Overview

In Petals, players create a shared garden by placing cards next to each other and matching flowers, numbers and elemental symbols.

There are four elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Each element has its own scoring track.

The goal is to score as many points as possible while keeping a good balance between the four elements. To be eligible to win the game, you must win at least one of the four Elemental Tracks.

Setup

Depending on the number of players, remove some cards:

• 2 or 4 players: Remove the 3 cards with a ladybug in the center.
• 3 players: Remove the 3 ladybug cards and 2 additional random cards.
• 5 players: Do not remove any cards.

Shuffle the remaining cards.

Place 3 cards diagonally in the center of the table. These are the starting cards.

Deal 2 cards to each player.

Place the remaining cards face down to form the draw pile.

Place the four Elemental Trackers within reach of all players.

Each player chooses a colour and places one scoring cube next to each of the four trackers.

Playing a Turn

On your turn:

1. Play 1 card from your hand.
2. Score any matches created.
3. Resolve any Elemental Symbol effect, if applicable.
4. Draw 1 card from the draw pile.
5. The next player takes their turn.

Placing a Card

Your card must be placed so that at least one of its sides touches the side of a card already in the garden.

You score by matching the flowers and/or numbers on your card with those on adjacent cards.

Scoring Flowers

If you match one or more flowers of the same element, add together the numbers shown on those flowers.

Score that total on the corresponding Elemental Tracker.

For example, matching a Water flower showing 1 with another Water flower showing 2 scores 3 Water points.

Scoring Numbers

If identical numbers touch, they also score, even if they belong to different elements.

Score the value of each matching number on its corresponding Elemental Tracker.

For example, if you match:

• a Water 2,
• an Air 3,
• and a Fire 2 and Fire 3,

you score:

• 2 Water
• 3 Air
• 5 Fire

When matching a number with an Elemental Symbol, the symbol counts as 0 for scoring purposes.

Elemental Symbols

Some flowers show an Elemental Symbol instead of a number.

If your placement matches two symbols, you trigger a special effect.

Two Different Symbols

Choose ONE:

• Score your played card as normal, or
• Move a previously played card to another legal position and score the moved card instead.

When moving a card:

• You may rotate it, but only if it is moved to a different location.
• You cannot move either of the two cards that triggered the effect.
• You cannot move a card completely surrounded on all four sides.
• You cannot leave any card isolated. The garden must remain connected.

Two Identical Symbols

You receive BOTH effects:

• Score the card you just played.
• Move another card and score that card as well.

A moved card cannot trigger another Elemental Symbol effect, even if its new position creates another symbol match.

End of the Game

The game ends when the draw pile is empty.

Each player then plays their second-to-last card normally.

Their final card is not placed in the garden. Instead, score the points shown on that card directly on the corresponding Elemental Trackers.

Winning the Game

First, determine the winner of each of the four Elemental Trackers.

A player must win at least one tracker to be eligible to win the game.

Ties for first place on a tracker count as a win for all tied players.

Players who did not win any tracker are eliminated from final scoring.

Each remaining player then adds together the scores of their two lowest-scoring Elemental Trackers.

The player with the highest total wins the game.

Harmony Variant

Determine eligibility in the same way: you must win at least one Elemental Tracker.

Among the eligible players, calculate the difference between each player's highest and lowest Elemental Track scores.

The player with the smallest difference wins.