Dungeon Flee Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Victory Conditions
• Modes of play
• Terminology
• Encounter and Non-encounter cards
• Card Anatomy
• Setup Easy Mode
• Game play Easy Mode
• Encounter Types
• Combat
• Setup Hard Mode
• Game play for Hard mode
• Extreme Mode
• Quick Overview

Components

• 93 Dungeon encounter cards
• 10 Character class cards: Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Thief, Barbarian
• 4 Character Ability cards
• 1 Large Quick reference card
• 1 Yellow cube or clip, either can be used to track health
• 1 Player token "Red Meeple" to track your location in the dungeon

Victory Conditions

The goal of the game is to flee the dungeon alive by exiting four Stairs Up cards without your health falling below 1. If your health ever drops below 1 you lose the game.

Modes of play

Dungeon Flee has two modes of game play; Easy and Hard. In Easy mode, Dungeon Flee provides a more balanced experience and provides a better chance of escaping the dungeon alive. You start off fighting lower level monsters, deal with easier doors and traps, then gradually progress to harder encounters as you build your deck with stronger cards. It's suggested to start out in Easy mode to learn the game. Once you have the rules down and want more of a challenge, it is recommended you move on to the Hard mode. When you are ready for a challenge, skip to the setup and game rules for Hard mode see page 17, otherwise continue on with Easy mode.

Terminology

Dungeon deck = the result of setup, one of the 6 "dungeon decks" representing dungeon corridors.

Location = where your player token is, based on one of the six dungeon corridors.

Cleared Dungeon deck = face up Dead end/Stairs up card.

Banished = A card that is banished and removed from game play.

Move = Moving your player token to an adjacent location either clockwise or counter clockwise.

Encounter and Non-encounter cards

When you explore the six dungeon corridors you will interact with many types of encounters such as monster, doors or traps. These encounter cards, when defeated, may become playable cards which you can add to your deck depending on the card description. Each encounter card shows either text, a shield, a sword, or both, at the center. Card text will specify the cards functionality. You can obtain these cards by defeating monsters, doors or traps. Once defeated, these cards go directly to your Discard pile which will eventually get shuffled into your hand; allowing you to play them against future encounters. The non-encounter cards will affect you in either beneficial or non-beneficial way. They may block your path or allow you to continue your journey out of the dungeon. They can supply you with magic items and a quick rest but can also cause your deck to be overburdened and wasteful.

Card Anatomy

Starter cards. Your starting deck consists of 5 Swords and 5 Shields. The center image shows your power.

Ability cards. Stays active throughout play (without cost). Some characters have their own Special ability.

Character cards. Starting health is the yellow number. Death when value goes below 1.

Non-Encounter cards

• Treasure. These are magical Treasure, immediately add it to your inventory as a free action. Then play at any time as described on the card.
• Empty corridor. Restore 1 health up to max health and add the card to your discard pile. During your turn you can banish this card by playing a shield and sword.
• Stairs Up. When you find this card leave it where it was. This will be the bottom card of the dungeon corridor.
• Dead End. When you encounter a dead end leave the card where it was, then end your turn. Next turn, move your token clockwise or counter-clockwise until you enter a not cleared dungeon deck location.

Encounter cards

• Door. Doors stay in play until you defeat them. When you fail, top corridor monsters move clockwise one space.
• Trap. Only one chance to defeat a trap. If you fail, the card is sent to the banished pile.

After defeating these types of encounters, add the card to your Discard pile. When you play the card, the center icons and/or the ability text add to your power.

Monster Encounter cards

• Monster (name only in the center area). A monster card with only the monster's name in the center area is sent to the Banished pile when defeated.
• Monster (text in the center area). A monster card with text in the center area is placed in your discard pile. The text describes the card's power when played.
• Monster (icons in the center area). A monster card with icons in the center area is placed in your discard pile. The icons can be used during play.
• Monster (icons and text in the center area). A monster card with icons and text in the center area is placed in your discard pile. The text describes the effect on the card when played.

Setup Easy Mode

Setting up the game

1. Separate the Starter cards; five Swords and five Shields, shuffle them together and place them in a pile in front of you; this is your starter deck.
2. Choose a character card and place it in the middle of the playing area "the male and female characters have identical stats" with the higher set of numbers showing. Place the yellow cube or clip on the highest number shown in yellow; this is your starting health.
3. If you've chosen a character that has an ability card, place this card off to the right showing the matching gender of your character.
4. Place the player token on your character card, this will be used later to track the location of the corridor you are traveling through.
5. Separate and shuffle the four Stairs Up and two Dead End cards and deal them face down in a circular pattern around your character to create six dungeon corridors.
6. Separate all the monster, door and trap cards with a green damage icon in the upper-right corner and sort them into their own numbered piles. You should have a total of seven piles when completed.

Example: (setup illustration in source, page 8)

7. Go ahead and flip over each pile so they are face down.
8. Shuffle the seven treasure cards with the treasure icon and place a card face down on top of each pile.
9. Separate the fifteen "empty dungeon corridor" cards and place them in a pile face down to form a deck.
10. Take the remaining three door cards without a green damage icon and shuffle them into the "empty dungeon corridor" deck.
11. Now, distribute the "empty dungeon corridor" decks on top of the seven encounter decks as follows:
    • Deal 3 cards on top of encounter deck 1 and shuffle these together.
    • Deal 3 cards on top of encounter deck 2 and shuffle these together.
    • Deal 5 cards on top of encounter deck 3 and shuffle these together.
    • Deal 3 cards on top of encounter deck 4 and shuffle these together.
    • Deal 4 cards on top of encounter deck 5 and shuffle these together.
12. Take encounter decks 6 & 7 and shuffle them together to create a single encounter deck 6. This will hide the location of the Lich King so you won't know which dungeon corridor he is in.

Example: (setup illustration in source, page 9)

Creating the Dungeon deck: In this step you will take each of the six encounter decks and stack them one on top of the other from left to right. Starting with deck 6, place it on top of encounter deck 5. Then take these two encounter decks and place them on top of encounter deck 4. Continue this process until you have placed all encounter decks one on top of the other to form a single Dungeon deck.

14. Without shuffling this deck, start dealing out cards clockwise, one at a time on top of the existing six corridor cards. These are the six dungeon Corridors you will travel through to try and exit the dungeon.

Source note: the printed rulebook numbers the steps 1-12 then 14 and 15-16; there is no printed step 13. The numbering is transcribed as printed.

15. When you are finished with the setup it should look similar to image below. (Setup illustration in source, page 10.)
16. The game is now ready to play.

Game play Easy Mode

Basic flow of the game

Dungeon Flee is played in rounds. During each round you will react to different encounters within your dungeon corridor.

Resolving an encounter: Each encounter will present you with either challenges or benefits.

• Monster - you will either defeat it or fail. By defeating the monster you gain the card and, depending on whether the card is playable or not, place it in your discard pile or place it in the banished pile. If you fail to defeat the monster you take the damage stated on the green icon. Decide whither to fight again or flee.
• Trap - you have one chance to disarm a trap. If you disarm the trap you place the card in your discard pile. If you fail, you take the damage stated on the card, then banish it.
• Door - if you fail to get past the door, the door card stays and you may take damage depending on the type of door encountered. Any monsters that are present in any of the other dungeon corridors will move one space in a clockwise direction. If a monster lands in your space you must fight it on the next round. Any time you go back to a door and fail to get past it, the monsters will again move in a clockwise direction one space.
• Treasure - you take the treasure and immediately place it in front of you. It can be used at any time. You can then decide to either turn over the next encounter or flee to an adjacent dungeon corridor that is clockwise or counter-clockwise to your location.
• Empty dungeon corridor - place the card in your discard pile and take a short rest to restore one point to your health while not going beyond your max health. You can destroy this "or any card" from your hand by playing a sword and shield. Each sword and shield pair played can be used to banish a card to help fine tune your deck.
• Stairs Up or Dead End - If you move into a corridor with either one of these cards showing, just continue moving to the next dungeon corridor.

Within your hand will be a mix of cards showing Ability text, Sword and/or Shield icons which will be used to defeat monsters, doors or traps you encounter along the way. The icons shown in the upper left corner of the encounter cards will indicate the number of swords and shields necessary to defeat the encounter. An encounter with a wildcard icon (a round red icon in the source) means you can use any combination of the specified total number of swords and shields.

Each round consists of the following steps

1. Choose a Dungeon corridor - At the start of your turn you decide to either stay in your current dungeon corridor or Move to a corridor clockwise or counter-clockwise adjacent to your current location. If you Move, place your player token next to the dungeon corridor deck.
   • Then, if no encounter card showing, turn over the top card of the dungeon corridor deck. Deal 5 cards to form your hand.
   • If an encounter card is showing, you must deal with this encounter during this round. Deal 5 cards to your hand.
2. Reacting to the encounter - Based on the type of encounter you face, you will determine whether you can play the required number of swords and shields to defeat the encounter. During this step you can also use treasure cards, special card abilities or character abilities to enhance your results.
   • Success - if you can play cards from your hand to produce the required number of swords and shields, you will defeat the encounter. Once defeated, the encounter card will be sent to the banished pile if the center text of the card only shows the encounter's title. If there is playable text or icons in the center of the card you will place the card in your discard pile. You must then discard any cards played during the encounter and any remaining cards in your hand to your discard pile.
   • Failure - if you can't play the required swords and shields, you fail to defeat the encounter and take the damage stated on the card which will be the number shown on the green icon in the upper-right corner of the card. At this time, each pair of shields played from your hand will block one point of damage. After you mark down the damage on your character card, discard any cards played and any remaining cards in your hand to your discard pile.
3. Stay or flee - You must now decide to either stay in this dungeon corridor or flee to another dungeon corridor.
   • If you stay in this dungeon corridor and there is an existing encounter present, you must react to this encounter now by dealing 5 cards to form your hand and continuing from step #2.

Once you have reached the last encounter card in the dungeon corridor, turn it over to see if it is a Stairs up or a Dead end. If the card is a Stairs up you've successfully made it through one of the dungeon corridors and are on your way to escaping the dungeon. If the card is a Dead end, you must back track to find the correct path out of the dungeon. Move your player token to an adjacent dungeon corridor deck that is clockwise or counter-clockwise to your location and continue from step #1.

Continue with this process until you've exited four Stairs Up cards and escaped the dungeon alive. If your health drops below one, you pass away alone in the depths of the dungeon and your village is taken by surprise.

Encounter Types

1. Monster - if you encounter a Monster you must immediately fight it. If you win the fight and defeat the monster you gain the monster card "if it has playable options in the center of the card" and place it in your discard pile. Some monsters don't show any playable options and are just banished by placing them in the banished pile. If you fail to defeat the monster you take the damage shown in the green icon in the upper right corner of the card.
2. Trap - If you encounter a Trap you only have one chance to resolve the trap, if you fail, you take the damage shown on the card and the card is placed in the banished pile. If you succeed you gain the card, avoid taking the damage and place the card in your discard pile.
3. Door - If you encounter a door card you must try to open the door immediately. If you fail to open the door the card stays until opened and any monsters that are present in any dungeon corridor will move one space in a clockwise direction. If a monster enters the dungeon corridor you are currently located in, you must battle the monster by starting a new round. If no monster moves onto your location, you can decide to try and open the door again or flee down another dungeon corridor. Each time you try to open the door and fail the monsters in the dungeon corridors will again move clockwise one space. When you open the door you can finally place it in your discard pile. Door cards stay in the corridor until resolved.
4. Empty Dungeon Corridor - If you encounter an Empty Dungeon Corridor card you can rest and restore one point of health, without going beyond your max health. You then place the empty dungeon corridor card in your discard pile. This is a waste card and has no playable function in the game except for taking up room in your hand. You can destroy this card "as well as any single card in your hand" by playing a shield and a sword from your hand. This action is the only way to rid your deck of these waste type cards.
5. Treasure - If you encounter a Treasure card which will have the following icon (the treasure icon, shown on the card face), you gain the card immediately and place it in front of you; it is now considered in your inventory and is not placed in your discard pile. This card can be played immediately.

Combat

How to fight Monsters: When you encounter a monster it will have three critical pieces of information on its card.

1. What is needed to defeat the Monster - In the upper left corner of the monster card are the required Swords and Shields needed to attack the monster and defeat it.
2. Monster attack damage - The number in the green icon in the upper right corner of the monster card is the amount of damage a monster "as well as a door or trap" will do to you if you fail to defeat it.
3. Benefits gained by defeating Monster - In the center section of the card you will see the playable options you can use when you gain the card. Once you have the card in your hand you will be able to play these options.

When fighting a monster, if you end up taking damage you can block some of that damage by playing two shields from your hand. For each pair of shields played you block one point of damage. There are character abilities that can also be used to help block damage and treasure cards that can produce extra shields to help block damage.

Setup Hard Mode

Dungeon Flee can be played in Hard mode to produce a more challenging experience. The setup is a little different and the game play is similar with some minor differences.

Setting up in Hard mode

1. Separate the Starter cards; five Swords and five Shields, shuffle them together and place them in a pile in front of you; this is your starter deck.
2. Choose a character card and place it in the middle of the playing area "the male and female characters have identical stats" with the higher set of numbers showing. Place the yellow cube or clip on the highest number shown in yellow; this is your starting health.
3. If you've chosen a character that has an ability card, place this card off to the right showing the matching gender of your character.
4. Place the player token on your character card, this will be used later to track the location of the Dungeon corridor you are traveling through.
5. Separate and shuffle the four Stairs Up and two Dead End cards and deal them face down in a circular pattern around your character to create six dungeon corridors.
6. Remove the seven treasure cards and shuffle them together, then set them off to the side for now.
7. Remove the fifteen empty corridor cards and three door cards that do not have a green damage icon and shuffle them together then set them off to the side for now.
8. Separate all the remaining encounter cards with the green damage icon into two piles based on the number shown in the green damage icon: 1-3 and 4+ and place them face down.
9. Take the treasure card pile and deal four cards into the 4+ encounter pile and three cards into the 1-3 encounter pile face down.
10. Take the empty corridor and door card pile and deal nine cards into the 1-3 encounter pile and nine cards into the 4+ encounter pile face down.
11. Now shuffle each of these two encounter piles separately then place the 4+ encounter pile on top of the 1-3 encounter pile, this is now your dungeon deck. Do not shuffle this deck!
12. Finally, take the full dungeon deck and start dealing out cards clockwise one at a time, in a circular six card arrangement around your character card. These are the six dungeon corridors you will travel through to try and flee the dungeon.
13. The game is now ready to play.

Game play for Hard mode

In Hard mode the game play is a little different than in Easy mode. Not only is the dungeon deck setup a little more random with the 1-3 encounter cards mixed together above the 4+ encounter cards, but you now have a tougher experience in dealing with a level three monster right at the start of the game.

On the first turn of the game you can start down any dungeon corridor you desire; just pick one and place your player token next to the dungeon corridor deck. Then turn over the top corridor card of that deck, this will be the encounter you must deal with first. When you defeat an encounter you must stay and continue your escape within the same corridor; dealing with the next encounter.

Only when you fail to defeat an encounter can you decide to either flee down an adjacent corridor or stay and deal with the same encounter again. If you fail to defeat a monster it deals damage to you and stays within the dungeon corridor. If you fail to get past a door, it may deal damage and all monsters in the dungeon corridors will move one space in a clockwise direction.

Extreme Mode

If you are looking for the ultimate challenge try Dungeon Flee in Extreme Mode. The setup is the same regarding the character cards and starter deck.

Setup the Exit Path pile. Shuffle the Stairs Up and Dead End cards and place them off to the right side. This is the exit draw pile when you reach the end of a corridor.

Setup the Dungeon deck. Take all the remaining Encounter cards and shuffle them into one big deck. Deal this deck into six piles around your character card.

Game Play. When turning over a corridor encounter card, you get to turn over the cards in the corridors clockwise and counter-clockwise adjacent to your location. When you fail to defeat a monster, that monster goes to the bottom of your corridor deck. You can now decide to stay and fight or flee to another dungeon corridor. Doors no longer cause monsters to move.

Quick Overview

• Choose a difficulty mode, either set up Easy (p.8) or Hard (p.17).

On your turn:

• Move to an adjacent Location or stay.
• Resolve the card: if the top card is face down, flip it and resolve.
  • Draw up to 5 cards from the Draw deck.
• If the card is an Encounter, try to resolve it.
• Non Encounter:
  • Stairs Up: Check Victory Condition. Leave card, Move to adjacent.
  • Dead End: Leave card, Move to adjacent.
  • Empty Corridor: heal 1 (up to max); place card in Discard pile.
  • Treasure: take the card aside.
• Turn ends.

Combat

• Combat Win:
  • place the defeated Monster card to Discard Pile if it has playable information in the center of the card, otherwise remove from play.
  • place the defeated Trap/Door card to Discard Pile.
• Combat Defeat:
  • Trap: take Damage, Remove from play.
  • Door: if stated take Damage, move monsters.
• End of Combat.

Card play

• Ability cards & Treasure Cards can be used at any time.
• during combat, play from Hand up to 5 cards to determine your power (Shields and Swords).
• otherwise (after combat, or on a Non Encounter):
  • play cards to banish other cards from Hand.
• Regardless, discard cards played, then draw up to 5 cards.

End of the Game

• immediately when you Move your token to the 4th Stairs Up, or if your hero ever goes below 1 hp.