Quagmire
Quagmire Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
2-4 players · 30 minutes · ages 8+
36 Frogs, 16 Lily Pads, 4 Flies, 4 Reference Cards, 1 Game Board
Setup
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Place the Game Board in the center of the table. Each player should face an edge of the board to establish their Shore, their Scoring Area, and the orientation of Frogs they control. 2-player game: sit across from one another.
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Place the 16 Lily Pads in a 4 x 4 grid in the center of the Game Board. 2-player game: 4 Lily Pads have Red Beetles on one side. Use the Red Beetle side and place 2 of them on each player's right edge spaces closest to their player's side. Do not use the Red Beetle sides in a 3 or 4 player game.
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Shuffle the Frogs face down.
- 2 Players: Use 18 Frogs with the 2-player symbol
- 3 Players: Use 27 Frogs (Remove any 9)
- 4 Players: Use all Frogs
The player who makes the best frog noise is the Start Player. In clockwise order, each player draws Frogs into their hand equal to the diagram below:
Players Position 1 (Start) 2 3 4 2 Players 3 4 — — 3 Players 3 3 4
The Start Player takes the first turn, then play proceeds clockwise.
Overview
Earn points by landing on opposing Frogs, completing the Routes shown on your Frogs, or by discarding Frogs from your hand that match the Formations of Frogs on the board. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Tracking Points
When you earn points, you'll track them by placing Frogs face down on your board edge to denote 1/2/3/4 points earned from that Frog. If you lose points, you can move Frogs between the 1/2/3/4 Score Slots or return them to the game box to reflect the loss.
Example: This Frog scored 2 points.
A Frog's Journey
Frogs are placed from your hand to your 'Shore', which is the piece of land on your edge of the Game Board. From there, it moves to its Starting Lily Pad and progresses through its Route, with the aim of landing on flies and opposing Frogs and eventually its Completion Lily Pad.
Hand → Shore → Starting Lily Pad → Route Stop 1 → Route Stop 2 → Completion Lily Pad
Anatomy of a Frog
Each Frog is unique, with a specific Starting Lily Pad, Route, Completion Lily Pad and Formation.
- This symbol identifies the 18 Frogs used for a 2-player game.
- This Frog must move to this Starting Lily Pad (frog icon) from your Shore.
- Route Stop 1 Lily Pad (white circle) that this Frog must advance to from its Starting Lily Pad. Then, it must advance to Stop 2 Lily Pad (white circle).
- The Completion Lily Pad (star), the last stop on its Route.
- The Formation of 4 Lily Pads (yellow). A player may discard this Frog from their hand to score 1 point for each Frog on those specific Lily Pads.
Which Way Is Up?
Players move Frogs through their Route with the rounded topside facing away from them. The Frog's orientation does not change throughout the Route. This is key to identifying which player controls a Frog on the Game Board.
The Starting Lily Pads will always be 1 of the 4 Lily Pads closest to your edge of the Game Board.
On Your Turn, Choose One
- PLAY A FROG
- ADVANCE A FROG
- COMPLETE A FROG'S ROUTE
- DISCARD & SCORE A FORMATION
Play a Frog
Place a Frog from your hand to your Shore. You may have at most 2 Frogs on your Shore.
Advance a Frog
- Advance a Frog from your Shore to its Starting Lily Pad.
This Frog may advance from your Shore to its Starting Lily Pad.
OR
- Advance a Frog on the board to the next Lily Pad in its Route.
This Frog may advance to Stop 2 in its Route.
Complete a Frog's Route
Remove and score one of your Frogs that is on the final Lily Pad (star) of its Route.
This Frog may be removed and scored for points equal to the number of players. Place the Frog face down on the corresponding Score Slot on your edge of the Game Board.
Example: In a 4-player game, score 4 points by placing it on the Score Slot labeled '4'.
Discard & Score a Formation
Discard a Frog from your hand and earn points for each of its Formation Lily Pads (yellow) that has a Frog on it. A Formation Lily Pad may be occupied by any player's Frog for it to score.
From your hand, this Frog may be discarded and scored. It earns 1 point for each of its Formation Lily Pads that has a Frog on it.
Example: This Frog has three occupied Formation Lily Pads. Score 3 points by placing it on the Score Slot labeled '3'.
What to Do When Unable to Perform an Action
If you cannot perform any Action on your turn:
- Lose 3 points. Discard scored Frogs worth 3 points to the game box. If you don't have 3 points, lose all points.
- Draw 2 Frogs. Place one on your Shore and keep the other in hand. If only 1 Frog can be drawn, place it on your Shore.
Landing on a Frog
If you advance a Frog to a Lily Pad that is occupied by an opponent's Frog, remove the opposing Frog from the board, and place it on the Score Slot labeled '1' on your edge of the board. You may be forced to advance onto your own Frog, if you have no other available moves. If you do, remove from the game the Frog that would have been squashed.
Landing on a Fly
If you advance a Frog to a Lily Pad occupied by a Fly, move the Fly to an unoccupied Lily Pad and draw a Frog into your hand. If all Lily Pads are occupied, you may move it to an occupied Lily Pad. You may never place a Fly on the 4 Lily Pads closest to your Shore (your Starting Lily Pads.) In a 2-player game, Lily Pads occupied by a Red Beetle are also excluded.
Game End
When the last Frog is drawn, continue to play until someone cannot perform an action on their turn. During this time, if a player lands on a Fly, they remove it from the board. It scores 1 point.
The game ends immediately when someone cannot perform an Action (the player is not penalized 3 points as they would normally be) and then all players add up their scores.
Scoring
Each player totals the sum of Frogs in each of the Four Score Slots on their edge of the Game Board. Add 1 point for any Flies you may have acquired. No points for Frogs still remaining in hand or on the board. The player with the most total points wins. If there is a tie, all tied players win and share the swampy glory of the bog.
Scoring example: This player scores 30 points. 6 x 1 Point = 6 Points; 5 x 3 Points = 15 Points; 2 x 4 Points = 8 Points; 1 Fly = 1 Point; TOTAL = 30 Points.