HARVEST



OBJECTIVE OF HARVEST:  Be the player with the highest score at the end of the game

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 – 4 players

NUMBER OF CARDS: 54 cards

RANK OF CARDS: (low) Ace – King (high)

TYPE OF GAME: Set collection

AUDIENCE: Kids, adults


INTRODUCTION OF HARVEST

Harvest is a game created by Kyle King in 2021.  It is a set collection game in which players are trying to be the first to build up four same suited piles.  Each card has a specific point value that affects the overall worth of the pile.  This game also incorporates card drafting and card passing in a way that makes this a very interesting experience.  It is a fun little game that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

THE CARDS & THE DEAL

Harvest is played with a 52 card deck as well as two Jokers.  Shuffle the cards and deal seven of them to each player face down.  The rest of the cards are placed aside for future deals.    

THE PLAY

Each player looks at their hand of seven cards and chooses one of them to keep for themselves.  That card is placed face down in front of them in a space referred to as that player’s house.  That card will not be picked up until the next round.  

Next, each player should choose one card to place face up in the center of the playing space.  This is the village, and the cards there can possibly be used by other players.  

Finally, each player will complete one more action using one of the cards in their hand.  They must choose from the following: 

  1. Plant a field – Start a discard pile by playing an Ace – 5.  The suit of the card played determines the suit of the rest of the pile.  This must be done before anymore cards can be added to the pile.
  2. Tend a field – Add a 6 – 10 of the same suit to a field that has been planted.   
  3. Harvest the field – Add a Jack, Queen, or King of the same suit to a tended field.  
  4. Use an Assistant – Play a Joker from your hand to the village in exchange for one of the village cards and play it immediately to one of your fields.
  5. Discard one more card to the village area.

Once each player has completed an action, it is time to help your neighbor.  Players pass their hand of cards to another player.  The player receiving the cards changes each round in a 3 or 4 player game.  In a three player game, it alternates between left and right.  In a four player game, it alternates between left, right, and across the table.  These cards are added to the player’s house. The players then pick up all their house cards (including the one previously placed there by the player) and play continues with each player choosing one card to keep in their house, one card to play to the village, and completing one action.  The round ends when players only have one card left.  

Begin the next round by dealing out either 6, 4, or 2 cards to each player (depending on the number of players and cards remaining).  If there are not enough cards to deal at least 2 to each player, collect the village cards and add them to the deck.  Continue playing rounds until the end conditions for the game are met.

ENDING THE GAME

The game can end three ways.  First, the game ends once a player has successfully harvested all four fields.  This means that they built all four piles according to suit.  A field that has been harvested will contain three cards of the same suit: a planting card (Ace – 5), a tending card (6 – 10), and a harvest card (Jack – King).

The second way a game can end is if all of the harvest cards from a single suit have been played.  Once this occurs, the game ends immediately. 

Finally, a game ends when there are no longer enough cards to deal out at least 2 to each player even after the village cards have been added to the deck.  If this occurs, the game ends immediately. 

JOKERS 

In Harvest, Jokers act as assistants that can be switched out with a card from the village.  If a Joker is played to the village, all of the cards from the village are shuffled into the deck at the end of the round.

SCORING

Players earn points based on the cards in their completed fields.  A completed field may not be worth more than 91 points.  Each point represents a day of work, and there are only 91 days in a season.  If a completed field is worth more than 91 points, it is removed from scoring.  Card values are as follows: 

Aces = 1 point each

2’s – 10’s = the face value of the card

Jacks = 11 points each

Queens = 12 points each

Kings = 13 points each

WINNING

The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

Mark Ball
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