Overview

Brandon the Brave is a tile-laying adventure game by HABA for 2-4 players ages 5 and up. Players draw triangular field tiles showing parts of landscapes, complete quests by placing tiles strategically, and build jousting arenas. The first player to place all their task cards — or the player with the fewest remaining task cards when all tiles are drawn — wins.

Components

• Triangular field tiles (showing landscape parts with colored crosses or jousting arena segments)
• Task cards (quest objectives for each player)
• Player pieces

Setup

1. Shuffle the triangular field tiles face down and create a draw pile.
2. Deal a set number of task cards to each player.
3. Each player places their starting piece or tile as indicated.

Turn Structure

On each turn, a player:

1. Draws a triangular field tile from the pile.
2. Examines the tile — it shows part of a landscape and either a colored cross (indicating a task location) or part of a jousting arena.
3. Places the tile following the placement rules.
4. If the placement completes a task, the player discards the corresponding task card.

Actions

Place a Tile:

• Draw a tile and place it adjacent to existing tiles on the table.
• Tiles must follow placement rules:

Cross Tiles:

• Crosses may only be placed next to crosses of the same color.
• Crosses cannot be placed next to a side with an open space (they must connect to matching crosses).

Jousting Arena Tiles:

• Parts of a jousting arena cannot be placed next to an open space.
• Arena parts can only be placed next to each other to complete the arena site tile by tile.

Complete a Task:

• When a player successfully matches the conditions shown on one of their task cards through tile placement, they discard that task card.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends in one of two ways:

• Immediate win: A player places their last task card, winning the game immediately.
• Tile depletion: All field tiles have been placed. The player with the fewest remaining task cards wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Age Range: Designed for young children (ages 5+), the rules are intentionally simple and accessible.
• Tile Restrictions: The placement restrictions on crosses and arena tiles create a spatial puzzle that young players must navigate.
• Triangular Tiles: Unlike square tile-laying games, the triangular shape creates different adjacency patterns and strategic considerations.
• Task Card Management: Players must balance between completing their own tasks and blocking opponents from completing theirs.

Player Reference

Tile Type	Placement Rule
Cross tile	Must be placed next to matching color crosses only
Arena tile	Must be placed next to other arena parts; no open edges

Win condition: First to place all task cards, or fewest remaining when tiles run out Players: 2-4, ages 5+ Game length: 15-20 minutes