Harsh Shadows

About the game

What is Harsh Shadows?

When you saw the code words Project Nightshade come across your desk, you insisted on the assignment... You were instantly reminded of the shadow operative who had slipped through the fingers of some of The Rigel Group's best agents. Now it's your chance to catch this criminal before it’s too late. As a master agent of the elite global task force, The Rigel Group, you expertly hunt down cunning spies and deadly double agents. You’ll need to use your wits, local intel and tools of the trade to lure the spy into your trap. Just be sure you’re the predator, and not the prey! This isn't just any spy; one false move could end your mission... permanently. Harsh Shadows is a solitaire game of espionage. To set up, place nine location cards in a 3x3 grid, then place discovery cards under each location. Place three file cards near the locations, then place case cards under each file. Place decks for arrow cards and additional discovery cards nearby, along with two agent tool cards. The spy and agent cards start in different locations. You are the agent and go first, moving to an adjacent location and revealing a discovery card, which could be an item, clue, or bomb; item and clue cards go in hand, while bombs force you to discard. You can use a location's special ability and clues to reveal case cards under files. You might be able to place a tracking bug on the spy. For the spy's turn, the arrow cards move the spy to an adjacent location, where a new discovery card is placed at random. If the spy moves to your location, discard a card. If you can't discard a card or discover you've discarded an item matching a case card, you lose immediately. When the discovery deck is empty, the spy attempts to escape. You must have placed a tracking bug on the spy, have the three item cards in hand matching the case cards, and make it to the spy's current location before the spy escapes.

How it plays

Mechanics

On the shelf

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Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

• How do setup and the first turn work in Harsh Shadows?
• When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
• How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?