Aridnyk Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• What's in the Box?
• Game Setup
• What's Happening? (Gameplay)
  • Meet a Tile
  • Meet a Plot
  • Meet a Trinket
• How Does One Herd 'em Sheep? (Turn Structure)
  • Placing Tiles
  • Resolving Black Effects
  • Resolving White Effects
  • Fulfilling Plots
  • Using a Trinket
  • Trading with a Spirit
  • Picking a Tile from the Horizon
• Game End
• Game Variants
  • Starter Tiles
  • Characters (Unsimple Characters)
• Additional Information
  • Trinkets
  • Plots
• Cards and Rules Clarifications
• Rules Reference

What's in the Box?

• 45 Terrain Tiles: 9 Starter Tiles, 12 Spring Tiles, 12 Summer Tiles, 12 Autumn Tiles
• 110 Cards: 54 Plot Cards (including 8 Starter Plots), 42 Trinket Cards, 10 Unsimple Character Cards, 4 Reference Cards
• 4 Shepherd Figures
• 80 Sheep Tokens, worth 1, 3, or 9 Sheep
• 5 Spirit Figures
• 1 Storybook
• 1 Family Game Rulesheet
• This Rulebook

Game Setup

1. Take the Terrain tiles and sort them into 4 separate stacks (Starter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn). Shuffle each stack separately except for the Starter stack.

2. Reveal 3 tiles from the Spring stack and place them in a row face up. This is called the Horizon.

3. Place the Starter tiles in the center of the table as shown. Leave enough space for new tiles to be placed around them throughout the game.

4. Place the Sheep tokens where all players can reach them. This is the Sheep supply.

5. Shuffle the Plots deck and the Trinkets deck separately. Reveal 3 cards from each deck and place them face up in a row. These are called the Plots Row and the Trinkets Row.

   For your first game of Aridnyk, we recommend beginning with the Starter Plots (Plot cards 1 to 8). Find those Plot cards, shuffle them, and deal each player 2 cards. Shuffle the remaining Starter Plot cards (if any) back into the Plot deck. Starter Plots are the easiest way to grasp the basics of the Plot mechanics.

6. Place Aridnyk's figure on the tile with his icon.

7. Each player takes 2 tiles from the Spring stack into their hand.

8. Each player takes 5 Sheep from the Sheep supply and 2 Plot cards from the Plot deck.

9. One by one, the players place their Shepherds on the ornamented Starter tile of their choice (Woods and Polonyna tiles).

10. The player who most recently petted a sheep (yes, a plush one counts!) takes the first turn!

What's Happening? (Gameplay)

• On their turn, each player places 1 tile from their hand, then resolves its black effects (see Resolving Black Effects).
• If they move their Shepherd, they may resolve the white effects of the tile they end their move on (see Resolving White Effects).
• If they end their Shepherd's move on a tile with a Spirit or if they end a Spirit's move on a tile with their Shepherd, they may trade with that Spirit (see Trading with a Spirit).
• Then the player takes 1 tile from the Horizon into their hand and replaces it with a tile from the active Season's stack.

At any point during their turn, the player may use 1 Trinket and fulfill any number of Plots by completing the tasks on the corresponding cards.

Meet a Tile

A tile shows:

• Black Effects — resolved immediately after placing the tile. For example: collect 2 Sheep, then move your Shepherd 1 tile.
• Spirit's icon — immediately after placing (not moving!) this tile, place the corresponding Spirit's figure on it.
• White Effects — resolved if you end your Shepherd's move on this tile. For example: you may move any 1 Spirit 2 tiles.

Meet a Plot

A Plot card shows:

• Name
• The task the player needs to accomplish to fulfill the Plot
• Graphic reference
• Reward for completing the Plot
• Card number

Meet a Trinket

A Trinket card shows:

• Name
• Effect — the ability that this card gives you
• Card number

How Does One Herd 'em Sheep? (Turn Structure)

Players take turns going clockwise. On their turn, each player completes the following steps in order:

1. Place a tile.
2. Resolve the tile's black effects in any order (all such effects are optional):
   • Collect Sheep
   • Draw a Card (either Plot or Trinket)
   • Move any 1 Spirit on the board
   • Move your Shepherd
3. May trade with a Spirit if, after moving their Shepherd and/or a Spirit, they end up on the same tile.
4. Resolves the white effects of the tile their Shepherd ended their move on (all effects, except for Lose Sheep, are optional and can be resolved in any order) (Collect Sheep, Draw a Card, Move a Spirit, Move Your Shepherd, Lose Sheep).
   • If, as a result of resolving the white effects of a tile, using a Trinket, or trading with a Spirit, the player's Shepherd moves again, they may resolve the white effects of the next tile they move onto.
   • Repeat the previous step as long as it applies.
5. Pick up 1 tile from the Horizon and replenish it with a tile from the active Season's stack.
6. At any point during their turn, the player may use 1 Trinket and fulfill any number of Plots by completing the tasks on the corresponding cards.

Important: You may only trade with each Spirit once per turn. However, some Trinkets let you make additional trades with Spirits.

Placing Tiles

The player places one of their tiles onto the table so that at least 1 of its sides sits against at least 1 tile that was already placed.

Tiles that sit against each other are considered adjacent.

When placing a tile with a Spirit's icon, immediately place the corresponding Spirit on it.

There are special rules for placing River and Lake tiles: Such tiles have water edges where the River exits the tile (the sides marked with a golden glow). The water edge must never be adjacent to a land tile (a tile that is not a River or a Lake) and must be placed adjacent to other River or Lake water edges or not adjacent to any tile at all.

Resolving Black Effects

Black effects are resolved immediately after placing the tile. All black effects are optional. The player may resolve them partially (for example, move their Shepherd 1 tile instead of 2) or not at all.

Collect Sheep

Take as many Sheep from the supply as are shown on the tile. You may "make change" using tokens of different values as needed. The Sheep supply is not limited to the tokens in the box. If you ever run out of Sheep tokens, use a suitable replacement.

Draw a Card

Choose the type of card you wish to draw: Plot or Trinket, then:

• EITHER pick 1 of the 3 face-up cards of the chosen type and immediately replace it with a new card from the deck.
• OR draw the top card from the deck.

Move a Spirit

Move any Spirit on the board up to the number of tiles indicated. You may move to any adjacent tile, including back and forth between tiles. You may move any 1 Spirit on the board. You may not split the moves between multiple Spirits.

A Spirit can move through a tile with another Spirit, but they may not end their move on such a tile.

Move Your Shepherd

Move your Shepherd up to the number of tiles indicated. You may move to any adjacent tile, including back and forth between tiles.

A Shepherd can move through a tile with another Shepherd on it, but they may not end their move on such a tile.

Important: When moving a tile with a Spirit's icon on it across the board, do not place the Spirit's figure on it.

Important: You can have a maximum of 6 cards in your hand. If at any point during the game you hold more cards, you must discard until you have only 6.

Resolving White Effects

You may resolve a tile's white effects (if there are any) when you end your Shepherd's move on that tile. All effects, except for Lose Sheep, are optional. You can resolve white effects partially or not resolve them at all.

Important: To resolve a tile's white effects (except Lose Sheep), a Shepherd must end their move on that tile. You may not resolve the white effects of a tile that you only moved through or the tile you started your turn on if you didn't move your Shepherd this turn.

Lose Sheep

When you move onto a River tile, even if your Shepherd's move does not end on that tile, you must discard 2 Sheep. If you have less than 2 Sheep, you must discard as many as you have.

Fulfilling Plots

At any point during your turn, if the tasks on your Plot card(s) have been accomplished, you may announce that your Plot(s) is fulfilled (and if necessary, explain how), then collect the reward. Place the fulfilled Plot card(s) face up in front of you.

You may choose not to collect part of the reward — for example, collect the Sheep but not draw a Plot card — but you cannot postpone collecting the reward to perform any other action. For example, you may not collect the Sheep, use a Trinket, and only then draw a Plot card.

Using a Trinket

At any point during your turn, you may use a Trinket card from your hand. To use a Trinket, choose a card from your hand and resolve its effects, then discard it. You may only use 1 Trinket during each of your turns. This is indicated on the cards with a "1 Trinket / turn" icon.

Trinkets without this icon are used in response to another player's actions. These Trinkets must be played immediately when the condition on the card is triggered, and they do not fall under the "1 Trinket per turn" rule since you are not using them during your own turn.

For example, you may cancel another player's trade with a Spirit by using the Zgarda Trinket and then still use the Brynza Trinket during your own turn.

Trading with a Spirit

If your Shepherd finishes their move on a tile with a Spirit or vice versa, you may trade with that Spirit. You may trade with each Spirit once per turn. Each Spirit trades in their own way:

• Aridnyk: Discard 2 Sheep to draw a Trinket. Before drawing, you may refresh the Trinkets Row (discard all 3 cards in the row and reveal 3 new cards from the deck).
• Aley: Discard 1 Sheep to move 1 unoccupied tile anywhere on the board, following the normal placement rules (including the water edge rules). Do not resolve its black effects.
• Boh: Discard 2 Sheep to draw a Plot card. Before drawing, you may refresh the Plots Row (discard all 3 cards in the row and reveal 3 new cards from the deck).
• Drizd: Discard a card to collect 5 Sheep.
• Vovk: Discard a card to gain 3 Shepherd moves and/or Spirit moves, in any combination.

Important: You can trade with a Spirit only after moving your Shepherd or the Spirit. If, at the start of your turn, your Shepherd is already on a tile with a Spirit, you may not trade with that Spirit.

Carpathian Spirits are proud-hearted and do not appreciate endless invocations.

Picking a Tile from the Horizon

At the end of your turn, pick 1 tile from the Horizon to add to your hand and replace it with a new one from the active Season's stack.

The game starts with the Spring stack. Once it runs out of tiles, use the Summer stack, then the Autumn stack.

Game End

After the last tile is placed and the player who placed it finishes their turn, the game ends.

Count up the Sheep you have collected. The player with the largest flock wins!

In case of a tie, the one with the most fulfilled Plots wins. If it's still a tie, all tied players share the victory.

Game Variants

If you have already played with the original Aridnyk rules and want to add variety to your game, try one of these game variants.

Starter Tiles

This variant allows you to randomize the start of the game by changing the starting positions of the tiles.

First, each player draws 2 tiles from the Spring stack and 2 Plot cards and takes 5 Sheep.

Place the Aridnyk Tile in the center of the table – this is the first Starter tile. Place Aridnyk's figure on it.

The players then take turns drawing and placing Starter tiles from the stack (following the normal placement rules). After one of the players places the last Starter tile, the player to their left takes the first turn.

Characters (Unsimple Characters)

In this variant, each Shepherd has a unique power.

During Game Setup, take the 10 Unsimple cards, shuffle them, and deal 2 to each player. Return the rest to the box.

Each player picks 1 Unsimple card and returns the other to the box. Place your chosen Unsimple card face up in front of you so everyone can see it. Everyone must be able to see each other's Unsimple card at any point in the game.

The Abilities of the Unsimple

• The Dreamer: When drawing a card, choose from 4 Cards: the current row + the top card from the deck (do not replenish the row afterwards).
• The Molfar: Add +1 to Spirit/Shepherd move effects.
• The Crafter: When drawing a Trinket, choose from 4 Cards: the current row + the top card from the deck (do not replenish the row afterwards).
• The Hunter: You may fulfill a Plot even if you are 1 Woods tile short. When fulfilling, you collect an additional Trinket.
• The Tracker: When drawing a tile, choose from 4 tiles: the Horizon + the top tile from the current stack (do not replenish the Horizon afterwards).
• The Climber: You may fulfill a Plot even if you are 1 Peak tile short. When fulfilling, you collect an additional Trinket.
• The Chieftain: When on a River tile, discard 1 Sheep instead of 2.
• The Dowser: You may fulfill a Plot even if you are 1 River/Lake tile short. When fulfilling, you collect an additional Trinket.
• The Musician: You may fulfill a Plot even if you are 1 Polonyna tile short. When fulfilling, add 1 tile to the Horizon.
• The Vagabond: When trading with the Spirit, pay an additional Sheep to trade with any other Spirit on the board instead.

Additional Information

Trinkets

Trinkets are magical or simply helpful things Shepherds can use to their benefit.

You may only use 1 Trinket per turn. Discard the card after using the Trinket.

Some Trinkets are used in response to another player's actions, i.e., "Cancel another player's (Trinket) action." These Trinkets must be played immediately when the condition is triggered, and do not fall under the "1 Trinket per turn" rule, since you are not using them during your own turn.

Plots

Plots are special tasks that players can complete to get a reward.

The Plots in the deck and in the Plots Row are called available Plots.

The Plots in a player's hand are called unfulfilled Plots.

The Plots whose tasks have been accomplished and rewards gained are called fulfilled Plots.

To fulfill an available Plot, the player must first take it into their hand. This can be done by resolving tile effects, trading with Spirits, using certain Trinkets, or receiving a reward for completing certain Plots.

Players can fulfill their unfulfilled Plot at any point during their turn if the tasks for that Plot have been accomplished, even if it happened as a result of another player's actions.

After completing the Plot, the player collects their reward and places the Plot card face up in front of them.

The player may choose to not collect the reward, or any part of it. The player may not postpone collecting the reward — if they want to accept the reward (in full or in part), they must collect it immediately, before taking any other actions.

Cards and Rules Clarifications

"X adjacent Woods/Peaks/Polonyna Tiles" (Cards 5, 6, 7, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25) — a group of tiles where each tile is adjacent to at least 1 other tile with the named terrain. There can be more tiles in the group than required by the Plot.

"Adjacency not required" (Cards 35, 50, 51, 52) — these Plots can be fulfilled even if there are other tiles/figures between the required tiles/figures.

Patterns (Cards 1, 2, 4, 9–16). These plots are still fulfilled even if the pattern is rotated differently from the one shown on the card.

"In any order" (Card 16) — tiles may be placed around the Lake in any sequence, as long as the number and type of tiles correspond to the ones shown.

"Pair of Lake tiles without River tiles between them" (Card 17) — 2 Lake tiles that are connected through water edges, without any River tiles placed in between.

"River enclosed by Lakes on both ends" (Card 21) — 1 or more River tiles connected by water edges, where the first and the last tiles are connected to Lake tiles.

"6 adjacent Peaks and/or Woods tiles" (Card 22) — 6 adjacent Peaks and/or Woods tiles in any combination. It can even be 6 tiles of the same type (either Peaks or Woods).

"Chain" (Card 54) — a group of adjacent tiles, where each tile is adjacent to no more than two other tiles. Three adjacent tiles don't count towards the chain and break it.

REWARD + Sheep (Cards 8 & 17) — each tier of completion gives you a bigger reward; you always receive the reward stated before the "+" sign. I.e., for a River 5 tiles long, you would get a Trinket and 4 Sheep.

Rules Reference

Icons:

• Shepherd moves (number of tiles)
• Spirit moves (number of tiles)
• Any card (Plot or Trinket; hand limit – 6 cards)
• Plot Card
• Trinket Card
• Sheep (the number indicates how many you get)

Turn Structure:

1. Place a tile from your hand.
2. Resolve the black effects of the tile in any order (all effects are optional):
   • Collect Sheep
   • Draw a card (either Plot or Trinket)
   • Move any 1 Spirit on the board
   • Move your Shepherd
3. You may trade with a Spirit if, after moving your Shepherd and/or the Spirit, they end up on the same tile.
4. You may resolve the white effects of the tile your Shepherd ends their move on (all effects, except for Lose Sheep, are optional and can be resolved in any order) (Collect Sheep, Draw a card, Move a Spirit, Move your Shepherd). When moving your Shepherd through a River, you must discard 2 Sheep.
   • If, as a result of resolving the white effects of a tile, using a Trinket, or trading with a Spirit, your Shepherd moves again, you may also resolve the white effects of the new tile they move onto.
   • Repeat the previous step as long as it applies.
5. Pick 1 tile from the Horizon. Replenish the Horizon with a tile from the active Season's stack.
6. Replenish the Horizon with a tile from the active stack.
7. At any point during your turn, you may use 1 Trinket and fulfill any number of Plots.

Trading with Spirits:

• Aridnyk: 2 Sheep → 1 Trinket
• Aley: 1 Sheep → move 1 unoccupied tile
• Boh: 2 Sheep → 1 Plot
• Drizd: 1 card → 5 Sheep
• Vovk: 1 card → 3 Shepherd moves / Spirit moves