Rule Book

Copyright Blue Donut Games Ltd. 2021 | V2.2

 a doorway into another realm. This
About the Game doorway allows hideous nightmares to
Horror in the Library is a 19th Century be released upon you, his guests.
Victorian themed tile-based competitive With indignation you all stand up and
card collecting game for up to 4 scold the fool for such ungentlemanly
players, increasing to 6 players with the behaviour.
expansion pack. It uses a medium level
of strategy and luck for finding required Relaxing in his chair, the Professor
cards and moving tiles. A balanced token smokes his cigar, laughing at your
bag determines penalties and rewards protestations. “Don’t be so hasty” he
while a simple attack and defence system replies. “The one who can survive the
with Non-Player Characters adds to horrors in my library will be the sole
player interaction and strategy. inheritor of my fortune and all my
secrets that are held within the library.
Horror in the Library is as competitive There can only be one winner.” A big
and as fast as players wish it to be cloud of smoke follows another laugh.
through the setup of the game and
can be either a light game through to The others around the table look at each
a highly competitive and entertaining other and then to you. The Professor
evening. stirs his brandy and looks deeply at the
contents, laughing.
We designed this game to be an
introduction to contemporary board Feeling faint, you slump back down into
games to both new and casual board your chair, the last thing you remember
game players. Horror in the Library is your empty wine glass dropping from
offers a range of different game your hand.
mechanics that provide variety, strategy, Now... You are awake, the numbness
confrontation, risk and luck. leaves your body. You realise that you
The game is ideal for players aged 12+. are standing within the Professor’s
extensive labyrinthine library. In your
Marcus Pullen hand you hold a device resembling
Managing Director Blue Donut Games Ltd., a large pocket watch which seems to
creator of Horror in the Library measure something called Fortitude and
a letter.
Setting the Scene You hastily open the letter:
Sunday 18 August 1895…
th
“The key to your escape lies within the
pages I have asked you to find that are
You have been invited to dine at the
hidden in my books. The pages you need,
fabled mansion of the Mad Professor.
when combined, will enable you to leave
After a delightful dinner, the Professor this nightmare by unlocking the door to
announces to his guests that he has the green portal in my study. Without
a little game of chance for you all to those pages you will roam my library for
play. His mad genius has summoned all eternity! Beware, you may seek the
help of other guests but treachery will

2
soon abound when necessity calls for
drastic actions! Aim of the game
Distant screams make your soul turn Players compete to collect all the pages
colder. Knowing the books hold the they need to enter the Mad Professor’s
key to survival you begin his game of study and escape.
madness!

3
Box Contents
◊ 1 Library Bookcase screen
◊ 4 Player Boards (Fortitude, Search
meter, Item rack and Page card
area).
◊ 15 Library room tiles with handles
◊ 1 Green Portal tile (no handle)
◊ 1 Red bag
◊ 10 Blessings cards
◊ 10 Curses cards
◊ 60 Page cards
◊ 60 Item tiles
◊ 4 Character tokens
◊ 8 Monster tokens
◊ 10 Blessings coins
◊ 10 Curses coins
◊ 24 Search markers
◊ 12 Character & Monster stands
◊ 4 Cubes for the Search meter
◊ 4 Gold counters for the Fortitude
meter
◊ 2 Dice (yellow and white)

4
5
 green, blue, white and black decks and
Setting Up the give them a good shuffle. Then place
each deck face down in front of the
Game Bookcase screen.
Deciding how long you
Blessings and Curses
want to play
CARDS
Horror in The Library can last as long
or as short as you wish. You can control Sort the Blessings and Curses cards into
the duration by deciding how many two separate decks. Give them both a
pages need to be collected and the size good shuffle. Then place each deck face
and arrangement of the Library tiles. For down.
example, a 2 player game with 2 pages to
collect and a 3x3 grid of room tiles will Bag of Blessings and
be a much shorter game than a 4 player Curses
game with 6 pages and a 4 x 4 grid.
Put the Blessings and Curses coins into
Setting out the Library the red bag and give them a good mix.
Place the bag near to the Blessings and
Room Tiles Curses decks.

Grid arrangement
Search Markers & Cubes
◊ Arrange the Library room tiles
Order the Search markers into their
randomly around the green Portal tile
respective colours and shapes. They are
to create a 3x3 grid for a 2-3 player
numbered 1 to 6. Place a coloured cube
game, or a 4x4 grid for a 4 player
with each set.
game.
Custom arrangement
Character Tokens
Put the clear plastic stands onto the
◊ Library room tiles and the Portal
Character tokens.
tile can be arranged into a custom
configuration so long as the tiles are
all connected to each other. Monster Tokens
Put the clear plastic Monster token
The Library Bookcase stands onto the Monster tokens and
group these together.
Place the folded Bookcase screen at the
end of the table where everyone can see
it. This will be used when players wish to Player Boards
search the bookcases in the Library. Each player now chooses a Player board
and corresponding Character token.
Page Cards
Sort out the Page cards into red, yellow,

6
Item Tiles Character Token Placement
Set the Item tiles marked R, G, Y, B, W Players place their Character token on a
and K letter side up and group them by Library room tile of their choice to start.
their letter. They can place the character on any tile
except for the green Portal. More than
How to Play one player can occupy a room both at the
start and during play.
Getting Players Ready See Picture on pages 8 and 9 for
layout.
There are a few things to do before play
commences:
Starting the game
Player Board The first player can now begin play. A
player can play up to three actions per
Place one gold token on the Fortitude
turn and play them in any order:
meter at 0, where the white needle sits.
Choose a set of Search markers and ◊ Move – move between rooms or
place them on the numbers to the left of rotate rooms.
the search meter labelled SEARCHES.
Place the matching coloured cube on the ◊ Search – search drawers or
black bulb of the Search meter. bookcases
◊ Look – look at mirrors or pictures
Item Tiles
A player may choose to play three of one
As a group agree the number of pages action type or any combination of the
needed to win the game. Each player three.
should take one Item tile of each letter
up to the number of agreed pages (i.e. As the game progresses, players can also:
for a two page game select two different ◊ Exchange – exchange Page cards for
lettered Item tiles). The tiles should a card needed by a player.
then be placed picture face up on the
numbered squares named ITEMS on the ◊ Play bonus actions - in addition to a
player’s Player board. player’s three actions, they may:

These Item tiles show the player what ◊ Use a Blessings or Curses card
Page cards they will need to recover from
◊ Attack Monsters
the bookcases in the Library to be able to
enter the Portal and win the game. There is no limit to the number of bonus
actions a player can make during their
First Player turn.
Roll one die to see who goes first.
Highest roll starts.

7
Suggested layout

8
9
 ◊ Rotate the adjacent room – Players
Moving can also rotate an adjacent room (not
Players can move around the room they diagonal) 90 degrees in any direction
are in without it counting as a Move whether it is occupied or not.
action. Actions start when they wish to: Players may not enter the Portal unless
◊ Move to another room through a they have all their Page cards.
door – Room tiles must have aligned
doors to enable a player to move to Searching
an adjacent room. Players can use an
open or closed door to move between Players search drawers to find Blessings
rooms. Only the door of the room and Curses cards and bookcases to find
you are in determines whether you Page cards.
lose Fortitude or not when moving A player can only search if their
to another room. Moving through an Fortitude is 0 or above. If a player wants
open door uses no Fortitude. Moving to look through a bookcase or a drawer,
through a closed door decreases they first need to place a coloured Search
Fortitude by -1. marker onto the bookcase or drawer that
◊ Rotate the room – Players can rotate they wish to search. Players must use
a room 90 degrees per action in any the Search markers in numerical order
direction by using the handle in the and record each search on their Search
centre of the tile. meter on their Player board using their

10
coloured cube. top of the deck of cards matching the
colour on the Bookcase screen.
Each player can have one Search marker
on a drawer or bookcase at any one time. If the Page card matches an Item tile
on their Player board, they place that
When all their Search markers have
card on their board in the picture frame
been placed on the room tiles and the
marked PAGES. They can then turn over
player wishes to continue searching, they
the corresponding ITEM tile. This card
re-use marker number 1 and move the
cannot be stolen. If the Page card does
cube back to 1 on the Search meter. They
not match their Items, the player keeps
would then use marker number 2 again
the card to one side face up and can then
and so on.
exchange it later. This card can be stolen
by another player.
Searching Drawers
To search a drawer, a player places a Exchanging Page
Search marker and then picks a coin
from the Blesses and Curses bag. This Cards
coin is removed from the bag and not
Players can use the bookcases in rooms
replaced until the bag is empty and then
to exchange unwanted Page cards. A
all the coins are put back into the bag.
player can only exchange one set of cards
Now that the player knows whether at each bookcase. A set of cards consists
they have found a blessing or a curse, of either two Page cards of the same
they can draw a card from the relevant colour or three different coloured Page
Blessings or Curses card deck. Please cards. Players choose one card they need
refer to ‘Blessings and Curses’ to see from any of the coloured Page decks.
what types of cards are available and Exchanging cards at a bookcase uses a
how to play them. Search maker and counts as an action.
Players can also negotiate with each
Searching Bookcases other and exchange Page cards at any
To search a bookcase in a room, players time during the game. This does not
place their Search marker on the count as an action.
bookcase and then throw the two dice.
These are used in conjunction with the Looking
Library Bookcase screen to find out what
colour Page card they have found. Mirrors
The yellow die represents the numbers When a player looks at a mirror, they
going along the top and bottom (x axis) are transported to any other room with
of the coloured grid of books on the a mirror in. This action reduces their
screen and the white die represents the Fortitude by -2.
numbers that go up and down on the left
and right (y axis) side of the screen.
Pictures
Players then draw a Page card from the
When a player looks at a picture, their

11
Fortitude is increased. The player throws Fortitude and attacker may take a
one die and adjusts their Fortitude Page, Blessings or Curses card from
according to the number thrown: the victim
◊ 1-2 increases Fortitude by +1 ◊ Poison – poison a player (must be
in the same room), they lose –4
◊ 3-4 increases Fortitude by +2
Fortitude and attacker may take a
◊ 5-6 increases Fortitude by +3 Page, Blessings or Curses card from
the victim
Looking in a mirror or picture does not
require a Search marker to be placed but ◊ Pointless – set Fortitude to 0
does count as an action!
The Blessings
Blessings & ◊ Free Travel – move between mirrors
Curses with no impact to Fortitude
◊ Lock Picks – unlock closed doors
Some Blessings and Curses cards must
and pass through without reducing
be played immediately, i.e Locked in a
Fortitude points
Room and Visitation and Pointless.
◊ Restore Fortitude by +1
The other cards can be saved face down
in front of the player to be used later. ◊ Modify Dice Roll – can be used for
pictures, the Bookcase screen and
Playing a Blessings or Curses card is a
attacking Monsters.
bonus action and does not use any of
the player’s actions. Once played, the ◊ Protection against stabbing
card is returned to the bottom of the
◊ Protection against shooting
appropriate deck.
◊ Protection against poisoning
The Curses
Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight
◊ Visitation - Fortitude drain
A Protection Blessings card does not
◊ Locked in a room by a spirit –this have to match the corresponding Curses
is for the rest of the player’s current attack card to be used. However, it will
turn and their next turn. Players can not be as effective. It will reduce the
continue to search and look at pictures amount of Fortitude drain on the Curses
whilst locked in the room. card by 1 Fortitude point and it will also
◊ Knife – stab a player (must be in the allow the defending player to choose
same room), they lose –2 Fortitude which card the attacking player can take.
and attacker may take a Page,
Blessings or Curses card from the Managing
victim.
◊ Revolver – shoot a player (must
Fortitude
be in the same room), they lose -3 Fortitude is a measure of how well

12
players can endure their adversities. Damage to Fortitude
The Fortitude meter measures from a When a Monster is placed on a room
minimum of -5 to a maximum of +5. tile, damage to Fortitude is immediately
Players with a Fortitude below 0 have applied only to the player that
become overwhelmed by events and can summoned the Monster:
only move through doors, rotate rooms
and look at the mirrors and pictures. ◊ Level 1 Monster inflict -1 Fortitude
Even if the meter reaches -5, players ◊ Level 2 Monster inflict -2 Fortitude
can continue to perform these actions.
Players cannot die in the Library! Damage is subsequently applied to any
players’ Fortitude if they are in a room
Bookcases and drawers cannot be with a Monster at the start of their turn.
searched by players with negative
Fortitude. If there is more than one Monster in a
room, each Monster causes damage.
Summoning Entering Rooms Occupied by
MONSTERS from the MONSTERS
A room can be entered even if a Monster
other realm! is present, but it will reduce the player’s
Monsters are summoned to a room Fortitude by the number on the Monster
based on the number of players in the token. Even if a player passes through
game and the number of Search markers a room with a Monster as part of their
in the room: turn, they must apply the damage to
Fortitude.
◊ 2– 3 Players – 3 markers in the room
◊ 4+ Players – 4 markers in the room
Will More MONSTERS Appear in
the Room?
The level of Monster summoned starts at
level 1. When all level 1 Monsters are in If there are already 4 Search markers
play, the level 2 Monsters are then used. in a room (or 3 markers in a 2-3 player
game), a Monster will have already
Once all the Monsters are in play, if appeared. Adding more Search markers
a player causes another Monster to to the existing ones will not summon
appear, they must take a level 2 Monster a new Monster. However, if a player
from another room and place it into removes a marker from the room and
the room where the player is located. reduces the Search marker count to 3
Monsters cannot be removed from the (or 2 for a 2-3 player game), and another
Library, but they can be moved. The player adds a new marker, taking the
maximum number of Monsters that can count back to 4 (or 3 for a 2-3 player
occupy a room at one time is 4. This game), a new Monster will appear.
includes the Portal.
Attacking Monsters
An attack is a bonus action and does not

13
use any of the player’s actions.
Winning the Game
To attack a Monster a player must enter
When a player has all the Page cards
the room it is in. If a player is already in
needed, they make their way to the green
a room when a Monster appears, they
Portal in the Mad Professor’s Library.
must leave the room and re-enter in
order to attack. If a player has enough Fortitude points
they can step into the Portal, defeat
The attack starts by the player rolling
any lurking Monsters and become the
both dice. If the player rolls a combined
winner. The champion escapes the
score of 6 or higher, they increase their
Horror in the Library and inherits all its
Fortitude by the number on the Monster
secrets!
token. They can then move the Monster
to another room in the Library, including A player’s Fortitude must be 0 or more
the Portal (to a maximum of 4 Monsters after entering the green Portal. For
per room). The Monster immediately example, if a player has 0 Fortitude and
inflicts damage to Fortitude on any the door to the Portal is closed, they
players in the room that it has been cannot enter the Portal as their Fortitude
moved to. would be -1 once they had passed
through the locked door. If there are no
If there are multiple Monsters in a room,
Monsters in the Portal the player has
a player can attempt a ‘chain attack’. If
won.
the player attacks and defeats the first
Monster, they can then attack the second Monsters in the Portal
Monster and so on until either the room
is cleared of Monsters or the player loses. Any Monsters in the Portal do not
inflict damage when the player enters.
Losing a MONSTER Attack However, the player must attack each
Monster in turn and defeat them to win
If the player loses an attack, they must
the game. The player can decide which
deduct a further -1 or -2 Fortitude
Monster to attack first if there is more
depending on the level of the Monster.
than one. If at any time the player loses
Even if a player has lost, they can
their attack, they must reduce their
choose to stay in the room and use any
Fortitude by the number on the Monster
outstanding actions.
token and leave the Portal returning
If the player has used all of their actions to a room with a connected door. They
they must remain in the room with the cannot re-enter the Portal until they have
Monster. At the start of their next turn, enough Fortitude and it is their next
they must deduct the damage to their turn. When all the Monsters are defeated
Fortitude caused by any Monsters in the the player wins the game.
room.
Players must leave the room in order to
attack again.

14
 Credits Game PRINTING by:
Publisher: Blue Donut Games Ltd.
www.bdgame.uk
Copyright Blue Donut Games Ltd 2021
Created by M.R. Pullen
Ludocards/POD S.r.l Italy
Development Team Produced with - 100% solar energy
Lead Designer & Artist - Marcus Pullen - 100% recyclable CE certified papers
with premium quality from the best
Artwork - Helen Pullen
European paper mill
Mechanics QA- Rebecca Homer-Ward
- Food grade inks for printing
Rules Development
Copy proofing - Rebecca Homer-Ward
and Helen Pullen
Kickstarter Crew
Could you be a Kickstarter Supporter?
Testing Sign-up today at www.bdgame.uk
Lead Game Tester - Mike Homer-Ward
Associate Game Tester - Josh Smith
Buy Our Other
Prototype Play Testers
Games Direct
Mike Homer-Ward, Rebecca Homer-
Ward, Sarah Green, David Green, Katie from:
Green, Josh Smith, Sherry Scriven,
Daron Medway, Julieanne Medway,
Tom Medway, James Medway, Robyn
www.bdgame.uk
Hammond, Rachel Thompson-Smith,
Ken Rand, Gill Rand, Laura Freeman,
Edward Freeman
Additional Play Testers
Special thanks to those who played
Horror in the Library at our Board Game
Café in Waterlooville UK, UK Games
Expo Birmingham 2019 and Spiel Essen
Germany 2019.

15