Risky Mixes
Risky Mixes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
- Separate the deadly potion cards, safe potion cards, goblin cards, and action cards into different piles.
- Deal each player one deadly potion, three safe potions, and one goblin card. All players place their goblin card on the table in their play area with the "living goblin" side face up. They shuffle their potion cards and place them face down, side by side, next to their goblin card. Finally, each player receives one antidote token.
- Shuffle the action card deck and place it face down in the center of the table, within reach of every player. Next to it, a discard pile will form, face up.
The remaining potions and goblin cards (if any) are left face up in the center of the table in their corresponding decks, next to the action deck. Do the same with the leftover antidotes.
The player with the greenest skin is the starting player. In case of a tie, the player who best imitates a goblin starts.
Attention! From now on, the term "GOBLIN" will be used to refer to the players.
Turn Marker
Give this card to the starting player. When a player finishes their turn, they pass this card to the player on their left. It helps everyone keep track of who the active player is at any moment, although using it is not mandatory.
Playing a Turn
Play proceeds in turns, clockwise. On their turn, each goblin takes the top card of the action deck, reads its instructions aloud, and carries out that card's action.
Once the action indicated by the card has been carried out, the card is placed face up on the discard pile and the turn passes to the next goblin.
If the goblin draws a spell card from the deck, they place it face up next to their goblin card instead of discarding it. (See Spells, page 12.)
The turn order is always respected the same way, from the beginning of the game to the end, regardless of which players have had to drink potions and which goblins turn into ghosts or come back to life.
Drinking Potions
Most action cards will tell us which goblin or goblins must drink on that turn.
"DRINK" means randomly choosing and flipping over one of your potion cards.
When you drink a potion, three things can happen:
- You draw a SAFE POTION. Drinking it does nothing to you — at most you'll get a couple of pimples, your head will grow, or you'll grow a third eye, nothing to worry about. You continue living and take part in this fun experiment of the witch's.
- You draw a DEADLY POTION. If you don't have an antidote (or you have one and don't want to use it), you become a ghost. Flip your goblin card over to show the ghost goblin face and discard your potions.
- The card drawn is a DEADLY POTION and you have an antidote. You may use the antidote to avoid becoming a ghost and remain alive. Using an antidote is not mandatory.
Every time a goblin drinks a potion, they return it to its corresponding pile in the center of the table. They do the same with antidotes.
When a goblin runs out of potions, they immediately take one safe potion card and one deadly potion card. They shuffle both potions, place them face down in their play area, and continue playing.
Some action cards will affect several goblins at once, making them all drink on the same turn. The affected goblins drink one at a time, following turn order and starting with the goblin who drew the card. It is important to respect this order and that every affected goblin drinks, since it can determine which goblin wins the game.
Ghost Goblins
When a goblin becomes a ghost (by drinking a deadly potion), they flip their goblin card over to show the ghost goblin face and discard their potions to the center of the table. From now on they play in ghost mode.
However, a ghost goblin keeps any spell cards or antidotes they may have.
Ghost goblins continue drawing a card from the action deck on their turn. Drinking actions on the cards do not affect them, since they cannot drink, and they also do not have to fulfill the conditions indicated by a spell.
If a ghost goblin manages to make another goblin become a ghost during their turn, they instantly come back to life. They flip their goblin card back over to show the living goblin face again, receive one deadly potion and one safe potion, shuffle them, and place them face down in their play area.
A ghost goblin cannot win the game — they must come back to life. A ghost goblin can also come back to life thanks to a spell card. (See Spells, page 12.)
Attention! A ghost goblin may have antidotes, but cannot use them to come back to life. The purpose of an antidote is to prevent a goblin from becoming a ghost at the precise moment they drink a deadly potion.
End of the Game
The game ends when only one goblin remains alive — that brave survivor is the winner!
If only one goblin remains alive, but a ghost goblin must come back to life because they made another goblin become a ghost during their turn, the game is not yet over.
Example: Imagine Wifly is in ghost mode and Juk and Morty are still alive. If Wifly manages to make Morty become a ghost, Juk will be the only living goblin — but the game will not be over, since Wifly will automatically come back to life and we will still have two living goblins: Juk and Wifly.
The game can also end with every goblin turned into a ghost, so there will be no winner at all — a common occurrence at the witch's house.
Action Card Reference
"You drink." The explanation is simple — it's your turn to drink.
"Whoever you choose drinks." Whichever goblin you want drinks a potion. You can choose yourself — you'll see how funny that is.
"Whoever the majority decides drinks." All goblins, alive and ghosts alike, vote on which goblin must drink a potion. In case of a tie, the goblin who drew the card decides. Be careful — they could choose you.
"Everyone except you drinks." Every goblin except you drinks a potion. (See Group Drinking below.)
"Goblins WITH/WITHOUT [attribute] drink." These cards tell us which goblins must drink depending on whether or not they have the stated attribute in the artwork on their goblin card. The attributes are: cap, horns, blindfold, suspenders, and earrings. (See Goblins, pages 14-15.)
"Choose two goblins. Each goblin drinks one of the other goblin's potions." You can choose yourself as one of the two goblins.
"Witch's roulette." Starting with the goblin who drew this card (if they're alive, of course), every goblin drinks a potion in turn until one of them becomes a ghost. If a goblin drinks a deadly potion and decides to use an antidote, they do not become a ghost, so the goblins keep drinking.
"Cheers!" Every goblin drinks at the same time. The goblin who drew this card must say what the toast is for.
Example: To the witch! Cheers! To the witch!
Within the action deck we will find some cards that specify the drinking goblin must do so "twice." If the goblin becomes a ghost from drinking the first potion, they do not drink the second.
Group Drinking
"All living goblins steal a potion from the goblin on their LEFT/RIGHT." Every living goblin steals a potion from the living goblin on their left or right (as the card indicates) and places it face down alongside the rest of their potions. The stolen potion is not flipped over (it is not drunk). Potion stealing happens simultaneously.
"You gain a deadly potion." Take a deadly potion from the potion pile and shuffle it face down among your potions.
"You give away a deadly potion." Take a deadly potion from the potion pile and give it to a living goblin. The lucky recipient shuffles their new potion face down among the rest of their potions.
"Steal an antidote." Steal an antidote from another goblin. If no goblin has an antidote, steal it from the center of the table.
Some action cards carry a ghost icon. If a ghost goblin draws a card with this icon from the deck, they send it to a living goblin of their choice, and that goblin suffers its effect instead.
Spells
When a goblin draws a spell card from the action deck, they must cast the spell by reading it aloud, clearly. They place the spell card face up next to their goblin card (a goblin can have more than one spell in their play area at a time). The spell's effect begins the moment the card touches the table.
The first living goblin to break the condition stated by a spell drinks one of their potions. This drinking action is resolved immediately, taking priority over any other action card, even if a group drinking action is currently underway (it will be momentarily interrupted). Once a spell is broken, its card is discarded.
If a living goblin becomes a ghost from the drinking action caused by a spell, the goblin who cast the spell instantly comes back to life if they are in ghost mode.
If the goblin who cast the spell is the same one who breaks it and becomes a ghost from the drinking action caused by the spell, they do not come back to life. Seriously? You fell into your own spell's trap? What a chump!
- "Respectful Spell." The goblin who casts this spell must be treated with respect — they may not be addressed informally, and the rest of the insignificant goblins must call them by the name they deserve.
Example: Great and Zupreme Leader, or Your Zupreme MajeZty of the goblins.
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"Positive, Negative, and Thirsty Spells." The first player to say Yes, No, or Drink drinks a potion. So, does a goblin who says a word containing the syllable YES, the syllable NO, or who conjugates the verb DRINK break the spell and have to drink a potion? The answer is... it depends. Goblins must decide in advance whether or not those words count in their games of Risky Mixes.
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"Spell of Extreme Caution." This spell does not trigger a drinking action. If the goblin who cast it manages to come back to life, they steal an antidote.
The BeaZt
Do you feel that dark presence? The BeaZt is near...
Playing with the BeaZt card is optional. We recommend using it in games with a large number of goblins.
The BeaZt can enter play in two different ways, as the goblins choose:
- At the start of the game, shuffle the BeaZt into the action deck. The living goblin who draws the BeaZt card must place it next to their goblin card. If it is a ghost goblin who draws it, they give it to a living goblin instead.
- Leave the BeaZt next to the action deck. The first goblin to become a ghost gives it to a living goblin.
The goblin holding the BeaZt drinks one extra potion every time it's their turn to drink. If this goblin becomes a ghost, they give the BeaZt card to a living goblin (all ghost goblins may vote and decide which living goblin receives this evil creature).
Goblins
Wifly. The group's newest goblin. She seems motivated, but nobody thinks she'll last more than a week. Attributes: has cap, blindfold, and suspenders. Does not have horns or earrings.
Toc Toc. Pure madness. Always laughs uncontrollably, even when it's their turn to drink! Attributes: has horns and earrings. Does not have cap, blindfold, or suspenders.
Suspenders. Loves being fashionable and wearing all kinds of accessories, except earrings and blindfolds — says they don't suit them. Attributes: has cap and suspenders. Does not have horns, blindfold, or earrings.
Rambo. If you're looking for a very serious goblin with a bad temper, Rambo is the perfect goblin. Attributes: has cap and earrings. Does not have horns, blindfold, or suspenders.
Goblin. No matter what you say or ask them, they always answer: GOBLIN! Attributes: has horns, blindfold, and suspenders. Does not have cap or earrings.
Bucket. Doesn't talk much and tends to stare blankly. Sometimes I wonder if there's anything in there... Attributes: has blindfold and earrings. Does not have horns, cap, or suspenders.
Juk. He's so cute that I almost feel bad tricking him into drinking my potions. Attributes: has horns, cap, and blindfold. Does not have earrings or suspenders.
Marvin. Known to everyone as "Marvin the Green," although nobody understands why — there's no other Marvin at the witch's house. Attributes: has horns, blindfold, and earrings. Does not have cap or suspenders.
Morty. His name suits him perfectly. He's a magnet for deadly potions — better to keep him close. Attributes: has cap, horns, and suspenders. Does not have blindfold or earrings.
No. 2. I'm in charge of finding new goblins for the witch. One word defines me: leader. Attributes: has suspenders and earrings. Does not have horns, cap, or blindfold.
Achievements
Mark the achievements you've unlocked!
- Goblin Minion. Join the goblins of Risky Mixes.
- Cheers! Win a game thanks to a toast.
- What a DiZaZter. Finish a game with no winner.
- Zuper Ghozt. Come back to life and win the game at the same time.
- Rookie Wizard. Break your own spell.
- Expert Goblin. Create your first card.
- The BeaZt. Win a game while holding the BeaZt.
- Gift a Goblin. Give away a copy of Risky Mixes.
Credits
Thanks to my friends at La Regla Q, to my colleagues at Ludo Málaga, and to the whole gaming community: designers, publishers, promoters, associations, shops, and especially all the goblins who contributed their help and encouragement to making this game possible.
Author: José Manuel Fernández Illustration and design: Ana Marco Edition: Rocket Lemon Games