Mutts, Moles and Magpies

Moving-target game, played on a hex grid, where you play as a dog, with the goal of accumulating "treasure" in your hand or buried on the board, where it's worth more points. Your treasure is never safe in the game, as other players can steal from your hand, using their magpie, or dig it up from the board, which creates fun tension, and just a bit of push-your-luck. But it's not all up for grabs, as there are mitigation mechanisms to keep your treasure safer. Treasure and (extra) actions are drawn from a bag, which also acts as a timer - when the bag is empty, the game-end triggers. Gameplay Your goal is to accumulate the most treasure (bones and toys), by having them in your hand or buried on the board. Each player controls two pawns: Your Mutt can bury and dig out treasure. Your magpie’s goal is to annoy other mutts to steal their tiles. Additionally, there are 3 moles that can be controlled by any player, unearthing things on the board. Tiles that you acquire during gameplay will give you the bones and toys, but also the actions you can use. You start the game with 7 tiles in your hand and 8 buried on the board, and can get more by: having less than 7 tiles in your hand at the start or at the end of your turn, picking other players’ Xs up, or poking other players’ mutts. The best and safest way to get more tiles is by clearing space in your hand, so you should use your actions and bury your tiles often. Any tiles you bury under your Xs are still yours, and will make you more points at the end of the game, but only if other players do not steal them. —description from the designer