Overview

Crows is a tile-placement game where players are Outcast Mages trying to attract crows to their Mana Totem. Each round, players draw and place map tiles, position their totem, and optionally cast spells. Crows then flock toward totems, scoring points. When the Nightfall tile is drawn, the game ends after the current round. The player with the most points wins.

Components

• Map tiles (various types: Barrens, Trees with Crows, Gem Cave, Mana Ley Line, Lava Pool, Queen’s Totem, Carrion Paradise, Nightfall)
• Crow figures
• Mana Totems (1 per player, different colors)
• Spell cards
• Mana coins (for scoring)
• Mana Corruption tokens
• Starting Player token

Setup

1. Each player chooses a color and takes their Mana Totem.
2. Shuffle all spells face-down in a deck.
3. Set aside the Nightfall tile. Flip all map tiles face-down and shuffle into one stack.
4. Remove tiles based on player count: 2 players = remove 8; 3 players = remove 4; 4 players = remove none.
5. Select 6 tiles, shuffle the Nightfall tile into them, place as the bottom 7 tiles of the stack. Then move 4 tiles from top to bottom.
6. Draw 13 tiles and arrange in the starting pattern.
7. Each player draws 1 tile as their hand.
8. Place crow figures on tiles with crow icons.
9. Choose a first player randomly.

Turn Structure

Each round:

1. Players take turns (clockwise from starting player).
2. After all turns, crows flock and players score.
3. Totems are retrieved; next round begins.

On Your Turn:

1. Draw a tile, then choose 1 tile from your hand and place it on the board (must connect along at least one edge; cannot stack).
2. Place your Mana Totem on any empty tile (no crows, no other totems, no Lava Pools, no Mana Corruption tokens). If placed on a Barrens tile, draw a spell.
3. Optionally play 1 spell.

Actions

Tile Types:

Tile	Effect
Barrens	Basic tile; draw a spell when placing totem here
Trees with Crows (1/2/3)	Place that many crows when the tile enters play
Gem Cave	Gives flocking priority in ties
Mana Ley Line	Crows scored here earn double points
Lava Pool	Stops flocking crows; can replace an empty tile already on the board
Queen’s Totem	Summons the Queen Crow (worth 3 points; never scattered by murders; prioritizes Gem Caves)
Carrion Paradise	Spawns 1 crow each turn
Nightfall	Signals end of game when drawn

Spells:

Spell	Effect
Attract	Choose an empty tile and direction; crows flock toward it
Disperse	Crows 1 space away move 1 space farther from chosen tile
Drain	Mana Ley Lines do not provide double points this round
Landfall	Draw and place an additional tile
Teleport	Move up to 2 crows from one tile to another empty tile
Populate	Repopulate an empty 2- or 3-crow tile as if newly placed

Unused spells at game end are worth 2 points each.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After crows flock each round:

• Each crow on the same tile as your Mana Totem = 1 point
• Queen Crow = 3 points
• Mana Ley Line tile = double points from that flock
• Unused spells at end = 2 points each

Flocking Rules:

• Crows flock to the nearest Mana Totem in the same row or column (no diagonals).
• Crows can move any distance while flocking.
• Crows cannot fly over gaps between tiles.
• Lava Pools stop flocking crows for the round.
• Tied distance: Gem Cave totem gets priority. Otherwise, split evenly (odd crows stay put).

Murders (6+ crows on one tile):

1. Score normally.
2. Remove Mana Corruption tokens from previous rounds.
3. 2 crows become a mated pair and are removed from the game.
4. Scatter remaining crows in a clockwise spiral pattern (player chooses starting direction).
5. Place a Mana Corruption token on the original tile.

Game End: When Nightfall is drawn, finish the current round. All players should have had equal turns.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Lava Pool tiles can replace any empty tile on the board; the replaced tile is placed elsewhere without spawning new crows.
• Crow icons on tiles only matter at initial placement; afterward they are ignored.
• Carrion Paradise spawns 1 new crow at the end of each round.
• You cannot place your totem on a tile with a Mana Corruption token.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
1	Draw tile, play 1 tile to board
2	Place Mana Totem on empty tile
3	Optional: play 1 spell
Scoring	1 pt/crow, 3 pts/Queen, x2 for Ley Lines, 2 pts/unused spell
Murder	6+ crows: score, pair off 2, scatter rest in spiral