2020 BGG rank #6884

Ducks in Tow

1–4 players 30–60 min Ages 10+ 2.2/5 complexity 5.7/10 rating

About this game

Welcome to the Duck Sanctuary! Come enjoy the company of the ducks while visiting the different locations around the park. In Ducks in Tow, you are walking around the park feeding the ducks their favorite food. When you feed them, they start following you and you must lead them to their favorite location in the park. When you successfully lead them to their favorite location, you take a photo with them and they waddle off to find their friends. Maybe you’ll see them again later as you continue your walk around the park. You will be completing Location Cards that will gain you points at the end of the game. Once you have completed a few Location Cards, you might be able to claim a Formation Card, which will give you additional points at the end of the game. —description from the publisher

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Setup

1. Take the 5 Starting Formation cards (cards with no symbol at the top) and, selecting them based on player count (see bottom right corner), randomly deal 1 face-up to each player. This card is considered 'complete' and starts each player's duck row network. The player who received the 'First Player' Location card goes first. Each player also chooses a color pawn, plastic 'tow' piece, and 1 reference card. 2. Separate the 6 Special Action tiles (white border) from the 8 Location tiles (color border). Set up the board based on player count as shown on page 2 of the rulebook. Place a random Location tile on each dark hex space; unused tiles go back to the box. Place each player's pawn and tow piece on the yellow highlighted hexes (1 per hex). 3. Take the Location cards. If playing with 2-3 players, remove cards matching Location tiles not used in the game. Shuffle and deal 4 Location cards to each player as their starting hand. Place the remaining deck nearby and flip 4 cards face-up to form the selection row. 4. Shuffle the Formation cards (transparencies) and randomly select 4 (2 players), 5 (3 players), or 6 (4 players) cards. Place these face-up nearby for all to see; extras go to the box. 5. Place all food into the Seed bag. The 1st/2nd/3rd/4th player draws 2/3/4/4 food respectively from the bag into their play area. 6. Place 6 (2 players), 7 (3 players), or 8 (4 players) ducks of each color into the Duck bag; extras go to the box. Draw and place 1 duck per tile in the game, including tiles where a player's pawn starts.

Turn flow

On their turn, a player takes up to 4 actions in any order and combination; the same action may be taken more than once. The six available actions are: Move, Feed, Shake the Bag, Drop Off, Gift Shop, and Adopt. After completing actions, the player may (for free, not an action) claim a Formation card if eligible. At end of turn: (1) disperse any ducks held in front of the player, (2) optionally discard any food back to the bag and draw up to 4 food total, (3) if holding fewer than 4 Location cards, draw from the display or deck until at 4, then refill the display to 4 face-up cards, (4) pass the food bag left to signal the next player's turn.

Scoring and victory

Player with the most points wins. Points come from the longest connected horizontal duck rows (1 point per duck, scored separately for each of the 4 colors) and from claimed Formation cards (points shown next to the heart icon on each card). Ties are broken by longest connected duck row, then 2nd longest, etc. Scoring sources: 1 point per duck in longest connected horizontal row, scored for each of the 4 colors, Points shown on each claimed Formation card (next to heart icon)

Source: Rulebook

Rules to know

The most useful rules for getting a first game right.

Setup

Each player starts with 1 pre-dealt Starting Formation card that is already considered 'complete'.

The 5 Starting Formation cards are identified by having no symbol at the top. Based on player count (indicated in the card's bottom right corner), 1 is randomly dealt face-up to each player before the game begins. This card is immediately considered 'complete' and forms the beginning of a player's duck row network. The player who receives the 'First Player' Location card takes the first turn.

Setup

The board is set up based on player count using Location tiles and Special Action tiles placed on specific hexes.

There are 6 Special Action tiles (white border) and 8 Location tiles (color border). The board configuration is determined by player count as shown on page 2 of the rulebook. A random Location tile is placed on each dark hex space shown in the diagram; unused tiles go to the box. Each player places their pawn and tow piece on the yellow highlighted hexes, with 1 piece per hex.

Setup

Location cards are filtered by player count, shuffled, dealt 4 to each player, and 4 are placed face-up as a selection row.

With 2-3 players, remove Location cards that match Location tiles not included in the current game. Shuffle remaining Location cards and deal 4 to each player as their starting hand. Place the remaining deck nearby and flip 4 cards face-up to form a selection row.

Setup

Randomly select 4/5/6 Formation cards for 2/3/4 players; only selected cards are available to claim during the game.

Shuffle all Formation cards (transparencies) and randomly select 4 cards for a 2-player game, 5 for a 3-player game, or 6 for a 4-player game. Place the selected cards face-up nearby so all players can see them. Return any extras to the box.

Setup

All food goes into the Seed bag; players draw staggered starting amounts based on turn order.

Place all food tokens into the Seed bag. The 1st player draws 2 food, the 2nd player draws 3 food, the 3rd player draws 4 food, and the 4th player draws 4 food from the bag into their play area at the start of the game.

Setup

Duck counts per color are scaled to player count; 1 duck is placed on each tile at game start.

Place 6 ducks of each color (2 players), 7 ducks of each color (3 players), or 8 ducks of each color (4 players) into the Duck bag; return extras to the box. Draw and place 1 duck per tile in the game (including tiles where a player's pawn starts) using the Disperse rule.

General

When a new duck is added to the board, it always goes to the tile with the fewest ducks, never on a tile with a player's pawn.

Whenever a duck must be added to the board (dispersed), place it on a tile that currently has 0 ducks. If multiple 0-duck tiles exist, the active player chooses which tile receives the duck. If all tiles have at least 1 duck, evaluate tiles with only 1 duck; if all have at least 2, evaluate tiles with 2 ducks, and so on. A duck may never be dispersed onto a tile that currently has a player's pawn on it.

Turn structure

Each player takes up to 4 actions per turn in any order; the same action may be repeated.

On a player's turn, they may take up to 4 actions in any order and any combination from the following options: Move, Feed, Shake the Bag, Drop Off, Gift Shop, and Adopt. A player may take the same action more than once as long as they have actions remaining. Claiming a Formation card (after Drop Off or Adopt) is free and does not count as an action.

Common questions and edge cases

Can I complete more than one Location card with a single Drop Off action?

Yes. A single Drop Off action allows a player to complete multiple Location cards simultaneously, provided all criteria are met for each card at the same time: the pawn is on the matching tile for each card, and the player discards all required ducks from their tow piece. For each card completed, draw 1 duck from the bag to be dispersed at end of turn.

Can I claim a Formation card after a Move or Feed action?

No. A Formation card may only be claimed immediately after a Drop Off or Adopt action. It cannot be triggered by any other action.

Can the same duck satisfy two different Formation cards I've claimed?

No. Each duck on your grid can only be used to satisfy one Formation card. Once a duck is contributing to a claimed Formation card (shown by the overlay placement), it cannot count toward any other Formation card.

I completed two Location cards and used Adopt, so I have 3 ducks to disperse. Do I choose where each goes?

When dispersing multiple ducks at end of turn, you must choose the order they go out onto tiles randomly. Each duck is then dispersed per the Disperse rule (fewest ducks, no pawn tiles) in that order.

I used Gift Shop to draw 2 Location cards from the display. Do I refill the display immediately?

No. When taking the Gift Shop draw option, do not refill the display at that time. The display is only refilled at the end of your turn during the end-of-turn card step.

I already have 3 food and use Gift Shop to gain 2 food. What happens?

You gain 2 food (to 5 total), then immediately discard down to 4 food. This discard happens right away as part of the Gift Shop action, not at end of turn.

I draw a duck from the bag during Shake the Bag but have no matching food. What happens?

If you lack matching food (or simply don't want to keep the duck), you must disperse the drawn duck onto the board following the Disperse rule. You do not return it to the bag.

When using Adopt, can I place any duck on any dotted-line space?

No. The duck placed on a dotted-line space must match the color of that dotted-line space on the completed Location card.

The last Formation card is claimed mid-turn. Does the game end immediately?

No. The end-game is triggered, but the current player finishes their turn normally. Then every other player gets 1 more turn before final scoring.

When scoring connected rows, do all 4 colors score independently?

Yes. For each of the 4 duck colors, you find the longest unbroken horizontal row of that specific color within your grid and score 1 point per duck in it. Each color is scored separately. Gaps of any kind break a row.

My grid has a pattern that matches a Formation card only if I rotate it. Can I claim it?

No. Formation cards cannot be rotated or flipped. The pattern must match your grid exactly as it is printed on the card.

All tiles have at least 1 duck but the tile with the fewest ducks has a player's pawn. Can I disperse there?

No. You can never disperse a duck onto a tile that currently has a player's pawn, regardless of how many ducks are on other tiles. Skip over any pawn-occupied tiles and find the next-lowest duck count tile without a pawn.