Gnomes at Midnight
Gnomes at Midnight Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Set Up
- Take 5 Gnomes and 6 Moonlight cards of one color. Green Gnomes take the purple bordered cards, while Blue Gnomes take the yellow borders. Shuffle the cards and place them face-down in front of you.
- Arrange the two halves of the game board so that the matching puzzle pieces line up in the bottom middle (note: white goes with white, gray with gray).
- Place all of your gnomes onto the flowers of your color (matching the back of your cards) on the game board. Two gnomes each on the corner flowers, and one gnome on the middle flower.
- Shuffle the Dance cards and turn one face-up next to the game board.
- Green takes the first turn.
How to Win
There are three possible ways to win:
- Have at least 1 of your gnomes on each of the 3 toadstools.
- Cause your opponent to have three gnomes off the board at the same time, by "bumping" them.
- Complete the "dance design" showing on the face-up dance card by the game board. You win if you position your gnomes in the pattern shown on the current dance card, anywhere on the board, in any orientation.
How to Play
Moving Your Gnomes
On your turn, move or add a gnome. If moving, move 1 space in any direction, even diagonally.
Moonlight cards: After moving or adding a gnome, turn a new moonlight card face-up, hiding the previous one. This shows where the moon is currently shining. Your gnomes cannot move onto or off these moonlit spaces, on your turn.
Otherwise, you may move freely to any other space, including your own starting flower space.
Holding Hands: Up to two gnomes of the same color may share a single space. These gnomes may be moved together, as if they were one or holding hands, but they will also be bumped together if your opponent sees an opportunity!
Bumping Gnomes
You may move your gnome onto a space containing one (or two!) of your opponent's gnomes. This "bumps" the other gnome(s) off the board, while your gnome takes its place. Remember: if you have three gnomes off the board at one time, you lose the game!
Adding Gnomes
Instead of moving a gnome(s) on the board, if you have a gnome that has been bumped off the board, on your turn you may add it onto any of your three starting flower gardens. You may not add onto a flower garden that has two gnomes on it already, or any of your opponent's gnomes.