How to Play

Chaos in the Old World

3-4 players 60-120 min 7.7 Board Game Geek Rating

Players embody Chaos gods competing to corrupt the Old World. Each deity—Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh—possesses unique powers, followers, and abilities reflecting their dark nature. Victory comes through three different paths while battling rival gods and desperate world inhabitants seeking to banish you back to the Chaos Realm.

Published 2009

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Choose a God

Each player selects a Chaos God and receives all components in their color: power overview sheet, score marker (placed on the score track), playing figures, upgrade cards, Chaos cards, corruption tokens, and power marker (placed on the light number of the power track)

Draw starting hand

Each player takes the top 3 cards from their Chaos card deck into their hand

Arrange seating order

Players sit according to turn order: Khorne first, Nurgle to his left, then Tzeentch, then Slaanesh (skip any god not in play for 3 players)

Set dial positions

Place each god's dial with the main window on the start text of each Chaos power

Prepare destruction cards

Sort destruction cards by number with card "1" on top, ascending to card "5" at the bottom, then place on the designated board space

Prepare Old World cards

Take a face-down stack of Old World cards (4 players = 7 cards, 3 players = 8 cards), place on the designated board space, and remove remaining cards from the game

Place population tokens

Take 2 Noble tokens, 3 Warpstone tokens, and 4 Peasant tokens from the supply and place one randomly in each region following region order

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Old World Phase

The player with the lowest threat value draws an Old World card and performs its action (in italics), then places it face-up on position "1" of the Old World track

Draw Phase

Each player draws Chaos cards equal to the number shown on their power overview and takes them into hand (no hand limit exists)

Action Phase

In turn order, each player performs one action: play a Chaos card OR place/move a playing figure

Battle Phase

Resolve battles in region order, then turn order, when a player has at least one target (other player or Peasant token)

Corruption Phase

Calculate dominance per region, then place corruption tokens

End Phase

Resolve the following in order: