Betrayal Legacy
2018
Dive into 'Betrayal Legacy', an immersive board game where players explore a haunted mansion, wielding family heirlooms and unfolding tales that span generations.
90
minutes
3 - 5
player(s)
12+
Medium
About the game
Betrayal Legacy is a semi-cooperative campaign board game that immerses players into an exhilarating narrative of mystery, horror, and discovery. As the game unfolds over generations, players will learn more about their families’ intriguing stories, their haunted house, and its dark history.
The game is set in the shadowy halls of an ancient, creepy mansion. Each player represents a family with a deep history, returning to the house over several generations. Throughout the game, players will guide their characters through a series of adventures, revealing the house’s sinister secrets one room at a time.
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Setup and rules summary
Game flow Round and round we go
Betrayal Legacy is a unique board game that evolves and changes over time based on the actions of the players. It is played over a series of campaigns, and each campaign is divided into a number of distinct phases. Here is an overview of the structure and phases in a typical game of Betrayal Legacy:
Prologue: This phase provides a backstory for the game and introduces players to the basic mechanics. Each player chooses a character and a family name.
Setup: Players set up the game board, placing their characters at the entrance. They also shuffle the event, item, and omen decks and place them face down.
Exploration Phase: During each turn of the exploration phase, players can move their characters up to a number of tiles equal to their character’s speed. They can explore new rooms by drawing tiles from the stack and placing them on the board. If a player draws a tile with a symbol, they draw a card from the corresponding deck.
- Event Cards: These typically require the player to make a roll or a choice that can have various outcomes.
- Item Cards: These can be kept and used at a later time.
- Omen Cards: These are similar to event cards, but drawing one also requires the player to make a haunt roll.
Haunt Phase: If a player’s haunt roll is less than the number of omens that have been revealed, the haunt phase begins. The specific scenario for the haunt phase is determined by the omen card and room that triggered the haunt. One player typically becomes a traitor and the others are heroes. The heroes and traitor then read their respective scenarios from the Traitor’s Tome and Secrets of Survival books.
Post-Haunt Phase: The haunt phase plays out according to the scenario, with players using items, making attacks, and otherwise trying to accomplish their goals. Once the haunt is resolved, the game ends.
Legacy Phase: After the game ends, the Legacy phase begins. Players make permanent changes to the game based on the outcome of the haunt. This might involve placing stickers on the board, destroying cards, or unlocking new content.
Betrayal Legacy is a game that truly grows and evolves over time, with each game influencing the next. The choices you make, the items you find, and the haunts you encounter all have lasting impacts, creating a unique and dynamic experience for each group of players.
End of the game All good games must come to an end
Betrayal Legacy is a dynamic board game that consists of a prologue and 13 chapters, each representing a different era on a haunted estate’s timeline. The end of the game is dependent on the completion of these chapters and can vary based on the Haunt that is revealed during gameplay.
The game ends when one of the following victory conditions is met:
- Defeating the Traitor: If the heroes manage to defeat the traitor by completing the goals outlined in the Survival or Traitor’s Tome, they win the game.
- Fullfilling the Haunt’s objectives: The game can end if the traitor or the heroes complete the specific objectives of the haunt. These objectives are detailed in the haunt booklets and vary depending on the haunt that is triggered.
- Completion of the Final Chapter: The game ends after the completion of the final chapter, regardless of the haunt’s outcome. This is the conclusion of the campaign.
Before final scoring, players must do the following:
- Ensure all the cards, tokens, and figures are sorted and returned to their respective places.
- Record the outcome of the game in the Bleak Journal, noting the winners and any characters that died during the game.
- Depending on the outcome, certain cards may be destroyed, removed from the game, or new cards may be added to the event, item, or omen decks. Ensure this is done correctly.
- Update the family histories in the rulebook, noting any significant events or milestones achieved by each family.
The player or team that has won the most chapters at the end of the game is declared the overall winner of Betrayal Legacy.
Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?
Betrayal Legacy is a unique board game that uses a point system to determine the victor of each chapter. The points are awarded based on various actions and achievements within the game. The scoring system changes as the game progresses through the chapters, allowing for different strategies and outcomes.
Generally, the point system works as follows:
- Surviving: Every surviving player at the end of the chapter receives 5 points.
- Winning: The winning side (either the traitor or the heroes) receives an additional 5 points.
- Deeds: Players can earn points based on specific deeds they’ve done during the game. The exact deeds and their values can change from chapter to chapter.
Here’s how the scoring is calculated at the end of each chapter:
- Count the number of points each player has earned from surviving, winning and deeds.
- Add any additional points players may have earned from cards or other game effects.
- The player with the most points at the end of the chapter is the winner.
If there’s a tie at the end of the chapter, the tie-breaking rules come into play:
- In the event of a tie, the player who has the oldest character (based on birth date) wins the game.
- If there’s still a tie, the player with the highest Might value on their character card wins.
- If there’s still a tie, the player with the highest Sanity value on their character card wins.
- If there’s still a tie, the players share the victory.
Remember, the goal of Betrayal Legacy isn’t necessarily to have the most points, but to survive the horror and tell the story of your character’s family.
Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?
Betrayal Legacy is a thrilling board game packed with mystery and surprises. However, due to its complex and evolving nature, there are several special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players should be aware of:
1. Card Play: A player can use any number of item or event cards on their turn, but only one omen card. The only exception to this rule is during the haunt phase, where players can use as many omen cards as they like.
2. Haunt Roll: Usually, a haunt roll is made after an omen card is drawn. However, an exception to this rule is during the prologue, where there is no haunt roll.
- Starting Items: In some games, players start with items. Unless otherwise stated, these items cannot be dropped, traded, or stolen.
- Multiple Characters: A player can control more than one character. However, if a player’s character dies, they can’t take control of another character until the start of their next turn.
- Tile Placement: When placing a new tile, the tile must be placed so that it is connected to the doorway of an already placed tile. Tiles cannot be placed in a way that doors would connect to walls on already placed tiles.
- Item and Event Cards: Unless the card specifies otherwise, item and event cards can only be used once per turn.
- Monster Movement: Monsters move differently than players. They can move through walls and don’t have to stop when entering a room with an opponent.
- Death: When a player’s character dies, all of the cards in their possession are dropped in the room where the character died. These cards can be picked up by any player who enters the room later in the game.
In addition to these rules, there are also many rule clarifications in the game’s rulebook. It’s recommended to keep the rulebook nearby during the game for any questions that may arise.