La Caza de la Calabaza
La Caza de la Calabaza Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Box Contents and Card Types
- Separating Cards and Setting Up the Game
- Each Adventurer Marks Their Difference
- How the Game Deck Works
- The Obakameshi Monsters (Enemies)
- Be Careful Not to Set Off the Alarms!
- Explanation of the Item Cards
- Beware of the Mischievous Sack-Swappers!
- Danger! Dr. Tomatenstein Appears!
- Solo Mode Gameplay System
Box Contents and Card Types
Instructions / 5 adventurer cards / 50 game deck cards
Separating Cards and Setting Up the Game
To begin there are two types of cards, clearly differentiated by their back designs. On one side are the adventurer cards, and on the other are the rest, which form the game deck.
Each player randomly selects one adventurer, and then the game deck is shuffled and placed in the centre of the table.
Printed captions under the example images: "Adventurer cards" and "Game deck cards".
Each Adventurer Marks Their Difference
Alright, we now have our obakameshi to play with. Looking at its card, besides the character itself, next to it there is a small shield with one of the five experimental pumpkins of the game. This indicates that this character will not lose that type of pumpkin (if they have it in their possession) when an obakameshi monster that originally belonged to their race attacks them.
How the Game Deck Works
Once each participant has an adventurer, and with the game deck shuffled, the starting player must be chosen (at random or giving priority to the youngest player). Subsequent turns are played in clockwise order.
The starting player (and then, in turn, the rest) turns over the top card of the game deck and acts according to what it reveals.
The game deck includes: experimental pumpkins (five types), obakameshi monsters (five types), alarms, items, sack-swappers, and, of course, the card of the villain Dr. Tomatenstein.
Experimental pumpkins can be kept automatically, as can items, but the same player may not have more than two identical cards of any type in their possession (at least face up, since sack cards allow an experimental pumpkin to be hidden inside).
The first player to obtain one of each of the five experimental pumpkins in the game wins the game.
Printed caption under the pumpkin cards: pumpkin set: onion, pepper, lemon, carrot and apple.
There is one more pumpkin, Jack's pumpkin, which does not count as a pumpkin for winning the game (it is an item).
The Obakameshi Monsters (Enemies)
In reality these monsters are mutant obakameshi that arose from the failed experiments of Dr. Tomatenstein, who uses them as soldiers to guard his plantation.
When an obakameshi monster appears, it attacks directly whoever revealed its card, taking from them a pumpkin of the type marked on its "forbidden" sign (the monster takes the pumpkin and leaves, that is, the monster and that pumpkin are discarded).
If the player who revealed it did not have the indicated experimental pumpkin, or had protection for it, the monster will advance, attacking the rest of the players in the order marked by the arrow on its card (taking into account the position of whoever put it into play). The monster will go to the discard pile when it obtains its desired pumpkin, or if, after passing all the players, nobody has it.
Be Careful Not to Set Off the Alarms!
The player who reveals this card has just set off an alarm by noise while rummaging among the bushes of the plantation, and while running out has dropped an experimental pumpkin. But one of any type? No, exactly the type it defends (the one on its shield)! Of course, if they do not have one of those, this trap card is discarded and nothing happens.
Explanation of the Item Cards
There are four item cards, all marked with a gear symbol.
Jack's Pumpkin: Obakameshi monsters cannot resist them! Keep it in your card set and give it to a monster when it attacks you, sending the monster and Jack's pumpkin to the discard pile.
Anti-Bug Sprayer: With this you make an obakameshi monster turn around and attack in the opposite direction to the one its arrow indicates (its attack round will end just before it returns to you, if it has not left before). Discard it after use.
Wild Cat: Dr. Tomatenstein hates cats, and when this little kitty shows up there is a great commotion! Play the Wild Cat card as it appears, or keep it to use on another turn (on which you would not draw a card in exchange for its use). Look at the top three cards of the game deck, choose the one that suits you best, and put the other two back on top (not in the discard pile) in the order you prefer. Discard it after use.
Sack: Used to hide an experimental pumpkin inside it (covering the pumpkin with the sack card). Monsters will not see it. No one may look at which pumpkin is hidden unless that player loses a turn to look (they do not draw a card from the game deck), and if they wish, they may move it to another pumpkin or discard the sack. No player may put more than one pumpkin in a sack, although a player may have another sack without a pumpkin.
Beware of the Mischievous Sack-Swappers!
Sack-swappers play tricks on the adventurers! When one of these cards is revealed, if more than one player has pumpkins in sacks, those sacks are swapped according to the arrows shown on the card's sign.
Danger! Dr. Tomatenstein Appears!
Although he has the obakameshi monsters standing guard over his plantation, Dr. Tomatenstein himself spends his time wandering the vegetable patch trying to catch those who sneak in. When he appears, all players discard their items (except sacks with pumpkins inside them). Immediately, he is discarded. The discarded card piles are then gathered together with the remaining undrawn cards, shuffled, and the deck is placed again in the centre.
Solo Mode Gameplay System
Solo mode is a race against the clock, and you must keep track of which enemies come out in order to gather the five experimental pumpkins. The first thing to do is choose an adventurer. From the game deck, leave only these cards: 2 Jack's pumpkins, 2 sacks, 2 alarms, 5 experimental pumpkins (one of each), the 10 obakameshi monsters, and Dr. Tomatenstein.
The rest of the deck is set aside and will serve as a counter. Each time we draw a card from the game deck, we advance one step on the counter, trying to complete the set of pumpkins before the counter runs out. In this mode the two sacks may be used to cover and move pumpkins before drawing.