Dungeon Petz

Place the main board in the center and hand each player a lair board, shelter board, ten imps, two imps, and a score token. Set the progress marker and distribute exhibit and customer tiles face down, revealing the first ones. Randomize monster pets and place them in the courtyard. Set up food, artifacts, potion cards, manure, and wooden cubes in designated supply areas.

Players act as shopkeepers running pet stores for dungeon lords. You must buy baby monster pets, feed them, clean their cages, and manage their various needs and mutations. The ultimate goal is to earn the highest reputation points by exhibiting pets and selling them to demanding customers.

Each of the five rounds consists of six phases. First, players receive income and reveal new tiles. Second, players bid their imps on the central action board to acquire cages, food, artifacts, and pets. Third, players resolve pet needs and ailments using cards and dice. Fourth, players exhibit pets in local contests. Fifth, players sell grown pets to dungeon lord customers. Sixth, pets age and grow, and leftover food decays.

Reputation points are tracked on the main board. You gain points during exhibitions based on your pets' traits, and more points when selling pets to customers in the business phase. You lose points for dying pets, poor compatibility, or dropping below zero in exhibition standings.

The game ends automatically after the fifth and final round. Final scoring includes bonuses from specific progress board criteria, and any negative exhibition scores are penalized.