Objective of the Game

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to the glorious, backstabbing, and utterly ridiculous world of Munchkin! Forget all that messy roleplaying; this game is all about kicking down doors, slaying monsters, and grabbing loot. Your ultimate goal, my friend, is to be the first player to reach Level 10. But there's a catch, you glorious munchkin: you *must* reach Level 10 by killing a monster, unless a card specifically says otherwise. So, sharpen your pointy hat and get ready to out-munchkin your friends!

Preparation (Setup)

Getting ready for a session of Munchkin is quicker than finding a trap in a dark dungeon (usually). Here’s how to set up your epic quest:

1. **Player Count**: Gather your party! Munchkin is best played with three to six players.
2. **Choose Your Pawn**: Each player picks two pawns of the same color. Place one pawn of the appropriate sex on the space marked "1" on the gameboard. The other pawn stays in front of you – it's just a spare.
3. **Deck Division**: Separate the cards into two distinct decks: the Door deck and the Treasure deck. Give each deck a good shuffle!
4. **Initial Hand**: Deal four cards from the Door deck and four cards from the Treasure deck to each player. This is your starting hand.
5. **Deck Placement**: Place the remaining Door and Treasure decks in their designated spots on the gameboard.
6. **Level Tracking**: The numbered spaces on the board are your Level tracker. Move your pawn up or down as your character's Level changes. Remember, you can never go below Level 1!
7. **Dungeon Setup**: The Dungeon cards form their own deck. Start the game with one Dungeon card turned face-up. This is the Dungeon you're currently in. You can choose it randomly, have the winner/loser of the last game pick, or just agree on one you like. Shuffle the rest of the Dungeons and place them face-down. (Optional rule: you can also skip this step and wait for the first Portal Card to be played).
8. **Epic Cards**: Before you start, remove any Epic Cards (like Epic Junior) from all decks. These are for a different rule set and don't work with the base game.

The Turn of Play

A turn in Munchkin is a whirlwind of monster-slaying, treasure-grabbing, and occasional backstabbing. Play proceeds clockwise, with each turn having several distinct phases.

1. Phase 0 - Listen At The Door

   At the very start of your turn, before anything else, draw one face-down Door card. You can choose to play it or keep it in your hand.
   • If it's a Monster card, it goes into your hand.
   • If it's a Curse card, it also goes into your hand. You can play Curses on any player at any time – even during combat!
   • If it's a face-down Portal card, you have a choice:
     • Turn it face-up immediately, follow its instructions, then draw another face-down Door card.
     • Put it in your hand. You can play it later on your turn, but only if you're not in combat and haven't played another Portal this turn. When you play it, follow its instructions and draw a face-down Door card.
   • Any other card can either go into your hand or be played immediately.

2. Phase 1 - Kick Open The Door

   This is where the real fun begins! Draw one card from the Door deck and turn it face-up.
   • Steed Card: If you draw a face-up Steed, you have options:
     • Play it immediately (remember, only one Steed unless you have a Cheat! card).
     • Put it into your hand.
     • Treat it as a monster! Its Level is twice its combat bonus, and defeating it gets you one Treasure and one Level. The Bad Stuff is "Lose a level."
   • Curse Card: If it's a Curse!, it applies to you immediately (if it can) and is usually discarded. Some Curses have ongoing effects, so keep those as a reminder. If a Curse applies to something you don't have, ignore it.
   • Portal Card: If you draw a face-up Portal, you must immediately follow its instructions. You might enter a new Dungeon. After resolving the Portal, draw another face-up Door card.
   • Other Cards: If you draw any other card (that isn't a monster), you can either put it in your hand or play it immediately.
   • Monster Card (Combat!): Uh oh, it's a monster! You *must* fight it.
     • Combat Strength: Compare your combat strength to the monster's. Your strength is your Level plus all modifiers from Items and other cards. Monsters win ties!
     • Winning Combat: If your combat strength is higher than the monster's, you win! You go up one Level (two for some big monsters) and get the number of Treasures shown on the card.
     • Losing Combat: If the monster's strength is equal to or greater than yours, you lose and must Run Away.
     • Combat Rules:
       • You and other players can play One-Shot Treasures or use Class/Race abilities to help or harm you.
       • Players can also play Monster Enhancers to make monsters stronger or weaker (and change the Treasure they're worth).
       • While in combat, you cannot sell, equip, unequip, or trade Items, or play Treasures from your hand, unless a card says otherwise.
       • After you kill a monster, wait 2.6 seconds for anyone to play a last-minute hostile card before claiming your rewards!
     • Fighting Multiple Monsters: Some cards (like Wandering Monster) allow rivals to add more monsters to your fight. You must defeat their combined strength. If you eliminate one monster but run from others, you get no rewards.
     • Undead Monsters: Any player can play an Undead monster from their hand into combat to help any other Undead monster without needing a Wandering Monster card.
     • Asking For Help: If you can't win alone, you can ask another player for help. Only one player can help you, adding their combat strength to yours. You'll likely need to bribe them with Items you're carrying or a share of the monster's Treasure. If you win with a helper, you both level up (unless the helper is an Elf, who gets an extra level per monster slain).
     • Interfering With Combat: Other players can mess with your combat by playing One-Shot cards, Monster Enhancers, adding monsters, or playing Curses.
     • Running Away: If you can't defeat the monster, you must Run Away. Roll the die: a 5 or more means you escape. Some abilities or Treasures modify this roll. If you fail, the monster does its Bad Stuff to you (lose an Item, lose levels, or even Death!). If fleeing multiple monsters, roll separately for each.
     • Death: If you die, you lose all your stuff!
       • You keep your Class(es), Race(s), Level, and any ongoing Curses.
       • Your body is then Looted: lay out your hand and in-play cards. Starting with the highest-Level player, everyone else takes one card. Discard the rest.
       • On your next turn, you draw four face-down cards from each deck and play any legal cards, then proceed normally.

3. Phase 2 - Look for Trouble/Loot The Room

   If you fought a monster in Phase 1, skip this. Otherwise, you have two choices:
   • Look for Trouble: Play a Monster card from your hand and fight it.
   • Loot the Room: Draw one face-down Treasure card.

4. Phase 3 - Charity

   If you have more than five cards in your hand, you must get rid of the excess.
   • Play enough cards to get down to five or fewer.
   • If you can't (or don't want to), give the excess cards to the player(s) with the lowest Level. If you are the lowest or tied for lowest, simply discard the excess.

Once Charity is resolved, the next player's turn begins!

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends as soon as one player reaches Level 10 by killing a monster (or via a card that explicitly allows winning another way). That player is the winner! There's no complex scoring; it's a race to the top. (Optional Rule): If a player reaches Level 10 in a fight where they had a helper, the helper also wins the game, regardless of their current Level. Share the glory!

Tips for Winning

Becoming a true Munchkin legend takes cunning and a touch of ruthlessness. Here are a few pointers to help you on your way:

1. Master the Art of Bribery and Backstabbing: Munchkin thrives on player interaction. Don't be afraid to offer tempting Items or a share of Treasure to get help in a tough fight, or to convince another player to hinder your opponent. Conversely, always be ready to play a well-timed Curse or Monster Enhancer to ruin someone else's day!
2. Manage Your Hand and Items Wisely: Your hand is a secret weapon, but Items in play are your strength. Pay attention to what Items you have equipped and which are just "carried" (turned sideways). Remember you can only carry one Big Item unless you have an ability that says otherwise. Selling Items for levels (1,000 Gold Pieces per level) is a great way to advance, but you can't sell your way to Level 10!
3. Know When to Run Away (and When to Die): Sometimes, a fight just isn't worth it. Don't be too proud to Run Away if the odds are stacked against you. While losing a level or an item to Bad Stuff sucks, it's often better than dying and losing *all* your hard-earned gear. However, if you're loaded with powerful Items that other players would love to get their hands on, sometimes dying and forcing them to Loot Your Body can be a strategic (if petty) move to prevent a clear leader from getting even stronger!