LITTLE WORLDS

2–4 players · ages 5 and up · about 20 minutes

The Three Kinds of Card

Every card is one of three types. That's the whole game — there's nothing else to remember.

How to Play

1. Deal a hand. Shuffle the deck. Give everyone 3 cards. Give everyone 1 secret Goal card they keep hidden.
2. Take turns. On your turn, play one card into your world, then draw back up to 3. That's it — one card a turn.
3. Lay it down. A PLACE goes next to your other places. An UPGRADE or RESIDENT goes on top of a place you already have.
4. Watch your neighbors. When two places touch, check if they're good neighbors or bad neighbors (see below).
5. The world fills up. When the deck runs out, finish the round — then everyone adds up their points.

The One Big Rule: Neighbors

This is the heart of the game. What you put next to what matters. The card pictures tell you who loves who.

Growing Your Cards

Residents — the Rare Cards

RESIDENTS are the creatures and people everyone wants. They live on a place and give it a power:

• 🧑‍🌾 Farmer on a farm → the farm grows faster (+1 every turn).
• 🐉 Dragon on a castle → guards it and doubles its points.
• 🧑‍🍳 Baker on a bakery → makes a good neighbor with every house nearby.

Your Secret Goal

At the start you each get a hidden Goal card. Nobody else knows yours! It gives you bonus points for building a certain way:

• 🌳 “Garden Lover” — your gardens are worth double.
• 🏰 “King of the Hill” — get +5 if you finish a castle with a dragon.
• 🌊 “River Runner” — get +5 if your river connects 4 places.

Because everyone has a different secret goal, the same card means different things to different players — so think ahead, and don't show your hand!

Winning

🎨 Choose Your Art Style

Same three card types, three totally different looks. Pick the one that feels like your world — then draw your cards to match it.

1 · Storybook Jasper's pick

Warm watercolor picture-book feel. Cozy and friendly — perfect for the little ones, and the easiest style to draw by hand.

2 · Sketchbook

Like a really good drawing in the margins of a notebook — ballpoint and marker, a little cooler and edgier. Great if the boys want it to feel like they drew it.

3 · Art Print

A bold woodblock / linocut look — like a real gallery print or a fancy board-game box. The most grown-up and striking of the three.

4 · Pixel Art

Retro video-game sprites, like a SNES or Minecraft-era game. If the boys love games, this is their lane.

5 · Graphic Novel

Bold inked comic-book look with halftone shading and punchy color — like Amulet or Bone. Dynamic and grown-up-cool.

6 · Paper Cut-Out

Layered construction-paper collage, like an Eric Carle book. Best part — the kids could actually make these for real with scissors, paper, and glue.

7 · Painted Fantasy

Rich, detailed, draws-you-right-in painting — the deluxe look of premium games like Everdell and Root. The most immersive and grown-up-beautiful of all. Hardest to draw by hand, but unforgettable.

✂️ Now Design the Cards!

Here's the best part — you draw the pictures. Print these blank frames and fill them in. Every card needs four things:

1. A name — write it on the line at the top (Sunny Farm, Dragon Castle…).
2. A type color — green for Places, blue for Upgrades, red for Residents.
3. Point value — write a number in the gold circle in the corner.
4. Neighbor notes — at the bottom, draw a ⭐ for who it loves and a 💢 for who it hates.
5. The art — draw your place, upgrade, or creature in the big box. This is yours!

Blank Card Templates

Print this page and draw inside the frames. Make as many as you want!