Yellowstone Park
Yellowstone Park Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Setup
The game board is placed on the center of the table. Each player selects a score marker and places it on the large space marked "5" on the score track. The cards are shuffled, and each player is dealt a hand of six cards. The remaining cards are put as a draw pile face down beside the game board. The first card from the draw pile is revealed, and placed in the middle column of the matching row. The youngest player begins, and play then continues in the clockwise direction.
Animal Cards
Different animals are depicted on the 56 cards (Moose, Wolf, Bear, Eagle, Raccoon, Hare, Lynx, Bison). The four colors and the numbers from 1 to 7 are of special importance for the play of the cards. Each card occurs twice.
The players play one or two animal cards from their hand onto the game board. The cards are put down into spaces at the intersections of rows and columns.
Each number has its own row. Each card with a 4 may thus be put only into the 4th row. In contrast to the rows, which are determined by the numbers, each color can be put into any column. However, as soon as the first card of a color lies in a column, only the same color cards may be put into this column. For example, if a yellow card lies in a column, then only additional yellow cards may be put in the same column.
When all animal cards of a color are removed from a column during the course of the game, any color may again be put down in this column.
Note: For example, if there is already a green column, then further green animal cards may be put down only into this column. When no more green cards lie in this column, then further green cards may be put into a new column.
Sequence of Play
The player whose turn it is plays either one or two cards in succession from his hand to the game board. It may not be fit.
A player tries to only play cards onto the game board that belong to the 3x3 matrix. If successful, he collects no penalty cards (see Collecting Cards from the Board, below).
What is a 3x3 matrix?
A 3x3 matrix consists of nine neighbouring spaces of three horizontal, and three vertical. It does not matter whether the spaces of the 3x3 matrix contain animal cards or not.
If only one card is on the game board, then there are nine options for the 3x3 matrix (see Example A). As additional cards are placed, the options for defining the 3x3 matrix are reduced (see Examples B to E).
A 3x3 matrix is fixed if there is only one option for the 3x3 matrix after the placement of a card.
Note: Since each animal card occurs twice, identical cards may be placed upon each other. For example, if a Green 6 is already on the game board, then the second Green 6 may be put on the same space.
Collecting Cards from the Board
Frequently it will happen that a player only has cards that do not fit into the 3x3 matrix. In this case he places a card to form a new 3x3 matrix, and must now collect all of the cards on the board that lie outside the new one.
These animal cards are collected into a face-down stack in front of the player. Each card in this stack counts as a penalty point [N.B. but is scored later, see below].
Note: If a player wants to play two animal cards, then he must collect any required cards after the placing of the first card before placing the second card.
Playing One Card
If a player plays only one animal card and afterwards still has at least one card in hand, he may not refill his hand from the draw pile. Her turn is immediately finished, which she indicates to her fellow players by saying "done." Then it is the next player's turn.
Playing Two Cards
If a player plays two cards in turn and afterwards still has at least one card in hand has, she must decide: Either she may refill her hand to six cards from the draw pile, or she draws none. Then it is the next player's turn.
Note: Rule change when playing with 2 or 3 players: When a player places two cards, he must refill his hand to six cards from the draw pile. He may not decide to draw no replacement cards.
No Cards in Hand
If a player has no cards in hand after playing one or two to the board, he must decide: Either he shuffles the stack of penalty cards and draws from them back up to six cards in hand (the remaining penalty cards stay in a face-down pile before him), or He draws six cards from the draw pile.
Note: If a player has five or fewer cards in his stack of penalty cards, then he must draw six cards from the draw pile.
Bonuses
If a player can occupy the second-to-last space of a 3x3 matrix, then he receives a bonus point. That means he moves his score marker one space closer to zero on the score track. If a player occupies the ninth space of a 3x3 matrix, then he receives three bonus points, moving his marker three spaces toward the zero. A player can receive four bonus points through the placement of two cards. When a score marker reaches zero, it can receive no further bonus points.
Example: Christa places a Yellow 4 into the 3x3 matrix. This card occupies the final space, and so she receives three bonus points. Her red score marker is moved three spaces towards the zero space on the score track.
Now she puts a second Yellow 4 into the matrix. She receives no bonuses for this card, because its space is already occupied.
Scoring
Each turn, if the last card was drawn from the draw pile, the game is interrupted for a scoring. It can happen that the player who caused the scoring, will not be able to refill his hand to exactly six cards.
For the scoring each player adds the cards in his penalty stack. Each card is counted as one penalty point. The score markers on the scoring track are adjusted accordingly. Then the cards from all penalty stacks are shuffled together and placed face-down as a new draw pile. The players retain their hand of cards. Afterwards the game continues with the player next to the one who caused the scoring.
Example: Uwe refills his hand by drawing three cards. However, after the second card the draw pile is empty. A scoring happens immediately. Each player sets his hand of cards briefly aside and counts the cards in his penalty stack. Uwe has 5 penalty cards, Christa has 9 penalty cards, Gesa has 3 penalty cards and Holger has no penalty cards.
According to the penalty points the players move their score markers: Uwe (blue) moves 5 spaces, Christa (violet) moves 9 spaces, Gesa (yellow) moves 3 spaces and Holger's red marker does not move. Afterwards the penalty cards are shuffled to form a new draw pile. Uwe may not yet draw his hand up to six cards. The game continues with Christa.
Winning the Game
The game is finished after a scoring in which a player's score marker reaches or exceeds the 35 space on the score track. The winner is the player whose score marker is closest to zero on the score track, having the fewest penalty points. In the case of a tie, players share the win.
Alternate Rules for Playing with Two
The rules described above apply. In addition, at the beginning of the game a neutral score marker is placed on the number 7 on the right edge of game board. On each round, if one of the two players drew cards from his penalty stack, the neutral score marker is moved down to the next lowest number. When the neutral score marker is pushed off the number 1 on the game board, it causes a scoring. It this way, the scoring may occur before the draw pile is emptied. After each scoring the neutral score marker is again put on the number 7.
Advanced Rule
Beside the normal 3x3 matrix a different type of matrix formed, called the "edge matrix." An edge matrix consists of three cards in the 1 row and three cards in the 7 row to form a 2x3 matrix. The six spaces of the edge matrix must lie in three neighbouring columns.
For the bonuses this means: If a player occupies the fifth space of an edge matrix, then he receives a bonus point. If a player occupies the sixth field of an edge matrix, then he receives three bonus points.
Examples of Forming 3x3 Matrices
Examples A to E are illustrated in the source with pictures only (not reproduced here).