The Grimm Masquerade

About this board game

The Grimm Masquerade is a 2–5 player game of hidden identities and artifact exchanges, with sessions lasting about 40 minutes. In the Beast’s castle, each player is magically transformed into the identity of another character from The Grimm Forest.

Players are trying to collect 3 artifacts of their favor while avoiding 2 artifacts of their bane. Reaching either threshold has major consequences: three favorable artifacts can win the magical masquerade, while two bane artifacts can out a player.

On each turn, a player draws 2 artifacts, keeps 1, and gives the other to any player at the ball. Every choice reveals information. Keeping one artifact and passing another can make opponents question your identity, your goals, and whether a suspicious collection has exposed you.

• Collect 3 artifacts of favor to win.
• Give opponents artifacts while gathering clues about their identities.
• Turn in 2 artifacts to activate special actions at the right moment.
• Win by being the last player remaining if no one achieves an earlier victory.

Being outed does not remove you from the game entirely. You become a Ghost, guess which character will win the magical masquerade, and can share the victory if your prediction is correct. Ghosts also continue handing out artifacts, giving them a chance to influence the ball.

When a player loses, the other players receive a token in their defeat. Once someone has 3 tokens, the masquerade ends and the players determine who was the best. With its mix of deduction, hand management, special actions, and shifting alliances, The Grimm Masquerade turns every artifact into a possible clue—or a dangerous accusation.