Sheepy Time
Sheepy Time Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
Your copy of Sheepy Time should include the following. If it does not, visit https://alderac.com/customer-service for assistance.
- 1 Game Board
- 1 Wooden Fence Token
- 1 Scoreboard
- 1 First Sheep Token
- 4 Sets of Player Components
- 1 Sheep Token
- 1 Wink Token
- 1 Pillow Token
- 10 Zzz Tokens
- 1 Nightmare Token
- 1 Web Token
- 30 Dream Tiles
- 50 Sheep Cards
- 30 Nightmare Cards
- 3 Nightmare Reference Cards
- 2 Pillow Reference Tiles
- 1 Rulebook
Setup
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Place the Game board in the center of the table within easy reach of all players. Place the Fence in the Game board between the 10 and 1 spaces.
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Place the Scoreboard near the Game board. Find the Pillow Reference tile that corresponds to the number of players in the game and place it above the Scoreboard.
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Each player chooses a color and collects all game pieces of that color (1 Sheep token, 1 Wink token, 1 Pillow token, 10 Zzz tokens). All players then place their Sheep token in front of them, their Wink token on space 0 on the Scoreboard, and their Pillow token on space 40 on the Scoreboard.
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Decide which Nightmare to use this game. For your first game, it is recommended that the players use the Nightmare Wolf. In subsequent games, the Nightmare can be mutually agreed upon or determined randomly. Set the Reference card for the chosen Nightmare near the Scoreboard. Place the Nightmare token in the center of the Game board.
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Form the deck for the game by shuffling together all of the chosen Nightmare's cards with the Sheep cards, removing any cards intended for a higher number of players. For a 2-player game, use only cards marked with a "2" (in the upper-right corner), for a 3-player game, use "2" and "3" cards. For a 4-player game, all Sheep cards are used.
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Shuffle the 30 Dream tiles and place them in a stack face-down near the Scoreboard. Reveal the top Dream tile and place it on space 5 of the Game board; reveal the next tile and place it on space 10. Then reveal 4 additional Dream tiles and place them near the Scoreboard to create the Dream tile market.
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Whoever went to sleep the earliest last night becomes the first player. Give that player the First Sheep token. You are ready to begin!
Symbols
Sheepy Time uses some symbols to refer to different game elements. Keep an eye out for these symbols on your journeys!
Zzz's – These tokens are placed on Dream tiles. Removing a Zzz will allow the player to activate a Dream tile's ability when that player lands on the corresponding space.
Infinite Zzz's – The reverse side of a Zzz, an Infinite Zzz allows a player to activate a Dream tile without removing a token!
Winks – These are similar to "victory points" in other games, but dreamier! Gaining Winks will move a player's Wink token up the Scoreboard. However, Winks are reset to 0 at the end of each round.
Pillow – A player's Pillow token is the goal that they are attempting to meet or surpass with their Wink token. Depending on how well you do each round, your Pillow token will drift to a lower number, making it easier to win the game!
Gameplay
Sheepy Time is played in 2 phases: The Racing Phase and the Resting Phase. In the Racing Phase, players will play cards to move around the Game board and collect Winks. In the Resting Phase, players will add new Dream tiles to the board and prepare for the next round of racing.
Racing Phase
The game begins with the Racing Phase. In the Racing Phase, players will be playing cards to move around the Game board, using Dream tiles, and jumping the Fence, with the goal of gaining the most Winks.
At the start of each Racing Phase, all players draw 2 cards from the deck. These cards form a player's hand. Each player should look at their hand, but keep it secret from other players.
NOTE: Whenever a player draws a Nightmare card for any reason (including at the start of the Racing Phase), they MUST immediately reveal it and resolve the instructions on the card. If multiple players have drawn Nightmare cards at the start of the phase, these cards are resolved in turn order, with each player resolving all Nightmares until their hand contains 2 Sheep cards (see "Nightmare & Becoming Scared").
Turn Structure
Players take turns in order, starting with the player with the First Sheep Token and continuing clockwise. Each turn consists of 4 steps:
- Play a Card
- Use Dream Tiles
- Resolve Fence Crossing
- Draw Cards
1. Play a Card
The active player will choose 1 card from their hand to play face-up in front of them and resolve it.
Most cards will move a player's Sheep token a certain number of spaces. To move, a player advances their Sheep token that many spaces around the Game board in a clockwise direction starting with space 1 if that player's Sheep token is not already on the Game board. If they end their movement on a space with a Dream tile containing 1 or more of their Zzz's, they may use that Dream tile (as described under "Use Dream Tiles" below).
Many cards will also give players an option to catch a Zzz. To catch a Zzz, a player places 1 of their Zzz tokens on any Dream tile currently on the board. If a player chooses to catch a Zzz, but all of their Zzz tokens are already on the board, they may move a Zzz from a Dream tile to a different Dream tile (or choose to not catch any if they are satisfied with the current placement of their tokens). Some cards allow players to catch multiple Zzz's. When using such cards, a player may choose to place all of the Zzz's on a single Dream tile, or divide them among multiple Dream tiles.
WATCH YOUR STEP! If a player moves the number of spaces indicated on their card, and lands on a space with the Nightmare token, they will IMMEDIATELY become Scared (see "Nightmare & Becoming Scared"). Anything occurring after movement (Using a Dream tile on that space, crossing the Fence, etc) happens after the Nightmare Scares a player.
NOTE: Some cards say "AND", requiring the player to take both actions, while others say "OR," requiring a player to choose between moving their Sheep token or the other effect listed on the card.
2. Use Dream Tiles
If a player lands on a space with a Dream tile (due to movement from either a card effect or another Dream tile) containing 1 or more of that player's Zzz's, that player may remove 1 Zzz (returning it to their supply) to use the ability of that Dream tile.
If a player has an Infinite Zzz on a tile, it can never be discarded or moved from that tile for any reason. When a player lands on a Dream tile where they have an Infinite Zzz, they may use the ability without removing any tokens from the tile.
BEWARE!! If the effect of a Dream tile causes a player to land on a space with the Nightmare token, they will IMMEDIATELY become Scared (see "Nightmare & Becoming Scared"). Anything occurring after movement (Using a Dream tile, crossing the Fence, etc) happens after the Nightmare Scares a player.
NOTE: A player may use multiple different Dream tiles in a single turn if a Dream tile allows that player to move to a different space with another Dream tile. However, a player cannot use the same tile multiple times in the same turn, even if they have multiple Zzz's there.
Example:
- The Yellow Sheep plays a card and chooses to move 3 spaces with it.
- Because the Yellow Sheep ends their movement from their card on a space with a Dream tile with their Zzz on it, they choose to remove their Zzz to use the Dream tile, which moves them 1 space forward.
3. Resolve Fence Crossing
If the active player's movement during a turn causes them to cross the Fence between spaces 10 and 1, they perform the following steps each time they do so (otherwise continue to step 4: Draw Cards):
- The player gains 5 Winks.
- The player decides whether they would like to continue taking turns this round or Call It A Night and retire for the round.
Crossing the Fence can ONLY be done in a clockwise direction. Players may not move backwards over the Fence (from 1 to 10) under any circumstances, even if a Dream tile would cause them to do so. If a player would move backwards over the Fence, they instead stay on space 1.
When a player Calls It A Night, they place their Sheep token in front of them and discard their hand. They no longer draw or play any additional cards and are skipped in the turn order until a new Racing Phase begins. However, they are also safe from the Nightmare for the rest of the Racing Phase. Knowing when to Call It A Night and when to go for another lap is key to victory!
NOTE: A player may only Call It A Night immediately after crossing the Fence. If they choose to continue, they will not be able to Call It A Night until they complete another lap around the Game board and cross the Fence again.
Example:
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Since the Yellow Sheep crossed the Fence this turn, they gain 5 Winks. The Yellow Sheep could choose to Call It A Night here, but instead decides to continue on.
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Finally the Yellow Sheep draws a card so they have 2 cards in hand again. On to the next Sheep!
4. Draw Card
Once the above steps are complete, if the active player did not Call It A Night during step 3, they draw cards from the deck until they have 2 cards in hand. Players who Call It A Night do not draw cards for the remainder of the round. Usually, this step causes a player to draw 1 card, but due to the effects of certain Dream tiles, it is possible for a player to have no cards in hand. If this is the case, the player will draw 2 cards instead.
If a player draws a Nightmare card, they MUST reveal and resolve the instructions on it. Then they continue drawing until they have 2 Sheep cards (Non-Nightmare cards) in hand. Once the player has drawn for the turn, they announce that their turn is over and play passes to the next player in turn order.
If the active player is the only Sheep currently playing in the Racing Phase (because all other Sheep have either Woken Up or Called It A Night), they must reveal the top card of the deck before drawing their cards for the turn. If the revealed card is a Nightmare card, the instructions on the card are resolved and the card is discarded and a new card is drawn. Otherwise, the player simply discards that card with no effect, and continues to draw as normal.
Nightmare & Becoming Scared
The Nightmare can be scary, so be careful!
Whenever a player draws a Nightmare card for any reason (including at the start of the Racing Phase), they MUST immediately reveal it and resolve the instructions on the card. The most common instruction is to move the Nightmare.
There are 2 different types of movement that Nightmares may make:
1. MOVE – When a card instructs the Nightmare to MOVE, the Nightmare token moves the same way as a Sheep, but does not use Dream tiles.
If a Nightmare moves ONTO a player's space during ANY part of its movement, that player becomes Scared and must lay their Sheep token on its side to mark this.
2. JUMP – When a card instructs the Nightmare to JUMP, it does not move onto or through any spaces in between its current space and its destination (the space that it is instructed to jump to). Only players who are in the exact space that the Nightmare jumps to will become Scared. Players in the spaces between the original space and the jump destination are not affected.
NOTE: A player becomes Scared if they end their movement directly on the same space as the Nightmare. However, a player may move past a Nightmare without becoming Scared!
Example: The Blue Sheep draws this Nightmare card, which moves the Nightmare 1 space forward! Because it moves on the Blue Sheep's space, they become Scared and knock their Sheep token over.
Being Scared is indicated by a player having their Sheep token knocked over on its side. Being Scared has no specific drawback, but if a player is Scared, and then would be Scared a second time, instead that player Wakes Up. When a player Wakes Up, the following steps occur:
- The player places their Sheep token in front of them.
- They return their Wink token to the 0 space on the Scoreboard.
- They discard their hand.
Players who Wake Up take no further turns during that Racing Phase.
Some Dream tiles will allow a player to "become Brave." This stands a player's Sheep token back up, and they are no longer Scared. Keep an eye out for these tiles if you're afraid of Waking Up!
If the Nightmare crosses the Fence, then ALL players who have not already Woken Up or Called It A Night immediately Wake Up, and the Racing Phase ends. Try to cross the Fence and Call It A Night before the Nightmare does!
NOTE: A player becomes Scared if they end their movement directly on the same space as the Nightmare. However, a player may move past a Nightmare without becoming Scared!
Example: The Blue Sheep draws this Nightmare card, which moves the Nightmare 1 space forward, which causes it to land on the same space as the Blue Sheep, causing the Blue Sheep to become Scared and place their Sheep token on its side. The Blue Sheep needs to draw another card to replace the Nightmare they drew and immediately played, but this new card is not a Nightmare so it is now the next player's turn.
End of Round & Winning
The Racing Phase ends when all Sheep have either Called It A Night or Woken Up. This may occur naturally through each player either Waking Up or choosing to Call It A Night, or it may occur when the Nightmare crosses the fence, which immediately causes all players still playing to Wake Up.
When the Racing Phase ends, check the Scoreboard for a winner: If any player's Wink token is at or past their Pillow token, they win the game! If multiple players would win, the player whose Wink token is furthest past their Pillow token wins. If players are still tied, the player who gained the most Winks in the final Racing Phase wins. If still tied, the tied players share the victory!
If no one has won the game, each player lowers their Pillow token on the Scoreboard based on their placement in Winks collected this round, per the Pillow Reference card:
2 Player
- 1st: 8 (Pillow moves down)
- 2nd: 5 (Pillow moves down)
- Wake Up: 3 (Pillow moves down)
3 Player
- 1st: 10 (Pillow moves down)
- 2nd: 7 (Pillow moves down)
- 3rd: 5 (Pillow moves down)
- Wake Up: 3 (Pillow moves down)
4 Player
- 1st: 10 (Pillow moves down)
- 2nd: 8 (Pillow moves down)
- 3rd: 6 (Pillow moves down)
- 4th: 5 (Pillow moves down)
- Wake Up: 3 (Pillow moves down)
If multiple players are tied for the same number of Winks, they all get the higher result (i.e. multiple players can move their Pillow token based on Most Winks).
Then the player whose Pillow token is on the highest number (i.e., the player whose Pillow token has moved the least) takes the First Sheep token. If multiple players share the highest Pillow value, the First Sheep token is given to the player involved in the tie that is closest to the right of the current First Player.
Once scoring is completed, players reset the board as follows: All players place their Sheep tokens in front of them. Return the Nightmare to the center of the Game board. Return all players' Wink tokens to 0. Return all cards that were played, discarded, or in players' hands to the deck and shuffle the deck thoroughly. Now the game moves to the Resting Phase!
NOTE: All wooden components (Sheep tokens, the Nightmare token, and Wink tokens) and cards should now be returned to the same places as they were at the beginning of the Racing Phase.
Dream Tile Anatomy
Each Dream tile has:
- Name
- Tile Ability
- Placement Bonus
(For example, the "Bounce Ahead" Dream tile is named "Bounce Ahead," has the ability "Move forward 1 space," and carries a Zzz as its placement bonus.)
Resting Phase
In the Resting Phase, players have an opportunity to dream up new strategies by adding new Dream tiles and Zzz's to the game board.
Beginning with the player who has the First Sheep token and continuing clockwise, each player chooses 1 of 2 options:
Add a New Dream Tile to the Board – A player who chooses this option will pick 1 of the 4 face-up Dream tiles in the market and place it on any empty space of the Game board. The bottom-right corner of the tile will instruct the player to either place 3 of their Zzz's on that Dream tile or place an Infinite Zzz on it. Finally, the player refills the Dream tile market from the unused stack, ensuring there are still 4 options available to the next player.
If all 10 spaces already have Dream tiles, a player cannot choose this option and must instead Catch 2 Zzz's.
Catch 2 Zzz's onto Dream Tiles – A player who chooses this option will place 2 Zzz's onto Dream tiles on the game board. These Zzz's can be divided in any way they choose (2 Zzz's on 1 Dream tile or 1 each on 2 different Dream tiles).
Once all players have had an opportunity to either add a new Dream tile or catch Zzz's, the round is complete and players return to the beginning of the Racing Phase. Continue alternating Racing Phases and Resting Phases until a player wins the game!
Turns Example
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The Yellow Sheep takes their turn. They play a card that says "Move 3 Spaces OR Catch 1 Zzz". The Yellow Sheep chooses to move 3 spaces, landing on space 10.
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Space 10 has the Dream tile "Bounce Ahead" and the Yellow Sheep has a Zzz there, so they decide to use the Dream tile. The Yellow Sheep removes the Zzz to use the tile, moving them forward 1 space and over the Fence. The Yellow Sheep is now on space 1, and uses the Dream tile "Moonwalk" there. They have an Infinite Zzz there, so they don't remove a token from the Dream tile to use it. Moonwalk would normally move them backward 2 spaces, but a player may never move backward over the Fence. Instead, the Yellow Sheep only gains 2 Winks from the effect. Because the Yellow Sheep crossed the Fence this turn, they gain 5 more Winks and decide whether to Call It A Night or keep going. They decide to keep going and draw up to having 2 cards in hand. They didn't draw a Nightmare card, so it is now the next player's turn.
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The Blue Sheep plays a card that says "Move 2 Spaces OR Catch 2 Zzz's". They choose to catch 2 Zzz's, putting 1 on Bounce Ahead and 1 on Moonwalk. Even though the Blue Sheep is on Bounce Ahead and now has a Zzz there, they do not get to use that Dream tile because they did not move and land there this turn.
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The Blue Sheep draws a new card, but it's a Nightmare! The Nightmare card moves the Nightmare token forward 1 space, which causes it to land on the same space as the Blue Sheep, causing the Blue Sheep to become Scared and place their Sheep token on its side. The Blue Sheep needs to draw another card to replace the Nightmare they drew and immediately played, but this new card is not a Nightmare so it is now the next player's turn.
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The Purple Sheep plays a card that says "Move 4 Spaces OR Catch 1 Zzz". They choose to move 4 spaces, crossing the Fence and landing on space 1. Because the Purple Sheep does not have any Zzz's on space 1, they cannot use the ability on that tile. They do gain 5 Winks from crossing the Fence and may choose to Call It A Night.
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The Purple Sheep is cautious, so they Call It A Night, discarding their hand and placing their Sheep token in front of them. They no longer draw cards or take turns this Racing Phase, but at least they are safe from the Nightmare! It is now the next player's turn.
Solo Rules
To play Sheepy Time solo, the player has as many rounds as they need to get their Wink token to their Pillow token and score points! The game plays the same as above, with the following changes:
Setup – Remove the following Dream tiles from the game before shuffling: Catch Up, Copycat, Racing Rival, Sweet Dream, Shortcut, and Find a Friend. Use all the 2 player Sheep Cards.
Racing Phase – As the player is always the only Sheep, they must always reveal the top card of the deck before drawing (as described in "4. Draw Card").
End of Round & Winning – If a player's Wink token is at or above their Pillow token when they Call It A Night, the solo game ends and they move to Solo Scoring below. When a round ends and the player has not gotten their Wink token to (or past) their Pillow token, instead of moving a player's Pillow token normally, the player moves their Pillow token down 1 for every 5 Winks that they gained during that Racing Phase. If the player is forced to Wake Up, their Pillow token does not move.
Resting Phase – After the player has added a new Dream tile or added Zzz's to Dream tiles, they take the top Dream tile of the stack and place it on the lowest numbered space without a tile. No Zzz's are added to the tile when placing it this way.
Solo Scoring
To calculate a player's solo score: The player scores equal to the number of Winks that they gained, adds 2 points for every 5 spaces they moved their Pillow token down, then subtracts 5 points for each round they played. See how the sheep stacks up!
(The Solo Scoring reference card reminds players of the End of Round rule: 5 Winks = 1 space of Pillow movement; Waking Up = 0 spaces of Pillow movement.)
- 9 or Less Points: Restless Sleeper…
- 10-19 Points: Solid Snooze.
- 20-29 Points: Amazing Dreaming!
- 30 or more Points: The Dreamiest Sheep!!!
Dream Tile Clarifications
Moonwalk ("Gain 2 Winks. Move backward 2 spaces.") – A player still gains the Winks even if they move fewer than 2 spaces with the effect (for example, if they try to move backwards across the Fence, which is not allowed).
Dream Journal ("Become Scared. Replace one of your Zzz's on a single Dream tile with an Infinite Zzz.") – A player may take this action if they are already Scared. The effect would cause the player to flip a Zzz to its Infinite Zzz side, and would immediately cause the player to Wake Up.
Shepherd the Flock ("Move ALL Sheep 1 space forward or backward.") – Other Sheep moved by this cannot use any Dream tiles that they land on due to this Dream tile's text, but they do become Scared if they move onto the Nightmare. If this Dream tile causes another player to cross the Fence they do gain 5 Winks and may choose to Call It A Night at that time, even if it is not their turn.
Resting Spot ("Catch 1 Zzz. You may become Brave.") / Step Back ("Move backward 1 space. You may become Brave.") / Second Wind ("Discard your hand. You may become Brave.") – A player may still use this Dream tile even if they are already Brave.
Double Dutch ("Play the other card from your hand.") / Second Wind ("Discard your hand. You may become Brave.") – At the end of the player's turn they will draw 2 cards.
Ruuuuuun! ("Move forward to the space in front of the Nightmare.") / Shortcut ("Move to the next space with a Dream tile that has 3 or more Zzz's from any one player.") / Find a Friend ("Move forward to the next space containing another Sheep.") – If the closest target for this Dream tile is on a lower numbered space, that's fine: the player still gets to cross the Fence! If the closest target for this Dream tile is the active player's own space or if there is no target, the player does not move.
Hide or Seek ("If the Nightmare is on an odd-numbered space, gain 2 Winks. If it's on an even-numbered space, move 2 spaces.") – If the Nightmare is not on any space, a player activating this Dream tile gets no benefit.
Trampoline ("Move as many spaces as you moved immediately before landing here.") – If a player moved with both a card and a Dream tile before using Trampoline, the player only moves a number of spaces equal to the amount that the previous Dream tile moved them. Player's move in the same direction as they moved onto this Dream tile.
Racing Rival ("Move X spaces. X is equal to the number of the space the previous player is on.") – A player using this Dream tile will check the number that the player who went before them currently occupies in order to determine how far to move.
Example: The Purple Sheep uses Racing Rival. The Yellow Sheep sits to their right, so they check what space the Yellow Sheep token is on. Because it is on space 8, the Purple Sheep moves 8 spaces from Racing Rival.
Pipe Dream ("If you moved 8 or more spaces before landing here this turn, move your Pillow token down 3.") – The player may use a combination of card movement and movement from other Dream tiles to reach the total of the 8 or more spaces of movement.
Rush Ahead ("Gain 1 Wink. Play the top card of the deck.") – If a Nightmare card is played, resolve the Nightmare card, but do not play another card.
Copycat ("Move X spaces. X is equal to the number of movement on the previous player's last played card.") – Do not count Nightmare cards. Even if the previous player did not use their card to move, the movement value of that card is still used. "Previous player" refers to another player who took their turn immediately before this turn.
Big Stash ("Gain 2 Winks for each Zzz you have here, then remove all your Zzz's from here.") – The player must spend Zzz's from this Dream tile before gaining Winks. Infinite Zzz's count for gaining Winks, but are not removed. Infinite Zzz's count as a single Zzz during calculations.
Lone Sheep ("If you have no Zzz's on any other Dream tiles within 2 spaces of this one, gain 3 Winks.") – Dream tiles within 2 spaces count, even tiles that are across the Fence. If this tile is on Space 2, a player cannot have a Zzz on 10, 1, 3, or 4, in order to gain 3 Winks.
Recurring Dream ("Gain 2 Winks for each Dream you have 3 or more Zzz's on.") – The player must spend Zzz's from this Dream tile before gaining Winks. Infinite Zzz's count as a single Zzz during calculations.
Snooze Moves ("For every 2 Zzz's in your supply, move 1 space.") – The player must spend Zzz's from this Dream tile (returning it to their supply) before calculating the movement from the Dream tile in the same direction.
Credits
Design: Neil Kimball Director of Projects: Nicolas Bongiu Production: David Lepore Development Lead: Josh Wood Art: Zoé Plane Graphic Design: Blair Strong Figari Writing: Chris Schoenthal Technical Editor: Kalissa Fitzgerald
Special Thanks
Neil Kimball is a game designer and developer based in Los Angeles, CA. It has been a dream come true working with AEG on this game.
Thanks to John Zinser and Josh Wood for believing in this vision for cute sheep.
A big thanks to Taylor Shuss for being a good friend and enthusiastic playtester every step of the way.
Thank you to Neil's family for supporting him and raising him knowing games are a wonderful way to connect and show love.
And most of all thank you to his incredible wife Lila for being his first playtester and biggest fan.
Thank you to the playtesters: Lila Scott, Ian Rickett, Mitchell Golden, Taylor Shuss, Rob Watson, Steve #3 Ehrensperger, Chris Lawrence, Ben Tully, B.D. Flory, Kevin Scull, Tyler Stratton, John D. Clair, John Zinser, Mark Wootton, John Goodenough, Vlad Orellana, Kaz Nyborg-Andersen, David Lepore, Kyle Nunn, Todd Rowland, Nicolas Bongiu, Ryan Dancey, Luke Peterschmidt, Eric Andersson Sundén, Martin Bonnevier Kronlid, John Wright, Matt Jenkins, James Speck, John Bruno, Manolis Trahiotis, Jason Levine, Mike Trias, Jackson Rowland, Tyler Rowland, and Abby Kate Rowland, and all the others who played this game.
©2021 Alderac Entertainment Group. Sheepy Time and all related marks are ™, ©, and ® Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. 2505 Anthem Village Dr. Suite E-521, Henderson, NV. 89052. All rights reserved. Printed in China. Warning: Choking hazard! Not for use by children under 3 years of age. Visit our website at www.alderac.com/sheepy-time. Questions? https://alderac.com/customer-service