Surplus of Sloths
Surplus of Sloths Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
5 types of sloths with 10 cards each: (1-7, X, X, X) plus 4 baby sloths.
Players: 2-4. Playing time: 20 minutes. Ages: 8+.
Overview
Players take turns drafting one sloth card at a time into their hand, attempting to collect runs of the same type (ex: 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the leaf-icon type, the Linnaeus Two-Toed Sloth). The sloth cards not taken are caught in the sloth Surplus Net. Once the sloth cards run out, the game end is triggered. Players compare their saved sloths in their hands to see who earns sloths from the Surplus Net. You win by getting the highest value of surplus sloths!
Game Setup
- Create a deck based on the number of players.
- 2 players = 3 types of sloths (30 cards total)
- 3 players = 4 types of sloths (40 cards total)
- 4 players = 5 types of sloths (50 cards total)
- Include the Baby Sloth cards if you'd like to add an extra layer to the game.
- Shuffle the deck and deal 3 cards to each player.
- Each player chooses one card to place facedown in the center of the table and keeps the others in hand.
- Reveal all facedown cards, separating them by type. These sloths are caught in the Surplus Net. Sort them into face-up piles by type.
- Create the two River rows above the Surplus Net by dealing two rows of cards face-up to the middle of the table based on the number of players:
- 2 players = 3 cards in each row
- 3 players = 4 cards in each row
- 4 players = 5 cards in each row
- The player who most recently pet a sloth or had a slow day goes first as the Active Player.
The setup diagram (3-Player Example Image) shows the numbered placement of the River rows, Surplus Net piles and facedown cards that match steps 1 to 6 above.
Gameplay
Each round consists of players saving sloths and the extra sloth being added to the Surplus Net. The game continues until the deck runs out. The player with the longest run of each type will rescue the sloths of that type saved in the Surplus Net. The winner will be the player with the highest value of rescued sloths from the Surplus!
A Round of Play
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Draft Cards The Active Player chooses one sloth card from the River to take into their hand. Moving clockwise, each player takes one sloth card from that same row, until all players have taken one sloth card.
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Add to the Sloth Surplus After each player has taken a card, the remaining card in the River Row falls into the Surplus Net, separated by type, with all cards values visible.
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Refill the River Row Add new cards from the deck to the empty River row. If the deck runs out of cards while filling the River row and the row is only partially-filled, move the cards in this partially-filled River row to the Surplus Net. Once the deck is empty, draft the remaining River cards, then the game ends. Otherwise, if the deck still has cards, start a new round. The player to the left of the Active Player is the new Active Player.
End of Game: Reveal Sloths
Starting with the leftmost sloth type in the Surplus Net, all players reveal their longest run of that type. A run is a series of cards of the same type with consecutive values.
- When making runs, X sloth cards can be used as any number between 1 and 7 of its type (EX: 4, X, 6).
- Runs can be any number of cards (even one card) as long as numbers are connected sequentially.
Players compare their runs of each type, then the player with the longest run gains all sloth cards of that type from the Surplus Net. Gained cards are placed on the table in front of the player. These will count as points.
- If players are tied for run length, the run with the highest number wins. X cards don't count when comparing for the highest number.
All players discard the cards that they had in hand of that type, then continue comparing runs of each Sloth type in the Surplus Net. Do not discard any cards gained from the Surplus Net.
Example 1: Fertessa has 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the pygmy-type (red icon, Pygmy Sloth) surplus sloths, while Suzanne has 5, 6, 7. Fertessa wins the surplus sloths for having the longer run.
Example 2: Vinny has the 4, X, and X of the leaf-icon type (Linnaeus Two-Toed Sloth) and Avonelle has the X, 5, and 6. Avonelle wins the surplus sloths as both players have a run of three, but Avonelle has the higher number.
The example card-type icons are named here from the Sloth Types key at the end of the rules sheet.
Score Surplus Sloths
Only cards gained from the Surplus will score.
For each type of Sloth you gained from the Surplus Net, score points equal to the sum of the card numbers plus the sum again for each X sloth card.
Example 1: In the leaf-icon type (Linnaeus Two-Toed Sloth), there's a 2, 5, and two Xs. (2+5) + 7 + 7 = 21 points for the winner of the leaf-icon type.
Example 2: In the blue-icon type (Brown Throated Sloth), there's a 2, 3, and 5. 2 + 3 + 5 = 10 points for the winner of the blue-icon type.
The player with the most total points wins! If tied, play another game to determine the winner.
Baby Sloths
If players wish, Baby Sloths can be shuffled into the deck after dealing cards to each player. When a Baby Sloth is drafted, the drafting player may add one card from their hand directly to the Surplus.
Baby Sloths count as a 0 value for ALL sloth types during the end of game scoring and are not discarded. For example, if a player has a Baby Sloth, it can be combined with both a run of 1, 2, and 3 in the leaf-icon type for a run of 4 AND in a run of 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the blue-icon type for a run of 5.
Super Surplus
Avid sloth collectors can challenge each other to a Super Surplus of Sloths tournament! Play multiple games, keeping track of how many wins each player has. Once a player has two wins, they won the Super Surplus!
Sloth Types
- Pygmy Sloth (red icon)
- Maned Sloth (brown spiral icon)
- Linnaeus Two-Toed Sloth (green leaf icon)
- Pale Throated Sloth (yellow icon)
- Brown Throated Sloth (blue icon)
- Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth (crescent icon)