Dark Trickery

A fun, fast paced game of Trick-Taking and saving all humanity from cosmic horrors!

Based on the familiar mechanism of trick taking, Dark Trickery turns the genre in strange, cyclopian angles by making the game play cooperative.

Players work toward a common goal of closing the 5 gates through which the Great Old Ones seek to enter our reality to devour our world and all mankind.

Components

Deck of 40 suit cards in 5 suits.

Each suit consists of: Number cards 1-6, 1 Follower Card , 1 Sign Card

6 Gate Tracker cards and matching Gate cards

1 deck of 5 Rising Suit cards

1 deck of 6 Elder Number cards

1 Dark Tome Leader Token

8 black cubes

Set Up

Place the 5 Gate and Gate Tracker cards out on the table. Each Gate Tracker card gets one cube placed on the starting space of the track. (the dark shaded space is the end of the track)

Place the remaining loose Knowledge Cubes near the gate cards.

Shuffle the Suit Deck, Risng Suit Deck, and Elder Number Deck and place them on the play surface. Turn over the top Rising Suit and Elder Number cards.

The player who most recently "lost their mind" is the leader for the first round. They take the Dark Tome Token and deal all players 6 cards.

You may discuss strategy with your fellow players between hands, but during a game round you may not discuss what cards you hold. You must trust your fellow players plans, and hope they align with yours.

Game Play

The player with the Dark Tome is always the Leader for the current trick, and plays the first card. The Leader may change multiple times during a round of play.

A round consists of six tricks in which each player plays one card, face up, to the center of the table. Each trick the Leader compares the cards played and determines which card wins the trick as follows:

The highest number card (1-6) in the Leader's played suit will win the trick. Advance the matching Gate Tracker cube one space forward along its Track.

If a winning number card matches the Elder Number card, move the matching Tracker Cube back one space (if possible).

but

If a "wild" Follower of the leader's suit is played it will become the highest card and win the trick. In this case move the matching Tracker Cube forward two spaces.

Followers played by the Leader count as Zero unless a card matching their suit is played by another player, in this case the follower becomes the highest numbered card. Players must always follow the leaders suit if possible.

but

If a Sign card from any suit is played, it will "trump" in and take the trick in any card combination. A second Sign card would trump the first and so on. Sign cards do not have to follow the Leader's suit, and may be played on any trick during a round. Advace the matching Gate Tracker cube one space along its track.

If a sign card is played flip over the next card in the Rising Suit deck.

Then...

Place a Knowledge Cube on the matching Gate card. Knowledge cubes may be moved from gate card to gate card if there are no loose ones.

If all the knowledge cubes are placed on the same gate card, that gate is closed. Move the cubes to the play surface, and flip the gate to the black and white side.

Add the Tracking Cube from that Gate Tracker card to the loose Knowledge Cubes.

The player who played the winning card for the trick receives the Dark Tome an is Leader for the next trick.

After all cards have been played the Leader may remove a number of cards from those played during the round that match the suits of any gate(s) that were closed that round. This culls some of the dead cards from the game, keeping play fast and rewarding.

The suit indicated by the Rising Suit Deck advances its Gate Tracking Cube two spaces.

The current Leader shuffles all remaining cards and deals out six to each player for the next round.

Play continues until all 5 gates are closed, or one of the Gate Tracker Cubes reaches the dark space at the center of the card. In which case the players lose, the Great Old One is released, and the world is devoured.

A light enough game for players of all levels with a unique bit of strategy for those looking for a fun, cooperative challenge.

So put your sanity to the test and give Dark Trickery a play!

Questions or Comments? Please click on the Contact Us link below.

Dark Trickery ships in a small green velvet bag.

Note: Cards and cubes will not come shipped inside the bag, and the tag will not be attached due to fulfillment restrictions.

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