Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise

Description

--- **The Hare & the Tortoise** is a card-driven betting game where players wager on five uniquely moving animals in races inspired by Aesop's fable, scoring via accurate predictions over three rounds. (24 words) Key mechanics include: - *Secret betting* Players bet on up to two animals initially, plus a face-down card bet from a seven-card hand. - *Card playing* Turns involve laying 1-4 cards of the same animal, refilling to five cards; rounds end at eight cards total or four of one animal. - *Animal movements* Turtle moves 1 (or 2 if four cards); rabbit 2 unless four cards at lead (sleeps); fox equals cards played; lamb 1+cards but stops at water; wolf 1 (1-2 cards) or cards-1 (more), howl cards limit to wolf only. - *Race resolution* Animals advance on an 11-space track (2 water); round ends when three reach goal, scoring by rankings and bets. - *Multi-round scoring* Three races determine overall winner by total points. The Hare & the Tortoise, originally Royal Turtle, is a card-driven betting game loosely based on Aesop's fable, pitting five animals—turtle, rabbit, lamb, wolf, fox—in races on an 11-road-card track with two water spots. Players secretly bet on up to two animals, receive a random animal assignment and seven-card hand, then add a face-down card bet. Turns consist of playing 1-4 cards of one animal, refilling to five; rounds trigger movement after eight total cards or four of one animal. Each animal's movement is distinct: turtle advances one space (two if four cards); rabbit two spaces unless leading with four cards (sleeps); fox matches cards played; lamb one more than cards but halts at water; wolf one space for 1-2 cards or cards-minus-one for more, with three howl cards restricting movement to wolf only. New rounds follow until three animals finish, scoring points by bet accuracy and final rankings. After three rounds, highest score wins; it homages Reiner Knizia's Royal Turf horse-racing betting game. ---