Zombie Princess Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Icons
• Overview
• Setup
• Sequence of Play
• Skulls
• Bidding
• Play Begins
  • Once the Round Is Over:
• Playing the Game
  • Playing a Trick
  • The Privileged Princes
  • The Frog Prince Returns
  • Using the Power of a Princess
  • Example: The Last Trick of the 1st Hand
• Scoring
  • Scoring Example (from the trick on p. 15)
    • Individual Scoring (Reference Card)
• Hourglass Round
• End of the Game
• Round Cards
• Princess Cards
• Quick Reference
  • Initial Setup
  • End of Each Round

Components

• 15 Villager Cards (1 to 15)
• 15 Pet Cards (1 to 15)
• 15 Knight Cards (1 to 15)
• 15 Prince Cards (1 to 15)
• 26 Tarot Round Cards
• 1 Reference Card
• 12 Princess Cards
• 25 1x Skulls
• 10 5x Skulls
• 1 Scorepad
• 16 Bidding Coins

Icons

• 1 Coin
• Any # of Coins
• Individuals
• Teams
• 1 Skull
• 5 Skulls
• Any # of Skulls
• Hourglass Round

Overview

Zombie Princess is a trick-taking game of bidding, bonding, and undead fairy-tale chaos. It can be played in Teams with 4 players (2 vs. 2) or 6 players (2 vs. 2 vs. 2) or as Individuals (3, 4, 5, or 6 players). If playing in Teams, the player seated furthest from you is your teammate.

Each player begins by choosing a Princess with a unique power. Some may bend the rules once per round, others stay active the whole game. Used at the right moment, these abilities can completely flip a hand.

The game lasts 4 rounds, each guided by a Round card. These cards shake things up—forcing swaps, rewarding captured tricks, and providing additional skulls. The very last round card (the Hourglass Round) is special and provides one last chance for players to catch up if they've fallen behind.

At the start of a round, players bid coins on how many tricks they'll take. A zero bid can pay off in lots of extra skulls if you dodge every trick.

Play follows classic trick-taking rules, with zombie Princes who are stronger than the other suits (they are the traditional "trump" suit), and a flexible Frog who can help you make your bid or help you from going over your bid.

After four rounds, the Team or Individual with the highest score wins the crown.

Setup

1. Choose a Princess. Shuffle the Princess cards and give 2 to each player (1 each if playing 6 Individual players). Each player chooses 1 of their 2 Princess cards, places it in front of them face down, and returns their extra Princess to the box. Players then reveal their Princesses simultaneously. Each Princess has a unique power for the entire game (see "Princess Cards," p. 26). Note: Princesses with double barbed wire can only be used in Team play.

2. Prepare for Battle. Prepare the deck with cards of the 4 suits: Villagers, Pets, Knights, & Princes.

   • If playing with 3 players, remove the 10s – 15s.
   • If playing with 4 players, remove the 11s – 15s.
   • If playing with 5 or 6 players, use all cards.

3. Once the deck is prepared, choose a player at random to shuffle the cards and deal all of them equally among the players, face down. Each player may look at their own cards. The player to the dealer's left is the starting player.

4. Place the bidding coins and skulls in the center of the table. Each player begins with 2 skulls.

5. Organize for battle. Choose 4 Round cards (see "Round Cards"), and place them in a row, face down. They may be arranged in a specific order or arranged in a random order. Round cards with a black hourglass (and darker card backs) should only be played for the final round. For the first game, we recommend starting with Round cards a, b, c, and d.

6. Scoring: Place the Scorepad and a pencil to the side for scoring.

Sequence of Play

A game of Zombie Princess is divided into 4 rounds. At the beginning of each round, flip the first Round card on the left face up and read its effect. Each Round card triggers an effect that makes each round unique from the others.

All Round cards have arrows: These cards instruct players to exchange a specific number of cards with their partner (Teams) or pass that many cards to a player next to them (Individuals) (left-pointing arrow is to the left, while right-pointing arrow is to the right).

Examples:

• Ah One and Ah Two (1, right arrow): Gain a skull for each captured trick. Gain 5 skulls for each captured trick. Exchange 1 card with your partner (Teams) or pass 1 card to the player to your right (Individuals).
• Dead Set on Winning (5, right arrow): Gain skulls for each captured trick except for the Hourglass leader. Exchange 5 of your cards with your partner (Teams) or pass 5 of your cards to the player to your left (Individuals).
• Grave New World (1/2, right arrow): Before the first trick, place half of your cards face down. Pick them up and play them after you play the cards in your hand. Exchange 1/2 of your cards with your partner (Teams) or pass 1/2 of your cards to the player to your left (Individuals).

Exchanges and passes are simultaneous. Players aren't allowed to see which cards they have received before choosing their cards!

Skulls

It's tough being a Princess, unless you're incredibly fashionable. How to be more fashionable? Start hoarding skulls!

At the end of the game, collected skulls will increase your team's score, so it's good to grab them when possible. Skulls are shared by Teams during the game and counted towards your Team final score.

Each Princess declares how many groups of zombies she believes she can eliminate. There's a kingdom-wide bounty on these zombies and Victory Points given for their impending defeat.

Bidding

The starting player bids by taking a coin for each trick they expect to take by the end of the round. Each player follows clockwise around the table until everyone has bid.

A player's bid is their declaration of how many tricks they will take during this round. Some Round cards will require that players make their bid while not knowing all the cards they will play!

If a player wishes, they may make a "zero" bid by not taking any coins. If they are successful, they will receive a bonus of skulls at the end of the round.

For Teams, bids are shared among teammates, except for "zero" bids.

Coins are meant to be unlimited. If the coin supply runs out due to aggressive bidding, use anything as a substitute.

When bidding, keep in mind that Prince cards might be used to take high number cards of the other suits!

Play Begins

The starting player leads the first trick (see "Playing a Trick"). Play until all cards have been played.

When all cards have been played, the round is over, and players score the tricks they've won and gain or lose skulls (see "Scoring").

Once the Round Is Over:

1. Return all coins to the center of the table. Keep any earned skulls.

2. Refresh exhausted Princesses by flipping them face up.

3. Flip the current Round card face down. Reveal the next Round card and read aloud its effects.

4. The Individual or Team with the lowest score decides if they, or their teammate, goes first or last on the next round. If there is a tie, the player sitting to the left of the previous lowest scoring player/team gets to decide if they will play first or last.

5. Shuffle the suited cards and deal them all again.

Playing the Game

Playing a Trick

Each player, beginning with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, must play one card face up. This is known as a trick.

The suit of the first card played is referred to as the led suit and the other players must follow it (i.e., they must play a card of the same suit — Villager, Pet, Knight, Prince — if they have one). A player who cannot follow the led suit (this is called being "void" in a suit) may play any card of a different suit. Once a face up card is played by a player, the trick has begun.

Once each player has played a card to the trick, the player with the highest card of the led suit wins the trick. The winner of the trick collects the cards in that trick and puts them face down in front of themselves. These face down cards may no longer be viewed by any player before the end of the round. The player who won the trick becomes the starting player for the next one.

Won tricks should be placed in a way that allows all players to easily count how many tricks each player has won.

Each trick represents a victory for your Princess (or team of Princesses) over the zombies.

The Privileged Princes

The Princes are used to bossing their subjects around, and if at least 1 Prince is in a trick, the highest value Prince wins the trick, regardless of the led suit. However, the Princes have been captured, so initially they won't pose a threat. At the start of the round, players cannot start a trick with a Prince card. Once a player who is "void" in a suit plays a Prince, Princes can be led, as they all escape, ready to attack the kingdom. From now on, all players are allowed to lead tricks with the Prince suit until the end of that round. In the event that a player only has Prince cards in their hand, they are allowed to start a trick with a Prince.

After the first Prince is played, you can say "Princes have broken out" which aligns with similar language in other card games.

The Frog Prince Returns

The Frog from Rebel Princess has returned! He still hasn't been kissed, but on the positive side, he isn't a zombie either. Looking to curry favor with the Princesses, he now fights to help protect the kingdom. If the Frog is in a won trick, that player may wait until the end of the round to decide if they want to count that trick towards their bid. A player who bids zero can still make their bid if the only trick they take has the Frog in it and they do not count it as a won trick.

Whenever a player wins a trick with the Frog in it, keep that trick face up with the Frog card on top, so all players are reminded that that trick may or may not be counted towards their bid.

Using the Power of a Princess

Once per round, a player may use their Princess' power if they wish (see "Princess Cards"). To do so, they read it aloud and flip their Princess card face down (their Princess' power is then considered exhausted). That power will be refreshed before the start of the next round.

If more than one player wishes to use their Princess' power, the powers are used in the order in which the players declare they wish to use the power. If more than one player wishes to use their power at the same time, powers are activated completely for those players in order starting from the left of the leading player and going clockwise.

Usually, the order of importance is: Princesses, then the Frog, then any Round card changes. If something would contradict another rule, use this order as a guideline.

Tip: For your first game, you may ignore Princess powers in order to learn the basics of the game.

Example: The Last Trick of the 1st Hand

Scheherazade won the previous trick. She led a 10 of Villagers, hoping to win the trick because she bid 2 and only has taken 1 trick. Cinderella has already made her bid, so she plays her last card, a 4 of Villagers. Red Riding Hood only has a 1 of Knights, so she plays that; she's already won 3 tricks but only bid 2. Dorothy doesn't need any more tricks to make her bid, but her only card is the 3 of Princes, which wins the trick regardless of the led suit. Fortunately, Dorothy still has her Princess power, allowing her to "Drop a House on it," so the trick won't count towards her bid.

Scoring

Once all the players have played their cards and the round is over, it's time to score the round:

1. Each player takes any skulls earned from Princess powers (unused Princesses with a skull icon in the upper right earn 1 skull).

2. A successful zero bid is when a player who bid zero does not take ANY tricks. When playing in Teams, each successful zero bid scores 5 skulls. The player cannot bid zero, win one trick, and then give that trick to their partner at the end of the round. When playing Individuals, each successful zero bid scores 10 skulls for 3-4 players or 5 skulls for 5-6 players.

3. Optional: Pay 4 skulls (Team) or 3 skulls (Individual) for each trick missed to reach their bid exactly.

4. Each Team/Individual pays or receives skulls based on the current Round card rule.

5. On the scoresheet, write the number of coins that each Team/Individual bid at the beginning of the round if that Team/Individual was successful. A successful bid is when the number of coins taken at the beginning of the round is equal to or less than the number of tricks that Team/Individual has won. Don't forget that a Team/Individual can optionally spend skulls if they are short on won tricks to make sure they score this round!

6. For each extra trick taken that exceeded their bid, pay 2 skulls (Team) or 1 skull (Individual). If a Team/Individual does not have enough skulls to pay, then they must return all of their skulls to the supply.

Scoring Example (from the trick on p. 15)

Scheherazade used her Princess power so she does not get a skull. Cinderella's power is always active so she does not get a skull. Red Riding Hood didn't use her power so she does get a skull. Dorothy used her power successfully, which gets her 3 skulls.

Scheherazade only has 1 skull, which isn't enough to make up for her missing trick (she bid 2 and only won 1 trick), so she'll get 0 points. Cinderella made her bid of 2 (she decides to count the Frog trick), so she gets 2 points. Red Riding Hood won 1 trick more than her bid of 2, so she pays 1 skull and gets 2 points. Dorothy made her bid of 3, so she gets 3 points.

Scheherazade has the lowest score, and decides to go first in the next round.

Individual Scoring (Reference Card)

• Get Princess (skulls)
• 3-4P: (10) / 5-6P: (5) for a successful zero bid
• Optional: Pay skulls per missing trick
• Round card: pay or receive
• Pay skull for each trick over your bid
• Round scoring: 1 point per coin if you make or exceed your bid

Hourglass Round

The hourglass round cards provide a benefit for the Team/Individual who does not have the most points at that time in the game.

To determine the current Hourglass Leader, each Team/Individual totals their skulls ÷ 2 (rounded down). Add this number to their Round 3 Subtotal. Whoever has the highest current score is considered the Hourglass Leader for the Hourglass Round card's effect (in case of a tie, there may be more than one Team/Individual). Be careful not to add this number to the Total line when adding up the final score.

End of the Game

When all 4 rounds have been played, it's time to take a break and see who will be crowned Queen(s) of the Kingdom of Valentia. Add up the points from each round, +1 point for every 2 skulls, rounded down. The Team/Individual with the most points is the winner!

Ties are broken in favor of most skulls. If there is still a tie, see the tie-breaker rules referenced by the rulebook's QR code.

Round Cards

Now you know the basics of the game. However, each round is governed by a different Round card that imposes special rules which take precedence over the basic rules.

A new Round card is turned over at the start of each round.

The letter that appears in the upper left corner of that card indicates the complexity of the rules for that card. You may choose the 4 Round cards you want for your games, or select them at random. The letters are grouped in sets of 4 for the first 6 sets: playing through the Round cards in order this way is a great way to experience all of the rule changes and discover the ones you enjoy the most.

The number with the arrow is how many cards players must pass or exchange at the beginning of each round.

Read aloud the card's text at the beginning of each round; these are unique changes to the game for that round only.

Cards with a dark card back (and a black hourglass on their front) are recommended for the last round, as they might make it possible for the Team/Individual that are behind to catch up with a bit of luck!

Tip: Some Round cards require you to remove cards from your hand and store them for later use. To keep them separate from won tricks, we recommend placing them under your Princess card until needed.

a. Opening Night (of the Living Dead). This round has no special rules, and is perfect for introducing new players to Zombie Princess.

b. Ah One and Ah Two. Each captured 1 is worth 1 skull. Each captured 2 is worth 2 skulls. If a trick is cancelled by the Frog or Dorothy, the 1s and 2s do not generate skulls for the player with those tricks.

c. Dead Last. Before the first trick, place 1 card face down to be played in the last trick. Red Riding Hood may use her power on the face down card at the start of her turn of the last trick.

d. Dead Set on Winning. Each trick is worth 2 skulls (in addition to their bid) for all Team/Individual not in the lead. (Hourglass Round)

e. Triple Tap. Each captured 3 is worth 3 skulls at the end of the round. If a trick is cancelled by the Frog or Dorothy, the 3s do not generate skulls for the player with those tricks.

f. Shambler Swap. After each trick, every player passes a card face down (to your partner or to the right for Individuals).

g. Brain Drain. Tricks with a Villager in them do not count as a won trick. Tricks with Villagers in them are kept face up as a reminder that the trick does not count. If the trick has the Frog in it as well as at least 1 Villager, the player who won it may choose to count it as a trick. If Rapunzel uses her power on a trick with a Villager in this round, she still earns a skull per Villager in that trick, but that trick does not count as a won trick.

h. Headhunters. (Hourglass Round) When bidding, the Team/Individual not in the lead may bet all of their skulls that they will match their bid exactly. When playing Teams, all skulls from both players are included in the bet. If you don't match your bid exactly, lose all of your skulls. If you do match your bid exactly, gain that many skulls. Any skulls gained from Princess powers later during that round cannot be used as part of your bet, but may be used to assist in matching your bid exactly.

i. Brainpan Bonanza. Gain skulls equal to the lowest card value you won.

j. Necro Narcissism. Before the first trick, place all cards of 1 suit face up in front of you. It must be a suit in which you have a least 1 card.

k. Conspiratorial Corpse Crusade. Before the first trick, secretly show all cards of 1 suit (it must be a suit in which you have at least 1 card) to your partner (Teams) or to the player on your right (Individuals).

l. Revenge of the Living. (Hourglass Round) If the Team/Individual in the lead does not make their bid exactly (they may pay for missed tricks with skulls), they lose all of their skulls.

m. Ultimate Won Knight. Gain a skull for each won Knight card at the end of the round. If a trick is cancelled by the Frog or Dorothy, those Knights do not generate skulls for the player with those tricks.

n. Grave New World. Before the first trick, place 1/2 of your cards face down. Pick them up and play them after you play the rest of the cards in your hand.

o. Decomposing Duos. Before each trick, all players but the lead player must choose 2 cards to keep in their hand. You may only play from the cards in your hand that trick. If Princes have not yet broken out, the lead player may not lead a Prince. For each subsequent trick, the player may choose any 2 cards (even the card that was not played the previous trick).

p. A View to a Kill. (Hourglass Round) After the pass, each Team/Individual not in the lead may view (but not reorder) all the cards of the player on their right before the first trick.

q. Skull Smashers. Double skull penalty per trick for exceeding your bid.

r. We the Villagers. Villagers are wild (always matching the led suit) and must be played if you are void in a suit. If two players play the same value card of the same suit, the player who played first wins the trick. Villager cards count for Rapunzel, even if they were played as a different suit.

s. Divide and Conquer. Before you bid, place 1/2 of your cards face down under your Princess. After you play the cards in your hand, give the face down cards to your partner (Teams) or to the player on your right (Individuals).

t. The High Cost of Living. (Hourglass Round) The Team/Individual in the lead must place a skull on this round card each trick when they play a Prince. For Teams, a skull is paid even if more than 1 Prince is played. If they do not have any skulls, the skull is paid from the supply. At the end of the round, skulls on the round card are given to the Team/Individual with the lowest total on the Hourglass Leader line of the scoresheet. If tied, divide the skulls between tied players, returning leftover skulls to the supply.

u. His Majesty's Last Groan. Whomever wins the last trick of the round gives it to the player on their left. If a trick with the Frog is passed, the recipient may decide if that trick counts towards their bid. Dorothy and Rapunzel's abilities may not be used on the last trick by either the winner or the recipient of the trick.

v. Undead on Arrival. When you match your bid exactly, stop playing cards to tricks and the player to your left leads. When only 1 player is left, the round ends. If a player bids 0, they stop after all other players have reached their bid. If they win a trick, they continue until they are the only player remaining.

If 2 or more players bid 0, they continue playing until only one of them has taken no tricks; if both of them have already taken a trick, they play all of their cards.

When a player takes a trick with the Frog in it, they can wait until they have reached their bid including the Frog trick, at which time they may decide whether to count the Frog trick and stop, or not count it and continue; if they continue, they may not change their mind later.

w. Fester Feast. Before bidding, each player discards 1 card, and after shuffling them, all discarded cards are summed. The player who plays the card that exceeds the sum wins the trick (even if a Prince was played). Even if the sum has been exceeded, each remaining player plays a card in each trick. If no player exceeds the sum, the highest Prince (if any) or highest card of the led suit wins the trick.

x. Revenge of the Reanimated. (Hourglass Round) Before the 1st trick, the Team/Individual in the lead gives 1 card to the Hourglass last place player(s). For Team games with 4 players total, each player on the Leading team gives 1 card to the player on their right. For Team games with 6 players total, each player on the Leading team(s) gives 1 card to each last place player on their right. For Individual games, the leading player gives 1 card to the last place player(s). Near the end of the round, all cards are played even when some players have no cards.

y. Undead Uprising. Each card of a new suit leads. Princes still win tricks regardless of the suit led.

z. Ghoulfriends. All players play a 2nd card in player order after they have played their 1st card. The sum of the cards in the led suit wins the cards, which count as 2 tricks (the winner evenly splits the cards in the trick at the time it is won at their discretion). If a Prince is played, the highest summed Princes played by a single player wins the trick. If 2 or more players play the same sum, the player who played it first wins the trick.

Princess Cards

Princess powers can be played once per round, when the Princess card is active (face up). Flip a Princess card face down when their power is exhausted (used). Most Princesses have a skull icon in their upper right corner; if their power is not used during a round, that player will receive a skull for their team, but those Princesses do not receive a skull if the power is used.

Always Active Princesses (indicated by gold barbed wire) are not turned face down when used, but those Princesses do not receive a skull regardless of whether her power is used or not.

Teams Only Princesses (indicated by double-barbed wire and a Teams icon in the upper left corner) may only be used when Teams are being played. If you are not playing Teams, discard these Princesses before dealing them out to players.

Alice — Tea(m) Time. Teams Only: When it is your turn, ask your partner to play for you. If they do, the card goes in front of you as if you had played it, and you then give them a card of your choice from your hand. If your partner has not yet played this round, they will play (again, but for themselves) when it is their turn.

Cinderella — Smashing Pumpkins. Always Active: You do not have to play a Prince if one was led. You may use this power more than once per round.

Dorothy — Drop a House On It. Place a trick you have just won under this card to not count it towards your bid and instead receive 3 skulls for it at the end of the round. A trick under Dorothy is not counted for any Round card benefit/penalty. You may not use Dorothy's power on a trick you have previously taken, it must be done at the time you win it.

Goldilocks — This Bid is Just Right. Always Active: Receive an additional 3 skulls if your bid is matched exactly (even when playing teams, the player with Goldilocks must match their bid without using any of their partner's tricks). Because skulls gained from Princess powers are earned at the beginning of scoring, if skulls are paid to match a Team/Individual bid later in scoring, Goldilocks would not receive those 3 skulls.

The Ice Princess — Flurry Fury. Before a trick, you may return a coin to the supply. If your bid changes to zero with this power, this counts as a zero bid.

The Pea Princess — Pea Shooter. Add 5 to the value of your card when you play it (ties go to the first player to play the highest value). The card's original value is used for Round card effects at the end of the current round.

Rapunzel — A Brush with Death. When you win a trick with Villager cards in it, you may place Rapunzel face down on it. For each Villager card in that trick, you'll earn a skull at the end of the round. That trick still counts towards the number of tricks you've won.

Red Riding Hood — Axe-cessorize. At the start of your turn you may trade any card in your hand, for a card that is not a Prince in a trick you have previously won. You may only pick up one trick to choose the card, so try to remember the cards in each trick! After looking at the trick, you may decide not to take a card, but that still counts as using the Princess power for the round.

Scheherazade — The Pen is Mightier. Change your bid before any card is played in the 4th trick. If your bid changes to zero with this power, this counts as a zero bid.

Sleeping Beauty — Spindle of Fight. Teams Only: Before a trick, give your partner 1-3 cards. They then give you the same number of cards (they could be some or all of the ones you gave them).

Swan Maiden — 2 Birds 1 Skull. Always Active: Take a skull for every 2 tricks you win.

Thumbelina — Choose Your Weapon. You may play any card but a Prince and do not have to follow suit.

Quick Reference

Initial Setup

1. Deal 2 Princesses to each player. Each player keeps 1 Princess.
2. Remove #10-#15 suited cards for 3 players; remove #11-#15 suited cards for 4 players; use all suited cards for 5 or 6 players.
3. Choose a random start player.
4. Place all coins and skulls in the center and give 2 skulls to each player.
5. Choose Round cards: 3 green (regular) and 1 black (Hourglass) card.

End of Each Round

1. Score the round.
2. Return coins to the center and keep any skulls.
3. Turn all Princesses face up.
4. Flip the current Round card face down and the next one face up.