Sleeping Queens 2: The Rescue! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Contents
• Set Up
• How to Play
• Instant Action Cards
  • Wild Gnomes
  • Switch Witches
  • Sleeping Willows
• Knights
• Queens
• Spell Books
• Finding Rescue Companions
• How to Rescue a King
• Ending the Game
• Turn Guide

Overview

2 to 5 Players, Ages 8+.

• 2 players: rescue 4 kings
• 3-4 players: rescue 3 kings
• 5 players: rescue 2 kings

Contents

• 40 number cards (four of each #1-10)
• 12 queens
• 10 kings
• 2 turn guides
• 6 Wild Gnomes (Instant Action)
• 5 Switch Witches (Instant Action)
• 5 Sleeping Willows (Instant Action)
• 4 Spell Books
• 10 rescue companions
• 6 knights & stands
• 1 custom die

Set Up

1. Separate the cards according to card back: main deck, kings, and rescue companions.
2. Shuffle the main deck and stack it face down in the center of the playing area. Then draw the top card and place it face up next to the deck to start the discard pile. Note: If it's a card with a lightning-bolt symbol (Instant Action), shuffle it back into the deck and draw another card. (See "Instant Action Cards" for more.)
3. Shuffle the rescue companions and arrange them face down in a grid around the main deck.
4. Scatter the kings face up around the rescue companions.
5. Give each player a random knight and place it in a stand. Return the other knights to the box. (See "Knights" for more.) Note: In a 2-player game, do not play with the black knight.
6. Place the die and turn guide cards within easy reach.

How to Play

The person who most recently found a lost item goes first and play continues to the left. On every turn, take the following steps in order:

1. Roll the die and, depending on the result, do the following:
   • 1 / 2 / 3: Draw 1 / 2 / 3 cards from the main deck.
   • Dragon:
     • Each player passes their knight to the player on their left.
     • You may wake up one sleeping queen (if any) in front of you.
     • Roll again. (If you roll a dragon again, resolve the result again.)
2. Play all Instant Action cards (lightning-bolt symbol) (Switch Witch, Wild Gnome, Sleeping Willow), in any order you choose.
3. Place any number, Spell Book, and/or queen cards face up in front of you to form your realm.
4. Take one or more of the below actions, in any order you choose:
   • Make a math equation with your number cards to take a face-down rescue companion from the middle.
   • Play a pair of number cards to wake up all of your sleeping queens.
   • Play a Spell Book to look through the discard pile and take one number card.
   • Rescue a king with a queen and matching rescue companion.
5. Discard down to five or fewer cards. At the end of your turn, you may keep a maximum of five cards in your realm (or six with the green knight), excluding rescue companions and rescued kings. Choose which cards you wish to discard and place them face up on top of the discard pile. Note: If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new one.

Instant Action Cards

There are three types of Instant Action cards in the deck: Wild Gnomes, Switch Witches, and Sleeping Willows. Each card must be resolved after drawing cards and before taking any further action. If you draw more than one Instant Action card, you may choose the order in which to play them. (If you draw more than one of the same kind, play each as a separate action.) Place the card(s) on top of the discard when done.

Wild Gnomes

Magical gnomes roam through the forest and grant special abilities if you are lucky enough to meet one! If you draw a Wild Gnome card, roll the die to see which power you can immediately use:

• 1: Take a face-down rescue companion from the middle.
• 2: Steal a card from another player's realm. (Except for rescue companions or kings.)
• 3: Take a queen from the discard pile.
• Dragon: Swap any two knights in play.

Switch Witches

Conniving Switch Witches lurk in the forest and may pop out at any time to give you the power to swap any one card in your realm (queen, number, Spell Book) with a card in another player's realm. You can also swap rescue companions but the rule for that is special: you may swap them as long as your opponent also has one to swap. If you cannot (or choose not to) use a Switch Witch, simply discard it.

Sleeping Willows

Sleeping Willows grow throughout the forest and have the power to put all of your queens to sleep! If you draw a Sleeping Willow, you must put all of your awake queens to sleep. (Turn the cards face down.) If you do not have any awake queens or your realm is protected by the White knight, an east wind blows and the Sleeping Willow affects the next player (to the left) with awake queens! If no one has any awake queens, nothing happens.

Note: A sleeping queen cannot rescue a king.

How to Wake a Sleeping Queen:

• If you have a pair of matching number cards in your realm (example: two 7s), you can wake up ALL of your sleeping queens. Discard both cards and then turn all of your queens face up.
• If you roll a dragon, you can wake up one of your queens.

Note: You may always peek at your sleeping queens.

Knights

Knights are on patrol to help protect your realm. Each knight has a special power that helps the player controlling it.

• Red knight: Add or subtract a 1 to (or from) any number card to complete a math equation.
• Blue knight: If you roll a 1, you may choose to re-roll the die.
• White knight: Protects against Sleeping Willows.
• Black knight: Protects against the Switch Witch. (Cannot be used in a 2-player game.)
• Purple knight: Draw one more card than rolled on the die.
• Green knight: Keep up to six cards in your realm at the end of your turn.

When a player rolls a dragon, all knights move one player to the left.

Queens

The queens are awake and ready for action! If you draw a queen card, place it face up in your realm. Each queen has a symbol in the top left corner indicating which category of rescue companion must match up with it to rescue a king.

Spell Books

You may use a Spell Book to look through the discard pile and take one number card and add it to your realm. Discard the Spell Book after use.

Notes:

• You may choose to save a Spell Book for another turn and may have more than one in your realm, but remember the five-card limit.
• You can look through the discard pile before choosing whether to use your Spell Book.

Finding Rescue Companions

A menagerie of magical creatures is hiding throughout the kingdom, each endowed with a special tool that can help the queens rescue the kings. To summon a rescue companion, you must make a math equation using the number cards in your realm. You can use any combination of number cards to make any kind of equation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), as long as it meets the following requirements:

• You can only use one type of operation per equation.
• You cannot have operators (+ - x ÷) on both sides of the equal sign.

Examples (YES): 2 + 3 + 3 = 8; 2 x 3 = 6. Examples (NO): 4 + 3 = 5 + 2 (operators on both sides of the equal sign); 5 x 2 - 8 = 2 (two types of operation).

Once you've made your equation, discard all of the number cards, then choose one of the face-down creatures from the middle and add it face up to your realm.

Notes:

• You may have more than one rescue companion and they do not count towards your card limit for your realm.
• If there are no face-down creatures, shuffle all of the face-up creatures in the center and place them back face down in a grid.
• The All-Porpoise Tool is the most powerful rescue companion and can be used with any queen.

How to Rescue a King

To rescue a king, you must play a queen and their matching rescue companion. Once you have both a queen and a companion with the same symbol, take the following steps during your turn:

1. Place the queen on top of the discard pile.
2. Return the rescue companion face up to the center grid.
3. Take any one king card from the middle and place it off to the side in your realm.

Reminder: Rescued kings cannot be taken from your realm.

Ending the Game

The game ends immediately when one player has rescued the following number of kings:

2 players: 4 kings | 3-4 players: 3 kings | 5 players: 2 kings

Turn Guide

1. Roll die and draw cards equal to the number (1, 2 or 3). (If dragon, pass knights to the left, wake up a queen, and roll again.)
2. Immediately play any Instant Action cards in any order. (Gnomes, Witches, Willows)
3. Place any queens, numbers, and/or Spell Books face up in front of you.
4. Then take one or more actions: do a math equation to take a face-down rescue companion; discard a number pair to wake up all your queens; discard a Spell Book to search the discard pile and take one number card; rescue a king with a queen and matching companion.
5. Keep up to 5 cards at end of turn. (Excluding kings and rescue companions)

Wild Gnome: 1 Take a face-down companion. 2 Steal a card. 3 Take a queen from discard. Dragon: Swap any two knights in play.

Switch Witch: Swap companions with another player, or any other card with another player's card.

Sleeping Willow: Puts all your queens to sleep. (Turn cards face down.) If none, affects first player (to left) with awake queens.

To Win: 2 players: rescue 4 kings | 3-4 players: rescue 3 kings | 5 players: rescue 2 kings.