Baobab Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Playing the Game
• End of the Game
• Placing the Cards
• Variation

Contents

• 108 Cards
• 6 Reference cards

Object of the Game

Place the cards carefully on the tree trunk (see Placing the Cards). Don't let previously placed cards fall, and be the player with the least number of cards at the end of the game to win!

Setup

Place the tin, with the lid on, in the middle of all of the players. Shuffle the cards and deal them evenly. Each player's drawing pile must remain facedown at all times. The youngest player starts.

Playing the Game

On their turn, the active player first decides if they are going to play 1, 2, or 3 cards from their pile and takes them in hand.

The player then flips over each card, one at a time, and tries to place them on the Baobab (see Placing the Cards).

If at any point during a player's turn cards fall from the tree onto the playing surface, or do not make it onto the tree, the player must put them face up in a separate penalty pile.

Note: If the active player decides at any point during their turn that they do not want to play the 1, 2 or 3 cards they have picked, or they are unable to play a card, those cards go into their penalty pile.

End of the Game

The game ends when a player places the last card from their drawing pile onto the tree. Each player counts their remaining cards (from both their drawing and penalty piles), and the player with the least amount of cards wins the game.

Placing the Cards

• Foliage (x 10): Place the card anywhere on the tree.

• Flower (x 14): Place the card on the edge of the top of the tree. The ground part must hang off of the tree.

• Monkey (x 14): Place the card on the edge of the top of the tree. The ground part must hang off of the tree.

• Snake (x 14): Place the card in between 2 cards already on the tree, on the edge. The ground part must hang off of the tree.

• Bees (x 10): Place the card anywhere on the tree. Going forward, no animal card may touch any part of the bee card — only foliage and flower cards may cover it.

  • The bee cards remain active as long as one bee is still visible.
  • If a player places an animal card so that it touches an active bee card, he must take the animal card back and place it in his penalty pile.

• Toucan (x 14): Toss the card (like a flying disc) starting 1 foot away from the tin.

• Leopard (x 10): Slam the card from 1 foot above the tin onto the tree top.

• Bat (x 10): Drop the card from above the tin onto the tree top with closed eyes. Players must close their eyes before extending their arm above the tin.

• Chameleon (x 12): Place the card using the rule of the previously placed card. If the card was a flower, snake or monkey, the lighter area of foliage must hang off of the tree (as if it were the ground). If the card was a bee, the player may place the chameleon in any way with no further effect.

Variation

For a longer game, players place their penalty cards underneath their drawing pile, and do not have a penalty pile. The first player to get rid of all of their cards wins the game.