T H E   H E R D

    The Herd is a game about paranoia, betrayal, and survival intended for 3 – 6 players! You play as a group of settlers in a village surrounded by fog and dense forest. During the day, you build up your town and your team’s arsenal. At night, a terrifying beast comes to attack the village and you must desperately try to survive! Will you bolster your allies and attempt to fight off the beast as a community? Will you betray your allies and be the last human standing? Whatever you choose, do it quickly — there are threats around every corner and the beast is evolving…  

    The game takes place in three distinct phases: Morning, Afternoon, and Night. During the morning, players choose which decks to draw from and what task they want to work on. Tasks can include playing a card or contributing to a community project. In the afternoon, a threat is revealed that will add additional danger to the following night phase. Players have another opportunity to perform a task in the afternoon (same as the morning). Then comes the night…

    Every night, The Beast will come to your town to hunt. The Beast will target a specific player (sometimes more than one!) and attempt to… well, murder them. Before the attack commences however, players may take actions against the Beast by playing action cards. Actions can include setting an ambush, defending others, betraying allies, and more. Action cards are played face down and revealed simultaneously, meaning players can lie about their intentions up until the very last moment. When all actions are taken and the Beast attacks, night ends and the turn cycle starts again the following morning.

    You can download the appropriate files and play the Herd here on my Itch page. The 2021 Update adds some balance changes and trades out the old D20 for a brand new ten-sided die! The latest version is available as a Print & Play PDF or a Table Top Simulator object file. The original version of the game is also available to download as a Print & Play PDF, Table Top Simulator object file, or a PCIO (PlayingCards.io) room file.  The average playtime for a full game can range from 15 to 80 minutes depending on the number of players and the pace of play.