Rules FAQ
Where can I find a copy of the rules?
What happens if a player is dealt an event card at the start of the game?
If you are "lucky" enough to to be dealt and event card, you can discard it, and essentially reduce your chance of getting it again until the reshuffle. Events don't happen until you enter the cave.
Does an event card affect you if you haven't played a cave entrance yet?
No. Events only affect you once you enter the cave.
Can we draw from the discard pile?
No. Always start your turn by drawing from the draw deck.
Can challenge cards be played on another player if the receiving player hasn't found a cave entrance yet?
No. Challenges can only be played once a player is in the cave.
When a player resolves a challenge, do the solution and challenge cards go into the discard pile?
Yes. Keep passages cards, hero cards, and active challenges in play. Everything else goes into the discard pile once it has been used and resolved.
Do event cards make a player lose one turn or two?
Event cards essentially take two turns to resolve -- the first, when you draw the event card, and the second when you skip the following turn and discard the event card.
What happens if an event card forces a player to draw another event card?
If you draw Lost in the Dark, you will lose two cards and replace two cards; this could result in drawing one or two more event cards. If that happens, lose one additional turn per event card drawn. However, if you draw Need a Rescue, you will exit the cave, which removes all challenges and event cards affecting you. Because you end up outside the cave, any events drawn when you replenish your hand do not affect you -- discard them and draw to replace them.
Sometimes a player can't make any progress because they are stuck on a challenge or can't get an entrance card. Is the game supposed to work like that?
Yes, the game does work like that sometimes. Every caver has had a day looking for an entrance they never find. Similarly, there are sometimes challenges too numerous to solve without help. In these situations, a person can use the Self Rescue option (see self-rescue in the rules). Also: a typical game of Gone Caving takes place over multiple hands -- everyone can have a bad hand sometimes, but it usually evens out over the course of a game.
What happens if the draw pile runs out before the game is concluded?
Reshuffle the discard pile to allow exploration to continue.
