Overview

Aye, Dark Overlord! is a storytelling party game in a humorous fantasy setting. One player is Rigor Mortis, the Dark Overlord, while all other players are his incompetent Servants who must explain why they failed their latest mission. Servants play Hint Cards to weave excuses and use Pass the Buck cards to shift blame to other players. The Dark Overlord judges their excuses and doles out Withering Looks to those who displease him. The first Servant to receive three Withering Looks loses and is “punished.”

Components

Each box (Red Box or Green Box) contains:

• 1 Rulebook
• 121 Hint Cards (narrative cues with titles, descriptions, and illustrations)
• 37 Action Cards (Pass the Buck, Freeze, and box-specific actions)
• 7 Withering Look Cards (with roman numeral anger levels I, II, III)

Both boxes can be played standalone or combined.

Card Types

Hint Cards: Provide narrative elements for excuses. Players may draw inspiration from the title, description, or illustration. Each has a type icon (Person, Object, Place, Monster, Event, Wild).

Action Cards: | Action | Effect | Box | |—|—|—| | Pass the Buck | Shift blame to another player, forcing them to start their turn | Both | | Freeze | Disrupt another player’s narration with a new Hint Card (does not take the turn) | Both | | Back of the Line | At start of your turn, trade your entire hand with another player’s hand (sight unseen) | Green only | | No Way! | During another player’s turn, force them to discard all Action Cards and draw 1 new card | Green only |

Some Red Box cards offer a choice between two actions.

Withering Look Cards: Track the Dark Overlord’s anger toward each Servant (3 levels).

Setup

1. Choose one player to be the Dark Overlord.
2. Sort cards by type: Hint Cards, Action Cards, Withering Look Cards.
3. The Dark Overlord takes the Withering Look Cards and places them in front of him.
4. Shuffle the Hint Card and Action Card decks separately.
5. Deal each Servant 3 Hint Cards and 3 Action Cards.
6. The Dark Overlord addresses one Servant, asking a question about the failed mission.

Turn Structure

The Servant’s Turn

A turn begins when a Servant is questioned by the Dark Overlord or targeted by a Pass the Buck card.

During a turn, a Servant must:

1. Play at least 1 Hint Card to continue the story.
2. Play a maximum of 3 Hint Cards during the turn (including the one played with Pass the Buck).
3. End the turn by playing a Pass the Buck card along with a Hint Card, shifting blame to another Servant.

Card draws:

• If targeted by Pass the Buck: draw 1 Action Card at the start of your turn.
• If questioned directly by the Dark Overlord: do not draw an Action Card.
• After playing Pass the Buck: draw Hint Cards to return to 3 in hand.

Receiving a Withering Look:

• Discard all cards.
• Draw 3 new Action Cards and 3 new Hint Cards.
• The Dark Overlord resumes by questioning another player.

Out-of-Turn Actions

Action	Timing	Effect
Freeze + Hint Card	During another player’s narration (not during Pass the Buck)	Force the active player to alter their story. No cards drawn.
No Way!	During another player’s turn	Target discards all Action Cards, draws 1 new card. If no Pass the Buck drawn, they receive a Withering Look.

Actions

The Dark Overlord’s Powers

The Dark Overlord may:

• Interrupt players to demand further explanation
• Introduce new narrative elements independently of Hint Cards
• Rebuke and reprimand players regardless of whose turn it is
• Comment on narration
• Urge players to continue (“I am getting bored…”)
• Give Withering Looks at any time

Withering Looks

The Dark Overlord gives Withering Looks for:

• No Pass the Buck Card: Player declares they cannot end their turn
• No Hint Card: Player has no Hint Cards at start of their turn
• Being Slow: Pausing too long (5-10 seconds at the Dark Overlord’s discretion)
• Being Boring: Narration is too long and inconclusive
• Unacceptable Hint: Hint Card usage is not obviously connected to the story
• Disrespect: Jokes, nicknames, disrespectful behaviour toward the Dark Overlord
• Being Distracting: Disrupting the game with irrelevant talk
• At the Dark Overlord’s Whim: He is the Evil Genius, after all

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• The game ends when a Servant receives their third Withering Look and fails to obtain mercy.
• That Servant is “punished” (eliminated) and loses the game.
• All other Servants survive and win.

Mercy Rule

After receiving a third Withering Look, a Servant has one last chance:

1. Beg for mercy with a genuine, in-character plea (not just stammering).
2. If the Dark Overlord finds the plea adequate, the Servant draws 1 Action Card.
3. If the drawn card does not show Rigor Mortis’ skull, the Servant is saved and continues as if the third Withering Look never happened.
4. If the card does show the skull, the game ends and the Servant is punished.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

First Round Rule

• During the first round, each player performs a free Pass the Buck action (no Action Card needed) targeting the player to their right.
• After the first round, Pass the Buck cards are played normally against any player.
• Freeze cards may be played normally during the first round.
• If a Withering Look is given during the first round, the Dark Overlord must resume by questioning the player to the right of the target.

No Mirror Reflections Rule

• If two players repeatedly trade blame between themselves to force a third Withering Look, the Dark Overlord may give both a Withering Look.
• No more than two consecutive blame exchanges between the same two players are recommended.

Priority Rule

• If multiple players play disruption cards simultaneously, the card from the first player in clockwise order from the active player takes precedence.
• Other players withdraw their cards.
• The Dark Overlord always has the final say.

Combining Boxes

• Red Box and Green Box can be combined for more variety.
• Green Box adds Back of the Line and No Way! actions.

Player Reference

Servant’s Turn:

1. Draw 1 Action Card (if targeted by Pass the Buck; not if questioned directly)
2. Play 1-3 Hint Cards while narrating excuses
3. End turn with Pass the Buck + Hint Card → draw Hint Cards back to 3

Withering Look triggers: No Pass the Buck, No Hint Card, too slow, boring, unacceptable hint, disrespect, distraction, Dark Overlord’s whim

Hand size: 3 Hint Cards + 3 Action Cards (refill after Withering Look or end of turn)

Game end: 3rd Withering Look + failed mercy = elimination