Until Dawn Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Components
• Setup
• Play Summary
• Your Turn
• Zombie Turn
  • The Attacks
  • The Cards
  • Final Assault
• Winning
• Other Rules
  • Bite Pile
  • Breaches
  • Jasper
  • Decks and Discards

Overview

Until Dawn is a solitaire card game in which you play as John Woods in an attempt to defend your small cabin from a zombie attack. With the help of your dog, Jasper, and a loaded shotgun, you must hold off the zombies attempting to breach the four entrances to the cabin, and survive until dawn. Once the sun rises, the zombies disperse, and you can make your escape.

Worse, Woods' wife, Rebecca, is suffering from a zombie bite to the arm, and is doing everything in her power to keep from being overcome by the zombie infection.

As John Woods, you can defend the cabin by building barricades, commanding Jasper to guard an entrance, and using your limited supply of shotgun shells. When you have the chance, you can also help Rebecca treat her wound. You may do as many of these actions as you wish, but, when you choose to stop, the zombies will take as many turns as you did.

There are three types of zombies attacking the cabin, each represented by a different colored card. As the zombies attack, cards are drawn from the deck and placed at one of the four entrances to the cabin. Eventually, the zombies will gain enough strength to begin breaking in. If all four entrances are breached, you lose. Just before dawn, the zombies launch one final attack. If you survive this attack, the sun will finally rise and you can make your escape.

Components

• 38 card deck
• The cabin board
• Jasper token
• Zombie Rebecca token
• 8 barricade tokens
• White time marker, black zombie turn marker, and red ammunition marker

The Cabin and the Cards. At the top of the board is the cabin Woods is attempting to defend. The cabin has four entrances into which the zombies can break, which are marked by brackets: one on the left, two at the top, and one on the right.

Below the cabin is the time track, used to track how much time has passed and how much longer you must hold until dawn. At the bottom left is the bite pile where cards are placed to track the severity of Rebecca's bite. The ammo track at the bottom right shows how many of Woods' shotgun shells remain.

There are three different types of zombies attacking the cabin, each type having its own color and unique behavior. Some zombie cards contain a ⊕ symbol in the upper right-hand corner, which is used during the zombies' turn. Each zombie card has text describing the method in which it attacks the cabin.

The deck also contains bite and movement cards. Bite cards, like zombie cards, are one of three different colors. Bite and movement cards are drawn and resolved during the zombies' turn.

Setup

Place the cabin board on a flat surface with enough space to play cards above it and to each side. Place the white time marker and the black zombie marker on the leftmost space of the time track. Place the red ammunition marker on space 8 of the ammo track.

Look through the deck of cards and pull out one Scratcher, one Screamer, and one Sneaker zombie card without a ⊕ symbol in the upper right-hand corner. Shuffle these three cards and place them face down on the bite space of the cabin board. Shuffle the remaining 35 cards and place them face down to the side.

Place the Jasper token on the rug in the middle of the cabin. Place the eight barricades and the Zombie Rebecca token to the side.

Play Summary

Each turn, you take as many actions as you wish to take. Each time you take an action, you move the time marker to the right one space on the time track. When you choose to stop taking actions, the zombies take their turn. First, any zombies already in play attempt to break into the cabin. Afterwards, cards are drawn from the deck, which can cause more zombies to enter play or move, or cause Rebecca's bite wound to worsen. After the zombie turn, if the game hasn't ended, you may continue taking more actions.

At the end of a zombie turn, if the time and zombie markers are both on the last space of the time track, the zombies start their final assault on the cabin. If you survive this assault with at least one unbreached entrance, you win.

Your Turn

When the game starts, it is your turn, and you may begin by taking actions. Your turn lasts as long as you wish; you may take as many actions as you want, one after the other. To take an action, move the time marker to the right one space on the time track, and choose one of the following actions to resolve:

• Barricade - place one barricade token on to any one of the four entrances. The token must be taken from off the board; you may not move a barricade token from one entrance to another.
• Fire the Shotgun - move the ammo marker down one space and discard the top zombie card from any entrance. Then, if there are any other zombie cards at that entrance, move the top zombie card one unbreached entrance clockwise, leaving its orientation the same. If the ammo marker is at 0, you may not take this action. You may not use this action to shoot the Zombie Rebecca token.
• Command Jasper - move the Jasper token to one of the four entrances. You may not take this action if Jasper has been killed.
• Treat the Bite - shuffle all the cards in the bite pile and discard one at random.
• Pass - do nothing.

Take as many actions as you wish, moving the time marker one space for each action you take. After any action, you may choose to advance to the zombie turn. If you take an action that moves the time marker to the rightmost space of the time track, you have no choice but to advance to the zombie turn.

Zombie Turn

The Attacks

The first thing the zombies do on their turn is attack (on their first turn, however, there are no zombie cards in play; you may skip down to The Cards and go from there). The zombie attack is resolved in two rounds. The first round determines which zombies will attack. Any zombies that do attack are turned 90 degrees to the right. Zombie cards that have been turned 90 degrees will be referred to as attacking zombies. The second round resolves the attacks of all attacking zombies. For both rounds, start at the front door and, moving clockwise, resolve each entrance once.

For the first round, starting at the front door, check the types of zombies at the entrance. If there is at least one zombie of all three colors, then all zombies at that entrance attack. Keeping the order of the cards the same, turn all cards at that entrance 90 degrees. These zombies are now considered attacking zombies.

If there are at least three of the same color of zombie at that entrance, then all zombies of that color at every entrance attack. Without changing the order of the cards, check every entrance for that color of zombie and turn those cards 90 degrees.

Note that it is possible that both conditions apply, in which case, both effects apply: all zombies at the current entrance attack, as do all zombies at all entrances that match the color of any three-of-a-kind sets that were made at the current entrance.

After checking the front door, check the next entrance clockwise and continue this process until each entrance has been checked once. It is possible that some zombies at some entrances will already be attacking, either from previous turns or from matching the color of a set of three of the same color at a previous entrance this turn. Treat attacking zombies exactly the same when determining which zombies attack. Always keep the order of all cards the same at every entrance.

The front door is checked first. There are three Scratchers (red) at this door, so all Scratchers at all entrances will attack and are turned to the side.

At the next entrance, there is one Scratcher (who is now attacking), one Screamer (green), and two Sneakers (blue). Because there is at least one zombie of each color, all zombies at this entrance attack, including the Scratcher that was already attacking. Turn every card at this entrance 90 degrees.

The next entrance has only a Screamer and a Sneaker, which is turned to attack. Regardless of the attacking zombie, no sets are created, so nothing happens here. The last entrance has two Screamers and two Sneakers. No sets are created, so none of these zombies attack.

After checking each entrance one time, a second round is done to resolve the attacks. Just like the first round, resolve the front door first, then move clockwise and resolve each entrance only one time. Any zombies that move to other entrances during this round will not create new sets at that entrance (determining which zombies attack has already happened).

At each entrance, resolve the attacks of each attacking zombie. Resolve them in order from the top of the stack to the bottom, and only resolve attacks on attacking zombies - those that have been turned to the side. Each zombie attacks differently:

• Scratchers (red): These zombies have no interest in breaking into the house; they are only interested in tearing it down. When a Scratcher attacks, if there is at least one barricade token at the entrance, remove one of the barricade tokens and discard the Scratcher card. If there are no barricade tokens at the entrance, the Scratcher moves one entrance clockwise. Place it, attacking, on top of any zombie cards at its new entrance. If this entrance has not yet been resolved this turn, the Scratcher will attack again.
• Sneakers (blue): These are smarter zombies than the Scratchers, and are desperately trying to break into the cabin. When a Sneaker attacks, count up all attacking Sneakers at the current entrance:
  • » If this number is greater than the number of barricade tokens at the entrance, the Sneakers breach the entrance. Place the topmost Sneaker card over the entrance, and discard the rest. Remove all barricade tokens from the entrance. Move all the other zombie cards at the entrance one entrance clockwise, and place them underneath any other zombie cards at their new entrance. Whether they were attacking before or not, place all of them so they are not attacking.
  • » If the number of Sneakers is less than or equal to the number of barricades, discard all Sneakers at the entrance and remove one barricade token from the entrance.
• Screamers (green): Screamers are the smartest of the bunch. If a Screamer has an easy way in to the cabin, they take it, but otherwise they let out a high-pitched scream which summons other nearby zombies. When a Screamer attacks:
  • » If there are no barricade tokens at the entrance, the Screamer breaches the entrance. Place the Screamer card over the entrance. Move all the other zombie cards at the entrance one entrance clockwise, and place them underneath any other zombie cards at their new entrance. Whether they were attacking before or not, place all of them so they are not attacking.
  • » If there is at least one barricade token at the entrance, the Screamer lets out a howl. Discard the Screamer and draw the top two cards from the deck, one at a time. Place any zombie cards drawn at the current entrance, underneath any other zombie cards there. Turn these new zombies so they are attacking. Place any bite cards drawn face down into the bite pile without resolving their effects. Discard any movement cards drawn without resolving their effects. Since these new zombies are placed, attacking, underneath any zombies at the current entrance, they will attack this entrance on this turn. Ignore any ⊕ symbols on any of these drawn cards.

If, after the attacks, there are no unbreached entrances, John and Rebecca Woods are overrun, and you lose. Otherwise, after the zombies attack, proceed to drawing and playing cards from the deck.

The front door has three attacking Scratchers and two barricades. The first attacking Scratcher is discarded and a barricade token is discarded. The second Scratcher is also discarded and tears another barricade to shreds. The last Scratcher has no barricades to destroy, so he moves to the next entrance clockwise and is placed on top of any zombies there. He remains attacking.

At the next entrance, all zombies are attacking. The newly-arrived Scratcher attacks first, destroys one of the barricades, and is discarded. The Sneaker attacks next. There are two attacking Sneakers at this entrance, and only one barricade, so the Sneakers breach the entrance. The barricade is removed and the topmost Sneaker card is placed over the entrance. The other is discarded. Keeping their order the same, the Screamer and the Scratcher are moved one entrance clockwise and placed underneath any zombie cards there. They are placed so that they are not attacking. Even though a set is now created at this entrance, no zombies are turned to the side (sets are only checked during the first round of the attack).

The next entrance has one attacking Sneaker and one barricade. The Sneaker and the barricade are both discarded. None of the other zombies here are attacking. The last entrance has no attacking zombies, so nothing is resolved here.

The Cards

After the zombies attack, you will draw and play cards until the zombie marker on the time track reaches the time marker.

First, move the zombie marker to the right one space. Then, flip over the top card of the deck, and resolve its effects:

• When a Scratcher, Sneaker, or Screamer zombie card is drawn, place the card at any of the four entrances of your choice. The zombie is placed face up on top of any other zombie cards at that entrance. Stagger the cards so that all cards' color and title can be seen. You may not place a zombie card at a breached entrance. If there are less than five cards in the bite pile, you may also place the card, face down, on top of that pile.
• When a movement card is drawn, two things happen:
  • » First, check to see if the Jasper token is at an entrance, and, if so, if there are any zombie cards at Jasper's entrance. If there are, the zombies attack Jasper and kill him. Remove his token from the board.
  • » Afterwards, move the zombies according to the direction indicated on the card. Take the top card from the stack at each entrance, whether it is attacking or not, and move it one entrance in the direction indicated on the card. Place the card on top of its new stack, and turn it 90 degrees. It is now considered attacking, and will attack during the zombies' next opportunity to do so.
• When a bite card is drawn, two things happen:
  • » First, if the Zombie Rebecca token is in play, move it one entrance clockwise.
  • » Afterwards, shuffle the bite pile face down and draw one card from it at random. If the bite card and the drawn card are the same color, the effects of the bite kick in. Refer to the bite section below. If the bite card and the drawn card are not the same color, shuffle both cards into the bite pile and return the pile face down to the board.

If the card drawn has a ⊕ symbol in the upper right corner, then draw another card and resolve its effects in the same way. Continue to draw and play cards until you play a card without a ⊕ symbol. If, however, you place a zombie card with a ⊕ symbol at the entrance Jasper is guarding, you may ignore it as if it has no ⊕ symbol but may not play any more zombie cards at that entrance this turn. See the section on Jasper below for more details.

After playing a card without a ⊕ symbol, if the zombie marker is not yet on the same space of the time track as the time marker, start the process over again: move the zombie marker to the right one space, and draw and resolve cards until you play one without a ⊕ on it.

If, after playing cards, the two markers are in the same space, you may again start taking actions. However, if the two markers are both in the rightmost space of the time track, proceed to the final assault.

Final Assault

If, after playing cards, the time and zombie markers are both in the rightmost space of the time track, the final assault begins. The final assault works similarly to a normal attack, except for a few major differences:

• Every zombie attacks at every entrance, regardless of whether or not any sets are created. Turn all zombie cards to the side, and then resolve attacks as normal, starting at the front door.
• If an entrance is breached during the final assault, move all remaining zombies at that entrance one entrance clockwise, and underneath any other zombie cards there, as normal. However, all those zombies are then turned to the side and are considered attacking.
• After resolving each unbreached entrance once, you must resolve another round of attacks. Starting again at the front door, repeat the normal attack procedure following all normal attack rules (remembering that after breaches during the final assault, the remaining zombies move as normal, but stay attacking). After that round of attacks, the final assault is over.

Zombie Rebecca alters the attacks of each zombie at her entrance in the following ways:

• Scratchers breach if there are no barricades, instead of moving. Place the Scratcher over the entrance and move all other zombies there one entrance clockwise, placing them underneath any other cards at their new entrance, and turning them so they are not attacking (unless it is during the final assault, in which case they are placed attacking).
• Screamers draw three cards instead of two when they scream for help.
• Sneakers breach if the total number of them are equal to or greater than the number of barricades, instead of just greater.

For the remainder of the game, when a bite card is drawn and resolved, move the Zombie Rebecca token one entrance clockwise. If the entrance Zombie Rebecca is at becomes breached, leave her token there. It will move when the next bite card is drawn. The Zombie Rebecca token does not count as a zombie card. She cannot be shot with the shotgun, and she does not attack Jasper when a move card is drawn (other zombie cards with her still would, however).

After Zombie Rebecca is in play, the bite pile remains active and continues to work by the same method. However, it is now John Woods' bite instead of Rebecca's. While Zombie Rebecca is in play, if a bite card is drawn, and a card of the matching color is drawn from the bite pile, Woods succumbs to the bite and becomes a zombie. He joins Rebecca, and you lose.

Winning

After the final assault, if there is at least one unbreached entrance, you win. However, there are various shades of winning. Surviving the final assault with both Rebecca and Jasper alive is a perfect win. Scrambling out of the house at dawn having survived the final assault, but with Woods' wife and best friend dead, well, that's hardly winning at all, is it?

Other Rules

Bite Pile

Inside the house, Rebecca Woods has been bitten and is trying keep herself from succumbing to the zombie infection. The severity of the wound is tracked with the bite pile, and drawing bite cards from the deck may cause the situation to turn from bad to worse.

When you draw a zombie card from the deck, you may choose to place it face down onto the bite pile instead of placing it at an entrance. If it has a ⊕ symbol you must still draw another card. You may not do this if there are five or more cards in the pile.

As an action, you may help Rebecca with her wound by shuffling the bite pile and discarding one card from it at random.

When a bite card is drawn, the bite pile is shuffled and one card is pulled from the deck at random. It will be either a zombie card or another bite card, and thus will be one of the three colors. If the color of the drawn card matches the bite card, Rebecca becomes a zombie. She bites Woods on the leg before destroying the front door and running out. Remove all barricade tokens from the front door, place the Zombie Rebecca token at the front door entrance (even if breached), and discard all cards from the bite pile. If the colors do not match, shuffle both the drawn card, and the bite card, back into the bite pile. If the bite card has a ⊕ symbol, you must draw and resolve another card like normal.

Breaches

During the game, zombies may breach an entrance. When a zombie breaches, that card is placed over the entrance. For the remainder of the game, that entrance is completely ignored as if it never existed:

• Zombie cards may not be played there.
• Scratchers move past it to the next unbreached entrance.
• Zombie cards moving after a breach or a shotgun blast move past it to the next unbreached entrance.
• When a bite card is drawn, Zombie Rebecca moves past it to the next unbreached entrance.

If Jasper is at an entrance when it is breached, move him back to the rug. At your next opportunity to take actions, he may be moved to another entrance, following all normal rules. If Zombie Rebecca is at an entrance when it is breached, leave her token there. It will move when the next bite card is drawn.

If a Sneaker breaches an entrance, place the Sneaker over the entrance, and discard all other Sneaker cards at that entrance.

If a Screamer or Scratcher breaches an entrance, place it over the entrance. In either case, discard any barricade tokens at that entrance, and move all other zombie cards at that entrance one unbreached entrance clockwise. Place the cards underneath any other zombie cards already at the new entrance, and place them so they are not attacking (unless it is the final assault, in which case they are placed so they are attacking).

If all four entrances become breached, John Woods is overrun and you lose.

Jasper

Jasper is the Woods family's faithful german shepherd. You may take one action during your turn to place the Jasper token at any entrance. During the zombies' turn, if you place a zombie card with a ⊕ symbol on it at the entrance with the Jasper token, you may choose to place the Jasper token on top of the zombie card. If you do so, you may treat the card as if it did not have a ⊕ symbol, however, you may no longer play zombie cards at that entrance during this zombie turn. At the end of the zombie turn, Jasper automatically moves back to the rug. If Jasper is on the rug, he has no effect on the game, but he may not be attacked.

During the zombies' turn, if a movement card is drawn, check to see if the Jasper token is at an entrance, and, if so, if any zombie cards are at that entrance. If there are, the zombies attack Jasper and kill him. Set his token aside. You may no longer use an action to place Jasper at an entrance.

Decks and Discards

When a card needs to be drawn from the deck, and no cards are left in it, shuffle all discarded cards to form a new deck. The bite pile and discard pile may never be examined. The top card of the discard pile will be visible, but beyond that, all other information regarding the cards must remain hidden.