Cozy Oaks is a quiet yet humble little village off the Coast. Though the land that surrounds Cozy Oaks is breath-taking, the village itself needs a bit of work. Mayor Williams had an idea that could bring business back into this little town -- Restore the farmlands! Help wanted signs were posted on every corner and as luck would have it, you have taken interest. However, it appears that you have competition.

The Mayor is willing to give each of you 3 years, during which, you will need to grow crops, care for animals, mine for ores, craft new equipment, and do the occasional fishing. If you have the most Star Points at the end of the 3 years, you will be deemed the official Farmer of Cozy Oaks!

Cozy Oaks is unique in that it uses a hand of cards, called Skills, in a very clever way. Each farmer has 10 Skills in their hand, and most Skills will cost time. The player must discard Skills from their hand in order to satisfy this cost, giving the player less decisions for future turns. As the seasons and years pass, players will be upgrading their Skills. And just like life, the more interest you have in a Skill, the more time it takes up in your day. Players will need to upgrade wisely. The only way to retrieve the played and discarded Skills is for the player to Sleep. This allows the player to regain all of their cards back. Each decision is crucial, from playing certain Skills and when to spend time on other things.

GAME SUMMARY

Cozy Oaks is played over 3 Years with each year split into 4 Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter for a total of 12 rounds. Each player moves at their own pace. This means that one player may be on Year 2 Spring while the other player is still on Year 1 Fall. The goal in Cozy Oaks is to have the most Star Points at the end of the game. To achieve this, players must play Skill cards to work on their farms or visit locations in town. Players will need to manage their resources and time wisely.

Each player will begin the game with all ten Level 1 Skill cards in their hand. They will set their Level 2 and Level 3 decks aside for now. Each of the Level 2 and 3 decks can be looked through at any time.

PLAYER'S TURN

1) The player MUST choose a Skill card from their hand to play.

2) Be sure to pay for the Time Cost, if any.

3) The chosen Skill card is placed face up on the table in front of the player.

3a) Cards that were discarded for paying the Time Cost are placed face down and sideways next to the played Skill card.

3b) Be sure to keep the “Played Skill” pile separate from the
“Discarded Time” pile.

3c) Cards that have been played or discarded remain on the table until the player plays their Sleep Skill in which all cards will be returned to their hand.

4) The player then performs the Skill card’s effect.

5) After the player has completed their Skill, it is then the other player’s turn.

-description from designer

Mischief at the Museum