Unstable Unicorns - Second Edition Rules
Unstable Unicorns is a turn-based strategy card game about your two favorite things: Unicorns and Destruction. The first person with 7 Unicorns in their Stable wins! (Only 6 Unicorns if you are playing with 6-8 players)
Contents
What's In The Box
- 114 Black-backed cards
- 13 Baby Unicorn cards
- 8 Rules Reference Cards
How To Start
To start, separate the Baby Unicorn cards and the reference cards from the black-backed cards in the box. Shuffle the black-backed cards (including any expansion cards you want to use) together, then deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining stack of cards face down in the center of the table; this is your deck. Leave space next to the deck for a discard pile, which is where you will place cards that have been sacrifices, destroyed, or discarded throughout the game.
Each player must choose a Baby Unicorn card and place it in their Stable, which is the play area in front of them. Place the remaining Baby Unicorn cards in a stack on the table; this stack is the Nursery. Baby Unicorn cards that are not in a player's Stable are always placed back in the Nursery. They are never added to your hand, the deck, or the discard pile.
Each player may also take a reference card to quickly reference the rules.
Now you're ready to play! Whoever is wearing the most colors is obviously the unicorniest, so they go first.
How To Play
THE TURN
Players take turns by going clockwise around the table. Each turn is made up of 4 phases.
Beginning of Turn Phase:
If you have a card in your Stable with an effect that states "If this card is in your Stable at the beginning of your turn," its effect is triggered during this phase.
DRAW PHASE
DRAW a card from the deck.
ACTION PHASE
Take ONE of the following actions:
- Play a Unicorn card from your hand;
- Play a Magic card from your hand;
- Play a Downgrade card from your hand;
- Plan an Upgrade card from your hand;
- DRAW a card from the deck.
END OF TURN PHASE
DISCARD until the number of cards in your hand does not exceed the hand limit. The hand limit is 7 cards (unless otherwise stated).
The Important Terms
Here are a few setup terms you've seen already:
Stable: The play area in front of you in which Unicorn, Upgrade, and Downgrade cards are played.
Nursery: The stack of Baby Unicorn cards on the table.
Deck: The stack of black-backed cards from which players DRAW during the game. This may include black-backed cards from any of the expansion packs.
Discard Pile: The stack of black-backed cards that have been sacrificed, destroyed, or discarded during the game.
Additionally, here are some common terms you'll see on card effects:
DRAW: Pull the top card of the deck and add it to your hand.
DISCARD: Move a card from your hand to the discard pile.
SACRIFICE: Move a card in your Stable to the discard pile. This term is used for Unicorn, Upgrade, and Downgrade cards.
DESTROY: Move a card from any other player's Stable to the discard pile. This term is also used for Unicorn, Upgrade, and Downgrade cards.
STEAL: Move a card from any other player's Stable to your Stable.
The Types of Cards
There are 5 types of cards in the game.
Unicorn Cards have a horn symbol in the top left corner. A Unicorn stays in a player's Stable until it is sacrificed or destroyed. Collect Unicorns in your Stable to win the game!
Unicorn cards come in 3 flavors:
Baby Unicorn cards have a purple corner. Each player starts with a Baby Unicorn card. Since Baby Unicorn cards are kept in the Nursery and are never in any player's hand, the only way to bring more Baby Unicorn cards into your Stable is through a special effect from another card.
Basic Unicorn cards have an indigo corner. They don't have any effects, but they might have a special place in your heart.
Magical Unicorn cards have a blue corner. Each Magical Unicorn card has an effect that can give you an advantage in the game.
Magic cards have a green corner with a star symbol. These cards have a one-time effect; if you play a Magic card on your turn, immediately move it to the discard pile.
Downgrade cards have a yellow corner with a down arrow symbol. Add a Downgrade card to another player's Stable to impose negative effects to that player. (Technically, you can add a Downgrade card to your own Stable, but you'll rarely want to do this.) A Downgrade card stays in a player's Stable until it is sacrificed or destroyed.
Upgrade cards have an orange corner with an up arrow symbol. These cards grant positive effects. You can play an Upgrade card in any player's Stable. An Upgrade card stays in a player's Stable until it is sacrificed or destroyed.
Instant cards have a red corner with an exclamation point symbol. This is the only type of card that doesn't have to played on your turn. In this deck, the Instant cards are Neigh cards, which can be played any time any other player plays a card. Any number of instant cards can be combined during a single turn.
The End of the Game
The first person to successfully collect the required number of Unicorns in their Stable wins! Each Unicorn card counts for one Unicorn (unless otherwise stated.)
- 2-5 Players: 7 Unicorns to win. (If you are playing with 2 players, make sure to read the 2-player Rules section.)
- 6-8 Players: 6 Unicorns to win.
If the deck runs out of cards before any player reaches a winning number of Unicorns in their Stable, the player with the most Unicorns wins.
If two or more players tie for the most Unicorns in their Stable, each tied player must add up the number of letters in the names of all the Unicorn cards in their Stable. The player with the most letters wins.
If two or more players tie for the most Unicorns and the most letters, everyone loses. Ouch.
If you've reached this point in the rules, you know everything you need to know to get started! We added the next section of advanced rules and clarifications for your reference to explain certain interactions that may cause confusion or raise questions throughout the game. You might never need to use it, but it's here for you just in case!
