Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

1–4 Players | 60–90 Minutes | Ages 10+

In Meadow, players become explorers of the natural world, competing to observe and collect beautiful scenes of wildlife, landscapes, and discoveries. Each turn, you’ll collect and play cards to build a tableau that represents your journey through nature. Your goal is to strategically balance collecting new cards, fulfilling goals, and placing them efficiently to earn the most victory points by the end of the game.

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How to Play Meadow (Complete Rules Guide)

We’ve done our best to compile and summarize the rules so they are easy to follow, however if you have any questions or are confused, please refer to the official rulebook at the top of the page.

Game Components

1 Main Game Board
2 Two-Sided Campfire Boards (used depending on player count)
2 Campfire Block Tokens
4 Foldable Deck Holders
184 Cards Total:
- 45 North (N) Deck Cards
- 45 West (W) Deck Cards
- 45 South (S) Deck Cards
- 45 East (E) Deck Cards
4 Two-Sided Starting Ground Cards
11 Basic Goal Tokens
1 Goal Token for Envelope U (Big Encounters)
20 Path Tokens (5 in each of 4 player colors)
12 Bonus Tokens (3 per color)
28 Road Tokens
1 Round Marker
1 First Player Token
4 Color Markers
5 Expansion Envelopes (6 cards each)
1 Solo Play Game Token

Game Setup

Board Setup

Place the main board in the center of the table.
Keep the road tokens and round marker nearby and within reach.
Insert 3 of the 4 deck holders into the designated slots on the main board and set the remaining deck holder next to the board.
Separate the cards by deck back (N, S, E, W), shuffle each, and place them into their respective holders.
- Starting Decks: At the beginning of the game, use the West (W), South (S), and East (E) decks.
- Later in the game, the South (S) deck will be replaced by the North (N) deck.
Choose the correct campfire board for your player count (2, 3, or 4 players). Place it beside the main board with the side showing the correct number of players. Return the unused board to the box.
Fill every space on the board with face-up cards from the corresponding decks:
- The left column has 4 W cards, and the next two columns each have 4 S cards.
Shuffle all Goal Tokens, then place one face-up on each square goal space on the campfire board. Return any extras to the box (a 4-player game uses all 11).
Place the round marker on the first rock of the round tracker.
Depending on player count:
- 2 Players: Block 2 campfire notches.
- 3 Players: Block 1 campfire notch.
- 4 Players: No notches are blocked.
The player most recently stung by a bee receives the First Player Token and will start the game.

A bird's-eye view of the components laid out for the board game Meadow, set against a white background. The main central component is a grid of square cards depicting various natural elements like flora and fauna, which sits on a larger, irregular green playing mat. Arranged around this central area are several other components, including four player boards that stand upright (labeled N, E, S, and W, suggesting a compass rose), stacks of curved, brown Discovery Cards (also marked with 'W' and 'M'), smaller decks of cards, wooden tokens (some red, some green, some shaped like tents or cabins), and a round, green cardboard piece that resembles a campfire area surrounded by logs and stones. The overall scene shows the full setup for gameplay.

Player Setup

Each player chooses a color and takes:

5 Path Tokens (return the “?” token to the box in a 4-player game)
3 Bonus Tokens
1 Road Token (road symbol face-up)
1 Two-Sided Starting Ground Card

Starting Hands

Each player begins with 5 cards, chosen as follows:

Starting with the player to the right of the first player and moving counterclockwise, each player selects a row from the main board and takes all 4 cards from that row.
Each player then draws 1 card from the N deck (the unused deck at the start).
Refill the empty spaces on the main board from the appropriate decks after each player’s selection.

Beginner Setup Tip: For your first game, deal each player a random hand instead:

1 W card
2 S cards
1 E card
1 N card

Finally, each player places their Starting Ground Card (any side up) in their Meadow area as their first card.

An illustration from the board game Meadow that demonstrates a gameplay example. The image shows a Discovery Board with a 4×3 grid of face-up cards, each displaying unique watercolor artwork of nature elements. A dashed white line highlights the second row of cards (four cards in total), which feature a horseshoe, a basket of woven grass, a Venus flytrap, and an empty landscape. To the right of the board, there is a large white plus sign and a single face-up card from the North (N) deck, which features a compass design. Below the image, there is a caption that reads: "Example 1. Steven chooses the 2
nd
row and takes the 4 cards from the board and 1 card from the N deck that is currently next to the board."

Game Structure

Game Length

2 or 3 Players: 6 Rounds
4 Players: 8 Rounds
(Each stone on the campfire board represents one round.)

Players take turns clockwise, performing one action per turn until all Path Tokens have been used.

Player Turn

On your turn, place one Path Token in an unused notch on either:

The Main Board, to draw and play cards, or
The Campfire Board, to take a special action and optionally fulfill a goal.

Once placed, your token remains there until the end of the round.

Main Board Actions (Top Action)

When placing a Path Token on the main board:

Count the number of spaces in the direction your token points (1–4, or your choice with the “?” token).
Take the card at that distance and refill the empty spot from the same deck.
You may now play one card from your hand into your Meadow or Surroundings area.

Playing Cards

Card Placement

Cards are played in one of two areas:

Meadow Area: Vertically oriented Ground and Observation cards.
Surroundings Area: Horizontally oriented Landscape and Discovery cards.

Once placed, cards cannot be moved for the rest of the game.

An illustrated example from the board game Meadow that demonstrates a different card-taking action. The image shows a close-up of the Discovery Board with a grid of 4×4 face-up cards, each featuring nature-themed watercolor artwork. A small, curved brown token with the number "3" and an icon of a house and a fire is shown being placed into a small notch below the grid. A large, curved white arrow points from the token's placement, across the bottom row of cards, to highlight the third card in that row, which depicts a windowpane with a reflection. A caption below the image explains the action: "Example 2. Caroline, the yellow player, places her path token in a free notch. The number on the token indicates the row that she takes the card from. Caroline uses the number 3 path token, therefore she takes the 3
rd
card along the row, counting from the placed token. Then, after refilling the empty spot with the S card, Caroline can play 1 card from her hand."

Ground Cards

Represent natural habitats and ecosystems.
Form the foundation of your meadow and display key symbols used for playing future cards.
Place new ground cards to the left or right of your existing ones (up to 10 total).
Bottom symbols must remain visible at all times.

An instructional image from the board game Meadow that explains the Card and Ground symbols, along with a key for the Ground symbols. The central element is a card featuring a watercolor painting of a large blue-leafed tree under a partly cloudy sky, growing over a grassy patch. An arrow points to the Card symbol at the top center of the card, which shows a stylized black tree icon on a white circle. A second arrow points to the Ground symbol at the bottom center of the card, which displays a white icon of tall Grass on a dark green circle. To the right, a vertical column lists and illustrates five types of Ground symbols: Litterfall (brown leaf on a dark red square), Grass (green blades on a dark green square), Sands (white dunes on a brown square), Rocks (white stones on a dark blue square), and Wetlands (white zig-zags on a dark purple square). Below the card and symbol key, a banner featuring a robin sitting on a branch contains a tip: "Remember, the more different symbols on your ground cards in your meadow area, the greater possibility to play the next card."

Observation Cards

Represent flora, fauna, and human creations observed in nature.
Can be placed on top of a ground card or another observation card if requirements are met (symbols visible in your play area).
May have 1 or more required symbols.
Arrows on a card mean it must be played adjacent to a column containing that symbol.

If you’re missing a symbol, you can discard 2 cards from your hand to ignore one missing requirement, but at least one required symbol must still be met.

A close-up image of a card from the board game Meadow that highlights three key game elements. The card's watercolor artwork features a hedgehog nestled in green foliage, and overlaid on the image are three distinct markers with corresponding labels. These markers include the Card symbol at the top (a black animal paw print), a vertical stack of Requirement symbols in the middle (showing icons for an insect, a frog, and another small creature), and the Victory points value at the bottom (a large number "3" on an orange, stylized sun or flower).

Landscape Cards

Represent broad environments (mountains, forests, rivers).
Require a Road Token to play.
When played, flip the Road Token to show its used side.
Some may require additional symbols, which can still be used for future cards.

An illustration from the board game Meadow demonstrates the action of playing a landscape card into a player's surroundings area. The image shows two landscape cards side-by-side, one with a flowering field worth 2 points and another with a windmill worth 3 points. A rectangular road token is shown being placed underneath the first card, with a curved white arrow indicating that the token is flipped so its blank side is facing up. A caption below explains the action: "Example 9. Caroline plays a landscape card in her surroundings area. To do that she takes 1 of her unused road tokens and places it below this card and then flips the token so the side without the road symbol is visible."

Discovery Cards

Represent items or souvenirs found during your trek.
Played on top of a Landscape Card, covering the road symbol.
May also require additional symbols, which remain usable afterward.
As with other cards, you can discard 2 cards to ignore one requirement symbol (but not the road symbol).

An illustrated gameplay example from the game Meadow shows a card being played onto another card. A watercolor card featuring a horseshoe, worth 3 victory points and requiring two ground symbols, is shown next to a second card featuring a flowering landscape, worth 2 victory points, which is highlighted with a dashed white line to show the target location. A caption below explains the action: "Example 10. Will found a horseshoe in his travels. This card requires the [landscape/mountain icon] and [flower icon] symbols. In his meadow area, Will has a visible [flower icon] symbol, so he can play this card on a landscape card."

Campfire Board Actions (Bottom Action)

Placing a Path Token on the campfire board allows you to perform a special action and optionally claim a goal.

Special Actions

Depending on the notch used, you may:

Take any face-up card from the main board (cannot play it this turn).
Take 2 Road Tokens and add them to your surroundings area (cannot play cards this turn).
Look at the top 3 cards of one deck, keep 1, and place the others on the bottom in any order (cannot play cards this turn).
Play up to 2 cards from your hand immediately into your meadow and/or surroundings.

You may also place a Path Token on a Bench Space (symbol: 🪑) to play 1 card immediately.

An illustrated diagram of the Campfire Board from the board game Meadow, which is a round, green playing piece representing a clearing with a central fire. The diagram uses white circles and lines to label various components and game spaces. Labels indicate the Notches in the campfire board (four spaces on the outer edge where players can place their Path Tokens), the Bench (a space shaped like a log, where a token can be placed for a "just play a card" action), and Goals fulfilled by players (various spaces around the fire, marked with player tokens, showing icons like an owl, a mushroom, and a squirrel, and featuring a number 2 on two of the spaces). A banner on the right, featuring a robin, provides a tip: "It's much better to draw and play a card than to just play a card. Place the path token on the bench only if you really need to play a card and the current situation doesn't allow you to do that."

Goals

Each pair of goal tokens on the campfire board represents a combination of symbols.
If you have both symbols visible in your meadow, you may place your Bonus Token between them to claim that goal (when placing a Path Token on the campfire board).
Each bonus token’s number (2, 3, 4) equals its victory point value.

You can only claim one goal per turn, even if you qualify for more.

An illustrated gameplay example from the game Meadow shows a special action taken on the Campfire Board. The image displays two player cards, one with a paw print symbol and another with a tree symbol, next to a partial view of the circular Campfire Board where a player's 2-value bonus token (a red wooden disc with the number 2) is being placed into an empty space between matching paw print and tree icons. A caption below explains that the player, Steven, uses a path token to take a special action, plays the 2-value bonus token into the free space between the matching symbols on the board, leveraging the paw print and tree symbols from his meadow area.

Halfway Point

When the round marker passes the hourglass symbol on the campfire board:

Discard all cards on the main board.
Replace the S Deck with the N Deck.
Refill the board with new cards.

End of the Round

Once all players have used all their Path Tokens:

Players collect their tokens.
The First Player Token passes to the next player clockwise.
Move the Round Marker forward on the tracker.

End of the Game and Scoring

After the final round:

Count victory points from all played cards and claimed goals.
Cards in your hand are not worth points.
Each bonus token scores its printed value.

The player with the most total points wins!
In a tie, the player with more Discovery Cards wins. If still tied, players share victory.

Solo Mode: Playing Against Rover

In solo play, you’ll compete against Rover, an automated opponent.
Setup follows standard rules, with these changes:

Place the solo play game token and shuffle a pile of path tokens of all other colors.
Rover does not build a meadow but instead collects cards into a deck.
Rover is always the first player.
Each turn, flip a token from Rover’s pile and follow its color and number to take cards automatically.
Rover never scores bonus tokens.

End of Solo Game

After 6 rounds, compare your score to Rover’s deck total:

Below 39: A distracted journey.
40–49: Fruitful trek.
50–59: A memorable expedition.
60+: A masterful collection worthy of display.

Strategy Tips

Diversify your symbols early. The more unique symbols you have, the easier it becomes to play higher-value cards.
Manage hand size carefully. Discarding cards to bypass requirements can be powerful, but every card is a potential point.
Watch the campfire goals. Securing goals early prevents opponents from claiming them first.
Plan your Path Token placements. Blocking key cards or actions can give you a strategic advantage.
Balance Meadow and Surroundings cards. Both are crucial for symbol synergy and end-game points.

Meadow FAQ

Can I play multiple cards in one turn?

Only if you use the special campfire action that allows you to play up to two cards.

What happens if a deck runs out?

Shuffle its discard pile to form a new deck.

Can I ignore all symbols on a card by discarding cards?

No. At least one required symbol must be present in your meadow.

Do road tokens reset between rounds?

No, once flipped to their used side, they remain used for the rest of the game.

Can I claim a goal without taking a special action?

Only when placing a token on the campfire board—not during main board actions.

Conclusion

To fully grasp the flow of the Meadow game rules, remember that the core of how to play Meadow involves drawing and playing cards by matching ground and requirement symbols, collecting sets of observations, and using campfire actions for bonus scoring. Success in this peaceful nature exploration game ultimately depends on skillfully building your personal meadow tableau and efficiently achieving the various goal conditions throughout the rounds.