The rules of this game, as all table top games, can be adjusted to the desired difficulty. The standard rule set puts 2 to 5 players against each other with an expected game time of 20 to 50 minutes depending on the level of players.
Game Setup[]
The throne rooms and disasters are set aside. The top 20 cards of the deck are set aside and 6 disasters are shuffled into the remaining cards. The 20 cards are put back on top.
One throne room is placed in front of each player and the top 5 cards are placed next to each other to represent the SHOP.
The first player is decided by agreement or by who was the last to visit a castle.
Safety Threshold[]
The 20 cards placed on top of the part of the deck that has no disasters shuffled in them, which gives players time to set up before they start facing disasters.
This amount of cards can be adjusted to give players more or less time for different difficulty level.
Game Round[]
The players, each in their turn, can choose one of two options:
1- Pick a room card from the SHOP.
2- Perform an action:
- Move a room
- Swap two rooms
- Activate an action room
Once all players have taken their turn, the remaining cards in the SHOP (if any) are discarded in the discard pile next to the deck and new 5 cards are taken from the deck as the new SHOP.
Chained effects
An action or a room placement may trigger a link effect which may allow more actions to be taken creating a chain effect. A limit on link activation of 7 links per turn prevents infinite chains.
Turn Shift
At the end of each round, the Go First card is passed to the player on the left and that player becomes the first player in the next round.
This insures that the advantage of being the first to pick a card from the SHOP or take action rotates around the players.
End Game and Victory[]
The game ends after the round when the 6th disaster is played or when all players lose their throne rooms to disasters.
Victory is debated among the players surviving the 6th disaster and is determined by the amount of treasure points generated from their active vaults. If two players have equal points then the number of rooms settles the debate. If two players have the same number of points and rooms then number of matched connection defines the winner. Else it is a draw.
Terminology[]
Outer rooms[]
Rooms that have only one connection attached.
Adjacent rooms[]
Rooms that are above, below, to the right, or to the left of the specified room.
Connected rooms[]
Adjacent rooms that have a connection to the specified room.
Surrounding rooms[]
Adjacent rooms and diagonal rooms.
Distance from room[]
Count the least number of rooms that must be passed through to get to destination (starting point doesn't count and can't pass diagonally).
Placed Room
This refers to a room that has just been taken from the SHOP and added to a castle. A room that is moved, swapped or rotated do not count as a placed room.