How To Play: Yellowstone

If you’ve ever wanted to run your own national park without getting muddy, Yellowstone is your game! I’ve wrangled my friends into a bunch of plays, eaten far too many bear-shaped gummies, and now I’m ready to spill the beans. This guide covers an outline of the game rules (for folks who lose the rulebook every time) and the best strategies to help you win without fighting over the last bison meeple.

Overview

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 5 Player Boards
• 100 Trail Tiles
• 60 Animal Tokens
• 50 Resource Tokens
• 30 Visitor Meeples
• 25 Ranger Meeples
• 20 Goal Cards
• 5 Score Markers
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Yellowstone: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the table. Try not to drop your coffee on it like I did once. Sticky disaster.
2. Shuffle and deal out the animal, ranger, and visitor tokens to each player. Everybody starts with the same stuff, so nobody can cry foul.
3. Give each player their player board and a starting resource pack. Make sure you don’t mix up the packs or you’ll get weird looks.
4. Put event cards in a pile nearby, because what is Yellowstone without a few random geysers going off?
5. Pick a starting player. Choose the last person who saw a bison, or just argue until someone gives in.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, pick an action: move animals, place rangers, or gather resources. But don’t get greedy, you can only do one!
2. Place animals in habitats, making sure you follow the rules for where they want to live. Wolves in the gift shop? No.
3. Move rangers to block opponents or help yourself. If you can annoy your friends in the process, even better.
4. Use resources for building trails or attracting visitors. You want to impress hypothetical tourists and your real friends.
5. Draw an event card if prompted. Sometimes geysers go wild, sometimes a bear steals your lunch. Deal with it.

Winning

1. The game ends when the last visitor enters the park, or everyone has run out of patience. Both are valid endings.
2. Count your points from animals, rangers, and happy park visitors. If you can count up to 20, you’re good to go.
3. Whoever has the most points wins. Do a victory dance. Or don’t, but at least demand a high five.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If two animals fight over a spot, use the animal hierarchy. Bears win. Squirrels lose. It’s the law of the land.
2. A ranger can only move once per turn. No Olympic relay races, please.
3. If you draw a wild event card, everyone must follow the card’s rule. Yes, even you, Dave.
4. Ties go to whoever made the best bison pun during the game. House rules, but it keeps things lively.

If you can follow these steps, you now know How To Play Yellowstone and can impress your friends with your park-managing skills. Or at least you’ll avoid total embarrassment at the next game night. Good luck!

Best Yellowstone Strategies

Mastering Resource Management in Yellowstone

Collecting the Right Resources

How To Play Yellowstone always comes down to who can grab the good stuff first. Use your rangers wisely and target resources that match your focus. Don’t just grab anything shiny.

1. Plan which tokens you want before your turn.
2. Watch what your sneaky friends are collecting.
3. Block opponents by grabbing what they need!

Spending Your Resources Smartly

Let’s face it: spending resources poorly costs the game. Try to avoid my classic blunder – spending all on bison and forgetting trails.

1. Save some resources for emergencies.
2. Upgrade buildings for better income next turns.
3. Balance short-term gains with long-term plans.

Trading and Timing

Sometimes you’ll need to trade. However, make sure you don’t help your rivals more than yourself!

1. Trade when it fits your plans, not theirs.
2. Use timing to gain last-minute points from leftover resources.
3. Don’t be afraid to say ‘No!’ if a trade feels wrong.

Animal Placement: The Wild Path to Victory

Plan Ahead Like a Bear With a Map

First, always check which animals score big points this round. If you see a bison about to make you rich, snag it before your friends do.

1. Choose animals that match bonus objectives.
2. Block others by placing animals where they want to go.

Spread Out, But Not Too Much

Next, focus on covering more terrain. Place animals in open spaces before crowded ones, but never forget to watch your neighbor’s sneaky moves.

1. Fill key habitats for big points.
2. Keep an eye on adjacency bonuses.

Make Every Animal Count

Finally, every animal placement should get you closer to both round and end-game goals. Don’t get distracted—sometimes a sneaky fox can win the game!

Become the Trail Boss: Visitor Path Planning in Yellowstone

Start With The End In Mind

Know which objectives matter most. Then, plot a route that gets you there before the crowd. It’s like skipping the line at a theme park.

1. Identify the highest scoring locations early.
2. Avoid obvious paths everyone else will take.

Balance Risk And Reward

Sometimes, you have to risk a longer path for extra points. Other times, you just gotta block Dave, who always plays sneaky.

1. Weigh shortcuts against bonus detours.
2. Watch out for opponents aiming for your spots.

Adapt As You Go

If someone ruins your route (thanks, Karen), stay flexible. Shift your plan and never panic. Remember, the best trail guides improvise!

1. Look for new paths when blocked.
2. Keep an eye on changing board conditions.

Visitor path planning is all about being clever, sneaky, and a bit ruthless. Do this well, and you’ll hear the sweet sound of victory howls across Yellowstone.

Ready to Rule Yellowstone?

Look, if I can wrangle a herd of cardboard bison and outfox my buddy Dave, so can you! Now you know the rules, you’ve picked up the best tips, and you can wow the table with your smarts. Every game feels a bit different, so mix up your strategy and always watch your friends—they get sneaky. Remember, “How To Play yellowstone” isn’t just about winning; it’s about having a wild, roaring good time!

Want to know what we think of Yellowstone? Read our detailed review of Yellowstone here