Dreadful Circus

To set up the game, each player first receives a player screen and a wagon (a small box to assemble). Players then take their starting money: three bronze coins (value 1), two silver coins (value 2), and one gold coin (value 3). The remaining coins form a general supply near the play area. All contract tokens, which come in various colors, are placed into a draw bag and shuffled. Each player then draws six contract tokens from the bag and places them behind their screen. The game includes character cards, and the number of cards used depends on the player count. For 4 players, cards marked '5+' and '7+' are removed. For 5-6 players, only cards marked '7+' are removed. For 7-8 players, all cards are used. The remaining cards are shuffled to form the main deck. Depending on the player count, one or two 'vendor' tokens are distributed to players who will act as vendors for the round (one vendor for 4 players, two for 5-8 players, positioned opposite each other). Finally, each player draws a hand of cards from the main deck (8 cards for 4-6 players, 7 cards for 7-8 players) and must immediately play one 'tent' card (identified by a tent icon in the top left corner) face-up in front of their screen. The game then begins.

The primary objective in Dreadful Circus is to accumulate the highest number of victory points by the end of the game. Players achieve this by strategically collecting sets of character cards, managing their money, and fulfilling contracts. Each character card has specific scoring conditions, often related to collecting multiple cards of the same type or color, or having certain combinations of cards. Money also contributes to the final score, and contracts provide additional ways to earn points or special abilities during the game.

A round in Dreadful Circus consists of players simultaneously choosing and revealing a card from their hand. Once all players have revealed their chosen cards, the effects of these cards are resolved in a specific order, usually based on the card's type or a numerical value. Card effects can include gaining money, stealing contracts from other players, trading cards, or activating unique abilities. Players then pass their remaining hand of cards to the player on their left or right, depending on the round, and a new turn begins with players choosing a card from their newly received hand.

Scoring occurs at the end of the game, after a set number of rounds. Players tally their victory points from several sources. The main source of points comes from their collected character cards, with different cards offering varying point values for individual cards or for sets of matching cards. Money held by players also contributes to their final score, typically at a rate of one victory point per coin. Additionally, fulfilled contracts provide bonus victory points, and any special abilities or conditions on certain cards may also add to a player's total score. The player with the highest cumulative score is declared the winner.

The game concludes after a predetermined number of rounds, which is typically 4 or 5 rounds depending on the total number of players participating. Once the final round has been played and all card effects and actions have been resolved, players proceed to the final scoring phase. During this phase, all victory points from collected cards, remaining money, and fulfilled contracts are tallied. The player who has amassed the greatest number of victory points at this point is declared the winner of Dreadful Circus.