2020 · Core Rules (min needed to play)
Cairn
Players take the roles of hardened adventurers exploring a dark, mysterious Wood populated by strange folk, hidden treasure and unspeakable monstrosities. Character creation is quick and random and uses a classless, rules-light system inspired by old-school roleplaying; advancement is driven by fiction rather than XP or levels. One participant acts as the facilitator (the Warden) and adjudicates encounters, making most rulings on the fly. Gameplay emphasizes exploration, improvisation and player-driven decision making within minimal mechanics that resolve actions and risks.
- Complexity
- 1 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Art
- Publishers
Expansion for
See them in Ludoya
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 1
- Plays logged
- 1
- Players
- 4h
- Average play
- 2
- In collections
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Do I flip an Action tile after I use it?
Yes. After completing the action, flip its tile to the other side; if that move also puts a shaman on a megalith, flip the Action tile before resolving the megalith’s power (pages 4, 7).
Can I activate a Transformation just because the shamans match the tile?
No. The arrangement must match the Transformation tile, and you must have moved one of the shamans shown in that arrangement this turn. You can activate only one Transformation per turn (page 5).
How does a shaman leave the field, and where does its megalith go?
A shaman can leave only through your opponent’s village, by moving or jumping. Construct a megalith on the last space the shaman occupied before leaving (pages 4–5).
What if the space where I’m supposed to build a megalith already has one?
You cannot build another megalith on an occupied space. You also don’t advance on your score track or draw a replacement upcoming megalith for that failed construction (page 6).
Who can use a megalith, and when does it activate?
Either player can use a constructed megalith. It activates when a shaman moves onto it, whether voluntarily or not; moving a megalith under a shaman does not activate it (pages 7–8).
How do you win, and can you lose without the other player building three megaliths?
You win immediately when you construct your third megalith. You lose immediately if, at the beginning of your turn, you cannot perform any of the three actions (page 7).
Free, on web, Android and iOS
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.