Pebbles Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
  • 1. Play a Card
  • 2. Take 2 Actions
  • Place a Penguin
    • Controlling Tiles
    • Controlling Territories
  • Use a Card Power
    • Moving a Penguin / Adjacency
    • Pathway Tokens
  • Go Fishing
    • Fish Tokens
  • Ending a Round
• Ending the Game

Object of the Game

Score the most victory points over 10 rounds by controlling tiles and territories and winning tricks.

Components

• 40 Penguin meeples (10 in each color)
• 52 Cards
• 13 Nest tiles
• 4 Pathway tokens (2 in each color)
• 10 Love tokens
• 4 Territory VP tokens
• 30 Pebble tokens
• 16 Fish tokens
• 4 Player aids
• 1 Rulebook

Setup

1. Remove the following cards from the deck, depending on player count, and place them back into the game box.
   • 4 Players: Remove No Cards.
   • 3 Players: Remove Cards 1–3 of each suit.
   • 2 Players: Remove Cards 1–6 of each suit.
2. For your first few games, arrange the nest tiles and pathway tokens as shown below. (The printed rulebook shows the tile and pathway layout for 4 Players, 3 Players and 2 Players as diagrams; the arrangement is not reproduced in text here.)
   • Note: After your first few games, try creating your own tile setup.
3. Shuffle the deck, and deal 10 cards to each player. Place the remaining deck of cards near the nest tiles.
4. Reveal 4 cards from the deck and place them in a line as shown. For each card, place 1 pebble token on the nest tile with the matching number.
5. Give each player 1 player aid, 1 fish token, and 10 matching penguin meeples.
6. Place the 10 love tokens and 4 territory VP tokens near the nest tiles.
7. Randomly determine the lead player for the first round, or choose the person with the best penguin impression.

How to Play

On each round, starting with the lead player and going clockwise (to the left), each player takes one turn. Each player's turn consists of 2 steps:

1. Play a card
2. Take 2 actions

1. Play a Card

Choose a card from your hand to play. Each card has a number and a suit (color) with an associated power.

The card you play determines the actions you can take and whether you will win the trick. The winner of the trick will gain a love token which is worth 1 victory point.

Each player can play any card they want. For players that have played other trick-taking games, yes you read that right: you are not required to "follow suit."

However, the suit of the first card played into the trick is the only suit that can win that trick.

For example, if the lead player plays a #7, the highest value card will win that trick.

2. Take 2 Actions

After playing a card, take 2 actions. The actions are:

• Place a Penguin
• Use a Card Power
• Go Fishing

Note: You cannot take the same action twice in one turn.

Place a Penguin

Place 1 of your penguins on the tile that matches the number of the card you just played.

If you've already placed all 10 of your penguins, you can no longer take this action.

Controlling Tiles

Tiles are controlled by the player with the most penguins on that tile. If there is a tie for the most, all tied players control that tile.

Controlling tiles is important for two reasons:

1. At the end of the game, you score 1 victory point per pebble in tiles you control.
2. Controlling tiles leads to controlling territories, which is also worth victory points at the end of the game.

Example: This tile would be worth 2 points to the black player.

Controlling Territories

Territories are controlled by the player that controls the most tiles of that territory. If there is a tie for the most, all tied players control that territory.

Each territory is identified by a color/pattern and is worth the victory points of its corresponding Territory VP token.

Note: X = the number of players.

Tile and territory control will shift throughout the rounds and do not score until the end of the game, so don't get cocky, kid, and make sure you're in control when it counts.

Example: Red controls the most tiles of this territory and would score the victory points on the corresponding token (2).

Use a Card Power

Each suit has a card power associated with it. You may only use the power of the card you just played.

• Scurry: Move 1 or 2 of your penguins 1 or 2 tiles each. (The penguins move independently and can start from different tiles.)
• Court: Place 1 of your penguins or 1 pebble on a tile that contains 2 or more penguins (any player's).
• Push: Choose a tile where you have at least 1 penguin. Choose 1 of each player's penguins on that tile (including your own) and move them up to 1 tile each.
• Collect: Place 1 pebble on any tile.

Moving a Penguin / Adjacency

Each "step" of a penguin's move must be to an adjacent tile.

Tiles are adjacent if they touch or if they are connected by a pathway token.

Pathway Tokens

Pathway tokens of the same color connect tiles that do not touch. Tiles connected in this way are adjacent.

Go Fishing

Take 1 of the 4 face-up cards and place it in your hand. Immediately replace it with the top card of the deck. Gain 1 fish token.

If the deck is now empty, reshuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.

Fish Tokens

Fish tokens allow you to move penguins more quickly. After placing or moving a penguin, you can discard a fish token to move that penguin 1 tile. You can continue to discard fish tokens to continue moving that penguin.

Example: After placing a penguin with a #1 card, Teal discards 2 fish tokens to move it 2 spaces to the #7 tile.

Example: While using a push power, Black discards 1 fish token to move the teal penguin an extra space. They choose to remain on their current tile.

At the end of the game, you will gain 1 victory point for every 2 fish tokens you have.

Ending a Round

After each player has completed their turn, the round is over.

Determine who won the trick—it is the player who played the highest card in the led (first) suit. Give that player a love token and they begin the next round as the lead player.

Discard all played cards.

Ending the Game

After all 10 love tokens have been claimed, the game is over and each player gains points as follows:

• Gain victory points equal to the number of pebbles in tiles you control.
• Gain the victory points of each territory you control. Note: X = the number of players.
• Gain 1 victory point for each love token.
• Gain 1 victory point for every 2 fish tokens.

Reminder: If there are ties for control, each player gains the full points.

The player with the highest score is the winner!

• If there is a tie, the player that has the most love tokens is the winner.
• If there is still a tie, the player that controls the most pebbles is the winner.
• If there is still a tie, share the victory.