How to Play

Masters of Maple Syrup

2-2 players 10-20 min 7.2 Board Game Geek Rating

Transform your small maple farm by strategically adding trees and equipment to your property tableau. Each turn, one player selects actions that benefit both players, though they gain a slight advantage. Collect sap, produce syrup, and develop your operation while timing decisions to maximize benefits from your opponent's choices. Victory goes to whoever builds the highest-valued property when someone places their tenth card.

Published 2022

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Take starting tree card

Each player takes a "Red Maple" tree card and lays it face up in front of them as the first card on their property

Deal initial cards

Shuffle the other property cards and deal 5 cards to each player

Choose starting hand

Each player chooses 3 cards to keep as their starting hand and places the other 2 in a face up discard pile

Arrange play area

Place the deck, discard pile, and 3 action cards in the center as shown in the diagram

Set up action cards

Position action cards sideways so their text isn't facing either player; use red sides for standard game, white sides for rivals variant

Determine first player

The player wearing the most red goes first

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Select an action

Rotate any available (sideways) action card 90° so that the side points towards you

Perform the action

Both players may now take the action pointed towards them on the selected action card, starting with the current player

Tap action

Rotate a TREE card on your property 90° to signify it is tapped and ready for harvest

Harvest action

Return a tapped TREE to its upright position, then draw the number of cards listed in the WHEN HARVESTED section of that card

Develop action

Place a card from your hand onto your property after paying its cost by discarding cards from your hand (each card discarded is worth 1¢ regardless of its own develop cost); you may only develop one card per turn

Choose partial actions

A player may choose to TAP, HARVEST, or DEVELOP fewer cards than listed on an action card, including none at all

End your turn

Discard cards from your hand until you hold 5 or fewer cards, then your neighbor takes their turn