Now or Never

• Select a language:
• en

• Setup

  • Important: Do not cover up any mountain symbols on the board.

    1. Place the game board.
    2. Shuffle the 3 location tiles and place them at random on the board in spaces with a small scroll in the top left corner.
    3. Shuffle the order tokens and place them in the top left space (Tower of Miners)
    4. Place enemy tokens on the 9 spaces with enemy symbols. Match the enemy number with the number on the board. Place 1 enemy per player for each level. For level 9, place 2 enemy tokens if you have 3-4 players, and 1 if 1-2 players.
    5. Shuffle the search tokens and place 1 face down on each space with a letter in the corner (A-N).
    6. Place the season board next to the game board. Place the side with the reputation track face down.
    7. Shuffle the villager tokens in a pile face down, then draw 6 and place them face up in their slots on the season board.
    8. Shuffle the red and blue gear tokens (separately). Place them in separate piles on the season board and draw 3 of each for their respective slots.
    9. Place the season marker on space 1 of the season track.
    10. Organize the quest cards into 3 piles by their back. Shuffle each pile.
    11. Shuffle the starting specialist tiles (sunset on the back) and give each player a random builder and healer.
    12. Shuffle the specialists and place them face down near the game board. Draw the top 4 tiles and place them in a face up row.
    13. Place the coins and experience tokens near the board.
    14. Choose a start player. The 2nd and 3rd players start with 1 extra coin, the 4th player with 2 extra coins.
  • Player Setup

    • Each player takes a hero board and sets up their play area.

      1. Place their starting specialists in open slots
      2. Place a heart marker in the farthest right space on their heart track.
      3. Place 1 mana token on each mana symbol.
      4. Take 3 hero action tokens and place them on the faded arrow symbols on your hero board.
      5. Take your 6 matching hero ability tokens and place them below your player board.
      6. Take 17 coins.
      7. Take 1 4-sided die.
      8. Take a town board and place with the above ground face up (unless playing underground).
      9. Take 1 set of matching building tiles (color coded). Shuffle them face down and place them face upin a 5x4 grid near your town board.
      10. Draw 6 basic quest cards, 1 artifact quest, and 1 advanced quest. Choose 4 cards to keep and discard the others.
      11. Place your hero in standee and place it on the Monument space.
      12. Take 1 of each resource markers and place them on the 0 space on your town board.
• Turns
  • Specialist Action

    • Pay a specialist to perform their action. Choose one of the following:

      • Pay your own specialist. Pay the upper coin amount to the supply and take the action.
      • Pay another player's specialist. Pay the upper coin amount to the supply. The player with the specialist collects the small coin amount from the supply. Then take the action.
      • Recruit a new specialist. Pay double the upper coin amount to the supply. Take the specialist and place them in an open slot. If there are no open slots, you may replace a specialist (used or unused). Take the specialist's action. Draw a new specialist and place it in the row.

      Flip the specialist you just used face down. The specialist cannot be used again this season.

      You may pay a specialist and perform no action or a partial action. You still flip them face down.

    • Build

      • You may place 1 building tile on your town board. Take 1 building tile from your unbuilt grid and build it. The following rules apply:

        • If this is your 1st building, choose any outer building in your grid. After that, you can only choose buildings orthogonally adjacent to empty spaces.
        • Your first building must be placed in one of the slots in your starting row (row with a star). **After that, buildings may only be placed orthogonally adjacent to previously placed buildings.
        • Pay the coin cost of the building to the supply.
        • If you place the building on a space with a resource, gain 1 of that resource.
        • If you place the building on a space with a "coins: build" icon, you must pay the additional coins to build there.
        • If the building you place has a book with an arrow icon, immediately gain 1 book.
        • Note that some buildings give a bonus when built. The bonus will be attached to the build icon.
    • Heal

      • Move your heart marker to the furthest space to the right. Gain a resource or mana tokens that may be attached to the heal icon.

    • Gain Experience

      • Gain the show number of experience tokens and any resources shown.

    • Buy Gear
      • • You may purchase 1 gear token from the season board.
        • Pay the coin cost on the token and place it in a matching red/blue slot on your hero board.
        • Refill the slot on the season board.
        • If you don't have an open slot, you may replace 1 gear on your board and remove the replaced gear from the game.
        • Note that red gear covers up a basic ability on your hero board.
    • Rest

      • Instead of paying a specialist, you may flip the specialist face down and either 2 hearts or 1 coin. You may only rest your own specialists.

  • Hero Action
    • 1. Move: Slide one of your available hero action tokens to cover the action slot. Then, move your hero.
         • You must move to a new space.
         • You may move a number of spaces up to the number on the action you covered. You may move further by spending 1 heart per additional space.
         • You cannot move diagonally.
         • When you enter a space with a mountain icon, lose 1 heart.
         • If you enter a space and don't fight it, lose 1 heart. You may continue moving though.
      2. Play a quest card (optional): On the space you stopped, you may play 1 quest card. You must be on the location matching the quest card.
      3. Choose 1: Visit a location, fight an enemy, or search
    • Visit a Location

      • Locations have a name on a scroll with an action below the scroll. You may perform the action on the location. See Locations for more info.

    • Fight an Enemy

      • If you stop on an enemy, you can fight it.

        1. Roll a die. Check the result on your red combat abilities. Deal any damage listed on the ability. The enemy attacks you simultaneously, losing hearts equal to the enemy's damage. Be sure to subtract any defense you have.
        2. If you've dealt cumulative damage equal to the enemy's health, it's defeated. Otherwise, start a new combat round (goto #1) or retreat. If you defeated the enemy, gain the rewards, then discard the enemy token.
        3. If you have run out hearts, you lose and your turn ends immediately. Remember, combat is simultaneous so you can lose even if you've defeated the enemy!
        4. To retreat, leave your hero where they are, but your turn ends.
        5. If you retreat or run out of hearts, the enemy token remains on the board, but you gain 1 experience token.

        If you get a villager reward, take one of the face up villagers. If there are no villagers left, draw 6 new villagers.

        Note about abilities/gear: Some abilities/gear allow you to receive other benefits if you pay mana for them. Some blue abilities do not cost mana.

    • Search
      • • When on a space with a search token, you may roll a die and lose hearts equal to the die roll. If you end up with zero hearts, your turn ends and you do not get the search token.
        • After rolling, take the search token and gain the reward on the opposite side. Then, place the token face down near your town board as it provides 1 coin during each production phase.
        • If the search token tells you to discard it, do not keep it.
  • Pass

    • If you cannot or do not want to take more actions, you pass. Once you've passed, you can't take any more actions until the next season. Once all players pass, the production phase begins.

  • Anytime Actions

    • You may take any of these actions at any time, even after you have passed or it's not your turn. These can even be done during the production phase.

    • Sell Goods for Coins

      • Use the chart on the season board to sell resources for the listed amount of coins.

    • Place One of Your Villagers

      • Place a villager you gained on the right side of your town board.

        • You must use one of the 4 rows and you **must have enough buildings in the row to hold the villager.
        • Each building can hold 1 villager.
        • Each bed icon allows for 1 more villager.
        • Once a villager is place, it cannot be moved.
        • If you just gained a villager, it can be "housed" immediately.
        • If you don't have room for a new villager, place it below your town board. You may "house" it later when you acquire a building for it.
    • Complete One of Your Order Tokens

      • Pay the specified goods to gain the listed coin reward. Then, place the token face down near your board. Each order can only be completed once. At the end of the game, you gain 2 points per completed order.

    • Pay 2 Experience to Refill Villagers

      • Pay 2 XP to refill all the empty villager slots. This can be done in the middle of gaining 2 or more villagers.

    • Purchase 1 of Your Hero Abilities

      • Pay the specified XP and place it on your board in an appropriately colored slot.

        • You must meet the ability requirements on the ability.
        • The level is the number of hexagons on the right side of the token.
        • You must own a level 1 ability to purchase a level 2 ability in the same color. Same with 2 before a 3.
• Production Phase

  • If it is the final round, see End of the Game. When all players have passed:

    1. Collect produced goods. Each housed villager produces, while unhoused villagers do not. Some buildings produce a good or bonuses (light gray area at the bottom left on the building). Collect 1 coin per search token you have.
    2. Refresh your mana by filling the mana slots.
    3. Return hero action tokens to their starting spaces.
    4. Flip all your specialists face up.
    5. Move the season marker 1 space forward.
    6. Begin the next season, starting with the player with the 1st player token.
• End of the Game

  • During the 6th and final production phase, do the following:

    1. Before producing, you must discard all of your coins and set all resource markers to 0.
    2. Now, produce goods and coins and sell all of your goods for as many coins as possible.
    3. Tally final victory points:
       • Each coin is 1 victory point.
       • Gain points points for full building rows.
       • Gain victory points for each housing row that contains villagers that produce at least 1 of each type of good (shell, tool, bottled demon, crystal), 5, 5, 6, and 7 points, respectively.
       • Check buildings for victory points based on requirements.
       • Gain victory points for completed quest cards.
       • Gain victory points for completed orders. 2 points/order.

    The player with the most points wins. If there is a tie, the player with the most remaining XP and books is the winner. If still tied, the player with the most remaining hearts wins.

• Running out of Hearts
  • • If you ever reach 0 hearts, your turn ends immediately.
    • You cannot take another hero action until you have at least 1 heart.
    • You do not defeat an enemy or get the search token.
• Quest Cards

  • You may play 1 (and only 1) quest card on the location you've stopped your hero.

    • Follow the instructions on the quest card. Most have a cost to play. Some cards have an asterisk (*) with requirements that must be met.
    • You must be at the indicated location (white text).
    • After playing the card, tuck it under your town board so that the bottom half with "Ongoing" or "At Game End" is showing.
    • Artifact quest cards usually cost 2 books and give you an ability you can use by paying mana. These can only be used on your turn. If there's a "once per session" note, place the used mana on the card, and remove it at the end of the season.
    • Whenever you draw quest cards, you can choose to draw them from any of the 3 piles.
    • If a pile runs out, reshuffle its discard pile.
    • There is no hand limit.
• Locations
  • • Tower of Miners: Draw 2 order tokens and keep 1 (Place the other at the bottom of the pile). Place the order face up near your town board.
    • Hermit's Hut: You may swap the position of 2 unbuilt buildings in your grid. Also gain 1 shell and 4 hearts.
    • Crystal Meteorite: Roll a die and lose the resulting number of hearts. Gain 1 crystal and 1 XP.
    • Nomad Camp: Lose 1 heart, pay 1 book, and gain 1 villager.
    • Ublo Tower: Lose 1 heart to gain 1 tool.
    • The Monument: Gain 4 hearts and 1 coin. Also take the 1st player token. Whoever has the 1st player token at the start of the next round takes the 1st turn.
    • Scholar's Tower: Pay 3 coins to gain 1 book.
    • Undergarden: Pay 2 XP, draw 2 quest cards of any type, keep 1 (discard the other), and gain 6 coins.
    • Forest of Faces: Lose 5 hearts to gain 5 coins.
    • Snail Caves: Lose 2 hearts to gain 1 XP and 2 coins.
    • Flying Casino: Pay 1 coin and draw 3 quest cards of any type and keep 2 (discard the other). Gain 5 hearts.
    • City of Spirits: Lose 2 hearts and gain 1 bottled demon and 1 coin.
    • Istreka: You may buy 1 gear token from the season board. Also draw 2 quest cards and keep 1 (discard the other).
    • Wailing Cavern: Lose 8 hearts and pay 1 mana to gain 1 villager.

    Underground location changes

    • Tower of Miners: You may buy 1 gear token. Also gain 1 shell.
    • Hermit's Hut: Gain 1 XP and draw 3 quest cards of any type and keep 1 (discard the others).
    • The Monument: Gain 4 hearts. Also take the 1st player token. You may also swap the location of 2 buildings in your unbuilt grid.
    • Undergarden: Pay 1 XP to gain 2 hearts and 4 coins.
    • Forest of Faces: Pay 1 coin, 1 mana, and lose 5 hearts to gain 1 villager.
    • Flying Casino: Lose 5 hearts to gain 5 coins.
    • Snail Caves: Pay 2 XP to draw 2 quest cards of any type and keep 1 (discard the other). Also gain 6 coins.
    • Istreka: Gain 1 heart and draw 2 order tokens and keep 1 (the other goes to the bottom of the pile).
    • Wailing Caverns: Lose 8 hearts and draw 3 quest cards and keep 2 (discard the other). Also gain 1 shell.
• Gear, Artifact, and Hero Abilities
  • Gear Abilities
    • • Arzian Helm: Any time you roll a 4 during combat, gain 1 heart. You can choose when to gain the heart.
      • Azure Gloves: If both the Azure Gloves and the Azure Coat are equipped, you gain +1 max mana. Gain the mana as soon as you equip this gear. This extra mana replenishes at the end of each season as long as you still have both gear items.
      • Shield Crystal: When you equip this, gain +1 max mana. As long as you have this gear, this mana replenishes at the end of each season.
      • Vampire Knife: Gain 1 mana immediately (if you have an empty slot) You can use this mana to activate abilities on the same attack roll.
  • Artifact Abilities
    • • Demon Trap: Pay 1 mana at any time (except during final production) to gain 1 bottled demon. You can only do this once per season. Place the spent mana on the token.
      • Warp Stone: When taking the hero action, pay 1 mana to move +4 spaces.
      • Metal Hound: Pay 3 mana on your turn to pick up any search token on the game board. You can only do this once per season. Place the spent mana on the token.
      • Life Candle: Pay 1 mana at any time (except in the middle of combat) to gain 6 hearts. You may only activate this once per season. Place the spent mana on the token.
      • Magic Chest: Pay 1 mana at any time (except during final production) to gain 4 coins. You may only perform this once per season. Place the spent mana on the token.
      • Lightning Fungus: Pay 1 mana to take 1 hero action with a movement of 3. You can only use this on your turn and it will be your entire turn. You many only do this once per season. Place the spent mana on the token.
  • Hero Abilities

    • Basic hero abilities (on the hero boards):

      • Marklun (Haste): Pay 1 mana to move 2 extra spaces during a hero action. You may do this multiple times on the same die roll.
      • Halia (Strange Luck): Pay 1 mana to reroll a die. You may perform this multiple times on the same turn, or even multiple times on the same die roll.
      • Namal (Armored): You may pay 1 mana to ignore all enemies for 1 turn. Move through enemies without taking damage.
      • Zeik (Farsight): Once per season, you may pay 1 mana to draw a quest card from any of the 3 piles.

      Other hero abilities:

      • Toughness (Zeik): Take 1 fewer damage each time you search/make a choice in a story encounter.
      • Self-repair (Namal): You may spend 1 tool to gain 7 hearts. You may only use this outside of combat and only once per season.
      • Leadership (Halia): Whenever you recruit a new specialist, you pay 1 fewer coin.
      • Research (Marklun): Pay 3 mana to gain 1 book. You may do this as many times as you want during your turn.
      • Siphon Power (Marklun): Pay 1 bottled demon to gain 4 mana. You cannot gain more mana than available slots. You may do this multiple times in one turn.
      • Gravity Orb (Marklun): Spen 1 mana to roll a die and add the result to the damage.
• Story Mode
  • Setup Changes
    • • Retrieve the current chapter book for your campaign. Apply the modified setup rules at the beginning of the of the chapter booklet.
      • Use side of the season board with the reputation track. Place the player markers at the zero location.
  • Rule Changes
    • • When searching, ignore the reward on the opposite side of the search token. Instead check the letter of the space (A-H) and find the specified entry for your character (i.e. Zeik C).
      • The player to your left reads entries from the story book.
      • The reader only reads the title and the skill or combat level after the story paragraph. Do no read the reaciton paragraph being the choice or the rewards.
      • (skills) The player selects 1 of the choices, and rolls a die and loses hearts to add to the result in an attempt to reach or exceed the skill required.
      • (combat) Do this as you would any other combat.
      • If you reach zero hearts or don't succeed, the search ends and you don't get the search token or rewards.
      • If successful, take the listed rewards and search token.
      • If you exceed the skill by 2 or more, there is an additional reward.
      • Note: Some story choices require an additional payment.
      • Reputation: The player must move their marker on the reputation track as specified.
      • End of the Game: In addition to the normal end game scoring, players earn or lose victory points based on their location on the reputation track.
        • The player with the with the highest reputation also receives 3 extra victory points. If there is a tie, all players receive the 3 extra victory points.
  • Mission Tokens
    • 1. If instructed to place your mission token somewhere, place the token with your hero image on the specified location.
      2. You may perform a search at this location to continue a storyline.
      3. When you complete the search, remove your token from the board (or move it to a new location, if instructed). Take a random search token from the box and add to your pool of claimed search tokens (so you gain 1 coin during production).
  • Campaign Sheet
    • • Track each player's victory points and reputation points at the end of each chapter.
      • When all chapters are completed, combine from all 6 chapters for each player to get a campaign score.
      • The player with the highest total reputation gets a bonus 25 points.
      • The player with the highest points is the campaign winner.
      • When starting a new chapter (except chapter 1):
        • The player with the lowest score in the previous chapter starts with +4 coins and +1 reputation.
        • The player with the highest score can start on any space on the board.
• How to Play Videos 📹