La Chasse aux Lutins
La Chasse aux Lutins Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 9 sly elf cards
- 9 one-elf cards
- 9 two-elf cards
- 9 three-elf cards
- 1 rules sheet
We have taken care to add one card of each type. Given the nature of the game, you may lose some of them.
Goal
Score as many points as possible by finding the elves.
Setup
Keep the sly elf cards for more experienced players who have played before and enjoy risk.
First choose a game mode (see below). Your choice will depend on the number of players, their ages, and the space you have available.
Also decide how long the game will last, and make sure someone keeps time, ideally a host who does not take part in the hunt. You may also use a timer with an alarm. For a first game, we suggest about 5 minutes.
Mode "1 Room and 1 Host"
Choose a room of the house that is large enough and contains several places where the elves can hide.
The host, often an adult who runs the game, takes all the elf cards (if there are 5 players or fewer, remove 3 elf cards of each type). The host sends all the other players out for a few minutes while the elves are hidden. If possible, the host can set up the room before the game; even better.
The host must follow the elf rules when hiding the elves:
- One-elf cards must be fully visible: on a table, a chair, a shelf, etc.
- Two-elf cards must be partially visible. About half of the card should be visible.
- Three-elf cards must be fully hidden: under an object, under the sofa, etc. The more elves there are, the better they are at finding good hiding places!
- All elves must be easily accessible to all the elf hunters; do not place them out of reach or in dangerous places to reach.
Mode "We Have the Whole House!"
Share the elf cards equally among the players. Each player receives an equal number of one-elf, two-elf and three-elf cards. The remaining cards are returned to the box. For example, with 4 players, each receives 2 cards of each type.
Assign each player a different room of the house. If there are very few players, assign more than one room to each. Everyone goes to their assigned room and hides their elves, following the rules described above.
Playing the Game
Once the elves are hidden, gather all the players in one place. At the starting signal, everyone leaves quickly to search for the elves. When a player finds an elf, they MUST keep it on them.
Important note for the "We Have the Whole House!" mode: a player is not allowed to search in the room where they hid their elves.
If you are playing with a host, the host may help the hunters with hints such as "you're burning up" or "you're getting cold"...
Example of scoring (with sly elves)
Philémon found seven elf cards: one with 1 elf, one with 2 elves, one with 3 elves, and four with sly elves. He collected six basic elves (3 + 2 + 1) for 6 points, and since he has at least three sly elves, he scores 3 additional points for a total of 9 points.
Mélanie found three basic cards with the same values, but she only found two sly elves. Since she has fewer than three sly elves, she puts the two back in the box along with another elf card, the one-elf card. She is left with 3 + 2 elves, so she has 5 points.
End of the Game
When the timer or alarm indicates that the time set at the start of the game has elapsed, all players immediately stop searching and return to the starting point. Each player then counts the number of elves they have found. Elf cards have from 1 to 3 elves. Each elf is worth one point. The player with the most wins the game! In case of a tie, all tied players win.
ATTENTION! This is the moment to make sure that ALL the cards have been returned. Take two minutes to count the cards and look for any that have not been found.
Sly Elf Variant
Sly elves are unpredictable! Sometimes they join your group, and other times they run off with your other elves. Be watchful when you see them nearby!
During setup, also hide the sly elves. The sly elves must be accessible to everyone. You may place some in plain sight and hide others completely, as you wish. The game plays out in the same way.
During scoring, if a player has one or two sly elves, they must return them to the box along with another elf card from their hand (which costs them points). If a player has three or more sly elves, they score 3 points.
REMEMBER! Once you have taken an elf on yourself, you can never get rid of it!