Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories is a cooperative board game designed by Antoine Bauza, first published in 2008 by Repos Production. In this game, 1 to 4 players assume the roles of Taoist monks defending a village from the onslaught of Wu-Feng, the Lord of Nine Hells, and his legions of ghosts. The primary objective is to work together to exorcise these malevolent spirits and prevent the resurrection of Wu-Feng.

Game Components:

• 4 individual player boards representing the Taoist monks.
• 9 village tiles arranged to form the central playing area.
• 3 Tao dice and 1 special Tao die.
• 1 curse die.
• 55 ghost cards depicting various spirits and their abilities.
• 10 incarnation of Wu-Feng cards representing the game's bosses.
• 20 Tao tokens in different colors.
• 20 Qi (life) tokens.
• 4 Taoist figurines.
• 4 Yin-Yang tokens.
• 8 haunting figurines.
• 2 Buddha figurines.
• Various markers and tokens to track game status.

Gameplay Overview:

Players collaborate to fend off waves of ghosts drawn from a deck, each with unique abilities that can hinder the monks or haunt village tiles. On a player's turn, they typically draw a ghost card, placing it on their board, and then perform actions such as moving their monk, attempting to exorcise adjacent ghosts by rolling Tao dice, or utilizing the special abilities of the village tiles. Successful exorcisms remove ghosts from play, while failures can lead to adverse effects, including the haunting of village tiles.

Winning and Losing Conditions:

• Victory: Players win by defeating the incarnation of Wu-Feng, which appears after a predetermined number of ghost cards have been drawn.
• Defeat: The game is lost if three village tiles become haunted, if the ghost deck is exhausted without Wu-Feng being defeated, or if all Taoist monks are killed.

Strategic Elements:

Success in Ghost Stories requires careful coordination among players, strategic use of village tile abilities, and effective management of the ever-growing threat of ghosts. The game is known for its challenging difficulty and the necessity for players to adapt to rapidly changing situations.

Product Details:

• Players: 1–4
• Recommended Age: 12+
• Playtime: Approximately 60 minutes

Ghost Stories offers an immersive and challenging cooperative experience, demanding teamwork and strategic planning to overcome the relentless forces of darkness.