Gamehelparboretum

Arboretum: Rules and Gameplay

Objective and Overview

In Arboretum, players compete to create the most beautiful and high-scoring arboretum by arranging cards in a meaningful path of trees for 2-4 players.

Arboretum consists of 80 cards, divided into 10 unique tree species, each numbered 1–8. Each player is dealt 7 cards. The remaining cards are placed in a draw pile in the center of the table.

Game Play

Players take turns in clockwise order. Each turn consists of three phases:

1. Draw

Draw two cards from the available sources:

• The central draw pile.
• The top card of any discard pile (including your own).

2. Play

Choose one card from your hand to add to your arboretum.

• Place it face-up in front of you.
• Cards in your arboretum must be arranged orthogonally (no diagonal connections).
• You are building paths, and the arrangement impacts your score.

3. Discard

Discard one card face-up to your personal discard pile.

End of the Game

The game ends when the draw pile is depleted. After the final card is drawn, players take one last turn before scoring.

Scoring

Scoring is based on paths of cards in your arboretum:

Path Rules

A valid path starts and ends with cards of the same tree species. The path must increase in value numerically but does not need to be consecutive. Paths can include cards of other species.

Determining Rights to Score

Each player reveals their remaining hand. To score a species, you must have the highest sum of values of that species in your hand. If another player has the 1 card of a species in their hand, and you have the 8 card of that species in your hand, the 8 is considered a 0 card instead!

Calculating Points

+1 point for each card in the valid path. +2 points if the path starts with a 1 card. +2 points if the path ends with an 8 card. Double points for paths containing only cards of the species being scored.

Winning

The player with the highest total score after final scoring wins. In the event of a tie, the tied player with the longest individual path wins.

Strategy Notes

Balance your hand to maintain scoring potential while disrupting opponents. Pay attention to your opponents' discard piles for hints about their strategy. Use high-value cards tactically to secure scoring rights.