カゲロウ (Mayfly)
カゲロウ (Mayfly) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Composition (ゲーム構成)
The game is divided into two parts: the first half, the Larva stage (幼虫編), and the second half, the Adult stage (成虫編).
In the Larva stage, the goal is to make the mayfly eat the food cards in your hand, so that it grows.
In the Adult stage, the goal is to get through four trials to meet your beloved female. There are four endings. Find the happy ending for you.
Components (内容物)
Cards (カード)
- Food cards (エサカード), 24 cards. Front side shows the food; back side is a blue-grey pattern.
- Molt card (脱皮カード), 1 card, double-sided. Side with a "-2" marker and side with a "-3" marker.
- Trial cards (試練カード), 7 cards. Front side and back side.
- Lover cards (恋人カード), 4 cards. Front side and back side.
Box (箱)
- Lid (ふた), 1, showing the adult mayfly illustration (成虫の絵).
- Main body (本体), 1, showing the larva illustration (幼虫の絵).
Tokens (駒)
- Brown tokens (茶駒), 8.
Larva Stage (幼虫編)
Game Setup (ゲームの準備)
1. Meeting the Mayfly (カゲロウとの出会い)
- Turn the main body of the box over, so the side showing the larva illustration is face up.
- Place 6 brown tokens on the turned-over main body. Place the remaining 2 brown tokens, and the molt card, beside the main body.
The brown tokens placed on the main body show the mayfly's fullness (満腹度). The maximum fullness is 8. With 6 brown tokens on the body, there are 2 empty spaces in its stomach.
Tips: A player who has met a newly born mayfly. As its river god (かわのかみさま), give the mayfly larva a name.
2. Preparing Your Hand (手札の準備)
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Shuffle the food cards and deal each player the number of cards shown below, according to the number of players. These are the player's hand (手札). Place the remaining food cards face down beside the molt card. This is called the food draw pile (エサ山札).
- 4 players: 3 cards each / 3 players: 4 cards each / 2 players: 6 cards each
3. Initial Placement of Food (エサの初期配置)
- The oldest player chooses 1 food card from their hand and places it face down in front of the side of the main body that has the hole open.
Now, the mayfly has 2 empty spaces in its fullness. Food may be eaten only up to the number of empty spaces.
The ● mark written on food cards shows the amount of food the mayfly eats. So at this time, only cards with 2 or fewer ● marks can be eaten (placed face down). Even if a card with 3 or more ● marks is placed, it cannot be eaten.
- Draw 1 card from the top of the food draw pile and add it to your hand.
- Each player to the left repeats the same procedure, so that it is done twice for everyone (2 rounds in total; the number of rounds does not change with the number of players). Each player to the left chooses a card from their hand and places it so it lines up with the cards placed during the initial placement.
- Play starts with the player to the left of the oldest player and proceeds clockwise.
Figure 1 (図1 【幼虫編】初期配置図): Larva stage initial layout.
Larva Stage Game Flow (【幼虫編】ゲームの進行)
In the Larva stage, the goal is to make the mayfly eat the food cards in your hand, so that it grows.
Turn flow (Steps 1 to 4 below are called one turn, ターン)
1. Make the Mayfly Eat Food (カゲロウにエサを食べさせる)
- Turn face up the one food card placed during setup that is closest to the mayfly (カゲロウに近い).
- Place brown tokens on the main body equal to the number of ● marks on the food card.
- Once the tokens are placed, put the face-up food card into the hole on the side of the main body, and let the mayfly eat it. (It is like posting a letter into a postbox!)
The maximum fullness is 8. If the number of brown tokens already on the main body plus the number of ● marks on the food card would exceed 8, the food cannot be eaten (no brown token may be placed). In that case, leave the food card face up, and place it at the end of the table so that it is distinguished from cards not yet eaten. Food cards that cannot be eaten from then on are stacked at the end of the table in the same way.
After eating, slide the food card that was placed next to it into the empty space, so that the cards are again in a row.
Figure 2 (図2 【幼虫編】カードのスライド): shows the cards sliding into the space left by the eaten card.
2. Place a Food Card (エサカードを配置する)
Choose 1 food card from your hand and place it face down so that it lines up with the card slid over in Step 1.
Figure 3 (図3 【幼虫編】エサカードを配置): shows the card placed face down.
3. Refill Your Hand (手札の補充)
Draw 1 card from the top of the food draw pile and add it to your hand.
4. Stomach Decreases (おなかが減る)
After the mayfly has eaten, remove from the main body a number of brown tokens equal to the number written on the main body. At the start, the number written is "-1", so you remove 1 brown token.
Important (【重要】): If you cannot remove the number of brown tokens written on the main body, the mayfly starves to death and the game ends. If "-1" is written and there is no token to remove, the mayfly starves to death. The same applies when there is 1 token and "-1" is removed, leaving 0 tokens: this also counts as starvation.
About Molting (★脱皮について)
If the mayfly eats the food card "成長藻" (Growth Algae) (when the card is inserted through the hole on the side), the mayfly molts.
After molting, turn the molt card so that its "-2" side is face up, and place it on top of the main body. (For the second molt, turn the molt card over so that its "-3" side is face up.)
The mayfly can molt up to 2 times. A "成長藻" card eaten after 2 molts has no molting effect, and is treated like any other food card.
Note (※): As the body grows, the stomach also shrinks by more, so foods with many ● marks become easier to eat.
5. After the Turn, the Next Player (ターン終了後は、次のプレイヤーに)
When a turn ends, the player to the left takes the next turn. Repeat until the food draw pile is empty (no more cards can be drawn).
Note (※): Even on the turn when the food draw pile runs out, play continues through Step 4 ("Stomach Decreases").
6. Eat the Last Food (最後のエサを食べる)
After the food draw pile is empty, 2 additional turns are played. These are taken by the player to the left of the player who drew the last food draw card, and then by the player to the left of that player.
During these additional turns, only Step 1 ("Make the Mayfly Eat Food") and Step 4 ("Stomach Decreases") are performed. Step 2 ("Place a Food Card") and Step 3 ("Refill Your Hand") are not performed.
Starvation can still occur during these turns, so be careful!
When the 2 additional turns end, the Larva stage is cleared, and the game moves on to the Adult stage (幼虫編クリアです。成虫編になります！).
Note: The printed sheet continues with the Adult stage game setup on a separate sheet (別紙 カゲロウ【成虫編】ゲームの準備につづく).
Adult Stage (成虫編)
The Adult stage is played after the Larva stage has been cleared. The Larva stage rules are on the separate 【幼虫編】 rules sheet (幼虫編のルールは別紙【幼虫編】の説明書をお読みください).
Adult Stage Game Setup (【成虫編】ゲームの準備)
1. Gather the Unused Food Cards (使わなかったエサカードをまとめる)
Gather together the hands of all players and the food cards that could not be eaten in the Larva stage and are on the table. Shuffle them and place them face down on the table.
2. Then, Become an Adult (そして成虫へ)
Drop all the brown tokens on top of the main body off the box. Place over them the lid showing the adult mayfly illustration (hereafter, this is called the box). Place all the brown tokens that were just dropped (8 in total) on top of the lid.
3. Check the Mayfly's Nutrition (カゲロウの栄養を確認)
The player who made the mayfly eat the last food card in the Larva stage takes the food cards out of the box. Shuffle them, and deal them face down to each player.
Example: With 3 players, if 10 food cards were eaten during the Larva stage, one player has 4 cards in hand and two players have 3 cards each.
Tips: A player's hand represents the nutrition the mayfly stored during the Larva stage. An adult mayfly's mouth has degenerated, so it cannot eat food. It survives its adult life (its remaining lifespan) on the nutrition it stored during the Larva stage.
4. Place the Trials (試練の配置)
Shuffle the trial cards, and place 4 of them face down in a row beside the box, in order from the top (see Figure 4).
The remaining trial cards are gathered together and placed on the table as a pile. This is called the trial draw pile (試練山札).
Place a lover card at the right end of the trial cards. Because the female encountered and the ending change depending on the types of cards used to overcome the trials, any of the 4 lover cards may be placed.
However, the back of each lover card shows an ending, so show the side with the female illustration face up.
Figure 4 (図4 【成虫編】初期配置図): Adult stage initial layout. Labels on the figure, as printed: 箱 (box), 試練カード ×4枚 (4 trial cards), 試練山札 (trial draw pile), 恋人カード (lover card), and 『ライバル』用のエサカード (food card for the Rival, shown face down).
Adult Stage Game Flow (【成虫編】ゲームの進行)
The goal of the Adult stage is to get through four trials to meet your beloved female.
The brown tokens that represented the mayfly's fullness in the Larva stage represent the mayfly's stamina (体力) in the Adult stage. Stamina is used when the mayfly challenges a trial ("挑む") and when it flees ("逃げる"). If the brown tokens (stamina) run out, the game is over.
Turn flow (ターンの流れ)
1. Stand in the Way (立ちはだかる試練)
Flip 1 of the 4 trial cards beside the box face up, and discuss with the other players whether to challenge ("挑む") or flee ("逃げる").
- If you choose "挑む" (challenge), proceed to Step 2 ("Challenge the Trial").
- If you choose "逃げる" (flee), reduce the mayfly's stamina (the brown tokens) by 1. Take 1 brown token from the top of the box and place it together with the trial card you chose to flee from, at the edge of the field (場の端に置く). Flip the top card of the trial draw pile and place it in the empty space (where the fled trial card was). Then choose again whether to challenge or flee. You may keep fleeing as long as there are cards in the trial draw pile.
Figure 5 (図5 【成虫編】"逃げる"): After fleeing, the trial card is placed at the edge of the field.
2. Challenge the Trial (試練に挑む)
Play proceeds clockwise, starting from the player who dealt the food cards in the Adult stage.
"挑む" (challenge) is a battle with a rival. Once the battle has begun, you cannot flee. Face the trial with resolve!
♥ represents strength. The number of ♥ on the trial card is compared with the number of ♥ on the food cards the player has placed. The side with more ♥ wins. (In a tie, the player's side wins.)
- The player chooses 1 food card from their hand and places it face up beneath the trial card being challenged. Also take 1 brown token from the top of the box and place it on the food card. Each battle reduces the mayfly's stamina (the brown tokens).
- Whether the mayfly overcomes the trial is decided by the ♥ on the trial card and the ♥ on the food cards. If the player wins, the mayfly has overcome the trial. If the player does not win, the turn passes to the player on the left.
- The player to the left may add the ♥ on their own food card to the ♥ on the food card of the previous player. The next player may likewise add the ♥ on their own food card to the ♥ on the food cards of the previous 2 players.
Repeat this, and keep playing cards until a player wins. You may also choose to pass the turn if you do not want to play a card. In many cases you cannot win in a single confrontation (a battle of one card). Work together with your allies to fight.
Note (※): Playing food cards in better combinations matters. Sometimes it is better to pass. Also be mindful of the mayfly's stamina (the brown tokens) consumed each time a card is played.
When the trial is overcome, place the trial cards in a row below the box (see Figure 5). Then proceed to Step 3 ("After Overcoming the Trial").
Figure 5 (図5 【成虫編】1つ目の試練を乗り越えたときの例): Example after overcoming the first trial. Caption on the figure: "カゲロウを移動" (move the mayfly); "乗り越えた試練カードと使用したエサカードは横に移動して、場に残しておく" (move the overcome trial card and the food cards used sideways, and leave them on the table).
About the Rival's ♥ (※『ライバル』の♥について)
For the Rival's ♥, where a "+" mark is written beside the ♥, the strength of a food card is added in addition to the ♥ printed on the card. Flip 1 card from the top of the food draw pile face up, and add that food card's ♥ to the Rival's ♥.
Important (【重要】): If the brown tokens (stamina) on the box run out, you cannot play food cards.
If the brown tokens (stamina) run out before the mayfly has overcome all 4 trials, or if the food cards in hand needed to fight the Rival run out, the game ends for all players.
Tips: The brown tokens represent the mayfly's stamina, but they can also be thought of as its lifespan. There are adult mayflies that live only 30 minutes. Try to advance the game while savouring the time it has left.
3. After Overcoming the Trial (試練を乗り越えたら)
After defeating the Rival and overcoming the trial, challenge the next trial card placed beside it. (You may also flee.)
At that time, fill in the empty spaces left when trial cards run out. Gradually reduce the distance between the box, which has the male mayfly (カゲロウ"オス") illustration, and the lover card, which has the female mayfly (カゲロウ"メス") illustration.
Tips: When all trials have been overcome, the distance between the two mayflies shrinks dramatically.
Once Steps 1 to 3 have all been completed, the mayfly returns to Step 1 ("Stand in the Way"). Repeat this until the 4th trial card has been overcome. After overcoming the 4 trials, proceed to [Ending] (【エンディング】).
Endings (【エンディング】)
After overcoming the 4 trials, the mayfly finally meets its beloved female, and the game is cleared for now! The mayfly walks the path of raising offspring.
First, check the number of food cards with brown tokens on them that were placed on the table when the trials were overcome.
Depending on how many algae (藻) and detritus (デトリタス) food cards were used to overcome the trials, the game ends in one of the following 4 endings. Count the number of algae and detritus cards used when defeating the enemies, and read the ending printed on the back of the matching lover card.
- Algae ×4 and detritus ×4
- Algae ×3 and detritus ×5
- Algae ×5 and detritus ×3
- Any other combination
Example: If 5 algae and 3 detritus cards were used, choose 1 lover card marked "algae ×5, detritus ×3", and everyone reads the ending on its back together.
Note (printed closing text): How did you find the ending with your beloved female? Some mayflies raised offspring successfully, and some did not. Some mayflies chose to die alone. Just as each mayfly has its own way of living, so do humans. Please compare the game with your own life and enjoy Mayfly (カゲロウ). We hope you find your own happy ending.
Note (transcriber): The four ending texts are printed on the backs of the lover cards, as card artwork, and are not reproduced in this rulebook. The printed rulebook shows only one sample lover card back, so the four endings could not be transcribed from it. Read each ending from the card itself.