FREQUENTLY AXED QUESTIONS:
ARE THERE AXES IN THE GAME?
Nope. Sorry, axe-lovers.
WHAT IS BAD NEIGHBORS?
Bad Neighbors is a casual tabletop card game, combining fast-paced misanthropic action with nerdish culture references and humorous illustrations. It's hella fun.
IS IT FAMILY FRIENDLY?
The short answer is: yes! There are (cartoon) boobies on the Pit Fiend, and a monster called a Face Humper (it had been named Face F**ker until the last minute, so we saved you the trial of explaining that to little Timmy), but beyond that there is nothing that would stop family with a sense of humor from playing. Some of our biggest fans are under the age of 12, and they seem to win a disproportionate percentage of their games.
THE END TIMES CARD: HOW DOES IT WORK?
ONE OF MY CARDS IS BLANK. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?
We left one family card blank so that you could draw in a member of your own family. Or an enemy. Or a pet. Or an enemy's pet. It's really up to you.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
CONTENTS:
44 DRAW CARDS
24 FAMILY CARDS
3 RULES CARDS
1 BLANK FAMILY CARD (make your own family member)
A BOX (which is slightly larger than absolutely necessary)
HOW DO YOU WIN BAD NEIGHBORS?
Your goal is to eliminate all of your neighbors, each and every last one of the bandy-legged scum. Inflict demons, vampires, zombies, and aliens on your neighbors. Repel their attacks with the perfect defense, be it holy water or a good old-fashioned shotgun. The game is simple to play and easy to learn and rewards luck and strategy about 50/50. So you can always blame your luck when you lose, and credit your skill when you win.
There are two ways to win:
1. MESSY: kill all of your neighbors (every family member from every house except yours)
2. DEFENSEY: equip your family with every type of weapon (The suits: Zombie (brain); Vampire (blood); Alien (saucer); Demonic (goat).)
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CARDS?
There are two decks (three if you count rules cards, which I don't):
FAMILY CARDS: these have a portrait on one side and a tombstone on the other
DRAW CARDS: these have the bad neighbors art on one side and an illustration on the other. There are three varieties of DRAW CARDS:
MONSTERS: (these have a picture of the monster with a suit in the upper-left corner);
WEAPONS: (these have a picture of the weapon and a CROSSED-OUT suit in the upper left corner);
ACTIONS: (these have an illustration of something and a description of how you use the card - see below for clarifications on that)
HOW DO WE PLAY?
The easiest thing is to start by playing a practice round. Here's the SET-UP:
1. Deal each player 4 family cards, face up.
2. Deal each player 4 draw cards, face down.
3. Put remaining draw cards in a tidy stack.
4. Play.
Each player's turn consists of two acts:
1. DO STUFF (ATTACK or ACTION or DISCARD)
2. DRAW CARDS (refill hand to 4 cards-this is the only time you can draw cards!)
Play continues clockwise.
PLAY A PRACTICE ROUND:
For purposes of the practice round, ignore ACTION cards and forget about discarding and look at your draw cards: separate the MONSTERS and WEAPONS. HINT: weapons are the ones with an X over the suit.
Whoever has WADE (a family card) goes first. If she has a monster, she should play it against one of the other "houses" (players). If the defending house has a matching weapon (the same suit as the monster, but crossed out), he can defend successfully. The monster goes to the discard pile and the defending player chooses one of their family members to equip the weapon. From that point on (until that character leaves the family due to death or homewrecker), the family is safe against that flavor of monster.
Example: a successful defense
Adam (player 1) attacks the house of Brenda (player 2) with a PIT FIEND (demon). Brenda has an anti-demon WEAPON CARD (HOLY WATER) in her hand. Brenda equips LANCE (one of her FAMILY) with the Holy Water. Now Brenda's household is safe from demons. (Unless something happens to Lance.) The Pit Fiend goes to the discard pile. Adam draws until he has 4 cards and ends his turn.
If the defender does not have a matching weapon, he chooses one family member and flips over their card. That family member is now dead and everybody else is closer to winning the game.
Example: a successful attack
Adam (player 1) attacks the house of Brenda(player 2) with a PIT FIEND (demon). Brenda has no anti-demon WEAPON CARDS. Someone in Brenda's house dies. She chooses… THOR. Tragic. So young. Thor is now turned over to the gravestone side (placed in the family plot) and the Pit Fiend goes to the discard pile. Adam draws until he has 4 cards and ends his turn.
After the attack, the attacking player draws cards (from the draw pile) until she has 4 total. The player sitting clockwise goes next. Keep doing this until everyone is comfortable with attacking and defending.
WHAT ABOUT THE ACTION CARDS?
Action cards are single-use, and are placed on the discard pile once their effect is resolved. Exceptions: LIN and MOOSE join your family and are discarded when killed (during later gameplay). Most action cards can only be used on your own turn, instead of attacking or discarding. HOWEVER, Bad Sense of Direction and Lucky Break may only be played on defense. There is an appendix (below and also on the rules cards) that clarifies how each Action card works.
If you don't feel like attacking (perhaps you don't have an appropriate monster? or you're a pinko?), you can use your DO STUFF turn to play an ACTION card. These cards each have special abilities, such as adding another member to your family unit (e.g. LIN). After playing the action card, place it on the discard pile.
Most action cards may only be played on your turn (exceptions: lucky break, bad sense of direction). Action cards are discarded after one use (exceptions: lin & moose).
WHAT ABOUT DISCARDING?
If you don't like your hand, and it's your DO STUFF turn, change it. Discard as many DRAW cards as you like. You'll get fresh ones at the end of your turn. That means you don't get to attack or take an action on your turn, though. Deal with it.
NOTE: if you didn't ATTACK or use an ACTION, you must discard at least one card. Sucks to be you.
HOW DO YOU ATTACK?
1. Choose a monster and place it in close proximity to someone else's family.
2. If the defender has matching weapon (suit) equipped, he's safe. If not, he may now equip one, placing it under a living family member.OR:If the defender has a defensive action card, he may play that instead.
3. If none of the above, one of the defender's family members dies (his choice). Flip the card over and discard their weapon (if equipped).
4. After the attack is resolved, put the used monster on the discard pile;
5. Draw (until you have 4 cards) and end your turn (the defender does not get to draw).
HOW DO YOU DEFEND?
•You may only equip a weapon in response to a monster attack, and only a weapon of a matching suit;
•If you equip (or are already equipped with) a weapon that matches the attacking monster (suit), you defeat the monster;
(for example, machete defeats morbidly undead)
•LUCKY BREAK or BAD SENSE OF DIRECTION may be used on defense, but they are discarded after one use;
•If you can't defend, one of your family dies (you pick who);
•If a family member dies, his/her weapon is discarded;
•Each family member may only equip 1 weapon at a time;
•If you need to equip a new weapon, you may discard a weapon you already have equipped;
•You may not equip a dead family member, you sicko;
•If a family member is stolen (homewrecker), their weapon goes with them;
•If your family is equipped with all 4 suits of weapon you win.
HOW DO WEAPON CARDS WORK?
You can only equip a weapon when you are under attack, and only when attacked by a MONSTER of the same type. For example, you must be attacked by a vampire in order to deploy an anti-vampire weapon (e.g. MS. POKEY). You may not equip a weapon as an action on your own turn.
Any weapons already equipped will protect your family against the matching monster type. You do not need to equip a second weapon of the same type, although you can if the opportunity presents itself.
A family member already equipped with a weapon can switch to a new weapon in the event of an attack. In this case, the first weapon is discarded.
Upon the character's death, their weapon is discarded.
HOW DO MONSTER CARDS WORK?
Monsters come in four flavors (suits). When attacking, place your monster in close proximity to the house you want to wipe out. After attacking, the monster goes to the discard pile.
WHAT ABOUT WHEN WE RUN OUT OF DRAW CARDS?
When the last card has been drawn, take the discard pile and randomize it. Let someone else cut it. BOOM! It's like a whole new draw deck.
MY FAMILY DIED. NOW WHAT?
Your whole family has been killed off by a series of horrible events. Boo-hoo. I hope you've learned a valuable lesson. Return all your DRAW cards (including weapons) to the discard pile and wait. It shouldn't be too long. Fix yourself a drink or something.
WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE MY FAMILY?
It is perfectly normal to express regrets about the family you are stuck with.
WHO MADE THIS BITCHIN' ART? CAN I GET SOME CUSTOM MADE?
The art was penciled by Mike Peterson and Sunday Williams, inked and colored by Peterson, and lettered by Williams.We are often available to create custom art. Email us at the link above (mort@badneighbors(dot)org).
CAN I GET A TATOO OF FRUIT PUNCH VAMPIRE?
You have our blessing. If you do it at Spidermonkey (Olympia, WA), they'll give you a sweet discount.
IS THERE, LIKE, A FACEBOOK?
Yep. BadNeighborsGame. You should totes like it or whatever you kids do.
ACTION CARD APPENDIX:
FATE: "Kill one character of your choice"
ACTION. Yes, this includes your own family. Any weapon equipped by the fated character is discarded. Turn the character card over, place them in the family plot.
LUCKY BREAK: "Prevents any fatality"
DEFENSIVE. Can be used to counter FATE.
HOMEWRECKER: "Take one person of your choosing, and add them to your family".
ACTION. Applies to living family members in other houses. Any weapons equipped by the target remain equipped (HINT). LIN and MOOSE are eligible, if they are in play.
END TIMES "The dead rise and attack their families"
ACTION. affects all players (including the one that played it). •Having any anti-zombie weapon(s) equipped (or equipping one now, from your hand) will protect you from your zombified loved ones. •All undead family members are removed from play after the attack.• Victims are buried normally.• Combat is resolved as though the deceased family members are zombies (brain suit). If you do not have an anti-zombie weapon, your family will suffer casualties equal to the number of walking dead family members. (For example: if you have two dead family members, two live family members, and no anti-zombie weapons, your family will be wiped out.) Those killed by their former family are buried normally. Turn them face-down next to the survivors.
PET CEMETERY: "Bring one family member back from the grave"
ACTION. May only be used if you have a dead family member (in the family plot).
BAD SENSE OF DIRECTION: "Monster attacks house on the left of where it was headed"
DEFENSIVE. This means the house on the defender's left (clockwise) side must defend. In a two-player game, it returns to attack the sender. Combat is resolved normally. You can play BSOD when any player is attacked.
LIN: "Add to family"
ACTION/FAMILY MEMBER. Can be equipped with weapons (during the course of play). When killed, is discarded and not placed in the family gravesite.
MOOSE: "Add to family"
ACTION/FAMILY MEMBER. Can be equipped with weapons (during the course of play). When killed, is discarded and not placed in the family gravesite.
VARIANT RULES:
After you master the basic game, switch it up a bit. Bear in mind that these aren't totally "play-tested" or anything, so let us know how you like 'em.
DOGPILE: Your hand consists of as many cards as you have living family members. If ever you use a card, you get to draw a new one. If you lose a family member, you immediately have to discard.
SURVIVALIST: You may equip a weapon as an action on your own turn.
IMPROVISER: If you have any weapon already equipped, you may successfully defend against any monster attack. However, if you choose to defend with a weapon of the wrong type, the weapon is removed from play (not discarded). You may not play a "wrong" weapon from your hand in response to an attack.
LAST-MAN-ON-EARTH (LMOE): If your house is down to one family member, he or she may equip more than one weapon (up to 3). Adding additional family members removes the bonus, and the extra weapons must be discarded (player's choice as to which). If the LMOE is taken by HOMEWRECKER, all weapons are discarded.
SCROUNGE: Discarded weapons stay on top of the discard pile until a monster is discarded. On your turn you may claim the top weapon from the trash heap, instead of attacking, discarding, or taking action.
MUSCLE: You can play LIN or MOOSE at any time, without needing an ACTION, including as a heroic sacrifice to save your "real" family. You meanie.
HUNGRY: Any successful zombie attack leads to another zombie attack on the same house on the victim's next turn. Add the zombie card face-up to the victim's surviving family. After the victim has taken a full move (ACTION/ATTACK/DISCARD +DRAW), the zombie attacks again. Combat is resolved normally, except that the victorious zombie remains with the family (instead of being discarded). Continue until the family is wiped out or the zombie is defeated. If the zombie is victorious, he goes on to attack the house clockwise from his that player's next turn. If the player is attacked by a non-zombie monster, while the zombie is a "member" of their house, the zombie may be chosen to defend. In this case, the zombie will be killed and sent to the discard pile (along with the successful attacking monster.) (Unless of course, the master of the house is stupid enough to arm the zombie with an appropriate weapon in order to repel the interloper, in which case, OK, sure, but why?) While the zombie is a household member, he is subject to FATE (and HOMEWRECKER, since you asked). If END TIMES is played while you have a zombie in your house, he gains an extra attack against you.
UBER: Any successful Vampire attack leads to another attack. Vampire proceeds to the next house counterclockwise, and attacks normally. Continue until everyone is dead or the vamp is defeated. All this action takes place in the same turn. HINT: If you're using this variant, you probably shouldn't attack with a vampire unless you have an anti-vamp weapon in your house.
INVASION: Any attack by aliens affects the whole neighborhood at once (every house).
HELLMOUTH: Attacking with a demonic monster does not cost an action and can be done at any time, even during another player's turn.
BIG BAD: All of the above.
EXTENDED FAMILY: Instead of using MOOSE or LIN as family members, trade them in for new family cards (from the unused pile). So you get a new family member (which is not discarded when killed) and MOOSE/LIN go to the discard pile.
ABOUT BAD NEIGHBORS:
BAD NEIGHBORS was created by the peaceful, quiet people who live at Cuddle Manor, Olympia, WA. ©2013. Don't mess with us.
Questions or comments may be directed to mort@badneighbors(dot)org.