- BGG rating
- 7.4
Rules assistance for Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.2/5
Rules assistant for Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures is an expansion for Rune Stones released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rüdiger Dorn and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
About the game
Nocturnal Creatures adds a new set of creature cards (Banshees) to the game, and a new mechanic for Wisps. Wisps During set up, a Wisp token is placed face down every 5 points on the scoring track, up to space 50 (there are 11 wisp tiles, so one will not be used). Then, all of the tokens are turned over, and the 2-3 "Wisp" tokens are left on their space on the score track. Whenever a player reaches or passes over that space on the track, they may choose from one of the face up Wisp tiles, which gives them an immediate bonus. Banshees The expansion comes with 16 banshee cards, 1 in each color for each of the 4 reward types. Steal: If possible, all players must give a gem of the corresponding color to the player. Resurrect: Search the discard pile and take a card of your choice (placing in in your discard pile as normal). Wisped: Take one of the available Wisp tiles and receive the reward immediately. Card Switch: Destroy the played Banshee card and take a card from the display directly into your hand. Since the Banshee card is destroyed, the other card is placed in your discard pile regardless of number.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Queen Games
Questions and answers
Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures is 60–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures are: Rüdiger Dorn. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Rune Stones: Nocturnal Creatures as an expansion for Rune Stones. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Rune Stones to use it. Check that your edition of Rune Stones is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.