The Objective of the Game

Welcome to Pearlbrook, an expansion for Everdell! Deep beneath the shimmering surface of the Pearlbrook River, a mysterious civilization of waterfolk awaits. In this expansion, you'll send your amphibious Ambassador on diplomatic journeys to trade information and resources with these river dwellers. Your primary goal is to gather a new and valuable resource: pearls. With enough pearls, you can construct fabulous Wonders and Adornments, aiming to make your city the pride of Everdell!

The game ends after a set number of seasons, and the player with the most Victory Points wins.

Game Setup

To set up Pearlbrook, follow the setup rules for the normal game of Everdell with these additions:

• Place the River board to the side of the main Everdell board. Place the pearl tokens on the Shoal spot on the River board.
• Place the Wonder boards beneath the Ever Tree, covering the costs for the basic Events. The basic Events will not be used with this expansion. Place the Wonders on their designated spots on the boards.
• Shuffle the River Destination Citizen cards and set aside 2 of them, unseen. Do the same with the Location River cards. Then, shuffle these 4 cards together, unseen, and place 1 facedown on each of the 4 spots on the River board. Also, place 1 pearl on top of each of these facedown River Destination cards. Return the remaining River cards to the box.
• Shuffle the new cards with the Pearlbrook symbol into the main deck before dealing out cards.
• Shuffle the Adornment cards and deal 2 facedown to each player. Return the rest to the box, unseen. Players may look at their Adornment cards at any time. These cards do not count against the card hand limit.
• When setting up the Special Events, use at least 1 Pearlbrook Special Event.
• Give each player a frog Ambassador that matches the color of their workers.

Game Flow

The game of Everdell proceeds through seasons, with players taking turns performing actions. Pearlbrook adds new locations and mechanics to this flow.

Your Ambassador: Your amphibious Ambassador can visit underwater locations and citizens in Pearlbrook to establish diplomatic connections with the waterfolk. This will grant you valuable bonuses, most importantly pearls, which are used to create Adornments and build magnificent Wonders.

Visiting River Destinations: To visit a River card, your city must first contain the listed requirements. The first player to visit a River Destination card gains the 1 pearl on top of it, then flips the facedown card. If you can fulfill the requirements on the revealed card, you may do so to gain the listed reward(s).

Shoal: You may visit the Shoal instead of a River Destination card. To do so, pay 2 of any resource and discard 2 cards to gain 1 pearl. This is a shared location.

Ambassador vs. Worker: Any location with the Ambassador-only symbol may only be visited by an Ambassador, not a regular worker. If you visit a River Destination card with your Ambassador, they are considered deployed there, just like a worker. You will bring your Ambassador back during the Prepare for Season action along with your workers. Your Ambassador may not be used as a normal worker.

River Citizens: These will require you to discard certain cards from your hand to gain a point token and a pearl.

River Locations: These will require you to pay a point token and a certain resource to gain cards and a pearl.

Adornments: On your turn, you may play one of the Adornment cards you were dealt at the beginning of the game. This counts as your action for the turn. Each Adornment card costs 1 pearl to play and does not take up a space in your city. When played, the ability on the top half of the card activates immediately. The bottom half indicates how many points the Adornment is worth at the end of the game, based on different aspects of your city. Adornment cards do not count toward your hand limit. You may play both Adornment cards you were dealt, but not both on the same turn.

Wonders: On your turn, you may place one of your workers on a Wonder spot to build the Wonder. To do so, you must pay the listed amount of resources, pearls, and also discard the listed amount of cards from your hand. You cannot use any card abilities of any kind to assist in building the Wonders. After paying the cost, take the model of the Wonder and place it beside your city. You will get your worker back when you prepare for the season. Any Wonders you have built are worth their listed points at the end of the game. You may build more than one Wonder. Only one player may build a specific Wonder.

Actions and How to Play

Players take turns performing one action per turn. The available actions are standard Everdell actions, with the addition of actions related to the River board and playing Adornments and Wonders.

• Play a Card: Play a Critter or Construction card from your hand into your city, paying its cost.
• Move a Worker: Place a worker on an available location on the main board or the River board to take its action.
• Play an Adornment Card: As described in the "Game Flow" section, you may play one of your starting Adornment cards by paying 1 pearl. This counts as your action for the turn.
• Build a Wonder: As described in the "Game Flow" section, you may place a worker on a Wonder spot and pay the required costs to build a Wonder.
• Use the Shoal: As described in the "Game Flow" section, you can visit the Shoal on the River board by paying 2 of any resource and discarding 2 cards to gain 1 pearl.
• Visit a River Destination: If you meet the requirements, you can send your Ambassador to a River Destination.
• Prepare for Season: When you can no longer or choose not to take any more actions, you can prepare for the next season. This involves retrieving your workers and Ambassador, gaining new workers, and drawing cards.
• Pass: When you can no longer or choose not to take any more actions, you can pass.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the third season when all players have passed. Players then calculate their final scores.

Scoring Criteria:

• Pearls: Any pearls you have remaining at the end of the game are worth 2 points each.
• Adornments: Each Adornment card is worth points at the end of the game as indicated on the bottom half of the card, based on different aspects of your city.
• Wonders: Any Wonders you have built are worth their listed points at the end of the game.
• Consult the base game rules for other scoring elements such as Critters, Constructions, and Events.

The player with the most Victory Points wins the game.

Tips for Winning

• Prioritize Pearls: Pearls are a crucial new resource in Pearlbrook. They are needed to play powerful Adornments and build impressive Wonders. Make sure to find ways to acquire them efficiently.
• Strategic Ambassador Use: Your Ambassador is a unique tool for interacting with the River board. Use them wisely to gain valuable pearls and other rewards from River Destinations and the Shoal. Remember, they cannot be used as a regular worker.
• Adornment Synergies: Pay close attention to the end-game scoring conditions on your Adornment cards. Try to build your city in a way that maximizes the points these cards will provide at the end of the game.