Tired of dusting off the same old board games for game night? If you’re looking for something new that’s quick to learn, packed with adorable art, and has just the right amount of friendly backstabbing, then it’s time to meet the Here to Slay card game. This charming adventure puts you in charge of a party of fuzzy-but-fierce heroes—from squirrel bards to bunny wizards—on a quest for glory. It’s a delightful mix of light strategy and pure fun, perfect for players who want a little more excitement than just matching colors or collecting properties. To know more, check out แทงมวย
At its heart, the game is a strategic race with two distinct paths to victory, meaning you must always keep an eye on your opponents’ progress. To win a game of Here to Slay, you must be the first player to either:
- Slay three Monster cards by battling beasts in the center of the table.
- Assemble a full Party by collecting a Hero card from all six unique classes.
From the creators of popular games like Unstable Unicorns, Here to Slay seems complex at first glance but is surprisingly straightforward once you start playing. This guide will break down everything you need to know, from your first turn to your final, glorious win. We’ll cover the core rules, the different card types, and why this game has become a new favorite for game nights everywhere.
Your First Quest: How to Set Up the Game in Under 5 Minutes
Every great adventure needs a leader, and in Here to Slay, that’s your first big choice. You’ll each pick a Party Leader card, which acts as your team’s unique captain. Each one has a special skill that gives you an edge throughout the game, like letting you draw extra cards or re-roll the dice. Whether you’re a powerful wizard or a sneaky thief, this card immediately gives your team a distinct personality and a starting direction for your strategy.
With your leader chosen, it’s time to prepare the battlefield. You’ll see two stacks of cards: the large Main Deck is where you’ll draw your heroes, items, and magic spells. The smaller Monster Deck holds the fearsome (but adorable) beasts you need to slay to win. Simply shuffle both decks and flip the top three Monsters face-up in the center of the table. These are your first targets!
Finally, to get your quest rolling, you’ll draw five cards from the Main Deck. This is your Starting Hand, filled with the secret tools you’ll use to build your party or mess with your friends. Your play area should now look like the picture above: your Party Leader is face-up, and you have your five cards ready to go. That’s it—you’re all set up!
What Do I Do On My Turn? Understanding Your 3 Action Points
Now that you’re set up, your turn is surprisingly simple. You get three Action Points (AP) to spend, which is like a small budget for taking actions. You don’t have to follow a strict order; you have the freedom to decide what’s most important right now. Do you want to strengthen your party by playing a Hero? Or would you rather draw more cards to prepare for a big move later on? It’s completely up to you how you spend your points.
Spending these points is the heart of Here to Slay gameplay. Each core action—like playing a Hero from your hand, drawing a card, or preparing to attack a Monster—typically costs just one point. This means you can mix and match three different actions on your turn, giving you a ton of flexibility. Now, let’s look at the cards you can play to build your adorable, deadly team.
How to Build Your Adorable, Deadly Team of Heroes
Spending your Action Points to play Hero cards is the primary way you’ll build your team and work toward victory. These cards represent the brave (and cute) adventurers joining your party. Playing one Hero from your hand into your party area costs one Action Point. Think of them as your core team members; getting the right ones on the field is a huge part of the game’s strategy and one of the main Here to Slay card types.
Each Hero you recruit belongs to a specific “Class,” which is like their job or specialty. One of the ways to win the game is by assembling a full party with a Hero from each of the six different classes. The Here to Slay Hero Classes are:
- Fighter
- Guardian
- Bard
- Ranger
- Thief
- Wizard
More than just a collector’s item, every Hero comes with a unique skill that can give you a powerful advantage. This skill is described on the card, along with an Effect Roll Requirement. You’ll see a dice symbol with a number like “8+” next to the skill’s description. To use that skill, you must roll two dice—if your result is 8 or higher, you succeed! If you roll lower, your action point is spent, but the effect doesn’t happen. This adds a fun layer of risk and reward to every decision. While Heroes are the heart of your party, you can also support them with other powerful cards.
Unleash Powerful Spells and Equip Awesome Gear
Your hand isn’t just full of potential Heroes; it also holds other powerful tools that are a key part of the Here to Slay card types. First up are Magic cards. Think of these as powerful, one-time spells. For the cost of one Action Point, you can play a Magic card from your hand to do something dramatic, like destroying an opponent’s Hero or helping you on a crucial dice roll. They create a single, game-changing moment, and then the card is sent to the discard pile.
For a more permanent boost, you’ll turn to Item cards. Unlike the fleeting power of magic, Items are pieces of gear—like a Cursed Ring or a Sharpened Sword—that you equip to one of your Heroes. Playing an Item card also costs one Action Point, but instead of being discarded, it gets attached to a Hero in your party. That Item stays with its Hero, providing a continuous benefit turn after turn, like making their skill easier to use or protecting them from harm.
Choosing between the instant impact of a Magic card and the long-term investment of an Item is a constant and fun decision you’ll make. Both are vital for gaining an edge over your opponents. With your party of Heroes assembled, equipped with mighty Items, and with spells at the ready, you have the tools you need to take on the biggest challenges the game has to offer.
How to Fight Monsters (And Why You’d Want To)
Now that you’ve started building your adorable-but-deadly team of Heroes, it’s time to give them a real challenge. In the center of the table sit the Monster cards, and taking them down is one of the two main ways you can win the game. These aren’t just obstacles; they’re your ticket to victory. Instead of trying to collect a full party of six different Hero classes, you can focus your efforts on becoming a legendary monster slayer. Slay three of these formidable beasts, and you instantly win the game, no matter what other players have assembled.
Attacking a monster is a high-risk, high-reward move that costs two of your three Action Points for the turn. Before you can even roll the dice, you must first meet the monster’s party requirements. Look at the card: it will show you which Hero classes you need in your party just to be eligible to fight it. For example, to fight the mighty Terratuga, you might need at least one Guardian and one Thief. If you have the right team, you can spend your points to declare an attack and roll two dice. To succeed, you must meet or beat the number shown on the monster card.
If your roll is a success, congratulations! You’ve slain the monster. You take its card and place it in front of you as a trophy, one step closer to your goal of three. It’s a huge moment in the game, but your opponents won’t just sit back and watch you win. What happens when another player tries to foil your heroic attack right before you land the final blow? This is where the game gets really interesting.
Someone Messed With Your Plan? Here’s How to Fight Back
Just when you think you’ve landed the perfect move—like attacking a monster or using a powerful Hero ability—another player can try to stop you. You aren’t helpless in these situations, though. If someone plays a card that hurts you, you can immediately play a Challenge card from your hand. Think of it as shouting, “I don’t think so!” This simple card is your primary tool for defense and is a core part of how challenges work in here to slay.
Playing a Challenge card triggers a head-to-head duel. You and the player you are challenging each roll one die. Whoever rolls higher wins the duel. If you win, their card fizzles out and has no effect, saving your Hero or your turn. But if they win, their card’s effect goes through as planned. It’s a quick, dramatic moment that can completely change the course of the game.
Need a little extra luck on your side? This is where Modifier cards come in handy. These are special cards you can play during a challenge right after the dice are rolled. A Modifier might give you a +2 or +3 to your roll, potentially turning a loss into a victory. Your opponent can even play a Modifier on their own roll in response, leading to a tense battle of wits to see who can get the last boost.
This exciting back-and-forth of Challenges and Modifiers ensures that no turn is ever completely safe. It keeps every player engaged even when it isn’t their turn.
Let’s Play Your First Turn: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Alright, it’s your turn. You have your unique Party Leader on the table, a hand of five cards, and three Action Points to spend. What now? The core of your turn is the same no matter the group size, which makes learning how to play with 2 players just as easy as with a full table. Looking at your hand, you see two cute but capable Hero cards. Getting Heroes into your party is always a good idea, so let’s start there.
For your first move, you spend one Action Point to play the “Fuzzy Cheeks” Bard onto the table. That leaves you with two points. Since building a strong party early is crucial, you decide to spend a second Action Point to play another Hero, the “Guarding Gopher.” Now, with only one point left, you don’t have enough to attack a Monster and you don’t have any Item cards to play just yet. So, for your third and final Action Point, you simply draw a card to give yourself more options for your next turn.
And that’s it—your first turn is over! In just three simple actions, you’ve started building your team and refilled your hand. This is a perfect example of early Here to Slay gameplay: making small, strategic moves that set you up for bigger plays later.
Two Paths to Victory: How to Actually Win the Game
In Here to Slay, you don’t have to follow a single road to glory. The first way to win is by proving your strength and slaying three giant Monsters. The second path to victory is by becoming a master recruiter and assembling a full party with a Hero from all six unique classes. Because you can win in two different ways, you can’t just focus on your own cards; you also have to keep a close eye on what everyone else at the table is doing.
The best strategy for Here to Slay isn’t about playing a specific card—it’s about paying attention. Is one player already halfway to a full party? Have they defeated two Monsters while everyone else has zero? Recognizing who is closest to winning is your most powerful tool. If you ignore an opponent who is one step away from victory, you might find the game ending before you even get to take your next turn. This awareness is exactly how to win here to slay: by knowing when to stop building and start interfering.
This means you’ll constantly be deciding between two modes: advancing your own goals or actively sabotaging someone else’s. If no one is an immediate threat, feel free to build up your party or go after a Monster. But the moment someone gets dangerously close to winning, it’s time to switch gears. Your turn might be better spent using a Challenge card to stop their winning move or playing a Magic card to destroy one of their key Heroes. It’s this exciting back-and-forth that makes every game a unique puzzle.
Your Questions Answered: 2-Player Rules, Expansions, and More
As you get familiar with the game, a few common questions naturally pop up. For instance, many people wonder how to play with 2 players, since the dynamic changes without a larger group. The official rule is simple: at the end of your turn, you must discard down to seven cards instead of eight. This small change encourages you to play more cards and keeps the game moving quickly, preventing either player from hoarding a perfect hand and stalling the action. It’s a fast-paced and surprisingly competitive way to play.
Once you’ve mastered the main game, you might notice expansion packs on the shelf. The Warriors & Druids expansion, for example, adds two new classes, new Party Leaders, and more dangerous Monsters. It’s a fantastic first step, seamlessly adding fresh options without overcomplicating the rules you already know and love.
If the adorable but deadly art style feels familiar, you’re not wrong! Here to Slay was created by the same team behind the popular card game Unstable Unicorns. When considering here to slay vs unstable unicorns, it’s helpful to see them as cousins, not twins. They share a sense of humor and art, but Here to Slay is a more structured adventure focused on building a party and fighting monsters, offering a distinct strategic experience.
Ultimately, these details show how flexible the game can be, whether you’re playing with just one friend or expanding your collection for the long haul.
Should ‘Here to Slay’ Be Your Next Game Night?
Where you once saw a box of cute animal art, you now see a battlefield of opportunity. You’ve moved from wondering what the game is about to understanding the core of its strategy: the dual paths to victory. You know that every turn is a choice between building your party of heroes and attacking the monsters in the middle of the table, giving you the confidence to make your first move.
The Here to Slay card game is a perfect choice if your group loves a bit of playful chaos, charming art, and high player interaction. It’s an ideal step up from classic party games, offering a taste of light strategy that keeps everyone engaged without being overwhelming. If you enjoy games like Unstable Unicorns but want a more adventurous theme, this is for you.
You now have everything you need to start your quest. The only thing left to do is gather your friends, choose your Party Leader, and lead your first team of cuddly-but-deadly heroes to glory. Your adventure is ready to begin.