Objective of the Game

Welcome, fellow nature enthusiasts! In **Meadow**, we're all wanderers, keen observers of the natural world, eager to document its wonders. Your goal? To become the most acclaimed observer by earning the most **victory points**. You'll collect points from the animals, plants, and landscapes you observe, as well as the souvenirs you gather on your journey. The competition continues around the campfire, where you'll race to fulfill specific adventure goals. So grab your map, keep your eyes peeled, and let's see who can capture the most breathtaking sights!

Preparation (Setup)

Alright, let's get our expedition ready! Here’s how to set up your game of **Meadow** for 2, 3, or 4 players:

1. Place the **main board** in the center of your table. This is where most of the action will happen!
2. Keep the **road tokens** within easy reach of all players. You'll need these for your landscape discoveries.
3. Grab three of the four **deck holders** and place them in their designated cut-out spots on the main board. The last deck holder goes next to the board for now.
4. Divide the 184 cards into four separate decks based on their backs: **N deck**, **W deck**, **S deck**, and **E deck**. Shuffle each deck thoroughly.
5. Place the shuffled decks into the **deck holders** as illustrated in the manual. For the start of the game, you'll use the **W**, **S**, and **E** decks on the board. The **N deck** will be used later.
6. Select the correct **campfire board** for your player count (it's two-sided!) and place it next to the main board, with the side showing your player count symbol face up. The unused campfire board goes back in the box.
7. Fill all the empty spots on the main board with face-up cards from their corresponding decks. The left column gets 4 **W cards**, the next two columns get 4 **S cards** each, and the final column gets 4 **E cards**.
8. Each player chooses a color and takes their matching components:
   • 5 **path tokens** (in a 4-player game, the token with the '?' symbol is returned to the box).
   • 3 **bonus tokens**.
   • A **road token** with the visible road symbol.
   • A two-sided **starting ground card**.
9. Shuffle the **goal tokens** and randomly place one at a time onto the square spots on the **campfire board**. Any unused goal tokens are returned to the box (a 4-player game uses all basic goal tokens).
10. Place the **round marker** on the 1st rock of the **round tracker**.
11. If you're playing a 2-player game, block two notches on the **campfire board** with **block tokens**. For a 3-player game, block only one notch. These notches stay blocked for the entire game.
12. The player who was last stung by a bee gets the **first player token** and starts the game!
13. Now, for your starting hand:
    • Starting with the player to the right of the first player and going counter-clockwise, each player chooses a row on the main board and takes all 4 cards from that row into their hand.
    • Then, they draw 1 card from the currently unused **N deck**.
    • Immediately refill the empty slots on the board with cards from their corresponding decks.
    • Repeat this until all players have 5 cards in their hand.
14. Before the first round begins, but after taking your starting cards, each player chooses one side of their **starting ground card** and places it face up in their **meadow area** as their first card.

You're all set! Get ready to explore the beautiful **Meadow**!

The Turn of Play

A game of **Meadow** unfolds over 6 rounds in a 2- or 3-player game, or 8 rounds in a 4-player game. Players take turns clockwise, starting with the first player.

Player Turn

On your turn, you *must* perform an action by placing one of your **path tokens** into an unoccupied notch on either the **main board** or the **campfire board**. Your token stays there until the end of the round. Each **path token** lets you take one of two action types, depending on where you place it:

• Main Board Action: Place your token in a notch on the main board to draw cards and (optionally) play them into your **meadow area** or **surroundings area**.
• Campfire Board Action: Place your token in a notch on the campfire board to take a special action and (optionally) fulfill a goal.

Main Board Actions: Drawing and Playing Cards

When you place a **path token** in a notch on the main board, you perform the "top action":

1. Count a number of spaces from your token equal to the number shown on the token in the direction it's pointing. The '?' token allows you to choose any number from 1 to 4. You *must* take the card indicated by your token.
2. Immediately refill the empty spot with a card from its corresponding deck.
3. You may then play 1 card from your hand into your **meadow area** or **surroundings area**. This can be the card you just took or one you already had.

Important! If a deck runs out of cards, leave the spot empty. If your token points to an empty spot, you can only play a card from your hand.

Playing Cards

You have two main areas for playing cards:

• Meadow Area: Here you play vertically oriented **ground** and **observation cards**. You cannot move played cards once they're placed.
• Surroundings Area: Here you play horizontally oriented **landscape** and **discovery cards**. You cannot move played cards once they're placed.

Ground Cards

These cards illustrate ecosystems and form the lowest level of your meadow.

• When playing a **ground card**, place it to the right or left of any already played ground cards.
• You can have up to 10 **ground cards** in your **meadow area**.
• The **ground symbols** at the bottom of these cards must always be visible – you cannot cover them.

Observation Cards

These represent your notes on animals, plants, and other findings.

• You can play an **observation card** on top of a **ground card** or another **observation card** if its requirements are met.
• Requirements are fulfilled if all the necessary symbols are visible in your **meadow area**.
• Your card columns must start with a **ground card**. You can have any number of observation cards in a column.
• When playing an **observation card** on a **ground card**, do not cover the **ground symbol**. Always make sure the **victory point** value of previously played cards remains visible.
• If an **observation card** requires a **ground symbol**, you can play it directly on an empty ground card (if other requirements are met) or on another observation card at the top of a column that has that specific ground card at its base.
• If a card has multiple requirements, you play it on a chosen card that has *any* of the required symbols. All required symbols must be visible in your meadow, and you then cover one of them. The remaining visible symbols can still be used for future plays.
• If requirement symbols are separated by a slash (/), you only need one of the two presented symbols. You choose which one to use, and it counts as only one symbol for game purposes.
• Replacing a Missing Symbol: If you're missing a required symbol, you can discard any 2 cards from your hand to ignore that single requirement (you can do this multiple times). However, you must always have at least one of the required symbols present in your play area. Discarded cards go to the bottom of their corresponding decks.
• Required Adjacent Columns: Some cards have requirement symbols marked with arrows. These cards must be played in a column immediately adjacent to a column showing the indicated required symbol. If a card has both an arrowed and a non-arrowed requirement, you need both symbols visible, but you can choose where to place the card.

Landscape Cards

These cards depict the landscapes you wander through and provide a **landscape symbol**.

• **Landscape cards** are played in your **surroundings area**.
• All **landscape cards** require a **road token**.
• If a card requires only a **road token**, play the card and place one of your unused **road tokens** below it, flipping the token to its used side (no road symbol visible).
• If a card requires a **road token** and other symbols, you must have all required symbols visible in your **meadow area** and an unused **road token**. Play the card, place an unused **road token** below it (flipping it to its used side). You *do not lose* the required symbols from your meadow; they remain available for other cards.
• You can discard 2 cards to ignore a missing requirement symbol (except the **road token** requirement) for **landscape cards**, similar to observation cards.

Discovery Cards

These are souvenirs and mementos from your travels, marked with the **discovery symbol**.

• You play **discovery cards** on previously played **landscape cards**, covering the **landscape symbol**.
• If a card requires only the **landscape symbol**, play it on one of your unused **landscape cards**.
• If a card requires the **landscape symbol** and other symbols, you must have all other required symbols visible in your **meadow area**. Play it on one of your unused **landscape cards**. You *do not lose* the other required symbols from your meadow; they remain available.
• You can discard 2 cards to ignore a missing requirement symbol (except the **landscape symbol** requirement) for **discovery cards**.

Campfire Board Actions: Special Actions and Optional Goal Fulfillment

When you place a **path token** in a notch on the **campfire board**, you perform its "bottom action":

1. Take the indicated **special action**.
2. You then have a chance to fulfill a **goal**.

Important! If you choose one of the first three special actions below, you cannot play any cards this turn! This is a commonly forgotten rule. Here are the types of **special actions**:

• Take any face-up card from the main board and immediately refill the empty spot. You cannot play this card this turn.
• Take 2 **road tokens** and place them in your **surroundings area** with the road symbol facing up. You cannot play a card this turn.
• Look at the top 3 cards of one deck on the board (not the unused one). Add 1 of these cards to your hand and put the remaining 2 cards on the bottom of the deck in any order. You cannot play a card this turn.
• Play up to 2 cards from your hand into your **meadow** and/or **surroundings area**.

The "?" Path Token

This token is used in 2- and 3-player games.

• On the main board, it allows you to take any card from the indicated row or column (you decide the '?' value).
• On the campfire board, it allows you to take any **special action**.

Placing a Path Token on the Bench

You can place a **path token** on an unoccupied bench on the **campfire board** (marked with the bench symbol). This allows you to play 1 card in your **meadow** or **surroundings area**. This is generally a less optimal move than drawing and playing, so use it only if you desperately need to play a card and other options aren't available.

Goals

On the **campfire board**, neighboring **goal tokens** create pairs.

• If you have both symbols of a pair visible in your **meadow area**, you may claim the space between them with one of your **bonus tokens**.
• You can only claim a goal after placing a **path token** on the **campfire board**.
• You decide if you want to place the **bonus token** before, during, or after taking your **special action**.
• Your **bonus tokens** are placed starting with the lowest valued ones (in the order 2, 3, 4).
• Only 1 **bonus token** can be placed between each pair of goals.
• During your turn, you can only place 1 **bonus token** on the **campfire board**, even if you fulfill multiple goals.

End of the Round

A round ends when all players have used all of their **path tokens**.

1. Players collect all their **path tokens**.
2. The **first player token** moves to the player on the left of the current first player.
3. The **round marker** moves to the next spot on the **round tracker**.

Halfway Point

When the **round marker** passes the hourglass symbol on the **campfire board**, perform these steps:

1. Discard all cards from the main board and randomly place them on the bottom of their corresponding decks.
2. Replace the **S deck holder** with the **N deck holder**.
3. Refill the board with new cards from the corresponding decks.
4. Continue the game as normal.

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes at the end of the final round (the last spot on the **round tracker**). It's time to tally those observations!

1. Players count their **victory points** from all cards they played in their **meadow** and **surroundings areas**. Remember to count *all* played cards! Cards remaining in your hand do not score any points.
2. Each **bonus token** you played on the **campfire board** gives you **victory points** equal to its value. Unused bonus tokens score nothing.

The player with the most **victory points** is the winner!

• In case of a tie, the player with the most **discovery cards** played wins.
• If there's still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Tips for Winning

To become the most skilled observer in **Meadow**, keep these tactical insights in mind:

1. Synergy is Key: When choosing your starting cards and throughout the game, try to pick cards that have connected symbols. The more different **ground symbols** you have visible in your **meadow area**, the more possibilities you'll have to play subsequent cards. Plan your columns to maximize visible symbols for future plays!
2. Balance Board and Campfire Actions: Don't get stuck only drawing cards! While drawing and playing cards from the main board is crucial for building your meadow, remember the **campfire board** offers powerful **special actions** and the chance to score valuable **goal tokens**. Strategically using these can give you a significant point boost, especially if you can fulfill multiple goals over the game.
3. Manage Your Hand and Requirements: Sometimes you'll have to make tough choices. Discarding 2 cards to ignore a missing requirement can be a lifesaver, but it depletes your hand. Weigh whether that one card is worth two others. Also, always be mindful of which symbols you're covering when playing **observation cards** – you lose the covered symbol, but the **ground symbol** below remains usable!