Calico

2020

Experience Calico, a delightful tile-laying game where players compete to sew the coziest quilt, attract cuddly cats, and score points for creativity!

45
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Calico is a beautifully crafted, strategic board game that immerses players in a world of quilting and adorable cats. As a player, you step into the shoes of a quilt maker, meticulously arranging colorful, patterned tiles to create a quilt that not only looks stunning but is also a haven for cuddly cats.

The game unfolds on a hexagonal board, representing your quilt, where you will place hexagonal tiles, each bestowed with different colors and patterns. The core mechanics of the game are simple yet layered with depth, which makes it accessible to beginners and satisfying for experienced players.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Calico is a board game that features a variety of components, each with its unique role and interaction with the game. Here’s a detailed description of each component:

1. Game Board: The game board is a hexagonal grid where players place their patch tiles. It serves as the playing field for the game.

2. Patch Tiles: These are the primary components that players interact with. Each tile has a color and a pattern. Players place these tiles on their game board.

3. Cat Tokens: These tokens represent different cats, each with its own scoring conditions. When a player meets the conditions of a cat token on their quilt board, they may place the cat token on the corresponding spots.

4. Design Goal Tiles: These tiles are individual goals that each player tries to achieve on their board. They provide specific objectives for players to strive for.

5. Quilt Board: Each player has a quilt board where they place their patch tiles to form patterns and attract cats. It is the personal area of each player that they use to score points.

6. Scoring Tokens: Scoring tokens are used to keep track of each player’s score throughout the game. They move along the scoring track on the game board.

7. Cat Scoring Cards: Each cat has a scoring card that details the specific conditions needed to attract that cat. Players refer to these cards when placing tiles on their quilt board.

8. Button Tokens: Button tokens are rewards for successfully completing rows or columns of a certain color on the quilt board. They provide bonus points to players.

9. Cloth Bag: The cloth bag is where patch tiles are stored and drawn from throughout the game. It ensures a random distribution of tiles.

10. Rulebook: The rulebook provides a comprehensive guide to playing Calico. It explains how each component interacts with the game, as well as the rules and objectives of the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Calico is a beautifully designed, tile-placement board game. In Calico, players compete to sew the coziest quilt as they collect and place patches of different colors and patterns. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Player roles

In Calico, there are no specific player roles. Each player is a quilter who is trying to make the most attractive and high-scoring quilt.

Step 2: Game Board Setup

Each player receives a Quilt Board, which will be their personal gaming area.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player receives two random patch tiles which they will keep face up in front of them. These are the starting patches for their quilt.
Additionally, each player receives 3 button tokens of each color (red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and white) which they will keep in their personal supply.

Step 4: Setup the Patch Market

Draw 3 patch tiles from the bag and place them face up in a row next to the game board. This area is known as the Patch Market.

Step 5: Setup the Design Goals

Shuffle the Design Goal tiles and draw three. Place these goals in the designated spaces on the game board. Players will aim to fulfill these objectives for additional points.

Step 6: Setup the Cat Scoring Tiles

Shuffle the Cat Scoring Tiles and draw three. Place these tiles next to the game board. Players can attract cats to their quilt by fulfilling the patterns on these tiles.

Step 7: Setup the Random Elements

The random elements in Calico include the initial patch tiles each player receives, the first three patch tiles in the Patch Market, and the three randomly drawn Design Goal tiles and Cat Scoring Tiles.

Once all these steps are completed, you are ready to start playing Calico. Enjoy sewing your quilt and attracting cute cats!

Game flow Round and round we go

Calico is a beautiful, strategic board game where players compete to sew the coziest quilt. The game requires players to balance their strategy between satisfying the design goals of their quilt, attracting the cuddliest cats, and creating color and pattern combinations.

The game is played in rounds and each round consists of the following phases:

Phase 1: Choose a Patch Tile
At the start of their turn, a player chooses one of the three patch tiles in their personal supply and places it on an empty space in their quilt board. The location choice is critical as it influences the scoring conditions.
Phase 2: Draw a New Patch Tile
Once the patch tile has been placed, the player replenishes their personal supply by drawing a new tile from one of three available in the shared market. The player adds this tile to their personal supply.
Phase 3: Score Design Goals, Attract Cats, and Create Buttons
In this phase, the player can potentially score points. If the newly placed patch tile completes a design goal on the quilt board, they score the corresponding points. If the tile pattern matches the preference of a cat token, they place that cat on their quilt and score points. Finally, if the tile completes a button cluster of at least three tiles of the same color, the player adds a button of that color to their quilt and scores points.

The game continues in this way, with players taking turns, until all spaces on each player’s quilt board are filled with patch tiles. At this point, the game ends and final scoring takes place. The player with the highest score, achieved through the careful placement of patch tiles to satisfy design goals, attract cats, and create buttons, is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Calico, a tile-laying board game, each player’s turn consists of a sequence of steps. Here is a detailed breakdown of the actions involved.

Step 1: Choose a Patchwork Tile

The player begins their turn by choosing one of the three patchwork tiles in front of them. This decision may be influenced by the patterns and colors on the tiles, as they have implications for scoring later in the game.

Step 2: Place the Patchwork Tile

The chosen tile is then placed on the player’s quilt board. It can be placed on any empty space, but strategic placement is crucial. The player should aim to create clusters of colors and patterns that will attract cats (for immediate scoring) and meet design goals (for end-of-game scoring).

Step 3: Draw a New Patchwork Tile

After placing a tile on the board, the player draws a new one from the three available in the market row and adds it to their personal supply. The market row is then replenished from the stack of patchwork tiles.

Step 4: Attract Cats and Buttons

If the player has created a cluster of colors or patterns that match a cat token or a button token on their board, they can immediately place that token on the matching cluster. Cat tokens provide immediate points, while button tokens contribute to scoring at the end of the game.

Cat Tokens: To attract a cat, the player needs to form a cluster of at least three tiles with the same color. Each cat requires a different pattern, so the player must choose their tiles carefully.
Button Tokens: To earn a button, the player needs to form a pattern specified on one of their design goal tiles. Once a pattern is complete, the player places a button token on it.

Step 5: End of Turn

The player’s turn ends after they have drawn a new patchwork tile and checked for any attracted cats or buttons. The next player clockwise then takes their turn, following the same steps.

Calico is a game of strategy and planning. Players must balance immediate scoring opportunities with long-term design goals, and every decision can affect the outcome of the game. The player who best manages this balance and achieves the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Calico’ comes to an end after the final round, which is triggered when one player completes their quilt, i.e., places their last patch. The end game phase involves several steps including the final actions of players and scoring.

Final Actions:

Once a player has placed their last patch, each other player gets one final turn. This ensures that all players have had an equal number of turns during the game.

Scoring:

At the end of the game, scoring occurs. There are various ways to score points in Calico, and each is considered in the following order:

Pattern Goals: Players earn points for each of their Pattern Goal tiles that they have successfully completed. The points are awarded based on the corresponding value on their Pattern Goal tile.
Color Goals: Players earn points for each of their Color Goal tiles that they have successfully completed. The points are awarded based on the corresponding value on their Color Goal tile.
Cats: Players earn points for attracting cats to their quilt. The points are awarded based on the quantity and types of cats attracted. Each cat has a specific point value.
Buttons: Players earn points for each button of their quilt’s color sewn onto it. Each button is worth 1 point.

After all points have been tallied, the player with the highest overall score is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most buttons on their quilt wins. If there is still a tie, the player who completed their quilt first is the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Calico is a beautiful tile-laying board game that challenges players to sew quilts with color and pattern combinations. The scoring system in Calico involves accumulating points across several categories. The categories include completing pattern goals, creating color groups, and attracting cats to your quilt. Let’s delve deeper into the scoring system.

Pattern Goals:

Each player begins the game with two randomly drawn Pattern Goals. Completing these will reward the player with points based on the complexity of the pattern. These can range from 3 points for a simple pattern up to 14 points for a more complex arrangement.

Color Groups:

Points are also awarded for creating groups of tiles of the same color. A group includes any number of adjacent tiles of the same color. The size of the group determines the points awarded. A group of three tiles scores 3 points, four tiles score 6 points, and so forth. The largest possible group, of six tiles, scores 21 points.

Cat Tokens:

Players can attract cats to their quilt by creating specific patterns with their tiles. Each cat has a preferred pattern shown on a separate card. If a player manages to create this pattern on their quilt, they can place a matching cat token on it. Each cat token is worth points at the end of the game, typically ranging from 3 to 5 points.

Button Tokens:

Finally, for every set of three matching color tiles, players will earn a matching button token. These buttons are worth 3 points each at the end of the game.

All these points are added together to determine each player’s final score. The player with the highest score wins. In the event of a tie, the player who has the most Cat Tokens on their quilt wins. If there’s still a tie, the player with the most Button Tokens wins. If it is still tied after all these conditions, then the players share the victory.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Calico is a strategic tile-laying game that requires players to create quilts using different colored and patterned tiles. While the rules of Calico are relatively straightforward, there are some special rules, exceptions, and rule clarifications that players should be aware of:

Scoring:

Each tile has a color and a pattern. When scoring, a tile can count for both its color and its pattern.
Scoring is done twice: once when a patch is completed, and once at the end of the game. This means that a tile can score multiple times throughout the game.
Only completed patches score during the game. Unfinished patches do not score until the end of the game.

Design Goals:

Each player has three Design Goal tiles at the beginning of the game. Achieving these goals can earn the player additional points, but they are optional and not required to win the game.
Design Goals must be completed exactly as shown. They cannot be rotated or mirrored.

Button Tokens and Cat Tokens:

Button Tokens are earned by creating patches of at least three tiles of the same color. The color of the button matches the color of the patch.
Cat Tokens are earned by creating patches of at least three tiles with the same pattern. The pattern on the token matches the pattern of the patch.
Players earn the Button or Cat Token immediately upon completing the patch. They do not have to wait until the end of the game to collect them.

Tile Placement:

Once a tile is placed on the board, it cannot be moved or replaced.
Tiles can be placed anywhere on the board. They do not need to be placed adjacent to an existing tile.

End of the Game:

The game ends when all players have placed all of their tiles on the board.
At the end of the game, players score points for any unfinished patches, Design Goals, and any remaining Button and Cat Tokens.

While these rules may seem complex, they become intuitive with play. The key to success in Calico is strategic tile placement and careful consideration of scoring opportunities.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for Calico

1. Prioritize High-Value Tile Combinations: Aim to create a pattern that can score the most points. For example, a six-tile pattern that includes three pairs of the same color can earn you up to 10 points.

2. Use Wild Tiles Wisely: Wild tiles can be used as any color or pattern. However, use them strategically to complete multiple objectives at once.

3. Balance Between Objectives: While it might be tempting to focus on one objective, a balanced approach can provide a steady stream of points. Try to work on your quilt patches, color matches, and pattern goals simultaneously.

Beginner Tips for Calico

1. Start Small: Aim for smaller combinations at first. This will help you understand the game mechanics better and build a foundation for more complex strategies.

2. Understand Scoring: Make sure you understand how the scoring system works. Mastering this will help you make better decisions during the game.

3. Keep an Eye on Your Opponents: Always be aware of what your opponents are doing. This will help you anticipate their moves and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Calico

1. Ignoring Objectives: It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about your objectives. However, completing objectives is a huge part of scoring in Calico.

2. Overusing Wild Tiles: While wild tiles can be very useful, using them too early or too often can leave you without options later in the game.

3. Neglecting the Color and Pattern Goals: While it’s important to create quilt patches, don’t forget about the color and pattern goals. These can provide a significant boost to your score.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in Calico

1. Plan Ahead: Try to plan a few moves ahead. This will allow you to react to changes in the game and make the best use of your tiles.

2. Utilize Bonus Tiles: Bonus tiles can provide a significant advantage. Use them to complete difficult patterns or color combinations.

3. Adapt Your Strategy: Don’t be afraid to change your strategy if things aren’t going your way. Being flexible and adaptable can often lead to success.