How to Play

The Grizzled

2-5 players 30-30 min 7.1 Board Game Geek Rating

Players cooperatively survive WWI trenches by managing hidden threat and personality cards. The team leader determines card draws each round, then players either play cards or retreat from missions. Success requires depleting all cards without triggering too many identical threats or running out of time, relying on teamwork and strategic planning.

Published 2015

Get Ready

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

Create the Trial Deck

Place 25 cards facedown on top of the Peace Card

Create the Morale Deck

Place remaining 34 cards on top of the Monument Card

Set Speech Token Supply

Use 5 tokens for 2-3 players, 4 tokens for 4 players, or 3 tokens for 5 players

Assign Mission Leader

Give the Mission Leader Token to the hairiest player

Distribute Grizzled Cards

Each player receives a Grizzled Card placed with the clover side face-up

Distribute Support Tiles

Each player receives 3 Support Tiles: 1 pointing left, 1 pointing right, and 1 random

Designate No Man's Land

Leave space next to the decks for playing Threat cards

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Preparation Phase

Mission Leader decides mission Intensity (how many cards each player draws from Trials deck)

Play a Trials Card

Play a Threat Card to No Man's Land or a Hard Knock in front of you

Use a Good Luck Charm

If clover is face-up, discard 1 card from No Man's Land matching your charm's Threat, then flip your Grizzled card

Make a Speech

Choose and announce a Threat; all non-withdrawn players must discard 1 card with that Threat from their hand, then remove a Speech token from the game

Withdraw

Stop taking turns this mission; place a Support Tile facedown on your Grizzled Card to indicate who receives your support

Mission Success

Occurs when all players have withdrawn; discard all cards in No Man's Land

Mission Failure

Occurs when 3 identical Threats appear across No Man's Land and non-withdrawn players' Hard Knocks; shuffle No Man's Land into Trials deck

Support Phase

All players reveal Support Tiles and give them to indicated players

Morale Drop

Add cards from Morale deck to Trials deck equal to total cards remaining in players' hands (minimum 3)

Pass Leadership

Mission Leader takes a Speech token if available and passes Mission Leader token to the left