Monsters on Board: Monster Mixer Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Act One: The Feast
  • Components
  • Setup Changes
  • Grunt Movement Changes
  • Spook Phase Changes
  • Tables
  • Move 1 Waiter
  • Deliver Food Cubes
  • Scoring Tables
  • After Scoring a Table Card
• Act Two: The Game
  • Components
  • Setup Changes
  • Spook Phase Changes
  • Buying
  • Anytime Actions
  • Placing Cubes on Frankenstein
• Act Three: The Murder
  • Components
  • Setup Changes
  • General Concept and Goal for The Murder
  • Spook Phase Changes
  • Peek at 1 Card
  • Final Scoring
• Act Four: The Marathon
  • Components
  • Setup Changes
  • Gameplay
  • Malice and Boost Cubes
  • Spook Phase Changes
  • Activate Boost Card
  • Obstacle Cards
  • End of Round
  • Scoring Trophies
• Solo Specific Rules
  • Act 1: The Dinner
  • Act 2: The Game
  • Act 3: The Murder
  • Act 4: The Marathon

Act One: The Feast

Components

• 24 Dinner Table cards
• 16 Bar Table cards
• 8 Waiter meeples (2 of each color)
• 144 "Food" cubes (24 of each color), and a bag for them

Setup Changes

Setup the base game as normal, except for the following changes:

1. Ghost Tokens and Prophecy cards are not used (return them all to the box).
2. Create a shuffled face-down deck of all Arch Monster cards nearby; in this mode, they are gained by Delivering Food Cubes (page 3).
3. Shuffle the 24 Dinner Table cards together to form the Dinner Table deck; place it face down near the bottom of the main board.
4. Place 1 Dinner table card face up below each Malice-marked spot below the main board.
5. Shuffle the 16 Bar Table cards together to form the Bar Table deck; place it face down near the top of the main board.
6. Place 1 Bar table card face up above each Malice-marked spot above the main board.
7. Each player takes 2 Waiters of their chosen color (return any remaining to the box).
8. Place all 144 Food cubes into the bag.
9. Each player places 36 random Food cube on their player board: 1 on each non-action movement space (those not showing an action icon). Return the bag to the game box - any cubes left in the bag are not used this game.

Grunt Movement Changes

When your Grunt moves through (or lands on) a space containing a Food cube, immediately take the cube(s) and put them into your supply - this is a 'tip' you've received! After, perform all normal procedures for that movement.

Spook Phase Changes

In clockwise order, starting with the first player, each player takes turns, one at a time. During your turn, you must choose one of the following options:

a. Move 1 Waiter - from your supply - to a Dinner or Bar Table card;

b. Deliver any number of Food Cubes to any Tables you have a Waiter at, or

c. Pass.

Continue taking turns until all players pass consecutively.

Tables

Dinner Tables can each have up to 2 Waiters placed there, but they must belong to different players. Bar Tables can only have 1 Waiter placed there.

Move 1 Waiter

To move a Waiter to a Table, you must:

• Pay the Malice cost for the table (shown on the main board based on the table's position), and
• Deliver at least 1 Food to the table.

If you move a Waiter to a Dinner Table that already has a Waiter there: You must deliver enough food to cover all remaining Food-cube spots on that table.

Deliver Food Cubes

Food-cube spots (their plates) must be covered with matching-color cubes. White/clear Food-cube spots can be covered by any color cube.

Once per table, each turn: If you deliver 1 or more Food cubes to a Table, draw 1 Arch Monster card.

For example: If you Move a Waiter to a Table and deliver 3 cubes, draw 1 Arch Monster card. On a future turn, if you deliver any Food to this table, you draw 1 Arch Monster card. Archmonster cards do NOT score at the end of the game. Their only purpose in this mode is to grant players additional actions by being discarded as an Anytime Action.

Scoring Tables

Immediately, when all spots on a Table card are covered with food cubes, do the following:

• If only 1 Waiter is on the card, its owner gains the shown Spook Juice on the card.
• Otherwise, Ignore the shown Spook Juice, and each player with a Waiter on the card receives 2 Spook juice for each food cube they placed on the table.

After Scoring a Table Card

1. Discard the scored Table card (Waiters return to their owner's supplies, and food is returned to the box).
2. Slide the remaining cards to the right (if able). Waiters and Food cubes remain on slid cards.
3. Place a new Table card in the now-empty Table-card spot (of matching type from its deck).

Act Two: The Game

Components

• 24 Frankenstein cards
• 144 'Body Part' cubes, 24 of each color, and a bag to put them in.
• 6 Spook Juice tokens

Setup Changes

Setup the base game as normal, except for the following changes:

1. Ghost Tokens and Prophecy cards are not used (return them all to the box).
2. Create a shuffled face-down deck of all Arch Monster cards nearby; in this mode, they are gained by an 'Anytime' action (page 5).
3. Stack the Spook Juice tokens in the Graveyard, in descending numerical order, with the largest number (12) on top.
4. Shuffle all 24 Frankenstein cards together to form the Frankenstein deck; place it face down near the main board.
5. Place 1 Frankenstein card from the top of the Frankenstein deck face up under each Malice-marked spot below the main board.
6. Place all 144 Body-Part cubes into the bag.
7. Place 1 random Body-Part cube above each Malice-marked spot above the main board.

Spook Phase Changes

In clockwise order, starting with the first player, each player takes turns, one at a time. During your turn, you must choose one of the following options:

a. Buy 1 Body-Part cube, or

b. Buy 1 Frankenstein card, or

c. Pass.

Continue taking turns until all players pass consecutively.

Buying

To buy a Body-Part cube or Frankenstein card:

• Pay the shown Malice on the main board (depending on its position), then place it into your supply.
• After each purchase, slide the remaining cubes and/or cards to the right and fill with new ones (from the bag or deck as needed).

Anytime Actions

You can perform these actions during any player's turn, at any time.

• Place and rearrange your Body-Part cubes as you wish.
• Discard 2 cubes (of any colors, from your supply and/or from your cards) and spend 1 Malice, to gain 1 Arch Monster card.

Archmonster cards do NOT score at the end of the game. Their only purpose in this mode is to grant players additional actions by being discarded.

Placing Cubes on Frankenstein

You are attempting to cover all white spots, you do not cover the colored spots. Assume/Treat each non-white colored spot as already having a cube on them matching that color.

White spots can be covered with any color of cube, with the following restrictions:

• Both arms must be the same color.
• Both legs must be the same color.
• Both the head and the heart must be the same color.

For example: Here, you must place an orange cube on the left arm, a pink cube for the heart, and any color for the legs - but they both must be the same color.

Immediately, when all white spots on a Frankenstein card are covered with cubes:

1. Gain the reward shown on the Frankenstein card, then return the scored Frankenstein card, and all cubes on it, to the box.
2. Gain Spook Juice as shown on the top Spook Juice token on the stack in the Graveyard, then return the scored token to the box.

Act Three: The Murder

Components

• 6 Pumpkin-Jack's Hideout cards
• 6 Grunt Victim cards

Setup Changes

Setup the base game as normal, except for the following changes:

1. Ghost Tokens and Prophecy cards are not used (return them all to the box).
2. Create a shuffled face-down deck of all Arch Monster cards nearby; in this mode, they are gained by placing cubes when peeking.
3. Each player takes 10 matching-colored cubes in a color of their choice. Return the remaining to the box.
4. Shuffle the 6 Hideout cards, then place 1 face down randomly - and unrevealed - at the center of the main board (on the graveyard).
5. Place the remaining 5 Hideout cards face down randomly below the main board, 1 below each Malice-marked spot (where Arch Monster cards would normally go).
6. Shuffle the 6 Victim cards, then place 1 face down randomly - and unrevealed - at the center of the main board (on the graveyard).
7. Place the remaining 5 Victim cards face down randomly above the main board, 1 above each Malice-marked spot (where Ghost tokens would normally go).

General Concept and Goal for The Murder

The 2 face-down cards in the Graveyard tell you the Neighborhood Pumpkin Jack's Hideout is in, and the Grunt Victim he is trying to kill! You cannot look at them, but you may deduce what they are. For example: If you look at all 5 Victim cards and find Frankenstein, Mummy, Werewolf, Octopod, and Skeleton; you know that Spider Jack's target is the Witch!

Spook Phase Changes

In clockwise order, starting with the first player, each player takes turns, one at a time. During your turn, you must choose one of the following options:

a. Peek at 1 card, or

b. Pass. Continue taking turns until all players pass consecutively.

Peek at 1 Card

To Peek at card, do all of the following:

1. Look at 1 face-down card by paying its Malice cost (indicated by its position). You can not show anyone else.
2. Place the card back face down where it was and place 1 of your cubes beside it. (This reminds you that you've already looked at this card, and any time you may recheck what the card is - no memory skills required!)
3. Draw 1 Arch Monster Card. Archmonster cards do NOT score at the end of the game. Their only purpose in this mode is to grant players additional actions by being discarded.

Final Scoring

Capture the Killer: If you have 3 (or more) Minions in the Town area matching the Hideout card in the Graveyard, gain 20 Spook Juice.

Save the Grunt: If 1 (or more) Grunts of the color shown on the Victim card (in the Graveyard) is in your final Neighborhood area, gain 20 Spook Juice.

Bonus: If you Capture the Killer and Save the Grunt, gain 10 added Spook Juice (for a total gain of 50 Spook Juice).

Act Four: The Marathon

Components

• 5 Boost Cards
• 5 Obstacle Cards
• 5 Trophies
• 16 Obstacle Tokens (4 of each type)
• 6 Grunt cards
• 12 'Grunt' Ghosts (those showing the Grunt icon from the base game)
• 144 'Boost' Cubes

Setup Changes

Setup the game as normal with the following changes:

1. Gather the 12 'Grunt' Ghosts (those showing the Grunt icon from the base game); keep them nearby face up.
2. Shuffle the Grunt cards and deal X to each player.
   • 2P or 3P: 2 Grunts each
   • 4P: 1 Grunt each, and deal 1 Grunt card between the starting player and the last player, and 1 between the 2nd and 3rd Player.
3. Place the Boost cards into each space of the top-row market, in any space matching the amount of cubes shown on them.
4. Shuffle the Obstacle cards and deal 1 to each space in the bottom-row market.
5. Place the Trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th near the board. (Trophies award Spook Juice at game's end.)
6. Place the bag of Boost cubes nearby.

Gameplay

It's time to race! Do you have what it takes to navigate your runners across the finish line?

Malice and Boost Cubes

Any time you would gain Malice, instead gain Boost Cubes. Each Malice you are owed instead gives you 2 random cubes drawn from the bag.

Spook Phase Changes

During the Spook Phase, in turn order, you may spend Boost cubes to activate a Boost card, Obstacle card, or pass. Continue taking turns until all players pass consecutively.

Activate Boost Card

To activate a Boost card, spend Boost cubes as shown on the card, then perform the card's effect:

• Any 2 colors
• 2 different colors
• 3 different colors
• 3 of the same color
• 2 cubes of one color, and 2 of another

Obstacle Cards

When you activate an Obstacle card, choose any numbered Area, and each other player must move the Obstacle card's matching token to the middle of that Area. (The Obstacle token is moved no mater where it currently is.)

When activating the Ghost Runner; instead, only target one player, and give them a 'Grunt' Ghost.

End of Round

Players may only hold onto a number of Boost Cubes equal to the number of vacant Minion spaces they have on their player board (store your Boost Cubes on the vacant Minion spaces, then discard the rest).

Scoring Trophies

For each Grunt color - in total, on all players' boards - sum the total # of numbered areas they occupy (add up the number showing in each Area where each Grunt is). Players in control of the winning Grunt (the Grunt with the highest total) receives the 'first-place' Trophy, and likewise for second-place, etc.

In a 4 player game: Both players score Trophies earned by Grunts placed between them, both players receive the full points.

If there is a tie: Total the VP from the tied Trophies and split them as evenly as possible (rounding down) between the tied players.

Solo Specific Rules

Any of these modules can be played in the "Beat Your Own Scare" mode of the game with no additional adjustments needed. The following rules are specific to each scenario when playing solo Versus Spider Jack.

Act 1: The Dinner

In addition to the Bar Table cards, also deal 1 Ghost to each upper area. The AI will interact with the Ghost like normal. If you interact with a Bar table card, discard the associated Ghost, and refill like normal.

Act 2: The Game

In addition to the Body Part Cubes, also deal 1 Ghost to each upper area. The AI will interact with the Ghost like normal. If you interact with a Body part cube, discard the associated Ghost, and refill like normal.

Act 3: The Murder

In addition to the Victim Cards, also deal 1 Ghost to each upper area. The AI will interact with the Ghost like normal. If you interact with a Victim card, discard the associated Ghost, and refill like normal.

Act 4: The Marathon

In addition to the Boost Cards, also deal 1 Ghost to each upper area. The AI will interact with the Ghost like normal. If you interact with a Boost card, discard the associated Ghost, and refill like normal.