Overview

Patchwork is a two-player game where each player builds a quilt on their personal 9x9 board by purchasing and placing fabric patches. The player who last used a needle goes first. The unique turn order mechanic means the player whose time token is furthest behind on the time board always takes the next turn.

Components

• 1 central time board (double-sided)
• 2 quilt boards (9x9 grid, 1 per player)
• 33 patches (various shapes with button costs and time costs)
• 1 neutral token
• 2 time tokens (lime green and yellow)
• 5 special patches (1x1 leather patches)
• 1 special tile (7x7 bonus, worth 7 points)
• Button tiles: 32 “1 button,” 12 “5 buttons,” 5 “10 buttons,” 1 “20 buttons”

Setup

1. Place the time board in the center of the table.
2. Each player takes a quilt board, a time token, and 5 buttons.
3. Place both time tokens on the starting space of the time board.
4. Arrange all 33 patches in a circle or oval around the time board.
5. Locate the smallest patch (1x2 size) and place the neutral token between it and the next patch clockwise.
6. Place special patches on the marked spaces of the time board.
7. Lay out the special tile nearby.

Turn Structure

The player whose time token is furthest behind on the time board takes the next turn. If both tokens share a space, the token on top goes first. A player may take multiple consecutive turns.

On your turn, choose one of two actions:

Action A: Advance and Receive Buttons

Move your time token to the space directly in front of your opponent’s time token. Receive 1 button per space moved.

Action B: Take and Place a Patch

1. Choose a patch: Select one of the 3 patches immediately clockwise of the neutral token.
2. Move the neutral token: Place it where the chosen patch was.
3. Pay the cost: Pay the number of buttons shown on the patch to the supply.
4. Place the patch: Put it on your quilt board (may rotate/flip, but no overlapping and must stay within the 9x9 grid).
5. Move your time token: Advance it the number of spaces shown on the patch.

Actions

Action	Effect
Advance	Move in front of opponent’s token; gain 1 button per space
Take Patch	Pay buttons, place patch on quilt, advance time token

Time Board Events

When your time token moves onto or past a marked space:

• Special Patch (1x1): Take the special patch and immediately place it on your quilt board. These are the only way to fill single empty spaces.
• Button Income: Receive buttons equal to the number of button icons printed on patches already placed on your quilt board.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when both time tokens reach the final space of the time board (excess movement stops at the last space).

Final scoring:

1. Count your remaining buttons.
2. Add 7 points if you earned the special tile.
3. Subtract 2 points for each empty space on your quilt board.

The player with the highest score wins. Tiebreaker: the player who reached the final space first.

Special Tile: The first player to completely fill a 7x7 square on their quilt board receives the special tile (worth 7 bonus points).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• If you cannot afford any of the 3 available patches, you must take Action A (Advance).
• You can never rearrange patches once placed.
• If your time token would pass the final space, it stops on the final space. For Action A, you only receive buttons for actual spaces moved.
• Patches may be rotated and flipped in any orientation before placement.
• The neutral token only moves clockwise and always stops next to the chosen patch’s former position.

Player Reference

Resource	Starting Amount
Buttons	5 per player
Quilt Board	Empty 9x9 grid
Time Token	Starting space

Scoring Formula: Final Score = Remaining Buttons + Special Tile (7 if earned) - (2 x Empty Spaces)