Grim Dance
Grim Dance Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 36 character cards
- 6 player aids
Card face: Each character card shows the card effect (which corresponds to the card color) and the skulls granted by the card.
Card back: Each character card's back shows the character (which corresponds to the card color).
Player aids: The skull distribution is shown on one side of the player aid. The card effects are shown on the other side.
Note: Some cards have light skulls that bring victory points, others have dark skulls that bring penalty points, and some cards have no skulls at all (such cards don't bring any points).
Aim of the Game
Collect the most victory points by drawing cards from the circle in the middle of the table and applying their effects.
Setup
- The last person to have danced becomes the first player. Each player takes a player aid.
- Shuffle the cards and lay them out face down in a circle so that each card is clearly visible.
Game setup for 4 players.
Tip: The skull distribution among the cards is shown on one side of the player aid. Cards of certain colors have more light skulls than others. Try to remember which cards are no longer in the circle and base your choice on this information!
Playing the Game
A player's turn consists of 3 phases:
- Reveal a card in the circle.
- Apply the card's effect (optional).
- Take the card and resolve the chain reaction (if any).
1. Reveal a card in the circle
The player chooses a card in the circle, then turns it face up and leaves it in its place. All players should be able to see the color and the number of skulls on the card.
Important: at this point the player must NOT move the card from its place - neither place it in front of them nor place it in the middle of the circle.
2. Apply the card's effect (optional)
After revealing the chosen card, the player can apply its effect.
Note: each of the 6 card colors corresponds to a specific effect (see page 7).
Example: The player has revealed a pink card that allows them to move a card within the circle. They decide to move a purple card.
3. Take the card and resolve the chain reaction (if any)
The player then takes the card chosen in phase 1 and places it face up in front of them - regardless of whether they applied the card's effect or not.
Chain reaction: If the two cards on either side of where this card was are of the same color, the player takes them as well. The player places these cards face down in front of them (the player can look at them at any time but doesn't show them to the other players). If there are several such pairs of cards, the player takes them all.
Example: The player has revealed and then taken a pink card. They take the two grey cards on either side of it, as well as the two purple cards. The chain reaction ends here, as the next card on one side is orange, and the next card on the other side is pink - the colors do not match.
Important: Keep your cards (no matter which side is facing up) in front of you so that other players can see them at all times.
The player's turn now ends. The turn passes to the next player in clockwise order.
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as there are no cards left in the circle. The players turn their cards over so that they are all facing up, and then proceed to scoring.
- Each light skull brings 1 victory point.
- Each dark skull brings 1 penalty point (subtract it from your score).
The player with the most victory points wins.
In case of a tie, the player with the fewest cards wins. If the tie persists, all tied players win.
Example: The player has 15 light skulls and 9 dark skulls on their cards. Their final score is 6 victory points (15 - 9 = 6).
Note: Once you get familiar with the game, we recommend playing 3 games in a row. The player with the highest total score wins.
Card Effects
Musician (blue)
The Musician draws inspiration from others.
Copy the effect of a face-up card. The player copies the effect of any face-up card in front of them or their opponents.
Bride (grey)
The Bride has lost her love to death, so now she scorns the living.
Give a card to an opponent. The player must have at least one other card in front of them to apply this effect. The player gives one of their cards (either a face-up or face-down card) to an opponent, who then places it in front of them with the same side facing up.
Note: If another player has given you their face-down card, you can look at it at any time; however, don't show it to other players.
Carnival King (purple)
Here there is no higher power than the Carnival King - his wish is everyone's command!
Steal a card from an opponent. The player steals any face-up or face-down card from an opponent, and then places it in front of them with the same side facing up.
Note: If you have stolen a face-down card, you can look at it at any time; however, don't show it to other players.
Farmer (orange)
Should the harvest be plentiful, the Farmer will reap the fruits of his labor!
Take a card from the circle. The player takes any other card from the circle and places it face down in front of them (they can look at it at any time but don't show it to the other players). When you take a card due to this effect, a chain reaction can only be triggered by the card revealed in phase 1 (there can only be one chain reaction).
Example: The player has revealed an orange card ("Take a card from the circle"). They take a black card and place it face down in front of them: even though there were two pink cards on either side of it, a chain reaction does not occur (the player does NOT take these two cards for themself). However, the player takes the orange card, the effect of which they applied, as well as the two blue cards on either side of it.
Dancer (pink)
The Dancer moves gracefully among the revellers.
Move a card within the circle. The player moves a card from one place in the circle to another (places it between any two cards in the circle).
Note: The effect of the revealed card can be applied to the card itself.
When you move a card due to this effect, a chain reaction can only be triggered by the card revealed in phase 1 (there can only be one chain reaction).
Example #1: The player has revealed a pink card ("Move a card within the circle"). They move a grey card: even though it is now between two orange cards, a chain reaction does not occur (the player does NOT take these two cards for themself). However, the player takes the pink card, the effect of which they applied, as well as the two blue cards and the two orange cards on either side of it.
Example #2: The player has revealed a pink card ("Move a card within the circle"). They move that same card, and then take it, as well as the two orange cards on either side of it due to a chain reaction.
Grim Reaper (black)
When your time is up, the Grim Reaper shall come for you.
Discard a card from the circle. The player chooses any other card in the circle and secretly looks at it, then places it face down in the discard pile.
Note: The effect of the revealed card cannot be applied to the card itself.
When you discard a card due to this effect, a chain reaction can only be triggered by the card revealed in phase 1 (there can only be one chain reaction).
Example: The player has revealed a black card ("Discard a card from the circle"). They discard a grey card: even though it was between two orange cards, a chain reaction does not occur (the player does NOT take these two cards for themself). However, the player takes the black card, the effect of which they applied, as well as the two purple cards and the two blue cards on either side of it.