The Squirrel Game

A game by Manfred Ludwig

The squirrels are busy at work collecting their food for the winter!

Ravensburger® Games Nr. 81 258

Graphics: Wolfgang de Haën
A dice game for two to four players between the ages of 5 and 10.

Contents:

1 playing board 66 pine cones

4 wheelbarrows, each a different colour
4 squirrels
1 small receptacle for the cones
1 die

On their way to the park, our squirrels come across some delicious pine cones. Squirrels just love pine cones, so each of
the squirrels gathers them up and hides them in its secret hoard. However, there is a limit to the number of cones one
squirrel can transport at one time. If they are lucky, the squirrels may meet a friend who can help. But they also run the
risk of having their pine cones taken from them.

Objective of the Game

Four squirrels gather pine cones. The first to collect 15 pine cones in its hoard wins the game.

Preparation
Before play begins for the first time, the squirrels are carefully removed from the
perforated card and slipped into the slot of the wheelbarrow of the same colour.

Squirrels and their wheelbarrows are placed in the hoard closest to the matching colour
arrow.

The starting position is also the goal to which the squirrel returns. You can move in or
out of your hoard only at your coloured arrow space. Starting Position

When two are playing

With two players, choose red and blue or yellow and green wheelbarrows. This will ensure that the squirrels meet each
other frequently on their way around the board.

The wheelbarrows are used to transport the pine cones. Each wheelbarrow can
take a maximum of six pine cones!

A maximum of six pine cones!

Rules of play
The youngest player begins by throwing the die and moving his squirrel forward the number thrown in the direction of the
arrow for this starting position. Each player must be careful to follow his own direction, as indicated by the arrow at his
starting position.

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The wheelbarrows will help to keep you moving in the right direction since they
point the way.

The arrow at your start square is the arrow you follow. You simply ignore the
other three arrows at the other start squares.

Follow the arrow!

The pine cone on the die

If you throw the pine cone on the die, you do not move your squirrel. It must stay where it is, and
every squirrel is required to load a pine cone into the wheelbarrow. If this results in the
wheelbarrow now having more than six pine cones, the wheelbarrow is too heavy and must be
emptied completely. All the pine cones are returned to the receptacle. You are not allowed to
throw the die for a second time.

Pine cone spaces

Here is where the pine cones can be found lying near the
path. If your squirrel lands on a pine cone space, load up
the number of pine cones indicated on the space by taking
the pine cones from the receptacle at the side of the board
and placing them in your wheelbarrow.

If after landing on a pine cone space or throwing a pine cone on

the die you find you have more than six pine cones in your
wheelbarrow, you must empty the wheelbarrow and return all
the pine cones to the receptacle.
Emptying the wheelbarrow
The next time it's your turn, move your squirrel with its empty with more than six pine
wheelbarrow on down the board as before. With a little luck, cones.
your squirrel will happen across a pine cone or two before it
reaches its starting position again.

Crossroads Space
Each squirrel must cross this space twice on each journey
around the board. Squirrels cannot change direction at the
crossroads. The squirrels love this intersection because Take up to three pine cones or
this is where they are most likely to meet up with friends. unload up to three pine cones.
Whoever lands on the crossroads space is allowed to load
up to three pine cones into his of her wheelbarrow, or
unload up to three pine cones. You are not required to do
either.

Pine cone spaces and crossroad spaces take precedence over anything else.

If you are standing on any of these spaces, and at your next turn you throw a pine cone
on the die, you must load up this pine cone. You remain on this space but this time you
do not follow the instructions which normally apply for it.

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Leap-Squirreling

If you are about to land on an occupied space, your squirrel simply leaps
over the other squirrel and lands on the next vacant space. Now, if you
wish, you can either help yourself to a maximum of three of the other
squirrel's pine cones, or unload up to three of yours into it's wheelbarrow.

If you hop over several squirrels at once, you can collect up to three pine Take up to three pine cones or
cones from each or unload up to three pine cones with each. If the next unload up to three pine cones.
open space happens to be a crossroads or pine cone space, you follow the
directions for this space before doing anything else. Crossroads or pine cone spaces
always take precedence.
For example: Leap-squirreling lands your squirrel on a space with one
pine cone. First you load up the pine cone into your wheelbarrow, then
your decide whether you want to collect any from the other squirrel or
deposit any into its wheelbarrow.

If your throw on the die allows you to leap over one or more squirrels, you
do so and then decide whether and where you wish to collect or unload
any pine cones.

Remember that if you only concentrate on gathering pine cones, you run the risk of having to empty your wheelbarrow
somewhere along the route. That is why it is a good idea to occasionally unload pine cones too. It is also possible to
force one of the other players to unload his wheelbarrow.

Here is how it is done:

If you leap over a squirrel with four pine cones, you are entitled to give it another three. Then it would have more than
six pine cones and the wheelbarrow would have to be emptied. Luckily for the other player, there are enough pine cones
along the rest of the way to let him stock up again.

Goal
How do you get your pine cones into your hoard?

As soon as you arrive at your goal (your starting position) with your wheelbarrow Entering your hoard with a
of pine cones, you remove your cones and place them in the waiting punched- laden wheelbarrow.
out holes. Any further spaces you could move with that throw are ignored.

Your wheelbarrow may not be completely full. This does not matter.

If you arrive at your starting position with an empty wheelbarrow and still have Arriving at the goal with an
spaces to move with that throw, just keep on going and start off around the empty wheelbarrow.
board again.

If you arrive at your goal, and the space is occupied, your squirrel simply leaps Your starting position is
over this space into your hoard. As usual, you can either collect or unload up to occupied.
three pine cones. Then you unload your pine cones into the hoard.

End of Game
As soon as a squirrel has managed to carry back 15 pine cones to its hoard, the game is over. Any pine cones the
squirrel has left over at the finish are simply left in the wheelbarrow.

Now the squirrel has plenty of food for the winter!

© 1987 by Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg

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