Atmosfear: The Card Game/Rules

## THE CARD GAME PACK

There is only one Gatekeeper card. While this has no marked value, it beats any other card in ANY situation. The Gatekeeper can never be beaten.

The rest of the pack comprises of six colored suits of cards called ‘Realms’ – one for each of The Harbingers. Each Realm consists of a Hierarchy of 12 cards, as outlined on The Quick Reference Cards. Whilst the Action cards are weaker than Character cards, each one has a specific power when played in certain situations.

## THE CARD GAME DICE

The games also includes three dice as outlined on The Quick Reference Cards.

## KEY CARDS AND WINNING THE CARD GAME

The aim of the game is to win the most silver Keys by collecting as many Key cards as possible. There are six Key cards in total – each revealing a different number of silver keys – ranging from 1 to 6.

The player with the most Key cards at the end of the game may not necessarily be the winner. The winner of The Card Game is the player with the highest number of silver keys -- as depicted on the Key cards they have collected.

## SETTING UP THE CARD GAME

1. Shuffle the six Key cards and place them face-down on the table – so the silver keys are hidden.

2. All players roll the Duel Die. Whoever rolls the highest number becomes The Chosen One. In the event of a tie, those players roll again.

3. The Chosen One shuffles the pack and deals 10 cards to each player.

4. The Chosen One then rolls the Ruling Die to determine the color of the Ruling Realm.

5. Finally, The Chosen One rolls the Duel Die. The number rolled determines the number of cards The Chosen One may discard from their hand. If an exchange us made, the exact number of cards discarded MUST match the number rolled on the Duel Die. Once discarded, new cards can then be taken from the deck as replacements.

## IMPORTANT TERMS TO REMEMBER

‘RULING REALM’ Is the COLOR which appears on the RULING DIE.

‘LEADING REALM’ Is the COLOR of the FIRST card played in any trick.

‘A TRICK’ Consist of ONE CARD only from each player. The winner of a trick owns those cards.

‘A TRUMP’ Is a card played from the RULING REALM, when a player CANNOT follow the LEADING REALM.

## PLAYING THE CARD GAME

The Chosen One beings the first trick by playing any card. Each player only plays one card per trick.

The Realm (suit color) of the FIRST card played in a trick is called the ‘Leading Realm’ – it can be any card and does not have to be a Ruling Realm card.

Play continues in a clockwise direction. Where possible, all cards played after this first card must be the same color as the Leading Realm. The most powerful card played will win the trick.

IF a player CANNOT follow the Leading Realm color, they can then choose to ‘trump’ the trick by playing a card from the Ruling Realm (the color determined by the Ruling Die).

Any card from a Ruling Realm, regardless of it’s position in the hierarchy, will beat any card from the Leading Realm. If more than one Ruling Realm card is played in a trick, hierarchy will determine the winner.

A player who cannot follow suit by playing a Leading Realm card, and who does not have a Ruling Realm card, plays a card from any other Realm as a discard.

The winner of the trick stores it face-down to one side and leads by playing the first card of the next trick.

After 10 tricks have been played, whoever has won the most tricks selects one Key card. This Key card cannot be turned over and must be kept face down until the end of the game.

If two or more players have won the same number of tricks, they must roll the Duel Die and whoever rolls the highest, wins and selects one Key card.

Players then roll the Duel Die again to determine a new Chosen One who deals the cards for the next round of 10 tricks. (See SETTING UP THE CARD GAME steps 2-5).

## DETERMINING THE WINNER OF THE CARD GAME

When all the Key cards have been won – Key card holders simultaneously reveal the number of silver keys they have won. The player with the highest number of silver keys is declared the winner of The Card Game.

If there is a tie, The Chosen One collects all the playing cards, reshuffles them then starts a “Gatekeeper Quick-draw” by dealing one card face-up to each of the tied players until The Gatekeeper card appears – whoever receives this card wins!

## THE CARDS AND HOW TO PLAY THEM

### THE GATEKEEPER CARD

This unique card beats all others and will ALWAYS win a trick. IT can be played at ANY TIME. If it is led, it must be followed by a Ruling Realm card, if a player has one.

### THE CHARACTER CARDS

Based on the various assets of each of the Harbinger characters (from their portrait down to their Headstone) these cards, ranked from 7 to 12, are extremely high on the realm hierarchy. As such, they are powerful cards – and are distinguished by brass borders.

### THE ACTION CARDS

These cards have their special ‘immediate’ or ‘delayed’ powers within a trick ONLY WHEN played in the Leading Realm. Ranked from 2 to 6 – they are distinguished by silver borders.

AS SOON as a Ruling Realm card or The Gatekeeper card is played – TRUMPING THE TRICK -– ANY Actions cards with a delayed power (The Duel & Black Hole Action cards) played PRIOR to the trump card are VOID.

ALL Action cards played in a trick, AFTER it has been TRUMPED, are also VOID.

If an Action card is played as a Ruling Realm, it is effective as a trump ONLY BY HIERARCHY. Its special power has no effect and it will be beaten by a HIGHER Ruling Realm (trump) card.

#### THE DUEL CARD (delayed action power)

When played in the Leading Realm, the card FORCES the player with the highest scoring card at the end of the trick to roll the Duel Die to determine the winner. Both players must toll the Duel Die and whoever rolls the highest, wins the trick.

#### THE GATE CARD (immediate action power)

When played in the Leading Realm, this card will increase its own Realm (color) hierarchy ranking. Whoever plays a ate card MUST immediately roll the Symbol Die and the card then takes on the hierarchy ranks of the Character card symbol rolled. If a Leading Realm card matching this rank is played by another opponent, both players must roll the Duel Die to determine the holder of the highest scoring card.

#### THE FLIGHT CARD (immediate action power)

When played in the Leading Realm, this card can change the color of the Ruling Realm instantly. Whoever plays this card MUST toll the Ruling Die immediately. The color rolled determines the Ruling Realm from that point onwards

#### THE BLACK HOLE CARD (delayed action power)

When played in the Leading Realm, this card DESTROYS the trick and nobody can win the trick – unless they play a Ruling Realm trump or The Gatekeeper card. If a player succeeds in ‘Black Holing’ a trick, they lead the next trick.

#### THE SOUL RANGER CARD (immediate action power)

When played in the Leading Realm, this card DICTATES that the player immediately discards their weakest card by giving it face-down to an opponent of their choice, replacing it by stealing another card –sight unseen – from that opponent’s hand.

#### THE FEAR CARDS

The Fear cards are the weakest. Their rank is 1, and these cards are distinguished by brass borders.

As in all ATMOSFEAR games, the one thing that can beat a Harbinger is its own worst Fear. If a Harbinger card (with a Crown symbol) of any Realm is player, in either Leading or Ruling Realm and the Fear card of the same Realm appears within that same trick, then the Harbinger will always be beaten by its Fear card.

Fear cards played in the Leading Realm can still be affected by Action cards played within that trick, and can still be trumped by another card played in the Ruling Realm. But remember, even if a Harbinger card is played in the Ruling Realm, it still has the potential to be trumped & defeated by its own worst fear.

## PENALTY FOR CHEATING

If any player is caught cheating, they will be forced to lose a Key card immediately. The Chosen One returns one Key card – value unseen – face-down to the table.

## THE ‘QUICK AND THE DEAD’ CARD GAME

For a hard and fast card Game try one of these options:
• Deal six cards only to each player instead of ten.
• After only three Key cards have been won, turn them over and the player with the most silver keys is declared the winner of The Card Game.
• As each Key card is won, its silver key value is revealed face-up for all to see.