Hydra-headed game for 2-6 players
Translated by The Unknown Translator
Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins
Take the start Hydra card with the black rectangle on the reverse and lay it face up in the centre of the table.
Place the remaining Hydra cards face down on the table in a deck or a loose pile.
Select a starting player. Play passes clockwise.
Each player in turn takes a Hydra card from the pile and places it as desired on the table to link into at least one card of the growing nest.
When a Hydra is completed, the player gains as many Point chips as there are heads on that Hydra. A Hydra must have at least one head, and must have a head at the end of every free branch of its body.
A Bonus point is gained if the Hydra you complete has at least 3 heads.
There are three ways a Hydra card may be laid next to another card:-
The Hydra cards must fit together. Body segments must continue onto the next card and may not finish at a deadend.
A Hydra head may not link directly to another head. There must always be at least one body section between heads.
A tile may not be laid so as to make it impossible to complete a Hydra. Thus a space may not be left between tiles if this prevents the completion of any Hydra. In the example here, the Hydra body section to the top left could never be completed.
When all Hydra cards have been laid, count up each player's Point chips. The winner is the player with the highest score.