How To Play: Grind House

Overview

If you like your board games with a dash of chaos and a sprinkle of betrayal, Grind House is your jam. My friends and I have played enough to lose sleep (and limbs—don’t ask). This guide will give you a quick outline of the game rules, plus my best tips and tricks for walking out of that creepy mansion alive. Or, you know, in the most pieces.

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 10 Survivor Cards
• 5 Player Screens
• 75 Room Cards
• 36 Trauma Tokens
• 20 Item Cards
• 1 Finale Room Card
• 6 Dice
• 30 Scoring Tokens
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Grind House: Rules Summary

Setup

1. First, give each player their survivor card and matching tokens.
2. Next, shuffle all the room cards and create the house with them according to the player count.
3. Place injury and item tokens nearby so everyone can reach them.
4. Decide the starting player. Usually, it’s the last person who saw a skeleton (not as easy as it sounds, but you can roll a die instead).

Gameplay

1. On your turn, choose a room for your group to enter. Read its effects out loud, and brace yourself for nasty surprises.
2. Next, each survivor faces the room’s challenges (think traps, decisions, and pure chaos!).
3. If anyone gets injured, add the injury tokens to their survivor card.
4. Once the room is resolved, survivors move to the next room. Rinse and repeat until you’ve visited all rooms or you run out of survivors.

Winning

1. When you finish the last room, see who made it out with the most points (alive or in pieces).
2. Points come from survivor goal cards, items, and sometimes, just how much of your character is left!
3. If there’s a tie, whoever looks most traumatized wins bragging rights.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Some rooms change the basic rules—read each card carefully, or you’ll learn the hard way (like Steve did last Saturday).
2. Dead survivors can still haunt the house and mess things up for others. Don’t count anyone out!
3. Remember, betrayal is allowed and sometimes rewarded. Trust no one unless you want to lose a limb.

Use the above guide for your first time playing, and you’ll avoid my mistake of trusting Greg with the keys to the medicine cabinet. Good luck and try not to scream too loudly!

Best Grind House Strategies

Form Alliances and Pick Survivors Like a Pro in Grind House

Choose Survivors for Hidden Strengths

Each survivor brings something unique. Look for odd abilities that your friends might overlook. This helps when rooms turn deadly fast.

1. Pick survivors with survival luck.
2. Draft those with healing or protective skills.
3. Try grabbing one who can betray others at the right moment!

Form Alliances Early, But Watch Your Back

Allying early gives you backup, but remember, betrayal is as common as moldy cheese in my fridge. Stay alert!

1. Quickly offer help to a player in trouble.
2. Share info about deadly rooms—just not all of it!
3. Switch sides if your best buddy turns into a threat.

Read the Room—Literally and Socially

Notice who is too quiet or too eager. These folks often have sneaky plans. I once trusted Pete—he swapped sides and left me with one arm!

1. Watch body language and table talk.
2. Call out suspicious actions.
3. Remind everyone of past betrayals for laughs (and revenge).

If you need tips on how to play Grind House, always remember: friends today, enemies tomorrow!

Take the Plunge: Mastering Risky Rooms in Grind House

I have watched many friends make terrible choices in Grind House, and yes, sometimes I laughed. But timing when you enter a dangerous room can mean the difference between glory and getting squished like a bug. Here are my top tips to outplay your pals.

Recognize Safe Moments

1. First, check the group’s health before moving into a spooky room.
2. Second, scan which rooms are already revealed. Avoid risks when surprises still lurk.

Push Your Luck (But Not Too Far)

1. Sometimes, waiting until others take the bait works wonders.
2. However, jump in after others test the waters. That way, you let the unlucky fella go first!

React to Player Actions

1. Pay attention to who’s eager to enter. Their nervousness could save your skin.
2. Finally, coordinate with allies for room timing.

For those asking How To Play grind house: patience and sharp eyes go far!

How To Play Grind House: Crush It With Resource and Item Management

Know Your Stuff (And Don’t Hoard)

First, only pick up what you need. If you grab everything, you’ll just slow yourself down. Instead, focus on essentials.

1. Grab healing items early. You will need them later, trust me.
2. Don’t waste single-use cards. Wait for the perfect moment.

Share (Sometimes!)

Next, sharing can pay off. But, know when to keep stuff close to your chest.

1. Trade if it gets you an advantage.
2. Hold back if a deal smells fishy.

Adapt On the Fly

Finally, plans change in Grind House. So, always adjust and rethink your stash if things go south.

1. Drop what’s useless if you’re in danger.
2. Swap items with others if it helps you live longer.

Last Words Before You Enter The House

Look, Grind House will chew you up and spit you out if you go in like a puppy. But with the tricks I’ve picked up (and totally not by losing my limbs), you’ll be ready to outwit your friends and maybe even make it out alive. Just remember: alliances are fickle, danger loves a bold move, and loot is the only friend you can trust. Good luck out there! And if anyone asks how to play Grind House, just send them my way—I’ll show them the scars.

Want to know what we think of Grind House? Read our detailed review of Grind House here