Overview

Fields of Arle is a deep worker-placement game for 1-2 players set in the East Frisian village of Arle. Over 9 half-years (alternating summer and winter), players develop their farms by growing flax and grain, breeding animals, cutting peat, building dikes, colonizing moors, constructing buildings and vehicles, and more. Different actions are available in summer versus winter. A single end-game scoring determines the winner.

Components

• 1 Large game board (action spaces for summer/winter)
• 1 Supply board
• 2 Home boards (with goods tracks on the sides)
• 2 Travel Destinations and Barn storage boards
• 8 Workers (4 per player in 2 colors)
• 12 Goods Indicators (Grain, Flax, Hide, Wool, Food)
• 20 Round Tool Indicators (10 per player)
• 18 Travel destination tiles (9 per player)
• Replacement tiles (Linen, Wool, Leather)
• 40 Peat tiles, 20 Sheep tiles, 20 Cattle tiles, 20 Horse tiles
• 24 Linen/Summer Wear, 23 Leather/Leather Wear, 23 Woolen/Winter Wear tiles
• 24 Clay/Brick, 24 Wood/Timber tiles
• 14 Grain Field/Flax Field tiles
• 31 Building tiles
• Various vehicle, dike, moor, stall, forest, and other tiles
• 1 Half Year Counter, 1 Starting Player Marker
• 2 Overview sheets, 1 Scoring pad

Setup

1. Place the large game board and supply board between players.
2. Populate action spaces and supply areas with appropriate tiles per setup instructions.
3. Each player sets up their home board with starting goods levels and animals.
4. Place workers on home boards.
5. Set the half-year counter to the first half-year.

Turn Structure

The game lasts 9 half-years, alternating summer (half-years 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) and winter (half-years 2, 4, 6, 8).

Each Half-Year:

1. Worker Placement Phase: Players alternate placing 1 worker at a time on available action spaces. Summer and winter have different available actions. Each action space can only hold 1 worker.
2. After all workers placed: Resolve any end-of-phase activities.
3. Inventorying: Season-specific upkeep including feeding workers, breeding animals, and harvesting.

Summer Actions (examples)

• Sow grain/flax fields
• Cut peat
• Build dikes
• Breed animals
• Various crafting and building actions

Winter Actions (examples)

• Process flax into linen
• Tan leather
• Weave wool
• Build vehicles and structures
• Various crafting and trade actions

Actions

Actions are performed by placing a worker on the corresponding space. Each action space shows what it provides. Categories include:

• Farming: Sow, plow, harvest grain and flax
• Animals: Breed sheep, cattle, horses; manage stalls
• Resources: Cut peat, dig clay, chop wood
• Crafting: Make bricks, timber, linen, leather, wool clothing
• Building: Construct workshops, inns, and prestigious buildings
• Vehicles: Build handcarts, wagons, carts, carriages, boats, plows
• Land development: Colonize moor, build dikes, plant forests
• Trade: Send goods to travel destinations via vehicles

Scoring / Victory Conditions

At the end of 9 half-years, players score points from:

• Buildings constructed (varying point values)
• Travel destinations reached
• Animals owned
• Goods and resources on tracks
• Developed land (dikes, moors colonized, forests)
• Vehicles
• Various bonus scoring conditions

The player with the most points wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Goods tracks on home boards track levels of grain, flax, hide, wool, and food using indicators.
• Upgrading goods: Raw goods can be processed into more valuable forms (e.g., clay to brick, wood to timber, hide to leather).
• Vehicle requirements: Delivering goods to travel destinations requires appropriate vehicles.
• Feeding: Workers must be fed during winter inventorying; insufficient food costs points.
• Animal breeding: Pairs of animals produce offspring during inventorying, but only if you have space in stalls.
• Building restrictions: Some buildings have prerequisites or placement rules.
• Solo mode: Play with both colors, using slightly modified rules.

Player Reference

Item	Details
Players	1-2
Age	14+
Duration	9 half-years (alternating summer/winter)
Workers per player	4
Key resources	Grain, Flax, Peat, Clay, Wood, Wool, Hide, Food
Processed goods	Linen, Leather, Brick, Timber, Clothing
Animals	Sheep, Cattle, Horses
Win condition	Most victory points at end of game