The Labours of Hercules Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Character Cards and Bravery Tokens
• Gameplay
• Ending the Current Journey
• Examples
• Task Completion Checking Phase
• Next Journey Preparation Phase
• Identity Confirmation Phase
• Game End Conditions
• Variant: Oracle of Hardship
• Appendix: Character Card
• Appendix: Task Card

Components

• 7x Character cards
• 21x Task cards
• 36x Bravery tokens (25x Normal, 11x Betrayal)
• 1x Bag
• 1x Rulebook (Chinese/English)

Setup

1. Based on the following table, prepare the components to be used.

Players	4	5	6	7
[character card back icon]	Character cards #1 to #4	Character cards #1 to #5	Character cards #1 to #6	Character cards #1 to #7
[normal bravery token icon]	12	15	18	22
[betrayal bravery token icon]	6	8	9	10

2. Each player draws 1 character card from the face down stack, and keeps them hidden from the other players. Every player looks their cards and then place their cards face down in front of them. The player who has Hercules must reveal their character card. (Note players will keep the same character for the game. Character cards are explained in detail in the appendix.)

3. Put all the bravery tokens together in the bag and mix thoroughly. Give Hercules the bag.

4. Put the "Oracle of Hardship (#1)" card back to the box. It won't be used in the standard game. Take the task cards 1-8, 16, and 17 from the stack. Shuffle them and place them face down into two rows of five cards each in the middle of the table. You are now ready to play the game!

Example: Setup for 4 players.

Character Cards and Bravery Tokens

Hera is a villain who only appears in 6-7 player games. All other characters are friendly companion of Hercules at the start of the game.

Hercules will consume the bravery tokens in the bag or distribute them to other players. When players collect betrayal bravery tokens [betrayal icon] beyond the limit indicated on their character card, they will become a villain allied with Hera and start to secretly betray Hercules.

Note: Players should keep brave tokens [sic] hidden from the other players when they obtain them during the game.

Note: Only the player who has Hercules should reveal their character card. The player who has Hera does not reveal their character card.

Gameplay

The game consists of several journeys (rounds). Each journey starts from Hercules and players take turns until the end of the current journey. The order of play within each journey reverses from journey to journey. For instance, the first journey is in clockwise order, the second journey in counterclockwise order, and the third journey in clockwise order, etc. Before the journey starts, each player chooses a task card from a row and looks at it secretly. Place the card back to its original location after looking at it.

Note: Each player must choose a different task card. Choosing the same card is not allowed.

[Diagram: journey order shown as 1 → 2 → 3 …]

When it's your turn, perform the actions below in order:

1. Choose 2 face down task cards to look at, one from each row.

2. Exchange the location of the two task cards if you would like. Place the cards back to the rows face down afterwards.

Note: Every player should know if you exchange the location of the two task cards. You cannot secretly exchange the two cards.

3. Reveal the higher of the two task cards if you wish. After revealing the card, perform its effect. (Please see the appendix for details on card effects.) Note there are certain conditions where you must reveal a card (see below).

4. Check if a journey ends. If not, the next player takes their turn and continues the journey. If the journey ends, check for Labour Completion before starting the next journey.

Note: If one or more task cards contains a [red alarm icon] or is a "1", you must immediately reveal the higher card and perform its effect.

Ending the Current Journey

When one of the conditions below has been met, the current journey ends:

1. When a "3" has been revealed, the current journey ends.

2. When a "4" or "11" has revealed, all players vote to end the journey. On the count of three, all players simultaneously reveal thumbs up or thumbs down. If the majority show thumbs up, then the journey ends. If there is a tie or more thumbs down, then the current journey continues.

[Icons: a "4" card and an "11" card, each with the play-pause icon, marking the vote condition.]

3. When all cards in one of rows have been revealed, the current journey ends.

When one of the conditions above has met, the current journey ends. If the journey ends, check for Labour Completion before starting the next journey.

Examples

Lisa has a "3" and a "5" in her hand. Because the "3" has a [red alarm icon], Lisa must reveal the "5" immediately regardless of whether she exchanges the location of the two cards or not.

Lisa has a "3" and an "8" in her hand. Both of these cards have a [red alarm icon]. Because the "3" is lower, Lisa must reveal the "8" immediately.

Lisa has a "3" and a "2" in her hand. The "3" has a [red alarm icon], but because it is the higher card, she is not forced to reveal the "3". Hence, Lisa can decide if she wants to reveal the "3" or not.

Note that Lisa cannot reveal the lower card in any of the examples.

Hint: If someone looked at the task cards and did not reveal either of them, it means neither card is a "1", and the possibility that one of the cards is a "3" is low too.

Task Completion Checking Phase

1. Reveal all the task cards in the middle of the table. Check each card that is in the same row as "Fearless Hercules (#3)".

2. Hercules gets all the item cards (i.e. green numbered cards) in this same row (if any), and places them in front of him.

3. Check the labour cards (i.e. orange numbered cards) in this same row. Some of the labours need certain items for completion. If Hercules has the specific item(s) that a labour shows, then he can complete the labour and place the labour card in front of him. There are some labours that Hercules could complete without any items. Hercules also places those labour cards in front of him.

[Examples: a labour card that needs certain items (item icons shown on the card); a labour card completed without any item.]

4. Whenever Hercules places an item or labour card in front of him, any effect shown on the bottom right of the card will be activated. (Please check the appendix for details on specific cards and effects.)

Note: Hercules does not receive any item cards or complete any labour cards in the row that does not contain "Fearless Hercules (#3)."

[Legend of bottom-right card effects: "+" followed by card numbers 11, 12, 13; "+" followed by 9, 10; "+" followed by 14, 15; "+" followed by 18, 19 and higher. The Appendix defines the 9-10 and 18-and-higher effects; the printed Appendix does not define 11-13 or 14-15.]

5. Check if there are any labours that are not accomplished in both rows. For each bravery token [bravery token icon] shown on the bottom left of those cards, Hercules draws a bravery token randomly from the bag and puts it into the discard pile (don't put it back to the box!). If the token shows a betrayal icon [betrayal icon], then Hercules has to discard one more bravery token by repeating the process. If he draws another betrayal bravery token [betrayal icon] again, then he has to discard one more bravery token again, and so on.

[Outcomes: a normal bravery token draw, with nothing further to do; a betrayal bravery token draw, which requires drawing another bravery token.]

Next Journey Preparation Phase

If the game end condition has not been triggered, the players now move forward to the next journey and face more challenging labours. Follow the steps below to prepare for the next journey:

1. Put all the remaining cards that are still in the center of the table and any new cards (as specified by other cards) together. Shuffle these cards thoroughly and place all of them face down evenly in two rows in the middle of the table. Try to make the distribution of cards in the two rows as even as possible.

2. Each player except Hercules draws a bravery token randomly from the bag. Each player looks at the token secretly and places it face down in front of them. Players should keep their bravery tokens hidden from the other players.

3. If Hercules has the "Erymanthian Boar (#13)" card in front of him, proceed Identity Confirmation phase. Otherwise, skip this step.

4. A new journey begins. Keep playing the game until the game ends.

Identity Confirmation Phase

Hercules (or another player who has more experience) hosts this phase. The host recites the following to all players:

1. "All players, close your eyes." (This includes Hercules and the host.)

2. "Hera and her allies, open your eyes. Acknowledge each other." (Should take around 5 seconds.)

[Diagram: Hercules and his companions; the villains are marked, and Hercules is crossed out as not opening his eyes.]

3. "Hera and her allies, close your eyes."

4. "All players, open their eyes."

After the Identity Confirmation phase has been completed, continue to the next journey.

[Notes on the diagram: "Hera is a villain." A character who collects betrayal bravery tokens beyond the limit becomes a villain allied with Hera.]

Game End Conditions

The game ends whenever one of the conditions below has been met:

1. Hercules completes all the 12 labours (Hercules should have 2 item cards and 12 labour cards). He and his companions win the game.

2. The bag has been emptied of bravery tokens and players still need to draw another token. Hera and her allies win the game.

Note: If Hercules runs out of bravery tokens to draw from the bag at any time (this may be due to card effects, unfinished labours, or preparing for the next journey), the game ends and he and his companions lose. If the bag is empty but no tokens need to be drawn, the game continues until one of the end game conditions has been met.

Variant: Oracle of Hardship

This variant increases the difficulty level for Hercules and his companions. We strongly recommend you try the variant only after you are familiar with the game.

1. Replace the "Oracle (#1)" card with the "Oracle of Hardship (#1)" card.

2. During setup, add 2 normal bravery tokens from box into the supply.

All other rules remain unchanged. This variant can be used for any number of players.

[Card image: the Oracle of Hardship (#1) card.]

Appendix: Character Card

Each character has a special ability. When it's your turn, you can use your ability by revealing your character card before looking at the two cards from the two rows.

Note: You can only use your character's ability when you reveal your character card. You can only use your character ability once per game.

Note: You are only allowed to reveal your character card. Do not reveal the bravery tokens. You should keep your bravery tokens face down in front of you at all times.

Character	Ability
#1	Show your character when the game starts. Despite being Hercules, you have no special abilities.
#2	Randomly put one of your bravery tokens back in the bag.
#3	Call for an immediate vote to end the current journey.
#4	Exchange the place of any 2 face up cards.
#5	During the identity confirmation phase, you can open your eyes. You also cannot show your character card.
#6	Designate any player except Hercules to draw a bravery token from the bag.
#7	Pick a face-down card and move it to the other row.

Appendix: Task Card

1. Apply the effects while revealing the card.

Effect icon	Effect
[red alarm icon]	If this card's number is lower than the other card, the higher numbered card should be revealed immediately.
[bravery token icon with arrow back into bag]	Hercules randomly puts 2 bravery tokens from the discard pile back into the bag.
[play-pause icon]	Finish the current journey.
[speech bubbles with play-pause icon]	Immediately vote to end the current journey.
[Hercules with eye and cards]	Hercules chooses a card to look at. After looking at the card, put it back to its original place.
[rotation arrow over a face up card]	Turn a face up card face down. (There is no effect if there are no face up cards.)
[dash]	No effect.
[bravery token bag icon]	Hercules loses a bravery point. Draw a token from the bag and put it in the discard pile.
[red-crossed card icons over Fearless Hercules]	If this card remains face up, Fearless Hercules (#3) cannot be turned face up in the two spaces adjacent to this card. When choosing cards to reveal, this card's effect takes priority and may ignore the effect of [red alarm icon].

2. Apply the effects upon labour completion or when these cards are in front of Hercules.

Effect icon	Effect
[+ 9 10]	Add cards 9 and 10 into next journey.
[+ 18 19 …]	Add cards 18, 19 and higher into next journey.
[three characters with eye]	During each Next Journey Preparation phase, proceed to the Identity Confirmation phase until the game ends.
[two eyes over characters]	During the Identity Confirmation phase, Hylas can open his eyes regardless of whether he is an ally of Hera's or not.