OBJECT

A group of monsters is racing out of the woods and towards your castle! Can you catch them in time? If the players catch all the monsters, they win. But if the monsters smash the castle flat, the players lose.

My First Castle Panic is a cooperative game. You can show your cards to each other and talk about the best way to catch the monsters. Work as a team to win!

SETUP

Place the castle in the castle space of the board and the wall in the wall space in front of the castle. Find the 3 monsters with a STAR and place them on the first three spaces on the board, beginning with the START space. Mix the rest of the monsters up and set them face down next to the board. Keep the bottom of the box nearby. (This will be the monster Dungeon.) Shuffle the deck of Castle cards, and deal 1 card face up to each player. Set the remaining cards to the side face down, creating your draw deck. The youngest player goes first, and play continues clockwise.

 

HOW TO PLAY

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

1. DRAW 1 card from the draw pile

2. PLAY 1 card from your hand OR ASK FOR HELP from 1 other player

3. MOVE the monsters

4. DRAW 1 monster token

 

Draw 1 Card

Draw the top card from the deck and add it to your hand. If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discards to make a new one. There is no limit to the number of cards you can have in your hand.

Play 1 Card

To catch a monster, you must 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. Put all the caught monsters into the Dungeon. Put the card that was played to catch the monster face up next to the draw pile. This will be the discard pile.

Ask for Help

If another player has a card that matches, you can ask that player to play their card instead. (You can ask for help even if you have a card that matches.) If no player has a card that matches, move to the next step. (See also More Help Variation.)

Special Cards

The wall card rebuilds the wall if it gets knocked flat by a monster. The Boot card lets you pick any monster on the board and boot it facedown back into the monster pile (not the Dungeon). Remember, you can play only 1 card on your turn, whether it’s from your hand or by asking for help. So choose carefully!

Move the Monsters

The next step is to MOVE all the monsters 1 space closer to the castle. If a monster hits the wall, they both get knocked flat. Add the monster to the Dungeon, and set the wall aside. If a monster hits the castle, they both get knocked flat. With no castle to call home, the game is over and the players lose!

NOTE: Monsters can never land in an empty wall space! Draw 1 Monster The last step of every turn is to draw 1 monster token from the monster pile, and put that token on the board. The new monster always goes on the START space. If there are no more monsters in the pile, you skip this step. There are 4 types of monsters in the game.

One is a regular monster, but 3 are 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 These monsters only do their special trick 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!

1 PLAYER GAME

To play the game by yourself, follow all the same rules except you deal yourself 2 cards at the start of the game, and there is no limit to the number of cards you can play.

VARIATIONS

Easier Need to ease into the game? Try 1 of these rules changes. 

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? Try 1 or both of these rules changes.

Monster Rush

Start the game with a 4th goblin on the green triangle space. 

Defenseless

Start without the wall.

 

Credits

Game Design: Justin De Witt

Graphic Design and Layout: Justin De Witt

Illustration: Cam Kendell

Editing: Anne-Marie De Witt

Playtesters: Arya Bickett, Kelly Brown, S. C. Houff, Candice Cooper, Corey Cooper, Roman Cooper, Rory Cooper, Ruby Deline, Liam Evans, James Hernandez, Todd Houff, Amalia Hubbard, Noah Hubbard, Jackson Huber, Lily Kilgo, Ben Litster, Brent Litster, Edison Marshall, Ethan Marshall, Scott McAuliff, Andrew McGrady, Lara McGrady, Rebekah McGrady, Avery Morse, Zachary Morse, Jillian Mott, Jon Mott, Nathan Mott, Crystal Oxborrow, Jayce Oxborrow, Josh Oxborrow, Kiana Oxborrow, Ivy Peterson, Evan Potrin, Morgan Rappleye, Nathan Rappleye, Ashlyn Ruenes, Gwen Ruenes, Cliff Stornel, Katherine Stornel, Emilie Taylor, Eric Thomas, Addi Veksler, Bella Veksler, Noah Veksler, Luna Wanier

© 2019 Fireside Games, LLC. Castle Panic, My First Castle Panic, and all game and company logos and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fireside Games, LLC. P.O. Box 151164, Austin, TX, 78715. All rights reserved.