How to Play Pets! On Board

Game Objective

In Pets! On Board, players compete to create strategic alignments of Pet cards on the game area. The goal is to be the first to identify and announce an alignment of four Pets with at least one common characteristic (such as clothing type, footwear, hat, or weapon). The game also ends if all spaces on the board are filled without anyone announcing a valid alignment.

Setup

Pets at Sea Mode

• Choose one of the decks (Calm Waters or Stormy Waters) for the game. The Calm Waters deck is recommended for beginners, as it displays icons of the Pets' characteristics.
• Set up the game area in a 4x4 grid, with the cards face down.
• Shuffle the chosen deck and distribute the cards according to the number of players:
  • 2 players: 8 cards each
  • 3 players: 5 cards each (the remaining card is placed on the game area by the first player)
  • 4 players: 4 cards each
• The player who last stepped on a boat starts the game.

Stormy Seas Mode

• Choose a deck and return the other to the box.
• Shuffle and distribute the cards as in Pets at Sea mode.
• The first player places a Pet on the table to start the game area.
• Subsequent Pets must be placed adjacent (orthogonally) to a Pet already in play, without exceeding the 4x4 limit.

Game Flow

The game proceeds in turns, with each player taking one action per turn:

1. The player chooses a Pet from their hand and places it on an empty space on the game area, face up.
2. The next player (to the left) repeats the process.
3. During their turn, a player can announce an alignment of four Pets with a common characteristic (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal).

Note: The Pets on the game area do not belong to any player and can be used by everyone to form alignments.

Actions and How to Play

• Place a Pet: Choose a Pet from your hand and place it on an empty space on the game area.
• Announce Alignment: Before or after playing a card, a player can point out four aligned Pets with at least one common characteristic.

Restrictions:

• You cannot place a Pet on top of another.
• In Stormy Seas mode, Pets must be placed adjacent (orthogonally) to a Pet already in play.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when:

• A player correctly announces an alignment of four Pets with a common characteristic. That player wins.
• All spaces on the game area are filled without any valid alignment being announced. In this case, there is no winner.

Tips for Winning

• In Calm Waters mode, use the card icons to plan your alignments in advance.
• In Stormy Seas mode, pay attention to adjacent positions to strategically expand the game area.
• Keep an eye on your opponents' moves to block potential alignments.