Creatures of CarRel is a simple card draw and token placement game that kinda serves as an expansion for Cartography of CarRel. Basically, a player draws from a deck of, like, 100 cards representing unique animals and, if they can, places a token on an expanding map of tiles (you are simultaneously playing a game of Cartography of CarRel) based on the given card's placement demands. There's a bit more to it than that, but not much. It is simple and, I think, fun.
Hello and welcome, to Creatures of CarRel! In Creatures of CarRel, you will work to place a series of different animals in their appropriate habitats on an ever-expanding map.
This game uses the framework of Cartography of CarRel to facilitate the modular map, the rules to that game are located in the box containing the tiles as well as on the Cartography page.
The goal of Creatures of CarRel is to legally place as many animals as you can to earn as many points as possible.
For an added challenge, try to also score as highly as you can in Cartography of CarRel as you play Creatures; trying to accommodate both sets of demands is harder than you might think!
You will begin the game by drawing three random animal cards from your down-turned deck. Now, begin playing your Cartography tiles as you would any Cartography of CarRel game.
Each 'turn' will look something like this:
Play one or more of your visible creatures if you can and want to.
The target tile MUST fulfill all of the listed rules at the time of play.
You are encouraged to stack creatures on tiles already supporting others.
Place a bird token when you play a card with the bird symbol.
You cannot play any token on top of a bird token.
Place a creature token when you play any other card.
Play a Cartography tile.
Draw a new Cartography tile.
Draw one new creature (regardless of how many, if any, you played) and either add it beside your other visible options if there is an empty space, or add it over one of the three visible options if there is not an empty space.
You may have no more that three visible animals to choose from at any one point.
As you play cards from the top of your stacks, the cards beneath will become available to play. Stack cards wisely as an inability to play any card by the end of the game will block all those beneath from being played.
There are two ways to score points:
Each animal placed is worth points based on its conservation status:
Least concern = 1 point per animal
Near threatened = 2 points per animal
Vulnerable = 3 points per animal
Endangered = 5 points per animal
Critically endangered = 10 points per animal
Stacking animals on a single Cartography tile (legally, of course) AND have said stack topped by a bird:
1 point per animal (including the bird topper)
Once you have run out of Cartography tiles to place, play all creatures you are able, then count up your score, write it down, shuffle up both sets of cards and tiles, and play again!