Clear the Ward

Welcome to Clear the Ward

Clear the Ward might just be the most compact and dynamic game you’ve ever encountered. Created by Dr Gandalf, it’s designed for you to step into the shoes of a doctor at Satyre Hospital. Whether you’re competing with friends to be named “Top Doc” or bravely taking on the night shift solo, the ward is ready to challenge you.

Keep an eye out for hidden Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the game—only the sharpest minds will uncover them. Dive in and get ready to treat patients, outmanoeuvre your rivals, and clear the ward!

Learn the rules below and prepare for the ultimate test of your medical prowess.

Game Overview and Objective

Welcome to Clear the Ward, a competitive and fast-paced board game where you step into the shoes of dedicated doctors working the hospital ward at Satyre Hospital. The pressure is on—patients are lining up, and you need to clear the ward before your colleagues do. Only one of you can be named “Top Doc”, the most efficient and skilled doctor on the ward!

In Clear the Ward, your goal is to treat and discharge as many patients as possible, while balancing the urgency of care with smart decision-making. Each patient presents a unique challenge, and you must navigate the bustling ward, making critical choices that will help you stand out among your peers.

Will you focus on clearing out simple cases quickly, or take on the more complex and critical patients for higher rewards? As you race to treat patients and accumulate stars, you’ll need to think fast, use your resources wisely, and stay ahead of your fellow doctors.

The competition is fierce, and the stakes are high. Can you handle the pressure and prove that you’re the best doctor on the ward?

Clear the Ward is designed for 1-4 players and plays in 15 to 30 minutes (for solo and two-player specific rules see the end section). With a mixture of strategy, quick thinking, and a dash of luck, this game is perfect for players aged 10 and up. Compete to save lives and see if you have what it takes to claim the title of Top Doc!

Components

1 Quick Rule Card: A reference card summarising the basic rules for quick access during gameplay.
1 Doctor Card: Represents the doctor controlled by the players. This card moves around the ward in an orthogonal manner (up, down, left, right) to treat and collect patients.
35 Patient Cards: These are the patients that need to be treated and discharged. The patient cards are divided into 7 specialities, each with patients of varying complexity. Each patient is rated from 1 to 5 stars, representing the patient’s complexity and the victory points awarded for successfully treating them.
9 Staff Cards: Special helper cards that players can use to assist in treating patients or affect the progress of other players. These cards add strategic depth to the game by offering special abilities and advantages.
7 Speciality Victory Cards: Awarded to the player who treats the most patients in a particular speciality. These cards are worth 3 extra stars (victory points) and can make a significant difference in determining the final winner.
1 Extra Card (Full Rules Reference): A card that links to the complete set of rules, providing a more detailed guide for players seeking a deeper understanding of the game.

Setup

Organise the Cards:
- Split the cards into four piles:
Create the Ward (Play Area): Using the shuffled patient cards and Doctor Card, create a 6 by 6 grid starting from the top left and moving across in rows. This grid will represent the hospital ward. All 4-star and 5-star patient cards should be placed face down, while the remaining patient cards and Doctor Card are placed face up.
Determine the Starting Player: The starting player is the last person who visited a hospital. If it’s a tie, the youngest player starts the game.

Turn Structure

Each turn in Clear the Ward consists of the following phases:

1. Movement Phase:

The player must move the Doctor Card orthogonally (up, down, left, or right) across the ward grid.
The Doctor can move any number of spaces in a straight line but cannot move diagonally.
The Doctor may not move back in the direction from which they came unless it is the only legal move remaining.
Note: If at any point the Doctor cannot make a legal move, the game immediately ends.

2. Action Phase:

Treat Patients: If the Doctor lands on a face-up patient card, the player treats that patient. Additionally, the player treats any other face-up patients of the same speciality as the one they landed on. These patients are considered safely discharged and are added to the player’s log book portfolio. After treating, check if you hold the majority of patients in a speciality to claim the corresponding Speciality Victory Card.
Flip and Take Staff Card: If the Doctor lands on a face-down card, flip it over to reveal the patient. Instead of treating the revealed patient, the player may draw 2 staff cards, choose 1 to keep, and return the other to the bottom of the staff deck.

3. Using Staff Cards:

Players may keep and use staff cards based on their specific triggers. Each player may hold a maximum of 2 staff cards and may use only 1 staff card per turn, and only on their own turn.

Speciality Victory Cards:

Speciality Victory Cards are claimed by the player who holds the most patients in a given speciality. They can change hands if another player gains the majority. These cards are worth 3 stars and are counted only at the end of the game.

Ending the Game:

The game ends when all patients have been treated or the Doctor cannot make a legal move.

Scoring and Victory Conditions

Earning Stars:

Players earn stars by treating patients. Each patient card is worth 1 to 5 stars, based on their complexity. The goal is to accumulate as many stars as possible.

Speciality Victory Cards:

Speciality Victory Cards provide 3 extra stars each and are awarded to the player who treats the most patients in a given speciality. These stars are counted at the end of the game.

Determining the Winner:

The player with the most stars at the end of the game wins.
If there’s a tie, the player with the most Speciality Victory Cards wins.
If still tied, the player with the most patients in any one speciality wins.
If still tied, the tied players share the victory.

Solo Mode: The Night Shift

In Solo Mode, you are the only doctor on the ward, and your objective is to clear it as quickly as possible. Set a timer and start it on your first move.

Setup:

Set up the game as normal, but remove the ‘Ward Round’ staff card and all Speciality Victory Cards.

Gameplay:

The goal is to clear the entire ward. If the Doctor can’t make a legal move, use the arrows on patient cards to determine the next move by prioritising adjacent patients.

Winning:

Clear the ward to win. Post your completion time on social media and tag @egplearning or DrGandalf to see if you’re the best doctor!

Two-Player Mode

Set up the game as normal, but remove the ‘Ward Round’ staff card.

FAQs

Q: Can I treat more than one patient per turn?
A: Yes, if you land on a patient and there are other patients of the same speciality in the ward, you treat all patients of that speciality.
Q: Can I move the Doctor diagonally?
A: No, the Doctor can only move orthogonally (up, down, left, or right).
Q: Can I flip over a face-down patient and treat them on the same turn?
A: No, when you land on a face-down patient, you flip the card over and may take a staff card, but you cannot treat that patient on the next turn, even if you treat a patient of the same speciality.
Q: Can I have more than two staff cards?
A: No, you may only hold a maximum of two staff cards at any time.
Q: What happens if the Doctor is unable to move during a player’s turn?
A: If the Doctor cannot make a legal move, the game immediately ends, and the player with the most stars is declared the winner.
Q: Do I keep Speciality Victory Cards throughout the game once I earn them?
A: No, Speciality Victory Cards can move between players. If another player gains the majority in a speciality, they take the corresponding Speciality Victory Card.
Q: How many staff cards can I use in a turn?
A: You may use only one staff card per turn, and only on your own turn.

Staff Card FAQs

Q: How does the Pharmacist staff card work?
A: The Pharmacist card treats two 1-star patients. These patients do not have to be passed over during the current turn; they can be treated from anywhere on the ward.
Q: What does the “Doctor’s List” refer to on some staff cards?
A: The “Doctor’s List” mentioned on staff cards refers to the player’s log book portfolio.
Q: What does the Consultant Opinion card do?
A: The Consultant Opinion card removes a patient from the game entirely. This patient will not count towards any player’s star count at the end of the game.
Q: How does the Nurse staff card work?
A: The Nurse card allows the player to treat an additional patient from any speciality that the Doctor has passed over during the current turn. However, the patient treated cannot be a 4-star or 5-star patient that has just been flipped over.

Acknowledgments

Clear the Ward was designed to provide an engaging and strategic experience set in the dynamic world of hospital care. Thank you for playing and for helping to “Clear the Ward”!

I hope you enjoy the challenge, whether playing solo, with friends, or as part of the night shift.

For additional rules, expansions, and community updates, follow us on social media or visit our website.