Twisted Cryptids - KSE Base Game Rules

INTRODUCTION

It’s so hard to feel seen as a Cryptid these days. In this easy-to-learn strategy game, you’ll navigate your love-hate relationship with humans and outwit your fellow Cryptids to earn your status as a true legend. As hikers, hunters, and researchers scatter across the wilderness hoping to catch a glimpse of you, you’ll stage elaborate hoaxes, plant perfect decoys, and lurk discreetly in the shadows to build up your myth. You might even expose your true self once in a while, but be warned: vulnerability can come at a price.

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The Kickstarter Exclusive Edition includes the Ness is More Expansion, in addition to the Twisted Cryptids base game.

• 6 Cryptid meeples
• 18 Hiding Spot tokens
• 6 tarot-sized Cryptid cards
• 54 Sighting cards
• 82 Action cards
• 18 Event cards
• 14 Hidden Trait cards
• 1 First Player token
• 18 double-sided Myth tokens
• 1 Sinkhole token
• 36 Human tokens
• The Wilderness board

Start by removing the board from the game box, unfolding it, and placing it in the center of the play area within reach of all players. The board consists of the Myth Track (1) and The Wilderness (2) which is composed of 6 Sites. Next, place the Myth tokens next to the Myth Track. Myth represents your score in the game, and you’ll use the Myth Track and Myth tokens to track your score.

Place the Human tokens in 3 Rest Areas (4) (one corresponding to each Flavor of Human) next to The Wilderness, then place Hiker tokens, Hunter tokens, and Researcher tokens on each Site with a corresponding , , or symbol (5).

Shuffle the Action deck(6) (including all base game and any expansion cards) and place it face down within reach of all players, leaving space near it for a discard pile (7). Then shuffle the Event deck(8) (including all base game and any expansion cards) and place it face down within reach of all players, leaving space near it for a Current Event pile (9).

Have each player choose a Cryptid and take the corresponding components: 1 Cryptid card, 1 Cryptid meeple, 9 Sighting cards, and 3 Hiding Spot tokens.

After choosing your Cryptid, place your Cryptid card face up in front of you, then place your Cryptid meeple on the Myth Track at 5 Myth (which represents your starting score). Return any remaining Cryptids (with their corresponding components) to the game box.

Next, shuffle the Hidden Trait cards (including all base game and any expansion cards) and deal two to each player. Have each player choose one of them and place it face down above their Cryptid card , then return any remaining Hidden Trait cards to the game box.

Now you are ready to form your 3 Stacks. To create a Stack, secretly choose three of your Sighting cards and place them face down in a pile in the order you choose, then repeat this process with your remaining Sighting cards until you have formed all three of your Stacks (each with 3 Sighting cards). Note: The top face-down Sighting card on each Stack will be the first one revealed from that Stack.

After you have formed your Stacks, place each Stack in a row to the right of your Cryptid card . Each Stack will correspond to one of your numbered Hiding Spot tokens: the left Stack being Hiding Spot token number 1, the middle Stack Hiding Spot token number 2, and the right Stack Hiding Spot token number 3.

Give the First Player token to the player who last visited a park. They start the game as the First Player.

In player order (starting with the First Player and proceeding clockwise), place one of your Hiding Spot tokens on a Site in The Wilderness. Once all players have placed a Hiding Spot token, the First Player will pass the First Player token to the player on their left. Then, in player order (starting with the new First Player), place a second Hiding Spot token. After each player has placed their second Hiding Spot token, the First Player will pass the First Player token to the player on their left. One final time, in player order, place your last Hiding Spot token. After each player has placed all of their Hiding Spot tokens, the First Player will pass the First Player token to the player on their left.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when placing your Hiding Spot tokens:

• You may not place a Hiding Spot token on a Site that already has one of your Hiding Spot tokens.
• When playing with 4 players, no more than 3 players may have a Hiding Spot token at any one Site. When playing with 5 or 6 players, no more than 4 players may have a Hiding Spot token at any one Site.

Finally, deal 5 cards from the Action deck to each player. These cards will form your hand. Now you are ready to play! Gameplay starts with the First Player and proceeds in player order.

Once you have completed setup, the play area should look something like this:

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You will play Twisted Cryptids over 5 rounds, and each round is divided into 4 phases: Dawn, Day, Dusk, and Night.

'DAWN PHASE

• At Dawn, Humans will leave from, arrive to, and move about The Wilderness of their own accord.
• At the start of the round, the First Player will flip the top card of the Event deck, add it face up to the Current Event pile, and resolve the listed effects from top to bottom.

Note: If you are ever unable to perform the full effect on a card - for example, if there are no Researchers in The Wilderness to Extract, only one Hunter in the Rest Area to Attract, or only two Hikers on a Site when the effect says to move three - partially resolve that effect to the extent you are able. This also applies to cards you play during the Day and Sightings you reveal at Dusk.

The round will then continue to the Day.

DAY PHASE

During the Day, you will use your Cryptid charm to move Humans around The Wilderness in an attempt to increase your Myth.

In player order, on your turn you will take one of the following Actions:

• Play an Action card from your hand.
• Discard an Action card to use your Cryptid Power. You only may do this once per round.
• Pass the turn to the next player.

You will continue playing cards in this manner for three turns. Once each player has had three turns, the round will continue to Dusk.

• • • DUSK PHASE===

At Dusk, an Encounter will occur at a Site in The Wilderness, revealing what each Cryptid is (or isn’t) doing at that Site. To determine where the Encounter occurs, find the Site with the most Humans that has at least one Hiding Spot. If multiple Sites tie for the most Humans, the First Player chooses at which of those Sites the Encounter occurs.

In player order, if you have a Hiding Spot at the Site of the Encounter you will reveal the top Sighting of your corresponding Stack.

When you reveal a Sighting, start by gaining (or losing) Myth depending on the distribution of Humans at the Site of the Encounter as specified on the Sighting card. Next, resolve the effect of that Sighting, then set it aside face up next to you. Finally, take your Hiding Spot from the Site of the Encounter and place it on its corresponding Stack, then the next player who has a Hiding Spot at the Site of the Encounter will reveal their Sighting.

If, during Dusk, you reveal the final Sighting in one of your Stacks and now that Stack is empty, return the corresponding Hiding Spot token to the game box. You will not use this Hiding Spot for the remainder of the game.

After all players with Hiding Spots at the Site of the Encounter have revealed their Sightings, the round will continue to the Night.

NIGHT PHASE

During the Night, you will begin scheming in preparation for the next day.

In player order, take the following steps:

• If you do not have a Hiding Spot token on one of your Stacks, you may move one of your Hiding Spots in The Wilderness, placing it on a new Site.
• If you have a Hiding Spot token on one of your Stacks from Dusk, place that Hiding Spot on a different Site than the Site at which the Encounter occurred.
• You may choose to discard any number of cards, then draw from the Action deck until you have 5 cards in your hand. (If you are in the fifth round, skip this step and discard any remaining cards in your hand.)

Note: If there are not enough cards in the deck to draw until you have 5 cards in your hand, draw any remaining cards in the Action deck, then shuffle the discard pile and place it face down to form a new Action deck. Continue to draw until you have 5 cards in your hand.

Once each player has drawn up to 5 cards, the First Player passes the First Player token to the player on their left, who now becomes the First Player for the next round.


Once you have completed 5 rounds, flip over the remaining Sightings in your Stacks and your Hidden Trait before determining the winner of the game.

• Gain 7 Myth for each Real Deal that was not revealed during the game.
• Gain bonus Myth based on your level of completion of the objective on your Hidden Trait.

The player with the greatest total Myth wins the game and is deemed the True Legend, while the others scurry home before the Humans catch them.

In the event of a tie, tally the number of Humans on the Sites where you have Hiding Spots. The tied player with the most Humans is the winner. If that does not resolve the tie, then high five because you are both legends this time around (but you should probably play again to determine who the True Legend is).