Decoding the Braille:

The cards have been abbreviated to fit onto the cards in braille but the reference sheet has the full text of the different actions. Additionally players may scan the QR code for the full text of the card.

Basic has been removed from the basic cards, baby cards have b at the front of them. Instant

Cards have I, magic animals have m at the beginning. Magic cards have action at the beginning of them. Upgrades have ug, downgrades have dg. Baby cards start with b and have a sticker for the back of the card to separate them quickly.

HOW TO START

THE CARDS

There are 5 types of cards in the game. Give a Reference card to each player. Place any remaining Reference cards back in the box. More llamas, you said! More puns, you said! We herd you. Allow each player to choose their favorite Baby Animal card and place it in their Field. Place any remaining Baby Animal cards in the Nursery.

Shuffle the blue-backed cards (including any expansion cards you want to use) together to create the deck, then deal 5 cards to each player. Whoever spit last is obviously the llama-iest, so they go first! 

THE TURN

Players take turns by going clockwise around the table. Each turn is made up of 4 phases. Beginning of Turn phase: If any cards in your Field have an effect that states, “If this card is in your Field at the beginning of your turn,” they are triggered now. If you move to your Draw phase without triggering an optional triggered effect, you can no longer trigger that effect this turn.

Draw phase: DRAW  1 card from the deck.

Action phase: Play a card from your hand or DRAW an additional card from the deck.

End of Turn phase: DISCARD until the number of cards in your hand does not exceed the hand limit. The hand limit is 7 cards (unless otherwise stated).

THE TERMS

Here is a list of defined terms you will see in the game:

Setup Terms

FIELD Field: The area in which you play Animal cards, Upgrade cards, and Downgrade cards.

Nursery: The area in which Baby Animal cards that are not in any player’s Field are kept.

Deck: The stack of blue-backed cards from which players DRAW during the game. This may include bluebacked cards from any of the expansion packs.

Discard pile: The stack of blue-backed cards that have been sacrificed, destroyed, or discarded during the game. Additionally, some card effects require cards to be moved to the discard pile. Active Terms

SACRIFICE: Send a card in your Field to the discard pile.

DESTROY: Send a card from any other player’s Field to the discard pile.

STEAL: Move a card from any other player’s Field into your Field.

DISCARD: Send a card from your hand to the discard pile.

DRAW: Pull a card from the top of the deck and add it to your hand.

THE CARDS There are 5 types of cards in the game.

Instant cards can be played any time any other player plays a card (unless otherwise stated). If an Instant card is played in response to a card you played, you may respond with an Instant card of your own (even though you already played a card this turn). Any number of Instant cards can be chained during a single turn.

Upgrade cards grant positive effects. You can play an Upgrade card in any player’s Field. An Upgrade card in your Field affects only your Field (unless otherwise stated).

Downgrade cards impose negative effects. You can play a Downgrade card in any player’s Field. A Downgrade card in your Field affects only your Field (unless otherwise stated).

Magic cards have one-time effects. When you play a Magic card, it immediately takes effect and is then discarded. Animal cards can be played in any player’s Field. There are 3 sub-types of Animal cards:

Baby Animal cards are Animals that only enter a Field from the Nursery. They are never added to the deck, a player’s hand, or the discard pile.

Basic Animal cards are Animals. They don’t have any effects, but they might have a special place in your heart.

Magical Animal cards are Animals that have effects. Some have triggered effects, while others have continuous effects.

HERD BONUS

There are 4 variations of each sub-type of Animal card:       

 •  Llama cards         

•  Alpaca cards         

•  Goat cards         

•  Ram cards

Having 3 or more Animal cards of the same variation in your Field at the beginning of your turn will allow you to use that Animal’s Herd Bonus effect! Herd Bonus effects are listed on the back of each Reference card. Card effects do not negate Herd Bonus effects (unless otherwise stated).

 

THE SPECIFICS

 Card Effects with Multiple Actions

Action Phase During your Action phase, you may do one of the following (unless otherwise stated):

•  Play an Upgrade card         

•  Play a Downgrade card         

•  Play a Magic card         

•  Play an Animal card       

OR DRAW a card

Fields and Effects

Animal cards, Upgrade cards, and Downgrade cards have no effect while they are in your hand. Their effects are only active when they are in your Field. Triggered and Continuous Effects Some effects are only triggered by certain conditions. Triggered effects are always preceded by an “if” or “when.”

Some triggered effects are mandatory (ex. “If this card is in your Field at the beginning of your turn, DISCARD a card.”), while others are optional (“If this card is in your Field at the beginning of your turn, you may STEAL an Animal card.”). Any effect on an Upgrade card, Downgrade card, or Animal card that is not a triggered effect can be assumed to be a continuous effect. A card’s continuous effect is active as long as that card is in a Field (unless otherwise stated).

Player Targeting Cards use specific terminology when referring to players. Any player refers to any single player, including you. Any other player refers to any single player, excluding you. Each player refers to every player, including you. Each other player refers to every player, excluding you. Any number of players refers to as many players as you choose, excluding you. 

Order of Resolution: The Effect Chain

Sometimes, the effect of one card triggers the effect of another card. When this happens, each effect is considered its own link in an effect chain. You must resolve the effect of the first link before moving on to the next link in the chain. All links in the chain must resolve before gameplay continues.

There are times when multiple effects may trigger simultaneously, such as during your Beginning of Turn phase. All of these effects are considered to be a single link in the effect chain. Any targets of these effects must be chosen before this link in the effect chain resolves. If any of these effects trigger the effect of another card, another link is added to the effect chain. 

If multiple triggered effects require a target, the same card may not be selected twice in the same link. If there are not enough cards to target, you may only trigger as many effects as you have options for targets. You must select targets for mandatory effects before selecting targets for optional effects. 

No player can win until an effect chain has been completely resolved.

Card Effects with Multiple Actions:

When a card effect requires multiple actions, those actions are sometimes separated by “and,” “then,” or “If you do.” When resolving card effects, always perform multiple actions in the order in which they are listed on the card.

If a card says “and,” you must perform both actions. If a card says “then,” you may only perform the second action if you successfully perform the first action. If a card says “If you do,” only perform the second action if you choose to perform the first action. Impossible Actions If you have a card in your hand that requires you to perform an impossible action, you may not play it. Sometimes, however, the effect of a card in your Field or a card played by any other player may require you to perform an impossible action. If this situation occurs, disregard that action.

Some impossible actions include:                   

•DISCARD when you have no cards in your hand your Field

•SACRIFICE a card when you have no cards  in your field

•SACRIFICE a card that cannot be sacrificed

Play vs. Bring Directly into your field

“Play” specifically refers to playing a card from your hand during your Action phase or playing an Instant card at any time.

If you “bring a card directly into your Field,” you do not “play” that card. This means that any card that is brought directly into your Field cannot be stopped by an Instant card.

Immunity

Some cards specify that they can’t be “affected” by certain things. Cards can be “affected” directly or indirectly.

Direct effects

target a card individually or as part of a group. Indirect effects require a player to target a card or perform an action that affects a card. If a card states “this card cannot be affected,” it is immune to both direct and indirect effects.

Pull vs. Choose

When you “pull” a card, it must be picked randomly. When you “choose” a card, you can look at your options and pick whichever card you want. 

Searching for Cards

Some card effects allow you to search the deck or the discard pile for a card (ex. “When this card enters your Field, you may search the deck for a Downgrade card and add it to your hand.”). Once you have retrieved that card, you must reveal the card you chose to each other player before adding it to your hand.

HOW TO WIN

The first person with the required number of Animals in their Field wins. Each Animal card counts for 1 Animal (unless otherwise stated). If a player reaches the required number of Animals while an effect chain is active, that player is not declared the winner until all links in that effect chain have resolved.

2* – 5 Players: 7 Animals to win

6 – 8 Players: 6 Animals to win

If the deck runs out of cards before any player reaches the required number of Animals in their Field, the player with the most Animals wins.  

If 2 or more players tie for the most Animals in their Field, each tied player must add up the number of letters in the names of all the Animal cards in their Field. The player with the most letters wins. If two or more players tie for the most Animals and the most letters, everyone loses. 

*For further rule clarifications or to download the  2-Player rules, visit unstablegames.com.

 

Have you played UNSTABLE UNICORNS?

Then you already know how to play... well, almost! 

The core rules of the game are the same, but make sure you check the first page of this rule book for the Herd Bonus section. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to jump right in!