Pests!
Pests! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
What's the Game About?
You play as an Exterminator who specializes in the elimination of a particular type of Pest: Flying Bugs, Creepy Crawlies, Winged Beasts, Vicious Vermin, Unwanted Guests, or Spooky Specters. You've been hired to clear your type of pests out of a house. The homeowner's hired several other exterminators to clear out the pests that they specialize in. Only the first to complete their job will get paid!
How do I win?
Each type of pest has its own color that matches with an exterminator. As an exterminator, you are trying to eliminate the pests that match your color. To win, you must, in any order, seal the nest of your type of pest, eliminate all pests of your color, capture the queen pest of your color in a trap, and finally empty that trap once your nest is closed and all your pests are eliminated. The first exterminator to do so wins!
Can I be eliminated from the game?
Yes. If all of the available pests that match your color are in the house at the end of your turn, that pest's infestation is complete and you are eliminated. If any pests or the queen are in a trap, they are not considered to be in the house.
Game Setup
Your game should come with the following pieces:
- House Room Tiles: 25 total; 18 square standard tiles, 6 square nest tiles (1 of each color, into which pests will emerge until sealed), 1 oblong entry tile. All these tiles are used to build the game board.
- Exterminators: 6 total; 1 of each color. They represent the players on the game board.
- Exterminator Cards: 6 total; 1 of each color. They describe each player and their special characteristics.
- Pests: 144 total; 24 of each color. The small creatures that each player must exterminate.
- Pest Queens: 6 total; 1 of each color. The big creature that each player must capture.
- Toolbox Cards: 28 total; 14 offensive (skull and crossbones symbol), 14 defensive (shield symbol). Action cards that players can play to disadvantage other players or help themselves.
- Traps: 7 total; 1 of each color plus 1 additional green trap. Used to capture pests or pest queens.
- Nest Seal Tokens: 6 total; 1 of each color. Used to seal the nest room and prevent more pests from emerging into the house.
- Dice: 2 total; 1 standard 6-sided die (d6), 1 multi-colored "Queen Die". Used to determine outcomes of random events, most commonly the number of pests exterminated and the actions of the queens.
There are 4 phases to set up the game: Selecting Exterminators, Filling Toolboxes, Building the House, and Infesting the House. If it's your first time playing, we recommend the Quick Start rules to familiarize yourself with the strategy, cards, and game mechanics.
1. Selecting Exterminators
Lay all exterminator cards on the table face up. Each exterminator, and in some cases the corresponding queen, have their own special characteristics noted on the exterminator card. Roll the d6 to determine who will choose their exterminator first. In counterclockwise order around the table, all players select their exterminator. If less than 6 players are playing, return the unchosen exterminator cards to the box.
Quick Start Rules: Roll a d6 to determine who goes first. In clockwise order, shuffle all exterminator cards and deal one to each player. Return remaining exterminator cards to the box.
2. Filling Toolboxes
Lay all 24 toolbox cards face-up on the table. The last player to choose their exterminator gets to choose first. Players will pick toolbox cards one at a time in clockwise order, until all players have 4 toolbox cards. Toolbox cards are classified as Offensive and Defensive (denoted by the shield and skull icons), depending on whether they benefit the user or harm a user's opponent. Place any unchosen cards into a draw pile. Players will keep their toolbox cards in their hand until they are used. [see Appendix B for a list of all toolbox cards, and additional details on special use cases]
Quick Start Rules: Shuffle all toolbox cards. In clockwise order, starting with the last player to receive an exterminator card, deal cards until all players have 4. Place remaining toolbox cards into a draw pile.
3. Building the House
Find the Entry Room tile (the one with the compass rose on it) and place it on the table. Each player takes the colored Nest Room tile that matches their exterminator color. Return all unused nest room tiles to the box. Shuffle all the Standard Room tiles and return the following number to the box, based on the number of players:
- 2 players: 4 tiles
- 3 players: 3 tiles
- 4 players: 2 tiles
- 5 players: 1 tile
- 6 players: 0 tiles
Deal the room tiles to all players, starting with the last player to draw a toolbox card, continuing in a clockwise direction. Starting with that same player and moving in the same direction, lay house tiles on the table one at a time to build the house until all have been played, noting that:
- Players may not place their Nest Room Tile until at least the third round of tile placement.
- Each tile played must be connected to an existing tile.
- All Room Tiles must be connected by doors, and the doors on the tiles must align. Doors can not lead to blank walls. Doors leading to the outside are okay.
4. Infesting the House
Depending on the number of players, each player should remove the following number of pests from their reserve of 24, and return them to the box:
- 2 players: 4 pests
- 3 players: 3 pests
- 4 players: 2 pests
- 5 players: 1 pest
- 6 players: 0 pests
All players place their Exterminator in the Entry Room, and their Pest Queen in the corresponding Nest Room. Then each player will place 7 Pests on the board: 3 Pests in their Nest Room, and the remaining 4 in each of the adjacent, connected rooms, starting with the room in the down direction (consult the compass rose on the Entry Room tile to determine what directions are Up, Down, Left and Right), and moving clockwise. If there are less than 4 adjacent rooms, continue in the clockwise order until all pests are placed (if there is no room below, start with the one to the left; if there is no room to the left, start with the one above, etc. - see diagram). This will be referred to as the DLUR order.
Gameplay
Once the house has been infested, it's time to play! The first player to play a house tile starts, with play continuing in a clockwise order. Each player's turn is split into two phases. On each player's first turn, the first phase occurs twice:
1. The Queen's Turn
Roll the Queen Die. Your queen takes whatever action the die indicates. Use the compass rose on the Entry Room tile to determine direction:
- U: Up - Your queen moves up.
- D: Down - Your queen moves down.
- L: Left - Your queen moves left.
- R: Right - Your queen moves right.
- S: Summon - Every pest of your color moves one room toward your queen. It's recommended to start with the pests closest to your queen. If there is more than one equally efficient path to the Queen, split the Pests up in each direction. If an uneven number is split, the extra pest will move based on the DLUR order - Down over Left over Up over Right.
- P: Populate - Instead of dropping a pest in her current room, your queen drops 4 pests in rooms adjacent to her current room, using the DLUR order.
After the queen has taken the action indicated by the die, she drops 1 pest (unless a P was rolled) from your reserve in the room she is in now, and 1 new pest emerges in your Nest Room.
Note - If the queen rolls to leave the house through an exterior door, she will re-enter the house through the nearest available door into a different room. To determine which door the queen uses to re-enter, follow the outside walls of the house, treating empty spaces around the house as you would room tiles. If there are two doors of equal distance away, she will take the path that moves her in a clockwise direction. [see diagram] If she enters an empty "courtyard" space within the house with no door available to re-enter, she returns to the same room and drops 2 pests. Since the purple queen can move through walls, she re-enters through the nearest exterior wall that leads to a different room, using the same movement rules. Exiting and re-entering the house constitutes the queen's entire move, unless affected by a toolbox card (e.g., if the yellow queen exits and re-enters, she does not move an additional room).
Note - If the queen can not perform her action (she would hit a blank wall, there are no pests to summon, etc.) she will get angry and drop 2 pests instead of 1. (Note: If the yellow queen can move at least one room in the rolled direction, or the red queen can summon any pests at least a single room toward her, that is considered to be performing her action, and she does not drop an additional pest).
Note - If the queen is in a trap, roll the queen die as normal. If the queen's color is rolled, she escapes from the trap. The trap is returned to the player, and the queen drops 1 pest as normal, but does not perform any other action. If the queen's color is not rolled, the queen does not take any action, and she remains in the trap.
2. The Exterminator's Turn
Each turn, the player has 1 Free Move that can be used in the same way as the "Move" action described below, after which they have 2 Action Points they can choose to expend to take the following actions. You may take any action more than once per turn if you have the action points available. Unused action points do not accumulate. If you use a non-Move action first, you forfeit the Free Move.
| Action | Description | Pts req'd |
|---|---|---|
| Move | Move your exterminator to another room (must move through doors, and can not leave the house). | 1/room |
| Exterminate Pests | Roll d6 die. Remove the rolled number of pests from the room you are in (does not include Queen). | 1 |
| Drop Trap* | Drop your trap in your current room, only if you have an available Trap. Traps cannot be dropped in your Nest Room. If both the Queen and Pests are in the room, the player decides which to trap. | 1 |
| Empty Trap | Remove a Trap of your color from your current room. Return trap and contents (if applicable) to your Pest reserve. If the trap holds your Queen, you must first seal your nest and exterminate all of your Pests before emptying the trap. | 1 |
| Drag Trap | Move your exterminator and any trap in your current room to an adjoining room. | 2 |
| Seal Nest | If you are in your Nest Room, place your Nest Seal token in the room. No Pests will emerge in the nest room as long as the nest is sealed. | 2 |
Note on Traps - A standard Trap holds 7 Pests of its color OR the corresponding Queen. The Queen cannot be caught by a Trap that already contains Pests, and vice versa. When dropped, traps will immediately collect pests in the current room, and continue collect any Pests or Queen of its color that enter the room until it reaches its capacity. If a Queen moves into a room with a trap of her color, she is immediately captured and does not drop any pests that turn. A trap will remain in place unless emptied by the player that dropped it or destroyed by an opponent.
Good luck and get paid!
Appendix A: Team Play
If individual competition isn't your thing, Pests! can be played in a team mode, where groups of players are working together to clear the house. Equal teams of 2 or 3 players are recommended (with 4 or 6 players total). Teams should be chosen before game setup begins. The variations in play are as follows:
How do we win?
Your team wins when ALL your team's Nests are sealed, ALL your team's Pests are exterminated, ALL your team's Queens are trapped, and 1 player on your team is able to empty their Queen trap.
Can we lose?
Yes. If any player has all the pests of their color in the house at the end of their turn, their team is eliminated.
Game Play
Follow the standard game play rules, with the following exceptions:
- Exterminators can exterminate pests of any color; not just their own.
- Exterminators can still only seal their own nest, unless a toolbox card allows otherwise.
- Exterminator's trap can still only catch that color pest and that color queen.
- If at any time during their turn an exterminator is in the same room as another member of their team, they may exchange as many toolbox cards between one another as they wish.
Appendix B: Toolbox Cards
Note: Unless specifically stated, the term "Pests" on Toolbox cards does not include the Queen.
Defensive
- More time: Take 2 extra actions this turn. Since playing this card costs an action, this is the equivalent of having 3 actions total.
- Pests hibernate: The queen does not roll and no new pests emerge in the nest room this turn. This card does not cost an action point to play, and does not forfeit your Free Move. (play this card before your queen rolls)
- Mating call: Summon all pests of your color 2 rooms towards yourself. Pests move according to the same rules as when the Queen summons.
- Colony collapse: Exterminate half the pests of your color in the most infested room of the board. Round up. If there are multiple rooms that are equally "most infested", you may choose which of those rooms this card effects.
- Bug bomb: Eliminate all pests of your color in current room.
- Energy drink: As your only action apart from playing this card, move up to 4 spaces this turn. (you may still move your 4 spaces even if "Stuck!" has been played against you.)
- QuikTrap: Drop and immediately empty a trap in your current room.
- QuikSeal: Immediately seal a nest in your current room.
- Trap remote: Empty your trap, even if you are in a different room.
- Nesting: Return your un-trapped queen to her nest room.
- Zap!: Exterminate up to three pests in any single room.
Offensive
- Unseal nest: Unseal selected player's closed nest.
- Trap Breaks: Return a trap to the selected player. Contents of that trap are returned to the room the trap had been in.
- Pest surge: 5 pests immediately emerge in the selected nest, even if the nest is sealed.
- Angry queen: Place this card in front of the selected player. On their next turn, the queen performs her entire action twice. The normal number of pests still emerge in the nest room. (Note: Royal Persuasion only allows the player to choose one of the Queen's actions before she rolls.)
- Stuck!: Place this card in front of the selected player. They lose their free move and can only take 1 action on their next turn. (The queen still rolls, and pests still emerge in the nest room.)
- Sabotage tools: Discard one card at random from another player.
- Less to infest: Remove 5 pests from the selected player's reserve and return them to the box. These are no longer available to infest the house.
- Royal Persuasion: Place this card in front of another player. On their next turn, you may choose what action their queen takes.
- Dumpster Diver: Take a discarded offensive action card and immediately use it.
- They're spreading!: Place 4 pests from the selected player's supply in the rooms connected to one that already contains that type of pest (using DLUR pattern).