Encounter is a card-based cooperative boss-battling game for 2-6 players. Each player chooses one of six classes to play, each with its own contribution to the fight.
The game contains the following:
- 4 Boss Cards
- 4 Boss Decks
- 6 Hero Class Cards
- 6 Hero Class decks
- Health Tokens
- Barrier Tokens
- Energy Tokens
- 1 Round Start Token
Select a Hero Class for each player, randomly or by player selection. Give each player the deck and Hero card for their Hero. Also give each player Health tokens equal to the maximum Health indicated on their Hero card.
Place a number of Health tokens on the Boss card equal to its maximum Health.
Shuffle each player's Hero deck and the Boss deck.
Each round of the game consists of the players each taking a turn in clockwise sitting order.
Randomly select a player to begin the first round. Give this player the "Round Start" token.
Check Health. If you have zero or less Health, you are incapacitated and skip your turn.
Check Boss Status cards.
Draw Boss cards. Begin your turn by drawing the number of cards indicated on the Boss card from the Boss deck. If the Boss deck runs out, shuffle the Boss discard pile and add it to the Boss deck. Place the drawn cards in front of you.
Draw Hero cards. Draw 5 cards from your Hero deck. If your Hero deck runs out, shuffle your discard pile and add it to your Hero deck.
Gain Energy. Take a number of Energy tokens equal to the Energy Gain listed on your Hero card.
Play Hero cards. Spend these Energy tokens to play cards from your hand. Once you do not have enough Energy to play any cards in your hand, your turn ends. If your Health drops to or below zero while playing cards, your turn ends immediately.
Discard hand. At the end of your turn, discard any cards remaining in your hand and any unspent Energy.
Resolve Boss cards. If there are Boss cards still in front of you, resolve them. If any Boss cards you resolve draw additional cards, resolve those cards as well.
Deal minion damage. If there are any boss minions fixated on you, deal their damage to yourself.
The Heroes win the game when they reduce the Boss's Health to or below zero, if one or more Heroes still has more than zero Health.
The Heroes lose if they all simultaneously have zero or less Health.
Attack cards primarily deal damage (decrease Health on a target), but may have secondary effects.
Hero Attack cards resolve when they are played, after the effects of any Boss Defend cards are taken into account.
Boss Attack cards resolve at the end of the turn of the player they are pending on, unless otherwise stated.
Defend cards prevent or immediately respond to incoming damage. They resolve before opponent Attack cards.
Status cards define the conditions in which they apply effects. They may apply these effects as soon as they are played.
Discard the indicated card(s). If the card discarded decribes an effect that takes place when consumed, then enact it.
Consume effects are ignored if the card is discarded by any other means.
Heal cards primarily increase the Health on a target, but may have secondary effects.
Hero Heal cards resolve immediately.
Boss Heal cards resolve at the end of the turn of the player they are pending on.
Utility cards have any other effects that cannot be classified as an Attack or Heal, such as card draw.
Hero Utility cards resolve immediately.
Boss Utility cards resolve at the end of the turn of the player they are pending on.