Horrified: Greek Monsters
Horrified: Greek Monsters Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Gameboard
- 7 Hero Standees (insert into matching-colored bases)
- 10 Legend Standees (insert into clear bases)
- 6 Monster Mats
- 60 Item Tokens
- 1 Terror Marker
- 1 Frenzy Marker
- 1 Item Bag
- 6 Monster Figures
- 4 Lair Tokens
- 7 Hero Tiles
- 3 Dice
- 5 Reference Cards
- 30 Monster Cards
- 20 Perk Cards
- 26 Monster Tokens (for use when playing against specific Monsters):
- Cerberus: 5 Door Tokens
- Chimera: 3 Head Tokens
- Medusa: 4 Mirror Tokens
- Minotaur: 1 Labyrinth Center Token, 5 Labyrinth Tokens
- Siren: 8 Tone Tokens
- The Basilisk does not have any additional tokens.
Objective
Horrified: Greek Monsters is a cooperative game. All players win or lose together. The players win if they defeat all the Monsters on the board. Each Monster is defeated in a unique way which can be found on its Monster mat:
- Basilisk: The Basilisk's scales can only be pierced with Items blessed by the gods.
- Cerberus: Cerberus has escaped from the Underworld! You must unlock the door to the Underworld and return him to his master, Hades.
- Chimera: Put the Chimera's three heads to sleep so you can confront it without it eating you.
- Medusa: Medusa can only be harmed by gazing at her own reflection. Push her into the four Mirrors to weaken her!
- Minotaur: The Minotaur is rampaging. You must build a Labyrinth and use it to trap him.
- Siren: The Siren's luring song can only be blocked with precisely matching her tones.
More details about each Monster can also be found starting on page 10.
The players lose if the Terror Level reaches its maximum (the Monsters have overrun the island!) OR the Monster deck is empty (you've run out of time!).
Monster Setup
- Set out the gameboard and familiarize yourself with the locations.
- Shuffle the four Lair tokens face down and place them at Mount Iliad, Necropolis, Gaseous Swamp, and Statue of Talos. The locations are indicated by a Lair Token icon on the board.
- Put the Terror Marker into a clear base and place it on 0 on the Terror Level Track on the top of the board.
- Put the 10 Legend standees into clear bases and put them next to the board.
- Shuffle the Monster Cards and put them in a facedown pile next to the board.
- Decide which Monsters to play with (see Difficulty Scale, below). Place the corresponding Monster mats next to the board in Frenzy Order from lowest to highest.
- Follow the setup instructions for each Monster you're using. Individual Monster instructions can be found starting on page 10 and on the back of all Monster mats. Return all unused Monster mats, figures, and tokens to the box.
- Put the Frenzy Marker into a clear base and place it on the Monster mat with the lowest Frenzy Order number.
Player Setup
- Each player chooses the Hero they want to play and takes the corresponding Hero tile and standee and a Reference card. Return any unused Hero tiles, Hero standees, and Reference cards to the box.
- Place the Hero standees at the starting location indicated on their tile.
- Shuffle the Perk cards and deal one to each player. Place the remaining Perk cards in a facedown pile next to the board.
- Put the 60 Item tokens in the Item bag and shake it up. Draw 12 Item tokens and put them at the locations indicated on the Items. Put the bag next to the board.
Difficulty Scale
Adjust the game's difficulty by playing against a different number of Monsters.
- Your First Game: Play with only two Monsters. We recommend Basilisk and Cerberus.
- Standard Game: Any three Monsters.
- Challenging Game: Any four Monsters.
Playing the Game
The player who most recently saw a horror movie goes first and play proceeds clockwise around the table. Each turn consists of two parts: the Hero Phase and the Monster Phase.
- Hero Phase: Take up to the number of actions indicated on your tile. In addition, ANY player may play any number of Perk cards.
- Monster Phase: Draw a card from the Monster deck and resolve it.
Each Hero tile shows the Hero's name, their number of actions, their starting location, and their Special Action (Favor of the Gods).
Hero Phase
During the Hero Phase, you can perform up to the number of actions indicated on your tile. You may perform the actions in any order, and you may take the same action any number of times. Any player may also play any number of Perk cards during any other player's Hero Phase.
Actions
Move
Move your Hero along the path to an adjacent location. Whenever you move, any number of Legends at your location may move with you. If you are instructed to place a Hero in a location, they do not follow the path and instead are placed directly in that new location. You may move into or out of a location with a Monster, and you may end your turn in the same location as a Monster. This might make you more vulnerable to attacks during the Monster Phase.
Guide
Move one Legend from your Hero's location to an adjacent location OR move one Legend from an adjacent location to your Hero's location.
Pick Up
Take any number of Items from your Hero's location. Once picked up, keep your Items in front of you. Note: It's a good idea to pick up Items on your first turn. You will need them to Advance challenges and Defeat Monsters. They also can be used to defend against Monster attacks.
Share
All Heroes at the same location as your Hero may exchange any number of Items with each other. The sharing does not require a one-to-one trade, and it does not need to involve your Hero if the Heroes trading are at your location.
Advance
Use one or more of your Items to advance a Monster's challenge (shown on its Monster mat). For more details on individual Monsters, see page 10.
Defeat
Use one or more of your Items to defeat a Monster. You must complete a Monster's challenge before you can take the Defeat action to defeat that Monster. For more details on individual Monsters, see page 10.
Special Action
Use the Favor of the Gods action printed on your Hero tile. Some Heroes may not require a special action to use their Favor of the Gods.
Reveal a Lair
In the location of a facedown Lair token, you may spend any color Item tokens totaling 3 or more Strength to reveal the Lair and which Monster it is associated with it.
Legends
During the Monster Phase, Legends might appear on the board. Each Legend is trying to reach a specific safe location as shown on their standee. The Move and Guide actions can be used to usher them to their safe locations. When they reach their safe location, the active player removes that Legend from the board and draws a Perk card.
Perk Cards
Each player starts the game with one Perk card. Players can earn additional Perk cards by getting Legends to their safe locations. Perk cards may be played on any player's turn, but only during the Hero Phase. It's a good idea to discuss your Perk cards and when to play them with the other players. Once you play a Perk card, discard it face up. Playing a Perk card does not require an action.
Items
Items are used to advance Monster challenges, defeat Monsters, and defend yourself against Monster attacks. Each Item has a color (indicating the Item type) and a Strength (indicated by the number). Each Item also names a location, indicating where the Item will be placed on the gameboard when it is drawn from the bag. When you use an Item, place it in a discard pile next to the board unless instructed otherwise. When the bag of Items is empty, refill it with all Items in the Item discard pile.
- Yellow Items are physical.
- Blue Items are relics.
- Teal Items are artistic.
Only one Item of the indicated color may be played per action. If the Item icon is all black, it means any color Item may be used.
Any number of Items of the indicated color may be played as part of a single action. Add the Items' Strengths to meet or exceed the number indicated on the Monster mat or Lair.
Lairs
Lairs are hidden beneath the city and not known or accessible at the beginning of the game. You can reveal (flip over) a Lair by moving to the location and discarding ANY COLOR Items totaling 3 or more Strength. The Lair remains on the board for the rest of the game, even if the Monster isn't in the game.
Hero Phase Example
It's Caleb's turn and he's playing the Hoplite. He may take 4 actions as noted on his Hero tile. After some discussions with the other players, Caleb decides to the following during his Hero Phase:
Action 1: Caleb uses the Hoplite's Favor the Gods and places the Hoplite in the location Mount Iliad that has an unrevealed lair and two Items.
Action 2: Caleb then Picks Up the two Items.
Action 3: Caleb decides to Reveal the Lair token and discards a Strength 3 Item. The Lair is Underworld Door which is perfect because the Cerberus is one of the Monster's they are fighting.
Now Aly, playing the Musician, decides it would be super helpful for Caleb to try and Advance Cerberus' Challenge. Unfortunately, Caleb does not have the right color Items to do so. So, Aly plays the Gift of Hephaestus Perk card and gives Caleb a Blue Item to be able to perform the Challenge.
Action 4: Now with the Blue Item Caleb decides to Advance the Challenge by rolling the 3 Monster dice. The results are a Miss, a Miss, and a Power. Caleb wants to keep those results and removes the door piece with the two blanks on it. He could have spent his Teal item to reroll but figures he may need it later.
Before ending his turn Caleb asks the other players if anyone has another Perk card to play. With no one wanting to play one, Caleb ends his turn and proceeds to the Monster Phase.
Monster Phase
During the Monster Phase, the active player draws a card from the top of the Monster deck and resolves the three parts of the card, from top to bottom. After resolving the card, put it in the discard pile face up.
1. Items
Draw the number of Items listed at the top right of the card from the Item bag. Place each Item on the gameboard at the location indicated on the Item. If the bag is empty, return all discarded Item tokens to the bag, shake them up, and continue drawing.
2. Event
Each Event involves either a Monster or a Legend. The Event's name indicates the subject of the Event. Read the Event out loud and do what it says. If the Event names a Monster that's not in your game, ignore the Event and continue to Monster Attack.
3. Monster Attack
Follow the instructions for the Monster Attack shown across the bottom of each Monster card.
NOTE: If an Event or Monster Attack could apply to multiple characters or locations, the active player decides which one to apply it to.
Greek Monster Color Symbols
| Symbol | Color |
|---|---|
| Aphrodite's Vase | Purple |
| Sword of Ares | Orange |
| Helmet of Artemis | Blue |
| Athena's Bolt | Yellow |
| Dionysus' Branch | Green |
| Hades' Column | Brown |
| Hermes' Wing | Teal |
| Hephaestus' Torch | Red |
How Monster's Attack
When reading the Monster Attack area of the Monster card, you always start with the leftmost icon to see what Monster will act first, either a Frenzy monster or any Monsters with the matching Color Symbol. You may match either the Color or the Symbol.
If a Color Symbol is not shown on any Monster mat in your game, ignore that symbol. No monster will act at all. If the Frenzy symbol is shown, the Monster with the Frenzy Marker will move and attack. This might result in the same Monster moving and attacking twice in one turn.
Once you have determined if you have a Monster that will move and attack you, follow the order on the Monster card.
First, Move the Monster a number of locations toward the closest character, Hero or Legend, as indicated on the Monster card. If there are multiple characters equally close, the Monster moves toward a Hero rather than a Legend. If there are multiple closest Heroes, the active player chooses which one the Monster will move toward. If the Monster moves to a location with character in it, it stops moving. If the Monster starts on a location with a character, that Monster will not move. If there are no characters to move toward on the board, the Monster will not move.
NOTE: When you are instructed to move a Monster, Hero, or Legend toward a location or other character, you must move them along the shortest path possible. If there are multiple shortest paths, the active player decides which path to take. Once they reach their goal, they stop moving.
Next, Attack one of the characters at the Monster's location by rolling the number of attack dice indicated. If there is no character at the Monster's location, it will not attack. If multiple characters are at the Monster's location, the Monster will always choose to attack a Hero rather than a Legend. The active player chooses who to attack if more than one Hero is in the location.
Repeat the process with the next color symbol (if there is one) on the Monster attack line.
Reading the Dice
If a Power symbol is rolled, you must resolve that Monster's Power ability first. Once the Power is resolved, then determine if the targeted Hero is still in the location with the Monster. If so, any Hit symbols apply to that Hero. If not, there are no damage hits.
- Power: The Monster's Power is activated once for each Power symbol rolled.
- Hit: The character is hit by the Monster's attack once for each Hit symbol rolled.
- Miss: The Monster misses. This die has no effect.
A Hero may defend themself from a Monster's attack by discarding one Item for each Hit symbol rolled. If the Hero does not have enough Items or doesn't want to discard Items, they are defeated. Remove the Hero from the board and move the Terror Marker up one space on the Terror Level Track. At the start of the player's next turn, they place their Hero at the Temple of Nyx and take their turn as normal, with their full number of Actions. Heroes do not lose any of their Perk cards or Items when defeated.
Legends are immediately defeated when hit by a Monster. Remove the Legend from the board and move the Terror Marker up one space on the Terror Level Track. Heroes cannot discard Items to save Legends.
Monster Phase Example
Sally, playing as the Musician, is starting the Monster phase of her turn. She draws the top card of the Monster deck and reveals the "Despair" card. She resolves the card as follows:
- Items: The card indicates that 1 Item will be drawn from the bag and placed. She draws the Vase and places it at the Lighthouse.
- Event: The event specifically targets Monsters that have the Orange Sword as a symbol. In this game Sally and group is playing against the Minotaur and the Chimera. Only the Minotaur has the Orange Sword symbol on it and so the Event will only affect that Monster. She needs to move the Minotaur 3 spaces towards the nearest Legend. The only Legend on the board is Atalanta still in her starting space at the Temple of Athena. So she moves the Minotaur the three spaces from the Agora to the Crossroads near the Ruins.
- Monster Strike: The Monster attack line only shows one Color Symbol, the Yellow Lightning. That symbol is only on the Chimera so that Monster will move and, if possible, attack.
The first step is that the Chimera will move two spaces towards the nearest Hero or Legend. The Chimera is currently in the Battlefield. Both the Musician, at Mount Iliad and the Mariner, played by Jack, at the Statue of Talos, are exactly 2 moves away. Sally chooses to move the Chimera towards Jack since he has 2 Items and Sally does not have any at this time.
Since there is a Hero at the Statue of Talos, the Chimera will attack the Mariner. Sally rolls 1 die. The results is a Hit. Jack decides that he can ignore the Hit by discarding one Item.
Sally's Monster phase is over and it's now Jack's turn.
Ending the Game
The game can end in one of three ways:
Heroes Win!
If you defeat all the Monsters in play, you win!
Terror!
If the Terror Level reaches its maximum, you lose. Everyone is too Horrified to continue, and the island is abandoned to the Monsters.
Out of Time!
If the Monster deck is empty when you are required to draw a card, the game ends and you lose. You've taken too long to save the island, and the Legends have all fled.
Solo Play
When only one Hero tries to save the island, the Legends doubt your ability to do the job. Start the game with the Terror Marker set to Terror Level 3.
The Monsters
Frenzied Monsters
The monsters are agitated by your efforts to defeat them, and one Monster will always be frenzied. At the beginning of the game, the Frenzy Marker starts on the Monster mat with the lowest Frenzy Order. When the Frenzy symbol appears on a Monster card, the Frenzied Monster moves and attacks, which might result in the same Monster moving and attacking twice in one turn. Some Events will direct you to place the Frenzy Marker on the next Monster. When this happens, place it on the Monster Mat with the next-highest Frenzy Order. If there is no Monster with a higher Frenzy Order, place the Frenzy Marker on the Monster with the lowest Frenzy Order. If no other Monsters remain in the game, the Frenzy Marker does not move.
Defeated by a Hero
When a Monster is defeated, it is removed from the gameboard. For the rest of the game, ignore all Events and Monster Attacks that refer to the defeated Monster. If the Monster had the Frenzy Marker, place the marker on the next Monster according to the Frenzied Monster rules. Place any Items on the Monster mat in the discard pile and return all of the Monster's components to the box.
Basilisk
Symbols: Helmet of Artemis (Blue), Hades' Column (Brown), Hermes' Wing (Teal) | Frenzy Order: 1 | Complexity: Low | Has a Lair: No
Objective: The Basilisk's scales can only be pierced with Items blessed by the gods.
Setup: Place the Basilisk at the Gaseous Swamp.
1. Advance — Blessed Items: At each Temple location, place a Yellow Item on the spot below that matches your location.
2. Defeat — Defeat the Basilisk: In the Basilisk's location, use Items worth 30 or more Strength (any color) to defeat it. You may use the Blessed Items (above) at their Value +2.
Power — Gaze of Death: Move the Basilisk to the current player's location. That Hero takes 1 Hit that can only be blocked with a Yellow Item.
Cerberus
Symbols: Sword of Ares (Orange), Hades' Column (Brown), Hephaestus' Torch (Red) | Frenzy Order: 2 | Complexity: Low | Has a Lair: Yes
Objective: Cerberus has escaped from the Underworld! You must unlock the door to the Underworld and return him to his master, Hades.
Setup: Place Cerberus at the Temple of Hades. Place the five Door tokens on Cerberus' Monster mat.
1. Advance — Unlock the Door: Reveal the Underworld Door. At that location, discard a Yellow Item to roll three dice. You may discard a Teal Item to reroll several dice up to the Item's Strength. You may remove one Door token if you have rolled the glyphs on it.
2. Defeat — Return Cerberus to Hades: In Cerberus's location, once all 5 door section tokens are removed, discard a Teal Item to move him a number of spaces equal to the Item's Strength. When Cerberus is at the Underworld Door, you return him to Hades and defeat him.
Power — Pay the Ferryman: Put the top card of the Monster deck into the discard pile.
Chimera
Symbols: Athena's Bolt (Yellow), Helmet of Artemis (Blue), Hephaestus' Torch (Red) | Frenzy Order: 3 | Complexity: Medium | Has a Lair: Yes
Objective: Put the Chimera's three heads to sleep so you can confront it without it eating you.
Setup: Place Chimera at the Ruins.
1. Advance — Put the Heads to Sleep: Reveal Chimera's Cave. At that location, put the heads to sleep by placing the Item(s) on each head per the Lair token (Snake: 1 Yellow Item, Lion: 2 Blue Item, Goat: 3 Yellow Item). Flip each Head tile once you have discarded the Items (one action per head).
2. Defeat — Vanquish the Chimera: In the Chimera's location, use a Teal Item, a Blue Item, and a Yellow Item to defeat it.
Power — Lockdown: Move the Chimera to a location with the most Items. Place the Items back into the bag.
Medusa
Symbols: Athena's Bolt (Yellow), Aphrodite's Vase (Purple), Hades' Column (Brown) | Frenzy Order: 4 | Complexity: High | Has a Lair: Yes
Objective: Medusa can only be harmed by gazing at her own reflection. Push her into the four Mirrors to weaken her!
Setup: Place Medusa at the Bay of Ghosts. Place the four Mirror tokens at the Battlefield, Forest of Dryads, Vineyards, and Acropolis.
1. Advance — Build the Mirror Trap: At Medusa's location, discard a Yellow Item to move her several spaces equal to the Item's Strength. When Medusa enters a location with a mirror, stop her movement and place the Mirror tile on her Monster mat.
2. Defeat — Turn Her to Stone!: Reveal the Statue Garden and lure Medusa there. You may move her using the same system as above. When Medusa is in the Statue Garden, use Teal Items totaling 6 or more Strength to defeat her.
Power — Petrifying Look: Choose a Hero in Medusa's location, then move that Hero to the Temple location farthest from Medusa.
Minotaur
Symbols: Sword of Ares (Orange), Helmet of Artemis (Blue), Dionysus' Branch (Green) | Frenzy Order: 5 | Complexity: High | Has a Lair: Yes
Objective: The Minotaur is rampaging. You must build a Labyrinth and use it to trap him.
Setup: Place the Minotaur at the Acropolis. Place the Labyrinth Center token on the Minotaur's mat. Shuffle the 5 Labyrinth tokens face down and place them next to the Minotaur's mat.
1. Advance — Build the Labyrinth: Reveal the Labyrinth. At that location, discard a Blue Item to place the next Labyrinth token or switch two already placed Labyrinth tokens.
2. Defeat — Trap the Minotaur: In the Labyrinth's location, use Yellow Items totaling 9 or more Strength to defeat the Minotaur.
Power — Lost in the Maze: Any player must discard a Blue Item or raise the Terror Track by 1.
Siren
Symbols: Dionysus' Branch (Green), Hermes' Wing (Teal), Aphrodite's Vase (Purple) | Frenzy Order: 6 | Complexity: Low | Has a Lair: No
Objective: The Siren's luring song can only be blocked with precisely matching her tones.
Setup: Place the Siren at the Lighthouse. Shuffle the eight Tone tokens face down and place them on the Siren's Monster mat.
1. Advance — Compose the Counter Song: At the Siren's location, discard a Blue Item to look at two facedown Tone tokens. Remove them if they match. Move the Siren to the location listed on the Item discarded.
2. Defeat — Silence the Siren: At the Siren's location, use Teal Items totaling 6 or more Strength to defeat her.
Power — Luring Song: Each Hero in the Siren's space takes 1 hit, which can be blocked as normal. Move all other Heroes one space toward the Siren.