Harsh Shadows
Harsh Shadows Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 9 Location cards
- 22 Discovery cards (Items, Clues, and Bombs)
- 8 Confiscated Items
- 3 Case Files
- 8 Spy Movement cards
- 2 Characters (Spy/Agent)
- 1 Countdown card
- 1 Defusing Kit
- 1 Tracking Bug
Setup
Separate cards into piles of each type:
- Locations: Shuffle and place into a 3x3 grid with the text face up, leaving space on all sides of each card. Flip the center card face down.
- Discovery cards: Shuffle the Items and Clues together and draw 8 face down. Add 1 Bomb, shuffle these 9 cards together, and deal 1 face down to the right of each Location.
- Discovery deck: Shuffle the remaining Items, Clues, and Bombs together into a face-down deck.
- Case Files (Evidence/Red Herring/False Leads): Place in a row. Shuffle the Confiscated Item cards and, without looking, deal the listed number of cards face-down underneath each Case File (3 Evidence, 1 Red Herring, 4 False Leads).
- Defusing Kit, Tracking Bug (Off), and Countdown card (Set to 4).
- Spy: Select the desired character (front or back), and place them at the top-left Location.
- Agent: Select the desired character (front or back), and place them at the bottom-right Location.
- Shuffle the Spy Movement cards into a face-down deck, rotating roughly half of the cards 180º as you shuffle.
- Discovery Collection: Reserve space for a tableau.
Case File Requirements
- Evidence (Costs 2 Clues each): The 3 Confiscated Items under this Case File show the Items needed to convict the Spy. To win, you must make an accusation with these 3 Items in your Discovery Collection.
- Red Herring (Costs 3 Clues, or 1 Clue if an Evidence Item has been revealed): The Confiscated Item under this Case File shows the item that can make you fail the mission. If you make an accusation with this Item in your Discovery Collection, you lose.
- False Leads (Cost 1 clue each): The 4 Confiscated Items under this Case File show items that will not directly cause you to win or lose. Those items may be discarded when uncovering a Bomb, or encountering the Spy, to avoid discarding other Items or Clues.
Goal
To win, you must track the Spy and make a correct accusation at the Spy's Location before the time's up!
Gameplay
The game takes place over a series of rounds where you move the Agent (and may take additional actions), then the Spy moves.
1. Move Your Agent
You must move your Agent to a Location that is adjacent or diagonal to your current Location (always covering the top 2/3 of the card). Take the top Discovery card from the new Location, if available. It will be an Item, Clue or Bomb.
- Item / Clue / Clue x2: Place it into your Discovery Collection. There is no limit to the number of cards here.
- Bomb: You must immediately discard the Bomb and a card of your choice from your Discovery Collection. After discarding, your turn ends and the Spy begins their turn (you cannot perform any additional actions). If you cannot discard the additional card from your Discovery Collection, you fail the mission.
- Defusing Kit: When a Bomb is drawn, you may use this to discard the Bomb without discarding an additional card and without ending your turn. This can only be used once (flip over when used).
2. Additional Actions (Optional)
You may take as many of the below actions as you would like:
- Use Clues
- Place the Tracking Bug
- Track the Spy
- Use your current Location's ability (only after the Agent has moved, not before)
Using Clue Cards
Once per turn, you may use Clues to reveal a Confiscated Item. Discard a number of Clues equal to the requirement on a Case File (the "Clue x2" card is worth 2 Clues). Reveal an Item from that Case File, and place it back above the same Case File.
Placing the Tracking Bug
You must bug the Spy as follows before you can win the game. During the Agent's turn you may place the Bug card at the Agent's current Location (except at the Bank, Casino, or Post Office). If the Spy moves to a Location that has the Bug, the Spy is now "bugged". Flip the Bug to the "on" side, showing it is now active, and place it next to your hand. You may not place the Tracking Bug at your Location if the Spy is also at your Location.
You cannot place the bug at Locations marked with the special-attention icon. You cannot track the Spy while they are at these Locations.
Tracking the Spy
Once the Spy is bugged, you can track them up to two times. Look at the top Spy Movement card and return it. Rotate the Tracking Bug 180° after the first use, and discard it after the second. Although you can no longer track the spy, the Spy is still considered bugged for the purpose of making an accusation.
Using Location Abilities
You may use your current Location's ability, if applicable. Locations marked with the special-attention icon require special attention.
3. Move the Spy
Flip over the top Spy Movement card and move the Spy in the larger arrow's direction. If the Spy can't move in that direction, use the smaller arrow. If the Spy can't move in either direction, rotate the card 180º and use the large arrow. If the Spy still can't move, use the small arrow. Once the deck has been depleted, reshuffle the deck.
If there aren't 2 Discovery cards at the Spy's Location, add one from the deck (under any existing Discovery card).
On the Run: Once the Discovery deck is depleted, the Spy is considered to be On the Run. While the Spy is On the Run, if they move to a Location without a Discovery card, rotate the Countdown card down one number. If the Countdown reaches zero, time runs out, and you lose.
Spy and Agent at the Same Location
If either character moves onto the Location of the other, you must discard a card from your Discovery Collection. If this occurs during the Agent's turn, the turn ends immediately.
Note: When you make an accusation (see below) you will not need to discard a card.
4. Make an Accusation (Optional)
If you have bugged the Spy, and moved to their Location, you may now make an accusation.
You do not discard a card due to being in the same Location, as the game is over. You may also do this if you are starting your turn at the same Location as the Spy, immediately ending the game.
Reveal all remaining Confiscated Items. If your Discovery Collection has the Red Herring, you lose regardless of your Evidence. Otherwise, if it has all 3 Evidence Items, you win!
Winning the Game
You win if during an accusation you have the 3 Items of Evidence cards in your tableau (and do not have the Red Herring). You apprehend the Spy, and win the game!
Losing the Game
You lose if any of the following occur:
- You make an accusation while holding the Red Herring Item, and/or without holding all 3 Evidence Items.
- You fail to make an accusation before the time runs out.
- You are forced to discard a card and do not have any.
Difficulty Levels
- Hard: Remove the Clue x2 card
- Difficult: Remove the Clue x2 card and play with 2 Red Herrings and 3 False Leads
- Expert: As above, but also use the Expert Countdown card