Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots

2 or 3 Players • Ages 10 and Up • 40 to 60 Minutes

Take on the role of a Disney Villain. To win, you must explore your character’s unique abilities and discover how to achieve your own story-based objective. Each Villain Guide will inspire you with strategies and tips. Once you’ve figured out the best way to play as one Villain, try to master another. There are three different Villains in this game, and each one achieves victory in a different way!

To learn how to play, watch the video: Ravensburger.com/DisneyVillainousGamePlay

Components

• 3 Boards (Gaston, Lady Tremaine, Horned King)
• 3 Villain Movers
• 3 Villain Decks (30 Cards each)
• 3 Fate Decks (15 Cards each)
• 3 Villain Guides
• 3 Reference Cards
• 8 Obstacle Tokens
• 5 Trapped Tokens
• 1 Lock Token
• 40 Power Tokens
• 1 Black Cauldron Tile
• 1 Fate Token

Villain Guide

There is a Villain Guide for each Villain that includes details on their Objective and other information unique to them. Before playing as a Villain, it is a good idea to read that specific Villain Guide. Keep the Villain Guide handy during the game for reference.

Reference Card

The Reference Card lists how each Villain achieves their Objective. This will help you determine if an opponent is approaching victory and how to slow their progress. It also identifies the action symbols found on your Board.

Game Overview

Each player takes the role of a different Disney Villain, and each Villain has a different Objective they are trying to achieve. Each turn, you will move your Villain Mover to a location on your Board and perform the actions that are available there. Through these actions, you will play cards from your Villain deck as you work to achieve your Objective. On their turns, your opponents may play cards from your Fate deck to hinder your progress.

Objective & Winning the Game

As soon as a player has achieved their Villain’s Objective, the game ends and that player is the winner! Refer to your Villain Guide for tips on how to achieve your Villain’s Objective.

Note: Some Objectives are only achieved at the start of the turn, as stated on the Villain’s Board.

1. Choose a Villain: Each player chooses a Villain and takes the corresponding Board, Villain Mover, Villain deck, Fate deck, and Villain Guide, as well as a Reference Card and any special tokens or tiles.
2. Place your Board: Place your Board in front of you. Each Board contains four locations. Place your Villain Mover on the left-most location.
   • If a location has a lock-icon in the corner place a Lock Token on it. That Villain may not enter that location until the location has become unlocked as explained in their Villain Guide.
   • Note: Each Villain requires special setup of their Board, as shown in their respective Villain Guides.

   

3. Place Villain Deck: Shuffle your Villain deck and place it face down to the left of your Board. Leave room for a discard pile.
4. Draw Starting Hand: Draw a starting hand of four cards from your Villain deck. You may look at your cards, but keep them hidden from the other players.
5. Place Fate Deck: Shuffle your Fate deck and place it face down to the right of your Board. Leave room for a discard pile.
6. Supply: Place the Power Tokens within reach of all players to form the Supply.
7. Starting Power: Choose a player to go first.
   • The first player does not start with any Power.
   • The second player starts the game with one Power.
   • The third player starts with two Power.

   

8. Read Objectives: Each player reads the Objective on their Board out loud so all players know each Villain’s Objective.

Each player has their own Board, representing their Villain’s Realm. All cards played to your Board are considered to be in your Realm. Cards in your hand, decks, and discard piles are not in your Realm. Card Abilities only affect cards in the same Realm.

Note: No card in one Villain’s Realm will ever affect a card in another Villain’s Realm.

• Locations: Each Realm has four named locations you may move your Villain to.
• Actions: Each location has symbols for actions you may perform when you move to that location.
• Villain Cards: You play Villain cards to the bottom of your Board.
• Fate Cards: Your opponents play Fate cards to the top of your Board.
• Objective: Each Villain has a different Objective they must achieve to win the game.

Do the following, in this order:

1. 1. Move Your Villain

   Move your Villain Mover to a different location. You may move to any location in your Realm. You may not stay at your previous location.

   

2. 2. Perform Actions

   Each location has symbols representing the actions you may take when you move there. For each symbol that appears, you may perform the corresponding action one time. All actions are optional and may be performed in any order. (See Types of Actions for details.)

   During the game, actions may be covered by Fate cards. If an action is covered, that action is unavailable and may not be performed until the card covering it is moved or discarded. When an action is uncovered, it is immediately available and may be performed if your Villain is at that location and it is still your turn.

3. 3. Draw Cards

   At the end of your turn, if you have fewer than four cards in your hand, draw from your Villain deck until you have four.

   If your Villain deck is empty and you need to draw more cards, shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck.

   Note: You must wait until the end of your turn to draw cards, even if you have fewer than four cards at the start of your turn.

Now it’s the next player’s turn.

Your Villain’s location dictates what actions you may perform. However, those actions may affect cards at locations throughout your Realm.

Note: Each Board is different, and some of the actions may not appear on your Board.

Gain Power

Take Power from the Supply equal to the number in the symbol on your location. Keep your Power next to your Board. Power is the currency of the game. You need Power to play cards and activate Abilities.

Play a Card

Play a card from your hand. You must perform this action in order to play a card, and you may play only one card for each Play a Card symbol on your location.

Most cards have a Cost that is shown in the upper left corner. When you play a card, you must pay its Cost by returning that many Power to the Supply. If you do not have enough Power to pay a card’s Cost, you may not play the card.

An Item or Ally may be played to any location in your Realm. Play the card to the bottom of your Board, below the location. (See Types of Cards for details.)

Activate

Choose one card in your Realm with an Activate symbol. Pay the card’s Activation Cost, if any, and resolve the card’s Activated Ability. (See Activated Abilities on page 15.)

Move an Item or Ally

Move* one Item or one Ally at any location in your Realm to an adjacent location. You may not move an Item that is attached to an Ally or a Hero, but if you move an Ally, all Items attached to them are moved with them.

Move a Hero

Move one Hero at any location in your Realm to an adjacent location. This action does not appear on any Villain’s Board in this game, but you may see it if you mix Villainous games. (See Mixing Games on page 16.)

*See “Playing” Cards and “Moving” Cards on page 17.

Fate

Choose an opponent to target. Reveal* two cards from the top of that opponent’s Fate deck. Choose one card to play and discard the other face up to that opponent’s Fate discard pile.

You decide how to use the Fate card’s Ability against your opponent. By taking a Fate action, you can disrupt an opponent’s progress.

A Hero may be played to any location in that opponent’s Realm. Play the card to the top of their Board, covering the top of the location. (See Types of Cards for details.)

If an opponent’s Fate deck is empty and you need to reveal more cards, they shuffle their Fate discard pile to form a new deck.

*See “Revealing” Cards and “Looking at” Cards on page 17.

Vanquish

Defeat one Hero at any location in your Realm by using one or more Allies that are already at the same location as the Hero.

Each Ally and Hero has a Strength (lower left corner) which may be modified by other cards in the Realm. The Ally must have a Strength equal to or higher than the Hero’s Strength. Multiple Allies may be used by adding their Strengths together.

To Vanquish the Hero, discard the Ally (or Allies) to your Villain discard pile. Discard the defeated Hero to your Fate discard pile.

Note: Lady Tremaine has no Vanquish actions. Instead, she traps her opponents and keeps them locked away. See Lady Tremaine’s Villain Guide for details.

Discard Cards

Discard as many cards as you wish from your hand. Cards should be discarded face up to your Villain discard pile. Getting rid of unwanted cards will give you new options on your next turn.

When discarding, do not immediately draw new cards. You must wait until the end of your turn to draw back to four cards.

Each player has Villain cards (with colored backs) and Fate cards (with white backs). You play your Villain cards from your hand, usually to the bottom of your Board, while usually your opponents play your Fate cards to the top of your Board.

Any card that is at a location on your Board is considered to be in your Villain’s Realm. A card’s Ability is ongoing and in effect for as long as the card remains in your Realm.

There is no limit to the number of Villain cards or Fate cards that may be played to a location. As cards are played to locations, slightly offset them so all cards at a location can be seen.

Ally

Ally cards appear only in the Villain deck and represent your Villain’s henchmen and helpers. To play an Ally, pay its Cost (shown in the upper left corner) and place the card below any location in your Realm.

Once Allies have been played to a location, you may use them to defeat Heroes at the same location by performing the Vanquish action. Each Ally has a Strength (shown in the lower left corner), which may be modified by other cards in the Realm. Additionally, most Allies have an Ability that affects other cards or actions. Once an Ally is in your Realm, you’ll need to decide whether to use it to defeat a Hero or keep it in your Realm for its Ability.

Hero

Hero cards appear only in the Fate deck and represent the irksome do-gooders who are trying to stop your Villain’s sinister plans. Usually, you will play Heroes from your opponents’ Fate decks by performing the Fate action. To play a Hero, place the card so it is covering the top of any location in the Realm.

You can use a Hero to hinder an opponent’s progress by covering useful actions. The actions covered by a Hero are no longer available until the Hero is moved or defeated. Each Hero has a Strength (shown in the lower left corner), which may be modified by other cards in the Realm. Additionally, most Heroes have an Ability that makes it harder for your opponent to achieve their Objective.

If there are multiple Heroes at a location, and the Hero covering the action symbols is defeated, move any other Heroes down so one of them covers the symbols.

Effect

Effect cards appear in both the Villain deck and the Fate deck and are one-time events. To play an Effect, pay its Cost (if one is shown in the upper left corner), do what the card says, then discard it face up to the appropriate discard pile. If you cannot do what the card says, you may not play that Effect. Effects are considered to be in the Realm when they are played, but leave the Realm when discarded.

Item

Item cards appear in both the Villain deck and the Fate deck and have an Ability that affects other cards or actions.

• Villain Deck Items: To play an Item from the Villain deck, pay its Cost (shown in the upper left corner) and place the card below any location in your Realm, unless the Item says to attach it to an Ally or Hero. If an Item from the Villain deck says to attach it to an Ally or Hero, you must place the Item under a card of that type at any location in your Realm.
• Fate Deck Items: All Items from the Fate deck are attached to a Hero. To play an Item from the Fate deck, place the card under a Hero at any location in the target opponent’s Realm.
• If there are no cards of the required type available to attach an Item to, you may not play that Item.
• If an Ally or Hero with an Item attached is moved or discarded, all attached Items are moved or discarded with them.
• There is no limit to the number of Items that may be attached to an Ally or Hero.

Condition

Condition cards are unusual because you play them during an opponent’s turn. They are not played by performing a Play a Card action. During an opponent’s turn, if you have a Condition in your hand and the requirement on the card is met, you may immediately play the card, do what it says, and then discard it face up to your discard pile. There is no limit to the number of Conditions that may be played at one time.

After a Condition is played, the opponent’s turn continues. Do not draw a new card. You must wait until the end of your turn to draw back to four cards.

Activated Abilities

Some cards have Activated Abilities, which are card Abilities that must be activated to be used. Cards with an Activated Ability have an Activate symbol next to or above an Ability to indicate that this Ability is not always in effect.

A card with an Activated Ability is played to a location as normal. However, you may not resolve the Activated Ability immediately. Each time you wish to use the card’s Activated Ability, you must perform the Activate action and pay the Activation Cost, if any.

Realm

All cards in play on either side of your Board are considered to be in your Realm. Effect cards are also considered to be in your Realm when they are played. A card only affects other cards in the same Realm. No card in one Villain’s Realm will ever affect a card in another Villain’s Realm. Cards in your hand, decks, and discard piles are not in your Realm.

“Playing” Cards and “Moving” Cards

Playing a card refers to adding a card to a Villain’s Realm, either from your hand or from a deck or discard pile. Moving a card refers to taking a card that is in the Realm and moving it to a new location. If a card’s Ability is triggered when it (or another card) is played, the Ability is not triggered if it is moved. Likewise, if a card’s Ability is triggered when it (or another card) is moved, the Ability is not triggered if it is played.

“Revealing” Cards and “Looking at” Cards

If a card instructs you to reveal cards, turn the cards so that all players can see them. If a card instructs you to look at cards, you may look at them privately, keeping them hidden from the other players. If you need to reveal or look at a card from a deck when it is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.

“Finding” an Ally or Hero

If a card instructs you to find a specific Ally or Hero, take that Ally or Hero from wherever they are and then do what the card says:

1. First, check to see if they are already in the Realm, and if so, remove them from their location.
2. If they are not already in the Realm, search the appropriate discard pile for them.
3. If they are not in the discard pile, search the appropriate deck, then re-shuffle it.

After finding them, follow the card instructions, either playing them as specified or putting them into your hand. Any Items that were attached to them are discarded, even if they are played to the same location they were found at.

“Defeating” Heroes and “Vanquishing” Heroes

“Defeating” a Hero refers to removing that Hero from the top of your Board, either by performing a Vanquish action or by playing a card. “Vanquishing” a Hero refers to using one or more Allies at the Hero’s location to defeat it. Card Abilities that allow you to “defeat” a Hero do not require you to discard Allies or perform a Vanquish action.

Locked Locations

Lady Tremaine and some Villains in other Villainous games have locations that are locked, but which may be unlocked during the game. A locked location is denoted with a Lock Token. A Villain cannot move to a locked location, and cards cannot be played to, moved to, or moved from a locked location. You cannot attach an Item to an Ally or a Hero at a locked location. If a card is at a location that later becomes locked, the card’s Ability remains in effect. However, you may not activate the Ability of a card at a locked location.

You can mix the Villains in this box with other Disney Villainous games to add additional players or explore new rivalries. Discover more Villains, more strategies, and more twists of fate!

Play with up to 6 players using the following additional rules:

Setup Adjustments

• The fourth player starts the game with two Power.
• The fifth and sixth players each start with three Power.

Fate Token

Use the included Fate Token in a 5- or 6-player game. When you are the target of a Fate action, take the Fate Token from the last player who was targeted. As long as you have the Fate Token, you may not be the target of a Fate action. However, the player with the Fate Token is still susceptible to Conditions and other card Abilities.

• What if the text on a card or in a Villain Guide conflicts with the Instructions?
  The text on cards and in Villain Guides takes precedence over these Instructions. If a card violates a rule in a Villain Guide, the card takes precedence.
• If I can’t do what a card says, can I still play it?
  No. If you cannot do what the card says, then you cannot play it. However, if the card says “may,” the text that follows is optional. In this case, you may play the card and then choose whether or not to do that part of its Ability. If you cannot play a card, you can discard it by performing the Discard Cards action.
• Is there a hand limit?
  No. There is no limit to the number of cards in your hand at any time, but you will only draw cards at the end of your turn if you have fewer than four.
• What happens if I need to take Power, but the Supply is empty?
  Power is considered infinite. You can grab other tokens or coins to use as additional Power.
• Can I look through my discard piles? What about an opponent’s discard piles?
  Yes. All cards that are face up are public, and any player may look through any discard pile at any time.
• If I reveal a Fate card that cannot be played, do I get to reveal a new one?
  No. If a Fate card cannot be played (for example, you revealed an Item and there is no Hero in the Realm to attach it to), the card cannot be played and must be discarded. If you are taking a Fate action and both cards revealed cannot be played, you must discard both of them. Fate favored your opponent this time!
• Can I play or move a Hero to the bottom of the Board?
  No. Fate cards are always played to and moved across the top of the Board, unless a card Ability specifically instructs you to move a Fate card to the bottom of the Board.
• If multiple Heroes are at one location, do I have to defeat them in a certain order?
  No. If multiple Heroes are at a location, you may choose which Hero to defeat.
• I have a card that refers to a Hero with a Strength of 3 or less. Does this refer to the Strength printed on the Hero card, or do I factor in other card Abilities?
  Whenever referring to a Hero’s (or Ally’s) Strength, always consider all other card Abilities that are in effect in the Realm. For example, if a Hero has a Strength of 5 printed on their card, but another card in the Realm gives them -1 Strength, then that Hero’s Strength is considered to be 4 for all purposes.
• If a Hero’s Strength is reduced to 0 by other card Abilities, can I just remove that Hero from the Realm?
  No. You must still use a Vanquish action or card Ability to defeat the Hero. However, if you use a Vanquish action, no Allies need to be discarded. You can defeat the Hero even if you have no Allies at the Hero’s location.
• If I use a card’s Activated Ability, do I then discard it?
  No. The card remains in your Realm. There is no limit to the number of times you may activate a card’s Ability, provided you use an Activate action and pay the card’s Activation Cost, if any, each time.
• Can I play a Condition at any time during another player’s turn, as long as the requirement was met at some point during that turn?
  No. A Condition card can only be played when the requirement is met. For example, if the requirement is that another player defeats a Hero with a Strength of 3 or more, you must play your Condition card when that Hero is defeated. You may not wait until later in the turn. However, playing a Condition is optional. So in the same example, you may choose not to play your Condition, and instead play it later, when a different player defeats a Hero or the same player defeats another Hero.
• Before I can win, am I required to defeat all the Heroes in my Realm, or have my Villain Mover at a specific location?
  No. Only your Objective needs to be achieved in order to win. Your Villain Guide describes your Objective and how it is achieved. Some Villains are not required to defeat any Heroes, although leaving Heroes in your realm may slow your progress toward victory.
• Which Villain is the easiest to win with?
  Each Villain, when played with skill and cunning, is equally prepared to achieve their Objective. However, the strategies utilized by each Villain vary in complexity. Gaston is recommended for new players, and Lady Tremaine is recommended for experienced players.

Contents: 3 Boards, 3 Villain Movers, 90 Villain Cards, 45 Fate Cards, 55 Tokens, 1 Black Cauldron Tile, 3 Reference Cards, 3 Villain Guides, Instructions

© 2021
Villainous Game System designed by Prospero Hall.
Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots designed by Mike Mulvihill.
Art Direction: Shane Hartley
Graphic Design: Jake Breish, Chris Buckley
Illustration: Johnny Morrow, Marisa Oh, Naiiade, AJ Nazzaro, Fabio Perez, Ian Smith, Jan Jaap Schraverus
Editing: Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Cassidy Werner
Playtesting: Lord of the Board and Ravensburger Brand Ambassadors

©Disney
www.disney.com