Seven Secret Supervillains

Seven Secret Supervillains Rulebook

Table of Contents

The Basics

Rule the World. You and your rival are super evil supercomputers bent on world domination. The first to amass four of the seven Secret Supervillains wins the world.

Overview. Seven Secret Supervillains is a turn based deck builder and deck deconstructor. There are seven Secret Supervillain crews, each with their own unique powers and abilities. Each player plays their Bots to gain power and add Minions to their deck in order to win over the Supervillains of their crews.

Components. 2 Supercomputers, 7 Supervillains, 63 Minions, 7 Upgrades, 16 Tiny Bots, 4 Junky Bots, 10 Scaredy Bots, 1 Explodey Bot.

The Setup

Each player gets 1 Supercomputer.
Shuffle the 7 Supervillains, reveal 3.
Shuffle the 63 Minions, reveal 5.
Shuffle the 7 Upgrades, reveal 1.
Place the 10 Scaredy Bots.
Determine who goes second. They get the Explodey Bot.
Each player gets 8 Tiny Bots and 2 Junky Bots for their starting deck.
Each player shuffles their deck and draws 5 cards.

(Refer to the setup image in the rulebook for card placement.)

The Cards

The cards are the Supercomputers, the Supervillains, the Minions, the Upgrades, the Tiny Bots, the Junky Bots, the Scaredy Bots and the Explodey Bot.

Minion card layout. Each Minion card has the following parts:

Health. The cost of the card. It takes that much power to buy it.
Power. The buying power the card gives you to buy other cards.
Name. The name of the card.
Ability. The effect the card gives you in addition to its power.
Crew. The icon indicates which crew this card belongs to.
Reputation. The amount that can be put towards winning the Supervillain of the same crew.
Expansion. The white line indicates which expansion this card is from.

Upgrade card layout. Each Upgrade card has the following parts:

Upgrade ability. The effect the card gives you on each of your turns.
Upgrade ability name. The cleaner way to see what Upgrades have been added to your Supercomputer when placed underneath it.

The Turn

Playing cards. You can play any number of cards from your hand on your turn. When you play a card you gain its power as well as its ability. However, you do not need to use either right away.

2 Power can be used any time on your turn.
Replicate can be used any time on your turn.

You store your power and abilities in 2 separate pools, and use them whenever you see fit.

Buying cards. Cards available for purchase are the 5 Minions in the Minion Row, the revealed Upgrade, and the Scaredy Bot. When a card is purchased, it is immediately replaced and a new card is immediately available for purchase.

Activating Upgrades. You can activate each Upgrade attached to your Supercomputer once on your turn whenever you see fit.

The Cleanup

Discard pile additions. Cards that you played, cards you chose not to play, and cards that you bought on your turn go into your discard pile at the end of your turn, not at the time that they are played or purchased.

Upgrade attachments. Upgrades you bought don't go to your discard pile. Attach them to your Supercomputer. Max 3 Upgrades attached.

Draw a new hand. Draw 5 cards to end the turn.

Out of cards. When you perform any action that requires you to have a deck, shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck. For example, drawing a card or using the Freeze ability could require a shuffle.

The Objective

Amassing Supervillains. To win the game you need to win four of the seven Secret Supervillains. To win a Supervillain, you will need to attach cards to them with a total of 17 or more reputation.

Minion reputation. Minion cards are the only cards that have reputation. There are 9 Minions on each crew, and their reputation values range from 1 to 9.

Attaching Minions. On your turn, instead of choosing to play a Minion card from your hand, you can choose to attach it to its corresponding Supervillain, if that Supervillain is revealed. Simply place the Minion under its corresponding Supervillain.

The Danger Zone. Once a villain has 10 to 16 reputation dedicated to them, they are moved to the opposite side of the Supervillain deck, and a new Supervillain is revealed in the open space.

Winning a Supervillain. When a player has cards with a 17 or more reputation attached to a Supervillain, they win that Supervillain. It is expelled from the game along with all attached cards. If it wasn't in the Danger Zone, replace it.

Winning the game. When a player wins their fourth Supervillain they win the game.

The Exception

Reputation race. To win Supervillains, you need to attach Minion cards of their crew to them. Instead of playing the card for value, you choose to attach them, foregoing any power or ability benefits of that card. However, there is one way around that.

Transfer cheat code. Scaredy Bots might not be the best early game, but late game they are monsters. You can use their Transfer ability to expel them in exchange for attaching a Minion card from your discard pile to its Supervillain. Truly a game changing play.

Scaredy Bot card (Transfer). You may expel this card to attach up to 1 card from your discard pile to its Supervillain.

For the list of rules clarifications and explanations, go to sssvgames.com.

Multiplayer Modes

Page 5 of the rulebook presents three four-player modes side by side: The Classic, The Brawl and The Secretive. Each has its own setup diagram.

The Classic (4 Players)

4 players.
Teams are every other player (Players 1 & 3 vs Players 2 & 4).
Player 3 gets 1 Explodey Bot.
Player 4 gets 2 Explodey Bots.
Each player takes their turn independently. (They build their own decks.)
Teams attach Minions to Supervillains on the same side of the card. (Reputation is team total.)
Reputation required to win Supervillains is 17.
4 Supervillains wins the game.

The Brawl (4 Players, can be 3 with adjustments)

4 players. (Can be 3 with adjustments.)
9 Supervillain crews. (Expansions add new crews.)
Free for all.
Player 1 starts with 4 cards.
Player 3 gets 1 Explodey Bot.
Player 4 gets 2 Explodey Bots.
Each player attaches Minions to a different side. (Top, bottom, left & right.)
Danger Zone is 8 reputation.
Reputation required to win Supervillains is 11.
3 Supervillains wins the game.

The Secretive (4 Players, can be 3 with adjustments)

4 players. (Can be 3 with adjustments.)
7+ Supervillain crews. (Expansions add new crews.)
Free for all.
Supervillains not on table. (Players do not attach Minions.)
Player 1 starts with 4 cards.
Player 3 gets 1 Explodey Bot.
Player 4 gets 2 Explodey Bots.
Minion deck gone ends game.
Players compare their crews. (Most crew rep is 1 pt, 1/2 pt tie.)
Most points wins. (If tie, total rep wins.)

Solo Rules

Page 6 of the rulebook presents two solo formats: The Gambler and The Climb.

The Gambler

Competing for the most total reputation in deck.
No Supervillains to win over.
Take your turns normally.
Roll dice for Chaos turns. (Google's dice roller: g.co/kgs/iqLcRQy)
The numbers rolled are the Minion row cards Chaos gets. (6 is nothing.)
Recommended number of dice is 2 to 4.
The game ends when there are no Minion cards to buy.

The Climb

1 player vs yourself.
This is a self driven format.
Set goals (for example):
- Number of turns to 4 Supervillains
- Number of turns to clear the deck
- Number of turns to X reputation
- Number of turns to X Upgrades
Keep track and adjust your goals to keep improving.

Card Reference

The card-by-card reference begins on page 7 of the rulebook. Each entry below follows the rulebook's card clarifications for that card or card group.

Supercomputers

All Supercomputers work the exact same. (Only the art differs.)
Only 3 Upgrades can be attached to a Supercomputer at a time.
A player may buy a fourth Upgrade, but they must put 1 of their Upgrades on the bottom of the Upgrade deck to do so.

Supervillains

All Supervillains work the exact same. (Only the art and crew differ.)

Scaredy Bots

The Transfer ability can only be used to attach a Minion card from your discard pile to its crew's Supervillain.
That corresponding Supervillain must be currently revealed to use this ability.
When the Transfer ability is used, the Scaredy Bot is expelled from the game but you still get its power.

Tiny Bots

Very straightforward. This card gives you 1 power.

Junky Bots

Very straightforward. This card gives you 0 power. (Sorry Junky Bot, you are bad.)

Explodey Bots

Explodey Bot stays in your hand from turn to turn until it is played.
You still draw 5 cards each turn. Explodey Bot does not count towards that amount while it stays in your hand.
When played you get its power and Explodey Bot is expelled from the game.
Explodey Bot is treated like any other card in your hand, so abilities can affect it. (You can discard it with Fetch.)
If Explodey Bot goes into your deck, it is treated like any other card until drawn again.

Royal Rule (King Cobra)

Very straightforward. These cards have no ability.
Text in box is flavor text and does absolutely nothing.

Freezer Burn (Ice-Cold Cream)

Freeze: Take the top card of your deck and add it to your hand next turn.
If there are no cards in your deck, you shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck in order to freeze the new top card.
Just a play note: for ease of use, it is easiest to put the card sideways in front of you, so you don't forget that you got it from a Freeze ability.

Health Hazards (Killer Kiwi)

Harvest: Put up to 1 card from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck.
If there are no cards in your discard pile, the ability does not do anything.
If there are no cards in your deck when harvesting a card from your discard pile, that card becomes a new deck.

Hoppy Hunters (Bounty Hunter Slippy)

Bounty: Put up to 1 card from the Minion row into your Stash (maximum of 3 cards).
When you bounty a card into your Stash, you immediately replace the card from the top of the Minion deck.
You can buy cards from your Stash on your turn as if they were a part of the Minion row.
Opponents cannot buy cards from your Stash.
You can have a maximum of 3 cards in your Stash.
If you want to bounty another card once at 3, you must swap 1 of your stashed cards with the card you wish to bounty.
Just a play note: for ease of use, it is easiest to put the Stash cards off to the side with a marker (for example a coin) on top of them to set the apart.

Sleuths N' Sniffs (Mr. Shadow)

Fetch: Draw 1 card then discard 1 card.
If there are no cards in your deck, you shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck in order to draw the new top card.
You can only discard a card in your hand that has not been played already, meaning that you will not be getting that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and discard that card with an ability like this.

Fire Starters (MechaOven)

Incinerate: Expel 1 card in your hand or discard pile.
When a card is expelled it is permanently removed from the game.
When you choose to expel a card from your hand, you do not get to use that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and expel that card with an ability like this.

Tourist Trap (Tourmeleon Tillie)

Replicate: You may copy the ability or replace the leftmost card in the Minion row.
There are certain card abilities that do nothing when replicated. For example, replicating a Replicate ability does nothing, and Royal Rule cards do not have an ability to copy.
To replace the leftmost card in the Minion row, simply put the card on the bottom of the Minion deck and take the top card off the Minion deck and place it in that spot.
Late in the game the position of the leftmost card can change when there are less than 5 cards. For example, at 1 card left in the Minion row, that card is technically the leftmost card.

Cocoon Conquest (Monarch Cocoon)

Pupate: You may set this card aside to add to your hand next turn. If you do, double its base power.
The base power is the amount of power listed on the card.
Pupating multiple turns in a row with the same card is allowed. However, the base power will still only be doubled once.
Just a play note: for ease of use, it is easiest to put the card sideways in front of you, so you don't forget that you pupated the card.

Water Divination (Tarot Card Squid)

Prophecize: Choose a number, look at the top card of your deck, draw it if you guessed its power.
If there are no cards in your deck, you shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck in order to look at the new top card after guessing.

Croc Docs (Dr. Snappy)

Pull: Look at the bottom card of your deck, you may put it on top of it or discard it.
If there are no cards in your deck, you shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck in order to look at the new bottom card.
If there is only 1 card in your deck, that card is considered to be the bottom card of your deck, and you may choose to put it on top of your deck, it will remain in the same place.

Gale Force (Alien Ship)

Gust: You may replace the entire Minion row.
To replace the entire Minion row, put all of the Minion row cards on the bottom of the Minion deck in any order, and then take cards off the top of the Minion deck and place them from left to right to fill all of the spots.
If there are less than 5 Minion cards left in the row when you gust, replace as many spots as you can in the exact same way.

Musical Madness (Crusher Cassette)

Remix: You may discard 3 cards to draw 3 cards.
If there are less than 3 cards in your deck, draw any cards that are in the deck, then shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck in order to draw the remaining cards to get to 3.
You can only discard a card in your hand that has not been played already, meaning that you will not be getting that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and discard that card with an ability like this.
You must discard exactly 3 cards for this ability, no more and no less.

Llamaristas (Llamarista Jennifur)

Froth: You may expel 1 card from your discard pile to gain its power.
When a card is expelled it is permanently removed from the game.
If there are no cards in your discard pile, the ability does not do anything.

Deadly Deliveries (Delivery Kangaroo)

Expedite: Put up to 1 Minion card you bought this turn on the bottom of your deck.
If there are no cards in your deck when expediting a card from your discard pile, that card becomes a new deck.

Pandamonium (Mad Mia)

Experiment: Add an Explodey Bot to your hand next turn.
The expansion comes with an additional 10 Explodey Bots.
With the Experiment ability any expelled Explodey Bot can be used in addition to the Explodey Bot pile.
Though rare, this ability can fail to work if there are no Explodey Bots available.
Just a play note: for ease of use, it is easiest to put the Explodey Bot sideways in front of you, so you don't forget that you got it from an Experiment ability.

Monkey Mischief (Professor Tater)

Gamble: Put 1 card face down, an opponent guesses odd or even. Draw if they guessed wrong.
The card you place face down must be a card from your hand, meaning that it cannot be a card that you have already played, or a card from anywhere else.
Zero is an even number.
If your opponent was wrong and there are no cards in your deck, you shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck in order to draw a card.

Tall Tales (Book o' Seas)

Rewrite: You may look at the top 3 cards of your deck, discard any number of them.
If there are less than 3 cards in your deck, set aside any cards that are in the deck, then shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck, put those cards on top and then look at the top 3 cards.

Yard-Sailers (Yard-Saling Shelly)

Haggle: You may replace 1 card in the Minion row, its replacement costs 2 power less this turn.
To replace a card in the Minion row, simply put the card on the bottom of the Minion deck and take the top card off the Minion deck and place it in that spot.
If the new card has a cost of 2 or 1, the card is free to buy.

Salesweasels (Insurance Salesweasel)

Sell: You may discard 1 card to look at the top 2 cards of your deck, put one into your hand.
You can only discard a card in your hand that has not been played already, meaning that you will not be getting that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and discard that card with an ability like this.
If there are less than 2 cards in your deck, set aside any cards that are in the deck, then shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck, put the card on top if needed and then look at the top 2 cards.
The card that you do not choose to put in your hand stays on top of your deck.

Pig Out (Baby Pig)

Consume: You may expel 1 card in your hand to gain its power +1.
When a card is expelled it is permanently removed from the game.
When you choose to expel a card from your hand, you do not get to use that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and expel that card with an ability like this.
With this ability specifically, you do get the expelled card's power but that is coming from the Consume ability, not from playing the expelled card.
If the power of the consumed card has been modified, for example doubled with the Pupate ability, you get that modified power when expelling the card.

Dinomite Dressers (Kaitops)

Trendset: Look at the top 2 cards of the Minion deck, you may buy, top, or bottom any of them.
You can choose any of the options for each card, meaning that you can even pick the same option for each if you would like.
To buy either or each of the cards, you still need to pay their power cost.
If you choose to keep each card on top of the Minion deck, you can choose the order of those cards.
If you choose to put each card on bottom of the Minion deck, you can choose the order of those cards.

Sleep Slayers (Lethargic Leroy)

Snooze: Set 1 card from your hand aside for a future turn, or replace 1 card in the Minion row.
To replace a card in the Minion row, simply put the card on the bottom of the Minion deck and take the top card off the Minion deck and place it in that spot.
You can only snooze a card in your hand that has not been played already, meaning that you will not be getting that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and snooze that card.
Just a play note: for ease of use, it is easiest to put the card sideways in front of you, so you don't forget that you snoozed the card.

Raccoon Rebellion (Codename CL4W)

Hack: You may gain 2 power to be spent on an Upgrade card or replace it.
To replace the Upgrade card, simply put the card on the bottom of the Upgrade deck and take the top card off the Upgrade deck and place it in that spot.
If you choose to gain the 2 power from the Hack ability, that power can only be used to purchase an Upgrade.
You get the Hack power in addition to the base power of the card.
The card's base power can be used to purchase anything.

Brutal Builders (Builder Ben Beaver)

Engineer: You may replace the Upgrade card or expel a Bot from your hand to gain a Scaredy Bot.
To replace the Upgrade card, simply put the card on the bottom of the Upgrade deck and take the top card off the Upgrade deck and place it in that spot.
You can only expel a card in your hand that has not been played already, meaning that you will not be getting that card's power and/or ability as you are not able to both play and expel that card with an ability like this.
A Bot card is any card with a name that ends with the word "Bot".
At the time of writing this, the Bot cards in the game include cards like Junky Bot, Tiny Bot, Explodey Bot, and yes even Scaredy Bot.

Telemacawters (Telemacawter Trainee)

Repeat: You may copy the most recent Minion card ability you used this turn.
There are certain card abilities that do nothing when repeated. For example, repeating a Repeat ability does nothing, and Royal Rule cards do not have an ability to copy.
This ability only copies the abilities of Minion cards, meaning that the Repeat ability cannot be used to copy the ability of an Upgrade, Chaos Spell card, or even a Bot card.

Gizzard Wizards (Gizzard of Chaos)

Discombobulate: Add a Chaos Spell card to your spell book next turn.
Chaos Spells are hidden until they are used, so when you Discombobulate to add a Chaos Spell to your spell book, do not reveal it to your opponents.
Though rare, this ability can fail to work if there are no Chaos Spell cards available.
Just a play note: for ease of use, it is easiest to put the added Chaos Spell card sideways in front of you, so you don't forget that you got it from a Discombobulate ability from the previous turn.

Chaos Spells

Chance: Gain the top card of the Minion deck.
There are 10 different spells.
The Chaos Spell deck is placed to the left of the Scaredy Bot deck, with the entire deck face down and no Chaos Spells revealed.
Like any other card, these cards can only be played on your turn.
These cards are available in your "spell book" until you use them.
These cards are not considered to be in your hand, so for example they cannot be discarded or expelled with abilities that would do so.
When a spell card is played it goes onto the bottom of the Chaos Spell deck, and if there are no cards in the Chaos Spell deck, it becomes the Chaos Spell deck.