Xochintlan

(The Garden)

Strategy game
2 players and more

10 to 15 minutes
per game.

Age : from 8 and up.

In the deep Mexican Country The Human live surrounded by animals. The Monkeys (Ozomatli), the Lizards (Cuetzpallin) and the Birds (Quetzalli) try to settle close to Him to find food and entertainment.
Unfortunately The Human will not be able to take care of all the animals at the same time.
Which one of the three species will succeed in settling with the human : the mischievous Monkeys, the silent Lizards or the musician Birds ?
In this game, players will be part of this legend by taking over the Animals' destinies and plan their settlement next to The Human.

Material

- 1 square tile "Human"
- 8 square tiles "Lizards"
- 8 square tiles "Birds"
- 8 square tiles "Monkeys"
- 18 Goal Cards, each showing a pattern of 5 squares (Each pattern is one of the possible combination of 5 squares).

Set Up

The tile "Human" is placed at the center of the game area.

The 24 tiles Lizards / Birds / Monkeys are placed in 3 stacks which will serve as a "Reserve".

Each player takes randomly one Goal Card and keeps its pattern secret from the other players.

Goal

The winner is the first one who reproduces his pattern, given that:

- The pattern must include the tile "Human" among the five squares.

- The 4 other squares of the pattern can only be of one kind of Animal (either only Lizards, Birds or Monkeys).

How do we play ?

Players play one after each other clockwise. The youngest starts the game.

Each player has 3 possibilities of action during his turn :

- Choose any tile in the Reserve and place it side by side to an other already in the game area
or
- Switch a tile already in the game with another from the Reserve
or
- Move the tile Human

In any case the played tile must have at least one side in common with an other one already in the game area.

Restrictions

- The tile Human cannot be switched with another kind of tile.

- you cannot play or change the tile the previous player just played.

- should all the tiles be put on the board, the game is then finished and it's a tie.

- In order to be valid, the pattern realized on the board must be strictly similar to the one on the Goal Card. If a 6th tile of the same kind borders on the pattern by one side, we consider the pattern being different as the one on the Card.

Examples

Pattern to be realized:

1) The player won
with the Lizards

2) He didn't win because the Human is not included in the pattern.

3) He didn't win because a 6th tile Lizard borders on one side the pattern.

Optionnal Rules

- In order to shorten a game, players may get several Goal Cards instead of a single one (rule recommanded for games involving 4 or more players).

- If all the tiles are on the game area and you don't want the game to be a tie, you may continue by switching tiles by pairs.

- You may change your goal card during the game by revealing it to your opponents and getting another one randomly from the stack.

For any question on this game or its rule contact the author.

You may print these rules to play in your family. Please tell your friends about this game and have them play with you.

XOCHINTLAN is an original creation by Pierre Canuel (1996). This game also exists in two other versions: "La Fontaine du Roy" and "Le village".