Backyard Birds Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Card Anatomy
• Game Play
• The Flocking Rule
• Ending the Game
• Brown Bird Abilities

Contents

108 Playing Cards:

• 88 Bird Cards
• 20 Territory Cards

Object of the Game

Claim as many territory cards as possible using carefully assembled flocks of birds. Territory cards give victory points and the most victory points at the end of the game wins.

Setup

Shuffle the territory deck and deal 4 territories face up. Place the remaining territory cards face down, this will be the territory supply deck. These cards should be within reach of all players. Next, shuffle the bird cards and deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining birds face down within reach of all players, this will be the bird supply deck. The birds dealt to a player are referred to as the player's "hand" and should be concealed throughout the game.

Card Anatomy

The card diagrams are not reproduced here; the labels printed on the card layout are listed below, grouped by card type as the layout is read.

Bird cards:

• Color
• Bird Strength
• Bird Name
• Bird Type
• Victory Point Value
• Ability
• Base Set

Territory cards:

• Territory Name
• Victory Point Value
• Required to Claim

Game Play

The youngest player will start the game, then game play continues clockwise. You may do one of two actions on your turn: Draw and play a bird from your hand, or discard birds that are in play to claim a territory. The brown colored birds have abilities that may lead to other actions being performed throughout the game (see "Brown Bird Abilities" for details).

Draw and play a bird from your hand: If you choose this action on your turn, first draw a card from the bird supply, then place only one bird from your hand face up in front of you. This area is referred to as your "flock area". This will end your turn. You must always have 5 cards in your hand at the end of your turn.

IMPORTANT! Cards must be played using the flocking rule (see "Flocking Rule"). If the bird supply deck runs out, shuffle the discarded birds and create a new supply deck.

Claim a territory: If you choose this action, you will be discarding one or more birds from your flock area to claim an available territory. Only territories that are face up are available and only one may be claimed on your turn. Territory cards indicate both the color and combined strength needed to claim it. Most territories can be claimed by multiple types (colors) of birds. To claim, only use one of the colors indicated, do not mix colors to claim a territory. For example, the BRIDGE territory indicates black with strength 7 and red with strength 6, you may claim this territory with either black birds or red birds, however, you do not need both colors—choose one. Use as many birds as necessary to claim the territory, then discard those birds face up next to the bird supply deck.

IMPORTANT: You may only use the exact number of birds that it takes to claim the territory, you may not continue to add more birds. For instance, the BRIDGE cannot quite be taken by a single CROW (strength 6), you'll need a CROW and a MAGPIE, or a CROW and a GRACKLE or even 2 CROWS (combined strength of 12), however, you may not use 3 CROWS (combined strength of 18) to claim the territory.

If a color is not indicated on the territory, then it cannot be claimed by that type of bird. Some territories can be taken by a single bird, however, if the strength number on the territory card is in parenthesis, then it MUST be taken by a single bird and the strength MUST match exactly.

After you collect the territory, set it aside to be counted towards your final victory points, then reveal the next territory card by taking the top card from the territory supply and placing it face up within reach of all players.

The Flocking Rule

When playing birds, they must be placed together in flocks of the same bird species. During the game you may have at most, 5 different flocks of birds in your flock area. CROWS can be flocked together, however, a MAGPIE cannot flock with a CROW, even though it is the same color.

When claiming a territory, you might use an entire flock, some of the flock, birds from two different flocks or even one bird from a flock—whatever it takes to claim a territory. Remember, you can only claim a territory with the minimum number of birds needed to claim it—never use more than you need.

Brown colored cards represent birds that only occur once in this game and therefore, cannot flock. Because of this, brown cards can quickly take up slots in your flock area. Placing 5 brown cards will use all available slots. Use these sparingly, or plan to discard them quickly to claim territories or use their special abilities.

If you draw a bird to start your turn, you're committed to playing a bird. There may be a scenario where you cannot play a bird after drawing it.

I can't play a bird! What do I do?

Well, you got yourself into a bit of a mess here. You drew a bird from the stock and all 5 slots in your flock area are occupied, also, the 6 cards in your hand do not match any of the cards in your flocks. Part of the strategy of Backyard Birds, is to not let yourself get into this situation, especially because it carries multiple penalties. The penalties for getting stuck in this situation are as follows:

1. Immediately discard a bird from your hand.
2. You must claim a territory with the birds in your flock area. The other players will decide which territory you will claim and what birds will be used. OR If you can't claim a territory then you must also discard a single bird from your flock area, you will choose which bird leaves the flock area.
3. End your turn

Your original strategy may have been to gather large flocks in hopes of claiming the high scoring territories. Although this strategy can work, sometimes it's safer to continually claim territories and rotate birds through your flock area.

Ending the Game

When the last territory card is revealed, every player will have one more turn to possibly claim a territory. After the last player takes their turn, all victory points from territory cards are added up and all points from birds still in play are also added up. With the birds, there may be negative points against you.

Note: only birds still in play count towards your score, discard all birds from your hand at the end of the game.

Brown Bird Abilities

All brown birds have an ability that affect game play. A brown bird must be in play, in your flock area, for it's ability to be active or available. Only the MOCKINGBIRD's ability is available out of turn. Some abilities will affect your final score. Many abilities are passive and are always active while the bird is in play. Each card has details on how to use the ability, however, we've added additional meaning to these abilities below.

BLUE JAY: At any time, during your turn, discard this and force another player to discard a bird from their flock area. *Bird must be from the base set.

CHICKADEE: Because brown cards take a flocking area slot all to themselves, you can run out of room quickly. Luckily this bird can flock with other yellow birds to free up a slot. At any time during your turn it can jump from one yellow flock to another, or by itself to a yellow flock. IMPORTANT! If all of your slots are taken you may NOT flock a yellow bird with this—yellow birds cannot move to the CHICKADEE.

COWBIRD: While this is in play you can give any ONE black bird +1 in strength to aid in claiming territories. This is passive and active as long as COWBIRD is in your flock area.

DOVE: If this is still in your flock area at the end of the game, then all of the birds in YOUR flock area are not counted toward your final score, negative or positive.

HUMMINGBIRD: When you play this to your flock area, you may immediately discard it to claim a territory that ONLY the HUMMINGBIRD can take—use no other birds.

JUNCO: On your turn, discard this and gather up the territories that are face up, shuffle them in with the territory supply and deal four new territories.

LARK: On your turn and only after LARK has been in play for a complete turn, discard this and steal any bird, from another player, with 3 or less strength. Put this bird in play, in your flock area. Make sure you have an available slot for this new acquired bird, or you cannot take it and you lose the LARK!

MOCKINGBIRD: This ability never takes place during your turn. At ANY time during another players turn, you may discard MOCKINGBIRD and remove ANY available territory, even if someone is in the process of taking the territory. The player you insulted will get their birds back, however, they will lose their turn. Remove the territory from the game and draw a new territory from the supply.

NUTHATCH: Can flock with red, see CHICKADEE.

PIGEON: If this is still in your flock area at the end of the game, ALL of your claimed territories will score 1 less each.

SPARROW: +1 to yellow. See COWBIRD.

STARLING: Can flock with black birds. See CHICKADEE.

SWALLOW: One of the few abilities that will let you take a territory if you've already played a bird. On your turn, discard this and look through the territory stockpile. Put any territory card from the stockpile in play face up. Now there's 5 territories in play. You may claim this territory, if you can. You may not claim any of the other 4 territories that were already in play. If for any reason you can not claim this territory, you must reduce the available territories back to 4, however, you may choose any of the 5 to shuffle back into the stockpile.

THRUSH: +1 to red. See COWBIRD.

WOODPECKER: At the very beginning of your turn, before you take any action, discard this and all birds in your hand. Draw 5 new birds and end your turn.

WREN: At the end of your turn, discard this and take another turn.