Rare Species is a family board game for 2-4 players in which players attempt to match male and female rare animal species. Players move around a track on the board, encountering animal cards and trying to pair them up. The game features hidden female cards in the center of the board surrounded by face-up male cards, creating a memory and matching challenge.
Components
1 Game board with a circular track and card placement areas
12 Female animal cards
12 Male animal cards
Playing pieces (1 per player)
1 Die
12 Yellow squares (center area for female cards)
12 Green squares (surrounding area for male cards)
Setup
Place the 12 female cards face-down on the 12 yellow squares in the middle of the board.
Place the 12 male cards face-up on the 12 green squares that surround the female cards.
Each player selects a playing piece and places it on a corner of the board on the circular brown track.
Determine the starting player (youngest player goes first).
Turn Structure
On each turn:
Roll the Die: The active player rolls the die.
Move: Move your playing piece clockwise around the board the number of spaces shown on the die.
Resolve Space: Follow the instructions of the space landed on, which may allow you to look at or collect animal cards.
Match Attempt: If you have the opportunity, attempt to match a male card with its corresponding female card by turning over a face-down female card.
Actions
Move Around Track: Roll and move your piece clockwise along the outer track.
View Female Card: When instructed by a space, peek at one face-down female card in the center.
Claim a Match: If you can match a male and female card of the same species, claim the pair.
Special Spaces: Certain spaces on the board provide bonuses or penalties, such as extra turns or losing a turn.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Players score by successfully matching male and female animal cards of the same species.
Each matched pair counts as one point.
The game ends when all 12 pairs have been matched.
The player with the most matched pairs wins.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
If a player turns over a female card that does not match, the card is returned face-down to its position.
Players should try to remember the locations of female cards they have seen for future matching attempts.
If two players tie for the most pairs, the player who completed their last pair first wins.