Scavengers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Set Up
• The Map
• Directions
• Card Descriptions
• Scoring a Round (Example)
• Credits

Contents

• 1 Copy of the Rules
• 44 Scavenger Cards
• 24 Camper Cards
• 16 Food Cards (4 Chili Dog, 4 Omelet, 4 Kabobs, 4 S'mores)
• 69 Food Scraps
• 1 Map
• 3 Crow Tokens
• 1 Bear Figurine

Set Up

1. Place the Map on the table with the Bear Figurine on the Bear's Den.
2. Shuffle the Camper Cards and place face-down near the board.
3. Each player takes 1 Food Card of each type (4 total) and sets them face-up in their own play area where all players can easily see them.
4. Without looking, each player collects Food Scraps left over from last winter. For a 2-player game each player takes 3 random Food Scraps and places them on any of the empty matching spaces on their Food Cards. If a player draws a Food Scrap that doesn't have an empty matching space on any of their Food Cards they draw another random Food Scrap until they find one that fits. For a 2-player game, do so until 3 empty spaces have been filled on each player's Food Cards. For a 3-player game fill 4 empty spaces. For a 4-player game fill 5 empty spaces. If you fill all spaces on a Food Card see Collect Food Scraps.
5. Place the remaining Food Scraps in a pile near the board.
6. Shuffle the Scavenger Cards and deal 9 cards each for 4 players, 10 cards each for 3 players, or 12 cards each for 2 players. Players may look at their cards.

The Map

There are 3 Camps on the board (circled in yellow below). Each Camp has 3 circles for Food Scraps and a space for cards. These 3 Camps match the 3 Camp Signs in each player's playing area on the edge of the board. Cards played below a Camp Sign in a player's play area are considered to have been played at the corresponding Camp on the board.

Directions

In your real lives, the player who most recently slept in a tent starts as the Camp Leader.

1. Place Food Scraps: The Camp Leader draws the top card from the Campers deck and places it in the discard pile. Take the Food Scrap pictured on the discarded Camper Card and place it on a circle at the Camp of your choice. (Keep an eye on what Food Scraps you and other players need!). The Camp Leader draws another card and the next player clockwise places that Food Scrap on any empty circle on the board. Continue clockwise, each player taking turns placing Food Scraps pictured on the Camper Cards drawn by the Camp Leader until each Camp is full (has 3 Food Scraps). When a Camp is full no further Food Scraps can be placed at that Camp. Once ALL Camps are full the Camp Leader stops drawing cards.

2. Play Scavengers: When all Camps are full, the Camp Leader plays any card from their own hand. Tan Scavenger Cards are played at one of the three Camp Signs in your own play area. Gray Scavenger Cards are played in the card space at one of the Camps on the board. Play Scavengers so other players can see each Scavenger's Strength at all times. Use card effects immediately when the card is played, unless stated otherwise in the card description.

   Diagram caption: Play a Tan Scavenger Card at a Camp Sign in your own play area or a Gray Scavenger Card at one of the Camps on the game board.

   Play proceeds clockwise with each player playing one card at a time until each player either passes or has no cards left in their hand. Once a player passes they cannot play any more cards until a new round is begun. A round is over when all players have passed or run out of cards. Players may not talk about cards in their hand, but may talk about Food Scraps that players need to win.

   Note: The 3 Camp Signs in each player's playing area represent the 3 different Camps on the board. When a player places Tan Scavenger Cards below a Camp Sign in their play area they are competing with other players for Food Scraps at that Camp by achieving the greatest total value. Gray Scavenger Cards played at any of the 3 Camps work differently and affect ALL Tan Scavengers in play at that Camp.

3. Collect Food Scraps: Players with Mouse Cards in play collect Food Scraps first. Next, the player with the highest total value of Scavengers (above 0) at each Camp wins that Camp, and takes the remaining Food Scraps from that Camp. Determine your total Scavenger value at each Camp by adding up the Strength of the Scavengers that you played at each Camp Sign and compare with other players. In the case of a tie at a Camp no further Food Scraps are taken from that Camp. Each player places the Food Scraps they won on any empty space on their Food Cards that match those Food Scraps. If a player doesn't need a Food Scrap then that Food Scrap goes back to the Food Scrap pile. Once all empty spaces on a Food Card are full the Food Card is turned over and the Food Scraps on it are returned to the Food Scrap pile.

Card Descriptions

Quantity in the 44-card Scavenger deck is shown in parentheses.

(3) Bear: Move the Bear Figurine to any Camp or to the Bear's Den and then discard this card. (The Bear may be left at its current location).

The Bear Figurine: When a player plays a Bear Scavenger Card they place the Bear Figurine at any Camp or at the Bear's Den. No further Tan Scavenger Cards (except for the Porcupine) may be played at the Camp while the scary Bear is there! (Gray Scavenger Cards may still be played at a Camp where the Bear Figurine is present).

(1) Cloudbreak: The Scavenger at this Camp with the greatest Strength now adds +3 to its Strength (if there is a tie, all Scavengers that tie get +3). If new Scavengers are played here with a greater Strength, they will gain the +3 instead. If the strongest Scavenger is somehow moved or removed, the next strongest Scavenger at this Camp gets the +3 and the moved Scavenger is no longer affected by this card and loses its +3.

Diagram caption: The Scavengers at Elk Camp with the greatest Strength gain +3.

(3) Dog: Discard the Tan Scavenger with the greatest Strength at the Camp where you played the Dog (if there is a tie, discard all Scavengers that tie) and then discard this card.

Diagram caption: The Scavengers with the greatest Strength at Elk Camp are all removed.

(1) Late Night Campers: Any Scavengers in play, moved to, or played at this Camp with a Strength of 3 or more now have a Strength of 0. (The Cloudbreak card does not count in determining if a Scavenger has a Strength of 3 or more). If Scavengers are moved to another Camp they are no longer affected by this card. See Scoring a Round for an example of this card & Cloudbreak.

Diagram caption: Scavengers with a Strength of 3 or above at Elk Camp are reduced to 0.

(1) Rain Shower: You may remove one Cloudbreak, Late Night Campers, or Tan Scavenger Card with a Strength of 2 or less of your choice at the Camp where you played Rain Shower. Discard once used.

(5) Chipmunk: The Strength of each Chipmunk (which can change throughout the round) is equal to the number of ALL Chipmunks played by any player at this Camp or adjacent Camp. (Quartz is adjacent only to Grizzly, Grizzly is adjacent to both Quartz and Elk, and Elk is adjacent only to Grizzly).

Diagram caption: Example with four Chipmunks in play.

(3) Coyote: The Coyote Card has no special effect.

(3) Crow: Place a Crow Token at the Camp the Crow Scavenger Card was played. The Squirrel may not take Food Scraps from a Camp with a Crow Token. If the Crow is moved to another Camp by the Skunk or removed by the Dog, the associated Crow Token is also moved to the new Camp or removed.

Diagram caption: The Squirrel played at Camp Grizzly can't move a Food Scrap from Elk Camp as there is a Crow Token present.

(3) Mouse: When the round is over the player with the most Mouse Cards at a Camp takes one Food Scrap of their choice from that Camp before the overall winner takes the Food Scraps they won. If players tie for the number of Mouse Cards at a Camp then neither player takes a Food Scrap.

(3) Owl: Discard one Mouse, Chipmunk or Squirrel card of your choice at the Camp where the Owl was played. (May be yours or another players).

Note: The effect of the Squirrel card is not reversed if it is discarded.

(3) Porcupine: May be played at a Camp where the Bear Figurine is present.

(3) Rabbit: Instead of playing a card from your hand, you may move one of your Rabbits in play to a different Camp. This effect may be used once per turn (if a player has multiple Rabbits in play) and each Rabbit may only use this effect once. Rotate the Rabbit Card 180 degrees to show it has hopped to another Camp. You may not use this effect if you do not have any cards left in your hand. You may not move the Rabbit to a Camp where the Bear Figurine is present.

Diagram caption: The Rabbit may be moved once to one of the other Camp Signs in your play area. Turn 180 degrees when used.

(3) Raccoon: The Racoon Card has no special effect.

(3) Skunk: Stinky! You may move one of your Tan Scavengers from the Camp where the Skunk was played to any of your other Camp Signs. You may not move that Tan Scavenger to a Camp with the Bear Figurine unless the moved Scavenger is the Porcupine. You may not re-use the effect of a moved Squirrel, Weasel, Owl, or Rabbit (if the Rabbit's effect has already been used).

Diagram caption: The Coyote Card may be moved from Elk Camp where the Skunk was played to any other Camp Sign in your play area.

(3) Squirrel: Unless a Crow is present, you may take one Food Scrap from any other Camp and place the Food Scrap at the Camp that the Squirrel was played. This may result in greater than 3 Food Scraps at that Camp.

Diagram caption: One Food Scrap may be moved from another Camp to the Squirrel's Camp.

(3) Weasel: You may switch one Food Scrap from the Camp where the Weasel was played with any Food Scrap in the Food Scrap pile.

Diagram caption: Swap one Food Scrap with the Food Scrap Pile at the Weasel's Camp.

Scoring a Round (Example)

The example is shown as a diagram in the rulebook; its per-Camp totals are pictured rather than printed as text, so they are not transcribed here.

Elk Camp: Note the Cloudbreak and Late Night Campers cards. Player 1 wins all the Food Scraps at this Camp as they have the greatest total value of Scavenger cards at this camp.

Camp Grizzly: Player 2 wins but collects no Food Scraps since there are none left after player 1 takes their Food Scrap for the Mouse Card. (The remaining Food Scraps were removed from this Camp during game play with Squirrel Cards).

Quartz Camp: Player 2 wins all the Food Scraps at this Camp as they have the greatest total value of Scavenger cards at this camp. (No Food Scraps are taken for Mouse Cards since there is a tie).

Credits

Credits (game design, illustrations, revisions, publisher address and copyright lines) are omitted from this transcription.