# CuBirds

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2018
- **BGG Rating**: 6.9
- **BGG Rank**: #1169
- **Players**: 2-5 (Best with: 3)
- **Duration**: 20 min
- **Weight**: 1.31 / 5
- **Designers**: Stefan Alexander
- **Artists**: Kristiaan der Nederlanden
- **Publishers**: Catch Up Games, Board Game Circus, Evrikus, Gam'inBIZ, Grok Games, Happy Baobab, hobbity.eu, Maldito Games, MINDOK, MS Edizioni, Pandasaurus Games, Reflexshop, Ultra PRO
- **Categories**: Animals, Card Game
- **Mechanics**: Hand Management, Set Collection

## Verdict
A snappy, adorable card game perfect for players who enjoy quick logic puzzles and nature themes.Very satisfying chain reaction mechanicFast-paced and dynamic gameplayVisually charming bird themeEasy to learn and teachSudden round ends can be frustratingRequires constant attention to opponentsRECOMMENDED

## Description
Ever felt like nature is just one big, beautiful mess? That's exactly the vibe of CuBirds! You're tasked with helping a chaotic group of birds organize themselves into flocks so they can finally fly back to their nests. It sounds peaceful, but don't let the cute art fool you—there's some serious tactical maneuvering involved.

At the start of each round, you'll hold eight bird cards. Some birds are also already perched on various fences around the table. Your main move? Playing a set of identical birds at the end of a fence. When your birds land next to others of the same species already on that fence, a chain reaction occurs: every bird caught in between them flies straight into your hand! This helps you build up your resources to eventually form actual flocks.

To claim victory, you need to be the first to reach one of two goals: collect seven different species in your scoring area, or manage to score two species with at least three identical birds each. You'll face a constant dilemma: do you play small flocks now to secure points, or wait to build larger, more rewarding flocks? Just keep a close eye on your opponents! The round ends abruptly the moment any player empties their hand. If you're mid-strategy and someone snaps up the last card, your current plans might just end up in the discard pile. It's a fast-paced game of hand management, timing, and quick thinking!

## How to Play
Complete Guide to CuBirds

Hello, future tabletop ornithologists! Welcome to CuBirds, a game where we help a flock of little birds find their way back home. It's a simple game, but with a tactical touch that will have you thinking about how to organize these flocks. Shall we begin?

Game Objective
In CuBirds, the theme is that dozens of birds land on the fences of our field, but when it's time to leave, they get mixed up and can't organize into flocks. Our mission is to help them find their way back to the nest. The game ends and a player wins when they manage to gather in their collection:

    Any 7 different species of birds.
    Or 2 species of at least 3 birds each.


Setup
Let's get everything ready for the fun to begin:

    Take the 110 bird cards, which are distributed among 8 species. The number of copies of each bird is in the bottom left corner of the card.
    Choose a player to be the starting player.
    The starting player shuffles all 110 bird cards and deals them into 4 rows with three face-up cards in the center of the table.
    Important: Each row must contain 3 birds of different species. If a row has the same bird repeated, discard the extra birds and place new cards until each row has 3 different species.
    The remaining cards form the draw pile, which is placed face down near the center of the table and accessible to everyone.
    The starting player deals 8 bird cards face down from the draw pile to each player. This is their starting hand.
    Next, the starting player deals one face-up bird card to each player. This card is placed in front of the player and is the first bird in their collection.
    Leave free space near the draw pile to form a discard pile.


Game Flow
The game is played over several successive rounds. Here's how it progresses:

    Round Start: Each player begins with 8 cards in hand.
    Player Turn: Starting with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, each player fully completes their turn.
    Round End: The round continues until one of the players no longer has cards in their hand.
    Game End: Players take turns until the end of the round or until a player manages to win the game.


Actions and How to Play
On your turn, you have two main actions:

1. PLACE BIRDS (Mandatory)
This is the main action of your turn. You must perform it:

    Choose one or more birds from your hand to play. You must play all birds of the same species that you have in your hand.
    Place these birds, side by side, to the left or right of one of the 4 bird rows in the center of the table. You can choose any row, regardless of the species already present.
    Special Action: If you place a bird in a row that already contains birds of the same species, you must take all the cards that are between those birds in the row. These cards are added to your hand.
    After taking the cards, rearrange the row by joining the remaining birds to form a continuous line.
    Row Restoration: If, and only if, there is only one species of birds remaining in the row immediately after you take the cards, you must add cards from the draw pile to that row, one by one, until there are two different species. The birds added from the draw pile can be placed to the left or right of the row. Stop adding cards as soon as there are two different species in the row.


2. COMPLETE A FLOCK (Optional)
After performing the place birds action, you may, if you wish, attempt to complete a flock.

    What is a Flock? A flock is a series of birds of the same species. All birds of the same species have the same flock number, which can be small or large, indicated on the card.
    How to Complete: To complete a flock, you must reveal all the birds of the same species that you have in your hands.
    Rewards:
        
            If the number of revealed cards is greater than or equal to the declared number for a small flock, you add one of these revealed cards to your collection.
            If the number of revealed cards is greater than or equal to the declared number for a large flock, you add two of these revealed cards to your collection.
        
    
    The remaining cards from the revealed flock are placed on the discard pile.
    Restrictions:
        
            You cannot reveal cards if you do not have enough to complete a flock.
            On your turn, you can only complete a single flock.
            You are never forced to complete a flock.
            Once a bird has been added to your collection, it can never be placed back into your hand or the draw pile.
        
    
    Special Situation: If you place one or more birds without enclosing any other cards between birds of the same species, you do not take any cards from the center of the table. In this case, you have the option to take the first 2 cards from the draw pile and add them to your hand.


End of Game and Scoring
The game ends in two ways:

    Round End: As soon as a player has no more cards in their hand, the current round ends. Other players place any remaining cards in their hands onto the discard pile. The cards in the rows in the center of the table remain. The player who ended the round becomes the new starting player and deals 8 cards from the draw pile to each player. If the draw pile becomes empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
    Immediate Game End: The game stops immediately and the round is ended if a player has 7 different species or 2 species of at least 3 birds in their collection at the end of their turn.
    End Due to Lack of Cards: The game ends immediately if it is impossible for the starting player to deal 8 cards to each player, even after reorganizing the discard pile.


Victory Conditions:

    The first player to manage to gather in their collection: Any 7 different species OR 2 species of at least 3 birds each, wins the game immediately.
    If the game ends due to a lack of cards in the draw pile, the player with the most bird cards in their collection wins the game. In case of a tie, the tied players share the victory.


Tips for Winning
To help you become a master of CuBirds, here are some tips:

    Keep an eye on the species that you and your opponents are collecting. Trying to complete a large flock can be risky if you don't have the right cards.
    Managing your hand is crucial. Sometimes it's better to hold onto some cards to create a better opportunity to pick up other cards from the center of the table in the future.
    Observe the bird rows in the center of the table. If a row is about to have only one species remaining, you can plan your move to force the addition of new cards, potentially benefiting you or hindering others.

## FAQ
### How long does a game take?
It's very quick! Usually between 20-25 minutes, making it a perfect filler between heavier games.

### Is it hard to learn?
Not at all! The rules are straightforward, making it great for casual players or friends.

### What is the best player count?
It works well from 2 to 5, but the interaction really shines with 3 or 4 players.

### Is it a complex game?
It has a light weight. The complexity lies in the decision-making regarding timing, not in complicated rules.

### Can kids play it?
Yes! The bird theme and pattern-matching mechanics make it very accessible for younger players.

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