The Night Cage: Shrieking Hollow — Rules Manual

RULEBOOK
1–5 Players | Ages 14+ | 50 minutes
EXPANSION, BASE GAME REQUIRED.
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You awake in the dark with nothing but a candle and… have you done this before? The déjà vu is less troubling
than the change it implies. Was the ground always this unstable around you? When the tunnels crumbled into
Pits, did they always scream? And why does it feel like those screams are getting closer?
The Shrieking Hollow is an expansion that adds a new threat and a new space to explore within The Night
Cage. A copy of The Night Cage base game is required to play. Pits now connect Prisoners to the Hollow, where
The Other lies in wait. Over the course of play, The Other will rise up out of the Hollow and attack the Prisoners,
destroying any part of the maze it encounters.
If the Prisoners are brave, they can leap into a Pit and fall to the bottom of the Hollow where the dim light of their
candles will hold back The Other's advance, temporarily. However, they can’t hold it back forever, and Prisoners
that stay too close to The Other will be attacked when it lurches toward the flickering light it despises. OVERVIEW
1 Expansion Discard
Board
3 "The Other" sections
1 Hollow Board
4 Light Eaters 3 Pathway
Tiles
1 Endbringer
Advanced Tiles, etc.
(2 interlocking pieces)
3 Expansion
Player Aids
8 Watched Keys
8 Cracked
"T” Passages
6 Shrieks
5 Cracked
4-Way
Passages
3 Pathbreakers
(1 extra)
Core Expansion Tiles, etc.
7 Night Terror
Cards
13 Pathway
Cards
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1. THE HOLLOW Lay the Hollow Board next to the Main Board.
2. THE OTHER Stack The Other sections in the starting space indicated on the Hollow Board.
3. EXPANSION DISCARD BOARD Lay the Expansion Discard Board nearby the Base Game Discard Board.
4. RESERVE OPENING TILES & SHUFFLE BASIC TILES Set aside the 6 Shriek tiles. Group the standard passages from the base game, add the 13 cracked passage tiles from Shrieking Hollow and shuffle. Then draw 10 tiles and reserve them for Step 5. Now, add Wax Eaters according to player count. Shuffle those tiles and then divide into 4 roughly equal piles. Set them in a row.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, distribute the 3 Player Aids and the Order of Operations card as evenly as possible amongst the players. Each player should read both sides of their Player Aid carefully. They are the Rule Master for this aspect of the game when needed.

Continue set-up by performing the steps below. These steps update the set-up to for more a consistent experience from the base game by spreading important tiles throughout the stack. After performing these steps complete set-up by following the base game set-up rules for the Board and Prisoner Materials according to your player count.

5. DISTRIBUTE THE SPECIAL TILES EVENLY Place 1 Watched Key, 1 Gate, and 1 Shriek on top of each pile. Use the Watched Key Tiles included, not the base game Key Tiles. They operate differently. Take the remaining 2 Shrieks and Watched Key Tiles (3 tiles for 4 Prisoners, 4 tiles for 5 Prisoners), mix face down and distribute evenly to the piles, placing any remainder on the middle piles. Shuffle each pile individually. DO NOT shuffle them all together! Then, stack them in the tile holder starting with the leftmost pile and ending with the rightmost. Last, place the 10 tiles reserved in Step 4 on top of the assembled stack.

Expansion Set-Up for 4 Prisoners

Main Board
Hollow Board
The 3 sections of The Other are stacked from head to bottom near the Hollow. Numerals in each section's lower left indicate the order.

Expansion Discard Board
2
1 3

B) Reserve 10 tiles for Step 5
reserved tiles
C) Shuffle in Wax Eaters & other monsters according to player count - except Keepers; if used, Keepers will replace Keys in Step 5.
D) Divide the tiles into 4 roughly even piles.

Last, place the 10 reserved tiles from Step 4 on top of the assembled stack in the tile holder.
A) Mix cracked and normal passage tiles into a pile.

4
A
C
D
BA

Put 1 Shriek, 1 Key, and 1 Gate on each pile. Stack the shuffled piles into the tile holder from left to right. Then, randomly distribute the remaining 2 Shrieks and Keys (4p=1, 5p=2) to each pile. Put remainders onto B+C. Shuffle each pile individually. Do not mix!

5
Shriek
Key
Gate
D C
Shriek
Key
Gate
B
Shriek
Key
Gate
A
Shriek
Key
Gate

Base Game Discard Board
C
DCBA
5p
B
D
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This side board is The Other’s lair. Prisoners draw tiles and move in the Hollow like they do on the Main Board. However, its shape is different. It wraps side to side like the Main Board, but does not wrap top to bottom as the top is an exit. Prisoners enter the Hollow when they fall into Pits on the Main Board. Upon entering the Hollow, Prisoners land in the lowest unoccupied row (Fig. 1). They draw a tile to land on after committing to a space and then illuminate the surrounding tiles (Fig. 2). The example below elaborates on the key nuances. There are several ways to leave the Hollow, described on the next page.

Begin on your starting tiles on the Main Board and play per the rules of the original game. The major rules change in this expansion relates to Pits. In the original game, falling into a Pit caused you to land on the Main Board on the following turn. This is no longer the case in Shrieking Hollow. Instead, falling or leaping into a Pit on the Main Board sends you into The Hollow, the new side board. Watched Keys deliver Keys to Prisoners in the same way as standard Key tiles do - however, entering a Watched Key tile immediately ejects all prisoners in the Hollow back to the Main Board. They have different graphics to remind you of this important difference.

Red falls into the Hollow
(Fig. 1) There are no other Prisoners and The Other hasn't started advancing yet, so they land on the bottom row (A). They draw a tile to land on and then illuminate the connected space (B).

Then Yellow falls into the Hollow.
(Fig. 2) They must land on the second row, even though Red's draw has left open spaces in the bottom row. Yellow draws a Wax Eater (C).

Blue falls into the Hollow next.
Blue lands in the middle column to avoid the Wax Eater Yellow drew. They land on a straight, orient it, and draw 1 tile for the open space to the right (D).

Green falls in last and chooses to land in the right column. They couldn't land in the bottom row because Red is in that row, even though the space is unlit.

An Example
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
BOTTOM THE HOLLOW
A A
C C
D D
B B
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When a Prisoner leaves the Hollow they may choose any
unlit/unoccupied space on the Main Board to land on. After
committing to a space, they then draw a tile, place it on the
chosen space, place their Prisoner, illuminate any connected
passages, and end their turn.
IMPORTANT: This is different from how Pit jumping works
when playing without the Hollow. Prisoners don't get an extra
move upon landing in the Hollow or Main Board.
A Prisoner can leave the Hollow on their turn by doing one
of three things (Fig. 3):
• Move up past the top row of the Hollow.
• Fall into a Pit in the Hollow.
• Move onto a Watched Key* tile.
All other Prisoners in the Hollow
are also ejected, but remain lit.
Yellow can climb out of the Hollow by moving one space up.
Blue can fall into the adjacent Pit to land on the Main Board.
Red can move onto the Key-regardless of whether they can collect
the Key or not.
However, if Red does this while Blue and Yellow are still
in the Hollow, they also be ejected from the Hollow.
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
A Prisoner is immediately ejected from the Hollow if one
of the following occurs (Fig 4). Resolve in turn order if
multiple Prisoners are affected.
• The Other smothers a Prisoner as it moves.
Take a 3 tile penalty and go Lights Out.
• 3 Shrieks are drawn while The Other is in the Hollow.
All Prisoners in the Hollow are ejected, but remain lit,
if they weren't smothered*** in the process.
• A Prisoner moves onto a Watched Key tile, anywhere.
All Prisoners in the Hollow are ejected, but remain lit.
Green can be forced out of the Hollow if the Other advances,
they will also take a tile penalty and go Lights Out. If 3 Shrieks are
drawn, Yellow and Green will be ejected from the Hollow.
Yellow will not take any penalties from this, but Green will suffer
a tile penalty and go lights out. If Blue, who is on the Main Board,
moves onto the Watched Key tile then Yellow and Green will be
ejected from the Hollow.
A
A
A
A
C
C
B
B
A
B
B
C
B
B
C
C
C
Main Board
***SMOTHERING: The Other is an enormous monster that
covers any tiles and Prisoners in its path. Covered tiles are
removed from the game and Prisoners suffer a 3 tile penalty
before going Lights Out & getting ejected to the opposite board.
*The eyes on the Watched Keys are The Other's. When they're
disturbed, The Other empties the Hollow with a screaming quake.
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The Other is one of the most terrifying monsters you will ever encounter in The Night Cage. It is a giant monster made of 3 sections, each measuring 4 tiles wide and 2 tiles tall. The Other's goal is to escape The Hollow and attack the Main Board. Beginning the turn AFTER all Prisoners have left their crumbling Start Tiles, Pit formation triggers The Other's movement. If at least 1 Pit is formed on the Main Board during a Prisoner’s turn, The Other advances one length (2 spaces) up the Hollow (marked by the head ornaments). HOWEVER, if a Prisoner with a lit candle is in the Hollow, they prevent The Other from advancing when Pits are formed on the Main Board. Once all 3 segments have been placed, the next time The Other advances, it escapes the Hollow and moves to the Main Board as described on the next page. THE OTHER Blue creates a Pit on the Main Board. The first section of The Other is placed onto the bottom two rows of the Hollow. Blue creates another Pit on the Main Board. Another section of The Other is pushed in behind it from the supply. Blue stays to dodge the Wax Eater, creates a Pit and falls. The Other advances before Blue lands.* The next time the Other advances, it will leave the Hollow *NOTE: If The Other would escape the Hollow as Blue falls into it, they would NOT encounter each other. The Other moves to the Main Board first and then the Prisoner falls to the bottom of the Hollow. (see Order of Operations, pg 16) STRATEGY TIP: Consider holding The Other at bay quickly - by having one Prisoner STAY & drop into the Hollow on turn one. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 2 2 2 3 3 1 1 TNC_SH_RuleBook_241103.indd 6TNC_SH_RuleBook_241103.indd 6 11/4/24 9:35 PM11/4/24 9:35 PM

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7
Put the Other's head section on the edge of the Main Board so that its line of sight intersects with the next Prisoner in turn order on the Main Board. In a 4-Prisoner game, place The Other so that its head covers 4 edge spaces on the grid (Fig. 4). In a 5-Prisoner game, place it just off the edge of the board's grid (Fig. 7). At the end of each subsequent Prisoner's turn, add a new section to The Other, advancing the head one more length onto the board (Fig. 5). Prisoners smothered in its path immediately fall into the lowest unoccupied row in the Hollow, take a 3 tile penalty, and go Lights Out. In a 4-Prisoner game, The Other advances 2 times. Then it spends another Prisoner's turn on the Main Board and returns to the Hollow at the end of that turn. Any spaces that were covered by The Other and are visible once it leaves are now Pits.
STRATEGY TIP: When positioning The Other, consider an edge of the board that targets the fewest players or allows some players to potentially outrun its advance.
In a 5-Prisoner game, The Other advances 3 times. Then it spends a turn on the Main Board and returns to the Hollow at the end of that turn.
A turn passes. The Other advances its final length. It will stay in place for one more turn and return to the Hollow at the end of that turn. Red is safe.
The next turn has passed. Red moves in hopes to outrun it. The Other advances 1 length in the direction it was placed.
A placement targeting Red, The Other is placed on 4 edge spaces of the grid. It doesn't move this turn. Alternate placements =
Fig. 6
Fig. 5
Fig. 7
Fig. 4
4-Prisoner Other Movement Example
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* * * *
*
*
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When a Shriek is drawn in the process of illuminating tiles on the Main Board, place it like any other tile. If a Shriek is revealed by discard or if one is drawn in the Hollow, place it onto the Main Board, connected to any open passage tile on the board. Continue illuminating other tile spaces as normal.
As soon as the third Shriek is drawn, they call to The Other. Immediately discard all the Shrieks. If any spaces they occupied are still illuminated, replace them with pits but do not advance The Other as usual! Instead, the current location of The Other determines what happens next.

IF THE OTHER IS IN THE HOLLOW
• Advance The Other 1 length, regardless of whether a Prisoner with a lit candle is present in the Hollow.
• Any Prisoners not smothered are ejected to the Main Board.

IF THE OTHER IS ON THE MAIN BOARD
• The 3rd Shriek will give the Other an extra move this turn. One immediately from the Shriek, the second at the end of the Turn, as normal.

SHRIEKS
Shrieks are the heralds of The Other. When the third Shriek is drawn, they call to The Other, advancing it even if there are Lit Prisoners in the Hollow. Because of their endless screaming, the first two Shrieks persist as obstacles within the maze even when not illuminated. While a Shriek is present, Prisoners can no longer move onto that space. However, Shrieks do NOT block other monsters’ attacks or interfere with any other monster's line of sight.

Both Prisoners are lit but Blue draws the 3rd Shriek. The effect resolves immediately so Blue only draws 1 tile here.

Red draws the 3rd Shriek. The Other advances one length. This is the first of 2 moves that will happen this turn.

The Other moves, ignoring the lit candles. Green is smothered. Blue is ejected to the Main Board without penalty.

Red uses a Nerve before ending their turn (1). Then The Other advances as usual. Unfortunately Yellow is smothered.

Fig. 1 Fig. 3 Fig. 2 Fig. 4
1 1
2 2
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What if a Prisoner lands on a Shriek by falling or moving onto it with Lights Out draw?
If this occurs on The Main Board, the Prisoner scrambles off the Shriek, but suffers no tile penalty and stays lit.
If this occurs in the Hollow, place that Shriek on the Main Board, then draw again.
What if a Prisoner lands on the third Shriek?
Resolve the effect of The Other, then land the Prisoner.
If this space would now be occupied by The Other, take a 3 tile penalty, go lights out and land on the opposite board.
What happens to a Shriek if the Other would smother it?
Take it off the board and set it nearby. Though it's out of play, it still counts towards the next Call to the Other. Discard it after that.
Can The Other trigger Wax Eaters, etc.?
Yes, if its movement ends in a Wax Eater or any other motion sensitive monster's line of sight that monster activates.
HOWEVER, if The Other's movement ends on top of another monster, that monster does not activate.
Can a Prisoner charge The Other in the Hollow and/or Main Board?
Yes, but they would still take a 3 tile penalty, go Lights Out, and end up on the opposite board.
When a Pit is made on the Main Board, when does The Other advance up the Hollow?
It moves at the end of the PITS FORM step in the Order of Operations— as soon as a Pit on the Main Board is made.
Multiple Pits were made on the board this turn. Does The Other advance multiple times?
No matter how many Pits are made during a turn by Nerve or by monsters, The Other only advances up the Hollow once per
turn. Only Shrieks can cause The Other to move multiple times during a turn.
Why is one side of The Other sections dark and the other light?
It's cosmetic. But some groups may find it helpful to track when the Other is in the Hollow and when it's on the Main Board.
It may be called out more deliberately in future expansions.
If the third Shriek is drawn when the Other is fully extended on the Main Board, what do you do?
Advance the Other 1 more row on the Main Board so it reaches the opposite end of the board (REMINDER: the Other normally
leaves 1 row open at the end of its last movement). Return it to the Hollow at the end of that turn.
If multiple Prisoners are smothered on the Main Board, who occupies the lowest available row?
Place Prisoners into the Hollow in turn order when resolving this effect.
Does the Hollow loop like the Main Board?
Yes, but only on the sides. The Top and Bottom do not loop.
What happens if there are no unlit spaces in the Hollow when a Prisoner would fall in?
They land on a lit space in the lowest available row and, unless it is a Gate, that space must also be unoccupied.
A Prisoner on the Main Board moved onto a Watched Key. When do Prisoners in the Hollow return to the Main Board?
They are removed from the Hollow before the PITS FORM step in the Turn Flow. After the active Prisoner finishes lighting any
tiles/resolving any effects, they land in turn order and reveal tiles in turn order. This is all considered part of the same turn.
A Prisoner in the Hollow moved onto a Watched Key tile. When do they return to the Main Board?
They return to the Main Board during the FALLING step in the Order of Operations. Thus, the Key may be taken if they do not
already have one. If they already have a Key, it is even possible to pass a Key to an adjacent Prisoner and collect the one
on that tile. CORE FAQs
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10 PATHWAY CARDS
The Night Cage is not an empty place. There is more to the darkness than monsters, Keys, and Gates. Pathway cards represent the unique tools and opportunities that Prisoners might find in the maze. If you add them to the game, they will offer the group powerful new abilities. However, they come at a cost you might regret paying.
The Pathway cards are an extra module that you can add to the Shrieking Hollow expansion and/or the Base Game. There are 13 Pathway cards and 3 Pathway tiles. Both are distinguished by a symbol. The cards have that symbol on their back and the tiles have on their front side.
To add the Pathway cards to your game, set-up as usual and mix in the 3 Pathway tiles throughout the deck in the same manner that you would mix in Wax Eaters.
Then shuffle the Pathway Cards and form a deck. Set it off to the side of the board in a convenient location.
You are now ready to play with the Pathway Cards.
Find Pathway Tiles by drawing them from the deck and set them aside. At the end of that turn, draw a Pathway card from the deck and then discard the tile.
Activate Pathway Cards on a subsequent turn, an active prisoner may begin their turn by activating a Pathway card. They do this instead of MOVING or STAYING.
Whenever a prisoner draws a Pathway tile, set it aside and draw another tile from the deck to replace it. This includes Pathway tiles drawn for a tile penalty.
At the end of that turn, after everything else is resolved, draw a Pathway card for each Pathway tile that was revealed. It is inactive. Any inactive card now belongs to the group and may be activated on a subsequent turn by any active prisoner.
Every Pathway card has an Effect (A) and an Activation Cost (B) written on it. They also have flavor text (C), but this doesn't affect game play.
Until the Pathway card is activated by paying its cost, the card does nothing. The group may hold on to any inactive Pathway cards as long as they want.
When a prisoner is ready to activate a card, they do it at the start of their turn instead of MOVING or STAYING.
To activate a Pathway card the prisoner/group must be able pay the cost indicated on the card. After paying the cost, the card's effect is in play. Some cards will resolve immediately and some will have ongoing effects.
Discard Pathway Cards after activating them unless they tell you to keep them as reminders of their Cost/Effect.
NOTE: If you are playing without the Shrieking Hollow, a prisoner must LAND before they can activate a Pathway card.
Pathway Tiles Pathway Symbol Pathway Cards
A
A
B
C
C
B
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MEMENTO MORI
Activation Cost: No Prisoners can gain any more Nerve for the rest of the game.
Effect: Turn all monsters on the board into Pits and place 1 Gate from the discard into the bottom half of the stack.
Keep this card as a reminder of its cost.
LEAP OF FAITH
Activation Cost: After resolving the effect of this card, replace the Pit tile that the active Prisoner emerges from with a Wax Eater tile from the discard.
Effect: Leap into an adjacent Pit tile and instantly scramble out of any other Pit tile on the Main Board.
CAVE-IN
Activation Cost: After performing the card effect, create a Pit under a different Prisoner and resolve any consequences.
Effect: Replace an adjacent pit with a cracked straight tile from the discard.
TUNING FORK
Activation Cost: Return 2 monsters from the discard to anywhere in the tile stack.
Effect: The Prisoner who activates this card makes a Pit on any tile they are connected to.
BLINDFOLD
Activation Cost: All Prisoners lose all their Nerve.
Effect: Redraw all adjacent tiles that the Prisoner who activates this card illuminates.
TRAIL OF TEETH
Activation Cost: 3 Nerve from any Prisoners.
Effect: Take 4 standard passage tiles from the discard and return them to tile stack anywhere, as long as they are not sequential.
SCRIMSHAW
Activation Cost: Discard 2 tiles from the top of the stack.
Effect: Return a discarded Key to the bottom half of the remaining tile stack.
FLINT SHARD
Activation Cost: 1 Nerve AND the first tile that the Prisoner who activates this card places upon relighting must be a Wax Eater from the discard.
Effect: The Prisoner who activates this card may relight without being adjacent to other Prisoners.
STONE CROWN
Activation Cost: The Prisoner who activates this card can never gain Nerve again for the rest of the game.
Effect: The Prisoner who activates this card now has 4 Nerve.
Keep this card as a reminder of its cost.
COWARD'S KEY
Activation Cost: The prisoner who activates this card can’t gain Nerve nor Stay, without spending Nerve, from now on.
Effect: The Prisoner who activates this card immediately gains a Key.
Keep this card as a reminder of its cost.
CLUMP OF WAX
Activation Cost: All Prisoners lose all their Nerve.
Effect: If a Prisoner would discard a Key or a Gate from a future attack they may save it by putting it in the bottom half of the stack instead.
Keep this card after activating.
Discard after saving a Key/Gate on a future turn.
DESPERATE DECISION
Activation Cost: If a Monster strikes this Prisoner, they lose any keys they're holding.
Effect: The Prisoner who activates this card may hold a 2nd Key. They go Lights Out as soon as they collect a 2nd Key. They may not relight until they have given up a Key.
Keep this card as a reminder of its cost.
THE BRIBE
Activation Cost: Discard 2 tiles off the top of the stack.
Effect: On a turn after activating this card, the Prisoner who activated it may use this card to discard a Wax Eater they drew instead of placing it.
The Prisoner who activates this card keeps it. After use, discard it.
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12 NIGHT TERRORS
If you want to add even more challenges to the Shrieking Hollow, more Night Terrors are included. The Night Terrors include advanced + boss monsters from the base game and some new horrors. Beware, every Night Terror you add makes the game harder!
To include specific Night Terrors, refer to their matching Night Terror card for any set-up changes. Apply those changes and then add the associated tiles into the stack according to your player count before shuffling in the Shrieks.
You may also play the advanced mode from the base game with this expansion. Keepers and the Pit Fiends can be treated as stand alone Night Terrors as well.
Some groups may prefer to choose their Bosses. For groups that prefer chaos, Night Terror cards are included for ease of reference and randomization. Simply shuffle and draw a number of cards according to the level of difficulty you desire.
1 Night Terrors Hard
2 Night Terrors Cruel
3 Night Terrors Masochistic
4 Night Terrors Write us if you make it out.
The New Night Terrors and their relevant FAQs are explained on this page and the next. FAQs for Night Terrors from the base game are on pages 14 + 15.
During set-up, shuffle 5 Omen Tiles into the Draw Stack in the same manner that you would shuffle in Wax Eaters. Omens act as a countdown clock. As each Omen tile is revealed place it alongside the board. Upon revealing the 5th Omen, the endbringer arrives. Place the Endbringer token on top of the Draw Stack.
At the end of each Prisoner's turn, discard a tile from the top of the Draw Stack. This effect continues until Final Flickers begins.
If playing with the Dirge, use 5 Omens when playing with both of these Night Terrors. The Dirge activates after 2 Omens are drawn as usual.
Endbringer FAQs
The tile that the Endbringer would discard is a Shriek.
What happens?
Place it onto a connected tile on the Main Board, unless it's the third shriek. Activate the Other if it is the third Shriek.
The Endbringer reveals the last Omen. Who does the Dirge center on?
Center the Dirge on the next Prisoner in turn order on the Main Board.
THE ENDBRINGER
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PATHBREAKERS LIGHT EATERS
When a Prisoner draws a Light Eater, it activates immediately.
The Light Eater’s attack causes one Prisoner who isn’t adjacent to any other Prisoners to go lights out.
These Prisoners are referred to as “isolated.” The active player decides who will be affected.
The Light Eater's target can be any isolated Prisoner (Fig. 2), including the Prisoner who drew it. After resolving this effect, the active player flips the Light Eater tile and places it as a Pit (if they are still lit).

Green & Yellow are connected and safe.
Fig. 2 Fig. 1
Purple is isolated and vulnerable.
Red & Blue are isolated and vulnerable b/c of the wall between them.

Light Eater FAQs
All Prisoners are adjacent to each other when a Light Eater is discovered. Does the Light Eater still activate?
No. Place it as a Pit instead.

Can an isolated prisoner who is already lights out be targeted by a Light Eater's attack?
No. Target a different prisoner.

A Prisoner draws a Light Eater when landing and/or while lights out. What happens?
The Light Eater performs its attack (if possible) and then turns into a Pit, forcing the active Prisoner to Fall.

The Prisoners are in adjacent spaces but those spaces are not connected. Are they protected from the Light Eater?
No, the Prisoners must be able to see each other without any obstruction to be considered adjacent.

When a Pathbreaker is drawn, the active Prisoner must place it so one of its faces points at them.
Pathbreakers are initially stunned when discovered. Once placed, a Pathbreaker is motion-activated and attacks when a player moves into or out of its line of sight. (Fig. 1)
However, a Path Breaker’s line of sight is limited to the two directions of its faces. When a Pathbreaker attacks, it turns every tile in a straight line from its faces into a Pit regardless of gaps between tiles and/or geography. If the Pathbreaker is still observable after it attacks, it turns into a Pit.

Pathbreaker FAQs
A Prisoner lands on a Pathbreaker as a result of a Pit jump in a game with the Shrieking Hollow. What happens?
That prisoner suffers a 3 tile wax penalty and forces them to Fall again as it turns into a Pit. The players choose which direction the Pathbreaker attacks.

A Prisoner lands on a Pathbreaker as a result of a Pit jump in a game without the Shrieking Hollow. What happens?
That prisoner suffers a 3 tile wax penalty and forces them to Fall again as it turns into a Pit. The Pathbreaker then attacks the row the prisoner choose to land in and becomes a Pit.

A prisoner lands on a Pathbreaker while Lights Out. What happens?
The Pathbreaker attacks the row the prisoner moved from. That prisoner suffers a 3 tile wax penalty and forces them to Fall again as it turns into a Pit.

The Pathbreaker's attack hits The Other. What happens?
The Other is unaffected. It is much bigger than a Pathbreaker.

The Pathbreaker's attack hits a Shriek. What happens?
The Shriek is unaffected.

The Pathbreaker's attack caused multiple Pits to form. Does The Other move for each Pit they create?
No. The Other only moves once per turn from Pit formation.

A Red & Blue are in the Pathbreakers range.
A
A
D
C
B
E The attack passes through empty spaces.
B
F After the Pathbreaker attacks, Green will see it. So it turns into a Pit.
C
F
E
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14KEEPERS THE PATHLESS
Pathless FAQs
Can the Pathless's attack pass through The Other?
Yes. The Other is unaffected.
Keeper FAQs
Does moving onto a Keeper count as moving onto a Key space when ejecting Prisoners from the Hollow?
Yes. Any tile with a Key triggers this effect.
Can I draw a Keeper in the Hollow?
Yes. It creates a very difficult situation.
What happens to Keepers if the Other moves over them?
They turn into Pits and the Key they held is lost.
THE DIRGE
The Dirge FAQs
The Final Omen was drawn, but the Prisoner who drew it is in the Hollow. Where do we place the Dirge?
Overlap the Dirge on the next Prisoner in turn order who is currently on the Main Board. If no Prisoners are on the Main Board, the Dirge does not emerge this game.
The Other is attacking the Main Board but the Dirge's Pit is in its path. What happens?
They don't interact. The Other is big enough to advance over the Dirge's Pit, and it continues unaffected.
The Other is on the Main Board and you just revealed the final Omen. Can the Dirge overlap the Other?
If the Dirge can be placed without overlapping the Other, it is still placed. If not, the Dirge does not emerge.
Does the Dirge cause the Other to advance in the Hollow?
Yes. It follows the same rules as normal Pits when it does.
A Shriek caught in the Dirge's attack. What happens?
Reposition it to a space adjacent to the Dirge's Pit.
To add the Pathless to the Shrieking Hollow, shuffle the Pathless tiles into the tile stack during set-up like you would shuffle in Wax Eaters.
PIT FIENDS
Pit Fiend FAQs
The Pit Fiend's attack hits The Other. What happens?
The Other is unaffected.
The Pit Fiend's attack hits a Shriek. What happens?
The Shriek is unaffected.
The Pit Fiend's attack caused multiple Pits to form. Does The Other to move for each Pit they create?
No. The Other only moves once per turn from Pit formation.
The Pit Fiend's attack hits, The Other, a Shriek, or the Dirge. What happens?
These monsters are unaffected by the Pit Fiend.
To add Pit Fiends to the Shrieking Hollow shuffle the Pit Fiend tiles into the tile stack during set-up like you would shuffle in Wax Eaters.
To add Keepers to the Shrieking Hollow, follow the base game instructions for replacing Keys and reducing Wax Eaters before forming the tile stack. Once done, add the Keeper tiles into the tile stack in the same way that you would add Keys into the expansion.
To add the Dirge to the Shrieking Hollow, add 2 Omen tiles into the tile stack during set-up in the same way you would shuffle Shrieks into the expansion. NIGHT TERRORS, CONT.
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15 MISC. FAQS
Where do I place The Other if all the Prisoners fall into the Hollow as it would climb onto the Main Board?
Sensing a lack of prey, The Other retreats back to the bottom of the Hollow.
Can the Prisoners escape through a Gate in the Hollow?
It's very difficult, but yes.
Can the Prisoners win if they are all lights out?
Yes. But if it happens early in the game, it's extremely unlikely and we recommend starting over.
Can Final Flickers remove a tile occupied by a prisoner?
Yes, if there are no other options. It's a particularly tragic way to lose the game.
A Pathway tile was revealed through a discard from staying or a monster attack.
Do we still draw a Pathway card at the end of the turn?
Yes. Set the tile aside as usual and draw a card at the end of the turn.
Some Pathway cards cost more Nerve than a prisoner can hold. How do we pay that?
Multiple Prisoners are meant to contribute Nerve to those Pathway cards. The group may decide how to pay it.
Can a prisoner activate multiple Pathway cards?
No a prisoner may only activate one Pathway card per turn.
Follow-up: can a prisoner spend a Nerve to go back to the start of the turn and activate another Pathway card?
Nice try. No. Spending a Nerve only lets you move again.
Can a prisoner spend a Nerve to do an extra move after activating a Pathway card?
Yes. Activating a Pathway card does not, itself, prevent Prisoners from spending Nerve as usual.
A prisoner activated the Memento Mori card. Can a prisoner activate the Stone Crown card on a later turn?
No. The cost of the Memento Mori card does not have any exceptions.
I want to use the Cave-In card, but there are no cracked straight tiles in the discard. Can I use a substitute?
No. You must use a cracked straight tile when activating this card.
Some Pathway cards tell me to put a tile or tiles back into the stack. Is this meant to be random?
No. You may choose where the tiles go according to the restrictions laid out in the card. However, you are not allowed to peek at the
tiles in the area of stack that you insert those tiles.
Designed by Christopher Chan, Chris McMahon, and Rosswell Saunders
Additional Development by Curt Covert
Illustrated by Christopher Chan
SND 1018
The Night Cage
©2024 Smirk & Dagger Games. All Rights Reserved.
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or visit us at SmirkandDagger.com
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PITS FORM
TRIGGER MONSTERS
The Other can trigger monsters if it enters their line of sight without smothering them.
THE OTHER
If a Pit formed on the Main Board without a lit Prisoner in the Hollow or if a 3rd Shriek is drawn.
DARKNESS AND THEN LIGHT
Remove unlit tiles BEFORE drawing new ones. If a 3rd Shriek is revealed return to THE OTHER step.
IF FINAL FLICKERS
Discard an additional Illuminated tile from anywhere on the board.
DRAW PATHWAY CARDS
Draw 1 card for each revealed Pathway tile, then discard the Pathway tiles.
OPTIONAL: Spend a Nerve to Move Again. (Go to MOVE step)
FALLING
LANDING
If a prisoner lands on something that creates a Pit where they land, return to the FALLING step.
IF HIT BY MONSTERS
Place any Shriek that would be discarded as a penalty onto the Main Board. SHRIEKING HOLLOW ORDER OF OPERATIONS
OROR MOVESTAY ACTIVATE A PATHWAY CARD
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