Deep River Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Setup
• How to Play
  • Choose a Current Token
  • Moving Your Fish
  • River Tile Effects
  • Large River Tile Effects
• End of the Game

Contents

• 1 Bear miniature
• 10 Fish counters: 5 Salmon and 5 Eels
• 3 double-sided Current tokens
• 1 large River tile
• 6 regular River tiles

Setup

1. Place the River tiles side by side between you and your opponent to make the Riverbed. First place the large River tile in the middle of the table. Then each take 3 River tiles at random and place them one by one in a line on your side, starting from the large central tile.
2. Decide who will be the Salmon and who will be the Eels for this game. Each take your Fish counters and place them in a line in front of you at your end of the Riverbed to form your starting Nest. Make sure your Fish counters show only 1 Fish.
3. Flip the 3 Current tokens to determine which side up they will be for the start of the game. Place them in a row in the space provided next to the River tile that is nearest the Eels' Nest.
4. Place the Bear miniature on the central tile on the bank opposite the Current tokens. The player who last went for a swim goes first.

How to Play

On each turn, starting with the first player, choose 1 of the 3 Current tokens to move 1 of your Fish, and apply the effect of the River tile it stops on.

Choose a Current Token

At the start of your turn, choose 1 of the 3 Current tokens.

Current tokens have two sides. When you have chosen a Current token, apply the effect of the visible side, and then place it to the side of the next River tile down (in the direction of the Salmon's Nest), making sure you flip it over to the other side. When a Current token is placed to the side of the final River tile (next to the Salmon's Nest), you may still choose it, and turn it over, but it can no longer be moved to another tile.

The big number on the Current token shows the number of River tiles you may move 1 of your Fish. The small number on the left of the token shows the effect from the other side.

Two Current tokens have a special side:

• Move 1 of your Fish 1 tile, then do the same with the Bear miniature.
• You may choose and move 1 of your Fish 2 times (it can be the same Fish). This counts as 2 separate movements, so apply the effect of the River tile after each movement.

Moving Your Fish

When you have chosen your Current token, select 1 of your Fish counters and move it the number of tiles shown on the Current token.

When you move a Fish, you must always move it in the direction of your opponent's Nest. You must move it the full number of tiles shown.

Your Fish counter may stop on a River tile only if one of the spaces is empty or if it is only occupied by 1 of your opponent's Fish counters. In all other cases ignore that River tile and move your counter onto the next one.

Movement plan (printed diagram): before moving, the chosen Current token is shown; after moving, the token that was moved and the flipped token are shown.

When your movement ends on a River tile that contains only 1 of your opponent's Fish counters, you must place your Fish counter on top of it. This new stack belongs to the player with the Fish counter on top. Next time you move this Fish, you also move your opponent's Fish counter underneath, as if they were 1 Fish counter.

When you get to your opponent's Nest with 1 or 2 counters (your own and one of your opponent's), move the Bear towards your opponent's Nest the same number of tiles as there are Fish visible on the counter(s) that made it to the Nest. Then move your Fish counter back to your Nest WITHOUT flipping it over. Leave the opposing pawn in its nest.

Note: If you get 1 of your Fish counters into your opponent's Nest, any remaining moves that Fish had are lost.

River Tile Effects

At the end of a move you must apply the effect of the River tile your Fish has stopped on.

Certain River tile effects only apply if the counter is a Double Fish. If it is a stack of 2 counters, only the counter on the top triggers the River tile effect.

• Move the Bear 1 River tile towards your opponent's Nest. Only a counter with a Double Fish can trigger this effect.
• Advance 1 of your Fish 1 River tile. In this case do not apply the effect of the River tile the Fish stops on.
• Swap a stack: choose a stack of Fish counters and swap the 2 pieces; the stack has a new owner!
• Turn a Current token: turn 1 Current token upside-down; that token may not be chosen by your opponent on the next turn (you may choose the Current token that you have just played).

Large River Tile Effects

The large River tile has two effects. When you finish your move on this tile, choose 1 of the 2 effects.

• Flip one of your Fish counters over to the Double Fish side. (You may not choose a Fish counter that is underneath an opponent's counter.) You must choose this effect if your counter shows 1 Fish.
• Move 1 of your Fish counters 1 River tile further down the river. You may apply the effect of the tile you stop on. (Only a Double Fish counter can trigger this effect.)

End of the Game

The game ends immediately when either of the following occurs:

• If you place the Bear in your opponent's Nest, you are the winner!
• If, at the end of your turn, 2 or 3 Current tokens are level with the final River tile (next to the Salmon's Nest), the player whose Nest is furthest from the Bear is the winner. If the Bear is on the large River tile in the middle of the Riverbed, the player who triggered the end of the game is the winner.