Beta Ruleset
Basic Rules
The goal: Achieve irrigation for your coffee or hops farm by completing a path from a water source (represented by the "Parched" coaster) to your field (represented by the glass and mug coasters).
Set Up: Set aside the "Parched" tile and the two field tiles (beer glass and coffee mug). Randomize all other tiles and place 12 of the these tiles facedown in the locations shown below (ignore the blue line on the diagram for now; rather, place the tiles face down in a random orientation). Place the “Parched” tile at the bottom tip and the two field tiles at the top of the board, as shown. Give one additional tile to each player, and set the remaining two tiles to the side; they will not be used this game.
Determine which player will be the hops grower and which will be the coffee bean grower. Finally, turn all tiles face up, being sure to flip them over the same edge of the octagon to ensure randomness and avoid cheating.
Give 5 cards to each player: Ace, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in any suit.
Victory Condition: When a blue line can be traced from the “Parched” water source to either player’s field (shown left), the player who owns that field is victorious. In the event of a tie (both players’ paths are completed by one player’s move) the player with the shortest route prevails.
Player Turn: Players will alternate choosing a land permit (tile) to compete for. [Player who has most recently drank the beverage they represent goes first.] The winner of the permit will replace the existing tile with the tile they have in reserve, orienting it to their advantage. The previous tile will now be in their reserve.
Players determine the winner of a permit by simultaneously selecting one of five initial cards to play. The player who chooses the highest card wins - ties always go to the person who chose the permit. Played cards are discarded until players have used all 5 cards; for the next round players will pick up all 5 cards and use them again.
The next player to choose a permit cannot choose the permit chosen in the preceding round.
Variants
All variants, like the main game, are in the beta testing stage. If you have any ideas or feedback for the basic game or any variant, please reach out. Development of new variants is encouraged!
No Cards Swip Swap
Parched played without any cards. Players still take turns determining which tile will be manipulated each turn, but there is no card playing to determine who controls the tile. The player who chose the tile, always swaps their tile with the one they selected.
Two in Reserve
Those two extra coasters that are on the side can be put to use. In this variant players use all 20 coasters, with players having two coasters in reserve to choose from when swapping and placing coasters. Players now have more options. This will speed up the game.
Four Player Parched
Played as a game with two players. Again, using all 20 coasters, each player will be given 5 cards and one coaster to keep in reserve. Players are not allowed to discuss strategy or disclose information regarding their cards.
As in the basic game, one player will choose a coaster to compete for and one player from either team will play a card. One player from each team will lay down one card to determine ownership of the coaster (no talking; whoever lays down first represents the team). Either player from each team may play a card to determine ownership, so players may have different amounts of cards in their hands, but teams should always have the same amount, until a player has recouped their played cards. Any individual recoups their 5 cards after playing all 5.
FAQ
What should we do if our random placement of tiles creates an unfair board (one player is very close to winning from the get go)?
Players should feel free to reshuffle the tiles, as good spirit might dictate; however, this is left to the players to decide. A veteran playing a new player may choose to continue with an unfair start in order to balance the advantage created by their playing experience.