Vampire Queen
Vampire Queen Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
110 cards:
- 104 vampire cards (8 each with the values 1-13)
- 4 vampire Queens (jokers)
- 2 vampire slayers (with the values 15 and 20)
Aim of the Game
Players try to get rid of their cards as fast as they can to be the first to bring their vampires safely in the crypt. At the beginning of each round, the start player decides how many cards are to be played. In turns, players must play the same number of cards, but always with a higher value than the player before. Otherwise, they have to pass. A phase is over once a player has been able to safely bring all his vampires back into the crypt, meaning he has no cards left in his hand. Any vampire cards left in a player's hand that didn't make it in time into the crypt count as minus points. The vampire queen and vampire slayers count for the most minus points.
The player with the fewest minus points after 5 phases wins the game.
Game Setup
The player with the longest fangs receives the vampire slayer with the 15. The player to his left is the start player of the first round. He receives the vampire slayer with the 20.
The player with the vampire slayer 15 shuffles all remaining 108 cards and deals them out to the other players according to the following table. Depending on how many players there are, there will be some cards left over. Put them off to the side. They won't be needed until the next phase. Players pick up the cards that were dealt to them.
| Number of players | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cards per player | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Cards left over | 69 | 56 | 43 | 30 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
Note: In the first round, the start player and the player to his right each have one card more than the other players, as they also receive the vampire slayer card in their hands.
How to Play
A game consists of 5 phases. (Players can also agree on a different number of rounds to play to change the length of the game.) One phase consists of multiple rounds. In a clockwise direction, each player, beginning with the start player, has exactly one turn per round. At the end of a round if one or more players doesn't have any more cards in his hand, the phase is over. Otherwise another round is played.
The start player begins by playing any vampire card, multiple vampire cards of the same value or a vampire slayer card. The start player of a round always dictates how many cards are played in the round.
Very important: If multiple vampire cards are played at the same time, they all must have the same value!
Once the start player has played his card(s), the next player in a clockwise direction takes his turn. He has to either raise or pass.
To raise, you have to play the exact same number of vampire cards as the start player, but with a higher card value.
For example, if the start player played only one vampire card, the other players can likewise only play one vampire card in this round. If he plays a triplet (three cards of the same value), then everyone else has to play a triplet, too, or pass. The card value must be always higher than the value of the card(s) that were just played.
If a player doesn't want to, or can't, raise, he must pass.
Once every player has taken one turn by either raising or passing, the round is over. The player who played the highest card(s) is the start player of the next round. All played vampire cards are laid face down off to the side. They've safely made it to the crypt before break of dawn. These cards have no further significance for this phase.
Example for a game of 5 players: Marie is the start player. She plays 3 vampire cards, all of which have the value 6. Jon raises by playing 3 vampire cards with the value 8. Leon passes. Nina raises by playing 3 vampires with a value of 11. Luke passes. Now that every player has had a turn, the round is over and the played cards are laid off to the side. Nina played the highest valued cards and is therefore the start player for the next round.
Vampire Queen (Joker)
There are 4 vampire queens in the game. Each vampire queen can take on any card value from 1 to 14. If someone plays a vampire queen together with other vampires, the vampire queen automatically takes on the card value of the other vampires played.
Example: 2 vampires with the card value 11 and a vampire queen equal 3 vampires with a value of 11.
However, a single vampire queen played by itself has the card value 14. It is the highest card of the round and cannot be raised. You can also play multiple vampire queens at the same time. That means, a vampire pair with the value 13 can only be raised by a vampire queen pair. However, at the end of a phase, if you still have a vampire queen in your hand, it is worth 14 minus points.
Vampire Slayers
The back and face of the vampire slayer cards look the same. Everyone can immediately see who has the vampire slayer in their hand. Only the start player of a round can play a vampire slayer. When playing the vampire slayer card, you begin a vampire slayer round, which follows these special rules:
- A vampire slayer can only be played as a single card with the value 0.
- No one is allowed to pass and no one has to raise. Instead, every player has to play exactly 1 vampire regardless if the value is equal, higher or lower than the previously played card.
- A vampire queen always has the value 1 in a vampire slayer round.
- The vampire slayer is always after the strongest vampire. Whoever plays the highest card in a vampire slayer round has to pick up all cards played in this round, including the vampire slayer card, adding them to his hand. If more than one player has played the highest vampire card, the player who played the last of these cards has to pick up all the played cards into his hand.
After a vampire slayer round, the player who just picked up the vampire slayer is not allowed to play it right away! It can be played again in the round afterwards at the earliest, as long as this player is the start player. However, if this player happens to have the second vampire slayer card in his hand, too, he can of course immediately play this one right after the vampire slayer round.
Both vampire slayer cards always remain in the game until the end of a phase. Whoever has a vampire slayer card in his hand at the end of a phase receives 15 or 20 minus points, respectively.
Example of a vampire slayer round: Leon is the start player. He plays his vampire slayer card and starts a vampire slayer round. Now, no one is allowed to pass. Nina plays a 2, then Luke plays a 1. Now it's Marie's turn, who plays a 2 just like Nina. Jon plays a vampire queen, which has the value 1. Now everyone has had his turn and the round is over. Nina and Marie both played the highest value card, but the 2 played by Marie was played after Nina's 2, so she has to pick up all 5 cards played in this round to her hand. She is the new start player of the next round, but she is not allowed to play the vampire slayer card that she just finished picking up.
A second vampire slayer card may never be played during a vampire slayer round. If a player has only a vampire slayer card in his hand on his turn in a vampire slayer round, he is forced to pass and at the end of the round has to pick up all cards played in this round to his hand. That means, you have to be careful when you play your second-to-last card and only have a vampire slayer card left in your hand.
End of a Phase
At the end of a round, if one or more players don't have any cards left in their hands, a phase is over.
Note: If a player plays his last card in a vampire slayer round, but then has to pick up all the played cards to his hand at the end of the round, the phase does not end. Unless, of course, another player has no cards left in his hand.
Counting Score
All players with cards still in their hands receive minus points:
- Every vampire card is worth minus points according to the value of the card.
- Each vampire queen is worth 14 minus points.
- The vampire slayers are worth 15 and 20 minus points, respectively.
Example: Luke still has 3 cards in his hand at the end of a phase: 3, 10 and a vampire queen. This gives him 3+10+14=27 minus points.
Write down the minus points of each player. Then the next phase of the game begins.
New Phase
The players who had a vampire slayer card in their hands at the end of the phase keep them! The player with the vampire slayer card 20 is the new start player of the new phase. He deals out the cards to all the players according to the table in the "Game setup" section. The players with the vampire slayer cards begin this phase with one card more (or two, if the player has both vampire slayer cards).
End of Game
The player with the fewest minus points after 5 phases wins the game. There can be more than one winner.
Rules Differences in the English-Language Edition (Playte / Popcorn Games)
The English-language edition prints the same game with a small number of changed setup rules. Transcribed from the vampirequeen_EN_21 rulebook.
Preparation
In 3-5 players' play, who went to bed the earliest last night receives the [Vampire Slayer 15] card. His/her left player is the start player and takes the [Vampire Slayer 20].
In 6-12 players' play, only the [Vampire Slayer 20] card is used in the game.
The player with the [Vampire Slayer] shuffles all remaining 108 cards and deals them out to the other players following the table below. Put the leftover cards off to the side. You don't need them until the next phase. Then, players pick up the dealt cards in their hands.
| Number of Players | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9 | 10 | 11-12 Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cards per player | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 Cards |
| Vampire Slayer Card | '15', '20' | '20' Only | '20' Only | '20' Only | '20' Only |
Note: The start player have one more card each than other players, as they also take the vampire slayer cards in their hands.
Next phase
The players who had a Vampire Slayer card in their hands at the end of the phase should keep them!
The player with the Vampire Slayer card is the new start player of the new phase. The start player shuffles all cards except the Vampire Slayers and deals out the cards to all players.