Roswell 51
Roswell 51 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- A Game For 3 – 13 Players
- Surviving or Not: The Role of the Players
- Shuffling in Style: The Role of the Director
- Rule Cue Cards
- The Experienced Director
- Eerie Occurrences
- Movie-Making Tips
- Key Terminology: Player Vs Survivor
- From Roswell to Pittsburgh
- How the Movie Is Played
- The Movie Deck
- How to Set-Up the Game Board
- How to Start the Movie
- The Movie
- The Player's Turn
- The Director's Turn
- Building Monster Throngs
- The Shuffling Horror Shuffle Board
- How to End a Reel
- How to Start the Next Reel
- Triggering the End
- Pod Player / Monster Player
- Survivor Rolls & Attacks (2D6)
- The Damage Roll (D6)
- Sanctuary Play
- How Damage Is Modified
- Special Damage Notes
- How Players Use Spoints
- Special Effects
- Shuffling Horror Extras!
- More Eerie Occurrences!
- Alternate Rules
- Large Cast Rules
A Game For 3 – 13 Players
Roswell 51 is a card-and-dice game that is meant to be played in a fast-paced cinematic style. Due to the randomness of the shuffled cards and the chaos of the dice rolls, each game packs plenty of twists and turns. There are twelve survivor cards in the game deck, allowing up to twelve players to take part in the movie; thirteen when you include the role of the Director. It is recommended that a Director's first few games should be versus three or four players. A game versus a large cast (five or more players) can be challenging; however, once a Director gets a couple of films under their belt, they will be ready for a cast of any size.
Each player that joins the game gives the survivors an edge as there will be more player turns per round (and, so, more attacks against the aliens). In such games, it can be hard for the Director to gain a foothold. Such games give the survivors strength in numbers, but this is also a weakness: the more players there are, the less survivor cards each player holds. Once the first player is eliminated, that player joins the Director's team as an alien ally and the remaining players now face two adversaries. From that point forward, the action escalates.
Surviving or Not: The Role of the Players
This is not a game about winning or losing – it is a game about surviving with the bravado and grit one would expect in a classic UFO invasion flick. The game's cinematic flow generates action and adventure to challenge the players; their response to these events is what propels the movie forward.
The movie's momentum is in the players' hands. There are times players will pause the action to strategically assess the best course to take and debate a game plan as a group. Strategy is certainly needed to survive, but players should be cautioned: the game's random elements assure that best laid plans can crumble in a single die roll or turn of a card.
The game's race-against-time nature is heightened by the players' attempt to make it through each reel as quickly as possible; however, they must also make sure that the aliens' strength (represented by the Director's cards placed along the top of the board) never gets out of control. Inevitably, that, too, is something that can change in a heartbeat.
The best advice for players is to balance strategy and fun; if in doubt, perform actions that bring the movie to life in an over-the-top style. If at first you don't survive, you can always play again.
Shuffling in Style: The Role of the Director
Just like a movie director's command over their script, the Director's command over the Shuffling Horror system allows them to bring a true cinematic feel to each game. The Director is very much like a professional blackjack dealer, dealing out cards in a structured fashion upon the movie screen. Once the Director masters the art of dealing the reels, they will find the movie almost plays itself. Familiarity with the cards in the deck allows the Director to anticipate the movie's twists and turns. With this in place, the Director can focus their efforts on destroying the survivors with their own unique flare – and have a whole bunch of fun along the way.
Rule Cue Cards
Four rule cards are included for easy reference during play. The cards summarize the key rules of the system and note the rulebook page number as well. The clapper symbol (on right) is used throughout this guide to indicate cue card rules.
The Experienced Director
The Shuffling Horror Extras section at the end of this guide provides expert tips and guidance for the Director. In addition, the Alternate Rules and Large Cast topics provide interesting rule variants which an experienced Director can implement to put a masterful touch on their movies. Optional and advanced rules should not be implemented until a Director has firm command over the game's core rules (found on the rule cue cards).
Eerie Occurrences
The way the cards fall and the dice roll assure that no two games will ever play the same; this is one of the strengths of the Shuffling Horror system. However, this randomness can occasionally cause an outcome so unexpected that the Director must pause to think through the rules. Such moments are called Eerie Occurrences; several are highlighted throughout this guide to cue the Director to expect the unexpected. These are not rule fixes, but clarification on how rules are applied to outrageous dice rolls and unusual card play. If an eerie occurrence arises that is not explained, it is the Director's call how to resolve it in their movie.
Movie-Making Tips
Highlighted throughout this guide are Movie-Making Tips to help the Director deliver four-star results. Such as this one:
Shuffle! Shuffle! Shuffle! The Director must thoroughly shuffle the cards before each game and between each reel. Normal sequence of play groups cards of the same type together; these groupings should be manually separated before the game's official shuffle begins.
Key Terminology: Player Vs Survivor
When the word "player" or "survivor" is used for a rule or event card, it is done so specifically.
- Player – the actual player. Player count (the number of players) is factored for the Turning Point endgame. Player count excludes the Director and is not the same as a survivor count.
- Survivor – refers to the survivor card and individual character. A player may have multiple survivors in their pool.
From Roswell to Pittsburgh
The Roswell 51 rules are the official rules for the Shuffling Horror system. These rules supersede those found in Shuffling Horror: Pittsburgh 68 (released in 2012) and are wholly compatible with P68 play.
The Shuffling Horror Shuffle Board is also designed for Pittsburgh 68 play (in fact, the game plays even better upon it). A full layout of the game board is found on pages 10-11.
One major change from the prior ruleset is the new survivor pile which eliminates the need to deal the survivor cards out to the players. Also, several exciting cinematic twists have entered play via the Fade In, Fade Out, and Horror Star tokens; these will add all-new thrills and chills to your Shuffling Horror experience.
Additional ways to enhance your Pittsburgh 68 game are found under the Shuffling Horror Extras section at the end of this guide.
How the Movie Is Played
Reel By Reel...
The movie plays across four rounds called reels. Each reel is composed of a set number of movie deck cards, which represent the action and events in that portion of the movie. For example, the first reel is dealt ten cards, representing the first ten minutes of the film.
Nothing is without danger in the Shuffling Horror system. As cards are taken from the movie screen, the replacement cards can introduce new and terrible consequences.
- Reel I – 10 cards
- Reel II – 20 cards
- Reel III – 15 cards
- Reel IV – 10 cards
The card allotment for each reel is placed on the gameboard's reel pile and the remaining cards become the discard pile. Prior to each new reel, the discard pile is shuffled and the next reel's card allotment is dealt.
Frame By Frame...
During a reel, three cards are in-play face-up on the movie screen frames. For the most part, the survivors are playing against these cards, whereas the Director draws and builds their alien throngs from it.
Unexpected events arise as cards are removed and replaced. Screen cards are removed when:
- A Survivor takes an item card.
- A Survivor eliminates a monster card.
- The Director takes a monster card.
- The Director triggers a Creature Feature.
- Special event cards are resolved.
Card By Card... (Mystery Cards)
Whenever a card is taken from the movie screen, a reel pile card is drawn to fill its empty frame. Replacement cards are placed face-down. The mystery it holds is only revealed after the survivor (or Director) who caused it to be drawn concludes their turn. The reveal adds tense fun to the conclusion of each survivor turn.
For example, three cards are on the screen: Three Strange Neighbors, Outer Space Terrors, and 4 Dynamite Sticks. The player decides The Colonel will take the dynamite; this card is moved into his possession. A face-down card is placed in the vacant frame. The Colonel may still attack; after his action completes, the mystery card is revealed and resolved. Normal turn sequence then resumes.
Mystery card(s) appear as a direct result of a survivor's action and, so, that survivor suffers its consequence. An event card can immediately affect this survivor or, sometimes, the entire group. When things go suddenly and horribly wrong, blame can be placed on the survivor who caused it – just as it would be in a movie.
Spoints (Survivor Points)
Short for survivor points, spoints are the dramatic currency of this game. These tokens allow the survivors to "cheat the odds" and "cheat death." As spoints begin to dwindle, the tension of the game mounts. Spoints are fully explained in their own section (page 17).
The Movie Deck
The movie deck cards fall into three categories: Survivor, Screen, and Event. The survivor cards are the film's stars. The screen and event cards contain all the key ingredients to make the movie: items, plot twists, unexpected events, and lots and lots of monster cards.
The descriptions below detail each type of card, the number of cards of that type, their key color, and category (Survivor, Screen, or Event).
- At the start of the game, all survivor cards are placed in the survivor pile. These will be drawn by players during the game.
- Screen cards are monster, item, and power play cards. When screen cards appear, they remain on the screen until taken or eliminated.
- Event cards are shuffling horror, plot device, and sanctuary cards. When an event card appears, it is resolved and then immediately placed or removed from play (as per the card's instructions).
Special rules found on cards are exceptions to the game's normal rules. After being played or eliminated, most cards return to the discard pile. This allows them the chance to appear multiple times during the movie. However, plot device and sanctuary cards are permanently removed from play after use; they can only appear once per movie. Such cards go to The Graveyard (page 11).
The Survivors
Survivor Draw Pile – 12 Cards – Red
Each player starts the game with a single survivor card in-play and may draw additional survivor cards after the game begins. A player's pool of survivors is sometimes called the player's hand.
On the bottom of each card are the survivor's four stats: Muscle, Speed, Brains, Guts. Underneath each stat is a target number that is referenced for any action roll the survivor attempts. See Action Rolls (page 14).
The Robot has only two stats with target numbers: Muscle (which is its heavy armor) and Brains (which is its advanced computer intellect). The Robot begins the game with six bonus rest spoints (which represent its super-human edge).
As survivors are eliminated from play, they are placed in the discard pile. They now have the potential to return to the film as a Familiar Face (page 18).
The Monsters
24 Cards – Black/White – Screen Card: Director Takes or Survivor Eliminates.
When a monster card appears on screen, it remains there until eliminated by a survivor's attack or is taken by the Director (who would place it in a throng slot on the top of the board). Each alien/monster has a target number in its bottom right circle (from 2 to 8). The number represents both the monster's attack value and its damage threshold.
The Alien Warlord is the highest ranked alien with an attack value/damage threshold of 8. Additionally, the warlord is immune to head shot effects until Reel 4 (this rule is written on the card).
The Items
8 Cards – Green – Screen Card: Survivor Takes.
When an item card appears on screen, it remains there until taken by a survivor. An item indicates which stat score(s) is associated with its use. It also lists a damage bonus or special feature. Item damage bonuses and effects cannot be combined.
4 Dynamite Sticks: The survivor who takes this card receives the four dynamite tokens to track its use. Once all four tokens are spent, the card is discarded (it might appear again later in the film). Dynamite is also the only item that allows a special Throng Attack (page 16).
The Power Plays
2 Cards – Red – Screen Card: Survivor Takes. Return to discard pile at the end of each reel.
The power play cards remain on screen until taken by a survivor. These cards grant temporary bonuses for the current reel. These are discarded at the end of each reel or upon their completed use (as per the card's instructions). As such, these cards may appear multiple times in a movie.
The Shuffling Horrors
4 Cards – Gray – Event Card: Immediate Play then return to discard pile.
When a shuffling horror card appears on screen, it is read aloud by the Director and resolved. These cards give the aliens a bonus or cause some disturbance for the survivors. These cards loan themselves to being read in a creepy horror show voice.
Blobbed introduces a special monster: the space blob. It receives a number of sanctuary spoints and remains on the screen until destroyed via survivor attacks (in the same fashion that the Director destroys a sanctuary). Once destroyed, it is discarded. Eerie Occurrence: As it is not a true monster card, the space blob is immune to head shot effects; it is always discarded.
Spored can instantly change a survivor into a Familiar Face (page 18). Should its victim be The Robot, the Director may play this as if the Robot's programming has been altered to obey the aliens' commands: "DESTROY ALL HUMANS!"
The Plot Devices
4 Cards – Blue – Event Card: Immediate Play then removed from play.
When a plot device card appears on the screen, the action stops and it is read aloud. These cards provide sudden plot twists, adding dramatic moments and challenges for the players. These cards have a one-time use and are then removed from play (i.e. placed in The Graveyard (page 11)).
Unlike any other card in the game, activation is optional (this is noted on the card). This allows the card's use to be strategically delayed. If bypassed, the card is placed in the discard pile (allowing it a chance to reappear in a later reel) and play continues as normal.
A plot device card can force multiple survivors to make a dice roll. Such tests begin with the survivor who caused the card to appear and then proceeds clockwise around the table. Once all have participated, the game action resumes as normal. As a reminder of where play left off, the fade in token can be placed on the survivor who triggered the event.
The Sanctuaries
2 Cards – Yellow – Event Card: Immediate Play. Director destroys via attacks.
When one appears on screen, the Director immediately moves it to its reserved slot on the board where it remains until destroyed. A sanctuary serves as a wall between the survivors and the monsters; it gives the survivors a (relatively) safe place to recoup and search for items. Due to the random nature of the deal, players never know when (or if) a sanctuary will appear. See also Sanctuary Play (page 15).
Once a sanctuary is in play, the Director should feel free to suggest reasons why the survivors might want to visit it. "Why don't you make your way to The Bunker on the old base? There still might be some weapons inside!"
Bonus Cards
Three bonus cards are provided for the experienced Director's use: Popcorn, Scream Queen, and the Shuffler. A duplicate set of these cards is included for use with Pittsburgh 68 play (with that game's logo on the common side).
Scream Queen (Power Play) – This is an optional power play card. Prior to the game, it may be substituted for either power play card (Payback or Fight or Flight). Including all three cards in a movie is not recommend; doing so will be a significant advantage for the players.
Popcorn (Single Play Bonus) – Single use per game. When it appears it is immediately resolved and then removed from play. Depending on whose turn it appears, it may benefit a player or the Director.
The Shuffler (Advanced Single Play Bonus) – Single use per game. This terrifying wild card grants the Director an immediate bonus turn or the option to select any one card from the discard pile to replace it. After this is resolved the game resumes where it left off. Like a plot device card, the Director may pass on its use and return it to the discard pile.
How to Set-Up the Game Board
Setting up the Shuffling Horror Shuffle Board should take only a few minutes; the following three numbered topics lead the Director from board set-up to the movie's Opening Scene. The sections below highlight key components and rules that can be explained to players as set-up occurs; the greater the players' understanding prior to the start, the better their movie experience will be.
1 Placing The Spoints (54 tokens)
The use of survivor points (spoints) is explained on page 17. Spoints with a one-point value serve as both power spoints and rest spoints.
Power Spoints – Each player begins with a power spoint allotment based on the number of players. The Director is not included in this count.
| Players | Power Spoints |
|---|---|
| 2-3 | 7 |
| 4-5 | 6 |
| 6-7 | 5 |
| 8+ | 4 |
Power spoints are placed on the perimeter reel can closest to each player. Instruct players that power spoints remain on the board; these are different from rest spoints which are earned later in the game and placed on a survivor's card.
Rest Spoints: Central Pool – Unused spoint tokens are placed as a central pool on the board. Establish the pool over the car trunk/Shuffling Horror logo. During the game, players place their spent spoints here and draw rest spoints from this pool.
Sanctuary Spoints (10 Tokens) – The spoints with a four-point value are reserved for sanctuary use only. Place two tokens on the Sanctuary I slot and three tokens on the Sanctuary II slot. During game-play, when a sanctuary card appears, it is moved to the slot with the appropriate number of tokens. Unused sanctuary spoints are placed on either top corner of the board; these are for later use with the Blobbed card.
2 Placing The Tokens
Reel Tokens (4) – Sort the four numbered reel tokens in numerical order, with "1" on top. Place this stack over the Reel 1 space on the reel track.
Fade In Token (1) – Place to the left of The Reel title. When a reel ends, the fade in token is placed on the survivor who begins the next reel.
Fade Out Token (1) – Place to the right of The Reel title (opposite the fade in token). During the reel, this token is used by the Director to mark screen cards for elimination.
Dynamite Tokens (4) – Dynamite tokens are placed on either top corner of the game board. These tokens are given to the survivor who acquires the 4 Dynamite Sticks card to track that item's spent attacks.
Countdown Tokens (10) – These tokens are also placed on either top corner of the game board. These aid the Director in tracking spent attacks during an Attack Cycle (page 19). A countdown token is placed on the throng/monster to indicate it has completed its attack.
An annotated picture of the Shuffle Board with components placed is on pages 10-11.
3 Placing The Cards
Before the game begins, the Director separates the deck and places the cards as follows:
Endgame Cards (2) – Place the Last One Standing card on the survivor pile and then place the Turning Point card on top of that. Both cards are placed rules side down.
Survivor Cards (12) – Shuffle the twelve survivor cards and place face-down on the survivor pile (covering the previously placed endgame cards). When all survivor cards are drawn, the Turning Point card appears as a reminder of the first endgame rule.
Movie Deck Cards (44) – The movie deck is composed of these remaining cards:
- 24 Monsters
- 8 Items
- 4 Plot Devices
- 4 Shuffling Horrors
- 2 Power Plays
- 2 Sanctuaries
Shuffle these cards thoroughly and place on the discard pile (face-down). If the Director has opted to use any bonus cards, these should also be included.
Rule Cue Cards (4) – The cue cards highlight key rules of play. There are four types of cue cards:
- Survivor Reference
- Director Reference
- Special Effects
- Key Moments
Place these cards within easy reach of the players. Prior to game, players should glance over the rules listed on these cards, as it will give them a full scope of game play topics. If you fully understand all the rules found on the rule cue cards, you are ready to start the film rolling and call "Action!"
d6 and 2d6
Four six-sided dice have been included for use in this game. One pair is provided for the Director and the other set for the players. Dice rolls resolve the movie's action and attack moments. Dice also determine the damage from each attack.
The text on the game cards use the abbreviation d6 to indicate a single die roll and 2d6 for rolls requiring two dice.
The Discard Pile
The discard pile holds the unused movie deck cards and all discards. It serves two important purposes during play.
- Bonus Draw: During a reel, bonus cards may be drawn from the discard pile. The pile must be shuffled before such cards are drawn or dealt.
- Reel Deal: At the end of every reel, the discard pile is shuffled and the next reel's allotment is dealt. The alloted cards are placed on the reel pile, while the remaining cards are returned to the discard pile.
Survivor Pool & Item Notes
A player should place their survivor cards in front of them in the order in which the survivors will act (to sync with the clockwise progression of play).
A player is limited to a maximum of three survivors in their pool. In addition, each survivor is allowed to hold two cards (item or power play cards). This allows a player to have a maximum of nine cards in-play (three survivors, each with two held cards).
Once an item or power play card is acquired, it remains with that survivor until it is taken by another survivor or discarded. If a survivor is eliminated, all held cards are discarded.
How to Start the Movie
With all cards and tokens in their starting positions, the movie starts playing with two quick tasks: (a) each player introduces their first survivor and (b) the Director deals the first reel and reveals the Opening Scene.
The Survivor Draw
Each player draws a single survivor card from the survivor pile, placing it face-up in front of them. This is that player's starting character for the movie. As survivors are drawn, players should feel free to provide some info as to where that character is and what the audience sees them doing as the movie begins. "The Scout has ventured out to the old mine on the outskirts of town. He's hoping to find some large beetles for his terrarium!"
The Opening Scene
The movie's Opening Scene and Reel 1 card allotment is dealt in one fluid motion. With the movie deck shuffled and ready for the start of the game, the Director deals ten cards face-down on the reel pile and then three cards face-up on the screen. Thirteen cards have now been dealt (ten for Reel 1 and three for the Opening Scene). The movie deck is now placed face-down on the discard pile.
For a true cinematic start, the Director should audibly count down the ten reel pile cards as they are placed ("10... 9... 8... 7..."), and conclude by slowly revealing the three face-up cards for the Opening Scene.
1 - Starting Monster Bonus – This bonus only applies to the first three cards of the Opening Scene (it does not occur for future reels). Any monster cards revealed are taken by the Director and each placed into its own throng slot; the movie may begin with one, two, or three monsters already in-play. See Building Monster Throngs for full details (page 9).
No stacked throngs may be created with these bonus monsters: the alien menace builds slowly. These monsters represent the first signs that weird things are happening around town and the crazy rumors of sightings of creatures from another world.
The Director now fills any vacant frame on the screen with replacement cards drawn from the reel pile. These cards are placed face-up.
The Movie
Reel card count: Reel I – 10 · Reel II – 20 · Reel III – 15 · Reel IV – 10.
II - Opening Scene Resolution – The Director proceeds as follows to bring the Opening Scene to its conclusion and start the movie. Based on the three cards now revealed on the screen:
- Creature Feature: If all three cards are monster cards, a Creature Feature is triggered. The Director takes a single monster card and places it in a throng of their choice. A new reel pile card is drawn to fill the vacant frame on the screen. See full Creature Feature rules (page 18).
- Event Cards: If there are any plot device, shuffling horror, or sanctuary cards revealed, these are resolved in order, starting with Frame I. When resolved, that card is discarded (as per its instructions), and a new reel pile card is drawn and placed face-up. If this card is another event card, it is resolved first (before any other event card that might still be on the screen).
A lot of action can be generated as the movie begins. Resolving one of the conditions above may trigger the other. Once the screen is filled with item, power play, or monster cards (i.e. screen cards), player turns begin. From this point forward, all replacement cards are dealt face-down as mystery cards (page 2).
As the Director takes monsters from the screen, colorful details can be added as to where the aliens are, what they are up to, or if a survivor has caught their attention. For example, after the Outer Space Terrors is revealed on screen, the Director adds, "Closing time at the Roswell Public Library. Just as The Librarian is heading for the door, she hears a strange noise over in the Non Fiction aisle. She turns to see a slithering mass of tentacles coming her way!"
The Player's Turn
Player turns are clockwise, starting with the first player to the Director's left. The Director's turn marks the end of each player round.
A player begins the game with a single survivor in play. During the game, a player may draw additional survivors to build their pool of survivors (explained below under Special: Take+Attack topic).
Survivor Actions
On a player's turn, each survivor in their pool is allowed a single action:
- Take an item card or power play screen card.
- Attack any alien, on screen or in a throng.
- Rest and gain two spoints.
- Move into a sanctuary (if one is in play).
- Take an item card from another survivor (with that player's permission).
For example, a player with three survivors can allow one survivor to Attack, another to Take, and the last to Rest. Optionally, the player can have each Attack or perform any mix from the options above.
A player must resolve each survivor's action independently before proceeding to the next survivor's action. This is critical for a mystery card reveal (page 2).
Special: Take+Attack
On their turn, a player has the option to forgo their entire pool's individual actions to perform a single Take+Attack action. Doing this is the player's full turn. There are two types of Take+Attack actions a player may perform:
- Take Item + Attack: A survivor takes an item card from the screen and immediately attacks with it. This can only be a screen card; a survivor cannot Take+Attack an item held by another survivor.
- Take Survivor + Attack: The player draws a character from the survivor pile and immediately attacks with it. Drawn survivors begin with three rest spoints on their card (these survivors start more rested than those who began the movie). This new survivor is now part of the player's pool.
If a player has no in-play survivors, their only option is to Take+Attack from the survivor pile. If there are no survivor cards remaining to draw, that player is now a Pod Player on the Director's team (page 13).
The Director's Turn
Once all players have taken their turn, it is the Director's turn. The Director's options are straightforward: each is a form of attack (it is, after all, the aliens' mission to eradicate the survivors). On their turn a Director may choose one of the following attack actions.
- Take+Attack: Take a monster card from the screen, place it in any throng slot, and immediately attack with that throng.
- All-Out Attack: The Director takes no screen card and instead attacks with every established throng.
- Cover+Attack (Advanced Play): This is a strategic maneuver to block the players' access to an item or power play screen card. It can also serve as an attempt to trigger a Creature Feature bonus for the Director. To Cover+Attack, the Director takes one card from the reel pile, places it face-down on the screen card they wish to block, and then concludes with a single attack from any one throng. After this attack, the cover card is revealed. This card must be eliminated/taken, before the card below is in-play again. If the covering card is an event card, it is resolved and then normal play resumes. The cover card could also be one that benefits the survivors (an item or power play card). Cover+Attack can backfire on the Director.
Note that the Director benefits from many out-of-turn actions, triggered by the appearance of event cards. Such bonus actions counterbalance the many actions of the players' turn sequence.
Special Director Actions
There are two special actions a Director may take at the end of their turn; at no other time can these be used. These are in addition to their standard action.
Fade Out – The fade out token is used to strategically expedite the movement of screen cards. The Director places the token on any one item card or power play screen card. Players have the following round to take this card before it disappears from the screen. At the start of the Director's next turn, if this card is still on the screen, it is discarded and a replacement card is drawn. This card cannot trigger a Creature Feature; if one occurs, it is ignored. The Director then begins a normal turn.
Clipping the Reel (Advanced Play) – The Director can end the reel if its reel pile is depleted (no cards remain to be drawn for the screen). If so, the Director is allowed to clear all remaining screen cards.
This is a strategic maneuver to prevent the players from reaping an overly advantageous round of actions. For example, the survivors might ignore the screen cards to prolong the reel and either (a) gain a round of rest actions or (b) focus a round of attacks to weaken the Director's throngs. Leaving just one card untouched on the screen grants them this power.
Just like the Alien Warlord, the Director should be ever vigilant for such player strategies and cut them short before they come to fruition.
Clipping the reel provides a choppy grindhouse-style film moment, where the action suddenly jumps forward for no apparent reason at all.
Building Monster Throngs
Turn-by-turn, the Director builds the movie's menacing horde by taking and placing alien cards into groups called throngs. These are built in the six throng slots that line the top of the game board. The active throngs are also called the Director's Hand.
Throngs are built over the course of many turns via the Director's Take+Attack actions, but event cards and Creature Feature bonuses expedite this throng-building process (sometimes insanely so).
Each card placed in a throng increases that throng's attack strength, which is the sum total of all placed cards. The first throng above is 7, the middle throng is 8, and the third throng is 12. Attacking With Throngs is explained on page 14.
Throng Limits
Each throng slot is limited to a three-card grouping (i.e. three monster cards per slot). Once placed, these cards cannot be moved or rearranged. They stay as placed until eliminated by an attack.
The Director may build the first three throng slots in any order they wish, placing the cards for the best strategic advantage. However, the fourth throng cannot be created until the first three throngs are full (nine cards placed). Likewise, the fifth/sixth throng cannot be started until all predecessor throngs are full.
Once a throng is established, placement rules no longer apply to that throng. For example, if Throng #4 has a card placed there, additional monsters can be added (even if Throngs #1, #2, and #3 are no longer full). However, if Throng #4 has all of its cards eliminated, it is once again subject to the initial placement rules.
Screen Monsters
Monster cards on the movie screen are not a throng – they are lurking terrors waiting to attack. These monsters are not under the Director's control and cannot be used for normal attacks (unless an event card states otherwise).
The Shuffling Horror Shuffle Board
This section details the key areas on the Shuffling Horror Shuffle Board™. This layout is arranged for a game with the Director versus four players; the players' starting power spoints are shown on four perimeter reel cans.
- The Reel Pile – This slot holds the card allotment for the current reel. During a reel, these cards are drawn to replace cards eliminated from the movie screen. The Fade In and Fade Out tokens are also placed here, one on each side.
- The Movie Screen and Frames I - III – The movie screen holds three active cards representing the current scene for the audience (players). Each frame is numbered (I, II, or III), indicating the order event cards are played when they appear.
- Top Corner Reels – Place the dynamite, countdown, and extra sanctuary tokens here.
- The Discard Pile – This slot holds the discards. At the end of each reel, the discard pile is shuffled for the next reel pile allotment. The discard pile also serves as bonus card draw pile (shuffle before such use).
- The Reel Cans – There are twelve reel cans surrounding the game board's perimeter. At the start of a game, each player's power spoint allotment (page 5) is placed on the can closest to that player.
- The Spoint Pool – Remaining one-point tokens are placed here, within reach of all players.
- Sanctuary I & II – These two slots are reserved for the game's two Sanctuary cards (The Lab and The Bunker). At the start of the game, place three sanctuary tokens on one slot and two sanctuary tokens on the other. When a Sanctuary card appears on the movie screen, it is immediately moved to the location with its designated number of tokens.
- The Survivor Pile – This slot holds the game's twelve Survivor cards, face-down. The two endgame cards (Turning Point and Last One Standing) are also stored here (under the Survivor cards).
- The Throng Slots – The six illuminated frames along the top of the game board hold the Director's monster throngs. Up to three cards can be stacked in each throng.
The Graveyard – During the game, certain cards will be permanently removed from play. Such cards may be placed back in the game box or, for a more dramatic effect, inserted within the box lid as a trophy wall displaying the full array of eliminations and head shots.
Game Components
- Game Components: (2) White dice, (2) Black dice
- The Tokens: (54) Survivor Spoints, 1-pt; (10) Sanctuary Spoints, 4-pt; (10) Countdown tokens; (4) Dynamite tokens; (4) Reel tokens (1-4); (1) Fade In token; (1) Fade Out token
- The Roswell 51 Deck: (24) Monster; (12) Survivor; (8) Item; (4) Plot Device; (4) Shuffling Horror; (2) Power Play; (2) Sanctuary; (2) Endgame; (4) Rule Cue Cards
- The R51 Bonus Cards: (1) Popcorn; (1) Scream Queen; (1) Shuffler
- Pittsburgh 68 Bonus Cards: (1) Popcorn; (1) Scream Queen; (1) Shuffler
How to End a Reel
A reel ends when the reel pile is depleted and the movie screen is cleared of all cards. No cards remain for the reel. No cards remain on the screen. Reel over.
- Reels 1, 2, and 3 end immediately once these conditions are met. The action abruptly stops and no other survivor may act. At the end of these reels, the Director performs the Reel End Tasks (explained below). Players can strategically orchestrate ending a reel to their advantage. See Fade In (Continuity) below.
- Reel 4 does not end immediately. It always plays through to the Director's final turn. This allows the monsters one final wave of attacks to end the movie. Eerie Occurrence: If the Director causes the fourth reel to end (i.e. takes the last screen card), play continues around to the Director's next and final turn.
Reel End
Fade In (Continuity) – When the reel ends, the Director immediately places the fade in token on the survivor who begins the action in the next reel. The token placement is specific to a survivor, not a player. If the first survivor in a player's pool ends the reel, the second survivor in this player's pool starts the next reel. This brings continuity to survivor turns across the reels.
A reel never begins on the Director's turn, though it can begin on a Pod Player's turn. If a reel ends with the player to the Director's right, the next reel begins with the first survivor or Pod Player on the Director's left.
Collect Event Cards / End Effects – Temporary effects of power play and certain shuffling horror cards end with the reel. Such cards are usually kept by the survivor they effect to serve as a reminder of that survivor's power/predicament. At the end of a reel, these cards must be collected and placed in the discard pile (so as to be included in the next reel's deal; printed as "soas" in the source).
For example, the Probed card traps a survivor. If this survivor does not escape before the reel ends, the effect ends with the reel. The Probed card returns to the deck, allowing it the chance to appear again.
How to Start the Next Reel
With the Reel End Tasks complete, the Director shuffles the discard pile and deals the next reel's card allotment onto the reel pile. The remaining cards are returned to the discard pile.
Three cards are now drawn from the reel pile and placed face-up upon the movie screen. If event cards or a Creature Feature appears, these are resolved in the same fashion as the Opening Scene (page 7).
Note that only the Opening Scene allows the automatic monster draw bonus for the Director. However, the Optional Rules section reveals the Director's Cut, a bonus that can be applied under certain conditions (page 20).
Tasks
Reel Track / Horror Star – The Director removes the topmost token on the reel track, turns it over, and places it on the screen. This token is now the Horror Star award (page 18). The Director then moves the remaining reel tokens to cover the next reel number on the track.
Survivor Loss (Advanced Play) – When Reel 1 concludes, the Director may randomly draw one survivor card from the survivor pile and place it, unrevealed, into the discard pile. This survivor is now a Familiar Face (page 18). A classic horror movie trope, this represents that "people from town are starting to disappear." Survivors must act fast to save their remaining neighbors. This survivor card loss escalates with each subsequent reel: at the end of Reel 2, two survivor cards are lost.
Do not explain the Survivor Loss rule to the players before their first game; it will increase their terror when it first occurs!
Triggering the End
There are two endgame conditions that escalate the movie's finale: Turning Point and Last One Standing; these rules trump normal reel ending rules. Each endgame is represented by a special rule card (placed under the survivor pile at the game's start). These cards appear after all survivor cards are drawn and serve as a reminder of these two key aspects of play.
Turning Point
The Turning Point activates when the Director and the number of Pod Players equals or exceeds the number of remaining players. For this reason, the activation of the Turning Point is under the Director's control via a strategic culling of the survivors.
When activated, the Turning Point card is placed on top of the reel pile, signifying that no further cards are drawn for the movie screen. The reel ends as per its normal method: when the remaining screen cards are taken or eliminated.
Turning Point cuts a reel short and aids the survivors when the movie takes a horrible turn against them. They are given a chance to quickly end the reel (all they need to do clear the remaining screen cards). Turning Point is ignored in Reel 4 (as this reel has only ten cards).
Important: Turning Point activation is based on remaining players, not remaining survivors.
Last One Standing
This endgame activates the moment there is a single survivor remaining: it is the survivor's last stand. It immediately becomes the survivor's turn and they take one final action. Typically, a survivor's final action is to move into a sanctuary (for protection) or, if no sanctuary is in-play, take one final rest action.
The survivor must then withstand a full round of actions/attacks from the Director and all Pod Players (even newly eliminated Pod Players act during this round). The attacks start with the player to the survivor's left and proceed clockwise to the player on their right. If the survivor is still standing after this round, they have survived the movie. They alone have prevailed.
Note that it is possible that the endgames may not be triggered; in such a case, the game concludes as normal at the end of Reel 4. Eerie Occurrence: Both endgames can be triggered simultaneously. Turning Point is always triggered before Last One Standing.
Pod Player / Monster Player
A player becomes a Pod Player (monster player) after they have lost their last survivor and there are no survivor cards left to draw. In Roswell 51, this player now joins the Director's efforts against the remaining survivors (in Pittsburgh 68 they are infected zombie players). A player is not technically a Pod Player until they draw or receive their first monster card.
A Pod Player's turn occurs at the player's normal place in the round and the monster throngs they build are kept in front of them. A Pod Player is allowed the same actions as the Director and follows the same throng limits (page 9). They cannot fade out or clip the reel.
Endgame Examples
In a game where the Director faces three players, the game begins one versus three players. When the first player is eliminated, it becomes one versus two players. That eliminated player is not a Pod Player until their first monster card is drawn; once this happens, it is officially two versus two and the Turning Point is triggered.
Later in the game, when one of these two remaining players is eliminated, a single player remains. This player may have multiple survivors in their pool. If reduced to a single survivor card, the Last One Standing is triggered.
Survivor Rolls & Attacks (2D6)
The movie action is driven by dice rolls. Dice determine the success/failure of the survivors' actions, from their attempts to destroy the aliens to fleeing for their lives. On the bottom of each survivor card are stat scores which define how capable a character is for any action. The target numbers represent a survivor's ability to attack (Muscle), be agile and dexterous (Speed), think and outwit (Brains), and their resolve, grit, and ability to keep it all together (Guts).
Action Rolls
To succeed at any action, a player rolls two dice versus the target number; rolling that target number or less is a success. Rolling over the target is a failure. For this reason, the game has been called a "Roll High & Die" system; failed rolls often lead to dire consequences and death.
The higher a survivor's stat score, the more likely they will succeed at their action. Before a player makes any action roll, spoints can be used to increase the target number (page 17). Spoints are always spent before the roll.
Attack Rolls
The most common action roll is the attack. A survivor may attack any in-play alien, from one on the movie screen to one placed in the Director's throngs (it can be any card in the throng). Before any attack roll, it is important for a player to declare a single alien card as their target.
When a survivor attacks, the attack will be either with or without an item. This establishes the stat score the survivor must test.
- Muscle Attack: A survivor who attacks without an item tests their Muscle score. The survivor is using their strength alone to beat back or destroy the alien.
- Item Attack: A survivor who attacks with an item tests the stat score associated with that item. If an item has two stats noted, the survivor chooses which stat is best.
If the attack succeeds, the survivor makes a Damage Roll (page 15). Special damage bonuses apply if any attack succeeds with rolled doubles (page 16).
Twos & Twelves
Whenever a 2 (snake-eyes) or a 12 (boxcars) is rolled an automatic success or failure results. 1,1 is an automatic success and 6,6 is an automatic failure. Twelve never succeeds.
Special head shot/fumble rules apply if 2 or 12 is rolled during an Attack action (page 16).
The Flail Test
The flail test is a life or death roll based on the survivor's Speed score. This is a roll the survivor must make if they cannot (or opt not to) negate the damage from an attack. It represents the survivor's last ditch effort to stay alive and madly thrash/dash away from an attack.
Prior to making the flail roll, a survivor can use spoints to increase their Speed score (to increase their chance to survive). If the survivor fails the test, they are eliminated and the survivor card (along with any item/power play cards they held) is placed in the discard pile. The survivor is now a Familiar Face (page 18). Any rest spoints this survivor had are placed in the central pot.
Note: As noted on its card, The Robot uses its Muscle (armor) instead of Speed for flail tests.
Monster Attacks
Monsters can attack any in-play survivor or sanctuary (if there is a survivor within). A Director can focus their attacks on a single survivor or spread them across the survivors and sanctuaries in any fashion desired.
Each alien has a target number on its card. The Director rolls two dice (2d6) and rolling that target number or less is a successful attack. For example, the Six Swarming Riders card has an attack value of 6; the Director must roll 6 or less to hit a survivor. Like the players, the Director must declare a target before their attack. A successful attack is followed by a damage roll/survivor flail test.
Attacking With Throngs
The Director gains more powerful attacks when attacking with a grouped throng (page 9). A throng bases its attack on its combined attack value. For example, if the Director builds a throng composed of Three Strange Neighbors (3) and Six Swarming Riders (6), the throng's attack value is 9 (3+6). This throng must now roll 9 or less to hit the survivor. Later, if Four Mutant Horrors (4) is added to the throng, its attack value is now 13 (6+3+4). This throng must now roll 11 or less to hit the survivor. Regardless of how high a throng's attack value, rolling a 12 is always a fumble.
The Damage Roll (D6)
Every successful attack is followed by a damage roll. Both survivors and monsters roll a single die for damage (unless an item or event card allows otherwise). As the base damage roll is a single d6, any attack is capable of inflicting between 1 to 6 damage points. In addition, damage bonuses may be applied to the roll (explained on page 16). Damage is factored differently against aliens and survivors.
Damage To Survivors – A single point of damage can be lethal to a survivor. When a survivor takes damage, they have only two options: (a) negate the damage fully with spoints (and be free from harm) or (b) succeed a flail test to survive.
Damage To Aliens – To eliminate an alien, the survivor's damage total must be equal to or greater than that alien's card value. Eliminated aliens are placed in the discard pile. If the attack damage is less than the alien's card value, the damage is ignored (monsters do not suffer partial damage). For example, if a survivor attacks the Three Strange Neighbors (which has an attack value of 3), the survivor must do three or more damage points to eliminate them.
Damage To Sanctuaries – Aliens can only attack a sanctuary if there is a survivor inside (unless an event card allows otherwise). Each sanctuary has a set number of sanctuary spoints assigned; these represent its structural integrity (The Lab has 8 and The Bunker has 12). When all spoints are gone, the sanctuary is destroyed and removed from play. As its spoints are diminished by alien attacks, the Director may use one-point tokens to track remaining balances. Four-point sanctuary tokens are removed from play after use.
Sanctuary Play
Sanctuary Basics
Rules noted in this topic are summarized on The Lab and The Bunker sanctuary cards. Each card states the maximum number of survivors it can hold; if a sanctuary is full, no other survivor can enter.
A survivor enters a sanctuary via a Move action; this is the survivor's full action that turn. The survivor is placed next to the sanctuary on the game board.
Once within, a survivor cannot be targeted by outside attackers; however, they are still subject to the effects of event cards. This exception allows for unexpected "enemy within" moments as the survivors find out they are not as safe as they thought they were.
If a sanctuary is destroyed, survivors return to their player pools (no harm comes to them except if a card states otherwise).
Sanctuary Actions
On the turn after a survivor moves into a sanctuary, they may start to perform sanctuary actions. There are two actions allowed:
- Rest: A survivor who rests within a sanctuary gains three spoints (placed on that survivor's card). Note: The maximum rest spoints a survivor can possess is seven.
- Search: A survivor may search for items. To do so, shuffle the discard pile and draw four cards. Any item(s) found may be kept by that survivor; excess items may be left in the sanctuary. Any survivor within can take/drop items as a free action. Stored items remain within the sanctuary unless it is destroyed. Remember: a survivor is limited to two held cards (page 6).
Performing either sanctuary action commits the survivor to stay within until their next turn. If a survivor forgoes taking a Rest/Search action, they may return to the player's pool and perform a normal turn action.
How Damage Is Modified
The greater an alien's card value, the harder it is to eliminate. As some aliens possess card values greater than what can be rolled on the single damage die, survivors will need items, spoints, or just dumb luck (i.e. rolled doubles on the attack) to destroy the most fearsome aliens. Such damage modifiers are listed below. These rules also apply to alien attacks (with the exception of the spoint bonus modifier as monsters do not use spoints).
Spoint Damage Bonus
A player may spend spoints to gain a damage bonus for their attack. These spoints are spent after a successful attack but before the damage roll is made. Each spoint spent adds +1 to the damage result. Spoints never enhance an item's calculated effects (such as the dynamite). They simply add to the damage total.
Rolled Doubles, Head Shots, & Fumbles
When doubles are rolled for an attack roll (and attack rolls only), they trigger an immediate bonus or penalty for the attacker. Non-combat tests do not have a damage component and, so, rolled doubles are ignored.
- (1,1) Head Shot/Spored: If the attacker rolls a pair of ones (snake-eyes), the victim suffers a head shot. If the victim is an alien/monster, it is removed from play. If the victim is a survivor, that survivor has been spored and is now the aliens' mind-controlled Familiar Face. This survivor card is immediately taken by the Director (or the attacking Pod Player) and placed as normal.
- (6,6) Fumble/Counterstrike: If a pair of sixes is rolled (boxcars) the attacker fumbles and their victim gains an immediate counterstrike. This highlights why it is important to declare a target prior to an attack roll; this target attacks back.
- (2,2. 3,3. 4,4. 5,5) Damage Bonus: If the attack roll succeeds with any other pair of doubles a damage bonus is gained. The bonus is determined by the paired number: a pair of twos is a +2 damage bonus, a pair of threes is +3, a pair of fours is +4, and a pair of fives is +5.
SHAD Damage (2d6)
SHAD is an acronym for "Select Higher, Add Doubles," a damage bonus gained via special items and event cards. For this, a player rolls two dice and then selects the higher result. However, if doubles are rolled, the sum of the dice is applied. For example, rolling 5,4 results in 5 points of damage (the higher of the two results) whereas rolling 4,4 results in 8 points of damage (the sum of the doubles rolled). Note: there are items that have a normal 2d6 damage base (this is not SHAD damage).
Annihilation: Double Digit Damage
Due to the combination of damage modifiers and item bonuses, a single damage total can grow to double digit proportions (ten or more points). Aliens who suffer such damage are annihilated and permanently removed from play (just as when they suffer a head shot). Survivors, however, have the option to negate the damage with spoints (not likely) or flail. Should the flail test fail, the survivor has been destroyed, devoured, dissolved, or worse! This survivor is removed from play and cannot become a Familiar Face (as there is nothing much left of them). It's a horrifically gross movie moment that the Director or players should take a moment to enjoy. Note: In Pittsburgh 68, the victim is devoured by zombies.
Special Damage Notes
Throng Attack
The Dynamite card allows a special attack on an entire throng and the attack's damage is applied independently to each alien in that throng. For example, a throng is composed of three alien cards with attack values of 2, 4, and 6. If the dynamite's damage total is six points or more, all three alien cards are eliminated. If the damage is four points, only the 2 and the 4 are eliminated (the 6 remains). If the damage is three points, only the 2 is eliminated.
Eliminated Aliens
Eliminated does not mean dead – it means discarded. Unless an alien is destroyed with a head shot, it has the potential to return in a future reel. As aliens are moved into the discard pile, the Director can ominously warn players that "This is not the last you've seen of these alien sentries!", or "You've scared them off for now, but they'll be back later!" Every moving card allows the Director an opportunity to add some fun flavor to their movie.
How Players Use Spoints
Only players use survivor points; the Director and aliens do not. These spoints represent the survivors' vitality, luck, and resources (ammo, food, strategy). As in any monster movie, these are things that do not last forever. Spoints give players an edge and provide a way to thwart the Director's efforts against them.
Spoints are used in three ways:
- Negate Damage: A survivor must spend a number of spoints equal to the damage total to fully negate it; otherwise, they must make a flail test to survive (page 14).
- Increase Stat Score: Each spoint spent adds +1 point to the target number. For example, if a character has a Speed score of 5, the player can spend three spoints to increase it to 8. The maximum increase allowed is to 11; rolling a 12 is always a failure/fumble (explained on prior page).
- Increase Damage: Each spoint spent adds a +1 bonus to a damage total. For example, spending three spoints adds +3 to the damage result. Such use can assure an alien is eliminated regardless of the outcome of the damage die roll.
A player can spend as many spoints as they desire. Spoints are always committed before any action or damage roll. Once committed they are lost, even if their use was not needed; this brings an element of dramatic uncertainty to spoint use. A survivor/player can expend all of their spoints; there is no penalty for this.
Dramatic Effect
When spending spoints, players should feel free to add a little over-the-top narration, explaining how the spoints are helping the team.
"As The Reporter straps on the Flame Thrower, The Cook looks at her and says, 'We're all counting on you, Sally!' I'm sharing one of my power spoints to increase her chance to hit!"
"The Rancher picks up the Big Wrench and starts walking toward the Three Strange Neighbors. 'I thought I told you people to stay off of my property. This time I mean it!' I'm adding two of his rest spoints to increase my Muscle."
Power Spoints Vs Rest Spoints
Power and rest spoints serve the same purpose. The key difference is that power spoints can be shared to benefit other players whereas rest spoints only benefit the survivor who earned them. The placement of power spoints (on the board) and rest spoints (on each survivor card) define this special distinction for use.
Power Spoints (Shared) – At the game's start, players begin with a limited number of power spoints (page 5). The power behind these spoints is that they can assist any in-play survivor, from those in the player's own pool to those of other players. Each player decides how these will be spent; these do not have to be shared. Power spoints never replenish; once spent they are gone.
Rest Spoints (Not Shared) – These are for self-preservation. Any survivor drawn via a Take+Attack action automatically begins with 3 rest spoints (page 8). Additional spoints are gained via rest actions: 2 spoints for each normal rest action and 3 spoints for sanctuary rest. Rest spoints are placed directly on a survivor's card and can only be used for this character. The maximum number of rest spoints a survivor may possess is 7.
A player should spend a survivor's own rest spoints first before using power spoints to benefit that same survivor. When a survivor is eliminated their unused rest spoints are returned to the central pot. The same applies to power spoints when a player becomes a Pod Player.
No Rest
There are 54 one-point tokens available at the game's start. The more players there are in a game, the less spoints there are for the central pool. In a game with twelve survivor players, each player begins with an allotment of four power spoints (48 spoints allocated). The six remaining spoints are claimed by The Robot (as per that card's special instructions). Zero spoints remain for the central pool.
Rest Spoint Summary
- 3 rest spoints for a survivor drawn via a Take+Attack.
- 2 spoints are gained for each normal rest action.
- 3 spoints are gained for each sanctuary rest.
- 7 is the maximum rest spoints a survivor may possess.
Special Effects
Every sci-fi movie needs its share of special effects. The Shuffling Horror system has a few that are triggered during the game's normal sequence: the Creature Feature, the Familiar Face, and the Horror Star. As these are key aspects of play, the Director must be comfortable with their use. They are explained under Special Effects (page 18).
The Creature Feature
One of the game's most thrilling moments is the Creature Feature. It is a key aspect of play and occurs each time the screen is populated by three monster cards. This alignment can be caused by any replacement card on the screen or even triggered by the first three screen cards dealt at the start of a reel. When a Creature Feature is triggered, the action stops. Depending on who triggered it (the Director or player), the following occurs:
- If caused by a survivor's action, each monster on the movie screen makes an independent attack on that survivor. After this attack phase completes, normal turn sequence resumes.
- If caused by the Director or Pod Player, an immediate Take action is gained. One of the three cards is taken and placed in a throng as desired (the Director also has the option to place it in a Pod Player throng). Note that this is a Take action only (it is not a Take+Attack).
After the Director/Pod Player takes their bonus card, a new card is drawn to replace the empty frame; if this is another monster card, a second Creature Feature is triggered (and another bonus draw is awarded). This loop continues until a Creature Feature no longer appears. A long run of bonus draws is possible (very bad news for the survivors).
Eerie Occurrence: It is possible that a string of Creature Feature bonuses can deplete a reel; if so, the Creature Feature would end with a final Take action, leaving the movie screen with two monster cards and one empty frame (as there are no cards remaining in the reel pile). The reel concludes as normal.
The Horror Star
When a reel ends, that reel's token is awarded to one survivor as a Horror Star. The players decide which survivor earned this award. It can be the survivor who has the makings of the group's natural leader, the survivor who performed the most daring action, or the one who stole the spotlight with some fun in-character narration. The Horror Star allows a survivor to perform one of these super actions:
- Take an immediate second action.
- Re-roll a failed action roll (page 14).
- Force any alien/throng to re-roll its successful attack roll (against any survivor). It should be used before the attack's damage is rolled.
Each Horror Star token has a single use and is then removed from play. The Horror Star cannot change damage rolls, head shots, or fumbles. If the survivor is eliminated before they have used their token, it is lost.
The third use allows a way for a hero or heroine to save another survivor. When used, a player should have some fun and describe how that character enters the scene and intervenes. "The Scientist reaches out her hand and pulls The Coroner out of the way of the alien's laser beam blast!"
Eerie Occurrence: If the Last One Standing is triggered, the remaining reel token(s) may be won by this last survivor. The survivor must roll the current reel number or less on a single die to win each Horror Star token. For example, in Reel 4, they must roll four or less. If triggered in Reel 3, there will be two reel tokens remaining; each requires a roll of three or less (as it is Reel 3) to win.
The Familiar Face
True to form with many horror films, the characters who were the survivors' allies at the start can become their deadliest foes by its end. When any survivor card is eliminated, it is placed in the discard pile and is now a Familiar Face.
Later in the game, should this card appear on screen or during a bonus card draw, it is treated as a monster card: it may be taken and placed (as normal) in a Director/Pod Player throng.
This ally-turned-alien has two special rules:
- It uses its Muscle score for its attack/damage threshold value.
- It gains SHAD damage for its attacks. If placed in a throng, the throng gains this bonus.
Reminder: If a monster attack inflicts a head shot (rolls snake-eyes), the victim is immediately turned into a Familiar Face, taken, and placed as normal (page 16).
Shuffling Horror Extras!
Pittsburgh to Roswell
Pittsburgh 68 uses the terms general spoints and character spoints; these terms have been replaced with power spoints and rest spoints, respectively. Note also that a Three Card Zombie is now called a Creature Feature.
Roswell 51 has defined a strong distinction between the one-point tokens (for survivor spoint use only) and four-point tokens (for sanctuary spoint use only).
For P68 play, the Director should implement the power spoint distribution method (page 5) and set the limit of one-point tokens to 54 (this is the amount provided for Roswell 51 play). Lastly, the option to activate plot device cards (page 4) should be implemented; this change makes their use much more strategic.
Random Victims
Event cards may specify that a random victim (or player) is selected. If there are six or less survivors in-play, the victim can be quickly determined by assigning each survivor a number (from 1 to 6) and then making a single die roll. If there are more than six survivors in-play, the Director must first divide the survivors into two groups (one will be "odds," the other "evens"); the Director rolls a single die to determine which group is targeted (odds or evens). The Director then determines that group's victim via the first method above. Rolling two dice for a large group is not fair (see below).
7 – The Most Rolled Number
7 is the most common result when two dice are rolled. This is important information to share with players as it reveals how spoint use will increase a survivor's chance of success. As action rolls require the survivor to roll their target number or less, the chance to roll 7 or less is 58.33%.
A one-spoint increase to 8 brings the odds to 72.22%. An increase to 9 increases it to 83.33%. 10 = 91.67% and 11 = 97.22%. A survivor's target number can only be increased to 11 (as rolling a 12 is always a failing roll).
The Balance of Power
The Director should always keep an eye on the players' power spoints lining the board's perimeter. As these dwindle, the balance of power teeters in the Director's favor. Once the players run out of power spoints they can no longer assist one another; the game takes its grim turn. The Director can strategically plan their attacks to achieve this depletion to tighten their control over the movie's action.
Negate or Flail
When a survivor suffers damage, it is the player's choice to either negate the damage with spoints or risk the flail. In most cases, when the damage total is one or two points, a player will simply "pay and walk away." However, a high damage total can entirely wipe out a player's available spoints and leave their entire pool in a very weak state. In such cases, the player's best option might be to spend as many spoints as they need to secure a reasonably safe flail test. These are the tough decisions and risks each survivor will face as the film's horror tightens its grip over them.
Monsters Run Amok!
As per the throng building rules (page 9) a Director can strategically place monster cards in the first three throngs. When placing, a Director should keep in mind that throng strength greater than 11 points is excessive (as 12 is always a failing roll). The Director has less flexibility when placing monsters in the fourth, fifth, and sixth throng positions (as all predecessor throngs must be full). This limitation is meant to take away a little of the Director's control as the monsters begin to overwhelm the screen. It encourages the monsters to run amok.
Full Assault vs All-Out Attack
The plot device card They're Out There (Roswell 51) grants the Director a full assault: an attack from every in-play throng and any monster cards on the movie screen. This includes the throngs of other monster players. This card's danger escalates with each in-play throng and monster player (putting that much more pressure on the survivors to not fail the card's action roll). A full assault is entirely different from an all-out attack (the Director's turn option to attack with all of their own throngs).
Attack Cycle
In Pittsburgh 68, the Hold Them Back plot device card grants the Director an attack against each survivor who fails the event test. If the Director has only one throng in-play, this throng is used for every attack. However, if the Director has multiple throngs in-play, the Director must cycle through their full range of attack options before starting the cycle over again. Cycling prevents the Director from repeatedly attacking with only their best/strongest throng. The game's countdown tokens are provided for this purpose.
More Eerie Occurrences!
No Need to Roll Damage
If a survivor has no rest spoints available and there are no power spoints remaining on the board to assist them, the Director can forgo damage rolls against this survivor. As there is no help to be found, the damage result is irrelevant and the movie action can skip straight to this survivor's flail test.
However, as long as there is a single power spoint in-play, the damage roll must be made (as low damage scores could still be negated). The Director must also finalize a damage roll if a double digit damage result is possible; such damage annihilates that survivor (page 16) and prevents them from returning as a Familiar Face.
Sanctuary Head Shots & Fumbles
A head shot or fumble is possible during a monster's attack on a sanctuary. If the monster succeeds with a head shot (rolls a 2), the sanctuary has been breached – it no longer provides any protection. It is removed from play and all survivors within return to their player pools. Conversely, if the monster fumbles (rolls a 12), each survivor within may attack back (counterstrike).
Head Shot Take+Attack
If a monster player attacks and head shots (spores or zombifies) a survivor, the monster player will immediately Take that survivor card as a Familiar Face. If this card is placed to establish a new throng, it may immediately attack (as it is still that monster player's turn and this is a throng they have not attacked with yet).
Creature Feature – Take Two
During a Creature Feature, it may happen that a monster fumbles its attack, allowing the victim to counterstrike. Should this counter attack eliminate that monster, the Director first concludes the Creature Feature attack series before revealing the new replacement card; if this card is another monster card, another full Creature Feature is triggered against this same unfortunate survivor.
Weird Fumblings with Throngs
Two items allow an attack on an entire throng: the 4 Dynamite Sticks (Roswell 51) and the Gas Cocktail (Pittsburgh 68). If a survivor fumbles when using either weapon, the entire throng attacks back. Dramatically, this represents the danger and chaos following the misuse of a highly volatile weapon.
Conversely, if a throng fumbles its attack on a survivor who holds the dynamite/gas cocktail in their possession, that survivor can use that weapon for the counterstrike.
Back Seat Surprise
This is a P68 favorite, created for use with The Car sanctuary. As a sanctuary is moved to its place on the board, the Director also places one random card from the discard pile beneath it. This card is revealed when the first survivor enters.
If this mystery card is a monster, it immediately attacks. It then remains within and can only be attacked by those who are also within (though a Director can allow survivors with ranged weapons to also attack). Rest/Search actions are forfeit while the monster remains. The monster may attack any survivor within as part of the Director's turn. If desired, the Director may discard the monster card at the end of the reel.
It is not always a monster hidden within; as this is a random placement, any type of card may appear. If an event card appears, it is resolved immediately (as normal). Limit Back Seat Surprise use to one sanctuary per game.
Alien Technology
The Director may take the Alien Spear or Alien Raygun for their throng's use via a standard Take+Attack action. The item is placed on a throng and counts towards that throng's three-card limit. The throng gains that item's bonus for its damage. If the throng is destroyed, the item is won by the attacker.
This same rule could be modified for Pittsburgh 68 play to keep an item out of the survivors' hands. The item would be placed on the bottom of the throng grouping (emulating that classic trope that survivors must get past the monsters to get to the item they need). Zombie attacks should not receive any item bonus; zombies are just too brain-dead to use items.
Monster Migration
When the Director eliminates a player, the Director may immediately migrate any one of their own throngs to that player (for their use as a Pod Player). It may be a throng the Director has already attacked from. Note: This maneuver has the potential to trigger the Turning Point.
Monster Mash I (Take+Attack Variation)
This is a strategic move that allows the Director/monster player to take a single card from one throng in their pool to increase the strength of another. This is useful to the player who has only weak single-card throngs remaining, allowing them to consolidate such forces for a more powerful attack. Treat as standard Take+Attack action (except the Take is from a throng and not the screen).
Monster Mash II (Take+Attack Variation)
If a monster player has no throngs established and there are no monster cards to draw from the screen, the monster player may Take+Attack from any in-play monster throng (with Director's permission). The monster player takes a single monster card and then immediately attacks with it, ending their turn.
Desperate Measures
On their turn, if the Director has no throngs in-play, they may opt to All-Out Attack from the monsters on the movie screen, each as its own attack.
Popcorn With Extra Butter
For the Popcorn bonus card, the Director can ignore its single use rule and allow the card to remain in-play (discard instead of removing the card from play).
Alternate Rules
Director's Cut
At the start of any reel, if there are no monsters placed in any of the Director's throngs, the Director may draw a number of discards equal to the current reel number. Any monsters drawn are placed in the usual fashion. Non-monster cards return to the discard pile, and then the reel begins.
A Bigger Blobbing
To make the Blobbed card even more terrifying, increase the space blob's calculated spoint value to (4 x Reel #); this allows it to grow to 16 sanctuary spoints if it appears in Reel 4.
Large Cast Rules
Rules encouraged versus 5+ players.
Reel 1 Familiar Face
Before the game begins, the Director draws an initial survivor card and places it in the discard pile. The game begins with a Familiar Face already in the deck.
Grim Toll
Whenever a survivor is eliminated, any rest spoints that survivor possessed are permanently removed from play. These are not placed back into the general pot. Whenever a player is eliminated, the same would apply to any remaining power spoints. Bit by bit, the game takes its grim toll.
Monsters Among Us
Before the game begins, the Director rolls a die (re-rolling 1s) and sets aside a monster card with this matching value. After each player has drawn their first survivor, the Director shuffles this monster into the survivor pile; it will be revealed when a player draws it during the game. When it appears, the monster makes an immediate attack on a random victim and is then placed into a throng. The player then draws the next survivor card. An experienced Director can forgo the die roll and make a strategic choice for the monster card.