Overview

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game is a semi-cooperative game set in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by machines. Players control aspiring hunters from different tribes, tracking and defeating mechanical creatures to earn glory with the Hunters’ Lodge. While players cooperate to survive encounters, they compete individually for the most glory points to be named first among equals. The game plays through a series of Tracking, Encounter, and Campfire phases until the final Hunters’ Call.

Components

• 1 Rulebook
• 6 Encounter Tiles
• 5 Rocky Outcrops/Ruins Markers
• 4 Hunter Miniatures (Nora Marksman, Carja Warrior, Banuk Survivor, Oseram Forgesmith)
• Multiple Machine Miniatures (Watchers, Grazers, Sawtooths, Striders, Shell-Walkers, Scrappers)
• Hunter Action Deck Cards (14-18 per hunter)
• Hunter Upgrade Cards (12-14 per hunter)
• 13 Tracking Deck Cards
• 17 Event Deck Cards
• 54 Salvage Deck Cards
• 20 Stamina Cards
• 108 Merchant Cards (36 each at Levels 1, 2, and 3)
• Machine Behaviour Cards (per machine type)
• 8 Dice (4 Orange, 3 Blue, 1 Black)
• Tokens: Leader, Fledgling, Blazing Sun (6), Full Sun/Half Sun (14), Wound (21), Glory (21), Alert (8), Condition (12), Trap (4 pairs), Damaged/Destroyed Component (24), Skill Tree (4), Machine Corpse (4)

Setup

1. Choose Hunters: Each player selects a hunter and takes their profile card, starting equipment, and action deck cards.
2. Playing Space: Set up the encounter tile area.
3. Choose a Quest: Select which quest to play, which determines the enemies and encounters.
4. Card Decks: Prepare the Tracking, Event, Salvage, and Merchant decks.
5. Equipment: Place starting equipment cards around the hunter profile card in the correct arc positions.

Turn Structure

The game flows through three repeating phases:

1. Tracking Phase

• Draw Tracking Deck cards to determine what happens on the trail.
• Draw Event Deck cards for narrative events and choices.
• Players may encounter resources or hazards before the main encounter.

2. Encounter Phase

• Set up encounter tiles to form the battlefield.
• Place terrain: Rocky Outcrops, Ruins, Tall Grass, Machine Corpses.
• Place enemies on designated positions.
• Place hunters on starting positions.

Each encounter round consists of:

1. Hunter Activation Step: Each hunter takes their turn, performing actions.
2. Enemy Step: Alert enemies activate via behaviour cards; non-alert enemies follow patrol patterns.
3. Maintenance Step: Resolve end-of-round effects.

3. Campfire Phase (after encounters)

1. Victory Step: Rank hunters by glory earned; award Leader and Fledgling tokens.
2. Level Up Step: Hunters gain new skills and abilities, add Stamina Cards.
3. Merchant Step: Trade salvaged resources for new equipment at the merchant (Levels 1-3).

Actions

Hunter Actions (cost 1 action unless noted)

• Sprint: Move quickly across the battlefield.
• Sneak: Move stealthily without alerting enemies.
• Craft: Create ammunition or items.
• Distract: Draw enemy attention away.
• Ranged Attack: Attack using a ranged weapon (bow, sling, etc.).
• Melee Attack: Attack with a melee weapon at close range.
• Free Actions: Certain abilities that don’t cost actions.

Making Attacks

• Ranged Attack: Check weapon range (measured in squares). Roll attack dice indicated on the weapon card.
• Melee Attack: Must be in the same square as the enemy. Roll attack dice.
• Attacking Components: Target specific machine parts to disable abilities or deal extra damage.
• Trap Weapons: Place traps that trigger when enemies move through them.
• Area of Effect (AOE): Some attacks affect multiple squares.

Enemy Activation

• Alert Enemies: Draw a behaviour card and resolve its actions (movement, attacks, special actions).
• Non-Alert Enemies: Follow patrol patterns or remain idle until alerted.
• Movement Actions: Enemies move toward hunters or objectives.
• Attack Actions: Enemies roll dice to attack nearby hunters.

Hunters and Damage

• Suffering Damage: When hit, hunters scrap cards from their action deck.
• Scrapping Cards: Damaged cards go to a scrap pile.
• Fainting: If a hunter runs out of action deck cards, they faint and are temporarily out.
• Conditions: Various status effects (fire, frost, etc.) affect hunters and machines.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Glory Points

• Earned by defeating enemies, destroying components, and completing objectives.
• At each Campfire Phase, the hunter with the most glory earns the Leader token.
• The hunter with the least glory earns the Fledgling token.

The Hunters’ Call (End Game)

• After the final encounter, glory is tallied.
• The hunter with the most total glory wins, earning the title of Hawk.
• Tied rankings are broken by specific rules.

Cooperative Mode (Variant)

• Players work together with shared goals rather than competing for individual glory.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Tall Grass: Provides cover; hunters in tall grass are hidden from non-alert enemies.
• Rocky Outcrops: Block line of sight and movement.
• Ruins: Provide cover and may block movement.
• Machine Corpses: Can be searched for resources.
• Huge Enemies: Occupy multiple squares and have special movement rules.
• Component Damage: Specific machine components can be damaged or destroyed, disabling special abilities.
• Equipment Arcs: Each equipment slot has a specific arc position; replacing equipment removes the old card from the game.
• Hunter Traits: Each hunter has a unique trait that provides special advantages.
• Stamina Cards: Gained through leveling up; provide additional actions and abilities.
• Trading Items Variant: Allows hunters to trade equipment between each other.
• Session Play: The game is designed to support multi-session play; progress can be saved between sessions.

Player Reference

Hunters

| Hunter | Tribe | Playstyle | |——–|——-|———–| | Nora Marksman | Nora | Ranged precision | | Carja Warrior | Carja | Aggressive melee | | Banuk Survivor | Banuk | Resilience and frost | | Oseram Forgesmith | Oseram | Fire and heavy armor |

Dice Colors

| Die Color | Typical Use | |———–|————-| | Orange | Standard attacks | | Blue | Ability/special attacks | | Black | Powerful/critical attacks |

Game Flow

1. Tracking Phase -> 2. Encounter Phase -> 3. Campfire Phase -> Repeat until Hunters’ Call