The Very Quiet Cricket Game Instructions

A Game of Finding Your Voice

 

 

 

Ages 3 and Up

2 to 4 Players

 

COMPONENTS

 

Object of the game

To be the first player to collect three daytime insect cards and one nighttime insect card and reach the Finish. Players collect the insect cards by either landing on the insect or spinning “+ 1 Insect” on the spinner.

 

Setup

  1. Punch out the cricket game pieces and the insect cards.
  2. Sort the insect cards into two different stacks (yellow represents day, blue represents night) and place them insect side up to the side of the game board.
  3. Each player chooses a plastic stand, inserts a cricket game piece into the stand and places it at Start.
  4. Assemble the spinner: insert the circular spinner base into the back of the spinner card and snap the spinner arrow into place from the front of the spinner card.

 

the game board

The game board has two sections – daytime (yellow background) and nighttime (blue background).

 

The game board route is flexible, with two loops built in. If a player has not collected all of his/her daytime insect cards and is about to leave the daytime section of the board, s/he can zip back and repeat the last loop in order to have another try at getting the needed cards. There is a loop feature in the nighttime area of the board as well. When players pass by or land on a space with two arrows on it, they count their cards and see if they have enough from that time of day to move on to the next area of the game board. If not, they can repeat the last loop and try again.

 

the spinner

When players spin “+ 1 Insect” or “- 1 Insect”, they gain or lose an insect card from the time of day they are currently in.

 

playing the game

  1. The youngest player (Player 1) goes first, spinning the spinner.
    1. If Player 1 spins 1-5, Player 1 moves forward that number of circular spaces on the game board. If Player 1 lands on an insect, s/he picks up the matching insect card.
    2. If Player 1 spins “+1 Insect,” Player 1 picks any daytime insect card (the insect card should match the time of day the player is in).
    3. If Player 1 spins “-1 Insect,” Player 1 gives up one insect card, if s/he has one. Note: Players can only lose an insect card from the time of day they are in (for example, if they spin “-1 Insect” while in the blue, nighttime area of the game board and they have only daytime insects, they do not give up an insect card).
  2. Play passes to the left.

 

NOTE: Players cannot collect more than one of any one insect (for example, if a player already has a “Locust” card, s/he cannot collect another “Locust” card.) If a player lands on an insect and that insect card is not available, s/he chooses another insect card from that time of day.

 

Winning the Game

The first player to collect three daytime insect cards and one nighttime insect card and reach the other cricket at Finish wins the game.