# Dungeon Petz: Dark Alleys ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2013 - **BGG Rating**: 7.8 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 90-120 min - **Weight**: 3.76 / 5 - **Designers**: Vlaada Chvátil - **Artists**: David Cochard - **Publishers**: Czech Games Edition (CGE), Heidelberger Spieleverlag, IELLO, MINDOK, Z-Man Games - **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game, Fantasy, Humor - **Mechanics**: Hand Management, Worker Placement ## Verdict If you love quirky pet shops and want extra strategic depth, Dark Alleys shakes things up.More pet varietyNew trading optionsHigh‑quality componentsLonger playtimeRequires base gameHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Dungeon Petz: Dark Alleys arrives as the beating heart of the expansion, adding a new shady district to the Imp town. In this maze of back‑alleys, eccentric denizens hawk everything you can think of: illegal workers, black‑market pets, facilities that churn out food for dogs, cats and even dragons, plus flashy ribbons and spiked collars for your critters. The goal remains building the best pet shop, but now you have far more trading routes, strategic paths, and ways to customize your animals. Core mechanics are hand management—choosing which cards to hire, buy or equip—and worker placement, deciding who controls which spots on the new Dark Alleys board. The box packs a double‑sided board, an extra progress board, nine rotating‑wheel pets, plastic Imps, cage tiles, facility and accessory tiles, and colored permission tokens. Components are sturdy and add a quirky charm to the chaotic setting. Playtime stretches to 90‑120 minutes, perfect for 2‑4 players already familiar with the base game. If you love fantasy, humor, and mixing strategy with a dash of mayhem, Dark Alleys will make your pet shop even more fun and unpredictable. ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Dungeon Petz: Dark Alleys, you and your fellow imp pet store owners are expanding your operations into the shadier parts of town. The expansion introduces new opportunities through the Dark Alleys, allowing your imps to explore new action spaces and acquire new items. You'll also encounter more pets, cages, addons, artifacts, imps, exhibitions, and customers. The goal is to raise and sell more pets to more customers, ultimately aiming to be the most successful pet store owner. The game can be played as a standard game with the new content or an extended game, which adds an extra round (6 rounds with four players, or 7 rounds with two or three players). Preparation (Setup) Before Setting Up the Game Shuffle the new pets, cages, addons, artifacts, customers, and exhibitions into their corresponding stacks. Player Boards Each player gets 1 additional imp and 1 additional gold. Players begin with 7 imps and 3 gold. Note: This expansion provides 2 new imps of each color. Only one of these begins on your board. The other one goes onto the Progress Board if you are playing an extended game, or back into the box if you are not playing an extra round. Progress Board Extension Extended Game: Place the Progress Board Extension on top of the Progress Board so that it covers all of round 4. The side with rounds 5 and 6 should be up. For a two- or three-player game, use the side of the Progress Board Extension that has rounds 3 and 4, placing it on top of the two-or-three-player Progress Board to cover all of round 2. Set up imps, exhibitions, and customers according to the usual rules. The extended Progress Board will have 5 imps of each color. Rounds 5 and 6 will each have two customers, which should both be revealed at the same time. Standard-Length Game: Stick the Progress Board Extension (either side up) under the Progress Board so that the new final scoring exhibitions are visible. Set up imps, customers, and exhibitions according to the usual rules. Compromise-Length Game (2 or 3 players): Use the side of the Progress Board Extension with rounds 3 and 4 to cover rounds 3 and 4 of the Progress Board. This provides an extra customer in round 5 without extending the game length. Ignore the depicted rules for moving the Starting Player Token and pass it to the next player at the end of each round. Dark Alleys Board Put the Dark Alleys Board next to the Central Board. Neutral Imps (2- or 3-player game): Use the side of the Dark Alleys Board with the neutral imp arrows. Neutral imps block spaces on the Dark Alleys Board. In a 3-player game, one neutral imp should begin on the fortune teller action space. In a 2-player game, one neutral imp should begin on the fortune teller action space and another should begin on the black market action space. Industrial Zone Permission Tiles: Each player places their permission tile in their color at the entrance to the industrial zone. Facility Stack: Mix the six new facility tiles and put them in a face-down stack next to the Dark Alleys Board. Reveal the topmost facility tile and place it at the edge of the Dark Alleys Board as the first facility open for business. Black Market Options: Place the bodyguard (black imp figure), a random pet (set to size 2), a random cage, a random exhibition (to represent food), a random addon, and a random artifact on their corresponding spaces, from left to right. If playing an extended game, put one gold token above each item, indicating an extra payment of 1 gold. If playing a standard-length game, do not put a gold token above the artifact. Slug Shop Accessory Stack: Mix the 8 accessories and form a stack. Draw 3 accessories and place them face up on the accessory spaces. Fluxo do Jogo Game Rounds The game proceeds in rounds, with each round following a series of phases. The expansion allows for a standard game length or an extended game of 6 or 7 rounds depending on player count. Phase 1 - Setup Adding New Stuff: For round 2 and later rounds, reveal the next facility from the stack and place it at the end of the row, unless the facility action space is blocked by a neutral imp. For round 2 and later rounds, add 1 new accessory tile to the slug shop’s accessory spaces, unless the action space is blocked by a neutral imp. If all three accessory spaces are occupied, remove the uppermost accessory to make space, then move the remaining two accessories up, and place the new accessory tile in the bottommost space. The black market is never replenished. Phase 2 - Shopping Choosing Actions: Players send groups of imps and gold to action spaces. Withdrawing Groups: When it's your turn to send a group, you can withdraw any group or groups that are still waiting for their turn to take back imps and gold. Group Size Change: If a waiting group becomes bigger than the current group size, it gets to go shopping next. If it becomes the same size or smaller, it waits patiently. Phase 3 - Need Cards Arranging Cages and Pets: You can assign some or all of your accessories to one or more pets. Drawing Need Cards: For each accessory assigned to a pet, draw 1 additional Need Card of that color. Assigning Need Cards to Pets: For each accessory assigned to a pet, you must assign 1 additional Need Card of that color. Phase 4 - Showing Off Pets are evaluated one-at-a-time. You choose the order in which your pets are evaluated. Phase 5 - Business Selling a Pet: Gain 1 extra gold for each accessory assigned to the pet you are selling. Discarding Assigned Cards: If you have extra cards because of the fortune teller, discard 1 Need Card of each color. Using Unused Imps: Jobs can be given to available imps in any order. At any time during this step, you may use 1 facility to which you have access. Phase 6 - Aging Imps Return Home: Imps that worked in a facility also return. The bodyguard returns even if he was sent to the platform. Starting the Next Round The Starting Player Token moves as depicted on the Progress Board Extension. Exception: In a 2- or 3-player compromise-length game, it is passed to the left every time. In an extended game, for round 5, give the Starting Player Token to the player with the lowest reputation. For round 6, pass it two places to the left (or right), to the player opposite the one who had it for round 5, regardless of current reputation. In an extended game with 2 or 3 players, start round 7 by giving the Starting Player Token to the player with the lowest reputation. In case of a tie, pass it to the left. If that player is not one of those tied for lowest, pass it to the left again. Ações e Como Jogar New Possibilities for Groups Groups of imps and gold now have additional possibilities during the Shopping Phase, with four new action spaces in the Dark Alleys. New Action Spaces Black Market When you send your imps to the black market, you can get any one of the displayed items. At the beginning of the game, there are six different items, each with a gold token next to it (except the artifact in a standard-length game). Items purchased here are not replaced. Paying the Extra Gold: To take an item with a gold token, you must pay one gold from your Treasury. The gold token is then returned to the bank. If you choose an item with no gold token, you take it for free. If you have no gold in your Treasury, you cannot take an item marked by a gold token. If there is no item you can afford, you cannot use this action space. Getting the Usual Stuff: If you take a pet, a cage, an addon, or an artifact, you acquire it as you would normally. Your group does not need 2 imps for a cage, nor gold for a pet. Getting Food: You can get food by taking the exhibition tile. Choose one of the groups of food displayed on the tile and add that food to your storage. Discard the tile. Hiring the Bodyguard: When you get the bodyguard, take the black imp figure. You can put it in your Imp Quarters or add it to one of your groups that is still waiting to go shopping. The bodyguard counts toward his group’s size. He can be assigned to groups like any other imp, but can never be in a group by himself. The bodyguard does not work outside the Shopping phase, cannot be sent to work in a facility, and won't sell pets. He counts as one of the two imps required for a cage-choosing action space and can carry an accessory. He returns from the platform’s action space at the end of the round. Fortune Teller’s Wagon At the fortune teller’s wagon, you do three things: The Far Future: You may peek at 1 of the unrevealed exhibition or customer tiles on the Progress Board. The Near Future: You draw one Need Card of each color. For the rest of this round, you will have four extra cards to choose from. At the end of this round, when discarding assigned Need Cards, you must discard one of each color from your hand so you have the correct number for the next round. Discount on the Black Market: You must remove one of the gold tokens from the black market and return it to the bank, making that item free. You may only discount items not yet sold. Visiting the Industrial Zone When you send your imps here, two things happen: Immediate Use of a Facility: You may immediately choose any one of the revealed facilities and use its effect. If the facility requires an imp, take one imp from your Imp Quarters (not from a group) and place it on the facility until the end of the round. If the facility requires gold, use gold from your Treasury and put it in the bank. If the facility requires meat or vegetables, pay with one food token of the corresponding color from your Food Storage. The food is converted to processed food. You can send imps here even if you cannot use a facility immediately. Obtaining Permission: You immediately gain permission to access all facilities revealed so far. Put your permission tile below the most recently revealed facility (the rightmost). If visiting for the first time, move your permission tile from the entrance to the most recently revealed facility. If visiting again, move your permission tile from a previously revealed facility to the most recent one. This grants access to all facilities revealed so far, which can be used with available imps at the end of phase 5. Shopping at the Slug Shop When you send your imps here, you can take one of the displayed accessories and add it to your Pet Display Board. The Imp’s Triumphant Return: You may return 1 of your imps from any action space that has at least two imps to your Imp Quarters or to any waiting group. You cannot leave the bodyguard alone on an action space. If no action space has at least two imps, no one can return, but you still get the accessory. Facilities (Appendix Details) Office: Use 1 available imp to gain 2 gold. Fecal Slug: Pay 1 gold to remove 2 manure tokens from anywhere on your Pet Display Board. Pet Psychiatrist: Use 1 available imp to remove 1 suffering token or 1 mutation token from 1 pet. Headhunter Headquarters: Pay 1 gold and gain 1 imp that would not have otherwise returned home (e.g., leftmost imp on Progress Board, from hospital, or from platform). If used in phase 2, the imp goes to your Quarters and can be used later this round (but not added to a group). If used in phase 5, the imp is not available this round and stays at the facility until the end of the round. Pet Food Cannery: Take one meat from your Food Storage and turn it into a food can (processed food, represented by a manure token on top of the food). Store in your Artifact Storage. A food can satisfies one hunger need if the pet eats meat or vegetables. If fed to a pet in an exhibition, gain 1 exhibition point per can. Lollipop Factory: Take one vegetable from your Food Storage and turn it into a lollipop (processed food, represented by a gold token on top of the vegetable). Store in your Artifact Storage. A lollipop satisfies one hunger need, one play need, or both for a single pet. It cannot satisfy a hunger need if the pet does not eat meat or vegetables. Processed Food Lollipops and food cans are processed food. They are represented by a food token stacked with another token. They require fresh food from your Food Storage, are kept in your Artifact Storage, and cannot be put in the Magic Box. They can satisfy a hunger need as meat or a vegetable, but not for pets that cannot eat meat or vegetables. After use, return both tokens to the bank. They do not age. New Addons Thing That Goes Ding!: After evaluating all needs for the pet in its cage, pay 1 coin from your Treasury to remove 1 suffering and/or 1 mutation token assigned to that pet. Can be used only once per turn and only if the pet survives. Jukebox: Pay one gold from your Treasury to choose an effect (calms, entertains, protects from magic, satisfies hunger). Mark the effect with the gold token. The effect stays until you pay another gold to change it. You may pay to set or change the tune during phase 4, before evaluating needs. New Cages Experimental Cage: In its basic state, it has strength 1, antimagic ## FAQ ### How many players can play? 2 to 4 players, provided you own the base game Dungeon Petz. ### What is the typical playing time? Around 90–120 minutes, depending on player familiarity. ### Do I need the original game? Yes, Dark Alleys is an expansion and requires the base game to play. ### What new mechanics does it add? It deepens Hand Management and Worker Placement while introducing black‑market trading options. ### Are the components of good quality? Absolutely; the box includes sturdy plastic figures, double‑sided boards, and well‑made tokens. ### Can I play without knowing the base rules? It’s recommended to be comfortable with the base game first, as many rules build on it. ### Is there humor in the expansion? Definitely— the shady back‑alley theme is packed with jokes and whimsical artwork. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 17.55 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1659183&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 19.71 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6900863&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 19.77 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=7078539&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 22.21 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6344794&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 22.36 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=435134&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 22.86 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=3435233&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 24.55 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2084872&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 24.95 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4810605&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 24.95 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4917533&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 24.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4798287&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/7490/dungeon-petz-dark-alleys?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com