The dockGames shedBirch Bark Scratch Card
Birch Bark Scratch Card
Paper birch peels in thin, curling sheets, and most of us wrote a secret note on it at some point. This card works the same way: nine squares hidden under a layer of bark, waiting for a fingertip. Pick a card price, scratch, and see what's underneath.
How to play
Choose a card price of 5, 10, 25 or 50 Cabin Coins, then press New card. Drag a finger or the mouse across the bark to scratch it away, or press Reveal all if you'd rather see everything at once. When most of the card is clear, the rest of the bark falls away by itself. Finish one card before starting the next.
Reading the key
The key under the card lists the six symbols that can appear, from the pine cone up to the common loon. Find three of the same symbol on one card and you collect the multiple shown beside it, times the price of the card.
Three pine cones hand back the price of the card. Three cedar paddles return twice the price, three maple leaves three times, three red canoes five times and three dock lanterns ten times. Three loons return fifty times the price. A card holds at most one set of three, so there is never more than one match to look for.
Field notes
A word about birch bark
White birch grows thick along the shores of cottage country, and its bark has been folded into baskets, canoes and fire-starter for longer than anyone can say. Please don't peel it from a living tree, though. It scars the trunk for good. Our cards are the only birch bark at the bungalow you're allowed to scratch, and they grow back every time you press New card.
Porch questions
Questions about the cards
Do I have to scratch the whole card?
No. Scratch as much as you like, then press Reveal all for the rest. What's under the bark was settled when the card was dealt, so the way you scratch it makes no difference.
Can one card have two sets of three?
No. Each card has at most one set of three matching symbols, so once you've found one, you've found it.
Can I keep a card for later?
No. A card stays open until it's revealed, and the next one starts fresh. There is no way to save, trade or send a card to someone else.
More from the shed: Loon Lake Reels, Lantern Blackjack and Firefly Keno.