Australia’s native birdlife is filled with many busy beaks. In the Eungella National Park, kookaburras steal roast chicken from picnic lunches. In Sydney, the cockatoos tend to go for chip sangas. And right outside our home is a tribe of scrub turkeys who have commandeered our garden space. You can easily spot any one of these outrageous Aussie birds at any time of year, but the prime time to do so is September and October. Especially during the Aussie Bird Count. 

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Aussie Bird Count. Every year, Australians are invited to pull up an outdoor chair (or blanket) for 20 minutes and count their feathery friends in the neighbourhood. If you want to create a generation of birdwatchers, this is how you do it. 

For all you bird lovers (and seriously, why wouldn’t you be?), we found the perfect book and matching tabletop game featuring the absolute best of Australia’s native birdlife. Busy Beaks is a family-friendly tabletop game adapted from the book Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen. To celebrate the upcoming Aussie Bird Count, one (1) lucky EG minion could win their own copy of the tabletop game Busy Beaks to play and enjoy! 

What is Busy Beaks (the game)? 

Busy Beaks is a set-collect card game featuring 14 of Australia’s native birdlife. Designed for 2-4 players, the box says it is for ages 8 years and older, but I honestly think you can vary the game slightly for kids as young as five (5) or six (6). Mainly because it is a quick and easy game to pick up, with plenty of room to add challenges for more strategic players. 

The aim of the game is to collect flocks of birds, keeping birds of a feather together. Players can collect birds from the deck or from The Tree on the table. Each bird card has special abilities, allowing specific moves during your turn. Points are scored using egg tokens in a tiered scoring system. There is a straightforward way to win for younger players, but with a bit more experience, you can pick up some sneaky strategies to steal the game. 

The game was developed by Phil Walker-Harding, an Aussie game developer known for Sushi Go and Imhotep: Builder of Egypt. Busy Beaks was inspired by one of his favourite picture books, Busy Beaks, by Sarah Allen. For Busy Beaks, Sarah’s illustrations work really well with the game. During a recent chat with Phil, he shared some insight behind the creation of the game: 

“We love that the book highlights all sorts of Australian birds and also shows something really special about each one of them. As I was developing all the different bird powers in the game, Sarah’s picture and words helped shape the powers, and also which birds would best fit with certain ideas I had. Most of all, it was Sarah’s obvious love for our birdlife that we hope shines through the game!”

– Phil Walker-Harding

What’s in the (Nesting) Box?

• 1x Tree Board (2x pieces to connect together)
• 14x sets of Bird Cards (each a different bird), including 12x cards and 1x reference card
  • Magpie
  • Budgerigar
  • Brolga
  • Eastern Rosella
  • Eastern Spinebill
  • Galah
  • Kookaburra
  • Palm Cockatoo
  • Powerful Owl
  • Rainbow Lorikeet
  • Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
  • Superb Fairy Wren
  • Tawny Frogmouth
  • Wedge-tailed Eagle

• 23x egg tokens
  • 4x 5-egg tokens
  • 4x 4-egg tokens
  • 4x 3-egg tokens
  • 4x 2-egg tokens
  • 7x 1-egg tokens
• 14x Card Storage envelopes
• 1x Instruction manual 

The quality of the components is fantastic: sturdy cardboard with clear detailed illustrations. The reference cards are easy to follow, and the shorthand on each card is relatable. The reference cards include an extra touch, with factual information about each bird on the flipside. A small feature but it really adds to the soul of the game.

Set-up is moderately quick and easy, fitting neatly on your average dining table or large coffee table. The only room for improvement I would suggest is the storage of the components. I love the “no plastic” approach with the storage, but I often need to fiddle with it a bit to have everything fit neatly in the box.  

How to Play Busy Beaks

1. Each game is played with seven (7) types of bird cards. Choose your preference, and return all other bird cards to the box.
2. For each player, take out one (1) of each multi egg-token and all of the 1-egg tokens. Return the other tokens to the box.
3. Place the bird reference cards and the egg tokens to the left of the Tree Board, with a single 1-egg token on each reference card.
4. Shuffle the bird cards really well to create a draw pile. 
5. Draw three (3) cards for each branch of the Tree Board, placed face up.
6. Each player draws their starting hand; Player 1 has two (2) cards, Player 2 has three (3), Player 3 has four (4), and Player 4 has five (5). Do not show your hand. 
7. Players take turns with the aim to collect a set of five (5) of the same bird, or a flock. 
8. On your turn: you may play one (1) bird card; you may score one (1) flock; you must draw one (1) card; and then you must restock the tree so that there are at least three (3) birds on each branch. 
9. Each bird has a special ability. I won’t go into all of them here as they are detailed very well in the instruction manual and on the reference card. Eg. Place the Brolga on the end of a branch, and you may collect a bird card of your choice anywhere on the Tree Board AND the card directly above it. 
10. If you have five (5) of the same bird in your hand, you can score a flock. Place the cards face up on the discard pile and collect the most valuable egg-token available. 
11. If you are the first to collect a flock of a particular bird (eg. 5x Brolgas), you may also collect the 1-egg token from the matching reference card. 
12. The game ends immediately when the last multi-egg token is taken. Whoever has the most egg tokens wins.

Australia’s Native Birds

Let’s talk about those special abilities. I love how each special ability kind of reflects on the bid a bit. For example, the Brolga (mentioned above) is tall enough to ‘collect’ the bird above it as well. The Wedge-tail Eagle can swooooop in to steal from another player’s hand. Phil strived to include this diversity in the game; in both the special abilities and the way you can mix around which bird cards to play with each time. The entire game feels like a beautiful homage to Australia’s native birdlife.

“We definitely tried our best to give them each a bit of flavour that reflected their real-world personality.”

– Phil Walker-Harding

Busy Beaks takes this beautiful homage one step further. Joey Games has pledged 1% of profits from the sale of Busy Beaks will be donated to BirdLife Australia’s vital bird and habitat conservation programs. BirdLife Australia is at the forefront of bird conservation in Australia, advocating for better protection laws and business practices to save our birdlife. They manage a range of science and research programs, including the famous Aussie Bird Count held every year in October. This year, the week-long event runs from 16-22 October, and you can do it from your own backyard. For more details on the Aussie Bird Count, head to the official website here. 

Giveaway for Busy Beaks

To celebrate 10 years of the Aussie Bird Count, Joey Games has one (1) free copy of Busy Beaks to give to one (1) lucky EG Mum follower. All you need to do is: 

• Comment below with one (1) Australian native bird NOT included in the game Busy Beaks. (Check the list under “What’s in the (Nesting) Box?” above)
• For a Bonus Entry: Head to my Instagram here and leave me another comment about your favourite Australian Native Bird missing from Busy Beaks
• For ONE MORE BONUS ENTRY: Follow Joey Games on Instagram here–and yes, I’ll be cross-checking their new followers with my blog and IG account. 

This giveaway is open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. Entries open NOW and close Wednesday, 27 September, 2023, at 11:59 pm. The winner will be selected at random from the entries submitted as above. I will contact you via email or Instagram direct message. The prize will be sent directly from Joey Games to your address subsequently provided. All conditions comply with the NSW Fair Trading for Promotion Gaming Activity. 

EDIT: WE HAVE A WINNER

Congratulations to Kate from @homelearningfrombirth on Instagram. Kate suggested the Pied Currawong, which also happens to be a regular in our local area. It is one of three currawong species found all along the east coast of Australia. For years, I had no idea what its name was, and I used to call it a “Crow-pie”. The top half looks like a crow and the bottom half looks like a magpie!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more great gaming news, and remember to put your evil genius birdy-skills to use with the Aussie Bird Count in October.

Big Thanks to Joey Games

I first came across Joey Games at the Powerhouse Late: Games Night earlier this year. They were showcasing Scribbly Gum, another great Aussie game I will be reviewing shortly. It was easy to love the game, with its Aussie character and ease of playing with the whole family. 

Since then, I have learnt more about the team at Joey Games. Phil and Meredith have created an ethos built on supporting play in our lives. Each of their games is designed to be played with family and friends, encouraging us all to spend time together. They are big supporters of using games in the classroom and homeschool environment because, naturally, games celebrate our ever-learning lives. 

In addition to the donation to BirdLife Australia, Joey Games is also a member of 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses giving back to environmental non-profits to create a healthier planet. They also acknowledge the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, the lands on which they design and publish their games. In recognition of the stolen land on which they work, Joey Games also shares 1% of their profits with a local Indigenous-led organisation. I admire so much of all of this. For me, this is another great opportunity to set an example and teach our kids how to be responsible in both business and consumerism. 

For any lucky readers heading to PAX Aus 2023, Phil Walker-Harding will be demonstrating another of his new games, Spellbook, at the VR Distribution booth. Check out my 10 Steps to PAX Aus 2023 here. Phil will also be appearing in a panel with Matthew Dunstan on Saturday (check the PAX Aus app for details). Say hi for me!

Categories: Curriculum of Evil Gameschooling

Tagged as: Australia Birds games Gameschooling giveaway kids parenting spawnlings tabletop wildlife

Evil Genius Mum

Evil Genius Mum
- Taking over the world, one blog post at a time