Leaves
Leaves Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 27 Leaf Cards. Each Leaf Card has 3 traits: Number, Color, and Type. No two Leaf Cards share the same combination of these 3 traits.
- Number: 1, 2, 3
- Color: red, yellow, green
- Type: bodhi, ginkgo, maple
- Example: 3 / yellow / ginkgo
- 4 Breeze Cards (front and back)
Setup
- Shuffle all Leaf Cards and place them face down as a draw pile.
- Each player takes 3 Leaf Cards and 1 Breeze Card, face up in front of them. Return any extra Breeze Cards to the box.
- Set a countdown timer for 12 seconds and place it nearby.
How to Play
- Reveal 8 Leaf Cards from the draw pile and form a square puzzle (a 3x3 square with the center left empty; see the 2-player example layout in the rulebook, where each player's Breeze Card sits beside the puzzle).
- All players examine the 8 cards in play and the cards in front of them at the same time.
- If you think 1 of your Leaf Cards can be stacked together with the 8 cards in play to make 1 single stack, shout "Leaves!" and begin the challenge.
What Happens After You Shout "Leaves!"?
Follow these steps in order:
1. Breeze in Play
If your Breeze Card is face up, you may flip it face down to swap the positions of any 2 of the 8 Leaf Cards in play.
2. Leaves Astray
Start the timer. Take 1 Leaf Card in front of you and place it in the center of the 8 cards in play.
3. Stack Them Tight
Pick up any 1 Leaf Card or stack of Leaf Cards. State the matching trait it shares with an adjacent Leaf Card, then place it on top of that adjacent Leaf Card.
Repeat Step 3 until all 9 Leaf Cards become 1 stack.
Important
- If cards are already stacked, you must move the whole stack together.
- For a stack of Leaf Cards, only the top card's traits matter.
- Other players should check whether your moves are correct. If you make a mistake, go to 4. Minds Alight -> Challenge Failed.
Example: A card is placed onto an adjacent card and the player calls the shared trait ("Type!" or "Number!"). You can start your next stack from anywhere.
Common Mistakes
- Moving only part of a stack
- Stacking with no matching trait
- Stacking onto a diagonal card
- Stacking across an empty space
4. Minds Alight
If you turn all 9 Leaf Cards in play into 1 stack before time runs out:
-> Challenge Cleared! You successfully get rid of 1 Leaf Card.
If you make a mistake, or do not finish before time runs out:
-> Challenge Failed. Draw 1 Leaf Card from the draw pile and place it face up in front of you. You may not challenge the next puzzle.
End of the Game
After a challenge ends, if any player has no Leaf Cards left in front of them, that player wins, and the game ends.
Check and Reset the Table
If the game is not over, check the Breeze Cards. If all Breeze Cards are face down, flip them all face up again.
Then return the 9 Leaf Cards in play to the draw pile and shuffle. Repeat the steps under "How to Play" to create a new puzzle.
Solo Challenge Mode
Shuffle all Leaf Cards. Take 3 Leaf Cards and all 4 Breeze Cards. Then reveal the remaining Leaf Cards to create 3 puzzles.
Your goal is to clear all 3 puzzles in front of you using your 3 Leaf Cards. You may also use your 4 Breeze Cards if you choose.
Now start your stopwatch and challenge yourself! If you make an unrecoverable mistake, the challenge fails. Try again.
After clearing all 3 puzzles, stop the stopwatch and see how you did. (Add 30 seconds for each Breeze Card used.)
Results (seconds; the printed scale marks 60, 90, 120, 180):
- Puzzle genius. Who knows how fast you will be next time? (60 seconds or less)
- Impressive. You are well on your way. (up to 90)
- Nice work. You are starting to find your rhythm. (up to 120)
- Keep practicing. You have got real potential. (up to 180)
- Ready for another try? You will only get better. (over 180)
Note: the band boundaries are read from the rulebook's arrow scale graphic, which marks 60/90/120/180 without printed "up to" wording.