Gardeners

Gardeners Rulebook

Table of Contents

36 Garden tiles: 16 A tiles, 9 B tiles, 11 C tiles (the letter A/B/C is on the back of the tile)
1 sand timer
1 rulebook
97 Constraint cards: 17 Training cards (6 Training A, 6 Training B, 5 Training C), 59 Standard cards, 21 Expert cards (+ 2 warning cards that say "Do not open this packet!")

Overview & Goal of the Game

Gardeners is a simultaneous cooperative game that you will play in silence and in real time. Within the duration of the sand timer, you must arrange as many gardens as possible, always using the same tiles, but obeying different constraints from round to round. Everyone must deduce the current constraints by observing where tiles are placed or removed.

The goal of the game is to score as many Constraint cards as possible.

Card Anatomy

The back (white border) indicates the type of constraint to respect (which all players will know).
The front (colored border) indicates the constraint to respect (which only the player who has the card will know).
If there is a letter in a corner, it will indicate Training A, B, or C.

Setup

Distribute the Garden tiles evenly to everyone. Place the tiles you receive in a face-up stack in front of you.
Shuffle the Constraint cards and stack them face down beside the play area to form the deck.
Place the sand timer beside the deck.
Randomly select the first player.

The table has: each player's personal supply, the area where the garden will be arranged, the discard pile, and the scored cards.

Playing the Game

A game of Gardeners consists of a variable number of rounds; the game ends when the sand timer runs out.

IMPORTANT: During the game, you cannot communicate in any way about what to do or not to do with regards to arranging the garden.

Each round comprises 3 phases:

Draw a Constraint card
Arrange the garden
Check the garden

1. Draw a Constraint Card

At the beginning of the first round, the first player draws a Constraint card, reads it silently, and places it face down in front of them, so that everyone can see the back of the card, and thus the type of constraint, but not what that constraint is. (In the first round, you only need to respect one constraint.) Flip the sand timer over.

At the beginning of the subsequent rounds, the player to the left of whoever drew a constraint card at the start of the last round draws one. (Now you must respect several constraints.)

However, when a fourth card comes into play, move the oldest card face up beside the deck. This card is considered scored. This also means you will play with no more than 3 Constraint cards at a time.

Scored cards no longer affect the garden's arrangement. At the end of the game, they are worth 1 point each.

IMPORTANT: Each tile can be used to respect multiple constraints!

NOTE: Constraint cards (representing the king's wishes) are the rules that everyone must respect this round, but only the card's owner knows the exact constraint; the other players must guess it (this is the heart of the game!). Not everyone will have a Constraint card in front of them at every point of the game. On page 18, you will find an explanation of the iconography used on the cards.

Too difficult? Sometimes the king imposes constraints whose combination is too difficult, or even impossible (although this is rare, noticing that a combination of cards is unsolvable is part of the game!). Therefore, at any time, you are allowed to discard the Constraint card in front of you face down beside the deck. Each but the first that the group discards this way will lose you 1 point at the end of the game. You must immediately draw a new one, which applies immediately.

Discarded cards no longer affect the garden's arrangement.

2-Player Game: In a 2-player game, the first player will draw the third Constraint card, as well, ending up with 2 of them. In subsequent rounds, follow the usual rules for bringing a new card into play; this means that you essentially take turns having 2 cards in front of you.

2. Arrange the Garden

As soon as the sand timer starts, you must work together to arrange the garden, which will always end up as a square.

There are no turns in the game: Everyone plays at the same time. Each player can only perform one action at a time: adding or removing a tile (we suggest using only one hand to play). However, you can perform multiple actions in a row with no downtime between them.

NOTE: The size of the garden varies according to the game mode:

Training A (page 8): 4 x 4 tiles
Training B (page 10): 5 x 5 tiles
Training C (page 12): 6 x 6 tiles
Beginner mode (page 14): 6 x 6 tiles
Normal mode (page 15): 6 x 6 tiles
Solo mode (page 16): 6 x 6 tiles

Adding a Tile

Your Personal Supply: All the tiles you play to arrange the garden come from your personal supply. Your personal supply includes both your initial stack of tiles and, beside them, tiles removed from the garden and given to you during the game (see Removing a Tile). At the beginning of the game it is just your initial stack; during the game it may be your initial stack plus tiles beside it; after your initial stack is gone it is only the tiles beside it. Your personal supply might even be completely empty at some point!

At the beginning of the first round, someone (anyone) will place a first tile into the play area.

Anyone can add tiles to the garden by placing them orthogonally adjacent to at least one tile that is already part of the garden.

You can only add tiles from your personal supply to the garden.

If you add a tile from your stack to the garden, it must be the topmost tile in the stack.

The placed tiles must always fit within the maximum size of the garden. Example: if the size of the garden is limited to 6 x 6, a tile that would make the garden more than 6 tiles wide is an illegal placement.

Removing a Tile

While arranging the garden, some tiles may be placed incorrectly on the first try, because everyone needs a chance to figure out what the constraints are.

Removing tiles allows you to rearrange the garden so you can ultimately respect all of the constraints in effect for the round.

You can only remove tiles from the edge of the garden. (Example: a tile that is enclosed can only be removed after the tiles around it toward the edge have been removed first.)

When you remove a tile from the garden, you must immediately place it in another player's personal supply. Do not stack tiles that you receive this way; leave them beside each other on the table. You can immediately place such tiles back in the garden, if you wish, in any order you like.

If you want to reposition a tile, you must give it to another player and hope that they understand what you want done with it.

When you remove a tile from the garden, you cannot:

simply move a tile within the garden, from one place to another.
simply rotate a tile within the garden.
split the garden. (Example: a tile whose removal would split the garden into separate parts cannot be removed.)

Once all of the garden tiles have been placed, and no one wants to remove any more, move on to Phase 3, Check the Garden.

3. Check the Garden

The players with Constraint cards secretly check whether the garden's arrangement complies with its constraint. Then they must make an announcement, as follows:

If at least one player with a Constraint card has announced, "His Majesty is angry!" then the garden is invalid! You must return to phase 2, Arrange the Garden.
If all players with a Constraint card have announced, "His Majesty is thrilled!" then the garden is validated.

IMPORTANT: In either case, all face-down cards must stay face down at this stage! Do not lay the sand timer down during this phase! Never lay the sand timer down!

REMEMBER: When checking the garden, only check the cards in front of players. Cards that have been scored or discarded will only be used in the final scoring.

Example: During Phase 3 of the second round, we must ensure that the garden conforms to the 2 Constraint cards in play. Constraint A: Each path must be connected to at least one other path. Constraint B: Each bench must face a green tree. In the first illustrated case, Constraint A is respected but not B, so we must continue arranging the garden. In the second case, both constraints are respected; the garden is validated!

Now that the garden has been validated, the round is complete. A new round can commence (see 1, Draw a Constraint Card).

IMPORTANT: Leave the garden in the middle of the table as it is: This is the starting point for the new round that is about to begin. Thus, you will have to start by removing tiles from the garden before you can add any.

End of the Game

As soon as the sand timer runs out, the game ends immediately.

Calculate your final score as follows:

Each scored Constraint card (placed face up beside the deck) earns you 1 point.
Each discarded Constraint card (placed face down beside the deck), except the first, loses you 1 point. Example: 3 cards have been discarded. So, you lose 2 points.

Score	Result	Comment
0 - 2 pts	Ouch!	Did you forget to do the training exercises and Beginner mode before taking on Normal mode?
3 - 4 pts	It's a start	Good! You understand how this works.
5 - 7 pts	You're progressing well	You have your feet on the right path.
8 - 9 pts	Bravo!	What a great success!
10 - 11 pts	Impressive!	True champions!
12+ pts	You have become experts!	It's time to play with the Expert cards. You can open the packet of Expert cards and add them to the Standard cards.

Now you know all the rules of Gardeners. But its original mechanisms can confuse new players. Therefore, it is strongly suggested to absorb these rules little by little, using the training exercises and Beginner mode before playing a game in Normal mode.

Training Exercises

Before each training exercise, show and explain the backs and fronts of the Constraint cards that will be used, so everyone knows what to expect. Then shuffle them.

During training, when someone draws a card, the previous player reveals theirs without discarding it. Therefore, among the Constraint cards for the round, only one is face down at a time. All the rest will be face up.

NOTE: Gardeners only reveals its addictive gaming potential once you are playing in Normal mode. So don't form a final opinion on the game if you've only practiced in training sessions or played in Beginner mode, both of which by definition only offer incomplete gameplay!

Training Exercise A

Contents used: 6 Constraint A cards (2 Proximity, 2 Distance, 2 Agglomeration); 16 A Garden tiles. You are arranging a 4 x 4 square of tiles.

Goal: No pressure here: Leave the sand timer in the box. You "simply" need to complete the 4 x 4 garden, 6 times in a row, respecting the Constraint cards drawn round after round.

End of the game: The game is immediately over when a player must - after a validation - draw a Constraint card but the deck is empty.

Descriptions of the Constraint cards used

Proximity Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that an element cannot be alone, and that it must always be orthogonally adjacent to at least one identical element.

Front #1: A green flower must always be orthogonally adjacent to at least one other green flower.
Front #2: A fuchsia flower must always be orthogonally adjacent to at least one other fuchsia flower.

Distance Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that an element cannot be orthogonally adjacent to another specific element.

Front #1: Two trees cannot be orthogonally adjacent (regardless of their colors).
Front #2: An orange flower cannot be orthogonally adjacent to a green flower or a green tree.

Agglomeration Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that a certain number X of elements of the same type (or of two types) must be in an orthogonally contiguous group (but any shape).

Front #1: 6 or more Grass tiles - no matter what is on the grass - must be orthogonally contiguous.
Front #2: 6 or more flowers and/or trees - regardless of their colors - must be orthogonally contiguous.

Complete this training exercise before reading the next!

Training Exercise B

Contents used: 6 Constraint B cards (2 Panorama, 2 Link, 2 Border); 1 sand timer; 25 Garden tiles: 16 x A, 9 x B. You are arranging a 5 x 5 square of tiles.

Goal: Let's add some pressure... Now you must complete the 5 x 5 garden, 6 times in a row, respecting the Constraint cards drawn, and all of this before the sand timer runs out.

End of the game: The game is immediately over when a player must - after a validation - draw a Constraint card but the deck is empty.

Descriptions of the Constraint cards used

Panorama Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that all tiles containing a bench must have the bench facing a sort of particular element, which does not have to be adjacent to the bench; if someone were sitting on the bench, they would see the element if looking straight ahead. Several benches can be in the same line, looking at the same element.

Front #1: Each bench must face a fuchsia tree.
Front #2: Each bench must face another bench. The benches can face each other, or can be oriented in different directions.

Link Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that you must create a link using a type of element. A link is a contiguous group of orthogonally adjacent tiles that connect two opposite sides of the garden (not necessarily in a straight line).

Front #1: The link must be composed from Soil tiles.
Front #2: The link must be composed from tiles that contain a flower, regardless of their colors.

NOTE: Don't confuse a link (this constraint) with a path (white stones on certain tiles)!

Border Constraint: There are two sorts of Border Constraint cards. The first specifies that all elements of a certain type must be on the tiles on the outer edge of the garden. The second specifies that all elements of a certain type must be on the tiles in the interior of the garden.

Front #1: All fuchsia trees and fuchsia flowers must be on the tiles on the outer edge of the garden.
Front #2: All benches must be on the tiles in the interior of the garden.

Complete this training exercise before reading the next!

Training Exercise C

Contents used: 5 Constraint C cards (2 Geometry, 3 Path); 1 sand timer; 36 Garden tiles (all of them). You are arranging a 6 x 6 square of tiles.

Goal: Ever bigger! In this training exercise, you must still complete the garden (but just 5 times in a row this time) before the sand timer runs out, but in a larger garden: a 6 x 6 square.

End of the game: The game is immediately over when a player must - after a validation - draw a Constraint card but the deck is empty.

Descriptions of the Constraint cards used

Geometry Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that a certain arrangement of elements must be respected (at least once) in the garden. Its orientation doesn't matter.

Front #1: 4 flowers must orthogonally surround a fountain. The color can vary from flower to flower.
Front #2: A 3 x 3 square of tiles must have 4 Soil tiles in the corners, and 5 Grass tiles arranged in a cross.

Path Constraint: This type of Constraint card specifies that some or all paths must be connected to form a continuous open or closed route. (Example: a path on a Soil tile that is not connected to another path is not connected.)

Front #1: Some paths must be connected to form a continuous closed route surrounding at least one bench (and eventually other tiles). It doesn't matter what shape and size it ends up being. The remaining paths have not to be connected.
Front #2: Some paths must be connected to form a continuous open or closed path of at least 6 tiles. It doesn't matter what shape it ends up being. The remaining paths have not to be connected.
Front #3: Each path must be connected to at least one other path.

Complete this training exercise before reading the next!

Beginner Mode

Once you have completed the training exercises, it's time to move on to Beginner mode.

Return all the training Constraint cards to the box; you won't use them any more.

Beginner mode uses all of the Standard cards (the ones whose fronts have multicolored plants in all 4 corners). They use the same constraints you learned during training, but they have been enriched with new combinations. The player aid on page 18 will help you understand them all.

Contents used: 36 Garden tiles; 59 Standard Constraint cards; 1 sand timer. You are arranging a 6 x 6 square of tiles.

Playing the game: As with the training exercises, only the last Constraint card drawn remains face down until it is scored, while the previous one is revealed.

End of the game: As soon as the sand timer has run out, the game is over. Evaluate your success level as described in the End of the Game table above.

Normal Mode

Bravo! You finally made it to the Normal mode of Gardeners. The plot thickens!

Contents used: 36 Garden tiles; 59 Standard Constraint cards; 1 sand timer. You are arranging a 6 x 6 square of tiles.

Playing the game: Unlike the training exercises and Beginner mode, ALL drawn Constraint cards remain face down until they are scored (still no more than 3 at a time) and that changes everything!

End of the game: As soon as the sand timer has run out, the game is over. Evaluate your success level as described in the End of the Game table above.

Solo Mode

You play Solo mode the same way as Normal mode, but with the following modifications.

Setup

Take all of the Garden tiles and spread them around higgledy-piggledy, face up, in the middle of the table. Draw 2 Constraint cards, and place them face up, side by side, in front of you.

Playing the Game

Draw a Constraint card: Skip this phase in the first round. During this phase, draw a new Constraint card and place it face up beside the others already in front of you. You do not discard any cards placed in front of you, even when you have more than three. However, as in Normal mode, you can always discard cards if the challenge is too difficult, or even impossible (remember: -1 point per discarded card - except the first - at the end of the game).

Arrange the garden: In Solo mode, you are much more free to arrange the garden than in Normal mode. You have no personal reserve; you simply place, swap, rotate... the tiles freely within the garden.

Check the garden: No change from the Normal mode rules.

Scoring Constraint Cards

During the game, you can only score Constraint cards twice. You can only score at the end of the round, after all constraints have been verified, and before commencing a new round.

When you decide to score, score all your cards: Move them beside the deck, face up. You will count them when you calculate your final score.

If you just scored for the first time, draw two new Constraint cards, and begin a new round.

Example: Michael has Gardeners skills in spades, and has 7 Constraint cards in front of him. At the end of the sixth round, he decides to score for the first time, and thus places the 7 cards beside the deck, face up. Michael then begins a new round by drawing 2 new Constraint cards. He can score a second time later.

Solo Training Exercises

To do the training exercises in Solo mode, replace Solo mode's Standard deck of cards with the respective training cards (A, B, C) and apply Solo mode's rules to the training exercises.

End of the Game (Solo)

As soon as you have scored for the second time, or the sand timer has run out, the game is over.

NOTE: Because the second scoring ends the game, you almost certainly will not use all of the time the sand timer grants you.

Calculate your points the same way as at the end of the game in Normal mode. The table below indicates your level of success according to your score:

Score	Result	Comment
0 - 3 pts	Ouch!	Did you forget to do the training exercises before taking on Normal mode?
4 - 6 pts	It's a start	Good! You understand how this works.
7 - 10 pts	You're progressing well	You have your feet on the right path.
11 - 12 pts	Bravo!	What a great success!
13 - 14 pts	Impressive!	A true champion!
15+ pts	You have become an expert!	It's time to play with the Expert cards. You can open the packet of Expert cards and add them to the Standard cards.