Escape: The Curse of the Temple
Escape: The Curse of the Temple Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components for the Basic Game
- 6 main chamber tiles: starting chamber, exit, gem chamber x 2 (with 1 gem icon), gem chamber x 2 (with 3 gem icons)
- 13 basic chamber tiles – without purple mask and/or treasure icon
- You need the chambers with a purple mask and/or treasure icon only if you want to play with the expansion modules.
- 1 gem depot (for the magic gems)
- 25 magic gems
- 25 dice - 5 for each adventurer. Each die shows the icons: adventurer, key, torch, black mask, golden mask.
- 5 adventurer figures - 1 of each player color
- 5 adventurer tokens - 1 of each player color
- 1 CD containing soundtrack and audio introduction
- 1 Rule book
- 1 Supplement for the 2 modules "Curses" and "Treasures"
- 1 Supplement for the expansion "The Sand of Fortune"
Summary and Object of the Game
Escape is a real-time board game. Instead of playing the game in rounds, each player rolls his five dice as quickly and as often as he can without waiting for his teammates!
Players have only ten minutes to escape from the collapsing temple, so don't dawdle. Every second you delay brings you a step closer to being entombed. While searching for the exit, the players will discover new chambers – but they'll need the right combination of adventurer, key and torch icons to enter and explore these chambers. Some chambers contain magic gems, and players must use their dice to activate as many gems as possible in order to break the curse blocking the exit. The sooner they find the exit chamber and the more magic gems they activate, the easier it will be for them to escape.
Watch out, though, as twice during the game a gong will sound throughout the temple heralding a countdown. Hurry back to the starting chamber as only this location is guaranteed to be safe. Fail to make it back in time, and you lose one of your precious dice. Be sure to coordinate your actions and look out for one another as some tasks can be completed only collectively. What's more, even if only one player fails to escape the temple in time, all of you have lost the game!
Set-up of the Basic Game
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You will need the 6 main chambers and the 13 basic chambers (that is, all the chambers without the purple mask and/or treasure icon). Set aside the starting chamber and exit. Mix the remaining chamber tiles face down, then stack them as a draw pile. Place the starting chamber in the center of the playing area, then place 2 randomly drawn chamber tiles next to it, as shown in the illustration below. Finally, take the top 4 tiles of the draw pile, shuffle them together with the exit tile, then place them on the bottom of the draw pile.
Exception: If you are playing alone or with a second player, insert the exit tile in the middle of the draw pile.
The stairway on each tile must touch the starting chamber.
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Use the chart at right to determine how many magic gems to place into the gem depot.
Players Gems 1 & 2 players 7 gems 3 players 11 gems 4 players 14 gems 5 players 16 gems Then place 2 additional magic gems next to the depot.
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Each player selects his color, then takes 5 dice as well as the appropriately colored adventurer figure and adventurer token. All players place their figure on the starting chamber and keep their token in front of them. This will help you to identify your fellow players quickly.
Exception: If you are playing alone, take 7 dice instead of 5.
The CD contains an audio introduction to the game (in 3 languages) and 2 versions of a ten-minute soundtrack. The audio introduction provides a summary of Escape, and we suggest you listen to it before your first game. When playing the game, choose the version of the soundtrack at random or select the one that you prefer. Your soundtrack choice will not affect the length of the game as the playing time on both is identical. For your first game, we recommend track 1.
Alternatively, you can download the soundtrack from the website www.escape-queen-games.com and listen to it on any device of your choice. Place all components not needed for the basic game back in the game box.
The Temple Chambers
Each chamber of the temple has different features:
Magic gem icon
One or more players must roll the indicated number of die icons in order to activate the magic gem.
Some chambers have no gem icons, while others show 1 or 3 gem icons.
Entrance
A new chamber from the draw pile must be placed next to an entrance on a face-up tile.
Die icons with a red frame
A player must roll these icons if he wants to enter this chamber.
Stairway entrance
This is the chamber's entryway; when this tile is added to the temple, the stairway must connect this tile to the temple.
The Die Icons
Each die shows five different icons:
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Adventurer (x2): You need this if you want to move from chamber to chamber or discover new chambers.
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Key and torch: You may enter certain chambers only by rolling keys or torches; you will also need these icons to activate the magic gems.
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Black mask: If you roll a black mask, you are under a spell and the die is accursed. Place this die aside; you may use it again only after the spell has been broken.
Example: Ani has rolled two black masks and must place both dice aside. For the time being, she has only three dice left to roll.
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Golden mask: A golden mask breaks the spell on up to two black masks. With the spell broken, the player may now use these dice again.
Example: Ani has rolled a golden mask and may now add her two dice with the black masks to her next roll.
Adventurers who are in the same chamber may help one another. For example, if a player rolls a golden mask and doesn't use it for himself, one other player may use it to break the spell on up to two of his accursed dice.
Example: Ani (red) has rolled one golden and one black mask. Because Frank (blue) is also in this chamber and worse off, she decides to let him use the golden mask. On his next roll, Frank rolls all five of his dice, while Ani can roll only four.
Note: With each golden mask, you can help only one other player. Helping one another this way does not change ownership of the dice!
The Actions
Using various dice combinations, the players may perform different actions.
- Enter a chamber
- Discover a new chamber
- Activate magic gems
- Escape
- Provoke a turn of fate
After a player has performed one action, he must re-roll all dice used for this action.
A player may put aside any dice not used for an action and use them for a later action.
At any time, a player may re-roll any dice he set aside previously (other than black masks, which can be used again only with the help of a golden mask).
The Actions in Detail
1. Enter a Chamber
A player may enter a chamber only if its entrance is not blocked.
In order to enter a chamber, the player must roll the icons shown in a red frame inside the new chamber.
Example: Frank may enter only the chamber shown on top because the left entrance is blocked by a wall and there is no adjoining chamber at the right entrance – at least not yet.
Example: Frank has rolled his dice and uses the two adventurer icons to enter the next chamber.
2. Discover a Chamber
A player inside a chamber with one or more unblocked entrances that don't already connect to other chambers may discover a new chamber.
A player must roll two adventurer icons in order to draw one new chamber from the draw pile and place it next to his current chamber. The new chamber's stairway entrance must join the current chamber's entrance.
Example: Frank is inside a chamber that has two entrances without an adjoining chamber. Therefore, he could discover two new chambers.
Example: Frank uses two adventurer icons and connects the stairway entrance of the top chamber from the draw pile to one of the entrances of his current chamber.
3. Activate Magic Gems
You will find two types of chambers in which you can activate magic gems: a chamber with 1 gem icon (requiring 4 icons of the type shown) and a chamber with 3 gem icons (requiring 4, 7 or 10 icons of the type shown, respectively).
A player inside a chamber containing one or more magic gem icons must roll the required number of torch or key icons in order to activate the number of magic gems shown. After a gem has been successfully activated, take a gem from the gem depot and place it on the appropriate gem icon.
Several adventurers inside a chamber containing one or more magic gem icons may join forces in order to obtain the required number of key or torch icons.
Note: You may cooperate to activate 1 gem. You must cooperate to activate 2 or 3 gems.
If at least one of a chamber's gems has been activated, no adventurer may activate any further gems inside this chamber.
Example: Frank has rolled 4 torch icons and activates the magic gem inside his current chamber. He removes one gem from the depot and places it inside the chamber.
Example: Ani (red) and Frank (blue) together have rolled 7 keys and decide to activate 2 magic gems. They place 2 gems from the depot on the corresponding gem icon inside their chamber.
Example: Two of this chamber's gems have been activated, so players cannot activate any more gems here.
4. Escape
A player can escape only if he is inside the exit chamber.
In order to escape, a player must roll as many keys as the number of gems in the gem depot plus one. Each player must roll the required number of key icons by himself!
After a player has escaped, he no longer needs all of his tools, so he can give one of his dice to any adventurer still inside the temple. This adventurer may use the die immediately.
Example: Frank has rolled the 3 keys required and thus can escape from the temple.
Example: Frank has managed to escape and gives one of his dice to Ani (red), who can use it immediately.
5. Provoke a Turn of Fate
If there are too many accursed dice in play, players may transfer one of the two gems lying next to the depot to the depot. Then, all adventurers may re-roll all of their accursed dice (black masks). Players must reach this decision unanimously! A turn of fate can be provoked only twice during the course of the game.
Note: Do not use the turn of fate too lightheartedly because each additional gem makes it harder to escape.
Example: With black masks slowing their progress and hastening their doom, the adventurers take a chance with fate, freeing their black masks from the curse while decreasing their odds of making it out alive. One additional gem is placed on the depot, then all players may re-roll their black masks.
The Adventure Starts
When all players are prepared to begin, insert the CD into your CD-player and start playing one of the soundtracks (see page 3). After a short introduction, the game begins with the command "Escape!" Immediately start rolling your dice and do not forget that you have only 10 minutes to escape!
Hint: For an easy start, we recommend playing your first game without the soundtrack for a few minutes in order to get accustomed to the mechanisms of the game.
The Soundtrack
During the soundtrack, you will hear 3 countdowns. The first starts with the bang of a gong and ends with a door being slammed. The second countdown starts with two bangs of a gong and ends with a door being slammed. These two countdowns indicate that you need to rush back to the starting chamber. Any adventurer who doesn't make it to the starting chamber before the door slams shut loses one of his dice for the rest of the game. Return any such lost dice to the game box. After the door slams shut, you can continue to explore the temple, proceeding from the chamber where you're currently located. The third countdown starts with three bangs of a gong and ends with the sound of the temple collapsing; this signals the end of the game after exactly 10 minutes.
Example: Ani (red) came close but failed to make it into the starting chamber before the door slammed shut. Thus, she must play with one less die for the remainder of the game. (If Ani doesn't make it back to the starting chamber in the second countdown, she will lose a second die.)
End of the Game
The game ends after 10 minutes – that is, at the end of the third countdown. If any adventurer is inside the temple when it collapses, then all players have lost the game!
If all players manage to escape from the temple before it collapses, they have won the game as a team!
For a More Challenging Game
Players may agree before the start of the game to increase the number of gems in the gem depot.
There are two variants:
- Experts: 3 additional magic gems.
- Professionals: 6 additional magic gems. The action "Provoke a turn of fate" is no longer available.
Supplement: The Modules "Curses" and "Treasures"
(This supplement is included in the basic game box, together with the curse and treasure chamber tiles, the curse cards and the treasure tiles.)
A game of Escape is even more exciting and varied when you include one or both of the following modules.
- Module 1: Curses
- Module 2: Treasures
Additional Game Components for the Modules "Curses" and "Treasures"
For Module 1: Curses & Module 2: Treasures
- 13 curse and treasure chambers – all of these chambers show a purple mask, a treasure icon, or both.
To use "Curses", "Treasures" or both modules, return the 13 basic chamber tiles to the box during set-up and use these 13 curse and treasure chamber tiles instead.
For Module 1: Curses • 14 curse cards
- Trap 3x, Broken die 2x, Mask 3x, Silence 2x, Lost dice 2x, Cursed hand 2x
For Module 2: Treasures • 13 treasure tiles
- Healing mask 2x, Double torch 2x, Double key 2x, Secret passage 2x, Teleport 2x, Extra gem 3x
Module 1: Curses
During set-up, shuffle the curse cards and place the pile face down in easy reach of all players.
Each time you discover a new chamber (see 2. Discover a new chamber) that shows a purple mask, draw the top card from this pile and place it in front of you, face up.
Curses have a variety of effects. If a player rolls the dice combination shown on the curse card all by himself, he has lifted the curse and removes the card from the game.
Example: Frank discovers a chamber with a purple mask. He draws the top card from the curse cards pile and places it in front of him.
Example: Frank has rolled the dice icons required to lift the curse and removes the card from the game.
Note: If a player draws a curse card identical to one already in front of him, he discards the newly drawn card without any further effect.
Note: Ignore any purple masks revealed during set-up at the start of the game.
Module 2: Treasures
During set-up, shuffle the treasure tiles and stack them face down in easy reach of all players.
Each time you discover a new chamber (see 2. Discover a new chamber) that shows a treasure icon, draw the top tile from this pile and place it face down on the treasure icon.
Any adventurer inside this chamber who rolls two keys may claim the treasure tile as an action. He keeps the tile face up in front of him until he uses it.
Once used, the tile is discarded in most cases.
Example: Frank discovers a chamber with a treasure icon and places the top tile from the treasure tiles stack on the treasure icon.
The Curse Cards
All curse cards interfere with players during the game. The icons at the bottom of each card show the dice combination a player must roll all by himself in order to lift that curse.
- Trap: You may not enter or discover a chamber. (Lift: torch, key, adventurer)
- Broken die: Place one of your dice on this card. Retrieve the die only after you have lifted the curse. (Lift: 3 torches)
- Mask: After rolling a golden mask, you (or the player of your choice in the same chamber as you) may re-roll only one black mask. (Lift: 3 torches)
- Silence: You are not allowed to talk. (Lift: 3 keys)
- Lost dice: Each die of yours that falls off the table is permanently lost. Return the die to the game box. (Lift: 3 keys)
- Cursed hand: You must place one hand on top of your head and keep it there until this curse is lifted. (Lift: 3 torches)
The Treasure Tiles
All treasure tiles provide advantages to players during the game.
- Healing mask: All adventurers may re-roll all of their black masks immediately. You may use this treasure only once.
- Double torch: This treasure serves as two torch icons. You may use this treasure only once.
- Double key: This treasure serves as two key icons. You may use this treasure only once.
- Teleport: Move your adventurer figure to any other chamber containing at least one other adventurer. The two chambers do not need to be next to each other. You may use this treasure only once.
- Extra gem: Take a magic gem from the depot and place it on the treasure tile. This gem is considered activated; keep the tile in front of you until the end of the game.
- Secret passage: Place the secret passage so that it overlaps two adjacent chambers that have no open passage between them. This secret passage can be used by all adventurers until the end of the game.
© Copyright 2012 Queen Games, D-53842 Troisdorf, Germany. All rights reserved.