Twisted Cryptids Strategy Board Game

About this product

Build your legend from the shadows, but choose carefully when the humans get too close.

A standalone strategy game from Unstable Games.

Manipulate hikers, hunters and researchers, reveal carefully planned Sightings and finish with the most Myth.

Expansion available: Add Jersey Devil, Lizard Person, six Cults and support for up to six players with the [Twisted Cryptids Cryptid Culture Expansion].

Product Description

Feeling unseen is difficult, especially when you are a legendary Cryptid hiding in the wilderness.

In Twisted Cryptids, each player takes control of Bigfoot, Loveland Frog, Jackalope or Mothman. Every Cryptid has a unique power that can help move humans around the Wilderness and shape the perfect opportunity to build Myth.

Before play begins, arrange your nine Sighting cards into three hidden Stacks. Each Stack connects to one of your Hiding Spots, so the order of your cards and the placement of your tokens will influence what happens during future Encounters.

Each of the five rounds follows four phases. At Dawn, an Event moves humans around the Wilderness. During the Day, players use Action cards or their Cryptid powers to lure, scare, attract and extract hikers, hunters and researchers.

At Dusk, an Encounter occurs at the Site with the most humans and at least one Hiding Spot. Cryptids hiding there reveal a Sighting, adjust their Myth according to the humans present and resolve the card’s effect.

Sightings include Decoys, Hoaxes, Silhouettes and Real Deals. Each type responds differently to the humans watching, which means careful timing can bring valuable Myth or leave your Cryptid feeling a little too exposed.

After five rounds, players reveal their remaining Sightings and Hidden Traits. Unrevealed Real Deals and completed Hidden Trait objectives can add further Myth. The player with the greatest total becomes the True Legend.

Why you’ll love it

• Four playable Cryptids: Choose Bigfoot, Loveland Frog, Jackalope or Mothman, each with a unique Cryptid power.
• Plan your hidden Sightings: Arrange your cards into three Stacks and decide which Sightings may appear during future Encounters.
• Manipulate the wilderness: Lure, scare, attract and extract humans to create favourable situations around your Hiding Spots.
• Different human behaviours: Hikers, hunters and researchers interact differently with Hoaxes, Decoys, Silhouettes and Real Deals.
• Secret personal objectives: Hidden Trait cards reward players for completing specific goals by the end of the game.
• Careful risk decisions: Real Deals can provide valuable Myth when revealed at the right moment, while unrevealed Real Deals also score at the end.
• Structured five round game: Dawn, Day, Dusk and Night phases give each round a clear and engaging flow.
• Plenty of player interaction: Your actions can shift humans across the board and change which Site becomes the next Encounter.

Quick Details

• Publisher: Unstable Games
• Product type: Competitive strategy board game
• Players: 2 to 4 players
• Playable Cryptids: Bigfoot, Loveland Frog, Jackalope and Mothman
• Game length: 5 rounds
• Round phases: Dawn, Day, Dusk and Night
• Human types: Hikers, hunters and researchers
• Sighting types: Decoys, Hoaxes, Silhouettes and Real Deals
• Objective: Finish the game with the greatest total Myth
• Contents: 52 Action cards, 12 Event cards, 10 Hidden Trait cards, 4 tarot sized Cryptid cards, 36 Sighting cards, 12 Hiding Spot tokens, 4 Cryptid meeples, 30 Human tokens, 12 double sided Myth tokens, 1 First Player token, 1 Sinkhole token, 1 Wilderness board and 1 rulebook

Good to Know

• Standalone game: No other game is required to play Twisted Cryptids.
• Secret setup: Players arrange their Sighting cards into three hidden Stacks before the game begins.
• Unique Cryptid powers: Each Cryptid may use its special power once per round by discarding an Action card.
• Encounter location: Each Dusk, the Encounter happens at the Site with the most humans that also contains at least one Hiding Spot.
• End game scoring: Each unrevealed Real Deal is worth 7 Myth, and Hidden Traits may provide additional bonus Myth.
• Two player adjustment: The Sinkhole token closes the Scenic Swamp during a two player game.
• Important warning: Not suitable for children under 3 years because small parts may present a choking hazard.