Exhaust Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup (Standard Rules, 2-5 players)
• Flow of the Game
  • Flow of a Turn
• Explanation of Each Action
  • A. Play one or more Spell cards.
    • Restriction Rules
    • Types of Rewards
  • B. Play one Time Magic card.
  • Copy Card
• List of Combo Cards
  • Single
  • Pair
  • 3 of a Kind
  • 4 of a Kind
  • Straight
  • Flush
  • Any
• Variant Rule: Extended Play
  • Setup
  • Flow of the Game
  • Setup for the Next Game
• Solo Rules
  • Setup
  • Flow of the Game
    • Processing the NPC's Turn

Components

• Spell cards: 64
  • Number cards: 60 - four colors (red, blue, yellow, green), each color numbered 1-15, one card per number
  • Copy cards: 4
• Time Magic cards: 16
• Combo cards: 13
• Exhaustion cards: 6
• NPC card: 1
• Rulebook: 2 sheets

Setup (Standard Rules, 2-5 players)

This section explains setup for the Standard Rules with 2-5 players. If playing solo, read the Solo Rules below together with the differences noted there from the Standard Rules.

1. Stand the Combo cards up in a column on the table, one below another, leaving enough space to the right of each for cards to be placed. The "Single" card changes which card(s) and how many are used depending on the number of players (4-5 players: 4 cards; 3 players: 2 cards; 2 players: 1 card. This is shown by a player-count icon in the top right corner of the "Single" cards). Depending on the number of players, some "Single" Combo cards will not be used - return those to the box.
2. Bundle all the Time Magic cards together and place them on the table. This is called the Time Magic Card deck.
3. Shuffle all the Spell cards face down and deal the same number to each player. The number dealt depends on the player count:
   • 2-4 players: 15 cards each
   • 5 players: 12 cards each Each player keeps the cards dealt to them as their hand, hidden from the other players.
4. Take 4 of the remaining Spell cards, face down, to form the Replenishment card deck, and bundle it next to the Pair Combo card. Return any other leftover Spell cards to the box - they are not used in this game.
5. The Exhaustion cards and the NPC card are not used in the Standard Rules, so return them to the box.
6. Whoever most recently saw a piece of magic performed (in real life or in a story, either is fine) becomes the start player.

Flow of the Game

Exhaust is a game to determine one loser. Play proceeds clockwise from the start player and continues until one player is eliminated.

On your turn, follow the Flow of a Turn below.

Flow of a Turn

On your turn, do one of the following two actions:

• A. Play one or more Spell cards.
• B. Play one Time Magic card.

Once you have performed either action A or B, your turn ends. Play passes to the player on your left.

If you are unable to perform either action A or B, you are immediately eliminated and the game ends.

Explanation of Each Action

A. Play one or more Spell cards.

Choose one of the Combo cards placed on the table, and, following that Combo card's rule, choose and play one or more Spell cards from your hand. Line up the Spell cards you played one at a time in the space to the right of the chosen Combo card. If Spell cards have already been played to that Combo card, place the cards you just played on top of them.

Each Combo card shows its restriction rule with icons - follow it when playing Spell cards. Some Combo cards grant a reward when played to; take that reward. See the List of Combo Cards below for the details of each Combo card's rule.

Restriction Rules

• Number Restriction: For Single, Pair, 3 of a Kind, and 4 of a Kind, there is a restriction on the number printed on the Spell card(s) you play. You must make the number at least 1 higher than the number of any Spell card already played to that combo.
• Count Restriction: For Straight, Flush, and Any, there is a restriction on how many Spell cards you play. The first time you play Spell cards to that combo, you must play 3 or more cards. After that, each time you play Spell cards to that combo, you must play at least 1 more card than the previous play to that combo - e.g., if 3 were played first, the next play must be 4 or more, then the one after that must be 5 or more, and so on.

Types of Rewards

• Time Magic card: Take 1 Time Magic card from the deck. Keep any Time Magic cards you gain in front of you.
• Spell card: Draw 1 Spell card from the Replenishment card deck and add it to your hand.
• Note: If there are no cards left in either the Time Magic card deck or the Replenishment card deck, you do not receive that reward.

B. Play one Time Magic card.

Return one Time Magic card from in front of you to the deck.

Copy Card

A Copy card cannot be played by itself. Play it together with a number card. A Copy card becomes the same color and number as whichever number card you played alongside it. For example, if you play a Copy card together with a red 7, the Copy card counts as a second red 7.

If you play a Copy card together with more than one number card of different colors and/or numbers (for example, a blue 7, a red 7, and a Copy card played together), you may choose which of those number cards the Copy card matches - so this could count as "Blue 7, Blue 7, Red 7" or as "Blue 7, Red 7, Red 7."

List of Combo Cards

Single

Number of cards played per action: 1

Rule: Play a card of the same color as the Combo card. Number restriction (you must make the number at least 1 higher than the number of any Spell card already played to this combo).

Reward: None

Only "Single" changes how many cards and which Combo cards are used depending on the player count. Card composition (refer to the player-count icon in the top right of the card):

• 4-5 players: one each of red, blue, yellow, and green - 4 cards total
• 3 players: one card shared by red and yellow, and one card shared by blue and green - 2 cards total
• 1-2 players: one card shared by all of red, blue, yellow, and green

Pair

Number of cards played per action: 2

Rule: Play 2 cards of the same number. Number restriction (you must make the number at least 1 higher than the number of any Spell card already played to this combo).

Reward: 1 Spell card

3 of a Kind

Number of cards played per action: 3

Rule: Play 3 cards of the same number. Number restriction (you must make the number at least 1 higher than the number of any Spell card already played to this combo).

Reward: 1 Time Magic card

4 of a Kind

Number of cards played per action: 4

Rule: Play 4 cards of the same number. Number restriction (you must make the number at least 1 higher than the number of any Spell card already played to this combo).

Reward: 2 Time Magic cards

Straight

Number of cards played per action: 3 or more

Rule: Play 3 or more cards in numerical sequence. Count restriction (you must play at least 1 more card than the previous play to this combo).

Reward: 1 Time Magic card

Flush

Number of cards played per action: 3 or more

Rule: Play 3 or more cards of the same color. Count restriction (you must play at least 1 more card than the previous play to this combo).

Reward: 1 Time Magic card

Any

Number of cards played per action: 3 or more

Rule: Play any 3 or more cards you like. Count restriction (you must play at least 1 more card than the previous play to this combo).

Note: Even if a card could be played to another Combo card, you may still play it to "Any."

Reward: 1 Time Magic card

Variant Rule: Extended Play

A variant rule for people who want to enjoy this game for longer. Play the game multiple times; the player who is eliminated twice becomes the overall loser.

Setup

Follow the Standard Rules setup, but change step 5 as follows:

5. Bundle all the Exhaustion cards together and place them on the table. This is called the Exhaustion Card deck. The NPC card is not used, so return it to the box.

Flow of the Game

The number of actions increases from two to three. Add the following action:

• C. Flip over an Exhaustion card.

Each time a player is eliminated in a game, they take 1 Exhaustion card from the deck. If a player ends up with 2 Exhaustion cards, that player is the overall loser and all other players are winners. Otherwise, prepare to start the next game.

This gives a player holding an Exhaustion card a one-time saving grace: the action of flipping it face up.

Setup for the Next Game

Add the following steps when preparing for the next game:

1. Collect all the Time Magic cards, bundle them, and place them on the table as the Time Magic Card deck.
2. Any player holding an Exhaustion card turns that card face up.
3. Shuffle all Spell cards (including those in hand, those played, those returned to the box, and those in the Replenishment card deck) face down and deal the same number to each player. The number dealt depends on the player count:
   • 2-4 players: 15 cards each
   • 5 players: 12 cards each Each player keeps the cards dealt to them as their hand, hidden from the other players.
4. Take 4 of the remaining Spell cards, face down, to form the Replenishment card deck, and bundle it next to the Pair Combo card. Return any other leftover Spell cards to the box.
5. The player who was just eliminated becomes the new start player.

Solo Rules

A rule set for playing by yourself. An NPC (non-player character) appears, and you face off one-on-one against that NPC.

Setup

Follow the Standard Rules setup, but with the following changes:

1. Stand the Combo cards up in a column on the table, one below another, leaving enough space to the right of each for cards to be placed. This time, use only the single "Single" card for "1-2 players." The "Single" Combo cards for 3 players and for 4-or-more players are not used, so return them to the box.
2. (Follow the Standard Rules for bundling the Time Magic cards into the Time Magic Card deck.)
3. Shuffle all the Spell cards face down and deal 15 to yourself. In addition, form the NPC deck: deal the NPC a number of Spell cards that you decide. If this is your first time playing the Solo Rules, 15 cards is a good number to start with, and you can increase it by 1 card each time you beat the NPC afterward. The Spell cards dealt to the NPC stay face down, bundled together as the NPC deck, and you should also reserve space for 5 Spell cards as the NPC's hand space.
4. Take 4 of the remaining Spell cards, face down, to form the Replenishment card deck, and bundle it next to the Pair Combo card. Return any other leftover Spell cards to the box.
5. The Exhaustion cards are not used in the Solo Rules, so return them to the box.
6. Place the NPC card next to the NPC deck, making the NPC's zone easy to identify.
7. You become the start player.

This completes setup.

Flow of the Game

Follow the Standard Rules for the most part. The player takes their turn first, and the NPC takes its turn after. If the NPC cannot perform its turn's action, the player wins; if the player cannot perform their turn's action, the player loses.

The NPC's turn is carried out as follows:

Processing the NPC's Turn

1. Draw cards one at a time from the NPC deck into the NPC's hand space until it has 5 cards. If the NPC deck runs out, draw no further.
2. The NPC performs an action. The NPC prioritizes A. Play one or more Spell cards. Only when the NPC deck has run out and it cannot perform A does it perform B. Play one Time Magic card.

A. Play one or more Spell cards

Following the priority order Single > 4 of a Kind > 3 of a Kind > Pair > Straight > Flush > Any, the NPC tries to play to whichever combo is furthest to the left in that order. When more than one pattern of Spell cards could be played to the same combo, the NPC plays the Spell card(s) with the lower number. If there are multiple with the same number as well, the player chooses. The NPC plays Spell cards from its hand space.

If the NPC cannot play a card to any Combo card from its hand space, draw one card at a time from the NPC deck and check again whether it can play a card. If the NPC deck runs out and the NPC still cannot play a Spell card to any Combo card, it performs B. Play one Time Magic card instead.

B. Play one Time Magic card

Return one Time Magic card from on top of the NPC card to the Time Magic Card deck.

Processing rewards

If the NPC gains a Time Magic card, place it on top of the NPC card.

If the NPC gains a Spell card, place it on top of the NPC deck without looking at it.