Board Game Harmonies

Bats dwell in the treetops, while field mice make their homes in farmers` barns. Each species plays its own role in the cycle of life. Mountains, fields, bodies of water, and forests complement one another, providing sanctuary for a variety of creatures. Can you sense the harmony of nature and restore the balance of their coexistence?

This is a stunningly beautiful abstract family tile-laying game in which players shape landscapes and populate them with animals.

How to Play

At the start of the game, players choose which side of their player board to use; this determines the scoring rules for bodies of water. For initial games, it is recommended to play on Side A and without the Nature Spirit cards.

Five animal cards are revealed from the deck, and the "market" board is placed in the center of the table. The arrow on the board points to the first player, and three landscape tokens—drawn from the bag—are placed in each of the board`s slots.

Players take turns. On their turn, a player:

• Must take all three tokens from one of the slots on the central board and place them on their own player board.
• May take one of the face-up animal cards to gain unique ways of earning victory points.

A player cannot hold more than 4 cards at a time, but once all animal tokens from a card have been moved to the player`s board, the slot becomes free.

• A player may place 1 animal token into the habitat area if they have recreated the pattern shown on one of their animal cards on their player board. The more animals that find a home, the more points their card will yield at the end of the game.

Choosing and placing tiles is the only mandatory action. Actions can be performed in any order, and animal tokens can be placed multiple times. Moreover, placing these tokens—as well as drawing a new animal card—can be done in between placing tiles! At the end of the turn, 3 new tiles are drawn from the bag and placed on the central board, and a new animal card is revealed if necessary.

So, how exactly do you create landscapes? Some tiles can be stacked, provided there is no animal token on them. Placing a green tile over a brown one (or two brown ones) creates a tree; two or three gray tiles create a mountain; and a red tile placed over a gray, brown, or red tile creates a building.

There are 5 types of landscape in the game, and with them, 5 main ways to earn victory points:

• trees yield 1, 3, or 7 points depending on their height
• mountains — ...the same, but provided the mountain touches at least one other mountain
• fields — 2 or more yellow tiles placed adjacent to each other. Any field scores 5 points, regardless of size
• buildings score 5 points each, provided they are surrounded by at least 3 tiles of different colors
• on Side A, the river scores points based on its length via the shortest route; on Side B, it scores based on the number of islands and sections separated by water

In some ways, the game is kind to its players compared to others in the genre: you can place a new landscape tile on any empty space—and sometimes even on an occupied one; the same tiles can belong to multiple areas; and failing to complete objectives for the animals you volunteered to care for incurs no penalty points. Almost every action yields victory points; the real challenge lies in assembling the most efficient natural landscape. The longest river? The tallest mountain ranges and forests? Which landscape will your animals prefer?

The catch is that the "market" rarely aligns with players` expectations. The game isn`t about bringing ideal plans to life; it is... ...about the ability to adapt to the current situation and change plans.

The game ends in one of two cases:

1. The token bag is empty.
2. A player has two or fewer empty slots remaining on their player board.

The current round is completed, followed by the final scoring. By dealing two Nature Spirit cards to each player at the start—from which one must be chosen—you can introduce even more asymmetry and unique ways to score victory points.

This is an abstract game featuring charming artwork and delightful components that create a three-dimensional game board. It appeals with its quick setup and straightforward rules, which nonetheless challenge you to rack your brain in search of the best strategic moves.