How to Play - Standard Game
Below are the "How to Play" rules in plain text.
We have How to Play videos here
You can also checkout the PDF Rulebook here
2–5 players · Ages 6+ · About 15 minutes
Cube Creatures is a battle card game where weird and wild creatures fight for victory. Summon your team and defeat 5 enemy creatures to win. This page contains the complete Standard Game rules for Cube Creatures.
Playing with younger kids or brand new players? See Grandma's Rules, a simplified version of Cube Creatures for ages 5 and up.
What's in the Box
Every copy of Cube Creatures includes:
- 60 card deck (2 rare foils)
- 4 Health Point counter dials
- 1 attack die (six-sided)
- 2 paper playmats
- 1 printed rulebook
Card Types
Cube Creatures uses four card types. Two of them stay in play after they are played, and two are discarded after use.
Creature Cards
Creature cards stay in play on your Battlefield and do the fighting. Each Creature card shows five things: the card type, the Creature Power, the Attack Points (shown on a red mace icon), the Creature name, and the Health Points (shown on a green shield icon).
Upgrade Cards
Upgrade cards also stay in play. They attach underneath a Creature to boost it. Each Upgrade card shows the card type, the card name, and the Upgrade bonus. Upgrades come in two kinds, Weapons and Armor.
Action Cards
Action cards are played on your own turn for a one-time effect, then discarded. Each shows the card type, the card name, and the card effect.
Reaction Cards
Reaction cards can be played on anyone's turn in response to another player's action, then discarded. Each shows the card type, the card name, and the card effect.
How to Win
Be the first player to defeat 5 Creatures. Defeated opponent Creatures go into your Victory Pile. When your Victory Pile reaches 5, you win.
Setup
Each player has a Battlefield, the area in front of them that holds up to 3 Creatures and their attached Upgrades. The first spot on your Battlefield is the Guard position. In the middle of the table sit the shared deck, the discard pile, health dials and the attack die.
- Unfold the 2 playmats. Playmats are optional guides for your first games. In games with 3 to 5 players, everyone can mimic the same layout directly on the table.
- Shuffle and deal 7 cards to each player. Place the rest face down in the middle as a shared deck.
- Put 2 Creatures onto your Battlefield. One in the Guard spot and one behind it.
- Youngest player goes first. Or play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Turns then go clockwise.
Fewer than 2 Creature cards in your starting hand? Shuffle your hand back into the deck and redraw.
Tip: Reverse-fold the paper playmat along its creases to help it lay flat.
On Your Turn
A turn in Cube Creatures has three parts:
1. Draw a card (required)
2. Main Phase (optional*, each action once per turn, in any order)
a. Play a Creature card
b. Play an Action card
c. Play an Upgrade card
d. Use a Creature Power
e. Change your Guard
3. Attack (required)
*Playing a Creature card is required if your Battlefield is empty.
1. Draw a Card (required)
Take one card from the shared deck.
2a. Play One Creature Card (optional*)
Place it onto your Battlefield in an open spot. Always fill the Guard spot first.
- Your Battlefield has a 3 Creature limit (unless a card says otherwise).
- Creatures stay on your Battlefield until they are defeated.
*Empty Battlefield? You must play a Creature. If you don't have one in your hand, draw until you get one, then shuffle any non-Creature cards you drew back into the deck.
2b. Play One Action Card (optional)
Follow the card's instructions, then put it in the discard pile.
2c. Play One Upgrade Card (optional)
Place it under one of your Creatures to attach it.
- Maximum of 1 Weapon and 1 Armor Upgrade per Creature.
- Upgrades stay attached until the Creature is defeated, then are discarded with it.
2d. Use One Creature Power (optional)
Follow the text in the Creature Power section on a Creature card.
- Choose any Creature Power on your Battlefield that hasn't been used yet.
- You can only use each Creature Power once per game.
- Turn the card sideways, 90 degrees, to show it has been used. Keep it turned for the rest of the game, unless another card resets its Creature Power.
2e. Change Your Guard (optional)
Swap your Guard with any other Creature on your Battlefield.
- Only the Guard can be attacked, unless a card says otherwise.
- Your Guard can still attack.
3. Attack (required)
A. Choose any one of your Creatures to attack an opponent's Guard.
One Creature can attack per turn. Any single Creature on your Battlefield can attack, including your Guard.
B. Roll the attack die. Use the result to change your Creature's Attack Points for this turn.
| Die face | Effect |
|---|---|
| +2 | Add 2 to Attack Points |
| +1 | Add 1 to Attack Points |
| −1 | Subtract 1 from Attack Points |
| −2 | Subtract 2 from Attack Points |
| 2X | Multiply Attack Points by 2 |
| ✖ | Attack misses, no damage dealt |
Example: A Creature with 6 Attack Points rolls +1, giving an adjusted attack of 7.
C. Subtract the Attack Points from the Guard's current Health Points.
Example: A Guard with 10 Health Points is attacked for 7, leaving it with 3 Health Points remaining.
Use a Health Point Dial to track each Creature's remaining health. Damage stays on a Creature across turns until it is healed by a card or defeated.
When a Creature has zero or fewer Health Points, it is defeated. Move it to the attacker's Victory Pile.
Take turns repeating the On Your Turn steps until one player has defeated 5 Creatures.
On Anyone's Turn: Reaction Cards
Reaction cards are the one thing you can play outside your own turn. Follow the card's instructions, then put it in the discard pile.
You may play as many Reaction cards as you want, on anyone's turn.
First game tip: Skip playing with Reaction cards for a simpler game.
Looking for a Simpler Version?
Grandma's Rules is a simplified version of Cube Creatures for beginners and kids ages 5 and up. It uses only the Creature cards and plays in about 10 minutes.