You have the ability to enter the dream world: a world of vivid hallucinations and horrific monsters. Draw power from the Nightmares that live there, but do not let them corrupt you.
For there are other Dreamers seeking power this night, and there is only room for one to escape from the realm of Nightmares.
Should you become corrupted and turn into a Nightmare yourself, you must hunt down the other Dreamers and consume their power. When the night is over, only one Dreamer or Nightmare will be left standing.
Components
- 80 Dice (in 4 colors)
- 1 Black Cotton Bag
- 4 Dreamer Cards
- 5 Nightmare Cards
- 4 Primary Nightmares
- 1 Nightmare of Temptation (variant)
- 4 Turn Summary Cards
- 4 Glass Sleep Markers
- Instructions
Object of the Game
At the end of the game, the winner is the player (Nightmare or Dreamer) with the most Power (signified by 
and 
dreams).
Setup
Each player takes a Dreamer card and places it multiplayer- side up in front of them.
The multiplayer side of a Dreamer card is the side with the Power row along the bottom edge. The other side is used for the single-player variant.
Each player takes a sleep marker and a summary card. Place the four primary Nightmare cards (Depths, Envy, Imprisonment and Primeval Fear) near the middle of the table (both sides are identical except for art).
You may replace the Nightmare of either Envy or Primeval Fear with the Nightmare of Temptation (set to its green or red side as matches the replaced Nightmare). This Nightmare is an optional variant to mix up your games. It is suggested to only use it after you are familiar with the basic rules.
Place the 80 dice (dreams) into the bag and shake it to mix them. Place the bag within reach of all players. The player who last had a bad dream goes first. Play continues clockwise.
Turn Order (Dreamer)
On your turn, do the following in order:
1. Choose a Sleep Track
At the beginning of every turn, decide how deeply you wish to dream.
2. Draw and Select Dreams
Randomly draw a number of dreams from the bag equal to the number under your sleep marker. Then select two dreams from those drawn and return them to the bag.
Note: The summary card lists the faces on each color of dream.
- The Depths: Drown you in dreams.
- Envy: Give and take Power easily.
- Imprisonment: End your turn early.
- Primeval fear: High risk, high reward.
3. Roll and Resolve Dreams
Roll the remaining dreams and then resolve them by matching the symbols rolled to the spaces on your Dreamer card.
Rerolling Dreams: You may, at any time, spend a or from your Power row to reroll any number of unresolved dreams matching that spent dream's color. Place the spent dream on the Nightmare matching its color, or back in the bag if that Nightmare has been claimed by a player.
Order of Resolution
Always resolve dreams in the following order:
-
Power
Place in your Power track. A
counts as + . Leave a gap in your row to show this. -
Hunt
Place in your Hunt row.
-
Exhaust
Place in your Exhaust row.
-
Shadow
You may resolve rolled Shadows in any order. Each time you do, place it in the Shadow row matching its color, then you must resolve their listed Shadow effect (see below).
Note: If a row is full, place any additional dreams of that symbol adjacent to that space. Continue to apply Shadow eff ects. The fourth space in the Shadow rows is only used in a two player game.
Shadow of the Depths
Draw one random dream from the bag, roll it and add it to your unresolved dreams. If it is not a 
you must resolve it before any others.
Shadow of Envy
The next player in turn order selects any one dream on your Dreamer card, except for a of Envy. You must reroll that dream and add it to your unresolved dreams. If it is not a you must resolve it before any others.
Shadow of Imprisonment
If you have any 
in your Exhaust row, rotate any one to its side. Do not move the dream, just rotate it.
Shadow Of Primeval Fear
You may take one of any color on your Dreamer card and move it to your Hunt row. Do not rotate the dream, just move it.
4. Check for Filled Rows
After resolving all rolled dreams, check to see if any rows on your Dreamer card are filled, in the following order:
Hunt Row
If you have four or more dreams in your Hunt row, you are eliminated. Return all dreams on your card to the bag. You do not take further turns, though you are still considered the "next player" for various abilities.
Exhaust Row
If you have three or more dreams in your Exhaust row, you are exhausted. Draw one random dream from the bag. Return it to the bag, along with all and on your Power row that match its color.
You cannot Dream Again while exhausted. You must Rest and end your turn, however you might still become a Nightmare (see below).
Shadow Row
If you have three or more dreams in any Shadow row (or four or more in a two player game), you become a Nightmare. You always become a Nightmare of the color matching your most filled Shadow row. If there is a tie, you may choose between tied colors.
Return all dreams on your Dreamer card except for and to the bag.
Place the matching Nightmare card over your Shadow rows. Take all and on that card and add them to your Power row. Then end your turn. In future turns, you play as a Nightmare.
Remove all dice apart from Power when you become a Nightmare.
5. Rest or Dream Again
If you are Exhausted or at the end of a Sleep Track, you must Rest. Otherwise, choose to Rest or Dream Again:
Rest: By resting you regain some control over your dreams. Return either one or all dreams on your Dreamer card to the bag. Then end your turn.
Dream Again: By pressing your luck, you gain further insights, but begin to lose control. Increase your sleep marker by one step along the Track. Do not switch Sleep Tracks.
Return to the "Draw and Select Dreams" step, but this time you will be drawing more dreams than before.
Note: You can press your luck twice each turn before you must Rest.
Turn Order (Nightmare)
Any player who has claimed a Nightmare card is considered a Nightmare. Nightmare players are not Dreamer players.
On your turn, you may either Consume Power or Send Minions to attack a Dreamer.
Consume Power: Take one or of your color from any player's Power row (Nightmare or Dreamer player) and add it to your own. Then end your turn.
Send Minions: Draw two random dreams from the bag. Return one, and give one to a Dreamer player. They must roll and resolve it immediately. Then end your turn.
Nightmare Abilities
Every time a Dreamer player chooses to resolve certain symbols on a dream of your color (as indicated on your Nightmare card), you take that dream, turn it into a and add it to your Power row, then may choose to activate a special ability.
Each Nightmare card describes which symbols are taken as and what abilities you can trigger. Because all Nightmares take dreams of their own color, there can never be two Nightmares of the same color.
End of the Game
At the end of any player's turn, if any player (Nightmare or Dreamer) has 15 or more Power (signified by the and symbols), then every other remaining Dreamer player takes a final turn before the game ends.
At the end of the game, the player (Nightmare or Dreamer) with the most Power wins. counts as + ). Either they have escaped the dream world, or they have become the most powerful Nightmare and consumed all of the others.
If there are ever no Dreamers remaining, the game ends immediately and the Nightmare with the most Power wins.
The "Worst Case" Rule: If you ever draw or roll more dreams than you are allowed to, the next player in turn order may select the excess which are to be returned to the bag.
Then you must roll/reroll the dreams. If you ever return more than two dreams to the bag, the next player in turn order may pick dreams of any color out of the bag to replace them.
If you return a dream to the bag, you cannot change your mind and take it back out again.
If there are ever no dreams left in the bag, the current player finishes their turn, rolling and resolving all remaining dreams, and then the player with the most Power wins.
Two Player Games
Players in a two player game will only become Nightmares if they fill all four spaces of a Shadow row.
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