1-2 Players (Solitaire/Cooperative)
To set up the game, you randomly select two characters from the character deck along with their starting items. You then draw two separate hands of three loot cards and 3¢, one for each of these characters. Do not mix the hands, but you can leave the loot cards face-up. Set up the monster, loot, and treasure decks as normal. Place two treasure cards and two monster cards face up beside their respective decks as normal. Set out the D8 in an easily seen area with the 8-numbered side up.
For solo mode, the player controls both characters. For the 2-player cooperative mode, each player controls a character individually. Play proceeds as normal, playing one character at a time. You play one character, then the second character in the same order the whole game. When both characters’ turns are over the D8 ticks down one. If a character dies during their turn, the D8 also ticks down one. You may not trade ¢ between characters in solitaire mode. All other rules for character deaths, effects, responses, and play remain unchanged.
The objective is to collect 4 souls between the two characters before the D8 reaches zero. You do, you win. you don’t, you lose.
2 Players (Mini Draft)
The 2 player mini-draft is an alternative way to start the game when you’re playing with just two players.
Set up the game as normal. Once a player is chosen to go first, that player takes the top 3 cards of the treasure deck and places them face-up on the table so both players can see. The player going first chooses one of the 3 items, then the player going second chooses one out of the 2 remaining items. The 3rd item is placed at the bottom of the treasure deck. Repeat this process, alternating who picks first until both players have taken 2 items each in addition to their starting eternal item. Play the game as normal.
2+ Players (Multiplayer)
Shuffle the monster, loot, and treasure decks, and place them apart on the table.
Place two treasure cards face up next to the treasure deck. These are the current shop items.
Place two monster cards face up next to the monster deck. These are the current active monsters. place any non-monster cards revealed during setup on the bottom of the deck.
If you are playing with the bonus souls, also place those face-up next to the play area.
Shuffle the character deck and deal out one character card to all players face down. Each player then reveals their character and gains that character’s starting item. All players start with their character card deactivated (turned sideways) and their starting item charged (turned upright).
Each player starts the game with 3¢ and 3 loot cards.
Cain always gets the first turn. If Cain is not one of the characters drawn, then the saddest person playing goes first, or you can just roll a dice (lowest dice roll goes first!), whatever works…