Paleo
Paleo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 3 Boards (Base Camp, Wilderness, Night)
- 1 Cemetery (for "removed" cards)
- 1 Workbench
- 222 Cards
- 40 Resources (20 Food, 12 Wood, 8 Stone)
- 48 Tool Tokens
- 40 Wound Tokens
- 5 Skull Tokens
- 5 Victory Tokens
- 2 Dice
Before your first game, assemble the workbench as shown in the rules.
Introduction
Each player controls a group of people, including fierce warriors, clever inventors, and watchful scouts. Together, the players form a tribe, working together to explore their surroundings. You will encounter trials and adventures in the wilderness, and only by working together can you triumph and build a human legacy!
IMPORTANT! Do not play your first game with 4 groups! If you are playing with 4 players, 2 players should control a single group jointly, so that there are a total of 3 groups max. Paleo is a cooperative game, so all the players are always on the same team in any case. You should play with 4 groups only once most of the players are familiar with the game.
Key Concepts
- Paleo is a cooperative game. All players are working together on the same team, and will win and lose together. You are always allowed to discuss strategy with other players, and players can freely share information with each other.
- The game is played over multiple rounds. Each round consists of a day phase and a night phase. During the day, you will collect resources, make tools, and overcome various challenges. At night, you will feed your people and prepare for the following day.
- Each player controls their own group of people, and has their own deck of cards. These cards represent the environment you will explore, as well as the time available to you.
- The object of the game is to continue discovering new things. Thus, you will frequently uncover new tasks while you play. To avoid spoiling any surprises, don't look at the cards too closely when you sort them. How to sort the cards is described in "Card Setup".
- During most games, you will use only 2 of the 10 included modules. The modules are sorted into 7 levels of gradually increasing difficulty, but you can mix and match modules however you choose. You can play the levels in any order you choose. There are always new adventures to discover in Paleo!
Object of the Game & Ending the Game
The game ends in one of two ways:
Winning the Game: The object of the game is to complete the cave painting on the night board. To do so, you must collect 5 victory tokens as a tribe, adding these tokens to the night board on the corresponding space. Once you have collected all 5 victory tokens, you finish the cave painting that cements your tribe's legacy, and all players immediately win the game!
Losing the Game: You must avoid collecting too many skull tokens over the course of the game. Skull tokens are also added to the night board on the corresponding spaces. If your tribe collects a 5th skull token, all players immediately lose the game.
In the rare event that you collect both the 5th skull token and the 5th victory token during the same action, the players win the game.
Card Setup
The cards are pre-sorted in the box. The individual sets and modules are identified by the symbols (numbers and letters) printed on the card fronts.
- Separate the cards based on their symbols.
Separate bags are provided for each set of cards. For your first game, return modules "C" through "J" to the box. You will need the remaining cards for Level 1. There are also 10 blank cards included, to allow players to create their own modules.
The card sets are:
- 1 — Base Cards (32 cards)
- 2 — People (20 cards)
- 3 — Dreams (16 cards)
- 4 — Ideas (8 cards)
- 5 — Mysteries (22 cards)
- A–J — Modules (124 cards)
Setup
Most aspects of setup are the same each game; the only changes are based on which modules you use. Rules specific to each module are detailed under "Modules" on pages 2 & 3 of the supplemental rules.
- Place the 3 boards (Base Camp, Wilderness, Night) in the middle of the play area.
- Place the resources and wound tokens near the boards.
- Place the workbench near the base camp board.
- Sort the tool tokens by type. Next, place 5 torches, 5 stone axes, and 5 spears on the corresponding spaces on the workbench. Place the remaining tool tokens in front of the workbench.
- Place the cemetery next to the workbench. Place 5 food on the storage area in the base camp.
- Take the following 2 card sets: People (2), Dreams (3), and Ideas (4). Shuffle each set separately and place them in 3 facedown decks on the 3 corresponding spaces on the base camp.
- Take the base card set (1), add all the cards from the modules used for this game, and shuffle all these cards together. Remember to remove some cards from each module before shuffling (see pages 2 & 3 of the supplemental rules for details).
- Deal all of the cards from this deck facedown, as evenly as possible, to each player. Do not look at the card fronts. The cards dealt to each player form that player's deck.
- The cards may not be dealt out evenly to each player. This does not affect game balance.
- Place the skull and victory tokens next to the night board.
- Each player draws 2 people from the deck on the base camp board and places them faceup in front of them. These 2 people form your individual group; more people will be added over the course of the game. Finally, each player takes the tool tokens shown on their people's cards, placing them next to their group.
Day Phase
The first phase of every round is the day phase, where players resolve cards from their decks and make new discoveries.
Each day phase consists of multiple turns. All players take their turns simultaneously.
Choose a Card
- Look at the backs of the top 3 cards of your deck, and choose 1 of them to place facedown in front of you. You can look only at the card backs; you cannot look at the card fronts.
- You can look at the backs of all cards in your deck at any time. However, you cannot change the order of the cards.
- Then, return the other 2 cards to the top of your deck in the order of your choice.
Additional Information: You should discuss which cards to choose as a group, but you make the final decision on your own card choice.
You will mostly find wood and food in the forests, food and pelts in the rivers, and stone and pelts in the mountains. While back in camp, you can build and gain access to people, dreams, and ideas. See the diagram on the base camp board for a summary of what can often be found on each card type.
Card Backs
There are multiple different card backs. Card backs give you a hint of what might be found on that card, but you can never be sure: surprises abound in the Stone Age.
The card backs include: Forest, River, Mountain, People, Dream, Idea, and others. Useful resources can often be found in the forest, river, and mountain. People, dreams, and ideas will always have something good to help you work toward your goal. Some card backs have additional symbols, which give hints as to what may be on the card front.
Example: A card back that shows a river, but also shows a mammoth. These may be some hints as to what can be found on this card, but you'll need to investigate to discover exactly what it may hide.
Revealing Cards
Once each player has chosen a card, reveal all chosen cards simultaneously.
- Each player chooses 1 option on their card, then resolves it. The players decide, as a group, the order in which cards are resolved. For an explanation of the options on cards and discarding cards, see "Action Cards".
- Players continue choosing and resolving cards until all players' decks are empty.
End of Day Phase
Once you have discarded all of your cards (your deck is empty), you go to sleep and stop participating in the day phase. Once you go to sleep, you cannot resolve cards or assist other players. Other players continue their day phases until all players have gone to sleep. Once all players have gone to sleep, the day phase ends and the night phase begins.
Going to Sleep Early
Instead of revealing and resolving a card, you may choose to discard the rest of your deck without effect, and immediately go to sleep. This can be a good idea if you have a lot of dangerous cards with red backs remaining in your decks.
People Cards
People are shown by the green background on card backs. People join your group and allow you to resolve a variety of actions.
Card anatomy: each person card shows a Title, a Card Set number (ignore set numbers while playing the game — these are relevant only for setting up and storing the game), a Health track, and an Ability.
One-Time Tool
Some people give you a tool token when they join your group. When this person joins your group, take a matching tool token and keep it next to your group.
You gain this token only once, when the person joins your group. Even if the person who gave you the tool is removed from your group, you keep the tool token.
Example: A hunter gives you a "Pelt" tool token.
Abilities
Most people have 1 of 3 abilities: Strength, Awareness, or Skill. This ability is available to support your group. (Example: a hunter with 1 strength.)
Health
When your group suffers wounds, you must choose one person in your group to be wounded. For each wound your group suffered, place 1 wound token on an empty heart space on the chosen person's card.
- If there aren't any empty heart spaces left but you still must place wound tokens, place 1 wound token on the skull space on that person's card. That person dies. Ignore any remaining wounds that you would need to place.
- When a person dies, return the wound markers from that card to the supply. Remove the person from the game, placing them in the cemetery. Finally, place 1 skull token on the night board.
- If the last person in your group dies, after placing the skull token, immediately draw a new person from the deck on the base camp board and add them to your group.
Action Cards
Action cards are shown by the blue background. You must always choose exactly 1 of the following options:
- Resolve 1 of the actions and gain the rewards
- Help another player
- Ignore the card
Resolving Actions
Many cards give you various options, which give you different rewards. There are always requirements and costs (shown on the left) which you must meet in order to receive the reward (shown on the right).
Abilities (Requirements): Your group must have at least this ability total, adding together the abilities on all of your people. (Example: an action that requires 2 skill.)
Discard Cards From Your Deck (Cost):
- You must discard this many cards from the top of your own deck. Discard the cards facedown, without looking at the card fronts. (Example: an action that requires discarding 2 cards.)
- If you discard red cards to pay this cost, you suffer 1 wound for each red card you discard.
Rewards
If you meet all the requirements and pay all costs for an action, you immediately receive the rewards.
- Place resources such as wood, food, and stone on the common storage area on the base camp board.
Helping
One option on each action card is to help another group (another player). When you do, you add all of the abilities and advantages of your group to the other player's group to help them resolve their card.
- When you help another group, you can suffer wounds instead of that group.
- When you help another group, you and that group split the rewards from their action.
- You cannot discard cards from your deck while helping another player.
Ignore the Card
If you can't or don't want to resolve an action on a card, you can ignore it, discarding it faceup.
Cleanup
After you finish resolving an action, discard the card faceup.
Discarding Cards
When you discard cards facedown, place them on the left space of the wilderness board, forming a facedown discard pile. You cannot look through cards on the left (facedown) space.
When you discard cards faceup, place them on the right space of the wilderness board, forming a faceup discard pile. You can look through the right (faceup) discard pile at any time.
Hazard Cards
Hazard cards are shown by the red background, or by the hazard symbol. Hazard cards always have at least one negative action on them, and cannot be ignored. You must resolve an action on a hazard card, even a negative one.
If you cannot fully resolve a negative action, you must resolve as much as you can.
Negative Action
Unlike most other actions, you usually do not receive rewards from negative actions. (Example: you suffer 1 wound.) Other cards may force you to pay something, or may give you something to offset the loss.
Red Backs
Most cards with red backs are hazards. However, you can never be sure: sometimes you will find hazards lurking behind other card backs, and sometimes you will find something good on a red-backed card.
Action Card Symbols
This section explains the various symbols, actions, requirements, and costs that can appear on cards. You don't need to memorize these symbols: use this section as a reference when each symbol comes up.
Abilities (Requirements)
Your group must at least meet the shown requirements to resolve that action. All abilities are resolved the same way: you do not need to pay anything, you just need to have the required abilities in your group.
Payments (Costs)
This arrow means you must pay cards, tool tokens, or resources. If you can't or don't want to pay these items, then you cannot resolve the action.
- Pay resources from the storage area, returning them to the supply.
- Return the shown tool token to the supply. You must already have the tool in your group to pay it. You cannot use a tool token's effect at the same time that you use it as a payment.
- Discard cards from your deck to the facedown discard pile on the wilderness board. You cannot change the order of cards in your deck: you must always pay the topmost card(s).
- Keep in mind: For each red-backed card you pay, you suffer 1 wound.
- Other players cannot help you when discarding cards: you must always discard them yourself.
Remove (Cost)
Instead of placing the card in the discard pile as normal, remove the card, placing it in the cemetery after resolving the action. Unlike discarded cards, which are reshuffled at the beginning of each day phase, removed cards are removed from the game (unless an effect specifies otherwise).
Dice
Some actions have unpredictable outcomes. Roll the number of dice shown.
- The dice increase the ability requirements to resolve the action.
- If the die results mean that you cannot resolve the action, you must instead resolve a negative action on the card, or ignore the card if there are no negative actions.
- If you want to ask for help in resolving an action, you must do so before rolling dice. Other groups cannot decide to help you after you roll the dice.
Example: In addition to the known requirements, there are unknown requirements determined by the dice. You roll 1 skill and 2 strength. To resolve this action, you must have a total of 3 skill and 2 strength. You must also discard 2 cards. After you resolve this action, you remove this card, placing it in the cemetery.
Crafting
Your group will need the right tools to survive dangerous trials. In order to craft tools, you must first have the idea for the tool. At the start of the game, you always have 3 ideas you can use to craft: the torch, the stone axe, and the spear. You will find other idea cards during the game.
- This icon allows you to craft 1 item from the workbench. You must fulfill the requirements and pay the necessary resources and tool tokens in the same way you would pay for other actions.
- If you fulfill all the requirements and costs, you gain the reward.
Rewards
When you successfully resolve an action, you immediately receive the rewards shown. As with costs, you don't need to memorize these symbols, and should use this section as a reference.
Resources
The most common rewards are food, wood, and stone. You must collect these resources to build new tools and to resolve most other actions. Take the resources from the supply and place them on the storage area on the base camp board.
- Resources are component-limited: if there are none left in the supply, you cannot take any more.
- Resources you gain can be used by another player during the same turn.
Tool Tokens
Tool tokens represent objects you can craft from ideas, as well as certain other objects such as pelts and roots. Place the tool token next to your group. You can use the ability on the tool as soon as you gain it.
- To use the ability on a tool token, you must discard it. Thus, you can use each tool token only once.
Talisman: When you reveal a hazard card, you can discard a talisman token to ignore that hazard card and discard it without effect.
Tent: Tents have no inherent effect, but other cards may require you to have a tent.
Raft: Rafts are needed only when using module H. See page 3 of the supplemental rules for details.
Cards
People: Draw 1 facedown person from the deck on the base camp board and add them, faceup, to your group. As always, if you add a person with a tool token, take that tool token.
- You must choose 1 of your people to die, placing their card in the cemetery. You must also place a skull token, as normal when a person dies.
Dreams: Draw 1 card from the facedown dream deck on the base camp board and place it facedown on top of your deck. Dreams will show you the way to animals or special locations, or give you new sources of courage.
Ideas: Draw 1 card from the facedown idea deck on the base camp board and place it, visible to all players, in an empty slot on the workbench. If there is no more room, you must choose an idea card to remove to the cemetery. Some ideas allow you to craft new tools. In this case, take the corresponding tool tokens and place them in front of the idea card, indicating that they can now be crafted.
Secrets: Search the secret deck on the night board for the secret card with the shown number on it. Reveal the secret card and read it aloud to the other players. If the shown card was previously revealed and is no longer in the secret deck, you cannot reveal it again.
- Secret cards have new actions on them, and the player who revealed the secret card now resolves the secret card as well.
- Other groups can help you with secret cards as normal, even after the secret card is read.
Wounds
One person suffers this many wounds. See "Health".
Prevent wounds: You can prevent this many wounds, usually by paying a tool token. You cannot use this to remove existing wounds, only to prevent wounds you are suffering now.
Healing: Remove this many wound markers from people in your group. You can divide the healing among multiple people. You can heal people in other groups only if you are helping them, or they are helping you.
Skull Tokens
Place a skull token on the night board. You immediately lose if the fifth skull token is placed. Sometimes skull tokens are unavoidable.
- Remove a skull token from the night board, returning it to the supply. This can buy you more time to complete your legacy.
Victory Tokens
Place a victory tile on the night board. You immediately win when the fifth victory token is placed on the night board.
Night Phase
Once all players are asleep (no one has any cards remaining in their decks), the night phase begins. You must both feed your people and deal with mission cards during each night phase.
Feeding
Each player must feed all of the people in their group. For each person, pay 1 food from the storage area to the supply. If there is not enough food to feed everyone, place 1 skull token on the night board for each unfed person. Unfed people do not die.
Mission Cards
After the people have been fed, you must deal with any faceup mission cards (each module contains 1 mission card). During the night phase, only the area below the "moon" symbol matters. As a group, you must choose and resolve 1 of the actions shown. As with hazard cards, there is always a negative action option (often a skull).
Because these actions are resolved as a tribe, you can collectively choose who will pay necessary costs, such as tool tokens.
You cannot ignore mission cards. Mission cards remain in play after the action is resolved, unless the card indicates otherwise.
Night Action Cards
Cards in your group with the moon symbol must be dealt with during the night phase in the same way as mission cards (you must choose and resolve 1 of the actions shown).
A New Day
Shuffle all the cards in the faceup and facedown discard piles on the wilderness board together and deal them out facedown, as evenly as possible to the players. As normal, you cannot look at the card fronts.
Once the cards are dealt, the night phase ends and the next day phase begins. Continue resolving day and night phases until the players win or lose the game.
Special Cards
You now know everything you need to begin playing your first game. You can skip this section for now, and refer back to it when it becomes necessary.
Placing Tools and Resources on Cards
Some cards require you to place tool tokens or resources directly onto them. As soon as you gain a tool or resource, you must decide whether to take it as normal, or place it on the card.
Once you add a tool or resource to a card, you cannot change your mind and use it for a different action, or return it to your group or the storage area. You can use it only for the action shown on the card it is on.
New Cards
Some cards will include instruction on where to place them once revealed. You must do so. This counts as resolving the card, and you cannot choose any other action. Cards may instruct you to add them to another card, or to add them to your group.
Using Alternative Action Cards
To use these actions, you must use the "help" action on a card you revealed. Instead of helping another player, you can use this alternative action, whether it is present in your group or added to another card. As with other actions, you must still pay additional costs or meet certain requirements to receive any rewards. Do not place the card in the discard pile after using this action.
If you want to use this type of action on another player's card, that player must choose to help you by also using a "help" action.
Additional Actions
As you play, various cards with additional actions will be revealed and remain in play. Some of these will be in your group, while others will be added to other cards. These actions do not count as an option during your turn. Do not place them in the discard pile after resolving them. You can resolve any number of these additional actions on your turn, whenever you like during your turn.