Objective of the Game

In Meadow: Downstream, players embark on a journey along lakes, rivers, and streams, exploring water environments from a kayak’s perspective. The goal is to gather inspiration, photograph wildlife, discover scenic views, and collect souvenirs while competing to become the most skilled observer. Players earn victory points by fulfilling goals, playing cards, and progressing on the river track. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.

Preparation (Setup)

Common Setup for Both Variants

• Place the two-sided river board on the table (choose the lazy river or wild rapids side).
• Shuffle the river deck and place it in the deck holder. Fill the river card area with face-up cards.
• Each player receives:
  • A kayaker marker (placed at the starting space).
  • A river trail token.
  • An additional bonus token (in their color).
  • A two-sided starting watery ground card (chosen during setup).
• Add the additional goal token to the goal token pool.
• Shuffle the 12 expansion cards (3 per N, W, S, E deck) into their respective base game decks.
• Place waterfall tokens on the round tracker (position depends on player count).

Lazy River Variant Setup

• Place beaver dam and sunset cards face-up on their marked spots.
• Draw 2 face-up goal tokens and place them next to the nature monuments.

Wild Rapids Variant Setup

• Place sunset cards face-up on their marked spot.
• Randomly draw pier and tent tokens (equal to player count) and place them face-up.

Flow of the Game

The game lasts 6 rounds (2–3 players) or 8 rounds (4 players). Each round, players take turns placing path tokens or river trail tokens to perform actions:

• Path tokens (1, 2, 3, 4, ?): Placed on the main or campfire board (base game rules apply).
• River trail tokens: Placed on the river board to take a card from the river card area and optionally play a card.

At the end of each round:

• Collect all tokens.
• Pass the first-player token left.
• If the round marker passes a waterfall token, discard and refill all river card area cards.

Actions and How to Play

River Board Actions

When placing a river trail token (or ? token) on the river board:

1. Take 1 card from the row/column the token points to.
2. Refill the empty spot from the river deck.
3. Optionally play 1 card from your hand to your meadow or surroundings area.

Oar Symbols

Cards with oar symbols move your kayaker forward on the river track (1–4 spaces). At forks, choose a path. You cannot move backward.

Extra Actions (River Track)

Spaces with symbols grant bonus actions when passed/landed on. Resolve them in order encountered:

• Lazy River: Take cards, road tokens, or sunset cards.
• Wild Rapids: Use pier or tent tokens for additional actions (e.g., draw cards, earn VP).

New Card Symbols

• Watery ground: A 6th ground type (follow base game rules).
• Fish: Must be played on empty ground or observation cards with the watery symbol.
• Nature monument: Grants VP and may have an oar symbol.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the final round. Calculate VP from:

• Cards in your meadow and surroundings area.
• Bonus tokens on the campfire board.
• 3 VP for placing an additional bonus token on the river board (if goal met).
• VP from the highest-numbered river space your kayaker passed/landed on.

The player with the most VP wins. Tie-breakers follow base game rules.

Tips for Winning

• Prioritize oar symbols: Moving your kayaker early unlocks bonus actions and VP.
• Balance card types: Mix river deck cards (for movement) with base game cards (for VP).
• Watch waterfall triggers: Plan around card refreshes to secure key river deck cards.