OBJECT

My First Castle Panic is a cooperative game - as a team, share your cards to defend the castle from a group of monsters racing out of the woods! Catch all the monsters to win, but if a monster smashes the castle flat you all lose.

HOW TO PLAY

Each player turn consists of 4 steps completed in this order:

1. Receive 1 card from the draw pile (if empty, the discard pile will be shuffled in). There's no limit on how many cards can be in your hand

2. Play ONLY 1 card from your hand (OR ASK FOR HELP from 1 other player) to capture a monster. If asking for help, and the other player accepts, the card will be played from their hand as the current players single play

3. Monsters move

4. Another monster appears at the left of the path (unless it's special ability says otherwise)

CAPTURE A MONSTER

To catch a monster, play a card that matches both the color AND the shape of the space that the monster is on. Hero cards can match 1 monster in any of the shapes of the color shown. Any-color cards can match 1 monster in any color of the shape shown.

Captured monsters go into the Dungeon and the card that was played to catch the monster goes face up in the discard pile and will be shuffled into the draw pile if it runs out.

CARDS

• 26 Castle cards (defenders, a Boot card to kick any monster off the board, and a wall card that rebuilds the wall if it gets knocked flat by a monster.)
• 16 Monster tokens (Goblins, Shovers, Runners, Marchers)

MONSTERS

1 Monster comes onto the START space (unless it's special ability says otherwise) at the end of each player turn. (If there are not more monsters, this is skipped.) When time to move, all monsters move 1 space closer to the castle. If a monster hits the wall, they both get knocked flat (the monster goes to the Dungeon, and the wall is destroyed). If a monster hits the castle, the game is over and the players lose! NOTE: Monsters can never land in an empty wall space!

There are 4 types of monsters in the game.

• Regular goblin: This monster doesn't do anything special
• Shover: After putting the Shover on the START space, move all the monsters (including the Shover) 1 more space closer to the castle.
• Runner: This monster is in a hurry! Instead of putting this monster on the START space, place it on the space in front of the monster closest to the castle. If the closest monster is in front of the wall or castle, that means the Runner hits the wall or castle!
• Marcher: After putting the Marcher on the START space, move all the monsters (including the Marcher) 1 more space closer to the castle and then draw 1 more monster token and place it on the board. If you draw another special monster, follow the rules for that monster too!

NOTE: Monsters only do any special tricks when they are added to the board. After that, they just move like regular monsters.

GAME END

There are 2 ways the game can end. If the castle gets knocked flat, the game ends and the players lose. If the players catch all the monsters and the castle is still standing, then the castle is saved and the players win!

VARIATIONS

Easier:

• Super Hero: The Hero card can remove 1 monster on ALL of the matching shapes and color.
• Any-Color Power-Up: The Any-color card can remove 1 monster on ALL of the matching colors and shape.
• Hand Boost: Start the game with 2 cards instead of 1.
• More Help: If no player has a card that matches on your turn, draw a card from the Castle deck. Play the card if it matches. Keep it in your hand if it doesn’t.

Harder/need a challenge:

• Monster Rush: Start the game with a 4th goblin on the green triangle space.
• Defenseless: Start without the wall.
• 1 player game: follow all the same rules except you are dealt 2 cards at the start of the game, and there is no limit to the number of cards you can play.