WITCH OF SALEM



OBJECTIVE OF WITCH OF SALEM: The objective of Witch of Salem is for the players to close all of the portals and ban the Great Old One. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 4 Players 

MATERIALS: 1 Gameboard, 1 Bag, 4 Player Figurines, 26 Creature Cards, 6 “Great Old Ones” Cards, 12 Event Cards, 1 Overview Card, 1 Starting Player Card, 4 Player Aids, 1 Witch Figurine, 1 Necron Marker, 1 Loss Die, 32 Location Cards, 4 Player Boards, 4 Sanity Markers, 34 Item Markers, 8 Portal Tiles, and Instructions 

TYPE OF GAMECooperative Board Game 

AUDIENCE: Ages 10 and Up 


OVERVIEW OF WITCH OF SALEM  

Players have to attempt to work together to close the gates in Arkham city, attempting to block the Old One from entering the human realm. Banishing monsters, collecting items, and sealing the gates are all actions that are required in order to win the game. Each player must attempt to pull their own weight and rush to get the gates closed in time to save the world.  

SETUP 

To begin setup, place the board in the middle of the playing area. Then shuffle the Great Old One cards. Five are placed beside the numbered edge around R’lyeh, and the other is placed on the R’lyeh space itself. The overview card is placed beside the board for all players to see.  

The first player is chosen by the group at random. The creature cards are shuffled and placed beside the first player along with the starter player card. The event cards are shuffled, with four being placed to the side, and the others beside the player on the starter player’s right. Each player should then collect a figurine, eight location cards, a board, and an aid card.  

Each player will then place their sanity marker on their own board at the six marker. The Necron marker is placed at the start of its track. After the portal tiles are shuffled, one should be placed on each space number one through six on the board, and two will be discarded. The items are placed in the bag, and every player will draw one, placing it on their board.  

For every location, three items should be drawn and placed beside it. The bag is placed beside the board. The game is then ready to begin. 

GAMEPLAY 

 The game consists of three steps during a round. The first step is for the starting player to reveal new creatures. If there are two players, they will reveal one card. If there are four players, they will reveal two cards. If there are three players, they will alternate between the two. Each creature card has a matching card in the deck.  

If this card is not on the board, it is placed on the empty space clockwise from the witch, but if the spaces are full, then it is discarded. If it is on the board, the creature then becomes activated. The effects of the creature are taken by all players, and players should ensure to read these cards carefully.  

Each player will then take the next step in clockwise order. Each player will play a location card and relocate, trade with another player, encounter creatures or shadows, use an item, or pay for and get an item. Players can complete any number of these actions, but they must ensure to complete them in this order. All of these actions take effect when a player moves to a new location, and the ability to complete these actions is dependent on what is present on the player’s new location.  

When everyone has completed their actions, the last player will reveal the top event card. The Witch of Salem will be moved the number of spaces equal to the number on the event card. The Witch’s ability aids players that are on the same location. Follow the instructions that are present on the event card. If the deck becomes exhausted, it may be shuffled and reused, removing four of them and using only eight.  

When the round comes to an end, the first player will begin the next by collecting two new creature cards and showing them to the group. The first player will always initiate the rounds once they have been chosen. 

END OF GAME 

The game comes to an end in many different ways. The players lose the game if only one player remains and they cannot close the door, Necron gets to the dimension rift, or if Necron gets to the demon space before the Great Old One is revealed. The players win the game if the Great Old One is banned and they get all of the portals closed.  

Ellie Phillips
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