Very Big Monster Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Modes and Objective
• Material
  • Monster Card Information
• Game Setup
• Gameplay
  • Turn
  • Monster Card Placement Rules
• Monster Card Effects
  • Monster Cards with Portal Quarters
  • Mutagen Monster Cards
  • Sand Monster Cards
• Missions
  • Mission Requirements
• Explorer Cards
• End of a Round
• End of the Game
• Example of Final Scoring
• Monster Cards: Details and Scoring
  • Water Cards
  • Mutagen Monster Cards
  • Sand Cards
• 2-Player Rules
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • End of Game
• Free-for-All Mode
• 3-Player Variant
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • End of Game
• End of Game Scoring (VP)

Game Modes and Objective

We recommend playing Very Big Monster in Team Mode. These rules present Team Mode first.

The small rule adjustments for Free-for-All Mode and 2-Player Mode are explained at the end of the rulebook.

In Team Mode (4 or 6 players), players form 2 or 3 teams of 2 players.

At the end of the second round, the player or team with the most Victory Points wins the game.

Material

• 120 Monster cards
• 12 Explorer cards
• 2 Space Base tiles
• 5 Mission tiles
• 6 Portal tiles
• 6 Spaceship tiles
• Reward Mission tokens (x20)
• First player token
• 1 score pad
• For 2-player games (x7)

Monster Card Information

Front of Monster cards

• Completable Element
• Terrain Monster
• Victory Point (VP)
• Kind of terrain (card background): Water, Lava, Ice, Rock, Grassland, Sand

Three different Monster card backs

Monster cards are divided into 6 different sets, identified by a number and a colored border on the back of the cards.

Game Setup

Example of a 4-player Team Mode setup.

1. Form teams of 2 players and sit opposite your teammate. No player may sit next to their teammate.
   • With 6 players, seat teams so that no two teammates are adjacent (e.g. arrangement A-B-C / C-B-A around the table).
2. Build the Space Base. Align the 5 Mission tiles using either side. Place 1 Space Base tile at each end of the row. Place the 6 Portal tiles on the Space Base.
3. Place Reward Mission tokens. On each Mission tile, build a pyramid of 3 Reward Mission tokens using the values shown.
4. Each player receives 2 Explorer cards.
   • Choose 1 Explorer card.
   • Return the other card to the box.
   • Place the chosen Explorer face up in front of you, leaving space around it.
5. Each player places their Spaceship tile near the Space Base, within reach of the other players.
6. Prepare the Monster cards. From the 6 available sets, choose as many sets as there are players. Example: in a 4-player game, use 4 sets and leave the remaining sets in the box. Shuffle the selected cards and deal 10 cards to each player. Each player places their cards face down on their Spaceship tile. Keep the remaining cards for the second round.

Gameplay

The game is played over 2 rounds, each consisting of 9 turns.

Turn

Each turn consists of 3 steps, performed simultaneously by all players. At the signal from one player, take the cards currently on your Spaceship tile and follow the steps below.

1. Select a card and place it face down in front of you.
2. Immediately place the remaining cards face down on another player's Spaceship tile (teammate or opponent). If all other Spaceship tiles are occupied, you may place the remaining cards on your own Spaceship tile.

When all Spaceship tiles are occupied, proceed to step 3.

3. Reveal your chosen card and place it adjacent to a card already in your play area.
   • Apply any effects.
   • Check whether any Missions have been completed and take the corresponding Reward Mission tokens (see Missions).

Monster Card Placement Rules

A card must be placed adjacent to a card already in your play area by at least one edge.

Cards must be placed in reading orientation (the monsters must stand upright on their feet).

You may place cards regardless of terrain matching or whether any illustrated elements have been completed.

Monster Card Effects

Monster Cards with Portal Quarters

As soon as a Portal is completed by 4 Monster cards of any type, the Portal is activated. Take a Portal tile and place it on the completed Portal.

Note: a Portal Quarter may be placed next to any card, even if it does not complete a Portal.

Mutagen Monster Cards

A Mutagen Monster card allows you to flip an Ice Monster card. If the beam's direction is directly adjacent to the Ice monster, and the required number of beams is met (1 to 3), the effect is triggered. In some cases, only one beam is required. Flip the card.

Sand Monster Cards

Whenever a new Sand card is placed, flip the previously placed Sand card. Flipping a Sand card upgrades its Victory Point value.

Missions

Missions are objectives that award Victory Points. When a Mission is completed, the player or players immediately receive the corresponding Reward Mission tokens. There are two types of Missions: Personal Missions and Team Missions.

Each Mission tile shows an element (for example, Water cards) and the number required to complete it. The required number differs between Personal Missions and Team Missions.

A Mission tile shows a Personal Mission and a Team Mission, an element, and a Reward Mission tokens area.

• Personal Mission: only the cards in your own play area are taken into account. If a player completes a Personal Mission, they gain the corresponding Reward Mission token.
• Team Mission: both teammates combine the cards in their play areas. If a team completes a Team Mission, each teammate gains the corresponding Reward Mission token.

You may complete multiple Missions during the same turn.

If several players complete the same Mission during the same turn, each of them gains a Reward Mission token.

If additional Reward Mission tokens are required, use the spare tokens included in the box.

The player who completes a Personal Mission is not necessarily part of the team that completes the corresponding Team Mission, which is completed afterwards.

Mission Requirements

• Complete X Big Mamas and/or Baby Monsters (Water).
• Have X cards of the indicated terrain type (Water, Ice, Lava, Grassland).
• Have X Mutagen Monsters, regardless of beam orientation. Two Mutagen Monsters shown on the same card count as 2.
• Have X cards of different terrain types.
• Have X Rock Monsters. Two Rock Monsters shown on the same card count as 2.
• Have X complete sets of crystals: 1 green, 1 red, and 1 blue crystal.

Example: Rock Monster Mission tile. Dimitri places a Rock card showing 2 Rock Monsters. The Rock Monster Mission tile requires 4 Rock monsters to complete the Personal Mission. Dimitri has 4 Rock monsters in his play area and immediately receives the corresponding Reward Mission token. He may place it on his Explorer card.

The Team Mission tile requires 8 Rock monsters. To complete it, both teammates' play areas are combined. As soon as any team has a total of 8 Rock monsters across both play areas, each teammate receives the corresponding Reward Mission token.

Explorer Cards

Your Explorer card is the first card in your play area.

Score Victory Points (VP) according to the condition shown on your Explorer card and the cards placed in both your play area and your teammate's play area. Both play areas are counted when calculating VP.

Explorer cards can score VP for: each of a terrain type, each crystal, each complete monster, each set (of crystals, for example), and each Reward Mission token, among other conditions — some cards combine two conditions ("gain X VP for each... and for each...").

Example: If I play the Explorer card "1 VP per Lava Card," I score 1 VP for each Lava Card in both my play area and my teammate's play area.

End of a Round

When each player receives only 2 Monster cards:

• Choose 1 card.
• Discard the other card (return it to the box).
• Place the chosen card in your play area.

The round then ends.

Next, take the Monster cards set aside at the beginning of the game and deal 10 new cards to each player. Each player places these cards face down on their Spaceship tile.

The second round is played exactly the same way as the first round.

End of the Game

The game ends at the end of the second round.

Use the score pad to calculate each player's Victory Points.

For each team, the LOWER score of the two teammates becomes the team's score. The team with the highest score wins the game.

If teams are tied:

1. Compare the scores of the other teammates.
2. If still tied, compare the points scored from Water cards.
3. If the tie remains, the victory is shared.

Example of Final Scoring

Each player has in front of them: 1 Explorer card, 18 Monster cards, any portal tiles, and any Reward Mission tokens.

Dimitri finishes the game with the following score sheet. He scores 103 VP.

• Portals: 1 completed Portal = 15 VP.
• Ice: 10 + 7 = 17 VP.
• Water: 10 + 1 + 3 + 3 = 17 VP.
• Grassland: one Grassland card = 1 VP.
• Sand: two Sand cards: one 3×3 diagonal and one 1×4 row, total = 13 VP.
• Lava: 2 + 2 + 2 = 6 VP.
• Crystals: 1 blue crystal (10 VP), 1 red crystal (5 VP), and 1 green crystal (2 VP), total = 17 VP.
• Reward Mission token: one Reward Mission token worth 5 VP.
• Explorer card: count points in both Dimitri's and Laura's play areas. Dimitri has 2 completed Water monsters and Laura has 2 completed Water monsters. 2 × 3 + 2 × 3 = 12 VP.

Laura's score is 107 VP. The team's final score is 103 VP, the lower of the two teammates' scores.

Anne and Dam's team score is 100 VP, based on the lower of their two scores (100 VP and 110 VP).

With a team score of 103 VP, Laura and Dim win the game.

Monster Cards: Details and Scoring

A Monster card may contain up to 6 different terrain types and may award VP shown in yellow hexagons or octagons: Water, Lava, Rock, Sand, Ice, Grassland.

Sand and Ice cards have a reverse side that will be used during the game.

Grassland: Count the number of Grassland symbols and score the corresponding points.

A Monster card may also contain different elements that can be completed: Crystals, Victory points (VP), Monsters, Portals.

Water Cards

Big Mama. A Big Mama is complete when it has at least one head and one tail, regardless of the length of its body. A Big Mama is worth VP even if it is incomplete. Example: 10 + 10 + 1 = 21 VP.

Baby monster. A Baby monster is worth 3 VP and counts as a completed Water monster.

Mutagen Monster Cards

A Mutagen monster projects a beam that evolves completed Ice monsters directly connected to it.

As soon as a completed Ice monster is adjacent to the required number of beams, flip the Ice monster over. It will then be worth more points.

You may place Mutagen monster cards before or after placing Ice Monster cards. The order does not matter.

The number of beams required varies from 1 to 3. It is shown at the bottom of each Ice Monster card, along with its upgraded VP value.

Example: monster made of 2 cards. As soon as 3 Mutagen monster cards are placed above and below the completed bear, flip the bear over. It is now worth 30 VP instead of 4 VP.

Always place Mutagen Monster cards with both feet on the ground.

Sand Cards

Whenever a new Sand card is placed, flip the previously placed Sand card.

Sand cards score points based on the placement of other cards in your play area.

Conditions: Any terrain, Same terrain, Different terrain.

Check the condition on the 4 cards surrounding the Sand card. Example: 1 VP per adjacent card of the same terrain type = 2 VP.

Check the condition on all cards located in the direction indicated by the Sand card: Row, Column, Diagonal. Example: 2 VP per card in the column = 6 VP.

The Sand card never counts itself.

2-Player Rules

In a two-player game, strategy and blocking are emphasized, as the drafting system is adjusted to create a faster-paced and more tactical experience.

Setup

1. The last player to have "been on the moon" takes the First Player token.
2. Build the Space Base. Place only the Reward Mission tokens on the Personal Mission spaces.
3. Choose 4 sets, shuffle them, and form 4 face-down decks of 20 cards each.
4. Reveal a row of 4 cards to form the draft for turn 1.

Gameplay

Each turn:

The First Player chooses 1 card from a row and discards 1 card from the same row. The second player then chooses 1 of the 2 remaining cards. The last card is discarded.

Example: the First Player chooses Row B; from that row each player in turn discards or chooses a card until the row is used up.

After each turn:

• Apply card effects and check whether any Missions have been completed.
• Pass the First Player token.
• Refill the draft by revealing cards until there are 2 rows of 4 cards available.

Turn 1: only 1 row of 4 cards is available. From Turn 2 onward: 2 rows of 4 cards are available. Any unselected row remains available for the next turn.

End of Game

When only one row remains, play the final turn, then score VP.

Each player has: their Explorer card and 20 Monster cards, and any Portals and Reward Mission tokens they have collected.

The player with the most Victory Points (VP) wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most Water Monster card points wins. If still tied, the victory is shared.

Free-for-All Mode

Apply the following changes.

Setup: For each Mission tile, place only 1 Reward Mission token on the Personal Reward Mission space, matching the indicated value.

Scoring: Only your own play area is used when scoring your Explorer card.

The player with the most VP wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most Water Monster card points wins. If still tied, the victory is shared.

3-Player Variant

Setup

Setup follows the 2-player rules, with the following changes:

3. Shuffle 6 sets and form 6 face-down decks of 20 cards each.
4. Reveal a row of 6 cards to form the row for turn 1.

Gameplay

Gameplay remains the same as in 2-Player Mode.

The First Player selects a row. Players then choose cards and discard cards from that same row, one after another.

Turns 1 and 2: only one row of 6 cards is available. From turn 3 onward: two rows of 6 cards are available.

End of Game

When only one row remains, play the final turn, then score Victory Points.

The player with the most VP wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most Water Monster card points wins. If still tied, the victory is shared.

End of Game Scoring (VP)

• Direct VP: Gain the VP printed on cards. For example, 2, 1, 10, 15 VP.
• Reward Mission tokens: For example, 5, 10 VP.
• Explorer card Scoring: Gain X VP for each..., gain X VP for a set, gain X VP for each... and X VP for each... For example: gain 1 VP per Lava card, or gain 5 VP per set of 3 different Crystals, or gain 3 VP per completed Water Monster.
  • In Team Mode, both play areas count. Cards you play may help your teammate score VP. Example: if I play the Explorer card "1 VP per Lava Card," I score 1 VP for each Lava Card in both my play area and my teammate's play area.
• Grassland cards: Count all Grassland symbols you have and score according to the reference table. For example: 3 Grassland symbols = 8 VP.
• Crystals: Gain VP for each complete Crystal.
• Sand cards: Sand cards score based on the number of cards in the direction indicated by the arrow: the 4 adjacent cards, Row, Column, or Diagonal, checked against Any terrain / Same terrain / Different terrain. Example: gain 1 VP per card to the left of the Sand card = 4 VP.