I know Gloom (the basic deck) for almost a year, and I bought the game and expansions for myself 4 months ago - and I love everything about it. To anyone who complained about the quality of the print - the addition (don't know which) we've got in Israel (where I live) is exellent.
BTW, the artists family - genius!
I do have some questions about few unclear things:
[Unwelcome Guests]
Who or what does Whiskers follows? On any other guest it says first thing: "Follows..", but not on Whiskers.
[Unhappy Homes]
2. Can I play more than one mystery on a residance, and if so, which abilty is active?
Can a mystery be played on a character (so far we decided it cannot)?
[Something I learned from the forum and never heard of before] Residances have abilities?? There is no mantioning of it anywhere on the deck. Where can I find the list of the six residances' abilities?
It's the best, most hilarious and most sociable (in a way) game ever! Story-telling adds a lot of fun to the game.
Thank you. And know, that whoever I teach Gloom - loves it, too.
You only get Whiskers when you play a card that lets you take an uncontrolled guest (for example the "Was Harassed by House Guests" card) or a controlled guest (for example the "Regaled A Relative" card). This presumes you are using Whiskers in the game. Even if you are not, I think there may be a card that lets you choose a guest who is not in the game.
You can play more than one Mystery on a Residence as long as the card's prerequistes are met. The abilites that are active, just like for Characters, are the abilites that are showing unless the text states otherwise. Once a Mystery is covered up with another Mystery the NEW Mystery is the active card.
This is a good question! I presume that Modifer Cards and Untimely Death cards are the only cards that can be played on a Character or a Guest. A Mystery Card is not a Modifier Card - it is specifically a Mystery Card with modifiers. BUT!!! It sure can be argued the other way - so until there's an answer from Atlas, I'd say why not ask the folks you're playing with and make it a House Rule
I've not seen anything about Residences having abilites without those bestowed by the Mystery Card. For example, if you played the "And The Horrid Hospital" Mystery Card on a Residence, while the text stayed visible, the player controlling the Residence would get the ability to choose cards from another player's hand.
So, basically you say that if we play with Whiskers, and by any card I happened to control him - then good for me, since he's only able to move with specific cards saying so?
Regarding the residances and their abilities, here is a topic I read while looking for answers (where I leand about it). See if it rings any bells for you...
Yup you get to keep Whiskers unless someone has a card that can take it away. In games I've played with that Guest, it has usually stayed with the original owner for all of the game! They just got really lucky I guess
Thanks for the info on the special abilities on residences! That's AWESOME!!! Looks like those special abilities were a "promo" for when the cards were first being released. Promo in 2004 cards in 2005. Unhappy Homes came out a couple years before Unwelcome Guests so only the first 4 original residences (for the first four original families) have these special abilities.
The Unwelcome Guests expansion added two new families and two new residences, but came out AFTER the promo - so they don't get any special powers.
Since promotional materials are generally a kind of special "one shot deal" and the stated rules are optional AND this info came out in 2004 - I wouldn't expect an update for the newer residences and their families.
Though it would be nice to have "official" abilities for the all residences that have come out after Unhappy Homes
At least you can use the special abilites if you play a 2-4 player game! I think I'm going to have to try that!
Glad I could help. The guy who posted it (as you could tell) came up with some house rules for the other two residances accordind to the story of the place, or something like that. You can use what he came up with.
That way, you guys can also draw a family each game and adjust to new abilities and guests everytime, come up with new strategies.
And there can be many combinations, so the fun never ends
Oh, and by the way, in the copy I got of the expantions there is a new family with Unhappy Homes and the sixth family in the Unwelcome Gests deck. So theoretically I should have found abilities to five residances.
I'm guessing because the promo came out a year before the actual expansion, they were just giving us a taste of what was to come.
You could play with the residences in the article for the four families from the original deck (I love cut outs!) until you got your hands on the expansion a year later.
My lunch group is finally all up to speed on how to play without the expansions - next week - EXPANSIONS!!! WOO HOO!!!
My people are having games-night once a month, so maybe I'll try putting in the residences' abilities. I'll try the ones from the link, with what he who posted them came up with and I'll let you know how it went.
If by any chance you hear anything about the abilities elsewhere - you know where to find me.
