The Butterfly Garden (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Advanced Setup
• Overview
• Playing the Game
  • Phase 1: Race to the Field
  • Phase 2: Capture and Deliver Butterflies
    • Step A: Capture a Butterfly (place net)
    • Step B: Perform a Special Action
    • Step C: Add Butterfly to Jar
    • Step D: Deliver Butterflies to Garden
  • Special Rule for 2 Players
  • Phase 3: Prepare for Next Day
• Game End
  • Scoring Example
• Determining a Winner
• Competitive Variant for 3-5 Players

Components

• 55 Butterfly cards
• 5 Jar tiles
• 20 Delivery cards
• 5 Nets

Setup

1. Give each player a jar tile and a net token.
2. Shuffle the butterfly cards and deal a hand of 3 cards, face-down, to each player. Players may look at their own hands.
3. Remove 0/11/22/22 random butterfly cards from the deck for 5/4/3/2 players and return them to the box. Transcription note: the printed count reads "0/11/22/22". The intended numbers appear to be 0/1/2/2 (one card removed for 4 players, two for 3 and for 2 players); verify against the printed page.
4. Place the remaining butterfly cards face-down as a draw pile.
5. Draw 1 card per player from the butterfly deck and place face-up in a row. This is "the field." For 2 players, draw and flip 3 cards.
6. Shuffle the delivery cards and place face-down to the side of the playing area.
7. Draw and place delivery cards face-up in a row near the delivery deck; place as many delivery cards as the number of players. For 2 players, also flip another delivery card and leave it on top of the deck, face-up.

Advanced Setup

For more balanced starting hands, replace step #2 by giving players specific cards. Give the youngest player the 3 butterfly cards with 1 white butterfly icon (lower right). Give the second youngest player the butterfly cards with 2 white butterfly icons, give the third youngest player the 3 icons, and so on. Return other cards to deck and shuffle.

The starting cards for the advanced setup are numbered 1 to 15 and are easily identified by the yellow flower on the left and the white butterflies in the lower right.

The rulebook includes an example diagram of a 3-player setup showing the field and the seating positions; it is not transcribed here.

Overview

The game is played over a series of "days" (rounds). Start each day by "racing to the field" (to determine turn order). Then, capture butterflies with your net, put butterflies into your jar, and, if possible, deliver butterflies to a butterfly garden to score victory points (VPs).

Playing the Game

The game is played in rounds until a game-ending event.

Each round has 3 phases:

1. Race to the Field
2. Capture and Deliver Butterflies
3. Prepare for Next Day

Phase 1: Race to the Field

• All players simultaneously choose a butterfly card from their hands and put it face-down.
• When ready, turn cards face-up.
• The numbers on the cards establish the turn order for Phase 2.

Phase 2: Capture and Deliver Butterflies

Players take turns from lowest to highest numbered cards played in Phase 1. On your turn, take four steps, in this order:

• A. Capture a Butterfly (place net)
• B. Perform a Special Action, if any
• C. Add Butterfly to Jar
• D. Deliver Butterflies to Garden (optional)

Step A: Capture a Butterfly (place net)

• Place your net token on a butterfly card in the field.
• Leave the net and card in the field for now.
• You will be able to take this card later, provided another player does not move your net by the end of the day. See "Perform a Special Action."

Step B: Perform a Special Action

• If the butterfly card played in Phase 1 has a special action icon (upper right corner), you may perform a special action.
• Sometimes, the action is not possible so it is lost.
• There are 4 different actions:
  • Draw a butterfly card, add it to your hand, then return a card from your hand to the bottom of the deck.
  • Place a butterfly card from your hand into your jar, then take a butterfly card from your jar and put into your hand.
  • Move another player's net to a different card.
  • Put a face-up delivery card on deck bottom and replace.

Step C: Add Butterfly to Jar

• Move the butterfly card played during Phase 1 to your jar.
• Turn the card sideways and tuck under the side of the jar to allow for an easy view of the captured butterflies.

Jar Limit: A jar can hold up to 8 butterflies. If your jar has more than 8, you must immediately discard butterfly card(s) of your choice until 8 or fewer butterflies remain. Count butterflies, not the cards.

Step D: Deliver Butterflies to Garden

• You may "deliver butterflies" from your jar to a garden to earn a delivery card.
• To do so, discard butterfly cards with butterflies matching those on a face-up delivery card.
• You may only earn one delivery card per turn.
• You may use any combination of cards to meet the requirements of a delivery card.
• You may "overpay" by discarding cards with more butterflies than required.
• A rainbow butterfly may be used as any color ("wild").
• A black butterfly on a delivery card means "any butterfly" can be used to meet that requirement.
• Place acquired delivery cards face-up in your play area.

The rulebook shows an example: discarding these butterfly cards earns a delivery card worth 5 VPs, overpaying by 1 butterfly.

Move to Phase 3: After all players take a turn, move to Phase 3.

Special Rule for 2 Players

For the first player of a round, the delivery card on top of the deck is available. The player taking the second turn may not earn this card.

Phase 3: Prepare for Next Day

• All players retrieve their nets and add the butterfly card under the nets to their hands.
• Flip 1 butterfly card from the deck per player and place in the field, as in the setup.
• Replenish the delivery card(s) so that the number of face-up cards is again equal to the number of players.
• For 2 players:
  • discard the extra butterfly card in the field.
  • add 1 new butterfly card to the field.
  • use the face-up delivery card on the deck first to replenish, then flip a new card to stay on top of the deck.

Game End

The game ends at the current round's end when there are not enough butterfly cards or delivery cards to refill the field or delivery card row. Determine scores by adding victory points (VPs) earned from:

• Delivery Cards: Score VPs as shown on the cards.
• Variety Bonus: Score 1/3/6 VPs for a set of 2/3/4 different delivery locations (i.e., zoo, university, etc). Score only 1 set.
• Jar: Score 1 VP for each different butterfly in hand.
• Hand: Score 2 VPs if you have the most (or tied for the most) butterflies in your hand. Duplicates count.

Scoring Example

• Delivery Card Total: 18 (3+4+5+6)
• Variety Bonus: 3 (3 different locations)
• Jar Score: 4 (4 different butterflies)
• Hand Score: 0 (6 butterflies in hand, but another player had 7)
• Total: 25

Determining a Winner

The player with the most VPs wins. In case of ties, the player with the higher numbered butterfly card in her hand wins the tie.

Competitive Variant for 3-5 Players

Player with 1 fewer face-up delivery cards than the number of players.