Build your crypt, destroy the village, and defeat your rivals in Vampires & Villagers: The Curse of Christoph! The Vampires have grown displeased with the villagers of Askwith’s ongoing challenges to their dominance. The Vampire Lords set out to destroy the town, while also battling each other for supremacy. You are a Vampire Lord in control of a crypt of creatures. The goal is to end the game with the most powerful crypt. The game is played in a series of rounds as rival vampires build up their forces and deplete the village. Every time the village square is emptied, the round ends and an event occurs. Many event effects are lasting; some favor the humans, while others favor the forces of darkness. The fourth time the square is cleared, Askwith is destroyed and the game is scored. There are four character classes: Villagers, Vampire Hunters, Thralls, and Vampires, including Master Vampires, Lesser Vampires, and Turned Hunters. Players place their Vampires and Thralls in the “crypt” in front of them in order to be able to use them in play. The creatures in the crypt can be face up and active or face down, in shadows. Active creatures can directly attack the villagers, while creatures in shadows use stealth attacks. Thralls and turned hunters/slave vampires, when applicable, can also be used to defend a creature who has been targeted by a crypt attack. Each turn, players draw 1 card and play 1 card, choosing to build up their crypts or use a hunter or strong villager to attack one of their rivals. During the next phases, players can use the skills of face-up cards and attack the village with direct attacks and stealth. Finally, crypt attacks and other residual actions from previous turns are resolved. During a crypt attack, the Hunter is supported by all of the Villagers in the square. After the end of the fourth round, the game ends and the power value of all creatures in the crypt in front of each player are scored, along with any giant bat victory points. The player with the highest score is the reigning Vampire Lord! Vampires and Villagers introduces an unusual semi-cooperative element. Players both attack the village in order to gain victory points and use the villagers against one another. A strong village is a useful weapon, but it can be used against you, as well. Vampires and Villagers is all about managing opposing goals – the successful player balances bringing about the end of rounds and the game quickly with strengthening their own crypt, while simultaneously preventing their opponents from doing the same. Keeping your opponents off balance as you subtly drive the flow of the game is key to victory.