Build your own patch of countryside

Every player begins with a Starting Hedgerow and gradually builds a landscape in front of them. By the end of the game, your ecosystem will contain 20 cards arranged in a 5 by 4 grid. On each turn you pick up two cards, choose one to add to your ecosystem and discard another.

Sounds simple enough.

The interesting bit is deciding what to play and where to put it. Different plants and animals have different requirements before they can join your ecosystem. A bird might need insects and woodland. A mammal may need food nearby. Some cards even care about exactly where those resources are positioned.

So every card you add can open up new possibilities later.

Easy enough to start, clever enough to keep playing

You don’t need to learn dozens of rules before you begin. At its heart, each turn is simply:

Pick up 2. Play 1. Discard 1.

But as your ecosystem grows, the choices get more interesting. Do you take the card that scores well now, or something that will help you attract better wildlife later? Do you extend your woodland? Do you start building a waterway? Do you finally play that bird you’ve been hanging onto for five turns?

And, perhaps most importantly, has somebody just discarded exactly the card you need?

Wildlife actually matters

The countryside theme isn’t simply there to make the cards look nice. The relationships between different plants, habitats and animals are built into the game. Some creatures need certain food or habitats. Others need those resources close by. Predators may even rely on other animals already living in your ecosystem.

That means your landscape develops in a way that starts to feel surprisingly interconnected. The better everything works together, the more harmonious your ecosystem becomes.

A game children and adults can enjoy together

Younger players can concentrate on building their ecosystem and collecting wildlife they like. More tactical players can spend their time planning several turns ahead, watching the discard piles and trying to squeeze the maximum number of points out of every space.

Both approaches work.

And quite often, the player quietly collecting nice-looking animals ends up beating the person who’s spent the entire game calculating everything.

Which is always pleasing!

Discover Hedgerow Harmony

If you’re looking for a family card game with a bit more character, a bit of strategy and plenty of British wildlife, Hedgerow Harmony might be right up your street.