Sandbox

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General info and comments

Originally released by Hans im Glück in 2018.

Africa swelters under the blazing sun, but an adventure on the savanna beckons! Monkeys swing in the trees, lions repose in the shade, and the ground shakes under the thunderous footfalls of elephants. While animals one and all gather at the watering holes, trek out into the bush, lie in wait, and see the majesty of nature unfold!

Overview and goal of the game

Players take turns placing land tiles, expanding the savanna and discovering bush, animal trails, and baobab trees. You place meeples in the bush or on animal trails and complete them to score points for the different animals present, and lay meeples on baobab trees to draw new animal tiles. Animal tiles can score additional points or can be used to dig watering holes in the savanna. Players score points throughout the game as well as at the end of the game. The player with the highest score after final scoring wins.

Components and setup

Components

• 72 Landscape tiles depicting the savanna landscape, animal trails, baobab trees, and the bush where animals congregate.

Tile with animal trail and lion

Tile with elephant in the bush, and baobab tree in the savanna

Tile with bush (including birds), as well as a zebra and a lion on trails

Land tile backs - All tiles share the same back

• 1 start tile with the size of three land tiles.

Start tile

• 50 animal / watering hole tiles depicting the five different large animals. Each animal is represented on ten tiles. Four animal tiles can be connected to create a watering hole.

Animal / watering hole tiles

Example of complete watering hole

• Scoreboard

Scoreboard

• 5 scoring markers showing 50 and 100

Scoring marker with 50 points on its front

Scoring marker with 100 points on its back

• 30 meeples, six in each of the following colors: yellow, red, green, blue and black

Meeples

• 5 elephants, one in each player's color

Elephants

• 2 white ranger vehicles - these are two neutral figures referred to as "rangers" throughout the rules. The don't belong to any player.

Ranger

Preparation

Shuffle all 72 land tiles, and place them facedown in stacks that are easily accessible to all players.

Land tile stacks

Place the start tile in the middle of the table and place the rangers in the spaces indicated in the illustration below.

Start tile with Rangers

Place the scoreboard off to the side of the play area. Place the score markers next to the it.

Shuffle all 50 animal tokens and distribute two to each player. Each player puts them face up in front of them. Shuffle the rest of them and put them aside, face down.

Animal tokens facing down

Each player chooses a color and takes the six meeples and one elephant of that color to form their personal supply. Place each player‘s elephant on the 0 space. Return all unused meeples and elephants to the box.

Elephants on the scoreboard

Gameplay

Carcassonne Safari is played in turns, in clockwise order. Starting with the youngest player, the active player follows these steps in the order listed below, after which the next player takes a turn, and so on. Below is a brief description of the actions you will take on your turn and the different features on the land tiles.

1. Placing a land tile

You must draw draw one land tile from a stack and place it faceup adjacent to any tile already on the board to continue the landscape.

2. Perform action

Choose one of the following:
•	Place a meeple on the tile you just placed.
•	Move one of the two rangers.
•	Dig or expand a watering hole.

3. Score a feature

You must score any features completed by the tile you placed this turn, even if other players have meeples on them.

The animal trails

1. Placing a land tile with an animal trail

If you draw a tile with an animal trail, you must place it such that it continues the existing landscape (including any savanna, animal trails, or bush).

You placed the animal trail tile. The animal trail, as well as the savanna, continues the landscape.

2. Placing a meeple on an animal trail

After placing a tile with an animal trail, you may place one of your meeples on that animal trail, but only if no other meeples are present along the entire trail.

You place a meeple on the tile you just placed. This is legal because there are no other meeples on that trail.

3. Scoring an animal trail

An animal trail is completed when both ends are closed by bush or savanna, or when it loops back onto itself by connecting to the other end. When the trail is completed, it is scored. If one of your meeples is on a trail when it scores, you will score points from it.

You score points based on the number of different animals present on the animal trail. The number of points scored is shown below, as well as on the scoreboard.

Different animals	1	2	3	4	5
Points	1	3	6	10	15

The total number of animals on the trail does not matter, only how many different animals are present. After scoring, return your meeple from the trail to your supply.

Blue closes your animal trail. Even though another player placed the tile that completed it, you will score the points from it, because your meeple is on the trail. There are three different animals on the trail, so you score six points.

Placing additional animals

Before you would score points from an animal trail, you may add one animal tile from your supply to that trail. The animal tile must be an animal that is not already present on that trail.

In the example above, on your animal trail, there is an elephant, a zebra, and a giraffe. You place a lion from your supply. Now there are four different animals on the trail, and you score ten points instead of six.

Players track their scores using the elephants placed on the scoreboard at the start of the game. When you score points, move your elephant forward that many spaces. If your elephant passes the 0 space on the scoreboard, take a scoring marker and place it with the "50" side up in front of you. If your elephant passes the 0 space again, flip the scoring marker over to the "100" side.

The elephant on the scoreboards moves to keep track of the score.

Discard all animal tiles that were placed on the trail faceup. If a player would draw a new animal tile but there are none left in the supply, shuffle the discarded tiles facedown to create the new supply.

The Bush

1. Placing a land tile

If you draw a tile with bush, you must place it such that it continues the existing landscape (including any savanna, animal trails, or bush).

Example of a tile with a bush segment (lower right portion of tile)

2. Placing a meeple

After placing a tile with bush, you may place a meeple in that bush, but only if that bush does not have another meeple on it.

You place a tile, adding to the open bush. The bush does not have any meeples on it, so you can place a meeple there.

3. Scoring a feature

A bush is completed when it does not have any open sides or gaps. When a bush is completed, it is scored. If one of your meeples is in the bush when it scores, you will score points from it. The points scored from animals in a bush are the same as those scored from an animal trail (see table below). Additionally, each bird () above the bush is worth 1 point.

Different animals	1	2	3	4	5
Points	1	3	6	10	15

After scoring a bush, return your meeple from the bush to your supply.

Placing additional animals

Before you would score points from a bush, you may add one animal tile from your supply on that bush. The animal tile must be an animal that is not already present in that bush, and the animal tile is discarded after the bush is scored.

You add a tile to close that area of bush. A giraffe and a monkey are already in your bush, and you add a zebra tile. You now have three different animals and score six points from animals. There are also three birds above the bush, giving you an additional three points, for a total of nine.

The Baobab Tree

1. Placing a land tile

If you draw a tile with a baobab tree, you must place it such that it continues the existing landscape (including any savanna, animal trails, or bush).

Example of a baobab tree tile

2. Placing a meeple

You may lay a meeple onto a baobab tree you just placed. After laying a meeple on a tree, you draw two animal tiles from the supply and place them faceup in front of you.

You lay your meeple onto the baobab tree you just placed and draw two animal tiles.

3. Scoring a feature

When all eight spaces around a baobab tree have tiles placed on them, return your meeple from that tree to your supply, then draw two additional animal tiles from the supply and place them faceup in front of you. You do not score any points from the baobab tree.

All spaces around the baobab tree with your meeple are filled. You take back your meeple and receive two additional animal tiles.

Interim rule - note on interim rules

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Ranger car

There are two ways to move the Ranger, but this is dependent on whether the tile being placed is in a location where the Ranger is already located. One of them provides points (see option A below), the other does not (option B).

Option A

A1. Placing a Land tile

The player places the drawn tile according to the standard rules. If this is on one of the places where a Ranger car is located, the player must take the ranger car and add it to their resources.

Pushing away a ranger by placing a tile

A2. Placing a meeple

The player can then place a meeple on any unoccupied feature on the placed tile.

Placing a meeple

A3. Scoring

The player scores points for any completed features. For removing the Ranger from the table (A1) the player receives 3 points. The player must then place the Ranger back on the table in an open space next to any tile.

Ranger Scoring

Option B

B1. Placing a Land tile

A tile is placed to extend the landscape where there is no Ranger.

B2. Not placing a meeple

If the player decides not to put a meeple on to the placed tile this turn, one of the two Rangers may be moved to a different "space" adjacent to any existing tile.

B3. Scoring

The player gains no points.

Note: In one turn you can move only one Ranger. If you removed the Ranger from the board (A1) by placing a tile on its place, you can only move that one to another location, even if you do not place a meeple on the tile Two Rangers cannot be placed on the same space.

Waterhole

Animal tokens can be used not only to boost score but also to create or expand waterholes in the savanna.

Placing a Land tile

Place a drawn tile according to the standard rules.

Create or expand a waterhole

Create a waterhole

Instead of placing a meeple on the newly placed tile, a player can create a (new) waterhole. To do this, the player places one animal token from their supply in an empty corner of any tile (not necessarily the one just placed). An empty corner is one with just savanna (small patches of grass or shrubs are not an obstruction) - not bush. The corner of the animal token must always fit the corner of the tile. Next, the player must put a meeple on this waterhole when starting it, so cannot start a waterhole without having an available meeple.

The player immediately receives 3 points when creating a new waterhole.

Red player places a tile to expand the path. Because the player does not place a meeple, they can create a new waterhole to score 3 points.

Expanding a waterhole

Instead of placing a meeple on a newly placed tile, the player can expand an existing waterhole. The player places an animal token in the empty corner of any tile (ie Savanna) so it is adjacent to a previously placed waterhole token.

Note: No more than one animal token of the same species can be in the same waterhole. When expanding a waterhole by placing an adjacent animal token it must be a different species to one already present.

The player scores points depending on which animal token it is for that waterhole:

• 1st animal token: 3 points
• 2nd animal token: 4 points
• 3rd animal token: 5 points
• 4th animal token: 6 points

Red places a tile to expand path. Because Red does not place a meeple, the existing zebra and giraffe waterhole can be expanded with an ape animal token. This is the third different animal token, so the player gets 5 points.

Special case

A player can create a new waterhole facing (diagonally) an existing one. Because animal tokens are not touching each other at this point, the player can put a meeple there. When the waterhole is finished, there will be two meeples on it. Both will score points. In that case there can be two of the same species in one waterhole.

Red places the animal token and starts a new waterhole. Because it does not connect with the existing waterhole, started by blue, it can also contain giraffe animal token.

Interim rule - note on interim rules

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Completing waterhole

After placing the fourth (last) animal token, the waterhole is finished. It's owner gains 3 points and returns the meeple to their resources.

If two players have meeples on this waterhole, both get 3 points.

If both meeples belong to the same player, that player only gets 3 points.

Red places a tile but does not put a meeple on it. Instead the player decides to complete the waterhole. Red gets 6 points (for the 4th animal token placement). Blue gets 3 points (as owner) and gets their meeple back.

Summary

Placing a Land tile

• You must place your drawn tile in such a way that it continues the landscape and the illustration.
• In some very rare cases, it may be impossible to place the tile. In those cases, simply return the tile to the box and draw a new one.
• If a player places the tile where a Ranger is located, the player moves the Ranger to their supply.

Placing a meeple

• You may place a meeple on the Land tile you’ve just placed.
• If the meeple is placed on a baobab, the player receives two animal tokens.
• If the player does not place a meeple, the player can start building a waterhole. Player immediately gains 3 points if he does.
• If the player does not place a meeple, the Ranger can be moved to another location.

Scoring a feature

• Scoring always occurs at the end of a player’s turn. At that moment, each player with a meeple in a scored feature earns points. After each scoring, any scored meeples are returned to your supply.
• Removing Ranger from the board grants 3 points (by placing tile in place where Ranger figure is).
• Completed paths are counted, according to the number of species on it.
• Completed bush is counted, according to the number of species on it plus 1 point for every bird symbol.
• Completed baobab grants 2 animal tokens.
• Completed waterhole grants 3 points.
• If there are multiple meeples in a single scored feature, the player with the most meeples is awarded full points and all other players receive nothing. When more than one player has the most meeples in a scored feature, the tied players all score full points.

Game end and final scoring

The game ends immediately after the turn of the player who placed the last tile. Then, players proceed to a final scoring, after which the winner will be known.

Once the game is over, all meeples still in play are scored:

• Each incomplete path and bush are worth 1 point per animal and bird symbol (individual species are not taken into consideration),
• Each animal token in the player's supply is worth 1 point,
• Meeples placed on incomplete baobab are worth nothing,
• Meeples placed on incomplete waterholes are worth nothing.

Final scoring
A: Blue does not get points for meeple on baobab.
B: Red gets 2 points (two animals on path).
C: Red and Blue own meeples in bush. Because Red has majority in this feature, only Red receives points - 4 points for animal icons and six for birds, 10 in total.
D: Blue receives 2 points for ape and bird in bush.
E: Red receives 3 points for animal tokens in their supply.

Once the final score is known, the winner is the player with the most points. The rules do not include tiebreakers. That is, rules explaining the situation when two or more players share the same score at the end of the game.

Special cases

Multiple meeples on the same feature

It is forbidden to put a meeple on an already occupied feature. It may happen that after joining two features, there will be more than one meeple on it. If one of the players gains majority (has more meeples than one or more opponents), that player gets all the points and the opponents get nothing. If two or more players have the same number of meeples, they all get full number of points.

Before placing the new tile blue and red have their meeples on two separate paths. After placing the tile those features join, creating one completed feature with four animal species (ape, lion, giraffe and elephant). Red decides to add a zebra animal token and receives 15 points. Blue does not add an animal token and receives 10 points.

Before placing the new tile, three meeples are located on three separate bush features. After placing the tile all features join creating one completed bush. Red decides not to use an additional animal token so scores 11 points (6 points for 3 species and 5 points for birds). Blue does not get any points.

Use of a Table

A number of questions have been asked about rules related to the play area itself, including what happens when the edge of the area is reached, or if a table has to be used for play. The following clarifications are from Georg Wild from HiG (5/2013):

• The edge of the table is the limit for the game if, as stated in the rules, a table is used.
• The rules state that the starting tile is placed in the middle of the table. If all of the tiles are shifted to allow more room, the starting tile would no longer be in the middle. So in principle, total shifting of the tiles is not allowed. Additionally, with a manual shift of all of the tiles, the tiles and figures on the field can slip, which could lead to incorrect positioning of tiles or figures.
• Addition of a second table is possible if one of an appropriate height is added to the first table. If a table is extended (as with an additional panel), make sure that the tiles and figures on the playing field do not slip.
• Playing on the floor: The rules technically do not allow this, because the rules state that the first tile is placed in the middle of the table. Playing on the floor is not forbidden, however, if use of a table is not feasible. If the floor is used, tiles must be placed so all tiles are visible to all players. Tiles cannot be placed under the sofa, cabinet/shelf, etc.
• It is important generally, that all the players in the round agree how to play:
  • Table - Standard
  • Table - with "total shifting" of tiles
  • Table - with extension
  • Floor
• Continue to play fairly and not intentionally unfair to other players.

Tile reference

Total Land Tiles: 72 Tiles + 1 Start Tile

  x2
- | -

  x1
E

  x4
E | G | G | Z

  x3
A | E | L

  x1
L

  x4
A | A | E | L

  x5
E | G | G | L | Z

  x1
AA

  x1
AA

  x2
LL | ZZ

  x3
GG | ZZ | ZZ

  x1
Z

  x2
G | Z

  x3
A | AE | ZZ

  x1
AE

  x1
Z

  x1
G

  x1
EL

  x1
EGG

  x5
A | A | G | L | Z

  x4
E | L | Z | -

  x1
L

  x1
AEE

  x1
EEL

  x3
AL | AL | L

  x5
EE | EG | EZ | LL | LZ

  x2
AG | AL

  x2
G | Z

  x1
E

  x4
G | G | L | Z

  x1
LZ

  x1
GG

  x3
A | A | G

  x1
AEG (Start Tile)

If several tiles of one type are present, it is listed which and how many animals are on each one.

The individual tiles are separated by a pipe symbol. Birds are not listed.

A = ape | E = elephant | G = giraffe | L = lion | Z = zebra | "-" = no animal

Total Animal tokens: 50

  x10 A

  x10 E

  x10 G

  x10 L

  x10 Z

Letters indicate the animal included on each Land tile:

A = ape | E = elephant | G = giraffe | L = lion | Z = zebra

Total 50/100 scoring tokens: 5

  x5