The Deadlies Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Set Up
• Object
• Playing the Game
  • 1. Playing Cards
  • 2. Resolve Effect of the Topmost Card
  • 3. Discard
  • 4. Losing Wickedness
• Winning the Game
• Optional 6th Player
• Credits

Contents

• 52 cards
  • 49 cards numbered 1 - 7 in seven suits: GREED, PRIDE, WRATH, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH, ENVY.
  • 1 card each: CORRUPTION, PURITY and HALO.
• 12 Wickedness tokens

Set Up

Each player chooses a Wickedness token and places it in front of them, with the "6" pointing towards themselves. The number represents your starting hand size of 6 cards. (the art/color shown has no game effect)

Shuffle the deck and deal each player 6 cards, face down.

Place the deck in the center of the table, the HALO card to the left of it, and room for a discard pile to the right of the deck.

The most angelic player will be the starting player, otherwise the owner of the game or host begins. Deal the starting player an additional card.

Object

Play as many cards as you can each turn, trying to empty your hand as quickly as possible, while at the same time preventing your opponents from doing the same.

Each time you successfully empty your hand (and manage to keep it empty until the end of the turn), your new starting hand will be two cards smaller than the previous time, as tracked by your Wickedness token. (6, 4, 2, 0)

Empty your hand three times, and you WIN!

Playing the Game

Players take turns in a clockwise direction.

On a player's turn, they:

1. Play one or more cards face up.
2. Resolve the effect on the topmost card they played.
3. Discard played cards to a central discard pile.
4. If they have no cards in hand, lower their Wickedness by 2. Then they draw cards matching their new Wickedness value.

1. Playing Cards

A player may play one or more cards face up. More than one card may be played in the following ways:

• Any number of cards of the same Suit may be played: Same suit, all with the same effect.

• Any number of cards may be played with the same Number value printed on them. In this case, a player may choose which card to play as the topmost card. It is this card's ability that will activate. (Player has chosen LUST's ability; player has chosen PRIDE's ability)

• A player may play a Straight of any length, from 0-8, even with just two consecutively numbered cards. It is always the ability of the highest value (topmost) card that takes effect. (Arrange from lowest to highest. The topmost (highest) card's ability takes effect.)

• Straights cannot wrap from 8 back to 0.

• Players may always play a single card, but will typically wish to play as many as possible to reduce their hand size.

• Players are not required to "follow suit" or card values played by the previous player.

• Players are not allowed to pass.

2. Resolve Effect of the Topmost Card

Each suit has a unique effect when played. These are written on the cards, but listed below in more detail.

CORRUPTION: CORRUPTION is like a "Wild Card" but it counts as all 7 suits at all times. This is important in interactions with other cards. When you play it, choose one of the 7 suits (Purity is not a suit) and perform the actions / effects of that suit.

PRIDE: Choose another player and ask, "Do you have any PRIDE?"

If that player has no PRIDE cards in hand, they must draw a card from the deck.

If they can show you a PRIDE from their hand, they will force you to draw a card from the deck instead.

Note: Showing PRIDE is never mandatory. If you have PRIDE but want to draw a card, you may., though this would be rare.

WRATH: Choose another player and force them to draw 2 cards from the deck.

After drawing cards, they may immediately discard a WRATH from their hand, forcing you to draw 2 cards.

This chain continues between the two players until one player can no longer discard a WRATH, or chooses not to.

GLUTTONY: When played, choose to either take a card at random from another player's hand OR draw 3 cards from the deck.

After doing so, take another turn.

There is no limit to how many GLUTTONY cards can be played during a turn.

Note: if you take another player's last card, emptying their hand, they will reduce their Wickedness, drawing cards equal to the new value and will win the game if that value is 0.

ENVY: Draw 2 cards from the deck. After doing so, if you have no ENVY cards in your hand, you may opt to trade hands with any other player.

Reminder: CORRUPTION counts as ENVY.

SLOTH: When SLOTH is played, do nothing else. This makes it a great card to empty your hand with.

Instead of discarding it with the rest of the cards you played this turn, keep it face up in front of you. Discard it only at the beginning of your next turn.

However, if another SLOTH is played, all players with a SLOTH in front of them must draw a card.

Reminder: CORRUPTION counts as SLOTH.

LUST: Pick a partner. They choose:

A: Nothing happens and your turn ends.

B: You may BOTH discard a card from your hand. Choose that card and get it ready. Reveal the cards at the same time. Each player that discards LUST in this way forces their partner to draw 3 cards from the deck.

Note: "may each discard". No one is required to discard, even if "B" is chosen. HALO may not be discarded in this way.

GREED: Deal cards face up from the deck to the other players, one at a time, starting with the player on your left and proceeding clockwise (always skip yourself). You may choose to stop after dealing at least two cards that are not GREED. If you stop before Busting, the other players must place the cards dealt to them into their hand.

However, if any two, other than GREED, match suits, you Bust. Stop and place all the cards you dealt into your hand instead.

Example: GREED, PRIDE, ENVY (you may now stop), GREED (can never stop on a Greed), PRIDE (Bust because it matches previously played Pride).

To tempt you, if you are able to successfully deal five cards in this way, you may immediately discard your entire hand. The more GREED cards dealt, the better the odds of success.

Note: CORRUPTION will always Bust, as it is all seven suits, whereas PURITY has no suit and would not.

PURITY: This card has no suit. When played, add the HALO card to your hand.

Note: in the rare event that the HALO is in another player's hand, they must give it to you upon playing PURITY.

HALO: This card has no suit and no number. When you play HALO, discard your entire hand and move your Wickedness down 2.

Do not discard HALO or shuffle it into the deck. Instead, return it to the center of the table.

3. Discard

Once the topmost card's effect has resolved, discard played cards to a central discard pile near the draw deck. If at any time the deck is depleted, immediately shuffle the discards to form a new draw deck.

4. Losing Wickedness

If you have no cards in your hand at the end of any player's turn, lower your Wickedness by 2. Do this by rotating or flipping your Wickedness token so the correct number points towards you, then draw that number of cards.

(6 Card Hand → rotate → 4 Card Hand → flip → 2 Card Hand → rotate → WIN!)

Winning the Game

If you reduce your Wickedness token to 0 and your hand remains empty until the end of the turn, you WIN!

In the rare event of a tie, all tied players immediately draw 1 card and everyone continues to play until a definitive winner emerges.

Optional 6th Player

What would The Deadlies be without being able to corrupt the rules a bit? The game is well suited for 3-5 players, but can be stretched for a 6-player game as well.

6 Players: Each player starts with a 4 card hand, instead of 6.

Your Wickedness token will proceed 4, 2, 0 to Win.

Credits

The Deadlies S&D 0070

Game Design: Paul Saxberg

Illustrations: Leah Fuhrman

Graphic Design & Development: Curt Covert

Special Thanks: Adam Wyse, Roberta Taylor, Mackenzie Cox, Darren Bezzant, and to all of our playtesters; you are officially the most angelic.

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