How to Play Unstable Unicorns

Game Objective

In Unstable Unicorns, the main objective is to be the first person to build an army of Unicorns in your Stable. You'll need to betray your friends and use Upgrades and Downgrades to protect and build your Stable, or attack other players. Instant Cards are crucial for stopping other players from playing cards.

The victory condition varies depending on the number of players:

• 2 players: 7 Unicorns to win
• 3 – 5 players: 7 Unicorns to win
• 6 – 8 players: 6 Unicorns to win

Setup

1. Gather all Baby Unicorns from the deck.
2. Place one Baby Unicorn in each player's Stable.
3. Place the remaining Baby Unicorns in a separate pile. This will be your nursery.
4. Shuffle the remaining cards.
5. Deal 5 cards to each player.
6. The rest of the shuffled card pile will be your Draw Pile.
7. Whoever is wearing the most colorful outfit goes first.

Gameplay Flow

Turns rotate clockwise around the table. Each turn consists of four phases:

1. Beginning of your Turn: If any of your cards have an effect that occurs "at the beginning of your turn," you may use that effect now. If you forget to do so before drawing, you lose that effect.
2. Draw Phase: Draw one card from the Draw Pile.
3. Action Phase: Play one card from your hand OR draw + one card from the Draw Pile.
4. End of your Turn: Discard cards until you have a maximum of 7 cards in your hand. If you have fewer than 7, do not draw more.

Actions and How to Play

During your turn, in the Action Phase, you can choose between playing a card from your hand or drawing an additional card from the Draw Pile.

Card Types and Associated Actions:

• Instant: Play an Instant Card at any time to stop someone from playing a card. Place the Instant Card in the Discard Pile after use.
• Upgrade: Play an Upgrade Card during your turn to give a positive effect to someone's Stable. (Your own Stable is always a good choice!)
• Downgrade: Play a Downgrade Card during your turn to give a negative effect to someone's Stable. (Choose an opponent's Stable!)
• Magic: Play a Magic Card during your turn to create chaos. Send the Magic Card to the Discard Pile after use.
• Magical Unicorn: Play a Magical Unicorn Card by placing it in your Stable during your turn. Each one has a special power!
• Basic Unicorn: Play a Basic Card by placing it in your Stable during your turn. They have no powers, but they are still special!
• Baby Unicorn: Each player starts with one Baby Unicorn in their Stable. You can only summon more using special cards!

Additional Terms and Actions:

• Stable: Area where you play your Unicorns, Upgrades, and Downgrades. The number of cards you can have in your Stable is unlimited.
• In Play: Cards currently in a player's Stable.
• Bring Directly into Play: Add the card to your Stable immediately. This does not count as your Action this turn.
• Sacrifice: Send a card from your Stable to the Discard Pile.
• Destroy: Send a card from another player's Stable to the Discard Pile.
• Discard: Send a card from your hand to the Discard Pile.
• Pandamonium: When Pandamonium is in play, all of that player's unicorns are pandas (they are not considered unicorns), but their effects remain the same.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the first person reaches the required number of Unicorns in their Stable, according to the victory rules by number of players (7 Unicorns for 2-5 players, 6 Unicorns for 6-8 players).

If you run out of cards in the Draw Pile, the game ends. If no one has completed their army of unicorns, no one can be the Ruler of All Magical Things. If you are a "rule-breaker" and run out of cards, you can rearrange the discard pile back into the deck.

Tips for Winning

• Use Upgrades and Downgrades strategically to protect your own Stable or to attack your opponents' Stables.
• Instant Cards are powerful tools to stop other players from playing cards, so use them to sabotage their plans at the right moment.
• Don't underestimate the power of Basic Unicorns; they may not have special abilities, but they still count towards your army and the victory condition.