Don't wake up Cthulhu! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Set Up
• Playing a Turn
• Naughty Cthulhu Rules (Variant)

Game Set Up

For 3 to 6 players · 15 min.

1. Remove the Event, Counterspell and Cthulhu cards from the deck (all red ANd green bordered cards).
2. Shuffle the rest of the deck and deal 4 cards face down to each player. Players can look at their own hand.
3. Give each player a Counterspell card, so that every player has 5 cards in their hand, including that counterspell. Remove the extra Counterspell cards from the game.
4. Add 2 Cthulhu cards of the same color (red, or green for the variant rules), as well as all the event cards, to the deck and shuffle it again, then place it face down in the middle of the playing area.
5. Leave room for a discard pile and choose the first player.

Playing a Turn

• A player can play as many cards as he or she wishes on his or her turn.
• Before ending his or her turn (including because of a card effect), the player draws a card.
• If a player draws a Cthulhu card, for any reason, he or she must play it immediately. He or she can only pass Cthulhu to another player (Elder Sign card) or put it back into the deck (Counterspell card). If all players are able to get rid of the card, shuffle Cthulhu back into the deck. If the active player drew the card, his or her turn is over.
• A player loses when he or she is unable to pass Cthulhu to another player or put it back in play. If Cthulhu is reshuffled back into the deck, the turn resumes where it left off.
• Cards with the star symbol can be used at any time.
• Event Cards (with a red border) must be played immediately after being drawn, even if the player's turn is ending. Event cards are removed from the game after they have been played and don't go into the discard pile. After playing an Event card, the player's turn is over.
• Players must end their turn with a maximum of 6 cards in their hand. Extra cards must be discarded.
• Cards remaining in the discard pile can be examined by the players at any time to count the odds and strategize.
• A player cannot be left with an empty hand by discarding, but can by playing cards.

Naughty Cthulhu Rules (Variant)

• Replace Red border Cthulhu cards by Green border Cthulhu cards, which affect the next player instead of you.