🐢 Happy Birthday Turtle!! - Official English Rules

Players: 2-4 | Time: 15 Min | Age: 6+ Game Design: KayKotani | Artwork: Natsumi Kotani

🌟 The Story

Today is the birthday of everyone's favorite friend, Turtle!
While Turtle is out for a slow, peaceful stroll, his friends—Squirrel, Mole, Frog, and Duck—are rushing to set up a big surprise party!

Colorful decorations, a giant cake... there is so much to do, but time is running out.
"Let’s finish the preparations before Turtle gets home!"

🎯 Game Overview

In this game, you aim to earn the most Hustle Points by contributing to the party preparations.
You will use Animal Cards (1-3) and Pattern Cards to work on various "Celebration Tasks."

Each task has a specific limit. With the help of the Ants (though sometimes their help might be a bit of a nuisance?!), you must predict your friends' moves and aim to be the one who puts on the finishing touches.

📦 Components

Animal Cards: 16 (4 types × 4 cards: numbers 1, 2, 2, 3)
Pattern Cards: 16 (4 types × 4 cards)
Ant Cards: 10
Turtle Returns Card: 1
Table: 4
Start Player Card: 1
Celebration Cards: 11
Hustle Point Cubes: 22 (Red=5pt * 6pcs, Blue=3pt * 8pcs, Yellow=1pt * 6pcs)
Progress Cubes: 4 (Black= 4pcs)

Animal Cards

Celebration Cards/ Start Player Cards

Pattern Cards

Table

Ant Cards/ Turtle Returns Cards

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🛠 Setup

1. Prepare the Tables

Place the “Table” in a row where everyone can see them.
Place one black Progress Cube on each “Table”.

3 Players: Use Check, Polka-dot, and Floral.
2 Players: Use Check and Polka-dot.

2. Receive Your Hand

Each player chooses an animal and takes their 4 Animal Cards.
Then, take the Pattern Cards matching the Tables used in this game (2 of each for a 2-player game).

3. The Celebration Deck

4 Players: Shuffle all 11 cards.
2-3 Players: Remove the 2 cards marked for 4-players. Shuffle the remaining 9 cards.
Then, Place one Celebration Card face-up above each Table.

4. The Ant Deck

4 Players: Remove 2 random Ant cards from the game.
3 Players: Remove the 2 specific cards marked for “not used for 3-players”.
2 Players: Use all 10 Ant cards.

Creating the Ant Deck:

Take 3 Ant cards from your set, add the Turtle Returns Card, and shuffle them.
Shuffle the remaining Ant cards and place them on top of the first stack.
Place this Ant Deck next to the Celebration Deck.

Set up image for 4 players

🎲 How to Play

The person who most recently celebrated a birthday starts as the Start Player and receives the Start Player Card.

Basic Round Flow

① Choose Cards and Reveal Simultaneously

Each player secretly chooses one Animal Card and one Pattern Card and places them face-down.
When everyone is ready, reveal them at the same time!

Animal Card: Shows how much progress (1-3) you are adding.
Pattern Card: Shows which Table you are working on.

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② Reveal a Card from the Ant Deck

The Ants will help with the preparations here.
Open the top card of the Ant Deck. Move the Progress Cube forward by 1 space on the Table matching the pattern on the Ant Card. If a card shows two patterns, move the cubes on both Tables by 1 space each.
(The position on top of the Table is 0).

③ Place the Animal Cards

Now, players resolve their cards in this order:

Smallest Numbers First: Players who played a "1" go first, then "2", then "3".
Ties: If numbers are the same, start with the Start Player and go clockwise.

Completing a Celebration: If you move the Progress Cube to the exact maximum number on the card, you finish the task! Take the Celebration Card and keep it in front of you.

If the Ants complete a celebration, return that card to the box immediately.
Failed Preparation: If your number is larger than the remaining spaces on the Celebration Card, you fail. Do not move the Progress Cube or place your card; instead, return the card to your hand. (The same applies if a card is already completed).

Reveal a Card from the Ant Deck

Completing a Celebration

📖 Example of a Round (3-Player Game)

1. The Ant's Turn: The Ants go first. The revealed Ant Card shows Check and Floral patterns. The Ants move the Progress Cubes on both the Check and Floral Tables forward by 1 space each.

2. Resolution (Numbers 1-3):

Player B (Played a "1"): Player B resolves their card first. They are working on the Polka-dot Table. They move the cube forward by 1 space. This completes the celebration! Player B takes the Celebration Card and places it face-up in front of them.
No one played a "2": Move to the next number.
Players A and C (Both played a "3"): Since there is a tie, they resolve clockwise starting from the Start Player.
- Player A (Start Player): Moves the cube on the Floral Table forward by 3 spaces.
- Player C: Wants to move the cube on the Check Table forward by 3 spaces. However, because the Ants already moved it by 1, there are only 2 spaces remaining. Since 3 is larger than the remaining spaces, it's a failure! Player C cannot place their "3" card and must return it to their hand.

"There are only 2 spaces left, so Player C can't place their card! It has to go back to their hand! >_<"

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④ Gain Hustle Points

If a celebration was completed in step ② or ③, any player who had an Animal Card under that table (contributing to the completion) receives Hustle Points. You receive cubes equal to the sum of the numbers on your Animal Cards at that table. Then, return your Animal Cards to your hand.

⑤ Cleanup and End of Round

Return your used Pattern Cards to your hand.
Important: Animal Cards at Tables that were not finished stay on the Table for the next round.
Replenish empty Tables with new Celebration Cards from left Table to right.
Pass the Start Player Card to the left.

Example for 3 players

🏁 Ending the Game

The game ends immediately if:

The Turtle Returns Card is revealed (Ends immediately).
At the end of a round, the Celebration Deck is empty and no cards are on the tables (All celebrations completed).

Final Scoring

Each Celebration Card you collected is worth 2 points. Add these to your Hustle Point Cubes.

The player with the highest total is the Best Party Planner!
(Ties: The player with more Celebration Cards wins. Still tied? Share the victory!)

👥 Additional Changes for 2-Player Games

Step ①: Choosing and face-down placement only happens in Odd Rounds. You choose two pairs: one for the current round and one for the next (Even Round).In Odd Rounds, reveal only the "Odd Round pair." In Even Rounds, reveal the remaining pair.
If you have only one Animal Card, it must be used in the "Odd Round pair."

Step ②: Ant cards not used (Polka-dot/Stripe) in 2-Player Games have no effect (The Ants are resting) because there Table do not exist.

Step ⑤: The Start Player Card is only passed after Even Rounds.

💡 Supplementary Rules for Play

If you have no Animal Cards to play in Step ①, play only a Pattern Card. After the Ant Card is revealed, move the Progress Cube on your chosen table by 1 (This counts as the Ants' work; you get no points or the Celebration Card).
You cannot choose a Pattern Card for a table that has no Celebration Card.
If you accidentally play two cards of the same type, quickly choose the correct card. Be mindful of others' cards next time!
If the Hustle Point Cubes run out, use substitutes.
If the Celebration Deck runs out in Step ⑤, no replenishment occurs.

Special Thanks: To everyone who helped with playtesting!

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