Pacts
Pacts Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Pacts is an area control game where two players seek to have the most influence over point-giving regions. Possible actions are dealt and divided by one player, while the other chooses who will take which half of the deal. Allied factions of mythological creatures will sway the odds, as well as hidden actions of each Court. Yet winter and summer will come and go, and only one of the two leaders will stand tall in victory.
Components
- 49 action cards (27 common, 14 court, 8 special)
- 8 Faction cards (double-sided)
- 2 Reference cards (double-sided)
- 70 Influence cubes (35 in each shade)
- 12 Points tiles (double-sided)
- a Time marker
- a 2nd Player marker
- a game mat
Set-Up
- Place the game mat in the center of the play area within easy reach.
- Shuffle the green common Pact cards (4 knots) and green special Pact cards (1 knot) into two separate face-down decks with the 2nd Player marker nearby.
- Give each player the components to play as Unseelie (black) or Seelie (white): 7 Court cards, 35 Influence cubes, and a Reference card in that players shade.
- Give each player 2 random Factions. Each player chooses one privately and returns the unused Faction to the box. Flip to match your court color.
- Place the Time marker on the leftmost space of the six-space time track.
- Each player places three of their own Influence cubes on the center and bottom-middle regions on the X's.
- Each player places an Influence cube on the tail (zero) end of the score track for tracking score.
- Place the Point tiles labelled 2/7, 4/3, 5/5, 1/5, 3/6 and 3/4 on the regions as shown on the set-up diagram, dark side up. Return the other six tiles to the box.
Factions are marked with 2 or 3 'knots' if they are harder to understand or play. Choose wisely, especially on your first game!
Card Effects
Gameplay is centered on controlling regions by having the most Influence cubes (white cube / black cube) present. Cubes are affected by playing cards. Pact and Court cards only have a limited number of possible effects: Place, Move, Ability, and Points:
- PLACE: Add up to that many cubes to a single region of the matching symbol. If it is a WILD card, you may choose any single region.
- MOVE: Move up to that many cubes of your own color between any adjacent regions (share bordering edges). Moves can be split between cubes of different regions.
- OTHER: Use your faction ability, or gain 3 points immediately.
Phases of Play
Playing Pacts proceeds in six rounds, with scoring occuring after the third and sixth rounds. Each round is divided into phases. Each phase is completed in order, then gameplay continues.
Phase 1: Court Cards
Each player simultaneously chooses a Court card from their hand and keeps it face-down. This is optional.
Phase 2: Reveal Pact Cards
Draw four random common Pact cards (4 knots on the back) and one random special Pact card (1 knot on the back) and place them face-up between the players alongside the 2nd Player token.
Phase 3: Split Pacts
Based on the current round, one player will make two piles comprising of the drawn Pact cards and the 2nd Player token.
The player who splits the piles matches the space on the time track, with Unseelie splitting first, Seelie second, and so on.
This element is the fundamental step of the game and should not be taken lightly.
There is no requirement to how many cards go in each pile. Your goal is to make sure both piles are good for you, or at least bad for your foe.
Note that going 2nd has advantages, which is why it is has a token. Covet it well and with wisdom.
Example splits:
- One pile holds MOVE 1, MOVE 1 and the 2nd Player token; the other holds PLACE 1, PLACE 1 and PLACE 1. "Would you rather place tokens, or get to rearrange the board?"
- One pile holds PLACE 1 WILD, PLACE 2, MOVE 1 and the 2nd Player token; the other holds PLACE 1 and ABILITY. "Would you rather have a good second turn or use your special ability?"
Factions have unique passive and active abilities. Be sure to consult the online FAQ for faction-specific questions and explanations.
Phase 4: Select Pacts
The non-splitting player then gets to select a pile for each player. Note that this has an equally strong effect on the progress of the game.
Phase 5: Play Turns
Once the piles are selected, the first player takes their turn. They reveal their Court card, then complete the effect on each of their cards (Court and Pact alike) in any order, discarding them all in a large pile off to the side as they go. They can skip cards altogether (but still discard them) if they like, but must decide how to fully use each one before going to the next card. Then the player with the 2nd Player token takes their turn.
Cubes should be arranged in a line in each region to easily see how many there are.
End of Round
Once both players have taken their turns, the round ends. The Time marker advances a space on the time track, and the next round starts. Note that any discarded cards do not return to play.
Scoring
At the end of the third round the game is scored on the score track. Each player scores points from regions where they have more Influence cubes. Ties result in no points. The point value of a region is shown on its Point tile. Then flip all the Point tiles to their light side, changing the values of the regions.
At the end of the sixth round, score the game again with the new tile values. Tied regions still don't score. The player with the higher score wins. The Seelie player wins if there is a tie.
Variant 1: Random Regions
Instead of using standard Points tiles, mix up all available tiles with the dark side face-up and place one at random on each mat space, returning the others to the box. You cannot check the values on the other sides before they flip.
Variant 2: Auction Start
After Step 4 of Set-Up, one side may seem stronger than the other. Players may take turns bidding cubes (starting at 1) for the right to choose which side to play. The player with the last unchallenged bid picks the side to play, and the other player places the number of cubes bid of their shade in any region(s).
Round Reference (Reference Card)
- Choose Court Card
- Reveal Pact Cards (4 + 1)
- Split Pacts (Rounds 1/3/5)
- Select Pacts (Rounds 2/4/6)
- Play Turns
- Score (Rounds 3/6)
- Advance Time Marker
Official FAQ
The rulebook links to this FAQ by QR code ("Have any questions about how to play? Check out the Pacts FAQ here"). It is published by DVC Games at dvc.games/pages/pacts-support.
What if I don't use a card?
You may skip all or part of a move or place card, but it will still be discarded. You cannot split a card (such as multiple moves) with other actions in between.
What if I don't have the cubes needed to complete a special ability?
Some abilities involve removing cubes from a region; you can remove just as many as are available. If an ability looks for two types of cubes (like Dragons), you can select a region with only one kind and remove just the one color. You cannot use just part of a special ability if it is possible to use all of it (like placing cubes), but you can choose not to use it at all.
What if the Banshees make me run out of Court cards?
Then you will play no more Court cards.
What if I run out of cubes?
If you run out of cubes, you can remove cubes from any region before placing them again. In effect, 'place' becomes 'move' with unlimited range.
I am worried that the game positions are unbalanced. What can be done about that?
Consider the auction system on the final page of the rulebook. We realize that veteran players will dig into and find specific matchups that won't feel as fair as others, and should take to an auction of cubes to balance things for themselves.
Do auctioned cubes trigger abilities like the Cu Sidhe?
They do not. Game abilities are not in effect for the auction phase, which is strictly for set-up.
Faction Notes
Faction-by-faction clarifications from the official DVC Games FAQ.
Banshees
Your passive ability triggers during your turn after selecting pacts. Once you have revealed your COURT card, your opponent checks their hand of unplayed Court cards for the same card and discards it if they have it. This does not affect the Court card they played for the current round. If a player runs out of Court cards later in the game, they don't select one at the start of a round.
Your active removes three cubes in total, but they must be in regions that share a color/symbol, so the cubes can be from two different regions.
Changelings
Your passive ability lets you place a cube if you go first in a round. You don't have to place it immediately; you can resolve other cards first if you would like to. This cube can be placed in any region.
Your active ability removes any two cubes and replaces them with your own, even if they are in two different regions.
Cu Sidhe
Your passive ability spawns cubes upon first placing cubes in a region, not including the cubes placed during set-up. If you place any quantity of cubes into a region, you still only add two cubes. Moving cubes into a region does not trigger this.
Your active ability allows swapping two region tiles currently on the mat only. You cannot flip them or peek at the other side.
Dragons
Your passive ability changes all MOVE cards to MOVE 5 when you play them, including your MOVE 1 Court card. You don't have to use all movement when using a MOVE card.
Your active ability removes all cubes in a region, black and white. It is not a choice between one or the other, but you can choose a region with only one available.
Fir Bolg
Your passive ability, essentially, spawns a cube in any region you do not have cubes in at the start of each round of play, including the first. As long as you have cubes in a region, even one, the passive doesn't have an effect. It doesn't trigger mid-round.
Your active ability is essentially a MOVE 3, but you can target your opponent's pieces with it. You can mix and match whose pieces you are moving.
Fomorians
This is a promotional card leading up to Origins 2026.
Your passive ability copies your WILD cards, even your PLACE 1 WILD Court card, allowing you to play them twice. They can target different regions.
Your active ability removes a region point tile from the mat and returns it to the box. This makes the region worth zero points, but cubes are unaffected. Cubes can still be moved and placed in and from that region.
Kelpies
Your passive ability upgrades your WILD cards. Once you target a region and place cubes there, you can remove 2 opposing cubes in the same region.
Your active ability is essentially a PLACE 3 WILD, where all the placed cubes must go in the same region.
Sluagh
Your passive ability changes any PLACE 2 card you play into PLACE 4. The cubes must still be placed in the same region.
Your active ability removes a total of three cubes, but they must be from different regions.
Selkies
Your passive ability essentially transforms the card if you want to. It will not give 3 points, but instead act as a PLACE 4 WILD, which must all be placed in the same region.
The active ability allows copying other cards you have in play, including your chosen Court card.
Ability cards cannot target or copy other ability cards.
Credits
Designed by Ben Brin. Illustrated by Gwenevere Singley. Developed by Ben Sobine, Ben Brin, Jess Naito-Tetro and Jono Naito-Tetro. Special thanks to Bobby West, Galen McCown and Jerry Bright. Helped by Joey Palluconi, Jordan Rudolph, Nathan Masters, Matt Brin, Sahmamah, Tara Gilmour-Long and our friends at the CuseCon Design Guild (Ari Montoya, Dallas Bryson, Greg, Jess Gerber, Lachlan Kadick, Microhombrew and Phil Gross).
Discover our other games and projects at dvc.games.