Objective
The goal of Hare & Tortoise is to be the first player to cross the finish line with the precise number of carrots and having discarded all salad cards. The player who crosses the finish line with the fewest carrots and no salad cards wins the game.
Components
- A game board with a track consisting of numbered spaces
- Player pieces that move along the track
- Carrot cards
- Salad cards
- A die
Basic Rules
- Setup: Each player receives a player piece and places it on the starting space. Each player receives 100 carrots and 3 salad cards (the numbers might vary according to the number of players).
- Game Play: At the beginning of a turn, a player decides how many spaces to move forward. The cost in carrots for this movement is calculated using the formula (n \times (n + 1)/2), where (n) is the number of squares moved.
- Movement Rules: Players can choose their movement based on their carrot count, but must interact with certain spaces using carrots or salad:
- At a salad square, the player must discard a salad card.
- On some special squares, players draw a card that may have positive or negative effects.
- Space Mechanics: Players can use spaces to gain or lose carrots:
- On D-spaces, players can easily move along and earn carrots when landing on a correct D-number square.
- On special squares, carrots can be won or lost depending on the card drawn.
- Finish Line: To cross the finish line, players must have discarded all their salad cards and have the exact number of carrots needed to land on the finish space. The game may last multiple rounds depending on player strategy.
Strategy and Tips
- Carrot Management: Think carefully about when to save or spend carrots.
- Discard Salad Early: Try to discard salad cards early to be more flexible at the end.
- Field Utilization: Use fields wisely; some offer easy ways to gain additional carrots or discard salad cards.
- Timing: Watch other players’ progress and plan not to arrive last.
Hare & Tortoise is a game that requires forward planning and strategic thinking while simultaneously responding to other players’ actions.
