# Seven Seals: Cthulhu ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2024 - **BGG Rating**: 7.3 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 - **Duration**: 30 min - **Weight**: 1.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Eurico Cunha Neto - **Artists**: Arthur Mask - **Publishers**: Calamity Games, Four Fun Games LLC - **Categories**: Card Game, Horror, Mythology - **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management, Trick-taking ## Verdict Perfect for those looking for a quick card game with a Cthulhu theme and accessible mechanics.Fast and dynamic gameplayWell-applied Lovecraftian themeTwo distinct paths to victorySimple and intuitive rulesVery low strategic depthCan feel repetitive for veteransFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Prepare your candles and potions because chaos is coming! In Seven Seals: Cthulhu, you take on the role of a sect leader obsessed with forbidden power and glory. The goal is simple yet dangerous: break the seven seals that keep the Elder Gods imprisoned outside our reality. Who will be the one responsible for releasing Cthulhu and his monstrous companions? The game functions as an intense trick-taking battle. During each ritual, cultists play cards, trying to outplay their opponents using the ruling suit. The winner of the hand places markers on the corresponding seal. Once a seal accumulates three markers, it breaks, and an Elder God is liberated, granting power points to the player. But beware: tampering with cosmic forces comes at a price. If you are forced to place markers on an Elder God that has already been revealed, you start losing your sanity. The interesting twist here is that madness isn't necessarily a mistake. You can win in two ways: either by accumulating power points for liberating the entities or by fully embracing total insanity. The game is fast-paced, lasting about 30 minutes, and ends after 21 rituals or when someone achieves an immediate victory. It's a game of risk and reward where you must manage your hand precisely to decide if you want to be the sect's champion or the first to lose your mind. If you enjoy the Lovecraftian vibe and dynamic card games, this is for you. Will you master the chaos, or will you just be another victim of cosmic madness? ## How to Play Game Objective In this game, you are the leader of a cultist sect, seeking to be the primary force responsible for breaking the seals that keep the ancient Elders distant from our reality. You can achieve an immediate victory or triumph by accumulating Power Points after completing 21 Rituals (rounds). But beware, Insanity could be your downfall! Preparation (Setup) Separate the Ritual Cards according to the number of players, as indicated below: Each player chooses a color of Cultist Tokens and places them in front of them. The Elder Cards should be arranged in the center of the table, with the seal face up, forming the Ritual Altar. The Insanity Tokens are placed on the table, near the Altar, where everyone can easily access them. Consult the manual for details on this section. Game Flow The game consists of Rituals (rounds), which follow these steps: Card Distribution: The last player who had a nightmare must shuffle the Ritual Cards and deal 7 to each player. Card Selection: Players must analyze their cards, choose one to keep, place it face down in front of them, and pass the rest of their cards to the player on their left. This process repeats until all players have 7 face-down cards in front of them. Start of the Ritual: All players pick up their cards. The player who dealt the cards starts the Ritual by playing a card of their choice into the center of the Ritual Altar. Ritual Winner: The player who played the highest value card with the same suit as the card on the Altar, or the highest value Trump card if any were played, wins the Ritual. Consult the manual for details on this section. Actions and How to Play During the game, players perform the following actions: Play a Card: Each player must play a card with the same suit as the card on the Altar. If they do not have a card with the same suit, they must play any other card they possess, of their choice. Place Cultists: The player who wins the Ritual must place one of their cultists on the Elder Card corresponding to the value of the card that gave them the victory. Reveal Elders: When an Elder Card receives its third cultist, it must be flipped to the face of the revealed Elder. Receive Insanity: If a player needs to place a cultist on an already revealed Elder Card, they receive an Insanity Point. Consult the manual for details on this section. End of Game and Scoring The game can end in two ways: Immediate Victory: A player can win immediately if: They place 3 of their cultists on the same Elder Card. They place 6 of their cultists distributed across 2 Elder Cards. They accumulate 4 or 5 Insanity Points. Power Points: If all Elder Cards are revealed without an Immediate Victory condition occurring, players count their Power Points based on the cultists placed on the Elder Cards. The player with the most Power Points wins. Consult the manual for details on this section. Tips for Winning Prioritize playing cards with the Cthulhu suit, as it functions as a Trump suit. Pay attention to the number of cultists you place on the Elder Cards, as this can guarantee an Immediate Victory. Avoid accumulating too many Insanity Points, as this can lead to your defeat. ## FAQ ### Is the game complex? Not at all! With a BGG weight of 1/5, it's super easy to learn and great for those who don't want to read massive manuals. ### How long does a game last? It's very quick, lasting about 30 minutes, making it ideal for playing several rounds in one night. ### How many people can play? From 2 to 4 players. It works well in any configuration. ### Do I need to know Cthulhu mythology to play? Nope! The theme is a nice touch, but the rules are independent of any prior knowledge of the universe. ### What is the main mechanic of the game? It's a trick-taking game, where you try to play the highest card of the correct suit to win the round.