Shell We? Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Content
• Objective
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • 1. Play Tile(s)
  • 2. Draw 2 Tiles
  • Tile Placement Rules
  • Starfish Tiles
  • Swapping Starfish Tiles
• Bonus Actions
  • Consecutive Tile Placement
  • Pearl Space
  • Bonus Action Rules
• Game End
• Game Variants
  • Two-Legged Variant
  • Message in a Bottle
    • Tile Effects
• FAQ

Content

• 1 game board (side A / side B)
• 90 shell tiles (0-17 in five colors)
• 5 starfish tiles
• 10 bottle tiles
• 4 racks
• 1 tile bag
• 1 rulebook

Pearl spaces on side A and side B have different shapes.

Objective

Be the first player to play all your tiles!

Setup

1. Select side A or side B of the game board and lay it out on the table. For your first game, we recommend playing on side A.
2. Each player takes a rack and places it in front of them. Return any unused racks to the box.
3. Depending on the player count, remove shell tiles of certain colors from the game. Removed tiles and the corresponding lanes on the board won't be used in 2-3 player games.

Number of players	2	3	4
Unused shell tiles (& beach lanes)	Red, Purple	Purple	None (use all shell tiles)

4. Place the remaining shell tiles and all the starfish tiles in the tile bag, and shake up the bag. Each player takes 17 tiles at random from the bag and places them on their rack, tiles facing away from other players.
5. The player who has been to the beach most recently becomes the starting player.
6. Beginning with the starting player and proceeding in clockwise order, each player places a shell tile on the board. The tile must be placed on the space with the corresponding color and number.
   • You cannot place a starfish tile as your starting tile.
   • The starting tile does not have to be adjacent to any other tiles.

Note: We recommend using bottle tiles once you get used to the game. If you want to use the bottle tiles, see "Message in a Bottle" under Game Variants.

Gameplay

Beginning with the starting player and proceeding in clockwise order, the player takes one of two regular actions: 1 play tile(s), or 2 draw 2 tiles. If the bag runs out of tiles, you may pass your turn instead.

1. Play Tile(s)

Place up to 2 tiles on the board. When placing a tile, you must follow the Tile Placement Rules below.

2. Draw 2 Tiles

Take 2 tiles randomly from the bag.

Tile Placement Rules

A shell tile can only be placed on the space with the corresponding color and number. You can only place a tile adjacent to another tile already on the board.

• You can place a tile to the left or right of an existing tile.
• You can also place a tile above or below an existing tile.

When you are placing 2 tiles, the second tile can be placed next to the first tile.

• Diagonal spaces are not adjacent.
• You cannot place a tile too far away from the existing tile.

Starfish Tiles

The starfish tile can be placed on any of the empty spaces as long as it is placed next to another tile.

Swapping Starfish Tiles

Before you take your regular action, if you have a shell tile that can be placed where a starfish tile is on the board, you may swap the starfish tile for the shell tile. Swapping starfish tiles does not count as a regular action, and you can swap multiple starfish tiles as long as you have the matching shell tiles. Regular action must take place after swapping starfish tile(s).

Bonus Actions

You can gain bonus actions depending on how you placed your tiles.

Consecutive Tile Placement

If you play 2 tiles with the same color in order (ascending or descending), pass a tile to the player on your left as a bonus action.

• If you are using bottle tiles, the bonus from playing 2 tiles in order will change depending on the bottle (see "Message in a Bottle" under Game Variants).

Pearl Space

On side A, if you place a tile on a space with pearls on the board, place another shell tile anywhere on the board as a bonus action. This tile does not have to be adjacent to any tiles on the board.

Pearl Space (Side B)

On side B, a pearl space can hold 2 tiles. The player who places the last tile on a pearl space gains the bonus action. In 2-3 player games, the pearl spaces connected to unused lanes require just 1 tile to gain the bonus action.

Bonus Action Rules

• Bonus actions are carried out after you complete your regular action.
• Placing a shell tile as a bonus action does not count towards consecutive tile placement.
• If you place a shell tile on a pearl space using a bonus action, you do not gain another bonus action.
• You cannot skip bonus actions if it's possible to carry them out.

Game End

The game ends immediately when a player gets rid of all their tiles, with that player winning the game!

The remaining players calculate their penalty points based on the tiles left on their rack. A leftover shell tile counts its value as penalty points. A leftover starfish tile counts as 20 penalty points. Add up the penalty points to determine the ranking for the remaining players. The fewer penalty points, the better.

Example: Penalty point total here is 20 + 3 + 10 = 33 points.

If the bag runs out of tiles, a player may pass without taking either of the two regular actions on their turn. The game ends when all players pass in a row. If the game is concluded in this manner, count up the penalty points for each leftover tile, and the player with the fewest penalty points is the winner! In case of a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Game Variants

You can use these variants to shake up the game. You can even use them simultaneously!

Two-Legged Variant

Prove that your victory was more than a fluke! Play twice, once on side A and once on side B, and add up the penalty points from each game. The player with the fewest penalty points is the true victor!

Message in a Bottle

When bottle tiles are used, the bonus action from consecutive tile placement is replaced by the effect of the bottle tile on the lane.

During setup, shuffle the 10 bottle tiles thoroughly and draw as many as the number of players, plus one (e.g., in a 3-player game, use 4 bottle tiles). Place the drawn bottle tiles on the board next to the lanes you are using. Alternatively, you can choose which bottle tiles to use after discussing with other players.

When someone plays consecutive tiles (see "Consecutive Tile Placement" above), apply the effect shown on the bottle tile placed on the corresponding lane.

Tile Effects

No.	Bonus Effect
1	Place a shell tile on the board (no adjacency required).
2	Take a starfish tile from the board.
3	Everyone simultaneously passes 1 tile to their left. You pass 2 tiles instead.
4	Choose a player. Take a starfish tile from the player if they have any.
5	Pass 1 of your tiles to the player with the fewest tiles (excluding yourself).
6	Take another turn.
7	Pass 1 of your tiles to the player on your left.
8	All other players must draw 1 tile from the bag in clockwise order.
9	Draw 1 tile from the bag, then return 2 tiles to the bag.
10	Draw and reveal as many tiles as the number of players, and give 1 tile to each player.

FAQ

1. If I place a tile on a pearl space with my starting tile, do I get to place another tile as a bonus action? No, you cannot gain the bonus action from pearl spaces with your starting tile.

2. If I swap a starfish tile on a pearl space, do I get to place another tile as a bonus action? No, you can only gain the bonus action from pearl spaces if you placed a tile there as your regular action.

3. Can I use the starfish tile I got by swapping on the same turn? Yes.

4. Do I still get the bonus action from consecutive tile placement even if I placed a starfish tile? Yes, you can even get the consecutive tile bonus action by using 2 starfish tiles!

5. Can I use the tile placed using a bonus action (either from the pearl space or a bottle tile effect) to gain another bonus action (from a different pearl space or a bottle tile effect)? No, tiles placed using a bonus action cannot be used to gain another bonus action. A bonus action does not trigger another bonus action.

6. I placed 2 tiles on 2 separate pearl spaces as my regular action. Do I get to place 2 tiles as bonus actions? Yes, you place 2 tiles as bonus actions from 2 pearl spaces.

7. Can I place a starfish tile as a bonus action (either from the pearl space or a bottle tile effect)? No.

8. What if there's only 1 tile left when I try to draw tiles from the bag as my regular action? You just draw the 1 tile and end your turn.

No.	Tile Effect	Replacement Effect
8	All other players must draw 1 tile from the bag in clockwise order.	All other players must draw 1 tile from the bag in clockwise order until the tiles run out. The remaining players do not have to draw a tile.
9	Draw 1 tile from the bag then return 2 tiles to the bag.	Return 2 tiles to the bag without drawing a tile.
10	Draw and reveal as many tiles as the number of players, and give 1 tile to each player.	Draw and reveal all the remaining tiles in the bag, and give 1 tile each to players of your choice.