Unnamed Farm Organisms Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
• Setup
• Naming the Animals
• Gameplay
• Special Situations
  • Adam
  • Eve
  • Treacherous Snake
• Game End
• FAQ
• Suggested Variants

Object of the Game

Players name different creatures and try to remember their names in the right circumstances. The player with the best combination of memory and reaction speed wins an animal card. Whoever has the most animal cards at the end wins the game!

Components

48 Animal Cards (8 types of animals, 3 of each gender with flowers indicating females).

8 Animal Naming Cards (one side with Adam's name, the other left blank for players to fill).

Setup

1. Take the 8 different animal naming cards out and let every player pick one. Put any extra cards back in the box.
2. Pick the set of 6 animal cards that correspond to each of the selected animal naming cards. In addition, for 3 or more players, randomly add in one set of animal cards. For 2 players, randomly add in two sets of animal cards.
3. All players should agree on what Adam's names are for each animal for their game. Then go around the table and ensure each player is aligned with Adam's original names for each of the animals in the agreed upon language (e.g., bear, wolf, fox, deer, squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, and owl in English).
4. Shuffle the cards and place the deck face down in the center of the table. Discard the top two cards from the deck.

Naming the Animals

Each player will rename the animal they have selected and write the new name on the animal naming card. It is recommended that players do not choose names too similar or related to Adam's original names. For example, the "bear" card should not be renamed "Big Bear," "Winnie," or "Bay Air." Players can then use the dry erase marker provided to draw additional features on their animal naming card as well as write their new name at the top of the card.

The game is most fun when everyone agrees on what kinds of names are too long or too hard to pronounce ahead of time.

After completing the animal naming cards but before starting the game, players should go around to introduce their animal's new name and have everyone else practice saying and remembering the new name.

Gameplay

1. The player who most recently went to the zoo or lives closest to a zoo is the initial dealer and reveals the first card.
2. The dealer flips the topmost card from the deck in the center of the table. They should flip it quickly and away from himself so that all players can see the card simultaneously.
3. The first to call the name of the animal correctly wins the card. Each card counts as 1 victory point (VP).
4. The correct name for the animal depends on what is shown on the card (described below), but if there are no special rules, it is the new name given by the players. If an unnamed animal is shown, then the correct name is the name originally given by Adam.
5. Every player can call out a name, but each player will only have one chance per card.
6. If players win a card with an unnamed animal, they also win the right to rename that animal. Afterwards, the default name for the animal will be the new name given by that player.
7. The player who wins the card puts it face up in front of them. They then have a chance to find a mate for that animal.

First, the player checks their tableau for the opposite gender ("mate") of the animal card they just won. If so, they take both animal cards and turn them face down. The player is guaranteed to keep them for end of game scoring. If the player does not have the animal's mate, they check all other player's tableaus for the animal's mate. If they find one they may add the card to their tableau and then turn both cards face down for end of game scoring. If there is more than one option the player may choose which card to take. If there are no mates then the player ends their turn.

8. The player who won the card is now the dealer and flips the next card for the group.

Special Situations

Adam

If Adam appears in the card's background, he wants to stop players from calling the animal these silly nonsense names. Hence, the first to call the animal by Adam's original name wins the card. If a player calls the animal by their new name (or any other name other than Adam's original name), they will have to discard a face-up animal card from their tableau and place it in the discard pile. The player who wins the card will give the animal a new name. Note: past names can not be reused.

(The example card is labelled DEER.)

Eve

If Eve appears in the card's background, everyone plays normally and the player who calls the animal's new name correctly first wins the card. The player who wins the card looks for Adam first among their own faceup cards. If Adam cannot be found there, they look among the faceup cards across all other players' tableaus. If Adam can be found that player immediately takes that card into their tableau (regardless of the type of animal shown). If there are multiple choices the player will choose which card they would like to have. Afterwards that player will look for mates for both cards if possible. This means that players may be able to bank up to 4 cards for scoring that turn (Eve, Adam, Eve's animal's mate, and Adam's animal's mate).

(The example card is captioned "animal's new name".)

Treacherous Snake

Snakes are masters of manipulation, if the snake appears in the card's background the first player to call the animal by the wrong name wins the card. To win, the player must call out any name of any other animal in the game (Adam's original name or the new name), but cannot call out this animal's new name or Adam's original name.

(The example card is captioned "BEAR"; the crossed-out calls on the sheet read "The names previously used by players.")

Game End

The game is over when the deck at the center of the table runs out. Players should count the number of cards they have (both faceup and facedown). The player with the most cards wins the game. If there is a tie, the player with the most cards that have Adam in the background wins game. If there is still a tie, all tied players share the victory!

FAQ

• If there isn't a clear winner for a given card because two or more players called out the correct answer at the same time, then the player with fewest VP among them gets the card. If there is a tie for the fewest VP, move that card to the discard pile.
• If no one remembers the correct name of the animal, then move that card to the discard pile. The dealer will give the animal a new name.

Suggested Variants

Try out any of these alternate naming rules for some fun ideas on how to create a different challenge:

• Real Animal Names: All players must use another animal name to rename their selected animal (e.g., bear is now a cockroach, fox is now an octopus, etc.)
• Topic of Interest: All players agree on a topic of interest and limit the naming scope to that topic (e.g., street food, flowers, historical figures, films, etc.)
• Real People Names: All players must name their selected animal with the names or nicknames of people they know (mutual friends, family members, players, etc.). If using the game as an icebreaker, it may be suitable to simply name the animals with each player's own name.
• Rhymes: All players agree on a rhyming convention and name their animals to follow that convention (e.g., Merry, Cherry, Sherry, Jerry, Harry, etc.)