Components
- 1 Corrupted Heart game board
- 1 Jack player token
- 6 Giant Rune tiles
- 20 Clue Cards
- 6 Rune Sequence cards or hidden answer cards
- Corruption tokens
- Mistake tokens
- Timer, phone timer, or online bomb countdown app
- Rule sheet
- Optional note sheet for solving the puzzle
Objective
Defuse the Corrupted Heart by activating the Giant Runes in the correct order before the timer runs out.
To win, the player must correctly identify and activate the full rune sequence. If the player runs out of time, makes too many mistakes, or submits the wrong final sequence, the Corrupted Heart explodes and the game is lost.
The game uses six Giant Runes:
- Nature
- Fire
- Water
- Storm
- Moon
- Sun
Each game uses a hidden rune sequence. The player does not know the sequence at the start and must discover it by using clue cards.
Setup
- Place the Corrupted Heart board in the center of the table.
- Place the six Rune tiles around the Heart.
- Shuffle the hidden Rune Sequence cards and place one face down. This is the correct answer for the game.
- Shuffle the Clue Cards.
- Choose a difficulty level: Easy, Normal, or Hard.
- Set the timer based on the chosen difficulty.
- Place the Jack token on the starting space.
- Place the Corruption and Mistake tokens nearby.
- Start the timer when the player begins reading the first clue or takes their first action.
Difficulty Levels
Easy Mode
Easy Mode is designed so most players can solve the puzzle on their first try.
- 10-minute timer
- 4-rune sequence
- Player starts with 4 clue cards
- Unlimited clue draws
- Wrong rune costs 30 seconds
- 4 mistakes allowed
Normal Mode
Normal Mode is the default version of the game. It should be challenging enough that most players may fail the first time but can beat it on their second attempt.
- 7-minute timer
- 5-rune sequence
- Player starts with 3 clue cards
- Player may draw up to 4 additional clue cards
- Wrong rune costs 45 seconds
- 3 mistakes allowed
Hard Mode
Hard Mode is designed to take several attempts before the average player wins.
- 5-minute timer
- 6-rune sequence
- Player starts with 2 clue cards
- Player may draw up to 3 additional clue cards
- Wrong rune costs 1 minute
- 2 mistakes allowed
How to Play
The player must solve the hidden rune sequence before time runs out. The timer is always active, so the player must think carefully but not take too long.
On each turn, the player may take one action. After completing an action, the player may immediately take another turn as long as time remains.
The player can choose one of the following actions:
1. Draw a Clue Card
The player draws the top card from the Clue Deck and reads it. Clue Cards give information about the correct rune sequence.
Example clues may say:
- Fire comes after Nature.
- Water is not first.
- Sun is the final rune.
- Storm comes before Moon.
The player should use these clues to eliminate impossible rune orders.
2. Study the Board
The player may spend time looking at the runes, clues, and notes. This action does not change the board, but the timer continues running.
This is useful when the player needs to compare clues and think through the solution.
3. Activate a Rune
The player chooses a rune and declares which position they believe it belongs in.
For example:
“I activate Fire as the second rune.”
The player then checks the hidden answer card.
If the rune is correct, place the rune on that position and lock it in. A locked rune cannot be changed.
If the rune is incorrect, the player gains one Mistake token and loses time based on the difficulty level.
4. Submit the Final Sequence
When the player thinks they know the full answer, they may submit the final rune sequence.
The player reveals the hidden answer card and compares it to their submitted sequence.
If the sequence is correct, the Corrupted Heart is defused and the player wins.
If the sequence is wrong, the Corrupted Heart explodes and the player loses.
Mistakes and Penalties
Whenever the player activates an incorrect rune, they receive a Mistake token.
Incorrect answers also reduce the remaining time:
- Easy: lose 30 seconds
- Normal: lose 45 seconds
- Hard: lose 1 minute
If the player reaches the maximum number of Mistake tokens for their difficulty level, the Corrupted Heart explodes.
Winning the Game
The player wins if they correctly activate or submit the full rune sequence before the timer reaches zero.
When the player wins, the Corrupted Heart is stabilized, the corruption fades, and Jack survives the chamber.
Losing the Game
The player loses if:
- The timer reaches zero.
- The player reaches the maximum number of mistakes.
- The player submits an incorrect final sequence.
When the player loses, the Corrupted Heart explodes and the chamber is consumed by corruption.
