Logic, tile placement, strategy, and spatial reasoning has Crows a sure winner. I actually have a hard time believing Valley Games went out of business because we love all the games we’ve tried from them. (Apparently, there were several contributing factors, but their games have been solid.)
How to Play Crows
Each player gets 2 gems of the same color (one for scorekeeping; one for play during the game) and one trash pile token. Arrange 9 tiles in a diamond-shaped grid and place the number of crows pictured on each tile.
Initial setup
On your turn, place 1 tile. You can either place your trash pile (if you haven’t already) or draw the top pile in the deck. For every crow icon shown on the tile you placed, place one crow piece on that tile. Tiles must touch at least one other tile along at least one edge. Next, place your shiny object on a tile. It cannot be played on a tile that already has another shiny object, crow pieces, or a trash pile. If desired, you can then play a special token.
Tiles, crows, and shiny objects placed
Flocking Crows
After everyone has had one turn, crows flock. They always move in a straight line but not diagonally, will not cross over a break in the tiles, can move any number of tiles, and will move to the closest shiny object. If a trash pile is in the way, the crow will get distracted and land there, instead of flying all the way to a shiny object. However, if a crow is already on a trash pile, it will leave it to fly to the shiny object.
After all the crows have finished flocking, players tally up points. Every crow that flies to your shiny object is worth one point. If 6 or more crows flock to a shiny object, then after the points are tallied, the murder scatters. Otherwise, crows stay put.
The first player token is passed and play begins again.
Strategic Thinking
Crows requires players to think strategically about where they will place their tiles and shiny objects, how that will impact crow movement, and how other players might play. Adding in the trash piles, cemeteries, and special tokens creates even more challenge. We have successfully enjoyed this game with our kids when they were as young as 7, but it takes a bit to set up and a lot of thought to play well.
Unfortunately, since the company is no more, it’s difficult to find Crows now. But if you can find it, I highly recommend it!
