Components
- 110 Cards
- Instructions
Object of the Game
Each player runs a daycare center with five little babies. On your turn, you can play maximum one negative card and as many positive cards as you like.
As soon as one player only has crying babies, the game ends. The player with the highest score wins the games.
Setup
Each player chooses a set of five happy babies in one color. (Values range from O to 4). Put them next to each other with their value face down in front of you in any order you like.
Other happy baby cards that are not used are put back in the box. During the course of the game, players are allowed to look at the value of their babies. Put the drawing deck and unhappy babies within easy reach of all players.
For the base game remove the 4 teddy bear cards. All other cards are shuffled and put in the middle of the table as the drawing deck. Keep some space to form a discard pile.
The starting player deals five cards to each player. If the drawing deck runs out of cards during the game, reshuffle the discard pile to form a new drawing deck.
Game Play
The game is played in a couple of rounds. In every round each player gets one turn. The starting player takes the first turn, which is broken down in 5 steps, (then play proceeds clockwise):
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Trade one or more cards with other players (optional).
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Play one negative card (optional).
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Play as many positive cards from your hand as you like (optional).
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After this you have to: Turn unhappy babies into crying babies.
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Draw cards until you have five cards in your hand
If you did not play any card on your turn, you must discard one or more cards from your hand and refill your hand up to five cards again.
Cards
Red cards are negative cards that can make babies unhappy.
Orange cards are negative cards to remove green cards from a baby. Green cards are positive cards which can comfort unhappy babies.
Red cards are always played on an opponent's baby and are placed above it. Orange cards are played underneath an opponent's baby to counter green cards. Green cards are played as a reaction to red cards and are played underneath or above your baby.
The icons on the bottom of the cards serve as a cross-reference to see which cards affect each other. All cards are explained in detail below.
Attention
As soon as a red card is played, take a card from the unhappy babies deck en put in on top of the corresponding baby.
When you're not able to comfort the baby during your next turn, turn over the unhappy baby card so the, crying baby is visible. The baby is inconsolable for the remainder of the game. Crying babies do not score points when the game is over.
Every Baby can only have one red (above) and one green (underneath) card attached to it.
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Play the poo card on a happy baby to make it unhappy.
Put the card above the happy baby and cover that baby with an unhappy baby card. Take this card from the unhappy-baby-pile.
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Play the diaper as a reaction on a poo card to remove it.
Put both cards (poo and diaper) on the discard pile immediately. Also, remove the unhappy baby card and your baby is happy again.
Removed unhappy baby cards are always returned to the unhappy baby pile.
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Play the stolen pacifier card on a happy baby to make it unhappy. Put the card above the happy baby and cover that baby with an unhappy baby card. Take this card from the unhappy-baby-pile.
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Play the pacifier as a reaction to a stolen pacifier card to remove it. Both cards (stolen pacifier and pacifier) are placed on the discard pile immediately. Also remove the unhappy baby card and your baby is happy again.
Removed unhappy baby cards are always returned to the unhappy baby pile.
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Play the nervous baby on a happy baby to make it unhappy. Put this card above the baby and cover the baby with an unhappy baby card.
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Play the horn on any crying baby (including your own babies). Babies adjacent to the targeted baby turn unhappy. If the adjacent baby is already crying or unhappy, the horn does not affect this baby.
If the horn is played on the most left baby, it also affects the most right baby of the left neighbor and if the horn is played on the most right baby, it also affects the most left baby of the right neighbor.
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Play the bottle of milk to counter a nervous baby or a baby made unhappy by the horn. Put the bottle of milk underneath your own baby or a baby made unhappy by the horn and cover already one of the two bottles.
It takes two rounds for the baby to finish his bottle.
At the start of your next turn, if the bottle of milk is still underneath the baby, discard the bottle and also discard either the nervous baby or horn card. Also, remove the unhappy baby card and put it on the discard pile.
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Play the empty bottle of milk to counter the bottle of milk card.
Both cards are put on the discard pile. The player now has to look for another way to comfort his baby during his next turn.
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Play the jar of food to counter a nervous baby or a baby made unhappy by the horn. Put the jar of food underneath your own baby and cover already one of the three jars.
It takes three rounds for the baby to finish his meal. At the start of your next turn, slide the card one jar further.
If the third jar is to be slid underneath the baby, remove the jar of food and either the nervous baby or horn card and put it on the discard pile
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Play the empty jar of food to counter the jar of food card.
Both cards are put on the discard pile. The player now has to lookfor another way to comfort his baby during his next turn.
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Play the music card as a reaction to a nervous baby or a baby made unhappy by the horn. Put it underneath the baby. As long as this card is in play, it will prevent your baby from crying, until a broken music card is played to counter this card. The music does not remove the nervous baby card or horn.
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Play the broken music card as a reaction to a music card.
Remove both cards and put them on the discard pile. The player now has to look for another way to comfort his baby during his next turn.
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Every baby likes teddy bears.
Though this card is not used for the base game, you can add it and invent your own house rules.
Attention
As soon as a red card is countered or makes a baby cry, put the card on the discard pile. A red card stays with a baby until it is either resolved with the matching green card or either makes the baby cry.
To solve the horn, both babies targeted by the horn have to be happy or crying in order to remove the horn.
Positive cards go to the discard pile as soon as they are used or when they are countered. When a negative card is countered, do not forget to remove the unhappy baby as well.
Trade Cards
Every turn the active player may trade one or more cards with other players.
Both players trade their card at the same time. Do not look at the cards until the exchange is completed. You can repeat this action several times.
Keep in Mind
Players are never obliged to trade with each other. It is allowed to give another card as the card you promised.
In short, you are allowed to cheat on other players during trading"
End of the Game
The game ends immediately if one player has nothing but crying babies.
Players score points for all remaining babies that are not crying. So flip all happy and nervous babies. Count all points and the player with the most points can consider himself the best daycare runner or winner.
In case of a draw, the player with the least crying babies wins the game. If this also results in a draw, the player with the happiest babies is the winner. If still a draw, compete in a crying contest.
The player who can cry the loudest is the ultimate winner.
Variant for 2 Players
In a 2 player game, you don't count points at the end of the game. The first player who has nothing but crying babies loses immediately. The other player is the winner.
Never trade cards in a 2-player game.
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