Overview
Don't Let It Die is essentially "RPG Skill Tree: The Game". As a team of four cavepeople, you must gather resources to stay alive--food, weapons, craftable items--while keeping the fire alive. The fire is how you gain FKP (fire knowledge points) or skill points that you use to improve your abilities, grow stronger, and survive. You have fifteen days to learn how to start your own fire, but if you die before then or the fire goes out due to lack of wood, the game is over.
Phases
Like most co-op games, the game alternates between "player actions" (day phase) and "bad things happen" (night phase).
Day Phase
Each character spends their turn taking actions, which cost stamina points. These are the basic actions. Some characters may have additional skills or abilities that alter actions.
| Action | Stamina cost | Requirements | Description | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gather | 2 | None | Draw a card from the Outskirts. | Gain berries or fiber |
| Forage | 2 | None | Draw a card from the Meadow. | Gain wood or rocks |
| Harvest | 3 | Equipped tool | Draw a card from the Forest. | Gain wood or rocks |
| Hunt | 3 | Equipped weapon | Draw a card from the Watering Hole. | Gain meat, bone, or hide |
| Investigate Fire | 3 | None | Roll the fire dice | Gain the number of fire icons on the dice (0-3) in Fire Knowledge Points |
| Eat Food | None | Food resources (berries or meat) | Consume food resources to regain HP |
|
| Add Wood | None | Wood resources | Consume wood resources | Increase the wood pile on the fire to make the fire last longer |
| Spend FKP | None | FKPs | Spend Fire Knowledge Points on the skill tree | To gain new abilities and skills |
| Cook Food | 1 | Skill unlocked | Convert raw food to cooked food | Cooked food uses fewer resources and adds more HP |
| Trade Resources | 1 | 3+ of any 1 resource | Exchange 3 of any resource for 1 of any resource | You cannot trade cooked food. You can trade FKP. |
| Craft | 3 | Skill unlocked | Use resources to build weapons and tools | These add benefits to your character(s). Crafted items can be traded between characters. Each character can have only 1 weapon and 1 tool. Only 1 building can be created per game. |
| Explore (Hindrance expansion) | 4 | None | Draw an Explore card | Gain Dino Eggs, Medicinal Herbs, Gemstones, etc. |
Danger! Cards
When performing any actions that require drawing a card, there is a risk of drawing a Danger! card that represents wildlife trying to kill you. When encountered, the following rules are applied:
- If your character has no weapon OR a weapon with less damage than the card's Life number, lose HP equal to the Damage number.
- If your character has a weapon with damage equal or greater than the Life number...
- If the weapon has Range 1, lose 1 HP and gain Meat equal to the Life number.
- If the weapon has Range 2, gain Meat equal to the Life number (lose no HP).
If a character has 0 HP, they are Incapacitated and cannot take any actions. Another character must use 3 cooked Meat to revive them (even if the character cannot eat Meat). The revived character will gain 3 HP and full stamina at end of the next morning phase.
Night Phase
After all players have taken their turn, a Night Event card is drawn. These cards usually have a negative effect, such as losing resources or dealing with obstacles.
Morning Phase
After the Night Phase, the following actions are taken in order:
- Wood is removed from the wood pile by the fire (based on the day track). If the wood pile ever has 0, the game ends in defeat.
- Day counter increases by 1
- All characters lose 1 HP
- All characters regain their stamina points
- Players may trade weapons and tools with each other
- The "first player" token is moved to the next character in sequence
After this, a new Day Phase begins.
Game End
If you unlock the Fire Starter skill on the Fire Knowledge Tree before 15 days have passed, you win.
You lose if, at anytime...
- There is 0 wood in the wood pile for the fire.
- All members are incapacitated
- The Night Phase for Day 14 comes without having unlocked the Fire Starter Skill
Hindrance (Variant)
A physical hindrance is acquired from events or when taking damage from combat.
There is a max of 3 physical hindrances and 1 mental hindrance.
If a character has a maximum number of physical hindrances, the next draw will will be a mental hindrance (unless maxed) and all physical hindrances will be removed.
Physical hindrances can be removed by spending a stamina and Medical Herb
