Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones
Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Kids Chronicles is a family, cooperative game of adventure and mystery investigation, mixing a board game and an app.
Game Content
- A: Double-sided Game board showing The Kingdom of Summer and The Winter Empire.
- B: 21 Character cards
- C: 40 Item cards
- D: Rulebook
Kids Chronicles requires a free app, which you can download from Apple's App Store or Google Play (currently requires Android 5 or newer, iOS 11.0 or newer, may change in the future). You only need the app installed on one phone or tablet to play. The game cannot be played without the app. Once downloaded, the app will not require an internet connection during gameplay. The language can be changed within the application.
Game Objective
Each scenario offers a unique adventure story. The game is fully cooperative: players will work together to solve the mystery. The story will develop as you collect Items and talk with Characters you meet on your way. When you manage to solve the problems presented at the beginning of a story, you will answer a few questions that will determine your score as a team.
Each completed story will grant you one of the magical Moon Stones. Once you have collected all four of them you will reach your goal of becoming magicians and enter the final story of the game!
Setup
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Place the Game board in the middle of the table.
The Game board has two sides, one showing The Kingdom of Summer and the other showing The Winter Empire. When reading the introduction to a Story, the app will instruct you which side of the Game board to use; for now, choose either side.
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Place all of the Character and Item cards face up on the table within reach of the players.
a. During the game you may search through these cards freely. Because of this, you may sort and display them in any way that best accommodates your group of players.
How to Play
Try the short Tutorial Story to get familiar with the game. It will explain all of the rules required to play the game. That means you don't have to read any further in this rulebook! Additionally, it will present an important introduction to your mission as young apprentice mages and will introduce you to the most important characters in the entire adventure!
Please note that you must play through the tutorial and the first four Stories to unlock the final Story!
Story Introduction
Each Story starts with an introduction that will tell you the following:
- Which side of the Game board to use — Flip the Game board to the indicated side at this time.
- The Location to start at on the Game board
- The backstory and objectives for the current Story
After reading this introduction, click the button to start the Story. (You will automatically enter the 3D Scene for your starting Location.)
3D Scenes
When you visit a Location for the first time, a 3D Scene will automatically start.
To view a 3D scene, you can swipe left, right, up, or down on the screen, or physically turn and manipulate the device itself to "look around."
One designated player of your choice looks at the scene displayed on the device and describes what they see to the other players. But don't take too long; when the scene closes... time is up!
As you describe what you see out loud, the other players will search through all of the Item and Character cards on the table looking for cards that correspond to your descriptions of the 3D Scene.
Make sure that all Item and Character cards are face-up between the players, so that each player (who is not looking at the 3D scene) can quickly and cooperatively search through them for matching cards!
When the time runs out, don't fret! You or another player may choose to view the Scene again by clicking the button.
You can usually find up to two Characters and two Items in each 3D scene.
Take the Character cards you find and place each on a spot depicting the icon for the Location you are in.
For example: During your search through the Merlin Tower 3D scene, you saw Merlin, then the other players found his card and placed him in this Location.
Take the Item cards you find and place them in the Bag area of the Game board.
For example: You also saw two Items: a Sword and a Fish; the other players found those cards and placed them each on an Item spot in the Bag area of the Game board.
Item cards can be placed in any of the 9 Bag spots (Items do not correspond to any specific Location).
Talking with Characters
After you find Characters, you should talk to them!
To talk to a Character:
Scan the QR code depicted on their card. Point your device's camera at the QR Code, then tap and hold anywhere on the screen to trigger the scan.
Be advised that you can switch to the "auto-scan" feature in the app's menu.
Once scanned, the Character can now answer questions about any other Character or Item card that you have.
To ask a question of a Character about an Item or another Character:
While talking to them, scan another Item or Character card and the Character will speak about it.
For example: When talking to Merlin, he mentions that he has lost his Magic Staff, and he thinks that the King might know where it is. You then search through all of the cards for the King and Magic Staff cards, then place each of them on an Unlocated card spot.
Remember: You can only scan cards that you have already placed on the Game board. You cannot scan cards that are on the table.
Important! You can never ask a Character about a Location; they only know about other Characters and Items.
If you ever scan a Location, you will immediately move there (ending your conversation with the Character).
Sometimes a Character may mention a Character or Item card that you do not have yet. When this happens, find the corresponding card and place it on a Unlocated spot (on the left side of the Game board).
Unlocated cards:
Cards that are placed in these spots represent Characters and Items you have not found yet, but you can ask other Characters about them when talking to them.
Sometimes you may have the opportunity to give an Item (from a Bag spot only) to a Character who you are talking to.
To give an Item to a Character:
Scan the card, then remove it from its Bag spot and return it to the other Items on the table.
You can stop talking to a Character by pressing the button on the app.
Locations and Traveling
There are 6 Locations on each side of the Game board, each with a corresponding QR code. In the upper part of the app screen you can see what Location you are currently in.
To travel to another Location, scan the QR code corresponding to the Location you wish to move to.
There is a restriction: You can only move to a Location that is directly connected by a road (depicted on the map).
For example: Players are at the Castle Location on the Summer Kingdom side of the Game board. From there, they can move to one of the following Locations that are connected by roads: the Forest, the Merlin Tower, or the Volcano. Players cannot move to the Lake or the Marshes as these Locations are not connected by road to the Castle.
The world of Kids Chronicles is dynamic and ever-changing!
When you move back to a previously visited Location, there may be something new there; if so, the 3D Scene will automatically open.
If the 3D scene does not trigger automatically it means that nothing has changed since the last time you viewed that 3D Scene; however, you may view it again if you choose by clicking the button.
Using Items
Sometimes when visiting a Location, a new button will appear (on the app) giving you a new action to perform; but you need to use (scan) the correct Item!
Tap the button, then scan the Item you want to use; if your chosen Item works, the app will let you know what happens. (If you choose the wrong item, nothing will happen; but don't worry, you can try again later.)
For example: You arrive at the Forest and see a button in the app. You tap it, then scan the item you want to try and climb with. After scanning a Ladder, the app tells you what happens as a result of this successful climb action!
Warning: In some rare cases, scanning may not work because of:
- The light in the room (avoid strong shadows),
- Sleeved cards (produces reflection),
- An issue with the camera (dirt on the lens, etc.).
Make sure the QR Code is inside the indicated square and hold the phone still so the camera can focus. If the camera still can't focus, try passing your hand in front of it to reset the focus.
Diary
If you ever miss or forget part of the story or which cards you've already scanned, take a peek into your Diary!
At any time, tap to review previously-displayed narrative and scan results.
Remember, you can only use Items that are on a Bag spot; not those on the table or on an Unlocated spot.
Game End
When you fulfill the goal presented during the Story's introduction the game ends… but first, your team will be asked a series of questions. Scan cards that answer the questions to the best of your knowledge based on your deductions. You may press to read the complete story, or you may choose to play the scenario again.
Credits
- Game Design: David Cicurel
- Writing: Benjamin Bouchard
- Illustrations: Chanon Torncharoensri, Whihoon Lee, Maryna Nesterova
- Art Director: Mateusz Komada
- Graphic Design and App UI: Katarzyna Kosobucka
- Game Director: Filip Miłuński
- Programming: Marcin Musiał
- Producer: Vincent Vergonjeanne
- Project Manager: Marta Borowska
- Development: Filip Miłuński
- Production Manager: Przemek Dołęgowski
- Children Games Consultant: Rafaèle Dhuitte
- Playtesting: Cornélia Rubie, Tomasz Napierała, Łukasz Zep, Loïc "Cyol" Plateaux
- Rules editing: Jonathan Bobal
- Proofreading: Bree Goldman
Special thanks to: Aurélie Cicurel