Castle Nightingale Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the Game
• Components
• Setup
• Game Turn
  • 1/ Programming
  • 2/ Ninja's Phase
    • Revelation
    • 1 - Action
    • 2 - Movement
  • Possible Actions During the Ninja's Movement
  • 3/ Samurai's Phase
    • Revelation
    • 1 - Movement
    • 2 - Action
  • Possible Actions During the Samurai's Movement
  • 4/ End of the Game Turn
• Victory Check

Goal of the Game

Castle Nightingale is a dueling game that combines strategy and anticipation.

The first player controls three ninjas attempting to infiltrate the castle to steal statuettes hidden inside vases. Eight vases are scattered throughout the castle. Two of them are empty, while the remaining six contain a sacred statuette. The ninjas must move stealthily through the castle, avoiding detection and the traps of the nightingale floor, which emits revealing sounds at every misstep.

The second player takes on the role of the samurai responsible for the castle's security.

The samurai patrols the castle and attempts to discover the ninja's precise location to capture them. He can also lock trapdoors to imprison the ninjas before they complete their mission.

• The ninjas win the game if they successfully collect five vases containing a relic.
• The samurai wins the game if they capture all three ninjas.

Components

• 2 help pages (Ninja Action Cards / Samurai Action Cards)
• 4 double-sided floor boards
• 1 garden tile
• 1 game turn board
• 6 nightingale tiles
• 8 closed trap door tokens
• 5 footprint discs
• 8 vase tokens (6 relics, 2 empty)
• 10 Ninja action cards
• 7 Ninja equipment tokens
• 3 Ninja figurines
• 10 Samurai action cards
• 7 Samurai equipment tokens
• 1 Samurai figurine

Setup

1. For new players, place the garden tile in the center, then select side A of the floor boards (light wood frames) to create the floor of Castle Nightingale where the action takes place. Arrange the floor boards around the garden, orienting them as shown in the diagram. This is now considered the game board. The garden is an inaccessible area and cannot be crossed.

   For future games, choose either all side A (light wood) or all side B (dark wood) of the floor boards, then place and orient them randomly.

2. Place the game turn board next to the play area. Orient it so the blue and red card drop zones face each of the corresponding players.

3. Shuffle the 8 vase tokens and place them face down, without looking at them, on the spaces marked with a vase icon. When playing with side A, the vases must be placed on the outer border spaces of the castle.

4. The samurai places two closed trap door tokens on the game board to block access of two secret passage spaces of their choice. The remaining closed trap door tokens are placed within reach next to the game board.

5. The samurai awakens

   • The player controlling the samurai shuffles the deck of 10 samurai action cards and places them face down in front of them. They draw 3 cards to form their starting hand.
   • They shuffle and place the stack of 7 samurai equipment tokens face down in front of them. They draw 1 equipment token, which they have available at the start of the game. Look at it, but keep it secret.
   • They place the 6 Nightingale tiles face down in front of them.
   • Finally, they place their figurine on the space of their choice on any floor board, avoiding secret passage spaces and those containing a vase.

6. The ninjas prepare to enter

   • The player controlling the ninjas shuffles the deck of 10 ninja action cards and places them face down in front of them. They draw 3 cards to form their starting hand.
   • They shuffle the stack of 7 ninja equipment tokens and place them face down in front of them. They draw 1 equipment token, which they have available at the start of the game. Look at it, but keep it secret.
   • They gather the 5 footprint discs and place them next to the game board.
   • Finally, they gather the 3 ninja figurines and place them next to the game board.

Three shadows slip into the night... The hunt can begin!

Game Turn

The game takes place over several successive game turns, until one of the two players achieves their victory condition. Each game turn is broken down as follows:

1. Secret programming by both players.
2. Ninja's phase.
3. Samurai's phase.
4. End of the turn/or the game.

1/ Programming

The samurai programs their actions first. They choose one action card from the three in their hand and place it face down on the card drop zone reserved for them on the game turn board.

They choose one nightingale tile from those in their hand and place it face down at the center of the game turn board. Spaces of this color become a Nightingale floor for this turn.

Except during the first turn, there is always a nightingale tile placed face up next to the game turn board. This tile is the one played by the samurai during the previous game turn. The nightingale tile placed during the previous turn is set aside, visible to the ninja, who thus knows which floor color is safe for the current turn (see Nightingale Floor).

Once the samurai's programming is complete, the ninja carries out theirs. They choose one action card from the three in their hand and place it face down on the card drop zone reserved for them on the game turn board.

2/ Ninja's Phase

The three ninjas are never present on the game board at the same time. When a ninja is caught by the samurai, another ninja from their clan takes over and enters the castle in turn.

Revelation

The ninja reveals their action card. They immediately apply the effect of the action indicated on the bottom left corner of the card. Then, the ninja must complete their entire movement.

1 - Action

The ninja always performs the action on their card before moving. They must perform this action unless it is technically impossible. Refer to the help pages for details of possible actions.

2 - Movement

Phase 1 - A silhouette appears in the night!

The ninja must determine which space will be the starting point of their movement. The silhouette of the ninja briefly reveals itself to the samurai: their figurine will be placed on the board if it is not already there.

There are three possible scenarios:

• Neither a footprint disc nor a ninja figurine is on the board. This situation occurs at the start of the game or after a ninja has been captured by the samurai. The player controlling the ninjas places a ninja figurine on an open secret passage space of their choice. This will be their starting point to begin their movement.
• Footprint discs are on the board. If only footprint discs are on the board, the ninja chooses one disk to replace with a ninja figurine. The space where the figurine is placed will be the starting point to begin their movement. They then remove all remaining footprint discs from the board.
• A ninja figurine is already on the board. If a ninja figurine is already on the board, it means the ninja was spotted by the samurai during the previous turn but was not captured. The ninja will begin their movement from that space.

Phase 2 - Ninja's progression in the darkness

The ninja's movement is done in complete stealth. The samurai knows which area the ninja is in, but cannot see them.

The ninja takes as many footprint discs as the movement value indicated on the played action card. Starting from the location of their figurine, they will move the number of squares indicated on their action card, placing these discs on the board while following the rules below:

• The ninja places their footprint discs one by one, square by square. WARNING: Diagonal movements is not allowed.
• The ninja must place all their footprint discs.
• Except in cases of special movement (secret passage, jump): the first footprint disc must be placed on a square adjacent to the ninja's figurine. The subsequent discs must be placed on a square adjacent to the previous disc.
• The player must place only one footprint disc per square and cannot retrace their steps.
• The ninja cannot cross the square occupied by the samurai but can jump over it (see Jump Over a Space).
• The ninja can move onto a closed secret passage square but cannot use that secret passage.
• The garden is an inaccessible area and cannot be crossed.

During their movement, when...

A/ The ninja steps on the Nightingale floor chosen by the samurai

If the ninja places a footprint disc on a square (floor or trap) corresponding to the tile chosen by the samurai for this turn, the floor sings! The samurai immediately stops the ninja's movement. The samurai proves they stepped on the nightingale floor by flipping the nightingale tile placed at the center of the game turn board face up.

The ninja has been detected:

• Their movement stops immediately.
• They emerge from the shadows, and their figurine is placed on the board in place of the footprint disc that revealed their presence.
• The ninja player discards all remaining footprint discs in hand and removes all the discs already placed.
• The ninja's turn ends.

B/ The ninja does not step on the Nightingale floor

If the ninja does not place any footprint discs on a square corresponding to the tile chosen by the samurai, they remain invisible.

The ninja is hidden:

• The ninja removes their figurine from their starting place on the board. They are hidden in the darkness and could be on any square containing a footprint disc.
• Once their movement is completed, the ninja's turn ends.
• During their next turn, they will begin again from any of the squares with a footprint disc.

Using Equipment

The ninja can use one or more of their equipment tokens (including one acquired during this turn) at the time indicated on the help pages. To do so, they discard the token(s) of their choice and apply the effects. Used or discarded tokens are removed from the game.

Possible Actions During the Ninja's Movement

Steal a Vase

As soon as the ninja places a footprint disc on a vase token, they immediately pick it up, secretly check its contents, and place it face down in front of them, outside of the game board. They then continue their progression until all footprint discs have been placed.

Important: Place the stolen vase (or vases) from this turn separately from those stolen in previous turns! If a ninja is captured, they lose all vases stolen during this game turn.

Use a Secret Passage

If the ninja is already present on a secret passage square, or if they place a footprint disc on an open secret passage square, they can place their next footprint disc on any other open secret passage square on the game board.

Jump Over a Space

Instead of using an equipment token for its effect, the ninja can discard one of their equipment tokens in their possession, without revealing it, to perform a jump. The ninja can jump over one square before continuing to place their footprint discs. This jump, like all movements, cannot be made diagonally.

The ninja can perform only one jump per game turn.

3/ Samurai's Phase

Revelation

If it has not already been revealed during the ninja's phase, the samurai begins by revealing the nightingale tile they had placed at the center of the game turn board during the programming phase. They leave it face up at the center of the game turn board.

They then reveal their action card. The samurai immediately performs their movement. Afterward, they apply the effect of the action indicated on their card.

1 - Movement

Instead of moving square by square, the samurai moves from one colored zone to another. The number on their card indicates the number of colored zones the samurai must travel through during this turn.

When entering a colored zone, the samurai must place their figurine on any square of their choice within that zone. The samurai can turn around and return to a colored zone to pick a new square in a zone they have already passed through during the current turn.

A secret passage space counts as a separate colored zone.

The garden is an inaccessible area and cannot be crossed.

2 - Action

The samurai applies the action of their card after completing their movement. They must perform this action unless it is technically impossible. Refer to the help pages for details of possible actions.

Using Equipment

The samurai can use one or more of their equipment tokens (including one acquired during this turn) at the time indicated on the help pages. To do so, they discard the token(s) of their choice and apply the effects. Used or discarded tokens are removed from the game.

Possible Actions During the Samurai's Movement

Close a Secret Passage

As soon as the samurai enters a space with an open secret passage, they must immediately close it by placing a closed trap door token from the reserve on it. They then resume their movement if it is not yet complete. This passage is no longer usable by the ninjas.

Remove a Footprint Disc

If the samurai ends their movement on a space containing a footprint disc, they remove it from the board (thereby reducing the options for the ninja's next starting point).

Move a Vase

If the samurai ends their movement on a space containing a vase token, they secretly check its contents. They then place it face down on any free floor space on the same floor board.

Adjust Movement

Instead of using an equipment token for its effect, the samurai can discard one of their equipment tokens in their possession, without revealing it, to adjust their movement by +1 or -1 colored zone.

The samurai can only adjust their movement once per game turn.

Capture a Ninja

The samurai can capture a ninja in two ways:

• If the samurai enters the zone containing the ninja's figurine, the ninja is captured. If only footprint discs are visible, the ninja cannot be captured in this way.
• If the samurai closes all the secret passages, the ninja is captured, whether they are spotted or still hidden in the shadows.

In both cases, the samurai takes the ninja's figurine and places it in front of them. The footprint discs are removed from the game board.

The samurai confiscates, without looking at them, any vases the ninja may have stolen during this turn. They then place the vase token(s) face down on free floor squares, on the floor board the samurai is on.

If all secret passages are closed, the samurai removes one closed trap door token from each of the four floor boards that make up the game board. However, they cannot remove the closed trap door token from the one they are currently on. If this closed trap door token is the only one left on this board, they must remove an additional closed trap door token from another floor board of their choice.

4/ End of the Game Turn

Once the samurai's phase is completed, the turn ends. Check if either player has fulfilled their victory condition. If there is no winner, each player prepares for a new programming phase.

The Ninja

• The action card played this turn is discarded next to the draw pile. The discard piles can be viewed at any time by both players.
• The ninja draws the top action card from their deck to replenish their hand to three cards. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.

The Samurai

• The action card played this turn is discarded next to the draw pile. The discard piles can be viewed at any time by both players.
• The samurai draws the top action card from their deck to replenish their hand to three cards. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
• The nightingale tile played this turn is not taken back to the samurai's hand:
  • It is placed face up next to the game board to indicate to the ninja which parts of the floor will not make a sound in the next turn.
  • The previous tile, which was visible during this turn, is returned to the samurai's available tiles.

A new turn begins with a programming phase (see Game Turn).

Victory Check

• The ninja player wins the game if they have 5 vases containing a relic.
• The samurai player wins the game if they have captured all 3 ninjas.