OBJECTIVE OF DIG: Collect the most bones to win the game
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 – 4 players
NUMBER OF CARDS: 30 cards
TYPES OF CARDS: 20 bone cards, 4 dogs, 5 dog bowls, 1 doghouse
TYPE OF GAME: Card Game
AUDIENCE: Ages 10+
INTRODUCTION OF DIG
Dig is a micro strategy card game designed by Chris Handy and published by Perplext. In this game, players are trying to find bones in the yard and bring them back to their dog bowls. Bone values change as dog bowls are rotated closer and further away from the dog house. This gives players the ability to manipulate the potential score they will earn at the end of the round.
MATERIALS
Dig includes a 30 card deck. Each player is given a dog card used to represent them in the yard. There are five different colored dog bowl cards that will be randomly distributed throughout the yard. As the game progresses, these bowls will change in value depending on their distance from the doghouse. Finally, there is the dog house card. This card begins at the far end of the yard, and it is the anchor used to determine bone point values.
SETUP
Each player takes one dog card to use as their player token. Any remaining dog cards are placed aside. Put the dog house on the far right of the playing space. This begins the yard. Shuffle the 20 bone cards and 5 dog bowl cards together. Be sure to keep the bones face down, so they cannot be seen. Beginning at the immediate left of the dog house, deal out all 25 cards in a row to form the yard. Remember to keep the bone side down. Each player then places their dog card above or below the doghouse (whichever is easiest for them to reach).
THE PLAY
The youngest player gets to go first. There are three different actions that a player may complete on their turn, and that player is allowed to complete three actions total. To do this, they may complete any combination of the possible actions. A player does not have to do three, they may do one or two. The three actions include: move, dig, and drop.
MOVE
A player may move their dog in a single direction up to four spaces. The maximum number of spaces a player can move depends on the number of bone cards in that player’s hand. There is a guide directly below the dog house to illustrate how many cards a player may move. For example, if a player is holding one bone card, they may only move a maximum of three spaces. A player does not have to move the maximum number. Keep the dog card above or below the space landed upon. More than one dog may be on a space.
DIG
If a player’s dog is on a bone card, and the player chooses to dig, that bone card is added to their hand. A player may replace the card they just duge up with a different bone card from their hand if they want. A player cannot have more than three bone cards in their hand. If a player digs up a fourth bone card, they must replace it with one from their hand (bringing their hand size back to three).
DROP
If a player’s dog is on a dog bowl space, that player may drop a bone card from their hand. The bone dropped must match the color of the bowl that the player’s token is on. If the player has more than one bone of the same color, they may all be dropped at once. Dropped bones are placed face up on the table in front of that player. Dropping more than one same colored bone counts as one action.
RESETTING THE YARD
If a bone is dug up and added to a player’s hand, the yard must be reset at the end of the turn. To do this, the card that is furthest from the dog house is used to fill the empty space left behind after digging. If two spaces need to be filled, the space closest to the dog house is filled first. Any dogs that were placed on the card at the end of the yard are not moved to the new end card.
SCORING
The game ends as soon as the dog bowls are the only cards remaining in the yard. Players earn points for the bones they dropped. Bone color point values are determined by the order of the bowls. The bones that match the bowl closest to the dog house are worth 5 points each. The next bowl is worth 4 points and so on.
WINNING
The player with the most points wins the game.
- TRIPLE SNAKES - February 15, 2021