Game Manual
Game Overview
Plotalot is a tactical, family card game for two to five players. Each game lasts between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on how nasty you are to each other! It’s perfect for anyone aged eight and up. In the game, players collect plots and vegetables, laying them on the table in front of them. Each plot has a fixed size limiting the space available to plant, so players have to keep an eye on how much space they’re taking up and have left. Once a plot is full, players can harvest the vegetables inside and score points. But gardening is never that simple. In this game there are bad bugs and crafty critters which can be unleashed to cause havoc. Protect, improve, steal and sneak; do whatever it takes. The aim of the game is to harvest vegetables for the highest point score before one of the card piles run out.
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Terminology
Plot: A card which gives players space in which to plant vegetables Field: The space in front of a player in which they lay their plots Card stacks: The two cards piles in the centre of the table. Face down, players draw from these to get new cards Compost heap: A face up pile in the middle of the table where cards are discarded Harvesting: The act of scoring points by moving vegetables from plots to the compost heap. Vegetables are harvested when a plot is full or by using a purple harvest card End of season: When one of the two card piles are exhausted, the season is over and with that the game. Players get one more turn when the end of season is triggered Attack card: A red card which enables players to attack opponents Enhance card: A blue card which enables players to improve or protect their vegetables or plots. Harvest card: A purple card which enables players to harvest one or multiple plots as an action
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What’s in the box
137 cards; separated into groups of vegetables, plots, attack cards, enhance cards and harvest cards. Three stack boards
A few score tracker sheets, more can be downloaded from our website
moonstonegames.co.uk
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Setting up the game
There are two variations of the game; one recommended for two players, the second for threeto-five players. For the recommended two player game, only use the cards with the '2' symbol in the bottom lefthand corner. For a larger group, or longer two player game, use all cards, ignoring the '2'. When you have your cards organised for the number of players, the following setup applies: Lay the three stack boards (vegetables, actions and compost heap) on the table. They can be laid in any arrangement but must be accessible to all players. Shuffle the vegetable cards. Place them in a pile face down on the vegetable stack board. Next, work out the number of plot cards to be added to the game using the following guide: • In a two person game, use plot cards with '2' in the bottom left hand corner • In a three person game, use two small plots, three medium plots and two large plots • In a four person game use three small plots, four medium plots and two large plots • In a five person game, use three small plots, five medium plots and three large plots.
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Set aside any plots not needed; these won't be used in the game. There are three extra plots supplied with the game if groups wish to adjust the plot numbers. In a two player game, deal each player one medium plot. In a larger game, shuffle the plots and deal one at random to each player. This is their starting plot and should be laid face up in front of them. Now, shuffle the remaining plots with the red, blue and purple cards. Place these cards in a face down pile on the actions stack board. Finally, deal every player five cards; three from the vegetable stack and two from the action stack. You are now ready to start. The person who looks most like a vegetable goes first. A two player setup will look like this:
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A four player setup will look like this:
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Taking a turn
On a turn, a player can take up to two actions; these may be different or the same. This means they can do any two of the following actions depending on which cards are in their hand: • Lay a brown plot card into the field in front of them – this gives a player space into which they can plant vegetables • Lay a green vegetable card onto a plot card – this starts to build potential points • Play or lay a red attack card on an opponent and activate any card instructions • Play a blue enhance card, either by laying on a plot or activating any card instructions • Harvest a single plot or multiple plots using one of the purple harvest cards • Discard an unwanted card into the compost heap. Players do not have to take two actions, however playing or discarding up to two, means they can pick up the same number at the end of their turn; this is good for constantly updating a hand.
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Managing your space Each plot gives a player an amount of space, indicated by the number on the plot card. Meanwhile, each vegetable requires space to grow, indicated by the number in the same 'mud hole' icon in the top right hand corner of each vegetable card. A plot is full when the combined vegetable space numbers equal the same as the total plot space number. Players cannot exceed the total plot space and no more can be planted in a full plot until it is cleared by harvesting.
Discarding cards During a turn a player may be forced or choose to discard cards. Discarded cards are placed in a face-up pile on the compost stack board, known as the compost heap. Harvested cards are also placed in the compost heap.
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Layering cards The cards have been designed to layer around the plot card as shown here: The plot card sits in the middle. Red and blue cards played on plots slot in behind the plot card. Green vegetable cards played in plots sit on top of the plot card. The snail card slides beside a specific vegetable, altering its individual value.
Ending a turn Once a player has taken their two actions, either through laying or discarding cards, they finish their turn by picking up cards to bring their hand back to five. They pick from either of the two face down card stacks; one stack is purely vegetables, the other is a mix of plots, attack, enhance and harvest cards. This gives players the chance to strategically balance their hand based on what they want to try and achieve on their next turn.
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Harvesting
Harvesting at the start of a turn After a few turns, players will start to fill their plots. At the start of a turn, players may harvest any full plots for free; this does not count as one of their two turn actions. Players should add up the points indicated by the gold coins on each vegetable card, remembering to adjust the score according to any red or blue cards in play on the plot. Once calculated, a player can note their score on the score tracker sheets provided or a piece of paper. A total score will be added at the end of the game. Harvested vegetables are placed in the compost heap face up, along with any blue or red cards on the harvested plot. Brown plot cards remain in the player's field ready for more planting.
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Harvesting using a harvest card In the face down action pile, there are purple harvest cards. These trowels and spades allow players to harvest before the plot is full, but it will be counted as an action on a turn. This might be useful if a player has valuable vegetables which they fear may be attacked before the plot is full. Advanced companion planting
Once players have played a few times, they can introduce the companion planting rules stated on the bottom of the vegetable cards. These restrict or increase the potential value of vegetables and enforce more strategic game play. Players do not have to play these rules if they find them too restrictive. Dealing with bugs on plots
In this game, players can lay bothersome bug cards directly on an opponent's plot. The three bugs that are played in this way are the aphid, caterpillar and snail. Each has its own ability, described on the card and can be removed in one of two ways:
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1. Blue ‘Bug Spray’ card: In the action stack there are a number of ‘Bug Spray’ cards. If a player picks up one of these, they can use it to get rid of one bug in their field. After use, the spray and bug are placed in the compost heap. 2. Harvesting the plot: When a plot is harvested, the vegetables and any bugs laid on them are discarded. While some bugs devalue the vegetables, it may be worth taking the hit and starting afresh. Tip: Opponents cannot play a bug on a plot if the plot is protected by a blue ‘Polytunnel’ card.
Ending the game
When the last card is drawn from either one of the two face-down card piles (vegetable or action), the season is over and with that, the game. After this, every player gets one more turn, so use it wisely! Vegetables still in plots at the end of the game are all worth half points and noted on the score tracker. Scores which have accumulated throughout the game are then added up to give a grand total from the harvests. It’s simple enough; the highest score wins! 14
Table during play
Player with three plots in their field
Two pick up card piles; vegetable and action
Discard pile, also known as the compost heap
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Cards explained
The next section of the manual gives more information about the individual cards which can be referred to during game play.
Plot cards Brown plot cards provide players with space to plant vegetables; they are laid face up in front of each player. The area where plots are laid is called the player’s field and players may have multiple plots in their field at any one time. There are three different plot sizes; small (four capacity), medium (ten capacity) and large (fifteen capacity). Players must plant vegetables on top of plot cards but be careful to add up the vegetable spaces as they go. Together, the total vegetable space numbers must not exceed the overall plot space number. When a plot is full, it can be harvested at the start of a turn; this is free and does not cost an action. Plots can also be harvested before they are full if the player has a purple harvest card, but this will cost the player an action on their turn. After a harvest, plots stay in a player's field, freeing up space for another round of planting. 16
At the start of the game, players are dealt one plot but from then on, players will only get more plot cards if they pick them from the action pile or steal them from opponents.
Vegetable cards Cards with a green background are vegetables; there are eight different varieties in the game. Vegetable cards can be picked up from the vegetable pile or stolen from other players. Each vegetable has a harvest value, shown by the gold coin in the top right hand corner, and an amount of space it takes up, shown by the number inside the mud hole icon next to the coin. Players can plant a vegetable card as an action by laying it on top of a plot card in their field. The number of vegetables each plot can hold depends on its capacity. A plot becomes full when the added vegetable space numbers total the same as the plot number, e.g. two tomatoes at two spaces each totals four; this would fill a small, four space, plot. Players cannot overfill a plot; if they have vegetables in their hand to plant but not enough space, they must either find another plot, or harvest the
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existing plot to clear the vegetables and start afresh with an empty plot. Once a vegetable is planted, it cannot be transferred to another plot and is only moved by harvesting or if it is stolen. In a standard game, any combination of vegetables can be used to fill plots. Advanced players can activate the companion planting rules at the bottom of vegetable cards for more complex strategy.
Giant vegetables In the vegetable pile, players will find four varieties of giant vegetable. There is a giant pumpkin, beetroot, carrot and cabbage. These vegetables take up more space but are worth more points. There is only one giant pumpkin and cabbage, but two giant carrots and beetroots. Normal rules apply to these vegetables and they can only be planted if there is room for them.
Harvest cards Cards with a purple background are used for harvesting early. There are two types; a trowel and a spade. The cards are useful if a player has a valuable collection of vegetables in a plot which isn’t full and eligible for a free start-of-turn-harvest.
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Leaving the plot vulnerable for another round might be too much of a risk, therefore harvesting early guarantees points. The trowel card enables players to harvest a single plot, while the spade gives players the chance to harvest an entire field in one sweep. Purple cards can be found in the actions pile.
Attack cards The red cards are used to attack opponents. Some are played on plots, others are actions to complete. If laid on a plot, the card remains there until removed with bug spray, or until the plot is harvested. All attack cards can be stopped as they're played if the recipient has and chooses to use a Helpful Hedgehog card. There are ten different attack cards, explained below: Aphid Invasion: This card is played on an opponent’s plot, slid in behind the plot card. Only one aphid can be played on a single plot at a time. It cannot be played on an empty plot or one protected by a polytunnel. An aphid makes vegetables 4 in pack inside the plot worth half, weakening the plants they feast upon. The card stays in play until removed by bug spray. Alternatively, the recipient can harvest the plot at half points, shaking
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off the aphid card in the process. When removed, the aphid card is placed in the compost heap. Blind Steal: This card enables a player to blindly take a single card from up to three opponent’s hands around the table. Stolen cards are placed into the player's hand and the player must then play or discard the same number 2 in pack of cards they stole. They do not have to play the cards they have stolen immediately but must end up with the same number of cards in their hand as they had before the steal took place. Once the action has been completed, the steal card is discarded into the compost heap. Note: players who have been stolen from start their next turn at a disadvantage with one less card. However, at the end of their turn, they pick up an extra card to bring their hand back to five cards.
2 in pack
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Caterpillar Infestation: This card is played on an opponent’s plot, slid in behind the plot card. It cannot be played on an empty plot or one protected by a polytunnel. The caterpillar stops the recipient planting any more in that plot until it is removed, much like a blocker; after all you wouldn't keep planting in a
plot infested by caterpillars. The card stays in play until removed by bug spray. Alternatively, the recipient can harvest the plot as it is using a trowel or spade, clearing the affected plot, scoring the current vegetables and starting afresh, caterpillar free. When removed, the caterpillar card is placed in the compost heap. Exploding Pumpkin: This card enables a player to explode an opponent's pumpkin, removing it from their field into the compost heap. It is effective even if a plot is protected by a polytunnel as it happens inside the 2 in pack polytunnel. It applies to both normal and giant pumpkins. Once the action has been completed, this card and the exploded vegetable are discarded into the compost heap. Greedy Rabbit: This card enables a player to steal an entire plot from an opponent and lay it immediately in their field. The thief must hop away with the plot, all vegetables and any blue or red cards currently played on that plot. Once 1 in pack the action has been completed, the steal card is discarded into the compost heap. It is recommended that this card is not used in the two-player variant of the game.
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Hungry Snail: This card is played on a single vegetable in the field of an opponent, slid in beside the vegetable of the player's choosing. The hungry snail eats the vegetable making it worth zero points if harvested with the snail 2 in pack intact. The card cannot be played on a plot with a polytunnel or an empty plot which has no vegetables in it. The card stays in play until removed by bug spray, when the vegetable regrows to its full value. When removed, the snail card is placed in the compost heap. Locust Swarm: This card enables a player to wreak table-wide havoc. Using the locust, a player can make every opponent discard the most recent vegetable planted in each of their plots. This card only clears vegetables, not 1 in pack blue or red cards (excluding the snail as this is attached to the vegetable and therefore goes with it), and is not effective against plots protected by a polytunnel. Opponents place lost vegetables (and snails) into the compost heap, along with the locust once the actions have been completed. It is recommended that this card is not used in the two-player variant of the game.
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Pesky Pigeon: This card enables a player to steal any other played card on the table from an opponent. This includes vegetables, red cards, blue cards and empty plots. The stolen card must be played immediately, flying from one 4 in pack field to another and cannot be taken into the player's hand. If a player steals a vegetable card, they must have space in their field to plant it. Once the action has been completed, the steal card is discarded into the compost heap. Runaway Wheelbarrow: This card enables a player to attack an opponent’s hand. The player picks an opponent and makes them discard all vegetables in their hand. If the selected opponent doesn’t have any vegetables, they may 2 in pack take the wheelbarrow card into their hand as a bonus, otherwise, the card is discarded into the compost heap with the discarded vegetables. Note: if the opponent takes the wheelbarrow card into their hand, they start their next turn with six cards, meaning they pick up one fewer at the end of their go to make their hand back to five.
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4 in pack
Stolen Shed Keys: This card makes an opponent miss their next turn. The card is played in the opponent’s field and remains until the turn is missed. Once the turn is missed, the card is discarded into the compost heap.
Enhance cards The blue cards are used to enhance a player’s game. Some cards are played on plots; others are actions to complete. Enhance cards are not transferable between plots. If laid on a plot, the card remains there until stolen, or until the plot is harvested. There are seven different enhance cards, explained briefly below: Bug Spray: This card removes a single bug from a plot or vegetable. These bugs include aphids, caterpillars and snails. Players cannot lay this card in anticipation of a bug being played to protect a vegetable or plot, only as a way 5 in pack of removing bugs after they have been laid in a player's field. When used, both the bug and the spray are discarded into the compost heap.
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2 in pack
4 in pack
Busy Bee: This card enables players to immediately plant two vegetables instead of one as a single action. The player can plant the vegetables in the same plot or two different plots, but they must have room for both. Once the action has been completed, the Busy Bee is discarded into the compost heap. Compost Treasure: This card enables players to take any card of their choice from the compost heap and add it to their hand. The card chosen from the compost heap cannot be played until the player’s next go. Once used, the Compost Treasure card is discarded to the compost heap.
Fertiliser: This card is played on a player's plot, slid in behind the plot card. Fertiliser makes vegetables grow big and strong, doubling the value of every vegetable inside the plot, including giants. It does not double the value of a 4 in pack vegetable affected by a snail card, as this vegetable would have a value of zero. Only one fertiliser card can be laid on a single plot and it stays in play until harvest, when it is removed into the compost heap with the harvested vegetables.
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Helpful Hedgehog: This card can be played when a player is under attack. It stops any red card attack intended for the player immediately. The player can be selective about which attack to use it for but can only 3 in pack use it once. When used, the opponent loses their failed attack card to the compost heap, along with the hedgehog. The attacked player starts their next turn with four cards but picks back up to five at the end of their go. Lucky Ladybird: This card enables players to look at the top three cards of either the vegetable stack or the action stack. They can then place the three cards back down on the stack in any order they wish. At the end of their 2 in pack go, they will draw from either stack, so this card is a way of guaranteeing what they pick up, if they choose to pick up from the pile they viewed. Once the action has been completed, the card is discarded into the compost heap.
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Polytunnel: This card is played on a player's plot, slid in behind the plot card. It cannot be played on a plot which has red cards on it; they must be removed before the polytunnel can be added. A polytunnel protects a plot from any pest
attack apart from exploding pumpkins. The card stays in play until harvest, when it is removed into the compost heap with the harvested vegetables. A note from the designer
Plotalot sprung into my mind one sunny morning as I gazed out of the kitchen window at my vegetable plot. As I stood there, six glorious cabbages were being reduced to shreds by caterpillars and pigeons; attacked from all angles they didn’t stand a chance and I had to laugh. It was a lesson learnt about the value of a polytunnel. It dawned on me that this small vegetable patch, where space was limited, would be an interesting mechanism for a card game. Hours later, I had the bare bones of an idea and after just over a year, a sample of the game in my hand. The game is based on my own experiences of growing vegetables, which can be both incredibly frustrating and hugely rewarding. I hope players of all ages learn and laugh about the pitfalls and triumphs of growing their own, to the point where they take their strategies from the table to the soil. I hope you enjoy your time in the fields of Plot, just remember to protect those cabbages better than I did. 27
Created by Moonstone GamesTM Founded by Gemma Newton, Moonstone GamesTM creates board game experiences for the whole family. We believe games can bring people together, even for just a few hours, away from screens and the stresses of daily life. Time well spent for all. Not only that, our games are free from single-use plastic, carbon offset and printed on responsibly sourced materials. The company is founded on a love for creativity and chaos, creating memorable experiences that are good for people and planet. www.moonstonegames.co.uk