Herbalism

Background

In ancient times, "Herbalism" was a very important medical study. China is especially famous for utilizing ancient herbs to cure diseases, and its history can date back to thousands of years. According to the legends, Shennong, or the "God Farmer," was an expert in Chinese botany and also the founder of Chinese Herbalism.

In 2700 BC, Shennong completed Shennong Ben Cao Jing, or "The Classic of Herbal Medicine," which is a collection of around 365 detailed descriptions of different herbs and their usage, laying the foundation for modern Chinese medicines. In Herbalism, players take on the role of a group of novice farming pharmacists, hoping to find the cure to the pandemic that is currently plaguing the country.

Highlight

Players must exchange information with one another in order to gain more insight into the ingredients of the cure; Games will take several rounds, and players will earn victory points between rounds. However, only one can earn the honorary title of the "God Farmer," so be careful not to share all of your knowledge too easily.

Game Play

Draw 2 cards from the ingredient deck as the cure. Distribute the remaining 12 ingredient cards among players. In your turn, select one of 4 actions to gain information from other players. When you think you know the cure, you can place your token on your answer, if you are correct you can score victory points. The first one who gains a predetermined amounts of points (usually six) wins.