Cinderella at Midnight
Cinderella at Midnight Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Cinderella Standee
- 15 Maze Cards
- 1 Center Card
- 1 Time Card
- 1 Task Card
Overview
Finish the garden phase and the palace phase to win the game. To finish each phase, complete tasks, avoid hazards, and return to the center before time runs out!
Garden Phase Setup
This phase uses the square (■) sides of all cards, so flip every card to its square side up.
- Place the center card (showing the fairy godmother) on the table, and place the Cinderella standee at its center. Reserve space around it to build the maze.
- Shuffle the maze cards into a face-down deck (star (✦) side up).
- One at a time, draw 4 maze cards and place them (square (■) side up) around the center card as shown. Place each card before drawing the next.
- Place the task card on the time card so both cards are upright and all the bells are covered.
Setup diagram labels: Time Card, Task Card, Deck, Maze Cards, Center Card, Cinderella Standee, Build Area.
Moving Cinderella
At the start of a phase, you may move from the center card across a garden-phase lock (■) or a palace-phase lock (✦) to reach any adjacent card via a connected path. Otherwise, you may not cross locked paths. Locks open when tasks are completed or the clock strikes 4 or 8.
As you move, move the standee to indicate your new position.
You may move freely on connected paths between placed cards, but may not enter and exit a card by the same path unless you reach a dead end (open paths at the edges of a card do not count if you can place a new card there). If all potential paths are blocked, refer to the rules for ending your phase.
Placing Cards
At any time, you may draw and place a maze card in an empty space adjacent to your current card. Cards must be placed horizontally, aligning to a grid that extends from the center card. You may rotate it 180° before placement, but any bell-ability (1) must be placed upright.
After placing a card, you must immediately move onto it if possible, even if it would be unfavorable. If you cannot do so (for example, because the card does not connect to your path, leads to a passage exit, or leads to a locked path), place the new card on the bottom of the deck and draw another card.
Example: You may not enter the passage exit. If the bottom path is locked, this card may not be placed (you must redraw).
The game does not change after all maze cards have been placed. You may backtrack and attempt other paths.
Garden Phase Gameplay
Tasks (three objective icons): Rotate the task card 90° clockwise when your path crosses an objective. This opens the indicated locks (locks for previously completed tasks remain open).
Secret Passages: You may move from any up-arrow (↑) / up-down-arrow passage to any other down-arrow (↓) / up-down-arrow passage. Each time you use a passage, reveal a bell on the time card.
Passages come in three kinds: Enter Only, Exit Only, and Enter/Exit.
Hazards (ringing bell): If your path directly crosses a ringing bell, reveal a bell on the time card.
Shift Abilities: If you are at the center of a card with an unused shift ability, you may rotate it to (2) and either swap two other cards or rotate a card with a lantern. The ability may not target your current card or the center card.
Serenity Abilities: If you are at the center of a card with an unused serenity ability, you may rotate it to (2) and conceal bells as directed on the current line of the time card.
Example: You activate a serenity ability with 5 bells revealed. Conceal 2 bells as directed by the current line on the time card.
Ending the Garden Phase
If all your paths are blocked or if you reveal all 12 bells on the time card, you lose the game.
If you complete all three tasks and return to the fairy godmother, you finish the garden phase and move on to the palace phase.
Palace Phase Setup
- Remove the maze cards outside the 3x3 area around the center card and shuffle them into the deck.
- This phase uses the star (✦) sides of all cards, so flip the deck square side up and flip the other cards (time card, task card, center card, and its surrounding maze cards) star side up.
- Reset placed maze cards with abilities (so every bell-ability (1) is upright).
- Reset the task card to its upright position and place it on the time card showing clocks based on your garden-phase bell count.
Palace Phase Gameplay
Tasks (three key-task icons): Rotate the task card 90° clockwise when your path crosses an objective. You may complete the key task by crossing a full key or two half keys. Completing tasks opens locks as in the garden phase.
Secret Passages: Once they are unlocked, you may move from one crown symbol to another crown symbol, and from one 4 to another 4 for free (secret passages have no penalty in this phase).
Stepfamily: If your path crosses a stepfamily member for the first time, rotate their card to (2). If you cross them again, they recognize you and you lose the game.
Advancing the Clock
If your path connects to a clock, reveal a clock on the time card. This can happen up to once every time you visit a card.
At the stroke of 4, some secret passages open. At 8, the staircase opens. If the clock strikes 12, you lose the game.
Example: Path A advances +1 clock because it connects to a clock. Path B only advances +1 clock even though it passes multiple clocks. The other paths do not connect to clocks.
Every hour starting at the stroke of 4, swap or rotate cards as directed on the time card.
This may affect cards with or without clocks. To find the nearest card, compare card-to-card distances from your current card as shown. If there are multiple such cards, choose one.
Ending the Palace Phase
If you reveal the 12 on the time card or if a stepfamily member recognizes you, you lose the game.
If all your paths are blocked, perform the following:
- Move back to the center card.
- Remove the maze cards outside the 3x3 area around the center card and shuffle them into the deck.
- Reset the task card to its upright position but do not reset the time card.
- Restart the palace phase.
Winning the Game
If you complete all three tasks and return to the pumpkin carriage, you win the game and live happily ever after!
Transcription note: this rulebook is a transcription of a two-page image-only PDF (Story Seamstress, "Cinderella at Midnight Rulesheet"). Icons in the printed sheet are symbol glyphs that do not carry text, so symbols are rendered in words where the meaning is clear (e.g. "lock", "bell", "clock", "key", "lantern"). Where the exact symbol could not be identified with confidence, the description above names the symbol's role rather than its drawing, and the printed sheet should be consulted for the icon itself.