01
To set up, arrange the Base Camp, Wilderness, and Night boards, along with the Workbench. Sort all resource tokens (wood, stone, food, hides) and wound tokens, placing them near the boards. Create separate face-down stacks for population, dream, and idea cards on the Base Camp board. Place secret cards (numbered 1 and 2) on the Night board, and set aside skull tokens and victory point tokens. For the first game, combine basic cards with module A and B cards to form the main deck. Shuffle the remaining module cards and basic cards together, then deal three cards to each player to form their individual starting hand.
02
Paleo is a cooperative game where all players win or lose together. The primary objective is to collectively gather five victory points and successfully complete the cave painting on the Night board. Players lose if their tribe accumulates five skull tokens, representing significant losses or failures.
03
Each day consists of players drawing three cards from their personal deck. Based on the card backs, which provide a hint about the card's content (e.g., river for animals, mountains for resources, red for danger), players secretly choose one card to play. Once all players have chosen, cards are revealed simultaneously. Players then resolve the actions on their chosen cards, which can include gathering resources, crafting tools, exploring, or encountering dangers. The order of actions can be crucial, and players can often assist each other with their skills and tools.
04
Victory points are primarily earned by successfully completing objectives found on mission cards. These mission cards are typically revealed and checked during the Night phase. Completing these objectives contributes to the overall goal of reaching five victory points for the tribe.
05
The game concludes in one of two ways: either the players achieve a collective victory by accumulating five victory points and completing the cave painting, or they suffer a collective defeat if their tribe receives a fifth skull token, indicating too many losses or failures.
06
Effective communication is key in Paleo, as players must discuss their card choices to anticipate potential outcomes and coordinate actions. While card backs offer hints, the actual card content can be surprising, so be prepared for unexpected events. Some cards allow players to combine their skills and tools to overcome challenges, while others may result in wounds if actions cannot be completed. If a player runs out of cards or chooses to rest, they go to sleep and no longer participate in the current day phase, but must still fulfill night phase requirements.