Points Wins!
In case of a tie, the tied player with the largest Flock at a single location wins. If players are still tied, the player with the most birds on the Fountain wins.
STILL TIED? We'll call it a shared victory–or for a twist, ties cancel and you should play again!
Frequently Asked Questions
Clarifications
Unpheasant and Hawkward
If you are tied for most or second-most birds, it does not count toward this objective.
Quack the Case
If you are tied for second-most or third-most birds, it does not count toward this objective.
Using a Crow-bar
This objective refers to the Location with the most birds overall, regardless of whether or not that Location also has the largest single Flock.
Toucan Play at That Game and Lord of the Wings
The corner tiles are the top and bottom Locations in both the leftmost and rightmost columns.
Applying Special Effects
Some card effects and tokens may increase, decrease, or change a player's actions in each round. In all cases, the text on the card or Locations supersedes any rules in this rulebook.
Creature Abilities and Nests
If a Creature's ability sends a bird to a Location with an empty Nest, the player whose bird was affected is the one who decides whether to place their bird in the Nest or not.
2-Player Clarifications
- If a player is tied with the bird-brained player for most, second-most, or third-most birds, standard rules regarding ties apply (see p.5).
- If a Location Tile's effects would apply to the bird-brained player's Flock during the Recruit or Perch phases, or during Scoring, they are ignored.
- If the bird-brained player is instructed to send any number of birds to the Fountain or the Plaza due to the effects of a Location tile, the birds are instead returned to the Roost (The Swaying Power Lines, The Overstuffed Birdhouse, The Precariously Hanging Nest, The Rookery).
The High Perch
If the bird-brained player has the most birds at this Location, its effects are ignored for the round.
Removing Locations with Creatures, Nests, or Birdhouses
What happens if a Location is removed, and there are items on it? Some actions may require that a Location be removed from play. If this happens and a Creature is on the tile, that Creature returns to its home tile. Nests and Birdhouses should be returned to the box.
Creatures
The Owl Barn
When Building the Homestead, The Owl Barn must be placed on an outside edge. If it is not on an edge, shuffle The Owl Barn and all other Locations in the same column. Redistribute the Locations from top to bottom. If The Owl Barn is still not on the edge, repeat as needed.
The Bee
What is color matching? When the Bee stops at a Location, it may move a bird from any other Location to the Bee's Location, as long as there is a bird of that same color (Flock) already present at the Bee's Location.
The Scarecrow
As soon as a player gains control of the Scarecrow, they place it at the intersection of three Locations of their choice. The Scarecrow is unlike the other Creatures in that it is not placed on its home tile.
Every time the Scarecrow controller changes, the Scarecrow is moved to a new intersection. This is the only time the Scarecrow is moved. If the Scarecrow controller is the same as the previous round, it remains in place. When activating the Scarecrow, perform Step 2 on its own.
Credits
Game Design: Doug Hettrick Development: Carter Morash, Conor McGoey, Hudson Morash Art Direction: Conor McGoey & Kenneth Spond Illustration: Ari Oliver Graphic Design: Kenneth Spond 3D Sculpting: David Shaw Wordsmith: Jenna Muir Editor: Dan Mansfield
©2024 Inside Up Games. 201-244 Camelot Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7A 4B1, Canada