Recently revised into a deluxe box, Imps Vs. Puppies is a trick-taking game about players competing to smash open the top card of the Crate Deck. The game offers 15 different Imps with various abilities that will trigger at different points of the round. Each of these Imps come in 6 different colors to support the different teams and there is often a pregame draft to pick which Imps are included in the game. The crate deck is also customized with a mixture of points and traps.
Each round has 5 phases which will determine when Imp abilities will trigger and how the round is resolved.
Phase 1- Send Imps: Each player sends an Imp of their choice from their hand to the battle. If the card is sent face it, this means their ability will trigger. Sent face down, their identity is unknown so their strength can be bluffed.
Phase 2- Reveal Imps: Imps that were sent facedown are revealed and any Imps that are matching in strength are sent home immediately.
Phase 3- Ability Phase: Several Imps have abilities that will trigger right before the center crate is smashed.
Phase 4- Smash Crate: The top crate card is revealed and resolved. If the card is a puppy, players put this card in their score pile. If the card is a bomb, the Imp who smashed the crate is killed. There are a number of other traps that could trigger as well, including Ninja Kittens and Mega Bombs.
Phase 5- Cleanup Phase: Players pull any Imps in the Infirmary into their hands and the Imps used that round enter the infirmary.
This continues until the Last Round Puppy is revealed and players count the number of points in their score piles. Ties are broken by the person who smashed the most puppies.
Bluffing, Card Game, Fantasy, Humor · Hand Management, Trick-taking
More ▾
View on BGG ↗
