Morels – A Guide to Rules, Strategy & Winning Instructions
Introduction
Morels is a fun and engaging game for two players. It’s all about collecting sets of mushroom cards and cooking them up for points. The game was created by Brent Povis and first hit the shelves in 2012. It’s got a bit of a following among board game enthusiasts. The game is named after the morel mushroom, which is one of the types of mushrooms players can collect in the game. The goal is to end up with the most points by the end of the game, which you get by gathering the best combination of mushrooms from the forest (the deck of cards) and cooking them before your opponent does. If you’re like me, it might even encourage you to do a bit of real-world foraging next Autumn.
The game is played with a deck of cards that represent different types of mushrooms, with each type having a different value. Players walk through the forest, represented by a line of cards, and pick mushrooms, put them in their hand, or cook them in a pan for points. There are also special cards like baskets, which let you hold more cards, and moon cards, which can be traded for more valuable mushrooms. The game ends when there are no more cards to draw from the deck, and the player with the most points wins.
Quick Tip for Morels
Always keep an eye on the weather! The night card can change the game in your favor if used wisely.
Rules for playing Morels
The rules of Morels are pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Each player starts with a hand of cards, and there’s a row of cards in the middle of the table that represents the forest. On your turn, you can take one action: either take a card from the forest, sell mushrooms for sticks (which let you take more cards), or cook mushrooms for points. You can only cook mushrooms if you have a pan card, and you need a certain number of the same type of mushroom to cook them.
There are also destroying angel mushrooms that can mess up your plans if you’re not careful. If you pick one of these, you have to discard down to four cards. The game has a nice balance of strategy and luck, as you have to decide whether to go for lots of low-value mushrooms or hold out for the rarer, more valuable ones.
As the game progresses, the forest gets smaller, and you have to plan your moves carefully to make sure you don’t miss out on the best mushrooms. The game ends when all the cards have been picked from the forest, and then you tally up your points to see who’s the best forager.
Equipment and Setup for Morels
To play Morels, you need the game deck, which includes different mushroom cards, pan cards, basket cards, and moon cards. You also need some tokens to represent sticks, which are used as a sort of currency in the game. It’s pretty cool to make your own stick currency – I’ve seen players use real (small) sticks they’ve collected, or else wooden golf tees snapped up a bit to look more organic.
Setting up is easy: shuffle the deck and lay out eight cards in a row to form the forest. The rest of the deck is the draw pile. Each player starts with three cards in hand and a frying pan card in front of them. You’re now ready to start foraging!
How to Play Morels and Game Mechanics
The game mechanics of Morels are simple but offer depth in strategy. Here’s how a typical game goes:
- Setup: Shuffle the deck, lay out the forest, and give each player their starting cards and a pan.
- Gameplay: On your turn, you can take a card from the forest, sell mushrooms for sticks, or cook mushrooms. You can also use sticks to take more than one card.
- End of the Game: The game ends when there are no more cards to draw. Players then count their points from cooked mushrooms and any sets they have.
How to Win at Morels
Winning at Morels is about balancing risk and reward. You want to collect sets of valuable mushrooms, but you also need to make sure you have enough pans to cook them. It’s also important to keep an eye on what your opponent is doing and try to block their plans if you can.
One strategy is to focus on collecting lots of one type of mushroom, which can give you a lot of points if you cook them all at once. Another strategy is to go for variety, collecting different types of mushrooms to keep your options open.
It’s also important to manage your hand size. You can only hold a certain number of cards, so you need to make sure you’re using them efficiently. Baskets can help with this, as they let you hold more cards.
Best Strategies for playing Morels game
The best strategies for Morels involve planning ahead and being flexible. You need to have a plan for what mushrooms you’re going for, but also be ready to change your plan if the forest doesn’t give you what you need.
One good strategy is to keep an eye on the night cards. These can be traded for valuable mushrooms, so they’re worth picking up if you see them.
Another strategy is to use sticks wisely. They can be very useful for taking extra cards from the forest, but you don’t want to waste them on low-value mushrooms.
Finally, it’s important to watch your opponent and try to figure out what they’re going for. If you can block them from getting a valuable mushroom, it can give you a big advantage.
Scenarios
In Morels, you might find yourself in a situation where you have a lot of one type of mushroom but no pan to cook them. In this case, it’s often worth selling some mushrooms for sticks so you can grab a pan when it comes up.
Another common scenario is when you and your opponent are both going for the same type of mushroom. In this case, it might be worth changing your plan and going for a different type of mushroom instead.
It’s also possible to get stuck with a destroying angel mushroom, which can force you to discard cards. If this happens, try to get rid of low-value mushrooms and keep your valuable ones.
Frequently Asked Questions about playing Morels game
Here are some common questions and answers:
- Q: How many types of mushrooms are there in Morels?
A: There are several types, each with different point values. - Q: Can I cook mushrooms without a pan?
A: No, you need a pan to cook mushrooms. - Q: What do I do with a destroying angel mushroom?
A: You have to discard down to four cards if you pick one. - Q: How many cards can I hold?
A: You can hold up to eight cards, but you can increase this with basket cards. - Q: Can I take more than one card from the forest?
A: Yes, if you use sticks.
External Links
For more information on Morels and to get a copy of the official rulebook, check out the following link:
A digital native around since the early days of online gaming communities around 2001. An early contributor to the cult gaming site ClanTemplates, Adam has spent years giving free gaming resources to the community. With BoardCards, Adam is most experienced and commonly writing the articles on Strategy multi-player games like Settlers of Catan and Avalon. His first introduction to board games was via Mancala, an Egyptian-origin stone game and one of the oldest known games still played worldwide. Contact me via email
