Downloads

You can load the full English rules here: RuleSheetVilVil

You can load the full Dutch rules here: VVruleDUTCH

Variant Rules:

  • PONY EXPRESS: (NEW) This variation creates an opportunity for players to earn gold in the recruitment phase. At any time, during the RECRUITMENT phase, when one player chooses to pay the bank for additional dice, each other player who has not yet taken their turn, can elect (in turn order) to sell one of their recruitment die rolls this turn (so, yes, if you have STABLE you still get at least 1 normal die roll). If a player sells their recruitment roll, that player gets the 1 gold coin which would otherwise have been paid to the bank by the player who is purchasing an extra dice for recruitment. Once the sale is made, the seller’s recruitment roll will automatically be a ONE that turn–so no die roll is required (exception: see STABLE). However any cards which add or subtract from this roll still apply. So, for example, with a TOWER the player could take a card in the 1 or 2 position. This action may be taken only once per player per turn. Note; if a player purchases multiple recruitment dice from the bank, more than 1 player could sell recruitment that turn.
  • ORDINANCE: (NEW) In this rule variation each player is allowed (once per game) to select any card in the recruitment pool and reshuffle it into the deck, then draw and replace that card with the top card from the deck. Use a token or marker to signify the mayor has used their ORDINANCE action for the game. This can occur ANYTIME during the recruitment phase (except during a die roll). If a player chooses to recruit a card which is ORDINANCE removed by another player, they then may select a new card position to recruit before rolling the die.
  • COOPERATIVE: In this rule variation players add their final score together to achieve the highest total possible. All rules are played in the same manner, except for the following: All Challenge Cards require a defend roll higher than the Defense Value (rather than equal or higher). If gold is not available during the Pillage Phase the Challenge Card will remove one non-challenge card (of the owners choice) from the town. Remove that card from the game. If cards are unavailable to remove the game ends. If a player holds more than 6 non-challenge cards in his or her hand, the game ends. Track your high score as a cooperative team, and try to beat that score.
  • QUICK START: In this variation each player gets to start with 2 additional cards in hand. First shuffle the hero, building, and citizen cards into 3 separate stacks. Each player will draw 2 cards from any stack. Then set up and play the game as normal.
  • THEME BUILDER: In this variation the deck is built to represent a scenario or theme rather than randomly suffled. This can be done by someone who is not playing in the game, or done by all players who should know the general order of the cards. Example: Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai Theme: Starting 6 include farm, farmer, bandits, blacksmith, alchemist, thieves. Next Seven cards are all hero cards representing the Seven Samurai. Next 12 cards are all various challenges. Finally a few citizens and buildings back up the back of the deck. This is a combat heavy, challenge heavy theme. In 2012 we will do a theme deck contest. Stay tuned and start working on your ideas.
  • TEAMS: Both sides add score totals, they can share vending, and defense rolls can be allocated to a teammate’s town. (Defense rolls still occur on the players own turn and this does not grant a greater number of Defense Rolls than usually allowed) Challenges defeated are still kept by the player whose town the Challenge was located. In addition, the loot bonus is taken by the player who has the challenge–not necessarily the player who defeats the challenge. Finally, during final scoring, teams can share pairing (see advanced game pairing rules). Example: If one player has the Gladiator, and the other has the Arena–they score a pair for those cards (if those cards are not used in another pair).

House Rules:

  • This house rule came from Bud Humphrey: Challenge Breaker: During final scoring, when there is a tie for most challenges, look at the total difficulty rating (defense value) to determine who actually won. This will affect not only what challenges people choose but also makes it less likely for there to be multiple people getting 2nd place points. (NEW) For hero cards, if there is a tie, add up the total defense bonus (upper right corner). The mayor with the most defense bonus actually wins. For the largest town, if there is a tie, break the tie by giving largest town to the player with the most town value in Building cards.
  • House Rule from a fan at GENCON 2013. Money Bonus: While this one personally pains me as the designer. I was deliberate in making money worthless at the game end. I can see the merit in a SMALL bonus for the player with the largest coffers. I would recommend a 1 (or 2) point bonus for the player with the most gold.
  • This house rule comes from a conversation with Jeremy Pane. Vision: For added strategy this house rule allows all players to see the next card “coming down the road”. Place the stack of cards face up rather than face down. This will affect card drawing choices, and make the turn order of such choices more important. A variant on VISION is allowing it to start once a specific card or card(s) come into any town. Including one or any of the following: Mystic Seer, Tower, Spy, Witch, and/or Explorer. Once the target card or cards enters a town, flip the deck over and play from the new exposed top.
  • This one comes in from Mendon in Arizona. Free Market: Players with cards that offer VEND, must vend to any player who requests. This smooths out some of the advantages that a VEND card might give the owner. However, it does remove some of the “take that” involved in denying VEND services.
  • This one comes from Rebecca in Illinois. Cities and Citizens: The game ends when the town size is larger than 9. Decide before the game starts to have 10, 11, or 12 size towns. For 2 or 3 player games town size could extend to as much as 15. Note: This increases the play time and disrupts some of the bonus structures.
  • This house rule comes from a conversation with Johnny. Sponsors: During any players’ turn in any phase that player may place gold on a challenge in any town if the amount of gold exceeds any amount previously placed on the challenge. That player is now the sponsor for the challenge. All money that challenge would normally extract and place in the bank goes to the sponsor. In addition, at the end of the game, all negative town value of sponsored challenges also counts as positive value to the sponsor. Sponsorship ends if a challenge is defeated. All gold on the challenge card is then earned as bonus loot for the town that defeated it.
  • House rule: Poaching In the Defense Phase, on his or her turn a player may utilize an unused HERO Defense Roll to “poach” a challenge in another town. A failed roll results in the HERO being discarded from play. However, if the HERO Defense Roll succeeds, the poaching player gains the loot box, and places the card in their own hand as if it was their challenge. The town being poached may use the KINGS FAVOR or ANGRY MOB to reduce the defense roll of the poacher. The poaching town can use any available bonuses as well.

Send us your rules questions, theme deck ideas, and variation rule ideas: here.