Safari Base Game
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General info and comments
Originally released by Hans im Glück in 2018.
A tropical heat lies over Africa, as we head into the steppe, where everyone is on the lookout for the popular big animals of this mighty continent. Apes swing in the trees, lions rest in the shaded areas, and the elephants’ heavy steps shake the terrain. At the watering holes, many different animals can be seen frolicking. It is worthwhile for us to lie there in wait to view these magnificent creatures...
Overview and goal of the game
In Carcassonne:Safari players take turns placing Land tiles and expanding the landscape of savanna, paths and bush one tile at a time. Players may place their meeples on the individual features of tiles as well (paths, bush, baobabs and waterholes). When a particular feature is finished players gain points for any animal present on it. Use the animal tokens to boost the score or create waterholes. Points are earned throughout the game, and the player with the highest score at the end is the winner!
Components and setup
Components
- 72 Landscape tiles show paths, bush and baobab in the Savanna, with the animals resting among them
- 50 animal tokens that can be used to boost score as well as being combined during the game to create a "watering hole"
- Scoring Track should be placed to the side of your playing surface (table, floor, etc.)
- 5 Points scoring tokens should be put next to the scoring track
- 30 meeples, six in each of the following colors: yellow, red, green, blue and black - each player gets a set of one chosen color
- 5 elephants, one in each player's color - put them on the starting place of the score track
- 2 white Ranger cars - these are referred to as "Rangers" throughout the rules
Put all unused meeples and elephants back into the box - those will not be used in the course of the game.
Setup
Shuffle all 72 Land tiles and set them as a few face down stacks that are easily accessible to all players. Tiles can also be placed into a sack or box and drawn randomly.
Place the triple sized start tile in the middle of the table. The white Ranger cars do not belong to any player and should be placed next to the start tile as shown below.
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. It is much more convenient to put animal tokens into a small bag and drawn randomly.
Gameplay
A game of Carcassonne: Safari is played in clockwise order. It is common practice to choose starting player at random or simply choose the youngest player. More on this in house rules section. The active player does the following actions in the order listed below, after which it is the next player’s turn, and so on and so forth. First, we’ll give you a brief description of the actions you have to do during one of your turns. These actions will be explained as we describe the paths, bush, baobabs, Ranger cars and waterholes.
The paths
Placing a Land tile
Placing a meeple on a path
Scoring a path
When both ends of a path are closed, that road is completed and scored. The end of a road is closed when it meets a bush or it loops onto itself by meeting the other end.
Even though it is an opponent that placed the tile, this still completes your path. Scoring a path depends on the number of animal types. The number of points can be found in the table below and on the scoring track
The total number of animals on the path does not matter, only the number of different species. After scoring, return the player's meeple to their resources.
Additional points
To get additional points during path scoring a player can use one animal token to increase the number of species on the path. Naturally this has to be different species than those already on the path.
It is now time to note the player's score. The player's score is tracked with the elephants placed on the scoreboard before starting the game. Each time, after scoring points for a feature, the player returns his/her meeples from the scored area (if it is completed) to their supply. If a player's score exceeds 50 points, he/she receives the 50 score token, which is flipped when the player receives over 100 points.
The Bush
Placing a Land tile
Placing a meeple
Scoring a bush
If, later in the game, a player places a tile so that the bush is closed, points can be scored for it. Bush is considered closed if there are no empty holes inside it (missing tiles). If there is at least one meeple in a closed bush its' owner can score points for it. Scoring an area of bush depends on the number of animal types. The number of points can be found in the table below and on the scoring track.
Additional points
When scoring points for areas of bush, a player may use their animal tokens to boost the score (for animal diversity).
Additionally, every bird flying over the bush grants 1 additional point. After scoring return the meeple from the bush to the player's resources.
Baobab
Placing a Land tile
Placing a meeple
Getting animal tokens
A baobab is completed when it is surrounded by tiles (surrounded by 8 tiles). The player whose meeple is on the baobab tile can draw two animal tokens and get the meeple back. Unlike completing a path or area of bush, the player gets no points for completing a baobab, just the animal tokens.
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
A2. Placing a meeple
A3. Scoring
Option B
B2. Not placing a meeple
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.
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
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.
Interim rule - note on interim rules
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Completing waterhole
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.
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.
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
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
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