Your last village was ransacked by barbarians.

You barely had time to pick up the

baby and your favorite fishing pole before they started the burning and pillaging.

You ran from that place in the dark of And wandered over a cruel desert....
night.

But as soon as you had

the first hut built, you
discovered a vast network
of caverns underground...

Braving frozen peaks and crossing a rough

sea filled with sharks.

...brimming with shiny

treasures, rare resources,
Then you found it! The perfect place to and endless adventure!
make your new home.

Now, you’re organizing expeditions and building

2 your village above and below...
 In Above and Below, you will...

Cost of House
Assign your villagers to
build houses, harvest
resources, train new
villagers, and explore Build houses,
the caverns! which allow you to
better care for your
villagers and which
make you more
wealthy.

What it gives you

Explore the Build underground

caverns so you can outposts so you
find rare treasure can harvest rare
and new places to resources.
build underground
outposts.

Rare resource you

can harvest

Collect as many Collect the most

different types Village Points.
of resources as The player with
possible so you the most Village
can increase your Points at the end Village Points
income. of the game is the
winner!

Coins

3
 24 House Cards

1 Reputation
Board

4 Starting House
Cards

1 Explore Book

56 Goods 25 Outpost Cards

Tokens
(8 Types)
1 Round Marker
4 Turn Order Tokens

7 Dice
4 Player Boards
8 Cubes (in 4 colors)

30 Cave Cards

12 Starting Villagers
17 Villagers
4 Special Villagers

Coins 10 Key Houses

Potions (Notice the
Cider Key Symbol)

4
 Setting up the Game
1. Give each player a player
board, seven coins, 1 starting
house, and 1 of each type of
starting villager (3 villagers
total for each player). The
starting villagers have a circle
symbol on the back of the
token. The 3 villagers should
have the symbols depicted
at the left, and start in the
large grass area on the player
board.

2. Place the 10 Key 3. Place the Reputation Board in the center of the
Houses face up on the table. Place the coin tokens, good tokens, cider
table. tokens, and potion tokens near the side. This is the
supply. Place one cider on the reputation board in
area with a cider symbol.
4. Put any
unused starting
villagers in the
box. Place the
special villagers
aside (special vil-
lagers have a tri-
angle symbol on
the back of the
token). Place
the remaining
5. Shuffle the villagers face
down in a pile
cave cards and
place them in a pile and draw five,
face up next to the placing them
reputation board. along the top of
the reputation
board.
6.
7.
Shuffle the
house cards and Give each player a
the outpost cards set of colored cubes.
and place them in Each player places
two piles face down one of these cubes
underneath the on the torch space on
reputation board. the reputation board.
Draw the top four Decide who will be the
cards of each deck first player. Turn order
and place them face is in clockwise direction.
up in a row next Give each player the
to their respective appropriate turn order
decks. token.

8. Place the explore book and dice near the play area. Place the Round 5
Marker on top chamber in the string of caves on the reputation board.
 Playing the Game
Above and Below is played in rounds. Each
round, players take turns assigning their villagers to You descend a deep chasm until you reach a wide, dark
take actions. When a player wishes to take no more chamber. Rancid, cloudy water covers the cave floor,
actions in the round, he states that he wishes to pass. and soon you see glowing red eyes in all directions. You
When all players have passed, the round ends (this raise your lantern and realize that you’re surrounded
means that some players will sometimes have more by giant rats, their brown, oily coasts slick and wet.
turns than others). They close in, ready to make your party their next meal.
Do you try to run and hide from the rats, or do you
After seven rounds, the game is over. stand and fight?
RUN AND HIDE: Explore 3 (coin), Explore 4
Perform the following steps each round. (mushroom)
STAND AND FIGHT: Explore 7 (five coins, ore)

1. Player Actions: Starting

with the first player (the player with the first-player
After reading the description paragraph, the reader
describes the two available choices like this: “Run
and hide-- explore 3 or 4. Stand and fight-- explore 7.”
token) and continuing in clockwise order, each player
The active player then selects one of the available
may take one action per turn until all players have
choices (for example: “run and hide”). He must state
passed. The available actions are:
aloud his choice. The active player must then attempt
to meet or exceed at least one of the explore numbers
following that choice.
Explore
The active player rolls one die for each villager that
was sent to the cave card. He must indicate for which
villager he is rolling each time he rolls. Once rolled,
Villagers explore the cavern in an attempt to find a
he places the die on the villager. The amount of
place for an outpost.
explore gained by the villager depends on the roll, as
described below:
First, the player draws a cave card from the top of
the cave card deck and places it to the left of his
player board (near the rocks in the corner). He then A roll of 1 A roll of 3
slides two or more villagers from the ready area on or more
or more
his player board to the card (there is no limit to the gives two
amount of villagers he may send exploring, but he gives one
lantern lanterns
must send at least two).
(1 explore). (2 explore).
He then rolls a die and compares it to the grid of
numbers on the lower half of the new cave card-- the
resulting number indicates which paragraph should
be read to him from the explore book. The player
to his left turns to the indicated paragraph in the This villager could give either 1
explore book and reads it to him. The reader reads or 2 lanterns (not 3).
the entire paragraph, including any choices below
the description (in BOLD CAPS) AND the associated
After all dice have been rolled, the active player adds
explore numbers. The only thing the reader does
the total number of lanterns from his villagers. If the
not read aloud are the possible rewards after each
total is equal to or greater than one of the explore
explore number (in parenthesis).
numbers associated with his choice, he succeeds. If
he does not have a sufficient number of lanterns, he
A paragraph might look like this:
may then choose to Exert one or more of his villagers
6 to gain extra lanterns.
 Place Goods
that you
want to sell
here. Train Action Labor Action
Explore Action Build Action (you need a
(you need at least Harvest (you need a villager with a
2 villagers) Action villager with a quill)
hammer)

Village points
you gain for
each good in
Exhausted Injured
Starting Income this slot. Also, Ready Area
the symbol Area
(increases when Area
you place goods in on the right is
the advancement your current
track) income.
7
To Exert a villager, the player removes the villager If a player wants to purchase an outpost card, he must
from the cave card and places him or her in the have an open, available cave card (that he gained from
injured area on his player board. Each exerted a previous explore action). He places the new outpost
villager gives the player one extra lantern. on top of the available cave card.

If the final total of lanterns meets or exceeds one of House and key house cards are placed in a row next to
the explore numbers associated with the player’s the starting house card.
choice, he succeeds and gains the rewards from the
highest possible explore number. Outposts are placed in a row underneath the row of
house cards.
For example, if the player chose “run and hide” from
the explore paragraph on page six, and he rolled a
total of 5 lanterns, he would gain the reward from
“Explore 4”, a mushroom.

After the player gains the reward, he places any

villagers remaining on the cave card to the exhausted
area on his player board. He places the cave card to
the right of his player board, underneath his row of
house cards, in the same row as other cave cards and
outpost cards he already owns.

If the player does not have enough lanterns to

meet or exceed at least one of the explore numbers
associated with his choice, he fails and does not gain
the cave card or any rewards. He places any villagers
remaining on the card on the exhausted area of his
player board and puts the cave card at the bottom of House cards, key house cards, and outpost cards
the cave card deck. give the player a special ability, increased income, or
other benefits. These are described in the “Buildings
Benefits” section on pg. XX.

Build After the player has finished placing his new card, if
he chose a house or outpost card, he then must draw
a new card so that there are four available choices for
A villager builds a house, a key house, or an outpost. the next player.

First, the player slides one of his villagers from the

ready area on his player board to the exhausted area
of his player board. The villager must have a hammer
symbol.

The player may then choose to purchase one of the

available house cards, key house cards, or outpost
cards. He must pay an amount of coins to the supply
equal to the cost of the card.

Card Cost

8
 Harvest Labor
Villagers harvest goods from house or outpost cards. Villagers labor to gain more coins.

First, the player slides one or more of his villagers First, the player slides one or more of his villagers
from the ready area on his player board to the from the ready area on his player board to the
exhausted area of his player board. exhausted area of his player board.

For each villager the player exhausts, he may pick For each villager the player exhausts, he gains one
up one goods token that is on one of his house or coin. Additionally, the first player to labor each round
outpost cards. He places the good next to his coins gains the cider on the reputation board. If there is no
and may either keep it there for later, place it for sale cider token on the reputation board, the player only
in the top left corner of his player board, or place it gains coins.
in his advancement track (selling and buying goods
is described later in the “Free Actions” section on pg
XX).

Train Free Actions

Free actions can be performed on a player’s turn
A villager trains a new villager. without exhausting villagers. A player may perform
as many free actions as he likes before he performs a
First, the player slides one of his villagers from the normal action. After he performs a normal action, he
ready area on his player board to the exhausted area may not perform any free actions.
on his player board.

The player may then purchase a new villager from the

Buy From a Player
A player may purchase a good, cider, or potion from
reputation board. He may select any of the available another player that has been placed for sale in the
villagers. He must pay the cost in coins to the supply. top left corner of the seller’s player board. The player
The cost is listed below the villager. may bargain, make offers, etc, but may only pay in
coins, and he must pay at least 3 coins. The seller may
The player places the new villager in the exhausted refuse the offer for any reason. If the seller agrees to
area of his player board. sell the good, potion, or cider, the player pays him the
agreed upon amount of coins and takes the good.
The player does not draw a new villager for the
reputation board.
Put Something for Sale
A player may place one of his goods, a cider, or a
potion for sale by placing it in the slot at the top
left corner of his player board. Other players may
attempt to purchase it on their turns.

A player may remove the good that is for sale or

replace it with something else only on his turn.

9
Refresh a Buildings Row Rest your Villagers
If a player wants to see new options of houses or Now all players may refresh the villagers on their
outposts to purchase, he may pay one coin to replace player boards.
all four available cards in one of the rows. He takes
the current house or outpost cards and places them First, players may spend any potions or ciders. If a
at the bottom of the deck, then draw four new cards player spends a potion, he may move one villager
from the top of the deck and places them face up in from the injured area to the exhausted area. If a
the row. He may do this only once per turn. It is not player spends a cider, he may move one villager from
possible to refresh the key houses. the exhausted area to the ready area. A player may
use both a potion and cider on the same villager.

Pass Now, players may move one villager from injured to

exhausted, or from exhausted to ready for each bed he
has on his house and outpost cards. A villager cannot
When a player passes, he flips his turn order token to sleep in two beds (the villager wouldn’t be able to
the blank side. He may not take any more actions or move from injured to ready by using two beds).
free actions in the round.

A player that does not have any villagers in the ready

area of his player board at the start of his turn must
Collect Income
Now all players collect coins based on their income
choose to pass. He may take free actions before he level. Players start at 4 income, but their income level
passes. increases depending on the number of different goods
in their advancement track at the bottom of their
player board.

2. End the Round: When

all players have passed, the round ends. Follow these
steps before the next round starts:

Round Marker
Slide the round marker one chamber down the string
of seven caves. If the round marker cannot slide, the
game is over. Follow the instructions in the section
titled “Game End” on page 13.

Cider
Place a cider on the cider icon on the reputation
board if it does not have one.

New Villagers Three Goods on the Advancement Track

Slide any remaining villagers on the reputation board A player with an advancement track as depicted
to the left so that they occupy the lower cost slots and above would gain 6 income instead of 4.
replace any open slots to their right by drawing new
villagers from the villager pile.

10
Players also collect income from any house or outpost
cards that give extra income.

Refresh Goods on
Buildings
If any player owns a house or outpost with this
symbol and there is currently not a good on the card,
place one of the appropriate goods there.

Pass Turn Order Tokens

to the Left
Each player passes his turn order token to the player
on the left and places it face up in front of him.

Start the Next Round

If seven rounds have not passed, begin the next round.

11
 Other Rules
Advancement Track Liquid Woman: The liquid woman is unsettling. Each time
A player’s advancement track is the row of circles you assign her to do an action, you lose one reputation.
along the bottom of his player board. A player may
place available goods on this track at any time. He Grolo: The grolo is adept at building. If you use him to
must place goods from left to right, not leaving any build, pay one fewer coin than normal.
empty slots. Once a good has been placed, if the
player wishes to place another good of the same type, Cave Cat: The cave cat doesn’t like to obey orders. Each
time you use the blue cat you must roll a die. If you roll
it must go on the same slot (slots can contain multiple
a 3-6, the cat will perform the task you assign it. If you
goods of the same type). Goods can be placed in any roll a 1-2, the cat moves to the exhausted area without
order. performing any task.

In the example below, any future fruit goods that the Metal Man: The metal man uses his own bed each day. He
player chooses to place in the advancement track cannot use beds on your buildings. He cannot use cider or
would have to be placed on the third slot from the left. potions.
If the player wanted to place a mushroom good next,
he would have to place it in the fourth slot from the
left. Buildings
Each building is worth 1 village point. This includes
There are two numbers at the top of each good slot. houses, key houses, and outposts. This does not
The left number indicates how many village points include empty cave cards a player owns.
each good in that pile is worth at the end of the game.
In the example below, if a player had two fruit goods
at the end of the game, each of those goods would be
worth 2 village points (for a total of 4 village points). Reputation
The reputation track is a measure of how well known
The right number above each slot is an indication of and thought of a player’s village is. All players start
the player’s current income. In the example below, on the torch symbol on the track. If a player gains
the player would collect 6 coins, listed above fruit, reputation, he moves his cube down the track, toward
at the end of each round (he would not also collect the bottom of the cave. If a player loses reputation, he
the coins listed above any of the other goods-- only the moves his cube up the track, toward the surface.
good furthest to the right).
At the end of the game, the player with the most
Once a good has been placed in the advancement reputation gains 6 extra village points. The player
track, it cannot be removed. with the second-most reputation gains 4 extra village
points. The player with the third-most reputation
gains 2 extra village points. If playing with two
players, only the player with the most reputation
gains 4 points (this is why there are two dots on this
village point symbol).

Players also gain or lose village points indicated by a

smaller village point symbol next to their position on
Special Villagers the track. For example, if a player ended the game with
There are four special villagers in the base game. his cube on the highest space on the track, near the
They are the Liquid Woman, Grolo, Blue Cat, and surface, he would lose 2 village points.
Metal Man villagers. At the start of the game, place
these villagers face up near the play area. They can
only be obtained through specific encounters in the
explore book. Each of these villagers has special
rules.
12
 Game End
After seven rounds have passed, the game ends and Card Bonuses
players count up village points. Players gain village Some buildings give bonus village points. In many
points for the following: cases, the points are simply listed at the bottom of the
card. The card below would give the player 2 bonus
village points.
Advancement Track
Players count up village points for each goods token
on the advancement track. The amount each token
is worth is indicated just above the slot on the board.
In the example below, if a player had four fruit on the
third slot, he would gain 2 village points each for a
total of 8 village points.

Some cards give bonus village points for owning

specific things. The card below on the left would give
the player 4 bonus village points, plus 2 bonus village
points for each potion or ore he owns (the ore can

Buildings be in the advancement track or simply in the player’s

supply). The card below on the right would give 3
Each building is worth 1 village point. This includes bonus village points, plus 2 points for each house/key
houses, key houses, and outposts. This does not house he owns.
include empty cave cards a player owns.

Reputation
At the end of the game, the player with the most
reputation gains 6 extra village points. The player
with the second-most reputation gains 4 extra village
points. The player with the third-most reputation
gains 2 extra village points. If playing with two
players, only the player with the most reputation
gains 4 points (this is why there are two dots on this
village point symbol).

Players also gain or lose village points indicated by a

smaller village point symbol next to their position on
the track. For example, if a player ended the game with
his cube on the highest space on the track, near the Compare Total
surface, he would lose 2 village points. Players compare their total village points. The player
with the most village points is the winner! If tied, the
player with the most coins wins the tie. If still tied, the player
with the most villagers wins the tie. If still tied, the player
with the most buildings wins.
13
 Symbols
Village Points: The player with the
most village points at the end of the
Fruit: The most common good.
game is the winner. A card with this
symbol would give 3 extra village points.

Coins: Coins are used to purchase build-

Fish: The second-most common ings and train new villagers. A building
good. card with this symbol would increase a
player’s income by 1 each round.

Beds: For each bed symbol on a card a

player owns, he may move one villager
Mushroom: The third-most from “injured” to “exhausted” OR “exhaust-
common good. ed” to “ready” on his player board.

Recruit to Ready: If a player

Rope: The fourth-most owns a card with this symbol, he may
common good. Will give place newly-recruited villagers in the
a bonus in many explore “ready” area instead of the “exhaust-
encounters. ed” area.

Gain a Coin When Building: If

Clay Pot: The fifth-most a player owns a card with this sym-
common good. bol, he gains 1 coin after he purchas-
es a building card. He must pay the
full amount for the building before
collecting the bonus coin.
Paper: The sixth-most
common good.
Reroll Twice: If a player owns a
card with this symbol, he may reroll
up to two times when performing an
explore action. He must always keep
Ore: The seventh-most the rerolled number.
common good.

Gain a Coin when Exploring:

If a player owns a card with this sym-
bol, he gains 1 coin after completing
a successful explore action.
Amethyst: The rarest good.

14
 Explore: These symbols rep- Goods (on card): When a play-
er buys a card with this symbol,
resent how adept a villager is at
he immediately places 2 goods of
exploring. For the left symbol,
the specified type on it. The goods
a roll of 1 or higher would score
can be harvested from the card.
one explore. For the right sym-
The card never makes additional
bol, a roll of 3 or higher would
goods.
score two explore.

Replenishing Goods
Hammer: A villager with this symbol (on card): When a player
can complete the Build action.
buys a card with this sym-
bol, he immediately places 1
good of the specified type on
it. The good can be harvest-
ed from the card. At the end
Quill: A villager with this symbol can of the round, if the card does
complete the Train action.
not have a good on it, the
player places 1 of the speci-
fied good on it.

Hammer Plus: A villager with this Bonus Explore (on card): If a

symbol can complete the Build action,
player owns a card with this symbol,
and he pays one fewer coin when doing
each time he does the explore action, he
so.
adds 1 lantern to the total rolled by the
villagers.
Cave Cat: This symbol belongs to the
cave cat. It means that each time a play-
er assigns the cave cat to do an action,
he must roll a die. On a roll of 1-2, the Potion (on card): When a player
cat does not complete the action and is purchases a card with this symbol, he
placed directly in the “exhausted” area. immediately gains 1 potion token.

Bad Reputation: A villager with this

symbol causes the player to lose one
reputation each time the villager is as-
signed to perform an action.
Income (on card): If a player owns
a card with this symbol, he collects +1
Metal Man: These symbols coin at the end of each round.
belong to the Metal Man villager.
They represent that this villager
has his own bed, and that neither
cider nor potions can be used on
him.
Village Points for Things:
If a player owns a card with
this symbol, he gains bonus
Gain Reputation: When a player village points for owning speci-
buys a card with this symbol, he im- fied goods/etc. In this case,
mediately gains 1 reputation. the player would gain 2 village
points per potion and 2 village
points per ore he owned at the
end of the game.
15
 Index Round
Actions
Advancement Track
6-9
12-13 1. Player Actions
Bed 10, 14
Build 8
Buy from a Player 9
Explore
Cider 10 Harvest
End of the Round 10-11
Explore 6-8
Build
Free Actions 9-10 Train
Game End 13
Harvest 9
Labor
Income 7, 10-11
Labor 9 Free Actions
Pass 10 Buy From a Player
Potion 10, 15
10
Put Something For Sale
Refresh a Building Row
Reputation 12, 13 Refresh a Building Row
Sell 9
Special Villager 12, 15 Pass
Train 9
Symbols
Villager 6, 9,
14-15
10, 15
2. End the Round
Round Marker
Exhausted to Ready
(spend)
New Cider
New Villagers
Injured to Exhausted Rest Villagers
(spend) Collect Income
Exhausted to Ready Refresh Goods on Buildings
OR Pass Turn Order Tokens to the Left
Injured to Exhausted

Credits
Game Design: Ryan Laukat
Illustration: Ryan Laukat
Development: Malorie Laukat
Playtesters: Malorie Laukat, Brandon Laukat, Rachel Green, Matt Green, Alf Seegert, Benson J. Whitney, Ryan Butcher
AKA Thinkbomb, Michael Mindes AKA Awesomeness, Jeremy Tritchler, Shawn Tritchler. Thank you to everyone who con-
tributed to the development of this game.

16 Copyright 2015 Red Raven Games