Objective

The goal of Calico is to score the most points by creating a quilt that meets specific pattern goals, attracts cats, and earns buttons.

Setup

1. Player Boards: Each player takes a quilt board and places it in front of them. The board is divided into a grid of hexagonal spaces where quilt tiles will be placed.

2. Quilt Tiles: Shuffle the quilt tiles (hexagonal tiles with various colors and patterns) and place them in a facedown pile to create a draw stack.

3. Design Goal Tiles: Each player draws three design goal tiles randomly. These tiles are placed on the marked spaces on the quilt board and dictate the patterns players aim to create.

4. Buttons: Place the button tokens nearby. Buttons are earned by creating sets of three or more tiles of the same color.

5. Cat Scoring Tiles and Tokens:

   • Shuffle the cat scoring tiles and place them on the designated cat spaces on the central board.

   • Place the corresponding cat tokens next to the central board. These will be placed on quilts when their conditions are met.

6. Starting Tiles: Each player draws two quilt tiles from the draw pile and places them in their hand.

7. Start Player: Determine a start player. Gameplay will proceed clockwise.
   

Gameplay

The game is played over a series of turns, with each player taking one turn at a time. The game continues until all players have filled their quilt boards.

On Your Turn

1. Place a Tile:

   • Choose one of the two quilt tiles in your hand and place it on an empty space on your quilt board. The tile must be placed on an empty hexagon.

   • Consider your design goals, color groupings, and cat preferences when placing a tile.

2. Score and Place a Button:

   • If you create a group of three or more tiles of the same color, you earn a button. Place the button on any one of the tiles in that group.

   • Each color has its corresponding button, and you may place only one button per color group.

3. Attract a Cat:

   • If you create a pattern that matches one of the cat scoring tiles, place the corresponding cat token on your quilt. You can score multiple cats, but each cat token can only be earned once.

4. Draw a New Tile:

   • Draw a new quilt tile from the draw stack to replace the one you just placed. You should always have two tiles in your hand.
     

Scoring

Points are earned throughout the game in several ways:

1. Design Goal Tiles: Each design goal tile has specific pattern criteria. If you successfully meet the conditions of a design goal, you score the points indicated on the tile.

2. Buttons: Each button placed on your quilt is worth 3 points. If you collect all six different color buttons, you receive an additional 10 points.

3. Cats: Each cat token placed on your quilt is worth a varying number of points, depending on the cat's scoring conditions.
   

End of the Game

The game ends when all players have filled their quilt boards. Players then calculate their final scores by adding up points from:

• Design goal tiles

• Buttons

• Cats

The player with the highest score wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player with the most buttons wins. If still tied, the player with the most cats wins.

Strategy Tips

1. Plan Ahead: Think about your design goals, cat preferences, and button sets before placing tiles to maximize your score.

2. Balance Your Objectives: While focusing on one aspect (like attracting cats) can be tempting, balancing your goals across design tiles, buttons, and cats will generally yield a higher score.

3. Adapt: Be ready to change your strategy based on the tiles you draw and the evolving state of your quilt board.