Board Game Cerberus

Updated edition of the cult game

Here is the updated edition of «Cerberus» — the cult semi-cooperative game with traitors, which tells the story of an escape from the afterlife! One day something went wrong, and the travelers found themselves in the ancient Greek kingdom of the dead. In principle, they could have stayed there if our heroes weren`t so young. In order not to live in hell for an eternity, they try to get out of this terrible hole.

And they almost succeed. The lifeboat on the banks of the River Styx is within reach, but the terrible three-headed dog Cerberus, who guards the exit from hell, is already on his heels, breathing fiery breath into your back and spraying poisonous saliva.

Escape from the Realm of the Dead

Before the game starts, the Cerberus token (in the lair) and the player tokens (at the gates of hell) are placed on the starting area of the playing field. Unused hero tokens are placed on the rage scale, and a speed cube is placed in front of them. The selected face of the cube corresponds to the level of difficulty. Players receive 4 double-sided action cards of their color.

Players are trying to get to the boat in order to sail out of hell on it. The number of free seats in the boat is limited. To set sail, the boat must be completely full. The captured heroes switch to Cerberus` side and help the monster catch up with their former friends. They flip their action cards to Cerberus` side.

Gameplay

The players take turns. The active player must play one of their action cards from their hand and apply the top or bottom effect. Optionally, one support or treachery card can be played (if the player is caught by Cerberus).

Some effects have an activation cost. If the player is unable to pay the required price, he must choose another effect. Effects apply to the hero himself (in a team of heroes or Cerberus), another hero (in a team of heroes or Cerberus), all heroes or Cerberus.

Effects on cards allow you to:

• draw or discard cards;
• move your or other heroes around the playing field;
• increase or decrease the speed die value;
• activate Cerberus` hunt;
• perform other useful and insidious actions.

Cerberus begins hunting

Cerberus is activated when the speed die reaches the last division of the rage scale. The monster moves as many divisions as indicated on the speed die. If Cerberus has not caught up with any heroes, the speed die value is increased by 1 and the die is moved to the first free division of the rage scale.

Catch up with one or more heroes, Cerberus stops on this cell. The tokens of all caught heroes are moved to the rage scale. These players switch to the dark side and turn over their action cards. Now they will help Cerberus catch the remaining heroes!

Victory and defeat

Upon reaching the final section, the player turns over the nearest boat and discards the rest. Everyone can see how many free seats are in the boat. When entering a cell with a boat, the heroes take the free seats. If there are no free seats left in the boat, the game ends immediately. All heroes on board win. The other heroes lose and remain in hell with Cerberus forever.

Cerberus and the heroes who have joined his side win if there are fewer good heroes than free seats in the boat. In this case, the boat will never fill up and will not be able to sail away.

This is — ideal for playing with family or friends.