Kraken Skulls! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
  • Base Game Components
• How to Win
• Setup
  • Game Setup
  • Player Setup
• Gameplay
  • Supply Cards & Phases
  • Navigation Phase
• Battle Phase
  • Rival Pirates
  • Gutsy Pirates
  • Captured Pirates
  • Lone Pirates
  • Known Treasure
  • Ship Upgrades
  • End of Turn
  • 6-Player Games
• Variants / Expansions / Modes
  • 2-Player Variant
  • Rough Waters Variant
  • Ghost Ship Expansion
  • Mermaid Expansion
• Captains & Companions
• Game Modes
  • Treasure Hunters
  • Merchants vs Pirates
• Supply Card Minigames
• Location Card Breakdown
• Pirate Legend

Overview

Arrrgh! Welcome to Kraken Skulls! Prepare yourself to navigate treacherous waters filled with Rival Pirates, the deadly Kraken, and the infamous Navy. Hoard treasure to upgrade your ship, and defeat your adversaries in over 25 minigames to collect Dread. The first to 7 Dread will be crowned Ruler of the Seas. Gather your crew, roll your dice, and let the swashbuckling begin!

Base Game Components

• 6 Pirate Ships
• 1 Kraken
• 1 Navy
• 6 Navigation Dice
• 7 Kraken Dice
• 20 Battle Dice
• 1 Navy Patrol Die
• 6 Dread Tokens
• 6 Treasure Tokens
• 90 Supply Cards
• 15 Location Cards
• 6 Player Reference & Scorecards
• 1 Kraken Reference & Scorecard
• 1 Dread Tracker

How to Win

The first Pirate to gain 7 Dread wins and is crowned Ruler of the Seas!

Setup

Game Setup

1. Randomly draw 6 Location Cards and place them in a circle, Open Water side up. Flip every other Location to reveal 3 Ports.
2. Place the Kraken on any of the Open Water spaces.
3. Place the Navy and Patrol Die near the play area.

Player Setup

1. Shuffle the Supply Card deck and deal 2 Supply Cards to each Pirate.
2. Have each Pirate choose a ship and take the matching Navigation Die, 2 Battle Dice, and a Player Reference card.
3. Place each player's Dread Token at the 1 position.
4. Place the remaining Battle Dice in the center of the table to form the Dice Pool, and keep the Kraken Dice nearby.
5. In clockwise order, have each Pirate place their ship on an empty location starting with the Pirate who was most recently on a boat.

Gameplay

Supply Cards & Phases

All Supply Cards have an icon in the top left corner to denote the phase in which each card can be played during a turn. The result of the Navigation Phase determines a Pirate's next Action, either Battle or Pillage.

Navigation Phase → Battle or Pillage

Navigation Phase

Pirates Sail

To start a turn, each Pirate chooses their desired sailing action by placing their Navigation Die on the table, chosen side up, hiding it from their opponents. All Pirates reveal their action and sail their ships at the same time. Pirates should always start the Navigation Phase with at least 1 card. If a Pirate does not have any cards, they draw a card.

• Anchor Down: Stay at your current location.
• Clockwise: Sail in a clockwise direction to the next adjacent location.
• Counter-Clockwise: Sail in a counter-clockwise direction to the next adjacent location.

Or... Let Fate Decide!

Pirates may choose to roll their Navigation Dice to set their course, letting the winds guide their journey.

The Kraken Migrates

On each turn, the Kraken migrates in a clockwise direction to the next Open Water location.

Hunted Pirate: If a Pirate is Hunted, instead of moving clockwise every turn, the Kraken will migrate toward the Hunted Pirate. Once the Hunted Pirate has faced the Kraken, they are no longer Hunted. (Refer to the "Black Spot" card on pg 19.)

The Navy Patrols

• The Navy enters the game once any Pirate reaches 4 Dread. That Pirate will place the Navy on the Port of their choice.
• On each turn, the Navy patrols to a different Port location. Roll the Patrol Die and move the Navy according to the indicated direction.

End of Navigation Phase

Once all played cards are resolved, the Navigation Phase is over. Players determine what type of Pirate they are and perform their action simultaneously.

• Rival Pirate: Any Pirate who is not the sole occupant of a location will proceed to a Battle (pg 6) and will not Pillage.
• Gutsy Pirate: Any Pirate sharing an Open Water space with the Kraken will Face the Kraken in Battle. They will not Pillage (see Face the Kraken, pg 7).
• Lone Pirate: Any Pirate alone on a space will not Battle, and perform one of three Pillage Actions (pg 10).
• Captured Pirate: Any Pirate sharing a Port location with the Navy will not Battle. If they successfully escape, they will draw 1 card (see Escape the Navy, pg 9).

Navigation Cards

Pirates can use any number of cards with the Navigation Phase icon at any time during the Navigation Phase. Card effects are resolved in the order they are played.

Battle Phase

Rival Pirates

When Rival Pirates meet in any location, they must Battle! The winner of any Pirate Battle receives 1 Dread and draws 2 Supply Cards OR can dig up any buried cards in that location (see rules for Bury/Dig, pg 10). The loser draws 1 card and discards 1 card. All ties are resolved with a Sword Fight for one round (roll all battle dice, most Swords wins).

Battles in Open Water

• The Pirate that rolls the most Cannons wins!
• For 3 rounds, each Pirate on the Open Water space rolls all of their Battle Dice and totals the number of Cannons rolled.
• Any number of Pirates can participate in this Battle.

Battles at Port

• For 2 Rival Pirates, follow the minigame rules located on the Port Card. For the how to play videos of each Port minigame and their detailed rules, scan the QR code on pg 19.
• For 3 or more Rival Pirates, the Sword Fight minigame replaces the card. Pirates roll their Battle Dice for three rounds trying to roll the most Swords.
• Dreadful Pirate: The Pirate with the most Dread is sometimes given the advantage of going first in Port minigames.

Battle Cards

Pirates can use any number of cards with the Battle Phase icon at any time during any Battle, for or against any Pirate. Card effects are resolved in the order they are played.

Tip: Battle Scorecards

Flip your reference card over and use the scorecard to track your scores during any battle! We recommend using your Dread tokens to track scores.

Gutsy Pirates

Face the Kraken

Pirates who share the same Open Water location as the Kraken are Gutsy Pirates and must now face the creature of the deep.

Kraken Strength

For 3 rounds, Gutsy Pirates roll all of their Battle Dice against 1 base Kraken Die plus an additional Kraken Die per Gutsy Pirate. Any purchased Battle Dice are included.

Example: 2 Pirates facing the Kraken: 1 base Kraken Die

• 2 additional Kraken Dice (1 per Pirate) = 3 Kraken Dice

Gutsy Pirate Damage

• Cannon: 1 Damage
• Sword: 1 Damage
• Skull: 0 Damage

Kraken Damage

• Kraken tentacle (1 symbol): 1 Damage
• Kraken tentacle (2 symbol): 2 Damage
• Kraken miss symbol: 0 Damage (Miss)

Kraken Aftermath

After the 3 rounds, subtract the total damage dealt by the Kraken from the total damage dealt by the Gutsy Pirate(s).

Score	Outcome	Result
-10 to -5	Mauled	Each Pirate loses 1 Dread.
-4 to -1	Scarred	Each Pirate loses 1 Supply Card.
0 to 3	Survived	Each Pirate draws 1 Supply Card.
4 to 9	Triumphed	Each Pirate draws 1 Supply Card and earns 1 Dread.
10 to 14	Conquered	Each Pirate draws 2 Supply Cards and earns 1 Dread.
15 or higher	Slayed!	Each Pirate draws 2 Supply Card and wins 2 Dread. The Kraken is removed from the game. If a player draws "Kraken Migration" they discard it and draw a new card.

Kraken Battle Example

2 Pirates with 4 Battle Dice.

• Round One: Gutsy Pirates deal 3 damage. The Kraken deals 2 damage. The round score is 1. Total Score: 1.
• Round Two: Gutsy Pirates deal 3 damage. The Kraken deals 4 damage. The round score is -1. Total Score: 0.
• Round Three: Gutsy Pirates deal 4 damage. The Kraken deals 2 damage. The round score is 2. Total Score: 2.

Outcome: With a total score of 2, the Gutsy Pirates "Survive" the battle and both draw 1 Supply Card.

Tip: Kraken Battle Scorecards

Flip your Kraken rules card over and use the scorecard to track your score! We recommend using your Dread tokens to track scores.

Slaying the Kraken

If the Kraken is not killed (a score 15 or higher) then it continues to migrate and can be fought again. If the Kraken is killed, then all Pirates receive the reward, and the Kraken Migration card has no effect the remainder of the game. If this card is drawn, discard it and draw a new card.

Captured Pirates

Escape the Navy

A Pirate who shares the same Port location as the Navy is a Captured Pirate and must now defend their notoriety! There can be more than one Captured Pirate on a location at once. A Captured Pirate may either Run or Bribe.

Run

A Captured Pirate may attempt to run from the Navy by rolling a single Battle Die.

• If the outcome of the roll is equal to or greater than the Captured Pirate's Dread, then they escape!
• If the outcome of the roll is lower than the Captured Pirate's Dread, they must discard any Known Treasure OR discard 2 cards if the Pirate does not have any Known Treasure (see rules for Known Treasure, pg 11).

Bribe

A Captured Pirate may choose to pay off the Navy with Treasure to escape.

• A bribe costs 1 Treasure BEFORE attempting to run.
• If you Run and fail to escape, you cannot bribe the Navy afterwards.

If a Pirate successfully escapes the Navy with a run or bribe, they may perform a Plunder action and draw 1 card.

Source note: the printed page reads "If a Pirate successfully escapes they Navy with a run or bribe"; "they Navy" is a typo for "the Navy" and is corrected here.

Captured Pirate Example

Red and Yellow end their Navigation Phase at the same location as the Navy. Both have 3 Dread. Red chooses to Bribe the Navy and discards 1 Treasure. Red then draws 1 card. Yellow has Known Treasure, and chooses to Run. Yellow rolls a 2, and the Navy then forces Yellow to discard their Known Treasure.

Lone Pirates

Lone Pirates must choose one of 3 actions for their Pillage: Plunder, Bury, OR Dig.

Plunder

A Lone Pirate draws 1 card from the deck.

Bury

A Lone Pirate hides a Pillage card from their hand under their current location, then draws 2 cards.

• Only cards with the Pillage icon can be buried.
• A Lone Pirate can only Bury 1 card per turn.
• There can only be a maximum of 3 cards buried in a single location at one time.

Example: Pirate buries 2 cards, then draws 3 cards.

Dig

A Lone Pirate picks up all buried cards from their current location. Buried cards may have Dig Effects that must be resolved and discarded (see Dig Effects, below). They add remaining cards to their hand.

Dig Effects

Reveal the card with the highest ranked Dig Effect and resolve that Dig Effect. If that card is also worth Treasure add it to your hand (see Known Treasure, pg 11). Otherwise, discard after the dig effect is resolved. Lower ranked Dig Effects do not take effect and are added to your hand.

Ex: A Lone Pirate digs up 2 cards. They add "Decoy Map" to their hand. They must reveal and resolve "Fool's Gold" then discard the card.

• Fool's Gold (Dig Effect): Draw 2 cards, then discard 1 card.
• Decoy Map: Draw one card. You must Sail CW on your next turn.

Known Treasure

If a Treasure card is picked up from a Dig action, it becomes "Known Treasure".

That card is placed face up in front of the player who picked it up and a Treasure Token is placed on the card. It is now worth 1 additional Treasure value (Ex: a 1 Treasure card is dug up, and is now worth 2 Treasure while in front of the player).

• There can only be 1 Known Treasure in front of a player at a time.
• If a player with a Known Treasure digs up another Treasure card, that card can either replace the current Known Treasure or go into their hand.

Example 1

A Pirate performs a Dig action, and picks up two cards. "Booby Trap" has a higher rank in the top left (10), so that Dig Effect is resolved and the card is discarded. "Cursed Coins" has a Treasure value of 1 in your hand, but since it was dug up, it is placed in front of the player and is now Known Treasure for an increase of +1 value.

Example 2

A Pirate performs a Dig action, and picks up three cards. "Cursed Amulet" has the highest rank (13), so that Dig Effect is resolved. "Booby Trap" and "Treasure" are added to the player's hand. Since "Cursed Amulet" was dug up, it becomes Known Treasure and is placed in front of the player for an increase of +1 value. Allowing the player to immediately Upgrade their Ship! (see pg 12).

Known Treasure can never be stolen by another player, and it does not take up a spot in a player's hand. It can only be spent by the player or forced to be discarded if they fail to escape the Navy.

Ship Upgrades

At any time, on any location, a Pirate may discard Supply Cards worth 4 or more Treasure to purchase a permanent, additional Battle Die. Pirates can buy multiple Battle Dice at a time, but cannot have more than 4 total Battle Dice.

• Ex: Pirate discards 2 Treasures and 1 Sunken Treasure to purchase an additional Battle Die.
• Ex: A Pirate has 1 Known Treasure and 1 Sunken Treasure in their hand. The Known Treasure is worth a +1 Value, so they discard both cards and purchase an additional Battle Die.

End of Turn

At the end of each turn, Pirates must discard down to 7 Supply Cards in their hand. Then proceed to the next turn, starting with the Navigation Phase.

Pirates should always start the Navigation Phase with at least 1 card. If a Pirate does not have any cards, they draw 1 card.

6-Player Games

When playing with 6 players the rules are the same, but there are less Battle Dice available to be purchased. Not all Pirates will be able to upgrade their ship to full capacity of 4 dice.

Battle dice are first-come, first-serve at this player count!

Variants / Expansions / Modes

These add time and higher difficulty levels to the game.

2-Player Variant

2-player gameplay operates as normal with the following exceptions:

• Each Pirate controls 2 ships, each with their own Navigation Die.
  • A Pirate's 2 ships cannot occupy the same location, but must always Sail during the Navigation Phase as normal.
  • Battle Dice, Supply Cards, and Dread are shared between the 2 ships.
  • If a Pirate's ships were to ever land on the same location, a Pirate may Sail a ship past another one of their ships (moving 2 spaces) during the Navigation Phase.
• Each Pirate may purchase up to 3 additional Battle Dice.
• The hand size limit is 8 cards.

Rough Waters Variant

Players who want to add more difficulty to gameplay may add one or all of the following rule adjustments:

• If Captured Pirates do not successfully escape the Navy, they lose 1 Dread instead of discarding Known Treasure or 2 cards.
• When Gutsy Pirates face the Kraken, the Kraken's miss icon will knock out one of the Gutsy Pirates' dice, forcing them to choose 1 Battle Die to remove for that round and the rest of that Kraken Battle.
• If a Pirate loses a Battle, they do not get to draw and discard a card.

When playing with a Rough Waters, flip the Dread Tracker to the other side as a reminder for any rule changes.

Source note: the Kraken reference card carries a "Rough Waters" text box ("Kraken rolls 2 Kraken dice + 1 per Pirate. If a [icon] is rolled, discard 1 Battle die from the roll. It does not score that round and is removed for the remainder of the Kraken Battle."). The icon in that box is not recoverable from the text layer and is not transcribed here; the variant as printed on page 13 is transcribed above.

Ghost Ship Expansion

The Ghost Ship expansion adds new, unpredictable gameplay using unique encounters, boosted abilities, and a new winning requirement. Can you become the most dreadful pirate on the high seas while fending off the ghoulish Ghost Ship?

Gameplay Setup

1. The Ghost Ship replaces the Navy, and it starts in the game from the beginning.
2. Randomly place a Ghost Ship token on each location.
3. Remove "Tip off the Navy" cards from the Supply Card deck.
4. Shuffle the Cursed Cards deck and place it near the play area.

Ghost Ship Encounters

The Ghost Ship will haunt the seas after Pirates sail and the Kraken migrates. Roll the Ghost Die to determine which location the Ghost Ship appears on. If any ship is at the same location as the Ghost Ship, they have an encounter (unless they play Navigation cards to escape).

When having an encounter, the player to the left draws an Encounter Card and reads the first sentence, giving the player a choice. Resolve the encounter until an outcome is reached. Once read, place the encounter at the bottom of the deck. If multiple ships are in a location with the Ghost Ship, Each player has their own encounter.

Cursed Cards

If the Ghost Ship requires that a player draw a Cursed Card, the player takes the top card from the Cursed Card deck and places it face up in front of them. Cursed Cards provide ongoing abilities and rules that must be followed. Players cannot win the game while being cursed, and must break the curse before they can claim victory.

To break a curse, a player must be a Lone Pirate and then spend their turn rolling their Battle Dice. If they meet the roll requirement on the card, the curse is broken! They place the Cursed Card back into the deck and shuffle the cards.

Encountering the Ghost Ship While Cursed

The Ghost Ship only chases Pirates who are not cursed! If you are already cursed and you are on the same spot as the Ghost Ship, you then become either a Rival Pirate or a Lone Pirate, depending on if there is another Cursed Pirate in your location.

Ghost Ship and the Kraken

Even the Ghost Ship is afraid of the Kraken! If the Ghost Ship were to land on the same location as the Kraken, simply re-roll the Ghost Die to sail the Ghost Ship again.

Mermaid Expansion

The Mermaid expansion adds new solo minigames for players to push their luck in hopes of gaining cards, earning dread, or adding Mermaids to their crew to help in their journey of becoming Ruler of the Seas!

Gameplay Setup

1. Select 3 Mermaid minigames to be face up next to the Open Water locations.
2. Randomly place 2 Mermaid cards above the Mermaid minigames.

Gameplay Additions (Dive Action)

Players can now dive into Open Water locations to play solo minigames for more bonuses. If you are a Lone Pirate at an Open Water location, you can move your ship on/near the minigame card to dive. This "Dive" action is added to the standard Pillage Phase options (Plunder, Bury and Dig). Once you complete the minigame and either earn the reward or leave with nothing, move your ship back to the Open Water location and begin the next Navigation Phase from there.

• The Pirate playing the minigame may play Battle cards to aid their dive, but other Pirates cannot play cards to impact their dive.

Mermaid Cards

If a player earns a Mermaid card, they place the card in front of them. These cards provide one-time special abilities that can be played in the Phase noted on the card (Navigation or Battle). Once the ability is activated, the player places the Mermaid card into any open slot above a Mermaid minigame. Only 2 Mermaid cards can be above a single minigame.

• There is no limit to how many Mermaid cards a player can have or use on a turn if they have gained them.

Mermaid Card Text (as printed)

• The Tridentbearer: Turn all Battle Dice of any Pirate for one round.
• The Enchantress: Choose one Pirate that must Sail to your location. Other Navigation cards cannot change this effect.

Mermaid Minigames

Sea's Fortune: Roll 1 Battle Die at a time. For each die you roll, you create the number combination you must complete to gain the reward underneath. Once you roll for a combination of up to 5 dice, you get 3 rolls to complete the combination in exact order from left to right. Dice must be placed when rolled.

Under the Sea: Place your Navigation Die in the starting location. Roll 1 Battle Die until you reach a space with an outcome (reward or consequence). Skulls move you Left, Swords move you Right, and Cannons move you Down. If you reach an X, you leave with nothing.

Cache Me If You Can: Roll 3 Battle Dice. For Round 1, you need to roll at least an 11. If you do, you can move on to the next round OR take the reward. If you move on, place 1 die in an outlined spot. Then roll 2 dice. Repeat until you decide to stop rolling, complete Round 3, or fail to roll the requirement.

Royal Roll: Start with 5 Battle Dice. Roll 3 times, removing any Skulls you roll. However many dice you have left will earn you the reward on the chart. You can choose to keep this reward, or move to Round 2 where you will repeat the process for 2 rolls removing swords. Repeat until you decide to stop rolling, complete Step 3, or lose all of your dice.

Fool House: Roll 5 Battle Dice for 3 Rounds during each Step. To complete each Level, you must match the symbol combination. You may keep or re-roll any number of dice. If you complete the combination, you can take the reward or move on. Repeat until you take a reward, complete Level 3, or fail.

Wishing Well (Dexterity Game): Stack 4 Battle Dice on top of each other at the edge of the table. While stacked, you must flick each dice with your finger attempting to land the dice in one of the puddles on the card. If the dice is fully inside a puddle, you get the reward! You can have multiple dice in a single puddle. (Note: On two puddles, if your dice matches the symbol then you get a bonus reward.)

Captains & Companions

Each ship color comes with a card with asymmetric abilities. Place the card for your ship color in front of you. When you use the ability on the card, flip it over to the other side. The new ability is now available for you to activate. You can repeat this process as many times as you wish, but you cannot flip the card unless you use the face-up ability.

Source note: the individual captain ability texts (for example "Redbeard" and "Jack the Monkey") use icons that the text layer does not carry; their wording is not transcribed here beyond the general rules above.

Game Modes

Treasure Hunters

In this game mode, it's all about Treasure! The player who has the most Treasure at the end of the game wins. The game ends when the main deck of cards runs out. Gameplay is normal except for the following:

• There is no limit on Known Treasure in front of a player.
• When you win a Battle against other pirates, you may choose to draw 2 cards OR draw 1 card and steal 1 card from each pirate you defeated.
• There is no hand limit for cards.
• Remove both "Swab the Poop Deck" cards from the game.

Merchants vs Pirates

In this game mode, it's a team game! This is a 4-player specific mode for a 2v2 scenario. Two players are Pirates, looking to earn Dread by winning dice battles. Two players are Merchants, looking to earn Dread by discovering as much Treasure as possible. The game ends in two ways: 1) Both Pirate team members reach 7 Dread, or 2) The Deck runs out of cards. Gameplay is modified in these ways:

• Pirates earn Dread as normal by winning dice battles.
• Merchants earn Dread for every 2 Treasure. They can only turn in Treasure for Dread while they are Lone Pirates.
• Team members can trade 1 card each while if together at a location.
• There is no hand limit for cards.
• Remove both "Swab the Poop Deck" cards from the game.

Supply Card Minigames

To add more minigames and complexity to Kraken Skulls!, we suggest adding these cards into the deck. For a simpler, faster game, remove these cards from the deck.

• Black Spot: Place this card in front of another Pirate. They are now Hunted by the Kraken. The Hunted Pirate shuffles this card back into the deck after they Battle the Kraken. See rulebook for more detailed instructions.
• Mutiny!: Only the card name is transcribed here. The instructions are printed on the card in small type and are not fully legible in the source.
• Donnybrook!: Only the card name and the first line are transcribed here. "All Pirates roll two dice." The remainder of the card text is printed in small type and is not fully legible in the source.

Source note: the small-print instructions on the Mutiny! and Donnybrook! cards are not fully recoverable from the page image and text layer, so they are not reproduced in full here.

Scan to watch how to play videos for every Port and Card minigame!

Location Card Breakdown

1. The type of dice you will use in the minigame.
2. The number of dice you will roll. Use dice from the Dice Pool if the number is higher than your Pirate Dice.
3. Location name.
4. Minigame name.
5. Minigame description and rules.
6. Number of rounds you roll your dice for in the minigame. A variable number of rounds is shown with a "#" symbol, meaning the number of rounds is variable.
7. Location type. Port or Open Water.
8. Locations with the red-circle symbol and red text signify that a Pirate will use their own Battle Dice for that minigame, not dice from the Dice Pool. Example: A Pirate has upgraded their ship with 1 additional Battle Die. They can then use 3 Battle Dice for the minigame at Open Water.

Pirate Legend

• Treasure
• Battle Die
• Sail a Ship
• Port Location
• Add/Draw
• Clockwise
• Navigation Phase
• Look At
• Navy Patrols
• The Kraken / Migration
• Pirate Battle
• Open Water Location
• Remove/Discard
• Counter-Clockwise
• Battle Phase
• Single Card
• Player Hand
• Deck
• Dread
• Shuffle/Re-roll
• Anchor Down
• Pillage/Card can be buried
• Dig Effect Example

Locations with the red-circle symbol and red text signify that a Pirate will use their own Battle Dice for that minigame, not dice from the Dice Pool.