How to Play
HOW to PLAY
GAME OBJECTIVES
Players who rescue their family members, impede Mallow Monks from intensifying the Pyre’s flame, save enough water to extinguish the Pyre at the end of The Ritual, and reach the base of the Pyre before The Ritual is complete wins.
PHASE ONE: RUN
In the “Run” phase, players navigate the map by placing shapes displayed on movement deck cards that are drawn at the beginning of each hour.
PHASE THREE: Dun Dun Duuun!
The Dun Dun Duuun!!! phase happens at the end of each hour of The Ritual when the The Root cult's Pyre grows stronger and more difficult to extinguish.
PYRE INTENSITY TRACK
At the end of each hour, count the remaining Mallow Monks left on the map to track the Pyre's intensity.
Shade in five petals for each undisturbed meditation circle (as in, a set of four Monks around a flower.)
Shade in one petal for individual Mallow Monks in disturbed meditation circles.
Pyre Intensity stacks as each hour of The Ritual passes, growing up to 20 petals per hour and maxes out at 230 (see Battle of the Pyre for end game scoring).
SET UP: FIND YOUR FAMILY
Draw three cards and locate each of the Mallow characters on the map and circle them. These characters represent the family you’ll save over the course of the game.
Pick one of the three to save first. Wherever that Mallow is located - that is where the player will start the game.
PHASE TWO: GUN
The Gun phase requires players to adjust their dashboards (inventories) based on the icons covered during the Run phase. Any map icon covered (tents, ponds, mallows, and slingshots) triggers an adjustment on the dashboard. Icons can only be interacted with once per game.
Monks - Shoot them quickly to reduce the rate of growth of the Pyre’s intensity.
Free range cultists - Avoid them if you can - focus on rescuing family members and Monks to avoid wasting resources
Family members - Rescuing the 2nd and 3rd family members yields rewards (shown on left side of the dashboard)
Other icons on the map (tents and ponds) offer players an opportunity to gain equipment and refill their squirt guns. Slinglshots are spots where you can help a friend by launching water balloons at the map to eliminate a complete meditation circle.
HOW TO ADVANCE THE TRACK
Shade in five petals for complete Mallow Monk meditation circles and one petal for single Monks.
Remember: Mallow flowers are environmental obstaclesand cannot be covered with shapes.
ABOUT
What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead. What sets us apart isn’t just our process—it’s the intention behind it. We take time to understand, explore, and create with purpose at every turn.
types of mallows
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mallow monks
Shoot them quickly to reduce the rate of growth of the Pyre’s intensity.
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family members
Rescuing the 2nd and 3rd family members unlocks ammo and weaponry
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free range cultists
Avoid them and focus on family members and Monks to conserve resources
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WHAT SETS US APART
Integrity, creativity, and empathy shape the way we work. These aren't just words—they’re the foundation of everything we build. We believe in doing great work, building real relationships, and making it easy for you to get the results you’re looking for.
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