Halfling Feast Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents of the Game
• Object of the Game
• Cards & Symbols
  • 1a. Keywords
  • 1b. Dishes
  • 1c. Halfling cards
  • 1d. The Fullness Track
  • 1e. Action cards
  • 1f. Timing bar
• Setup
• Game Flow
• Turn Sequence
• Turn Sequence in Detail
  • 5a. Step 1: Eat an edible Dish
  • 5b. Step 2: Play an Action card
  • 5c. Step 3: Release two Belly spaces
  • 5d. Step 4: Take an Action card
  • 5e. Step 5: Use one of your Halfling's abilities
• Discard Pile
• End of the Game
• Halflings & Halfling Abilities
  • Halfling reference
  • Action card reference
  • Turn Sequence reference card

Contents of the Game

The Halfling Feast consists of:

• 62 special cards (6 Halflings, 26 Dishes, 30 Action cards)
• 1 rulebook
• 6 Belly markers

Object of the Game

There are 26 Dishes in the game, each worth a set number of victory points. During the game your Halfling tries to eat as many Dishes as possible and so score the most victory points.

Cards & Symbols

There are three types of cards in Halfling Feast: Dishes (yellow back), Action cards (red back) and Halflings (blue back). In addition to the colour of the back, the cards are distinguished by the following symbols:

Card types

• Halfling
• Action
• Dish

The Halfling cards also carry a set of extra symbols for their respective Halfling abilities, which mean the following:

Halfling abilities

• Free action
• Discard 1 Action card

1a. Keywords

Below the title of each card is a keyword. Keywords are important during play, because many Action cards and some Halfling abilities only work on cards with certain keywords.

1b. Dishes

Each Dish shows how many victory points it is worth. The victory points also indicate how much Fullness the Dish causes in a Halfling when it is eaten.

Example: the Dish "Gundroast Muffins" (keyword Savory), with its card title, keyword, Dish symbol, victory points and Fullness value, and a flavour text at the foot of the card.

1c. Halfling cards

These are the champion eaters! Each Halfling has two special abilities that it can use during play to gain an advantage for itself or to hinder an opponent. Halfling abilities are very powerful, and you may be tempted to use them all the time! But beware: they often distract you from the real goal, which is to eat, because that is the only way to win!

Example: the Halfling "Milo Grubb", showing the name of the Halfling, the Halfling symbol, the keyword, the free Halfling ability, the special Halfling ability and the Belly spaces.

1d. The Fullness Track

While you are stuffing yourself on the way to victory, you must record the Fullness caused by each Dish you eat. The Fullness Track starts at 0 and has 12 Belly spaces. When you begin a new game, you may only fill the first ten spaces. Belly spaces 11 and 12 can only be used once the Fullness Track has been modified by one or more Action cards. Some Action cards not only let you accumulate more Fullness, but also restrict your Fullness Track, so that you can eat fewer Dishes. During the game you will notice that your Halfling's Fullness changes again and again, so it is important to keep an eye on how much you can still take.

1e. Action cards

Action cards allow the players to influence certain aspects of the game. You can play cards on your own Halfling to give it an advantage, or against an opponent's Halfling to hinder its progress.

1f. Timing bar

Each action can be used at a specific moment, which is indicated on each card. Below the illustration is a bronze-coloured bar that describes the card's timing (left) and its sequence (right). These terms are explained in more detail under Actions in section 5b.

Setup

Take the Halfling player boards and let each player choose a Halfling, either at random or by preference. Each player also receives a Belly marker. Any Halflings and Belly markers that are not used are returned to the box.

Divide the Dishes and the Action cards into two separate decks and shuffle each. Leave enough room for a single discard pile. Draw four Dishes and place them in the middle of the table. Deal three Action cards face down to each player. Finally, each player places their Belly marker on 0 of their Fullness Track.

Setup diagram for 2 players: discard pile, Action deck and Dish deck in the centre, with four face-up edible Dishes next to them; each player has a Halfling board with a Belly marker on the Fullness Track.

Game Flow

Choose a starting player, either at random or whoever last enjoyed a feast!

Turn Sequence

On each turn a player may take ONE of the following actions:

1. Eat an edible Dish and turn over the top card of the Dish deck to replace it.
2. Play an Action card from your hand.
3. Release two Belly spaces on your Fullness Track.
4. Take one Action card from the Action deck.
5. Use one of your Halfling's abilities.

Turn Sequence in Detail

5a. Step 1: Eat an edible Dish

Take a face-up Dish that causes a Fullness no greater than the number of EMPTY Belly spaces on your Fullness Track. You may not eat a Dish whose Fullness is greater than the number of empty spaces on your Fullness Track. If an Action card changes the Fullness of a Dish after you have selected it, and this value now exceeds the number of empty Belly spaces, you cannot eat that Dish. In that case you must discard it, together with any Condiment cards that may be attached to it. This still counts as your action. Keep all Dishes you have eaten for the final scoring.

Immediately replace the Dish from the Dish deck, so that four face-up Dishes are again lying on the table.

5b. Step 2: Play an Action card

On your turn a player may play one Action card from their hand. The timing on the card shows when you may play it. Cards with the timing "Interrupt" must be played during an opponent's turn; these cards do not count as your action for your next turn. Follow the instructions on the card. Most Action cards are discarded after they have been played, although some stay in play. For these cards the sequence on the card reads "In Play". If an Action card contradicts the rules, the text on the Action card takes precedence.

5c. Step 3: Release two Belly spaces

If you do not eat a Dish and do not play an Action card during your turn, you may reduce your Halfling's Fullness by two Belly spaces.

5d. Step 4: Take an Action card

You may take only one Action card from the Action deck during your turn, but you may hold any number of Action cards in your hand. These remain face down until they are played or discarded.

5e. Step 5: Use one of your Halfling's abilities

You may either use your free Halfling ability, or discard an Action card to use your Halfling's special ability.

Discard Pile

Whenever cards are played, they must be placed on a shared discard pile. All cards are placed face up. If the Action deck runs out during the game, shuffle all Action cards from the discard pile and make them into a new Action deck. Eaten Dishes do not return to the game.

End of the Game

The game ends as soon as all Dishes have been eaten or discarded. Each player adds up the victory points of the Dishes they have collected. The player with the highest total wins the game!

Halflings & Halfling Abilities

Each Halfling has two unique abilities. Once during your turn you may ignore all other possible actions and either use your free Halfling ability, or discard a card from your hand to use your Halfling's special ability.

Halfling reference

The six Halflings in the game, with their free ability (the ability you may use without discarding a card) and their special ability (which requires discarding one Action card from your hand):

• Milo Grubb
  • Free ability, "Expert Eater": Milo can release 3 Belly spaces.
  • Special ability, "Who Ate All The Pies?": Choose one opponent. Modify their current Fullness score by +3.
• Hamfast Twofoot
  • Free ability, "Planning Ahead": Draw 2 Action cards from the deck. Choose 1 and return the second to the top of the deck.
  • Special ability, "Rules Lawyer": Choose one opponent. They must discard a 1, 2 or 3 point Dish of their choice from their possession.
• Berylla Galbasi (ability titles translated from the German source, as the English titles are not in the text layer)
  • Free ability, "Sleight of Hand": Take the top card of the discard pile into your hand.
  • Special ability, "Don't Even Think About It!": Choose one of the keywords BELLY, CHEATING or CONDIMENT, and one player. That player must discard all cards with that keyword.
• Bell Maggot (ability titles translated from the German source)
  • Free ability, "Pickpocket": Steal a randomly chosen Action card from the hand of a player who holds more than one card.
  • Special ability, "Fast Eater": Take two Dishes and raise your Fullness for both cards as normal.
• Lotho Fairpuddle
  • Free ability, "Back to the Kitchen": Choose a face-up Dish that is not in a player's possession. Return this Dish to the bottom of the Dish deck.

Action card reference

The Action cards in the game, with their keyword, timing and sequence as printed on the card, and their effect:

• Satisfactory Burp (Belly; Your Turn; Discard): Play on your own Halfling. Release 4 Belly spaces on your Fullness Track.
• Little Trump (Belly; Your Turn; Discard): Play on your own Halfling. Release 6 Belly spaces on your Fullness Track.
• Mighty Fart (Belly; Your Turn; Discard): Play on your own Halfling. Release 8 Belly spaces on your Fullness Track.
• Off to the Outhouse (Belly; Your Turn; Discard): Play on your own Halfling. Release 10 Belly spaces on your Fullness Track.
• Spell of Belt Reduction (Cheating; Interrupt; In Play): Target an opponent's Halfling. Their Fullness Track is modified by -1. Modify their Fullness Track by +1 if this card is removed or Spell of Expansion is played on this Halfling.
• Stealthy Swipe (Cheating; Your Turn; Discard): Play on your own Halfling. Take up to FOUR Dish cards with a total Fullness value of 4 or less.
• Spell of Expansion (Cheating; Your Turn; In Play): Your Fullness Track is modified by +1. Modify your Fullness Track by -1 if this card is removed or Spell of Belt Reduction is played on this Halfling.
• Spell of Aversion (Cheating; Your Turn; In Play): Target an opponent's Halfling. Choose a Dish card title in play. That Halfling cannot eat that Dish until this card is removed.
• Potion of Devouring (Cheating; Your Turn; Discard): Take a Dish. The selected Dish is modified to 0 Fullness value. Score the Dish in full at the end of the game.
• Fig Syrup (Condiment; Your Turn; Discard): Take a Dish. The selected Dish is modified by -4 Fullness value. Score the Dish in full at the end of the game.

Turn Sequence reference card

Each turn a player can do ONE of the following:

1. Pick a Dish card to consume, and turn over the top Dish card immediately to replace it.
2. Play an Action card from your hand.
3. Release 2 Belly spaces on your Fullness Track.
4. Take 1 Action card from the Deck.
5. Use 1 of your Halfling abilities.