Dark Heists

Dark Heists Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Overview

In Dark Heists, you play a Victorian era mob boss recruiting monsters and criminals to do haunted heists in a spooky city.

You will recruit scoundrels from the streets and do larceny to prepare for the big heists.

The final round is triggered when you complete a third heist. When the final round is finished, the player with the most notoriety wins.

Components

53 Scoundrel cards
40 Starter cards (S in the corner)
16 Heist cards
10 Larceny cards
5 Goon and 5 Valet cards
8 Specter cards (2 recruit)
16 Heat cards
8 Auto-Player cards
Roll-up neoprene mat
44 Coin tokens
1st Player token
4 Tracker cubes
4 Player mats

Setup

Board layout (lettered locations on the play area):

A. Basic Heists
B. Advanced Heists
C. Heat Deck
D. Specter Deck
E. Goon Deck
F. Valet Deck
G. Graveyard
H. Scoundrel Streets
I. Larceny Cards
J. Coin Supply

Card Anatomy

K. Sway - To Recruit
L. Recruit Costs
M. Suit - Ghost (one of five)
N. Scoundrel Name
O. Special Ability
P. Notoriety - Victory Points
Q. Crime - To get coins

Deck Building 101

Starter Deck

Everyone starts with the same Scoundrel cards known as the Starter Deck.

1 Specter Card
1 Medium Card
1 Bribe Card
1 Payroll Cop Card
2 Thief Cards
2 Bully Cards
2 Ambassador Cards

Basic Turn

The non-heist turn goes as such:

Draw 5 Scoundrel cards from Player deck.
Activate special effects.
Use each card for Crime OR Sway.
Recruit scoundrels from the street and/or do Larceny.
Place hand and recruited cards into your discard.
Refill the streets (if needed).
Trigger Cop effects (See Page 8).
Announce the end of your turn.

The Basic Turn diagram labels: A. Player Mat; B. Player Deck; C. Player Discard. The player mat reads: "Draw 5 cards. On your turn either: Recruit & Larceny or Start a Heist. Scoundrel cards can be used for crime OR sway. Special abilities are optional. Costs are not. When a crew finishes 3 heists, finish the round. Crew with the most notoriety wins." It also shows the Larceny cost of 4 Coins to bury a card from your hand or discard, and 2 Coins for +1 Crime / Sway.

You don't have to hide your hand in Dark Heists. Players can only activate cards on your turn.

How to Play Dark Heists

In Dark Heists, the first player to complete three Heists triggers the final round. Finish the round and the player with the most Notoriety wins.

Your total Notoriety is the sum of completed Heists, Scoundrel cards and half a point per Coin.

Crime or Sway?

Each card or Scoundrel in your hand can be used for Crime or Sway. Not both.

The amount of Sway is noted in the upper-left corner of each Scoundrel.

Sway is used to recruit new Scoundrels into your gang. Recruit as many as you can. You can't recruit Heat.

The amount of Crime is noted in the lower-right corner of each Scoundrel.

Crime is used for Larceny to get Coins. Larceny multiple times if you can. If there are Larceny cards, they come with bonus effects. When they're gone, you get two Coins for three Crime you spend.

(Page 4 example images: Ambassador, Bully, Thief, Bully, Medrum shown as a row of cards with "4 Sway" and "4 Recruit" annotations, and a Barreep card with the recruit row; a second image shows a Larceny card, Thief and Medrum with "3 Crimes for 2 coins".)

Recruiting Exceptions

Free Scoundrels?

Some Scoundrels cost zero Sway to recruit. They will have an upkeep cost when they come up in your hand.

Other Scoundrels require you put a Heat in your discard to recruit. Some require you to pay three coins.

(The recruit cost icons shown are: a Heat icon, a zero, and a three-coin cost.)

Larceny Cards

Early in the game, when you commit Larceny, you get a Larceny card. Players turn that card over, and reveal a one-time effect. Use Larceny card effects on this turn or later turns. Keep this card on the side. DO NOT put it in your discard or deck.

Larceny cards are a surprise - DON'T PEEK! Only use Larceny cards on your turn. They have no value at the end of the game.

When Larceny cards run out, players get two coins for three Crime spent and no bonus.

The Larceny card back reads: "Bury this card to steal a coin from another player. You can take a coin from a player that has a coin."

Special Abilities

Some Scoundrels have special abilities. When you draw them into your hand, most have optional abilities. If special abilities have red frames, they are not optional. They are mandatory.

All special abilities are explained in the index on Page 13.

Below are the mandatory abilities:

Pay a Coin or put a Heat into your discard.
Subtract 1 Crime or Sway from your hand.

Coins

You can use coins for many things on your turn. That's why people steal them!

Gain Coins from the reservoir, steal Coins from other players. Coins are infinite. If you run out, use another coin-shaped object.

Orange coins signify "Gain Coin(s)".
White coins signify "pay/spend Coin(s)".
Use two Coins for plus one Crime or Sway.
Use four Coins to bury a card from your hand or discard to the Graveyard.
At the end of the game, one Coin is worth half a Notoriety.

Suits & Strategy

Starting Hand Combos

Each player starts with possible combos in their first hand!

For example: If the Medium and the Specter are in the same hand, the Medium gets more powerful (+1 Sway or Crime) and also ignores the Specter negative effect!

(Card examples: Medium - "1 Per Ghost, Ignore Specter"; Specter - "+1 Crime/Sway, the specter works better with other ghosts".)

Suits

There are five suits in Dark Heists. Each has advantages. Mix and match to find awesome combos.

CROOKED - often helps you draw extra Scoundrels.
COPS - combo great with other Cops and have effective attacks.
NOBLES - are great at getting coins.
GHOSTS - combo great with other Ghosts and ignore Specter effects.
BRUTAL - cards use Heat to their advantage.

First-Timer Strategy

First time playing Dark Heists? Try recruiting Scoundrels from one suit to discover quick combos!

When you're staring out [sic: "starting"] with Dark Heists, ignore the Cop effects for the easy mode. Once you've cut your teeth, play with Cop effects for the full experience.

Heat, Specters & Cop Effects

Heat & Specters

Heat and Specters give you -1 Crime or Sway when you draw them. This must be paid from the total of Crime or Sway you are activating that turn.

Some Scoundrels will allow you to ignore one Specter or Heat effect.

Remember, Heat are Cop cards, and Specters are Ghost cards.

(Card examples: Heat - Cops suit, "-1 Crime / Sway", Notoriety 2. Specter - Ghost suit, Recruit cost 2, "-1 Crime / Sway", Notoriety 1.)

Cop Effects

When Cops come onto the Streets, all players deal with Cop effects. If multiple Cops are placed in the street in the same turn, Cops after the first effect are ignored. There are no Cop Effects after Cops are recruited into your hand.

Ignore Cop effects during the start of the game. Don't use Cop Effect your fist [sic: "first"] play.

HEAT - All players put a Heat card in their discard.
SWEEP THE STREETS - Put every Scoundrel except for the new Cop into the Graveyard. Draw and refill the streets. Ignore other Cop effects this turn.
PAY OR HEAT - Each player pays two Coins to the supply or adds a Heat card to your discard. Each player must resolve this immediately.

Heists

After reviewing your hand, you can do a Heist instead of Recruiting and Larceny. Review the top two basic or advanced Heists. Choose one, put the other at the bottom of the Heist deck.

You can only complete one basic Heist per game. A Heist is your turn. Once you start continue until you finish or fail.

(Card examples. Basic Heist "Funeral Ambush": Hide along the route (Sway 4); Steal the jewelry (Crime 4), bonus Recruit; Get away clean (Crime 5), bonus 3 Coins; permanent effect "+2 Sway each turn"; Notoriety 5. Advanced Heist "Vampire Hit": Evade the spirit guardian (Crime 6); Find the coffin (Sway 7), bonus Bury 1; Take out the guards (Crime 8), bonus Recruit; Kill the vampire (Crime 9), bonus 2 Coins; permanent effect "Inflict Specter for 2 coins"; Notoriety 7.)

Card key:

A. Heist Name
B. Challenge
C. Challenge Demand
D. Challenge Bonus
E. Notoriety
F. Permanent Effects

Heist Challenges

Heists have challenge demands marked by a number of Crime or Sway. Here are the steps to complete a challenge:

Activate Scoundrel special effects
Meet the Crime or Sway challenge
Redeem the challenge bonus
Discard your hand
If there is another challenge, draw again and repeat

Bonus effects are optional. Challenge bonus effects include:

Stealing two coins from another player
Recruiting a free scoundrel
Burying a card from your hand or discard.
Collecting coins
Ransoming a player
Draw an extra card for the next challenge

If you fail a challenge, your turn ends. Place a Heat in your discard. You can complete that Heist on any future turn. Don't start a new Heist with an [source text ends here: the printed sentence is cut off at the page edge and the remainder is not printed in the rulebook].

Heist Permanent Effects

When you complete a Heist, you unlock a permanent effect every turn for the rest of the game. Permanent effects are optional.

Some Heist Permanent effects add to end game scoring.

Solo Mode

The Dark Heists solo mode plays just like the multiplayer mode except you play against the Auto-Player. You go first.

Auto-Player Objective

Auto-Player wins if it completes three Heists before you do. After the Auto-Player's second Heist, a third Heist or three Larcenies ends the game.

Use cubes to track Auto-Player Heists.

Solo Mode Setup

Separate the Auto-Player Control card and shuffle the rest of the Auto-Player deck.

Each turn the Auto-Player draws from its deck and gets two moves, labelled "First Move" and "Second Move." Auto-Player loses its first move if you attacked it on your last turn.

Attacks include:

Steal Coins
Inflict Heat
Inflict Specter
Ransom
Heat from Cops effects

The Auto-Player always gets a second move.

(Auto-Player card examples: First Move "Inflict Heat", Second Move "Steal 2 Coins"; First Move "Finish 1 Heist", Second Move "Clear the Market".)

When Auto-Player finishes a Heist or Larceny, bury the top card from the Advanced Heists or Larceny deck.

You can Recruit and Larceny or do a Heist for your turn just like normal. When you steal a coin from Auto-Player, just take it from the supply. Auto-Player doesn't keep coins.

Glossary

Combo effects don't include the card itself.

BURY - Take a card from your hand or discard and put it in the Graveyard on the main board.
CARD EFFECTS - Optional if they do not have a red frame. Red-framed effects are mandatory until Heat runs out.
COP EFFECTS - When Cops come onto the Streets, all players deal with Cops effects. There are no Cop effects when Cops are recruited.
DRAW +1 - A Heist bonus. On your next draw, draw an extra card.
HEAT - Heat cannot be recruited.
HEISTS - Basic Heists have three challenges. Advanced Heists have four challenges. You can only do one Basic Heist per game.
IGNORE HEAT / SPECTER - Ignore Heat or Specter effects only count for one card. If you have two Heat cards, and one card that allows you to ignore Heat, it only ignores one Heat effect.
INFLICT HEAT / SPECTER - You can add Heat or Specter to other player's discard or your own.
+1 NOTORIETY PER HEAT - Some Scoundrel cards have +1 Notoriety per Heat. This is for end of game scoring. These effects are cumulative.
RANSOM - Demand 2 coins from an opponent. If that opponent does not or cannot pay, bury a card at random from their discard. No effect if opponents discard is empty. You can't ransom yourself.
RECRUIT - A Heist bonus. Add a Scoundrel from the streets to your discard for no cost. Ignore Heat, Coins or Sway costs.
SCOUNDREL - A card that has Crime or Sway ability or a special power. This includes Specters and Heat. (Sorry to the grammar nerds.)
STEAL - You can't steal Coins from a player that doesn't have Coins. You can split your theft between multiple opponents.

Index

The printed index is an icon key. Each entry is listed as its icon's meaning:

+1 Crime or Sway per Cop in your hand
+1 Crime or Sway per Noble in your hand
+1 Crime or Sway per Crooked in your hand
+1 Crime or Sway per Brutal in your hand
+1 Crime or Sway per Ghost in your hand
+1 Crime or Sway per Coin you spend
Earn 1 Coin
Earn 2 Coins
Earn 1 Coin per Noble
Steal 1 Coin from a player
Spend 2 Coins to bury a card
Spend a Coin to draw 1 more card
Draw 1 more card
Bury 1 card from hand or discard
Target player pays you 2 Coins or buries a random card from discard
Draw 1 card per Crooked in your hand
Draw 1 card per Ghost in your hand
Draw 1 card per Heat in your hand
Ignore negative Specter effects
Ignore negative Heat effects
Pay 1 Crime or Sway
Spend a Coin or take a Heat
Spend 2 Coins to give a player a Heat
Spend 2 Coins to give a player a Specter
Draw 1 or bury a card