Bug Run Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Game Setup
• Game Objective
• Playing a Level
  • Trading Phase
    • Buying
    • Equipment Zones
    • Selling
    • End of Your Turn
    • End of the Trading Phase
  • Adventure Phase
    • Making a Move
      • How to Move
      • 5- or 6-player Games
      • Example – How to Move
    • Specific Spaces
      • Reaching the Stairs
      • Crossing a Bridge
    • Performing an Action
      • Attacking a Monster
      • Sword Attack
      • Bow Attack
      • Defeated Monster: Flash Phase
• The Final Escape
• End of the Game
• Two-Player Game
  • Game Setup (Two-Player)
  • Playing a Level (Two-Player)
    • Game Turn Order
    • Reaching the Stairs (Two-Player)
    • Reset (Two-Player)
    • Defeated Monster: Flash Phase (Two-Player)
• Power Descriptions
• Card Descriptions
• Equipment Cards
• Secret Loot Cards

Components

• 1 Board
• 6 Heroes (Spider, Caterpillar, Wasp, Fly, Grasshopper, Beetle), each with a hero token
• Dice
• Hero sheets + 3 markers, and scrolls
• 40 Monster cards (front; back divided into 4 levels)
• 24 Exploration cards (18 Quest cards and 6 Bridge cards on the front; back shows the exit door)
• 9 Level cards (front for 2-4 players; back for 5-6 players)
• 10 Stair cards (7 Rest cards and 3 Fight cards)
• 32 Bazaar cards
• 16 Basic Equipment cards (sword side and bow side)
• 32 Loot cards
• 44 Wound tokens
• 12 Padlock/Defeated tokens
• 76 Victory point tokens (28 worth 1, 28 worth 3, and 20 worth 10)
• 11 Wooden tokens: 1 flash token and 10 markers
• 6 Flip counters (green side and red side)

Game Setup

1. Place the board in the center of the table.

2. Shuffle the bazaar cards, place the deck on the board, and reveal the first 3 cards.

3. Form a deck with the basic equipment cards.

4. Shuffle the loot cards and form a deck.

5. Shuffle the level cards, take 1 at random, and place it in its designated space on the board with the side corresponding to the number of players up. This will be your level card for the entire game. Put the others away.

6. Shuffle all the exploration cards and place the deck on the board.

7. Sort the monster cards by level and shuffle them separately to form 4 facedown decks next to the board.

8. Create level 1 by placing level-1 monsters and the first exploration cards from the deck as indicated on the first line of the revealed level card. If the game is being played by 5 or 6 players, the cards are distributed over 2 floors (see p. 8).

9. Shuffle the stair cards without looking at the back and take 4 at random to form a stack with the stairs up. Put the remaining cards away. If the game is being played with less than 5 players, place a padlock token on each space marked "5-6".

10. Place the markers, flash token, and all other tokens to the side.

11. Each player takes a hero sheet, then everyone decides together whether to play in normal mode or with special powers. If you are not playing with special powers, cover it with a scroll.

    Take your hero token, a flip counter, 5 victory points (kept face down in front of you), as well as the 2 dice and 3 markers of your color, which you place on the indicated spaces of your lifeline, your coin reserve, and your arrow supply. You start the game with 5 hearts, 4 arrows, and 5 coins.

Detail of a level card: the level card shows four lines, one for each level (Level 1 at the bottom, Level 4 at the top). Each line shows the monster and exploration spaces for that level. On a card line, place an exploration card on each "?" space and a monster card of the corresponding level on each monster space.

Game Objective

Each player, going clockwise, takes a turn to visit the bazaar, starting with the player on the crown. You can buy or sell in any order.

But you have an escape plan. Your goal is simple: cross the four levels of the dungeon to get to the roof. There, reinforcements await you. But you are going to have to fight!

The game is played over a series of 4 levels. Buy equipment, complete quests, and throw yourself into battle against increasingly terrifying monsters! Or let your "comrades" do all the work, deliver just the finishing blow, and pocket the loot anyway. At the end of the 4 levels, you can earn up to 10 extra victory points in the Final Escape. The player with the most victory points wins the game!

Playing a Level

Each level consists of several phases:

• The Trading Phase allows you to buy equipment and powers and sell your unwanted items.
• During the Adventure Phase, you attack monsters and explore the surrounding area. When everyone has reached the stairs, there is sometimes a fight.
• At the end of the level, the board is reset.

Trading Phase

Buying

On your turn, you can buy as many visible bazaar cards, basic equipment cards, and sets of arrows and hearts as you can afford. The price of the bazaar cards is shown in the bottom right-hand corner. They are all detailed on pages 18 to 20.

Sets of 3 hearts, 2 arrows, and basic equipment cards have a fixed price of 3 coins each.

Spend your coins by moving your coin reserve marker back 1 space per coin spent. Take what you have bought. When you buy hearts or arrows, move the corresponding marker forward.

Important: You cannot have more than 10 hearts, 6 arrows, and 15 coins.

When you buy a basic equipment card, choose whether you want to use it on the sword or bow side and place it in your corresponding equipment zone to equip it. Once the card has been assigned as a sword, it cannot be moved to the bow and vice versa.

Equipment Zones

There are 3 areas on your hero sheet where you can add equipment cards: sword, bow, and shield. The shield zone can only hold 1 card at a time. The sword and bow zones can hold 2 cards each. If you would like to add a new card that you have just bought when the zone is already full, you must sell one already in place.

Important: The equipment you collect will make your attacks more interesting and enable you to protect yourself better. But it is assumed that you have a plain sword and bow right from the start. So, you can launch an attack even if your equipment zones are empty.

When you buy a bazaar card, place it faceup in front of you unless it's an equipment card (sword, bow, or shield). In this case, you must equip yourself (see above).

Selling

You can also sell one or more loot, bazaar, or basic equipment cards to earn 1 coin per card. You cannot sell a card you have already started using (with a marker on it). Discard your card and move your coin reserve marker forward 1 space.

End of Your Turn

When you no longer want to or cannot buy or sell, end your turn by flipping over new bazaar cards to replace those you have bought. Then, it is the turn of the player to your left to trade.

End of the Trading Phase

At the end of their turn, the last player discards all remaining bazaar cards and replaces them with new ones from the deck. If the deck is empty, create a new one by shuffling the discard pile.

Adventure Phase

The Adventure Phase is played in a succession of turns, beginning with the player on the crown and continuing clockwise. You cross the level from left to right until everyone has reached the stair card on the far right.

On each of your turns, you must choose between:

• Making 1 move onto a monster, exploration, or stair card; or
• Performing 1 action on the card you are already on.

You cannot stay on a card without performing an action.

Making a Move

How to Move

You must move your hero onto a card to the right of your current position (or from the starting position on the board to a card in the line) that has an empty space. You can jump over cards. You cannot move backwards (to a card to the left of your current position). If all the spaces on a card are occupied, you cannot move onto it.

5- or 6-player Games

In this case, the cards are spread over 2 floors. When you have a choice between 2 cards, you must choose whether to move up or down. To change floors, you must pass through a central card.

Example – How to Move

(See the example diagram on page 8 of the rulebook.)

Specific Spaces

Reaching the Stairs

When you place your hero on this type of space, you earn the indicated amount, in this case 3 hearts.

To place your hero on this type of space, you must spend the indicated amount, in this case 1 heart.

Some spaces have a bow or sword symbol above them. In this case, you need to use the weapon indicated when you perform your action. If there is no symbol, you use your choice of weapons.

Some stair spaces are only available in games with 5 or 6 players. If you are playing a 2, 3, or 4-player game, you cannot move there, as indicated by the padlock token that is placed on it during setup.

If you choose the space with the crown, in addition to taking the indicated reward, you will be the first player in the next round.

Crossing a Bridge

When there is a bridge card between the card you are leaving and the card you are moving to, you must cross it as part of your move. To do so, choose which bridge you want to cross. If you decide to use the one that is stable and solid, you will earn what is indicated at the top, in this case 2 victory points.

Alternatively, you can take the risk of using the shorter but more dangerous bridge. Toss your flip counter and apply what is indicated according to your result. In this case, if the green side is up, you earn 4 points; if red is up, you earn nothing at all.

Performing an Action

If you decide not to move, you need to perform an action. Depending on the card you are on, this may involve attacking a monster, attempting to carry out a quest, or taking a reward while waiting on the stairs.

Attacking a Monster

If you are on a monster card, your action is to launch 1 attack against the monster.

Presentation of a Monster Card:

• Shield indicating its protection
• Number of life points
• Bone symbol indicating that the monster can fight back
• Rewards earned once it is defeated
• Hero spaces: If the space has a bow or sword above it, you must use the weapon indicated; if not, the choice is yours

If you roll at least 1 bone symbol with your dice, the monster strikes back.

Sword Attack

Roll your dice:

• If there are no successes, it is a failure.
• If there is at least 1 success, you strike the monster.

You lose:

• 1 life point for each bone symbol on your dice; and
• 1 life point for each bone symbol on the monster card.

To calculate the power of your attack, add the successes on your dice to those on your sword equipment cards.

If the monster has a shield, it protects itself: deduct the value indicated on its shield.

If at least 1 success remains after this calculation, the monster is wounded: It loses as many life points as the final number of successes. For each life point lost, place a wound token on the monster. When the number of wounds reaches the number of life points, it is defeated.

If you have wounded the monster, you can benefit from any equipment awards (victory points or coins, see p. 20) on your cards.

This rule applies even if your hit has defeated the monster: These are the risks of a sword attack. If you have a shield, you can use it to avoid losing a life point (the use of each shield is detailed on p. 19). Move your lifeline marker back one space for each life point lost.

Important: If you lose your last life point, you immediately lose 5 victory points. If you have less than 5 victory points, you lose them all. Then, return the marker to its starting position (5 hearts) as at the start of the game.

If you have defeated the monster, see "Defeated Monster: Flash Phase". Otherwise, it is now the turn of the player to your left.

Note: You may decide to run away from a monster before you have defeated it. In this case, you simply make a move on your turn. Wound tokens remain in place, and another player can come to finish the fight.

Example – Sword Attack: You roll 2 successes, so you strike the monster. You add the 3 successes from your equipment, giving you a total of 5 successes. The monster has a shield value of 1, so you inflict 4 wounds (5-1): Place the corresponding tokens. The monster is defeated. Since you struck the monster, you earn the 2 coins on your equipment. You rolled 1 bone symbol on your dice, so the monster strikes back. You lose 2 life points (1 for the bone symbol on your dice and 1 for the bone symbol on the monster).

Play then resumes – it is now the turn of the player to your left. Return the flash token next to the board.

Important: No one can move onto a monster which already has a defeated token on it.

Bow Attack

Bow attacks work in the same way as sword attacks, with 2 exceptions:

• You MUST spend 1 arrow BEFORE rolling the dice.
• You never lose any life points: All bone symbols are ignored.

Note: If you do not have any arrows at the start of your turn, you cannot attack with your bow, but you can still use your sword. If you do not want to attack with your sword, or if you are on a space that requires you to use your bow, you must forgo the attack and make a move.

Defeated Monster: Flash Phase

If you defeat the monster, place a defeated token on it. You then trigger an interruption to the current turn, called the Flash Phase.

Place the flash token in front of you.

Starting with you, then going clockwise, each player on the monster's card chooses a reward. Continue until all the rewards have been taken. If there are no other players with you, you take them all.

Starting with you and going clockwise, each player on the card makes a free move according to the usual rules.

Example of a Defeated Monster: On their turn, the beetle defeats a monster, placing a defeated token and taking the flash token. They choose a reward first and take 3 victory points. Then it is the caterpillar's turn, who takes 3 victory points. The turn returns to the beetle, who then takes the remaining reward of 4 coins. The beetle, having defeated the monster, moves first, then the caterpillar.

Finally, the game resumes and it is the turn of the player sitting to the left of the beetle.

The Rewards

• Gain as many coins as indicated.
• Gain as many victory points as indicated.
• Take the top loot card from the deck:
  • If it has a green background with a thick border, the card is secret, so keep it in your hand for added mystery;
  • If it is a sword, bow, or shield, you can equip yourself. If you do not want to, place the card underneath your current equipment to sell later, during the Trading Phase;
  • Otherwise, place it face up in front of you.
• Gain as many arrows as there are in the target (2 in this case).
• Gain as many hearts as indicated.

Carrying Out a Quest

Quests allow you to earn rewards without fighting, for example by performing a feat or sacrificing time. When it is your turn, your action will depend on the quest you are on. The different quests are detailed below.

If you complete a quest, place a padlock token on the card to indicate that it is no longer useable, then trigger a Flash Phase. Place the flash token in front of you. Starting with you, then going clockwise, each player on the quest card makes a free move according to the usual rules.

Return the flash token to the reserve. Play resumes: It is now the turn of the player to your left.

Note: You may decide to leave before completing the quest. In this case, you simply make a move on your turn. Any markers remain in place.

Escape Attempt

Your action is to toss the flip counter. If the red side is up, nothing happens. If the green side is up, take the reward, place a padlock on the card, and trigger a Flash Phase.

The Gamble

This quest is completed in one go. Your action is to toss and re-toss the flip counter as long as you get the green side up each time. As soon as you get a red side, you take the reward corresponding to the number of green sides you got in a row. If you get 4 green sides in a row, you take the maximum reward, in this case 7 coins.

At the end of this action, place a padlock on the card and trigger a Flash Phase.

Archery

Your action is to spend an arrow, roll a single die, and, depending on the result, win or lose whatever is indicated. Then place a marker on that result to indicate that it is no longer available.

Symbol: a flame icon, shown on the card, "indicates a loss."

If what you should win or lose is no longer available, nothing happens.

If all the planks have markers on them, place a padlock on the card, remove the markers, and trigger a Flash Phase.

The Duel

Resolve the planks one by one, from left to right, at the rate of 1 plank per action. For your first action, place a marker on the first plank. Then move it to the right with each action.

Your action is to move the marker to the plank to be resolved, then toss the flip counter and take the indicated reward according to the result obtained. Here, for your first action, you take a loot card if red is up and a heart if the green side is up.

When you leave the card, place a padlock on it and remove your marker. If you reach the last plank, you trigger a Flash Phase after taking your reward.

The Vault

Your action is to take 1 of the available rewards, then place a marker on it.

If you take the last reward, place a padlock on the card, remove the markers, and trigger a Flash Phase.

The Booby-Trapped Vault

Your action is to spend 1 life point and take 1 of the available rewards, then place a marker on it.

If you take the last reward, place a padlock on the card, remove the markers, and trigger a Flash Phase.

Reward on the Stairs

On your turn, if you are on the stair card and there is at least 1 hero left on a monster or exploration card, your action is to take the reward indicated (2 coins in this case).

If your stock of hearts, arrows, or coins is at its maximum when you should be taking some as a reward, take 1 victory point instead.

Important: Once you have reached the stairs, you cannot use any cards other than equipment.

Once everyone has reached the stairs, the Adventure Phase ends immediately unless a fight breaks out. In this case, the fight must first be resolved.

Fight on the Stairs

On some stair cards, a fight breaks out once everyone has reached the top. The space you chose determines which team you will be on: the top one or the bottom one. Heroes on the top team face those on the bottom. There does not have to be the same number of heroes on each team.

All players roll their dice. If you roll at least 1 success, you add the successes on your dice to those on your equipment. Unlike normal attacks, you cannot use any cards other than your equipment, and you do not lose any life points (if you get a bone symbol on your dice, nothing happens).

The successes obtained by the members of each team are added together. The team with the most successes wins the fight and shares the indicated reward equally. In the event of a tie, the fight must be repeated.

Example of a Fight: Team 1 faces Team 2 on the stairs (see the illustration on page 14 of the rulebook).

Reset

Place the heroes on the entrance to the next level. If you were on the crown on the stairs, place yourself on the crown space.

Flip the stair card over and place it by the edge of the board to gradually build up the Final Escape, following the sequence as indicated in the illustration.

Important: When the 4th card is placed, you will attempt the Final Escape; see next paragraph.

Put away all the monster and exploration cards from the completed level, along with the corresponding monster deck.

Create the next level by placing monster and exploration cards as indicated on the next line of the level card. If the game is being played with less than 5 players, place a padlock token on each space marked "5-6". You are ready to go!

The Final Escape

Now that you have successfully completed all 4 levels of the dungeon, you can access the roof for the final grand escape. Starting at the bottom, take turns (starting with the player who was on the crown) following the paths and try to complete the 4 steps and earn up to 10 extra victory points.

Place your hero on the starting space of your choice.

Choose a path to reach the next step.

Meet the required condition: Sometimes, you will have to pay a cost, so spend the number of coins, arrows, or hearts indicated. Other times, you will need to succeed at a challenge for which you get only 1 attempt, such as obtaining a green side with your flip counter or achieving the indicated number of successes by attacking with the required weapon. To attack, roll your dice: if you roll at least 1 success, add your dice successes to those on your equipment. You are allowed to use your cards, you can lose life points if you use your sword, and you must spend an arrow to shoot with your bow.

If you succeed, move on to the next step, and so on.

If you have reached the top or failed to reach a step, place your hero on the victory point symbol corresponding to the last step you reached. If you do not reach the first step, no points are scored.

Example of the Final Escape: The beetle spends 3 arrows to reach the first stage. They then roll 4 successes on a sword attack, allowing them to move further on. They then spend 3 coins to reach the 3rd stage, as they no longer have enough hearts to pass to the left. Finally, they attempt a bow attack but fail to obtain the necessary 4 successes. The beetle's crossing ends here, earning them 7 victory points.

End of the Game

Once everyone has attempted the Final Escape, the game is over. It is time to count the points.

Add together the:

• victory points from your tokens;
• victory points from your loot;
• victory points for the step reached by your hero during the Final Escape;
• victory points from your stock of coins: 3 coins award 1 victory point.

The player with the most victory points wins the game! In the event of a tie, victory is shared.

Two-Player Game

Unlike a game for 3 to 6 players, when you play a 2-player game, you each play 2 heroes at the same time. Each of your heroes has their own life points, coins, arrows, visible loot cards, and equipment. But secret loot, which is kept in your hand, and victory points are shared by both heroes.

Game Setup (Two-Player)

In Step 11 of the setup, take 2 hero sheets per player, choosing whether or not to play with special powers. Take both of your hero's tokens, 3 flip counters, 10 victory points (keep them face down in front of you), as well as the 4 dice and 6 markers of your 2 colors, which you place in the spaces indicated.

Example of setup for player 1 (see the illustration on page 16 of the rulebook).

Playing a Level (Two-Player)

Game Turn Order

The order of play is slightly different for both the Trading Phase and the Adventure Phase.

On your turn, choose which of your 2 heroes to play. At the end of your turn, turn the flip counter in front of the hero you just used so the red side is up. That hero is unavailable and can no longer be used.

It is your opponent's turn to play one of their heroes, and so on until all 4 heroes are unavailable.

Turn all the flip counters to green and start a new turn.

Important: At the start of the Trading and Adventure Phases, the hero on the crown always goes first.

Example of the first turn of the adventure: The wasp is on the crown and plays first. Play begins with Player 1, who moves the wasp and turns over the corresponding flip counter. It is then the turn of Player 2, who can choose between playing the fly or the caterpillar. They move the fly and turn over its flip counter. Player 1 moves the beetle and turns over its flip counter. Player 2 moves the caterpillar and turns over its flip counter. The turn is now over. All flip counters are turned green side up and a new turn begins. Player 1 chooses which of their heroes to play.

Reaching the Stairs (Two-Player)

When you arrive at the stairs where a fight will take place, both your heroes must be on the same team. It is where the first hero is placed that thus determines the distribution of the others.

Reset (Two-Player)

At the end of each level, reset the flip counters in front of your heroes by turning them green side up.

Defeated Monster: Flash Phase (Two-Player)

If you have several heroes present when an opposing hero defeats a monster, the resolution of the Flash Phase is a little different. After the hero who defeated the monster has taken their reward, you must choose which of your heroes takes their reward next. Then, your opponent chooses their second reward, and finally your second hero receives the last reward.

Important: Only secret loot kept in your hand (with a green background) and victory points are shared by both your heroes. All other rewards are earned by the hero who obtained them.

Power Descriptions

• Fierce Frenzy: When attacking with a sword, if you have 3 or fewer life points remaining and you get at least 1 success with your dice, you earn 2 additional successes.
• Teleportation: During each Flash Phase, you always move first.
• Armored Exoskeleton: If you have 6 or more life points, you cannot suffer more than 1 hit (bone result) at a time. But, you are not allowed to equip yourself with a shield.
• Good Fortune: After tossing the flip counter, you can spend 2 coins to change the result.
• Master Crocheter: When you need to take a loot card, draw 2, choose which 1 to keep, and return the other to the bottom of the deck.
• Tireless Archer: Each white face you roll on your dice awards you 1 arrow.

Card Descriptions

• Energy Boost: After launching an attack against a monster without defeating it, discard this card to attack it a second time in the same action.
• Full Life Potion: At any time during your turn, discard this potion to raise your marker to the maximum of your lifeline. You cannot play this during an attack.
• Half-full Life Potion: At any time during your turn, discard this potion to gain as many life points as indicated. You cannot play this during an attack.
• Strength Potion: When attacking with the weapon indicated (sword, bow, or your choice) and before rolling the dice, play this potion: If you roll at least 1 success on your dice, add the number of successes indicated on the potion. Then discard it.
• Forcing Fate: Before tossing your flip counter, discard this card: You no longer toss it; you simply apply the result desired.
• Second Chance: After tossing your flip counter, place a marker on this card to ignore the result and toss the counter again. You can use this card several times in a row if there are still empty spaces. Discard it when you place a third marker on it.
• You Can Do Better: After rolling your dice, place a marker on this card to reroll 1 or 2 dice, as indicated. You can use this card several times in a row if there are still empty spaces. Discard it when you place a third marker on it.

Equipment Cards

Equipment cards can come from either the bazaar or loot. They can be swords, bows, or shields.

Reminder: When you pick up an equipment card, you either equip it or sell it in the Trading Phase. Equipment cards only work if they are equipped.

• Wooden Shield: When a monster strikes back or during the Final Escape, toss the flip counter: If you get the green side, you can ignore 1 bone symbol.
• Metal Shield: When a monster strikes back or during the Final Escape, you can spend 1 coin to ignore 1 bone symbol.
• Golden Shield: When a monster strikes back or during the Final Escape, you can ignore 1 bone symbol.
• Rusty Sword and Bow: When attacking, if you roll at least 1 success on your dice, you add 1 success to your attack.
• Basic Sword and Bow: When attacking, if you roll at least 1 success on your dice, you add 2 successes to your attack.
• Golden Sword and Bow: When attacking, if you roll at least 1 success on your dice, you add 1 success to your attack. In addition, if you wound the monster, you earn the number of coins indicated.
• Fire Sword and Bow: When attacking, if you roll at least 1 success on your dice, you add 1 success to your attack. In addition, if you wound the monster, you earn 1 victory point.
• Sparkling Sword and Bow: When attacking, if you wound the monster, you earn 1 victory point and 1 coin.

Secret Loot Cards

The secret loot cards are kept in your hand and must be revealed to activate them.

• Gold Coins: At any time during your turn or at the end of the game, discard this card to earn 5 coins by moving the marker for your coin reserve forward.
• Show-Off: At the end of the game, this card awards you the indicated number of victory points.
• Crafty One: At any time during your turn, discard this card to steal from another player on the same monster or quest card as you. To do so, roll a die: Count the number of successes (0, 1, 2…), then add 1 or 2 according to the number shown on this card. Steal as many arrows or coins (depending on the card) as the total. If the player has fewer coins or arrows than you get to steal, take whatever they have left.
• Itinerant Merchant: At any time during your turn, discard this card: You interrupt your turn and can immediately buy and sell as you would in a Trading Phase, only reserved just for you. When you have finished, if you have bought any bazaar cards, reveal new ones. Then resume your turn as normal.
• Act of Bravery: When you roll 2 bone symbols on a single roll of the dice, discard this card to apply the indicated effect: for one, gain 3 coins and 2 victory points; for the other, turn the 2 bone symbols into 2 successes.
• Corrosion: Before launching an attack against a monster, discard this card to reduce the value of its shield by 2 for the duration of your attack.
• Dibs!: When the monster you are on is defeated, discard this card to choose your reward first. Once you have taken it, the turn resumes normally with the person who should have chosen first.
• An Optional Extra: When moving – a normal move or in a Flash Phase – discard this card to place your hero on a monster whose spaces are all occupied.
• At any time during your turn, discard this card to reserve an empty space on the stairs. Place a padlock there: You (only) can put your hero there when you reach the stairs.