# Wondrous Creatures ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2024 - **BGG Rating**: 8.1 - **BGG Rank**: #238 - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 40-80 min - **Weight**: 3.02 / 5 - **Designers**: Yeom.C.W - **Artists**: Sophia Kang - **Publishers**: Bad Comet, DSV Games, GaGa Games, Gémklub, MTS Games, Ogry Games, Rexhry, Samaruc Games, Strohmann Games, Super Meeple - **Categories**: Fantasy - **Mechanics**: End Game Bonuses, Hand Management, Hexagon Grid, Open Drafting, Set Collection, Tags, Variable Player Powers, Worker Placement, Worker Placement, Different Worker Types ## Verdict Perfect for those who love engine-building games with gorgeous components and an engaging tactical puzzle.Deep card synergiesStunning art by Sophia KangInnovative hexagonal placementSatisfying worker progressionModerate learning curveLanguage dependency for flowRECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready to step into a vibrant and mystical world where you take on the role of a true enthusiast of fantastic creatures. Your goal? To build the most harmonious and prestigious creature reserve in the world! To secure victory, you'll need a keen eye to collect creature cards and eggs, assembling an ecosystem that isn't just beautiful, but strategically efficient. Each creature brings its own unique abilities, so the key to success lies in creating powerful synergies between the cards in your personal tableau. The heart of the game beats in a worker placement system with a twist: the board is a hexagonal puzzle. By positioning your workers, you don't just occupy a space; you interact with surrounding icons, triggering special effects and gathering essential resources. And don't think your workers are all the same; they possess their own unique abilities that can be unlocked and upgraded throughout the match, making them increasingly efficient as you progress. As the game unfolds, the map evolves with the arrival of new powerful special effects, paving the way for devastating combos that can flip the game. With over 100 different creature cards and stunning illustrations by artist Sophia Kang, the experience is as much visual as it is strategic. You'll need to balance resource gathering, worker development, and a race to complete achievements before your opponents. In the end, the player who manages to accumulate the most Victory Points will be crowned the greatest conservator of wondrous creatures. It's an engine-building game with a tactical positioning layer that keeps everyone engaged until the very last turn. ## How to Play Game Objective In Wondrous Creatures, you are an adventurer exploring a mysterious island teeming with curious animals. Your goal is to build the most harmonious Reserve by collecting various Creature Cards and Eggs. The player with the highest Victory Points (VPs) at the end of the game is the winner. Preparation (Setup) Main Board: Place the Main Board in the center. Use Side-A for 1-2 players and Side-B for 3-4 players. Place the Time Track pieces and set up the Habitat Tiles and Trophies (the number of Trophies depends on the player count). The Map: Shuffle 5 Time Tokens. Randomly select 2 and place 1 Egg on every corresponding marking on the Map. Place 1 Habitat Tile on the designated icon on the Map and randomly draw 2 Eggs from the Egg Pouch to place on the 2 icons on the Map. Supply Board: Shuffle Creature Cards and place them face-down as the Deck. Draw 6 cards from the Deck and place them face-up in the Wilderness. Place 3 Habitat Tiles face-up in the Habitat Tile Pool; the rest form the Habitat Tile Stack. Place Energies, Butterfly Nets, and remaining Eggs in the Supply. Achievements: Place 7 Achievement Cards on the Main Board: 3 Main Achievements (brown-bordered), 2 Single-Species Achievements (turquoise-bordered), and 2 Multi-Species Achievements (yellow-bordered), ensuring species do not overlap. Time Track: Place the Time Tracker on the first space. Place the 2 selected Time Tokens face-down on the two rightmost yellow-bordered spaces, and the remaining Time Tokens face-down on the other yellow-bordered spaces. Player Setup: Each player chooses a color and receives: 1 Player Board, 1 Butterfly Net, 3 Crew Members (including 1 Captain), 6 Achievement Markers, and 1 Score Tracker. 4 Resource Trackers, initially set to 1 for each resource (Fruit, Coral, Flower, and Mushroom). Starting Resources: The 1st player starts with 1 of each. The 2nd player moves 1 Resource Tracker one space right (2 of one type). The 3rd player moves 2 trackers (2 of two types). The 4th player moves 3 trackers (2 of three types). Captain: Each player takes 2 random Captain Boards, chooses one, and takes the corresponding Captain meeple. Place the Lock Token on the Captain Board. Starting Hand: Draw 8 Creature Cards, keep 4, and discard the rest. Game Flow The game proceeds in a clockwise direction starting with the First Player. Each player performs 1 Basic Action during their turn. Players may also perform any number of Free Actions at any time during their turn (before, after, or during a Basic Action). Actions and How to Play Basic Actions You must perform exactly one of the following: Place a Crew Member: Place a Crew Member across two adjoining Hexes. Placement Rules: Plains are free. Mountain hexes cost any 1 resource. Lake and Habitat hexes cannot be occupied. Each Hex can hold only 1 Crew Member. Rewards: If placed on an Egg, collect it. You interact with all adjacent Habitats. From each, you may gain 1 corresponding resource (advance Resource Tracker) OR 1 Creature Card from the Wilderness with the matching Habitat Icon. Butterfly Net Habitat: If adjacent to this, you gain 1 Butterfly Net instead of a resource or card. Play a Card(s): Play up to 2 Creature Cards from your hand to your Reserve by paying the Cost in resources. Card Types: Instant Cards (activate immediately), Energy Cards (activate by spending Energies), Recharge Cards (activate during Recharge Action), Continuous Cards (activate when conditions are met), and End Cards (score at the end of the game). Complete an Achievement: If you meet the conditions of an Achievement Card, place an Achievement Marker in an available slot. Rewards: Obtain the Achievement Marker Reward and a Trophy from the Main Board. Captain Unlock: Completing your first Achievement removes the Lock Token, unlocking your Captain Ability. Eggs: Any Eggs used to complete an Achievement must be flipped to the Hatched side. Recharge: This action can only be performed when all 3 Crew Members are on the Map. Retrieve all Crew Members to your Player Board. Advance the Time Tracker. If a Time Token is revealed, place Eggs on the corresponding Map markings. Receive 1 Butterfly Net. Perform a Full Sweep (discard all Wilderness cards and refill). Remove 1 Trophy from the Main Board. Activate all Recharge Cards in your Reserve. Hand Limit: Discard down to 5 Creature Cards. Free Actions Use an Energy: Discard one Energy from an Energy Card to activate its ability. Each card's Energy can be used only once per turn. Use a Butterfly Net: Spend a Butterfly Net to either collect an adjacent Egg or activate an adjacent Special Effect Icon. A Special Effect Icon can only be activated once per turn via a Net. Other Mechanics Discovery: When your Score Tracker reaches 5, 25, or 40 VPs, you receive a Discovery Reward: choose a Habitat Tile from the Habitat Tile Pool and place it on a Lake hex. Egg Storage: Store up to 12 Eggs in numerical order. If the storage is full, you gain 2 VPs instead of the Egg. End of Game and Scoring End Trigger: The game ends when all Trophies on the Main Board have been depleted. The player who took the last Trophy finishes their turn, and then all other players take one final turn in order. Final Scoring: Points are calculated in this specific order: End Card Scores in your Reserve. Ending Scores of all Creature Cards in your Reserve. Ending Scores of all completed Achievement Slots. 3 VPs per Trophy. 1 VP for every 4 remaining resources and/or Butterfly Nets. Victory: The player with the highest score wins. Ties are broken by: 1) Most Trophies, 2) Most remaining resources. Tips for Winning Strategic Reserve: Create a Reserve that synergizes abilities and helps complete Achievements faster than other players. Timing: Appropriately time obtaining Immediate Scores (brown seal icon) to gain Score Track Rewards. Trophy Tracking: Predict the game's end based on the number of remaining Trophies and modify your tactics accordingly. ## FAQ ### Is the game too complex? It has a medium-high weight (around 3.0 on BGG), so it's recommended for those who already have some experience with modern board games and enjoy planning combos. ### How long does a game take? Generally between 40 and 80 minutes, depending on the number of players and the group's experience. ### Does it work well in solo mode? Yes! The game includes specific solitaire rules, allowing you to build your reserve on your own. ### What makes the worker placement different? The hexagonal grid. Instead of just 'taking' an action, your worker interacts with everything around them, creating a positioning puzzle. ### Do I need a translation to play? Language dependency is moderate. While there are many icons, having translated cards or a reference sheet helps significantly with the flow. ### Who do you recommend this game for? For those who enjoy tableau building, set collection, and love seeing their game 'engine' grow stronger every round. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 65.00 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6070439&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/66013/wondrous-creatures?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com