Scooby-Doo! Expandable Card Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Card Types
  • Clue Card
  • Mystery, Inc.
• Play Deck Card Types
  • Locations
  • Monsters/Villains
  • Items
  • Friends
  • Events
• Set Up
• Starting the Game
• Game Play
  • Mystery, Inc. Actions
  • Villain Actions
• Investigating a Location
• End of the Turn
• The Golden Rule for ECG
• Building Your Own Deck
• Glossary
• Figure 1: Playing Area Layout

Card Types

Let's start with a brief description of the cards. We encourage you to read the entire rules before playing your first game. It will help you identify the different types of cards and give you an overall picture of how the game is played. As with any new card game, you may need to refer back to the rules once or twice before you completely catch all of the game rules. Remember the real goal is to have fun and help Mystery, Inc. solve the mystery!

The first two types of cards are kept separate from your play deck.

Clue Card

Each player should start the game with a complete set of 15 Clue cards. Randomly draw one Clue card from your set and give the remaining Clue cards to your opponent. Both players will need to do this at the start of a new game. Your randomly drawn Clue card is called your Mystery card. Keep your Mystery card face down next to you so your opponent cannot see it. During the game you will need to refer to it when your opponent is trying to guess which Mystery you have.

Mystery, Inc.

This includes Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Velma, Fred and Daphne. Each player will start the game with their own Mystery, Inc. cards located directly in front of them at the Malt Shop (see Fig. 1 on pg 15.). During the game you will move your Mystery, Inc. cards to investigate Locations. Each Mystery, Inc. card has a Bravery number under the Mystery, Inc. icon. The Bravery number is used when determining if you have successfully investigated a Location. You can also use each member's Special Ability once per game. Place a token, such as a penney, on each member at the start of the game. When you use their effect remove the token to remind yourself that you have used their Game Effect.

Card diagram labels: Card Title, Card Type Icon, Bravery, Special Ability.

Play Deck Card Types

All the remaining types of cards are found in your Play Deck. You draw cards from your Play Deck to form your hand. It is from your hand that you will put cards into play. There are five different types of cards found in a play deck. You can tell what type a card is by looking at its icon. Below is a quick description of each of these card types.

Locations

Card diagram labels: Card Title, Card Type Icon, Fright Level, Location Type and Keyword.

You may play one Location card per turn. After you have a Location card in play, you can investigate it by moving your Mystery, Inc. cards to that Location and possibly playing other cards from your hand to reduce the Fright Level listed on the Location card to zero. However, when you investigate a Location your opponent also receives a chance to play cards from his or her hand in order to interfere with your investigation (this is explained in more detail under Playing the Game).

Monsters/Villains

Card diagram labels: Card Title, Card Type Icon, Fright Level Modifier, Scooby Snack Cost, Special Ability.

Use Monster cards, also known as Villain cards, to prevent your opponent's Mystery, Inc. from investigating a Location. Monster cards have a Fright Level modifier under the monster icon. You play a Monster on a Location card. They remain in play until the Location is successfully investigated, or until they are captured. See the "Additional Rules and Glossary."

Items

Card diagram labels: Card Type Icon, Scooby Snack Cost, Special Ability. Example card, Mystery Machine: "The Mystery Machine lowers the Fright Level of a Location by -1 while in play. You do not have to discard to use this effect. The Mystery Machine counts as a member of Mystery, Inc. for movement purposes."

Item cards represent things Mystery, Inc. may find useful (and sometimes harmful if played by a Villain) during an investigation. Some Item cards stay with your Mystery, Inc. even after a location is investigated, like the Mystery Machine; while, others will need to be discarded in order to gain their benefit.

Friends

Card diagram labels: Card Title, Card Type Icon, Fright Level Modifier, Scooby Snack Cost, Special Ability.

Friends are the people Mystery, Inc. encounter during their search for clues at locations. Friend cards, like Monster cards have a Fright level modifier. This modifier usually helps lower the Fright level total although some friends do raise it. Friends are discarded at the end of any turn.

Events

Card diagram labels: Card Type Icon, Scooby Snack Cost, Special Ability. Example card: "Let's Vote on it, Mystery of Pizza Pie." Special Ability: "Play this card during your Villain phase. Both players draw the top card of their play deck. If the Villain player has a higher Scooby Snack total on the card drawn, move opponent's Mystery, Inc. members to the Malt Shop."

While Mystery, Inc. is searching for clues, strange and scary stuff may happen. Event cards are used to represent these occurrences. Whenever you play an event card the effect created by the card happens as soon as it is played.

Set Up

Each player will need the following: 1 Clue set, 1 card of each Mystery, Inc. member, 1 Play Deck, 1 checklist, and 1 pencil or pen. Both players can share Scooby Snacks (some are included in the starter box.)

Starting the Game

You begin the game by randomly drawing one Clue card from your Clue set. This card now becomes your Mystery card. Keep your Mystery card next to you face down, so that your opponent cannot see it. Give the remaining 14 Clue cards to your opponent face down, while taking their 14 Clue cards. Players should have a Clue Pile at the start of the game with their opponent holding on to one card from the set. As the Mystery, Inc. player, you may earn the right to draw Clue cards from your Clue Pile by successfully investigating a Location. When you draw a clue from your clue pile you should mark it on your checklist. Each time you draw a Clue card you reduce the number of possible episodes your opponent may have as a Mystery card.

Next, each player shuffles their Play Deck and places it beside their Mystery, Inc. cards located at the Malt Shop (see Fig. 1). Determine who will be the Mystery Inc. player by either allowing the youngest player to go first, or randomly determining by a coin toss. The remaining player is the Villain Player for the first turn. Players alternate at the end of each turn between being the Mystery Inc. Player and the Villain Player. You now start the game by drawing eight cards from your Play Deck. If a player does not draw any Location cards, a mulligan is declared. (See the "Additional Rules and Glossary" section for a complete explanation.)

Game Play

At the beginning of each turn, the Mystery, Inc. player starts with 10 "Scooby Snacks" in his or her supply. At the beginning of the game, the Villain player starts with only 7 Scooby Snacks. You may use pennies, beads or any other small tokens in place of the included Scooby Snacks.

Scooby Snacks are used to pay for cards that have a Scooby Snack cost. When you pay for a card, remove that amount of Scooby Snacks from your supply. If you do not have enough Scooby Snacks to pay for a card, you cannot play the card.

The turn continues with players performing actions. During a turn, only certain actions can be performed depending if you are the Mystery Inc. Player or the Villain Player (see listed actions.)

After one player performs an action, the other player must perform an action. If each player passes one after another, the turn ends (see End of Turn).

Mystery, Inc. Actions

• Player may play one location per turn.
• Move his or her Mystery, Inc. cards once per turn.
• Pay for and play a card from his or her hand.
• Discard an item card to gain its effect.
• Use a Mystery, Inc. card's special ability.
• Pass.

Villain Actions

• Pay for and play a card from his or her hand.
• Discard an item card to gain its effect.
• Use a Mystery, Inc. card's game effect.
• Pass.

Investigating a Location

Once the Mystery, Inc. player has played a Location card by taking it and placing it directly in front of them, just past the Malt Shop (see fig.1), they may start an investigation with their next action. After the Villain player has performed an action, like playing a Monster at the Location you wish to investigate, you start your investigation by moving your Mystery, Inc. cards to that Location.

Once you have moved your Mystery, Inc. cards to a Location card your goal is to lower the Fright Level of the Location card to zero or less. First check to see if the Fright Level of that location has been reduced to zero by the members of the Mystery Inc. Subtract each Mystery, Inc. card's Bravery from the Fright Level of the Location they are at. If you have not reduced the Fright Level to zero or less then you will have to play additional cards from your hand to try to reduce the Fright Level to zero or less. Most cards have a Fright Level Modifier printed on the card (see Card Types.) In addition most cards also have a Game Effect. Whenever you play a card with a Game Effect, simply follow the instructions on the card. As soon as you use a card with a Game Effect it takes effect.

Remember: for every action you perform, like playing a card, your opponent gets a chance to perform an action.

Play will continue with each player putting cards into play from his or her hand in order to lower or raise the Fright Level. Normally each time a card is played the Fright Level will change. You should continue to add or subtract any Fright Level modifiers from any cards that have been played this turn. Note: Some cards modify the Fright Level once discarded and other cards may cause you to move a Mystery, Inc. card from the Location. If a Mystery, Inc. card is forced to move it no longer subtracts its Bravery from the Fright Level.

End of the Turn

If the Fright Level has been reduced to zero after all actions have been performed (both players pass), the Location is considered successfully investigated. Turn the Location (rotate the card upside down) to show that the Location has been successfully investigated. Once a Location card has been successfully investigated it cannot be investigated again. You can however investigate a duplicate, or second copy, of the successfully investigated Location card. Draw the appropriate number of Clue cards for that type of Location: Master Locations = 1 Clue card, Major Locations = 2 Clue cards, Minor Locations = 3 Clue cards from your Clue Pile. After you draw a clue from your clue pile you should mark it on your checklist.

You can also try to guess (but do not have to) your opponent's Mystery Card once you have successfully investigated a location. You only receive one guess per a successfully investigated location and if you choose not to guess it is not saved. If your guess is correct, you win and the game is over. If your guess is wrong, your opponent player may draw one clue and mark it off on their checklist. This is done as a penalty for your wrong guess. You should also remember to mark off which episode you guessed from your checklist.

If the Fright Level for the Location card is not reduced to zero the Location card stays in play and the Mystery, Inc. player can try again on his or her next Mystery, Inc. turn. Players can only investigate Location cards they put into play. You cannot try to investigate someone else's Location.

The turn is now over and the players switch roles. If you ended the turn as the Mystery, Inc. player, it now becomes your turn to be the Villain player. If you ended the turn as the Villain player, it now becomes your turn to be the Mystery, Inc. player. Player's may discard as many cards as they like from their hand at the end of a turn. After players choose to discard they both draw their hand back up to 8 cards.

If you were just the Mystery, Inc. player, you keep any unused Scooby Snacks in your supply to use while you are the Villain player and if you were the Villain player last turn, you need to start your Mystery, Inc turn with 10 Scooby Snacks in your supply. Repeat the described order of play until someone correctly guesses his or her opponent's Mystery card.

The Golden Rule for ECG

The Golden Rule for ECGs: Any time a card or card effect contradicts the rules, the card is correct. The rules can be changed, be violated or broken by a card Effect. This is a major trait for this type of game. Card Effects help create a variety of different strategies for deck construction and play.

Building Your Own Deck

As your Scooby-Doo ECG collection grows, you can start to build your own deck by choosing the cards you want to play. There are three simple rules to follow when building your deck.

1. You need to have at least three of each type of card including Master, Major and Minor Location cards in your deck. That is: 3 Monsters, 3 Items, 3 Friends, 3 Events, 3 Master Locations, 3 Major Locations, and 3 Minor Locations.

2. You can only have two of the same titled card in your deck.

3. You must have 60 cards in your Play Deck.

When you build your play deck we recommend 18-20 Locations, 8-10 Monsters, 8-10 Items, 6-8 Friends and 12-16 Events.

Glossary

Action - Player may play one location per turn. Only certain actions can be performed depending on if you are the Mystery, Inc. Player or Villain Player. Action List: Move your Mystery Inc., cards once per turn, pay for and play a card from your hand, discard an item card to gain its effect, use a Mystery Inc. card's special ability, or pass.

Capture - Place an opponent's Monster in the Discard Pile.

Darkness Card - A special group of powerful Event Cards.

Discard - To place a card in your discard pile, either from your hand or play. As an action you can discard certain cards to gain the cards listed Game Effect. If your opponent forces you to discard a card from play, you do not gain the cards Game Effect.

Turn - A complete set of Actions. A turn ends when both players pass in order.

Fright level - How scary a Location is. The Fright level may be raised or lowered during the course of a turn.

Negate or Cancel - To prevent the effect produced by your opponent's last action.

Legal - Too normally be able to play or use.

Locations - There are three type of location cards Master, Major and Minor You can play a Master or Major location as an action once per turn (see Mystery, Inc. Actions.) You can only play a Minor location after you have successful investigate a matching Master or Major location. The Location card's Description Text includes the location type and a "keyword" for you to use when matching locations.

Mulligan - At the beginning of the game, if a player does not draw any Location cards, he or she may show their hand to their opponent, reshuffle and draw eight new cards. His or her opponent may add one additional card to his or her hand after each mulligan.

Figure 1: Playing Area Layout

Diagram labels: Play Deck, Discard Pile, Clue Pile, Mystery Card, Mystery, Inc. (cards placed at the Malt Shop), Location A, Location B, Item, Scooby Snacks (the pile of Scooby Snack tokens), and the Malt Shop (the dashed area marked "MALT SHOP").