# Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island – Mystery Tales ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2019 - **BGG Rating**: 7.9 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 60-120 min - **Weight**: 3.89 / 5 - **Designers**: Ignacy Trzewiczek, Joanna Kijanka - **Artists**: Maciej Janik, Mateusz Bielski, Vincent Dutrait - **Publishers**: Portal Games, Albi, DiceTree Games, Edge Entertainment, Hobby World, Maldito Games, Pegasus Spiele - **Categories**: Adventure, Expansion for Base-game, Horror - **Mechanics**: Cooperative Game ## Verdict If you're a fan of 'Robinson Crusoe' and love a good mystery with a touch of horror, this expansion is a real treat! It not only expands the game but transforms it into something even more immersive and tense.Innovative Sanity mechanicEpic and engaging campaignNew characters and cardsAdds horror and mysteryRefreshes base game experienceRequires base game to playIncreases complexityCan be more challengingHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready for more excitement and mystery in 'Robinson Crusoe: Mystery Tales', the second major expansion for the acclaimed 'Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island'. Unlike its predecessor, this expansion isn't limited to just a campaign, but brings a complete arsenal of new features to supercharge your base game and introduce an extra dose of horror and insanity. Here, island survival takes on a dark and disturbing twist! This content-packed box introduces ten new characters ready to face the island's dangers, along with an unprecedented event deck that promises unexpected twists. You'll also find three new adventure card decks, new beast cards for even greater challenges, and, most intriguingly, the new mystery cards. But the real star is the Sanity mechanic, which transforms the base game into an experience of dreadful stories, where your survivors' minds can be as fragile as their bodies. And for lovers of epic narratives, 'Mystery Tales' includes 'The Lost City of Z' campaign, comprised of five interconnected missions. In it, you will follow in the footsteps of the legendary explorer Lieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett on a long and perilous journey. With new components and rules that integrate seamlessly, this expansion is a treat for anyone looking to renew their 'Robinson Crusoe' experience with a flavor of horror and plenty of adventure. ## How to Play Game Objective In Mystery Tales, you and your crew are a rescue team searching for Lieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett. Your mission is to bring him home safely and uncover the secrets of the mythical Lost City of Z. Depending on the mode chosen, your goals vary: Campaign Mode: You must work together to successfully complete 5 Scenarios in ascending order. Each Scenario has unique goals, such as building specific objects or exploring new areas. Horror Mode: This mode enriches the base game and existing Scenarios with new horror-themed mechanics and challenges. The ultimate victory in the Campaign Mode is achieved by successfully finishing the 5th Scenario. Preparation (Setup) The setup varies slightly between modes, but the general process for the first Scenario ("The Arrival") with 4 players is as follows: Board and Markers: Place the board in the middle. Place the Round marker on the first space. Place a white marker on the 0 space of the Morale track. Place black and green markers on the topmost space of the Weapon level track (level 0). Characters: Each player takes a Character board and 2 Action pawns of the matching color. Players draw or choose a Character card (playable side up) and place it on their board. Place the 3 associated Insanity cards face down next to the board. NPCs: Remaining Character cards are placed NPC side up. Their Sanity markers start at the Start space, and their Insanity cards are placed underneath. Decks: Adventure cards: Sorted by back into three decks with their corresponding Action dice. Cultist cards: Shuffled and placed on the Cultist tile. Beast cards from the base game form the Beast deck. Mystery deck: Base game Mystery cards and expansion Mystery cards are shuffled together (excluding Clue cards). Condition deck: Shuffled Condition cards are placed face down. Event deck: Use the preconstructed deck for the specific Scenario. Island and Resources: Place Island tile 8 on the Starting Space with the Camp token. Shuffle other Island tiles into a stack. Draw 2 Starting Equipment cards and place 2 white markers on each. Special Tiles: Place the Hunt tile above the Hunting deck and the Traps tile above the Gathering deck. Place 2 white markers on the Traps tile to cover food sources. Dice Stickers: Before the first game, place stickers with the Sanity loss icon on an empty side of the Wound die of the matching color. Game Flow A game round consists of 6 phases resolved in this specific order: Event Phase: (Note: This is not skipped in the first round, except in the first Scenario). Morale Phase. Production Phase. Action Phase. Weather Phase. Night Phase. Special Event: Breakdown: If a Breakdown token is on the Night Phase space, players must decide which 2 resources/tokens to remove from the Available Resources space before feeding anyone. If they cannot, all players suffer 1 Sanity loss for each missing resource (Unfulfilled Demand). Actions and How to Play Character Abilities Playable Characters have 2 Special Abilities. To use them, players must discard the required number of Determination tokens. These can be used once per round. NPCs provide a NPC Special Ability that any player can use without Determination tokens. However, the NPC suffers 1 Sanity loss each time their ability is used. This is limited to once per round. New Action Mechanics Scout Hunt Action: By stacking 3 pawns, the topmost character performs a Hunt Action but draws 2 cards from the Hunting deck, choosing which one to face and discarding or shuffling the other. Setting up the Traps: To unlock unavailable food sources (marked with white markers), a player must perform a Gather Action on that source with a Weapon level of 1 or higher. A die roll determines if the trap is perfect (unlocks the resource), backfires, fails, or does nothing. Combat and Sanity Mystical Combat: Used against Cultists and Mystical Creatures. It compares the Mystical Weapon level against the enemy's power. If the level is lower, the character suffers Sanity loss. The Mystical Weapon level is then reduced. Sanity Loss: When a character suffers Sanity loss, the Sanity marker moves right. If a Breakdown icon is skipped, a Breakdown token is placed on the Night Phase space. Madness Tokens: If a Madness token is on an Adventure deck, the player performing that action takes 1 Sanity loss regardless of the dice roll. End of Game and Scoring End of Scenario A Scenario ends when its specific goals (found in the Campaign Book) are achieved or the time limit is reached. Victory and Defeat Campaign Victory: Successfully completing all 5 Scenarios in the Campaign Book. Campaign Defeat: Failing to achieve a Scenario goal within the time limit. Running out of crew members (no more NPCs available to replace a character who died or went Insane). Character Death and Insanity Death: Occurs when the Wound marker reaches the last space. The character is removed, and the player chooses an NPC to replace them. Morale drops 2 spaces. Going Insane: Occurs when the Sanity marker reaches the last space. The character is removed, and their Insanity cards are shuffled into the Adventure decks. Morale does not drop. Tips for Winning Manage the NPC Pool: When replacing a dead or insane character, it may be strategic to choose an NPC who is already low on the Sanity track to avoid depleting your future NPC pool too quickly. Prioritize Trap Setup: Early in the Campaign, focus on learning how to set traps via Gather Actions to avoid starvation, as some food sources are initially unavailable. Resource Sacrifice: You can avoid Sanity loss from Madness tokens or Wound die results by removing 1 resource from the Available Resources space. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game 'Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island' to play 'Mystery Tales'? Yes, this is an expansion and requires the base game to be played. It adds new elements and rules that integrate with the original experience. ### How many players does 'Mystery Tales' support and what's the game duration? Like the base game, 'Mystery Tales' is for 1 to 4 players, with games typically lasting between 60 and 120 minutes, depending on the scenario and campaign. ### What does the Sanity mechanic actually change in the game experience? The Sanity mechanic introduces a new level of challenge and immersion. Your characters can suffer negative effects and even go mad in the face of the island's horrors, adding a layer of psychological horror and tough decisions. ### Is 'The Lost City of Z' campaign very long? Yes, the campaign consists of five interconnected missions, making it a longer and more epic experience. It's ideal for groups who enjoy playing a story that unfolds over multiple sessions. ### Is this expansion recommended for newcomers to 'Robinson Crusoe'? Not really. 'Mystery Tales' adds layers of complexity and rules, so it's more suitable for players who are already familiar with the base game and are looking for a greater challenge and a refreshed experience. ### What are the main new components included in the box? The expansion brings ten new characters, new event, adventure, and beast card decks, as well as new mystery cards and all the components needed for the Sanity mechanic and 'The Lost City of Z' campaign. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Amazon**: R$ 303,97 (https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B079TK64M1?tag=bgbot26-20) - See all on Compara Jogos: https://www.comparajogos.com.br/item/robinson-crusoe-adventures-on-the-cursed-island-mystery-tales ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 32.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4801510&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 34.95 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4798690&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 34.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4887058&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=978624&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 37.47 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4819327&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.05 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1139726&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1337082&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 42.62 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1590664&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 43.17 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1664730&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 43.90 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6723277&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/23879/robinson-crusoe-mystery-tales?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com