Objective of the Game

Dive deep into the enchanting world of Abyss, where you're vying to be crowned the King! Your ultimate goal is to accumulate the most Influence Points (IP) by the end of the game. How do you do that? By strategically affiliating powerful Allies, recruiting influential Lords, and controlling vital Locations. And hey, every Monster you bravely slay will also earn you some extra gratitude (and IP!) from your peers. So, gather your forces, make smart alliances, and claim your rightful place on the throne!

Preparation (Setup)

Getting ready to explore the depths of Abyss is quick and easy. Here's how to set up your game:

1. Place the beautiful game board in the middle of your table.
2. Shuffle the Exploration cards (that's 65 Allies and 6 Monsters!) and form a face-down deck on the Exploration Track.
3. Shuffle the Lord cards and create a face-down deck on the Lords space. Then, reveal the top six cards and place them face-up in the Court.
4. Shuffle the Location tiles, form a face-down stack next to the board, and flip over the top tile to reveal one available Location.
5. Shuffle the Monster tokens and place them face-down by the game board.
6. Place the Threat token on the first space of the Threat Track.
7. Put the ten Key tokens in a pile near the board.
8. Each player takes one Pearl from the supply and stores it in a plastic cup. The remaining Pearls go into the leftover cups, forming the "Treasury" next to the board.
9. Finally, randomly determine who gets to be the starting player.

The Game Turn

Players take turns clockwise. On your turn, you'll follow these steps:

1. Plot at Court (Optional): At the beginning of your turn, you can spend one Pearl (to the Treasury) to add a new Lord to an empty space in the Court (the one furthest from the Lord deck). You can do this as many times as you like, as long as you can pay and there are empty spaces.
2. Take One Action (Mandatory): You must choose one of the following three actions:
   • Explore the Depths: This is where you'll find new Allies and potentially encounter dangerous Monsters!
     • Reveal cards one by one from the top of the Exploration deck, placing them on the Exploration Track from left to right.
     • If you reveal an Ally: You must offer it to other players first, going clockwise. Each opponent can either pass or purchase the Ally. The first player to buy it pays you Pearls (1 for the first, 2 for the second, 3 for the third Ally purchased this turn, regardless of who buys them) and adds it to their hand. Remember, each opponent can only buy one Ally per your turn!
       • If no one buys the Ally, you can either:
         • Add it to your hand for free (your turn immediately ends).
         • Leave it on the track and reveal the next card, offering it for sale again.
       • If the Exploration Track is full and no one buys the last Ally, you must take it and gain one Pearl. Your turn ends.
     • If you reveal a Monster: You have a choice:
       • Fight the Monster: Victory is automatic! Discard the Monster card and gain the reward shown on the Threat Track (Pearls, Influence Points from a random Monster token, or Keys). Return the Threat token to the first space. Your turn ends.
       • Keep Exploring: Move the Threat token one space up the Threat Track and continue revealing cards.
     • Important: If a Monster is revealed on the last space of the Exploration Track, you must fight it. You also gain one Pearl in addition to the Threat Track reward.
   • Request Support From the Council: Take all the cards from any single stack in the Council (without looking!) and add them to your hand. Your turn ends.
   • Recruit a Lord: Choose one of the available Lords in the Court.
     • To recruit, you must play Ally cards from your hand that match the cost on the Lord card. This means:
       • Playing the exact number of different Races required.
       • The total value of Allies must meet or exceed the number shown (no "change" is given).
       • You can spend Pearls for missing points if your Allies' total value isn't high enough, but you still need at least one Ally of each required Race.
     • All Allies used to recruit are discarded, except for the one with the lowest value, which becomes "affiliated" with you (placed face-up in front of you). These Affiliated Allies contribute to your final Influence Points.
     • Place the recruited Lord face-up in front of you. Most Lords have a Power that activates immediately (marked with an arrow) or is "semi-permanent" (no arrow, lasts until the Lord controls a Location).
     • After recruiting, slide remaining Lords in the Court to the right. If fewer than three Lords remain, you gain two Pearls and refill all empty spaces from the Lord deck.
3. Control Locations (Mandatory): As soon as you gather three Keys (from recruiting a Lord with a Key symbol or fighting a Monster), you must immediately take control of a Location.
   • You can either take one of the face-up Locations, or draw 1-4 Locations, choose one, and place the rest face-up next to the board.
   • Place your chosen Location in front of you. Any Lords used to control it are slid underneath, covering their Powers (which are no longer active). Any Key tokens used are discarded.

Once you've finished your mandatory actions, your turn ends. The player to your left then takes their turn.

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes when one of two conditions is met:

• Any player recruits their 7th Lord.
• A player recruits a Lord, and there aren't enough Lord cards left to completely refill the Court.

In either case, the active player finishes their turn normally. Then, every other player gets one final turn. After that, each player "affiliates" the lowest-value Ally of each Race they still hold in their hand (any other Allies are discarded).

Now, it's time to tally up those precious Influence Points!

You earn points from:

• The Locations you control.
• The Lords you have recruited.
• The strongest Affiliated Ally from each Race you possess.
• The Monster tokens you hold.

The player with the highest total Influence Points wins the game! In case of a tie, the tied player with the most Pearls wins. If still tied, the one with the highest value Lord wins.

Tips for Winning

Becoming the King of Abyss isn't just about luck; it's about smart choices! Here are a couple of tips to get you started:

1. Don't Underestimate the Power of Pearls: Pearls are your game currency and incredibly versatile. Use them to "Plot at Court" to get early access to powerful Lords, or to supplement your Ally values when recruiting a high-cost Lord. A well-timed Pearl can secure a crucial Lord or Ally that swings the game in your favor.
2. Balance Exploration and Recruitment: While exploring can net you valuable Allies and Keys from Monsters, don't forget the importance of recruiting Lords. Lords provide significant Influence Points, unique Powers, and are often the source of Keys needed to control Locations. Keep an eye on the Court and plan your Ally collection to meet the recruitment costs of the Lords you desire.