Bad Bones
Bad Bones Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
In the middle of the table, arrange:
- 1 bag containing 180 Skeleton tokens (12 skeletons each of 15 different models). Leave the Skeletons with an orange border in the box.
- 1 Play Aid board, with 1 Tracking token on it, white side up.
Each player gets the following:
- 1 gameboard.
- 1 Cemetery tile.
- 5 House tiles, which together constitute the Village.
- 6 Trap tiles (2 walls, 2 catapults, 1 dragon, and 1 treasure), which constitute your supply of intact traps.
- 4 tower floors, which stacked form your tower.
- 1 Hero figurine, placed atop the tower.
- 4 Skeleton tokens (one of each symbol except the fifth) drawn from the bag (return the fifth to the bag). Place these Skeleton tokens in the forest beside their symbol, white side up, oriented according to the drawing, with the point of the token aimed toward the middle of the board.
Example: All the points of the Skeleton tokens are correctly pointed into the spaces of the board, and the green and purple skeletons are correctly placed on their feet, from the player's perspective; however, the blue skeleton is lying down, which is wrong (it must be placed vertically in the forest along the top of the board so it is standing up). The red skeleton cannot be drawn during the setup.
The orientation of the drawing is only used to place the Skeleton tokens in the forest before they enter play. After that, they will become reoriented according to the effects of the traps they encounter, and you can ignore the orientation of the drawing.
Don't use the wrong side! The gameboards and play aid are printed double-sided. Be sure to use the sides shown in the examples here. You will use the other side later for the cooperative version of the game.
Leave the unused components in the box during a basic game.
Phases of Play
After the setup, each game lasts several rounds, each comprising 4 phases (the play aid reminds you of these phases):
- Move your hero.
- Place or retrieve a trap.
- Move the skeletons.
- New skeletons arrive.
You will play these four phases in sequence, but during each phase, everyone plays simultaneously. That is to say that everyone moves their hero, then everyone places/retrieves a trap, then everyone moves the skeletons on their board, then everyone draws new skeletons.
If at least one player is eliminated after all of the skeletons move, the game ends immediately.
1. Move Your Hero
Your hero must move one space, which is to say orthogonally or diagonally adjacent to where the hero is now. Your hero can never remain in place.
Your hero cannot leave the 25 spaces of your board.
Your hero can move onto the tower in the middle of your board.
Your hero destroys all skeletons in the space into which he moves. Return all skeletons eliminated this way to the bag.
Your hero can move onto a trap; he never triggers its effect.
2. Place or Retrieve a Trap
You can place traps on your board to move or reorient the skeletons.
Except for the treasure, traps have two different sides: one representing the intact trap (which has not been triggered by any skeletons), and the other representing the damaged trap (which has been triggered by one or more skeletons during a previous round).
During this phase, you must choose one of the following:
- Place a trap.
- Retrieve a trap.
- Do nothing.
You can find the list of the traps and their effects below.
Note: The number in the upper-right corner of the Trap tiles is not used in the basic game.
Place a trap. Select one of the traps from your supply, and place it, intact side up, in whichever orientation you wish on a space of your board that contains neither a trap, nor your tower, nor any skeletons (unless the trap states otherwise). The forest and village can never contain any traps.
You can, however, place a trap on your hero's space, underneath him, unless he is on your tower.
Once placed, this trap will remain on its space, where it could be triggered, until either it is destroyed or you retrieve it.
Retrieve a trap. Retrieve a trap, intact or damaged, from your board, and return it to your supply.
You can retrieve a trap that is under your hero.
Once you retrieve a trap, it becomes intact again upon returning to your supply. Thus, you can reuse it later.
Do nothing. Are you sure? It's your choice…
3. Move the Skeletons
During this phase, advance all of the skeletons on your board. This phase requires attention and precision.
You choose the order in which you move your skeletons.
Each skeleton advances one space in the direction its point is pointing.
The reorientation arrows printed on your board indicate the allure that the tower or village presents to the skeletons. This attraction is only valid for skeletons that are moving with the arrow; it never applies for those coming from other directions.
Example: This skeleton advances into a space with reorientation arrows, and must turn with the arrow its move matches.
As soon as you move each skeleton, flip it to its other side (white or black). Thus, it is easy to identify which skeletons you have not yet moved: If they were white side up at the beginning of this phase, they will all end the phase black side up; and vice versa.
Thus, at the end of the phase, all skeletons on everyone's boards must have the same side showing. This makes it easy to notice if someone forgot to move a skeleton.
Example: This skeleton, diverted by a trap, advances into a space with reorientation arrows, but they have no effect, because its move does not follow the direction of any of the arrows.
Tip: For better visibility, if several skeletons are on the same space, and are going in the same direction, even if they have different symbols, we recommend stacking them.
Example: These 4 skeletons are going in the same direction, so they can be stacked up.
The Tracking token on the play aid is very helpful for knowing which side of the skeletons should be visible at the end of the phase. Make sure you flip it at the beginning of this phase!
4. New Skeletons Arrive
Draw 3 random skeletons from the bag, and place them on your cemetery.
Then, place all of the skeletons in your cemetery (not only the three you just drew, but also any your opponents sent there) in your forests, just as you did during setup:
- So the drawing is standing up.
- On the matching symbol.
- Pointed into the middle of your board.
- White side or black side up, to match the Tracking token on the Play Aid board, so that all skeletons on the table are showing the same color.
These skeletons that have just arrived in the forest are not yet on spaces of your board. They will enter during the skeleton movement phase of the next round.
What Happens If…
…a skeleton leaves my board through a forest?
When a skeleton moves into a forest, it goes to a neighboring player's cemetery:
- If the skeleton leaves through the left forest, it immediately goes into your left neighbor's cemetery.
- If the skeleton leaves through the right forest, it immediately goes into your right neighbor's cemetery.
- If the skeleton leaves through the top forest, it immediately goes into any opponent's cemetery (your choice). If several skeletons leave through the top at the same time, you are welcome to send them to different cemeteries, as you wish.
To be clear, in a 2-player game, all skeletons that leave your board (left, right, or top) go to your one opponent's cemetery.
…a skeleton leaves my board through the bottom?
When a skeleton leaves your board through the bottom, it has reached the village. It burns one of the houses — it doesn't matter which one — which you flip to its Destroyed side. Return the skeleton to the bag.
Each skeleton that enters the village destroys one house.
If your last house is destroyed, the game will end at the end of the skeleton movement phase.
…a skeleton enters my tower?
When a skeleton ends its move on the space with your tower, one of its floors is destroyed. Remove the tower floor from the game, and return the skeleton to the bag.
Each skeleton that enters your tower destroys one floor.
If the last floor of your tower is destroyed, the game will end at the end of the skeleton movement phase.
Important: Even if your hero is on your tower, he has no effect on the skeletons that enter it! Each one will still destroy a floor of the tower.
…a skeleton moves onto my hero (outside the tower)?
The skeleton is immediately destroyed by your hero, and it neither triggers nor damages whatever trap might be in his space. The skeleton also does not steal the treasure your hero may have been protecting in that space. Return the skeleton to the bag.
…a skeleton steps on a trap?
The trap applies its effect to all skeletons that trigger it during a single skeleton movement phase, even if they come from different spaces.
After all of the skeletons have been moved, the icon in the corner of the trap reminds you what to do:
- The trap is now damaged. Flip it to its Damaged side.
- The trap is now destroyed. Remove it from the game (return it to the box).
List of Traps and Their Effects
Wall
When skeletons step onto a space with a wall, they are reoriented 90° like they just reflected off the diagonal wall, and they advance one space (they do not remain on the wall).
When you flip the wall to its Damaged side, preserve its orientation.
Example: Two skeletons move onto a wall, which causes them to change direction as if they had ricocheted 90°, and then they immediately move one additional space. The wall, which was intact, has been used, and is thus damaged (flipped).
Catapult
All skeletons that step onto a space with a catapult during the skeleton movement phase are immediately catapulted into the cemetery of a single opponent of your choice.
Dragon
When skeletons step onto a space with the dragon, move them onto any orthogonally adjacent spaces of your choice. The skeletons are fleeing from the dragon, so point them away from it. If the forest is adjacent to the dragon, you can even send the skeletons running through the forest to opponents' cemeteries.
Example: Three skeletons must advance onto the dragon. They are immediately repelled into spaces adjacent to the dragon, as you choose, pointed away from the dragon. The dragon has been used, and is thus damaged (flipped).
Special effect! During the trap placing/retrieval phase, you can make the dragon "land" on a space with skeletons in it. In the basic version of Bad Bones, this is the only trap that can be placed this way. If you do this, immediately flip the dragon to its Damaged side, and immediately repel and flip the skeletons from that space.
Example: Three skeletons are ready to attack the tower. You place the dragon on their space, repelling them one space (in whichever directions you choose). The dragon has been used and is thus damaged (flipped). The skeletons are flipped, because they have already been moved by the dragon. They do not advance in the skeleton movement phase, because they have already done so.
Attention! When the dragon uses this special effect during the trap placing/retrieval phase, if just after that, other skeletons arrive in its space during the skeleton movement phase, these skeletons, too, flee from the dragon; however, because the dragon was used twice consecutively, the dragon is dead and removed from the game.
Treasure
When a treasure is placed, all skeletons orthogonally adjacent to it immediately turn toward it.
Similarly, when moving the skeletons, if they end their movement on a space orthogonally adjacent to treasure, they turn toward the treasure. The allure of treasure outweighs any reorientation arrows depicted on the board, as well as any other trap effect.
Once all the skeletons have been moved, if at least one of them is on the space with the treasure (and the hero is not there to defend it), the treasure is stolen and removed from the game; the thieving skeletons remain on the board without being reoriented, even if a reorientation arrow became visible when the treasure was removed. You can never get the treasure back; it can only be stolen once.
Example: Three skeletons are dangerously close to your tower. You choose to sacrifice your treasure to distract them, placing it adjacent to them. Immediately, they turn toward the treasure. During their movement, they advance onto the treasure, which is then removed from the game. Danger momentarily diverted!
End of the Game
If one or more players are eliminated (their tower or their village has been completely destroyed), the game ends at the end of the current round, and only the players who have not been eliminated count their points as follows:
- 1 point per star visible on the traps in your supply, all treated as being intact.
- 1 point per star visible on the traps remaining on your board.
- 4 points per floor of your tower still in the game.
- 3 points per intact house of your village.
Scoring example: Since neither your tower nor village have been completely destroyed, you get to participate in the final scoring. You earn 8 pts for your tower (2 floors × 4 pts), 2 pts for your wounded dragon, 1 pt for your damaged catapult, 6 pts for your village (2 houses × 3 pts), and finally 2 pts for your wall — your only trap still intact is stored in your supply. Total: 19 points.
Destroyed elements (tower floors, traps removed from the game, burnt houses) are not worth any points.
The player with the most points wins the game.
If there is a tie for first place, the tied player with the tallest tower wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.
Solo Version
This version of the game allows you to perfect your performance and try new combinations of traps and weapons.
Set up the game according to the version of the game you wish to play (basic or advanced). Following are the changes you must apply to practice in the solo version:
Setup
Identical to the setup for the basic version, with the following exceptions:
- You get only 1 house and only 1 tower floor.
- Use the back of the Play Aid board (green border).
- Use the Round Counting board and Round counter.
Phases of Play
All skeletons that leave your board immediately go to your cemetery (and you still add 3 new skeletons each round).
Using the back (green border) of the Play Aid board from the basic game helps you remember to perform the extra step (V), in which you advance the Round counter on its own board.
Goal of the Game
You lose the game if your tower or house is destroyed.
You win the game if your tower and house are still intact at the end of 10 complete rounds of play, even if there are still skeletons on your board.
To win in a heroic fashion, at the end of the 10th round, no longer add 3 new skeletons in phase 4, and continue the game until you have eliminated all of the skeletons from your board and cemetery.
To adjust the difficulty, simply increase or decrease the number of rounds from 10.
Advanced Version
Now that you have played several games of the basic version, it is time to choose your favorite defenses and create a personal strategy based on new traps.
Attention! Do not read the following until you have mastered the basic game. You do not need to read all of the versions that follow. Choose one and try it!
Setup
The setup is identical to a basic game, except that each player buys equipment (Trap tiles and Weapon cards) before the beginning of the game during the new Market phase.
In the middle of the table, set up the various equipment that will be for sale at the Market. The quantity available depends on the number of players and is indicated in the following table:
| Equipment | 1 player | 2 players | 3 players | 4 players | 5 players | 6 players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barricade | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Bomb | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Catapult | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Dragon | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Hearse | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Labyrinth | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Portal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Spring | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Wall | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Weapons | All the weapons are available |
In addition, each player receives 1 free Treasure tile.
How the Market works. Each player has 20 coins to spend, however they wish, to acquire whatever equipment they choose. The number in the upper-right corner of an equipment indicates its cost.
- Randomly determine a first player.
- Starting with this player, then going clockwise, each player can buy one equipment from those available at the Market.
- When each player has acquired an equipment, repeat the procedure counterclockwise, starting with the last player.
- Continue like this, alternating clockwise and counterclockwise, until everyone has spent their 20 coins.
- If you have spent all your money, or there is nothing left you can buy, simply pass your turn.
- Weapons are limited to 1 per player.
- When everyone has passed, the game can commence as usual.
New Trap Tiles
As in the basic version, all traps the skeletons move onto are triggered at the end of the skeleton movement phase, regardless of the number of skeletons that have moved onto them.
Barricade. The barricade is a trap that delays the skeletons.
As long as the barricade is on the board, the skeletons that are supposed to move onto it instead stay in place and flip over as if they had moved. After it is triggered this way, flip it to its Damaged side. If the barricade is already damaged, remove it from the game after the skeleton movement phase.
Clarification: Because the skeletons do not actually move onto the space with the barricade, a hero on it will not prevent it from being triggered.
Special case: If a wall must send skeletons to a barricade, the skeletons do not advance, but both the wall and the barricade have been used.
Example: The skeleton advances 1 space and is immediately redirected by the wall. Because it cannot remain on the Wall tile, and because the barricade prevents access to its own space, where the skeleton normally would end up, the skeleton remains where it is, but flips over (its move is considered complete). In this situation, both the wall and the barricade are flipped because both were used.
Bomb. The bomb is a trap that eliminates skeletons.
When the skeletons step onto the bomb, they are eliminated; return them to the bag. The bomb is thus flipped to its Blast Area side, and will remain on the board for the rest of the game. This tile can no longer be retrieved. From now on, traps can no longer be placed on this space; however, your hero and the skeletons move into it like a normal space.
Special effect. The bomb can be placed on a space that is occupied by skeletons and nothing else. This immediately triggers its effect.
Note: This tile has a hole in its middle so any arrows on the board are still visible. The arrows have their usual effect.
Hearse (indestructible). The hearse is a trap that moves the skeletons.
When skeletons move onto the hearse, immediately send the skeletons and the hearse to the cemetery of any one opponent (your choice).
The hearse is the only trap that passes from one player to another. The player who receives it immediately adds it to their supply. It is indestructible.
At the end of the game, the person in possession of the hearse earns its points, not the person who bought it.
Labyrinth (indestructible). The labyrinth is a trap that can delay the skeletons.
When you place the labyrinth on your board, choose which side is up, white or black.
When skeletons must move out of the labyrinth, they can only do so if they match the color of the labyrinth. Otherwise, they simply flip over in place, without advancing.
This trap is indestructible, and remains in place, without flipping, until you retrieve it.
Examples: In the first example, the skeleton is black side up, so it cannot advance, because it is lost in a white labyrinth (the skeleton thus flips to its white side without moving). In the second example, the skeleton is black side up, so it can advance, because it is on a black labyrinth, so it immediately flips and is reoriented by a reorientation arrow.
Portal. The portal is a trap that delays the skeletons.
When a skeleton moves onto a portal, you must immediately move this skeleton to its original forest on your board (on the matching symbol, with the drawing standing up, pointed into the middle of your board).
Flip the skeleton because it has moved this round.
After the portal has been used, flip it to its Damaged side. If it was already damaged, remove it from the game after the skeleton movement phase.
Example: A skeleton moves into your magic portal; it is immediately teleported to the corresponding forest on your board and flipped over. It does not advance again this round.
Spring. The spring is a trap that throws the skeletons.
When skeletons move onto the spring, it throws them 2 spaces further in the same direction they were going.
They are never affected by the space over which they are tossed, even if that space is occupied by a trap, your tower, or your hero. On the other hand, they are affected by whatever is in the space where they land (trap, hero, reorientation arrow, treasure…).
Example: The skeleton enters the space with the spring, and is thrown 2 spaces further in the same direction. The skeleton is flipped as usual. It is not affected by the reorientation arrows over which it was thrown.
Special Case: If the spring throws a skeleton onto a barricade, this skeleton lands on the spikes in the middle of the barricade, and is eliminated (return it to the bag). This counts as using the barricade, so it is damaged or destroyed at the end of the round.
Weapon Cards
Your weapon's effect is triggered as soon as your hero eliminates at least 3 skeletons at once, whether in the hero movement phase or the skeleton movement phase.
Using your weapon's effect is utterly optional; you are not required to use it. There is no limit to the number of times you can use it in the game. Your weapon's effect only applies to the skeletons on the spaces of your own board, and not those in the forest. Your weapon's effect cannot chain: If it lets you eliminate another 3 (or more) skeletons, this does not trigger its effect again.
Crossbow. Eliminate a single skeleton from any space of your board; return it to the bag.
Ice Wand. Immediately freeze all skeletons in one space of your board. They will not move for one round: Flip them over as a reminder that they are immobilized (this means they will mismatch the color of the rest of the skeletons until they thaw; if this happened during the skeleton movement phase, it does not prevent the round from ending).
Death Wand. All skeletons that were just eliminated in triggering this (thus at least 3) go to another player's cemetery (your choice), rather than the bag.
Teleportation Wand. Immediately move your hero to the top of your tower.
Two-Handed Sword. Your hero can immediately move again. As usual, he destroys all skeletons in the space to which he moves.
Battleaxe. Choose a skeleton symbol. All skeletons with this symbol that are in the 4 spaces orthogonally adjacent to your hero are destroyed; return them to the bag.
Morning Star. Immediately move the skeletons (without flipping them) from one space adjacent to your hero to another space, without traps, that is adjacent to your hero. The skeletons do not change direction.
Example: During the hero movement phase, your hero destroys 3 skeletons, which are returned to the bag. This triggers the effect of his morning star. He sends 2 skeletons adjacent to him to another space adjacent to him (without flipping or reorienting them).
Rapier. Immediately reorient all of the skeletons in one space adjacent to your hero to point in the direction(s) of your choice.
Cooperative Version
To play the cooperative game (for 2–6 players), use the backs of the boards (4 destroyed towers) and the back of the Play Aid board (green border). The rules of the game remain unchanged, with the following exceptions:
Setup
- Take a number of House tiles equal to the number of players, and place them in the middle of the play area; these are the common capital you will need to protect.
- Place the Round Counting board to the side, with the Round counter on space 1.
- Place 4 tower floors on each board, but they are separated onto the 4 spaces, rather than stacked as a single tower.
- Each player draws 4 skeletons from the bag, and places them according to the basic rules, except that you should not discard the skeletons with red symbols; place them just like the others.
Note: The skeletons you normally would place at the top of your board will instead be at the bottom, pointing upward. Their drawings will be "standing on their heads" rather than standing upright.
- Once you have placed your 4 skeletons, place your hero on one of your four towers (your choice).
- The supply of traps is now shared by all of you. The supply has 1 of each of the following per player: wall, catapult, and dragon.
- The supply has, however, only 1 single treasure, regardless of the number of players.
Phases of Play
The Round Counter board and Round counter will help you track the number of rounds in your game. As soon as a round is finished (after phase 4), advance the Round counter one space.
You are sharing a supply of traps, and there are fewer of them, so you will need to communicate about using them.
Attention. During the place/retrieve trap phase, you cannot place a trap that someone else just retrieved this same round. To avoid any mistakes, when you retrieve a trap from your board, keep it in your hand until everyone else has placed or retrieved a trap. Then, return it to the supply, intact side up, for next round.
The game ends as soon as all the houses of the capital are destroyed, or one player has lost all four towers.
Goal and End of the Game
Your mission is to survive as long as possible; if you last at least 10 complete rounds, you have won!
To achieve this, it is very important to work together on all tactical choices.
Towers
When a skeleton moves into a tower, the tower is immediately destroyed and removed from the game. The skeleton is also eliminated; return it to the bag.
Each tower only stops a single skeleton! Any additional skeletons continue in their path. You are free to choose which skeleton returns to the bag.
When a tower is destroyed, the ruins revealed on the board include a new reorientation arrow, which will affect skeletons in the usual way.
Bottom of the Board
When a skeleton moves into the forest at the bottom of your board, place it on another player's cemetery (your choice). It is wise to consult the other players before making the choice. The side forests work the same way they do in the basic game.
Advanced Version (Cooperative)
It is possible to play the advanced version of the game cooperatively, in which case apply the following changes:
- The teleportation wand can teleport your hero to any tower still standing on your board, but never to a destroyed tower.
- The team has only 12 coins per player to share. Do your shopping for the shared supply in a cooperative way, rather than taking turns.
Skeleton Chiefs
These new skeletons will spice up your games, and moreover will require you to revise your strategies in order to cope with their being on your board.
The Skeleton Chief tokens have an orange border to distinguish them from the other skeletons. Never put them under a stack of skeletons; always keep them clearly visible.
They follow the same rules as normal skeletons, except for their special powers described below.
To use them, simply mix them with the other skeletons in the bag.
Chief Artificer ×3. If this skeleton moves onto a tower / into a village, it destroys 2 floors/houses instead of 1. Then return this skeleton to the bag.
Chief Necromancer ×3. When you draw this skeleton, you must immediately draw 3 additional skeletons. The effect is cumulative: Each chief necromancer drawn also requires you to draw 3 more skeletons.
Nice Chief ×3. If this skeleton moves onto a tower / into a village, of which at least one floor/house has been destroyed, this skeleton rebuilds a floor/house, rather than destroying one; return the skeleton to the bag. If the skeleton moves onto a tower / into a village, of which no floors/houses have been destroyed, the skeleton simply returns to the bag.
Chief Instructor ×3. When this skeleton moves, all the skeletons in the same space (even other chiefs) become a single unit, all pointed the same way, and moving in the same direction it does. As long as the chief instructor is alive, this single unit cannot be divided, no matter what trap or weapon affects them; however, if the crossbow eliminates the leader, the rest march on, but separable once again.
If there are two chief instructors on the same space, choose which one leads the unit from now on.
Spectral Chief ×3. This skeleton is immortal. If your hero kills it, or if it moves onto your tower or into your village, put it in your cemetery, rather than returning it to the bag.
Chief Saboteur ×3. At the end of the skeleton movement phase, the chief saboteur destroys any traps he triggered (or participated in triggering) during this phase.
Remove the traps from the game; they cannot be retrieved. Return the chief saboteur to the bag.
The chief saboteur affects all Trap tiles the same way, including the Trap tiles from the advanced version that are marked "indestructible". The only exception is the bomb: The blast area still stays on the board.
Skeleton Emperor ×1. If the skeleton emperor moves onto your tower (any of your towers if you are playing the cooperative version) / into your village, regardless of their condition, you have lost, and the game ends!
If your hero kills him, remove the emperor from the game, rather than returning him to the bag; however, your hero is also removed from the game. One does not defy the emperor without repercussions!