Refuge
Refuge Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 44 start tiles: 11 red, 11 blue, 11 green, 11 yellow.
- 4 refuge tokens (red, blue, green, yellow).
- 4 cloth bags (red, blue, green, yellow).
- 4 refuge tiles (red, blue, green, yellow).
- 4 score tokens (red, blue, green, yellow).
- 1 board.
- 8 weather tiles (4 suns and 4 storms) and 5 reserve storm tiles.
- Walk tiles: 48 object tiles, 28 landscape tiles, 20 animal tiles.
- 63 Step tokens.
- 5 sheep tokens.
- 9 "thirty" victory point tokens.
Game Setup
- Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding cloth bag, into which you place your refuge token and the 11 start tiles of your color.
- Place a sheep token in the pen on the board to indicate that this is the first Walk.
- Prepare your route by choosing the tiles you will play with. You can follow one of our three suggestions or create your own route (see The Routes).
- Place the 5 reserve storm tiles in a pile next to the board. Shuffle the weather tiles and form a deck, which you place facedown next to the storm reserve.
- Place the refuge tile of your color in front of you and take 2 Step tokens.
Game Objective
Create your path by drawing tiles from your bag. Add new ones too. Which ones will you slip into your bag? The choice is yours: useful objects to use, beautiful landscapes to visit, or fascinating animals to observe? But keep an eye on the weather, a storm is approaching!
Playing the Game
There will be 5 Walks during the game. Each Walk consists of a variable number of turns. During each turn, all players will simultaneously draw tiles from their bag and add one to the path in front of themselves. Each subsequent turn extends each player's path until either they decide to go home or they are surprised by the Storm.
Game Turns
Drawing and playing tiles
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Simultaneously and without looking, you will all secretly draw 2 tiles from your bag, which you keep in your hand. When everyone is ready, simultaneously reveal your tiles.
Note: If you want to play tiles, but there is only one left in your bag, you only play that one.
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Each player chooses 1 of their tiles to play; the other will be returned to the bag at the end of the turn.
If one of your tiles has the priority symbol, you have no choice but to play it. If both tiles have this symbol, you choose which one to play.
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Immediately apply the effect at the bottom of your chosen tile if it has one. All effects are explained in The Tiles in Detail.
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Turn the tile over and place it in front of you to form a path from left to right, starting from your refuge tile.
If you draw a storm, immediately add it to a storm space on the weather track and play your second tile in your path. If you draw 2 storms, add them both to the storm spaces, without adding any tiles to your path.
Example: Playing Tiles
Blue draws 2 tiles. She chooses to play the Orientation Table. She applies the effect, which gives her 3 Steps. Then she turns the tile over and places it to the right of her refuge tile.
Red draws 2 tiles. He adds the storm tile to the board. He applies the effect of the other tile, earning 3 victory points, then turns it over and places it to the right of his last tile played.
Buying a Tile
You may now buy 1 tile. To do so, spend the number of Steps indicated on that tile by returning them to the reserve pool. Take the tile and slip it immediately into your bag.
Note: If several of you want to buy the same tile and it's the last one, the player with the lowest score on the Score Track takes priority. In the event of a tie, the one with the fewest Steps takes precedence. If there's still a tie, break the tie any way you like.
Checking the Weather
Once everyone has completed their purchase, turn over the weather tile at the top of the deck and add it to the weather track.
- If it is a storm, place it on the first empty storm space.
- If it is a sun, place it on any empty sun space.
If the deck is empty, add 1 reserve storm tile to the weather track. As the game progresses, the Storm will become more and more threatening.
Finally, check to see if the Storm hits. This happens when you reach the critical number of storm tiles on the weather track, depending on the number of players:
- 6 storms if 2 players.
- 7 storms if 3 players.
- 9 storms if 4 players.
In this case, refer to the Storm Warning paragraph. Otherwise, end the turn.
End of Turn
Return your un-played tile to your bag before starting a new turn.
Note: If there are no more tiles in your bag, you must return to your refuge at the beginning of the next turn.
Returning to the Refuge
To avoid the Storm and its disastrous consequences, you can decide to return home before it hits. To do so, instead of drawing 2 tiles from your bag, secretly take your refuge token and reveal it the same way as you would a tile. Place it at the bottom right of the board, on the refuge space. Your Walk ends when you return to the refuge:
- You cannot buy tiles.
- You score victory points based on the animals shown on all of the tiles, as you take the time to observe them along your Walk.
- You may permanently discard 1 walk tile from in front of you and put it back in the box.
- Put your tiles back in your bag, except for your storms, which remain on the board until the end of the current Walk.
You will not play again during this Walk. Those who remain in the game continue their Walk, playing their turn as normal.
Example: Returning to the Refuge
Blue scores 3 victory points (2 for the bird + 1 for the squirrel) and chooses to remove a forest tile.
Tip: By discarding tiles that are of little use to you, you increase your chances of drawing the ones that really interest you.
Storm Warning
When a Storm hits at the end of a turn, the Walk stops.
If you haven't already returned to your refuge, i.e., if you're still in the game, you must rush back:
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Do not score points for the animals on your path, as the deluge of rain pouring down on you does not give you any time to admire them.
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Pay 1 Step for each forest tile in your path (see below), as the muddy ground makes it difficult to return.
If you do not have enough Steps, lose 1 victory point for each Step you are unable to pay. If you are at 0 on the Score Track, you pay nothing.
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Return all your tiles to your bag.
Example: Storm Warning
Blue does not count her animals and must pay 3 Steps for her 3 forest tiles.
The 4 types of forest tiles
The rulebook illustrates the four forest tile backs side by side, so that players can recognize at a glance which of the tiles in their path are forest tiles when paying the Storm Warning penalty above.
End of the Walk
A Walk can end in one of two ways: either everyone returns to safety by using their refuge token or the Storm hits.
- Collect your storm tiles, if you have not already done so, and put them in your bag with the rest of your tiles and your refuge token.
- Reshuffle the weather deck by mixing 4 storms and 4 suns. If necessary, replace the reserve storm tiles as before.
- Place a sheep token in the pen on the board to start a new Walk. When the pen is full, this indicates that you are starting the last Walk of the game.
End of the Game
At the end of the 5th Walk, the game is over. The person furthest ahead on the Score Track wins!
The Tiles in Detail
Every walk tile front shows, where relevant:
- Tile cost — the number of Steps needed to buy it, shown next to a boot icon.
- This tile has priority — an exclamation mark icon. If a tile you have drawn shows this icon, you have no choice but to play it (see Drawing and playing tiles).
- Immediate effect — the text or icon line explaining what happens when you play the tile.
- Indication of the number of victory points that this tile is worth if you return to your refuge — shown as a paw icon and number on the tile front.
Once played and turned over, an animal tile's back repeats this same paw icon and number, so it stays visible on the table: the number of victory points that this tile is worth if you return to your refuge.
Sign, Signpost, Small Orientation Table, Butterfly, Hedgehog, and Squirrel are marked with a colored corner tab instead of a Step cost — these are your 11 start tiles, already in your bag at the start of the game, and are not part of the tiles you buy while playing a route.
Tile Effects
Your refuge is not a walk tile, and it does not count as part of the path placed in front of you. It must always remain in its place.
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Boot icon: Gain the indicated number of Steps by taking them from the reserve pool.
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Heart icon: Earn the indicated number of victory points by moving forward on the Score Track.
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Additional-tile icon: You must play 1 tile in addition to this one this turn. You have 2 options:
- You can play the second tile you have drawn.
- If you do not like your second tile, it can be put aside and will not be played — it will be returned to your bag as normal at the end of the turn. Then draw 1 new tile from your bag and play it as normal.
If you need to play 1 additional tile immediately, draw it from your bag.
Note: If you don't have enough tiles in your bag, this effect is not or only partially applied.
The Object Tiles
Sign (start tile). Gain 1 Step.
Signpost (start tile). Gain 2 Steps.
Small Orientation Table (start tile). Earn 3 victory points OR gain 3 Steps.
Compass (cost 2). You must play 1 additional tile OR gain 3 Steps.
Camera (cost 2). Gain as many Steps as the value of the animals on the tiles in your path.
Example: Camera. Blue draws 2 tiles: the Camera and a fox tile worth 4, joining a path that already has a bird tile worth 6. She plays the Camera and gains 4 + 6 = 10 Steps.
Cairn (cost 2). You may permanently discard the second tile you have drawn this turn or 1 walk tile in your path (not this tile) OR gain 3 Steps.
Shepherd (cost 3). You must play 1 additional tile AND gain 2 Steps.
Backpack (cost 3). Gain 4 Steps.
Hiking Poles (cost 3). Gain 1 Step for each walk tile in your path (this tile and your refuge do not count).
Example: Hiking Poles. Blue has 3 other walk tiles in her path in addition to the Hiking Poles. She gains 3 Steps.
Sunglasses (cost 4). Gain 3 Steps for each sun tile on the Weather Track.
Hiker (cost 4). You may permanently discard the second tile you have drawn this turn or 1 walk tile in your path (not this tile) AND gain 2 Steps.
Toasted Marshmallows (cost 4). You must play this tile. Lose 2 victory points by moving back on the Score Track AND gain 7 Steps. If you cannot lose 2 victory points, this tile has no effect and no Steps are gained.
Canteen (cost 5). Gain 5 Steps.
Big Orientation Table (cost 5). Earn 3 victory points OR gain 5 Steps.
Map (cost 5). You must play 2 additional tiles.
Animal Tiles
Butterfly (start tile). Earn 1 victory point. You will earn 1 victory point if you return to your refuge.
Hedgehog (start tile). Earn 1 victory point. You will earn 2 victory points if you return to your refuge.
Squirrel (start tile). Earn 2 victory points. You will earn 1 victory point if you return to your refuge.
Rabbit (cost 4). Earn 2 victory points. You will earn 2 victory points if you return to your refuge.
Fox (cost 4). You will earn 4 victory points if you return to your refuge.
Bird (cost 6). Earn 2 victory points for each sun tile on the Weather Track. You will earn 2 victory points if you return to your refuge.
Deer (cost 8). Earn 3 victory points. You will earn 5 victory points if you return to your refuge.
Bear (cost 12). Earn 6 victory points. You will earn 6 victory points if you return to your refuge.
Landscape Tiles
Suspension Bridge (cost 4). You must play this tile. Earn 4 victory points.
Cave (cost 6). You may permanently discard 1 or 2 walk tiles chosen from the second tile you have drawn this turn and your path (not this tile) OR earn 4 victory points.
Big Lake (cost 6). Earn 5 victory points.
Observation Hut (cost 8). Earn as many victory points as the value of the animals on the tiles in your path (see the Camera example above).
The Summit (cost 8). Spend 2 Steps (return them to the pool) AND earn 8 victory points. If you cannot spend 2 Steps, this tile has no effect and no victory points are earned.
Magnificent Tree (cost 12). Earn 10 victory points.
Starry Night (cost 12). Earn 3 victory points AND earn 1 victory point for each walk tile in your path (this tile and your refuge do not count).
Storage Tips
At the end of the game, we recommend that you return all the items of your color to the corresponding bag. Then store the remaining tiles in the reserved space.
The Routes
You can use one of our three suggestions below, with increasing levels of difficulty, or create your own route. In all cases, form 8 stacks, each consisting of 4 identical tiles. Arrange them next to the board, with the objects on top and the landscapes and animals at the bottom.
The Charm of the Meadows
- Object tiles: Compass (2), Shepherd (3), Sunglasses (4), Canteen (5).
- Landscape/animal tiles: Rabbit (4), Bird (6), Deer (8), Magnificent Tree (12).
In the Shade of the Forest
- Object tiles: Camera (2), Backpack (3), Hiker (4), Big Orientation Table (5).
- Landscape/animal tiles: Fox (4), Cave (6), Observation Hut (8), Bear (12).
Climbing in the Mountains
- Object tiles: Cairn (2), Hiking Poles (3), Toasted Marshmallows (4), Map (5).
- Landscape/animal tiles: Suspension Bridge (4), Big Lake (6), The Summit (8), Starry Night (12).
Creating Your Own Route
To create your own route, all you have to do is choose 4 types of object tiles and 4 types of landscape/animal tiles instead of those suggested. We advise you to choose tiles with different costs: 2-3-4-5 for object tiles and 4-6-8-12 for landscape/animal tiles. But you can also choose randomly.
Once you have chosen your tiles, proceed with the usual setup, forming 8 stacks, each consisting of 4 identical tiles. Arrange them next to the board, with the 4 stacks of object tiles at the top and the 4 stacks of landscape/animal tiles at the bottom.
Credits
Game designer: Gérald Cattiaux Artwork: Seppyo English translation and proofreading: Rebecca Sevoz and William Niebling Font: Khurasan (https://fontbundles.net/khurasan)
ColorADD is a universal, inclusive, and nondiscriminatory language that enables the colorblind to identify colors. Used under license by Bombyx.