Grimoire Edition
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Experience the narrative heart of ESKELETOS. Beyond standard rules and mechanics, the Grimoire Edition transforms the rulebook into an atmospheric artifact—combining core game instructions with an exclusive 4-page graphic novel prologue, deep thematic lore, and curated mental health crisis support resources. Download this special preview to step inside the world, explore the backstory of the traveler archetypes, and prepare for your journey into Limbo before touching the table.
ESKELETOS - A Game about Grief
Gameplay and Visual Design by: C. Moses - Gunn @Payasaart
Complete Master Rulebook & Comprehensive Gameplay Manual Version 2.7
Main Rulebook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Card Types
1. GAME OVERVIEW
ESKELETOS is a high-stakes thematic tabletop game about emotional processing, personal baggage, and the journey toward acceptance. Each Player controls a Traveler attempting to move inward through five concentric rings representing 5 Stages of Grief in order to reach Acceptance.
The first Traveler to reach the central Acceptance space while satisfying all victory requirements wins the game.
2. COMPONENTS
Main Board - A 20 x 20 Quad fold board featuring 5 concentric rings and 92 playable spaces total. The themed rings (In order from the outermost ring: Shock, Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Depression) lead to a central space representing the concept of Acceptance.
Limbo Board - A 7 x 11 board featuring an archway with 7 spaces representing a recovery track for Travelers (Players) who suffer Total Collapse.
Player Boards - 4 Player boards, each featuring a unique Traveler archetype and corresponding abilities and limitations. Each Player board includes space for 3 Relics, Burden and Hope token spaces, and space for suppressed cards.
Player Pawns - 4 themed pawns, one representing each Traveler archetype.
Burden Tokens - 25 Tokens representing burdens acquired throughout the journey. (20 + 5 spare)
Hope Tokens - 32 Tokens representing Hope, which assists Travelers in reaching Acceptance.
Card Decks: 7 card decks including:
5 Suit Decks of 25 cards each representing 5 influences to the Travelers journey - Nature, Corporeal Form, Emotion, Memory, and the Void.
1 Main Fate deck of 50 cards - includes high impact suit events, 15 global fate events, and 10 suppression hazards.
1 Limbo Deck of 15 Cards
3. SPACE TYPES
The Main Board contains nine space types.
Ships Wheel - Start space for each ring layer. Start spaces are considered Sanctuary spaces (no Player conflict on Sanctuary spaces.)
Spiral - Turning Point spaces. Each Turning point space is used as a gateway to the next layer by performing a Gateway Check. These are also Sanctuary spaces.
Shattered Circle - Hazard spaces. When a Traveler lands on a Hazard Space, they gain 1 Burden Token unless protected by an ability or effect.
Lotus- Rest Space. When landing on a rest space, Players can choose to shed 1 Burden token or pick up 1 Hope Token. Rest spaces are Sanctuary Spaces.
Suit Spaces - Correspond to the 5 Suits of the game- Corporeal Form, Nature, Void, Emotion, and Memory. When landing on a Suit space, draw 1 card from the corresponding deck.
4.Card Type Overview
The Limbo Deck governs the threshold space of the secondary 7-node archway board, acting as the mechanical engine for players who have drifted off the main concentric tracks or become overwhelmed by burdens. Unlike suit cards played from hand or Fate cards that affect the entire board, Limbo cards are drawn and resolved specifically during a Traveler's time within the "In-Between" realm.
Fate cards represent external circumstances beyond player agency, while the five main suit decks represent internal and physical dimensions of the experience:
Nature Deck: Covers environmental cycles and external forces.
Corporeal Form: Handles physical vulnerability and body states.
Emotion Deck: Governs psychological and feeling states.
Memory Deck: Focuses on past attachments and lingering thoughts.
Void Deck: Manages cosmic level, unpredictable events.
5. STAGE RELICS
Five unique Stage Relics exist in the game. Each Relic corresponds to a ring on the main board and grants a unique ability while holding the Relic.
Each Relic begins on a Turning Point of its corresponding Ring. A Traveler may claim a Relic by landing on its Turning Point while the Relic is present there. Claimed Relics are placed into an open Relic slot on the Traveler's Player Board.
*Note: A Player may not hold more than 3 Relics. If a Player lands on a Turning Point space with a Relic when they are at capacity, they may swap a Relic from their card with the one on the current space.
Relic Displacement
If a Traveler loses a Relic as the result of a Conflict, return that Relic to any Turning Point of its corresponding Ring. (See Traveler Encounters)
A displaced Relic may therefore be reclaimed by any Traveler who subsequently lands on that Turning Point.
6. GAME SETUP
Place the Main Board in the center of the play area. Place the Limbo Board beside it.
Place each Relic on a Turning point of its corresponding Ring of the Main Board.
Shuffle all 7 decks separately and place the 5 Suits and Fate deck face-down near the Main Board. Place the Limbo cards near the Limbo Board. Leave room for a discard pile for each deck.
Pull the top 3 cards from the main Fate deck and place face up adjacent to the Fate deck to form The Drift. (Travelers may choose from these cards during their turn. )
Select a Player board for each Player and its corresponding pawn. Apply the starting Burden, Hope, and take note of Special Ability listed for that Traveler.
Note: The Polished Mask begins with 2 Suppressed cards underneath their board. Draw 2 cards from the master Fate deck face-down and attach to the Player board. These cards count toward the normal Suppression limit and immediately impose the appropriate movement penalty.
Starting hands: Each Player starts with 2 cards drawn from the main Fate deck.
Place each Traveler pawn in the Start space of the first (outermost) Ring . Determine turn order by rolling a D6. The highest result takes the first turn, and play proceeds clockwise around the table. (Re-roll if there is a tie for the highest.)
7. Player ROUND AND TURN STRUCTURE
Every turn consists of three mandatory phases: Draw, Movement And Action, and Resolution.
Each round concludes when each Player has taken their turn.
Phase 1 - Draw - The Active Player chooses to
Draw 1 card facedown from the main Fate deck -OR-
Draw 1 card from The Drift. (If drawing from The Drift, replace the empty card slot with the top card from the Fate Deck.
Phase 2 - Movement and Action - The Active player does the following:
Movement: (Mandatory) Roll 1 standard D6. Check for un-modified roll abilities (such as The Young Wanderer), apply any movement modifiers, and move your Traveler clockwise along the active ring equal to the final total.
Note: If the Active Player lands on a space occupied by a fellow Traveler, initiate a Traveler Encounter immediately.
Action Card Play: (Optional) Once your Traveler has finished moving, you may play any number of Action Cards from your hand. Resolve each card's effect immediately and send it to the appropriate Discard Pile.
Phase 3 - Resolution and Transition - With all movement, encounters, space effects, and card plays finished, clean up your board state:
Hand Limit Check: Verify your hand size. If holding more than 5 cards, discard excess cards to their respective piles or Suppress an eligible card until you have 5 cards in your hand.
Pass Turn: Play passes to the next Traveler.
8. RING TRAVERSAL AND GATEWAY CHECKS
To move from one Ring to the next, the layer must land on a Turning Point space. Turning Point spaces are Sanctuary spaces where no conflict may occur. When landing on a Turning Point space, the Traveler must perform a Gateway Check by rolling a D6 and meeting the rings required roll.
Before determining the final result, the Traveler may spend 1 Hope token to add +1 to the Gateway check roll. Only 1 Hope token may be spent on each gateway check.
*Note: If holding the Tilted Scale relic, reduce the gateway requirement by 1. Ex: a natural roll of 5 becomes a 4.
If the Roll is a Success: Move the Traveler to the start space (Ships wheel) of the next ring layer.
If the Roll fails: Gain 1 Burden token and remain on the turning point space. (If the burden gained is the active Player’s 5th, move to the starting space of the Limbo Board immediately.
9. TRAVELER ENCOUNTERS
When a Traveler lands on a space occupied by another Traveler, initiate an Encounter. The active Traveler is the Initiator, and a Traveler already occupying the space is the Defender.
If multiple Travelers occupy the space, the Initiator chooses which one will be the defender. The Initiator chooses one of three options: Assist/Share, Ignore, or Conflict.
Assist/Share - Assist is cooperative and occurs by mutual agreement. The Initiator may choose one of the following actions (only one per encounter):
Gift 1 Hope to the Defender
Trade 1 Card with the Defender
Take a Burden from the Defender
Ignore - The Initiator may choose not to act. The space is resolved normally.
Conflict - The Initiator challenges the defender to a fate contest. Both Players roll 1 D6 and apply all applicable modifiers. Note: Hope may not be spent on a fate contest unless a card specifically permits it. After a conflict resolves, the Initiator resolves the underlying space normally unless the conflict effect specifically changes the Traveler’s position or states otherwise.
Conflict Results
Defender Wins or Ties: Nothing happens.
Initiator wins by 1- 2: The Defender gains 1 Burden.
Initiator wins by 3+: The defender gains no additional burdens but must surrender one stage relic back to a turning point on its corresponding ring. (See Relics)
Conflict Restrictions
Conflict cannot be initiated in Sanctuary spaces, however, the Initiator may still choose to assist or ignore the Defender.
10. BURDEN
Burdens represent accumulated emotional weight. Burdens are tracked with physical Burden tokens on the Player board. Whenever an effect instructs a Traveler to gain Burdens, place the specified number of Burden Tokens on their board. If the Traveler reaches 5 Burdens, immediately stop resolving the current sequence and perform a Limbo Crisis roll.
11. LIMBO & RECOVERY
Limbo represents a state of being completely lost—a temporary isolation and processing zone located off the Main Board. While trapped in Limbo, a Traveler is disconnected from the main Ring progression, focusing entirely on surviving the internal shadow and navigating toward an Exit Portal.
Limbo Crisis Roll
When a Traveler reaches their 5th Burden Token, they immediately roll 1 D6.
If the Traveler rolls a 5 or 6: The Player narrowly escapes and resists Total Collapse. They then remain on the current space and shed one burden at the end of the turn (returning to 4 burdens).
If the Traveler rolls a 1-4: The Player suffers a Total Collapse due to emotional strain. They stop their current turn sequence, retain all 5 burdens and immediately move their pawn to the start space on the Limbo Board.
CONDITIONS OF LIMBO
Main Board Immunity & Isolation: The Traveler does not participate in normal Main Board movement. Main Board rules, space actions, and standard hand card plays do not apply while in Limbo unless a specific Limbo card explicitly instructs otherwise.
Hand Freeze: Cards currently in your active hand remain frozen in place under your board. You do not draw new cards into your active hand during Phase 1 while in Limbo, nor may you play standard hand cards.
Play-or-Discard Deck: Limbo Deck cards drawn during Phase 1 are resolved immediately, played during Phase 2 or 3 of that same turn, or discarded to the Limbo discard pile. Limbo cards never enter a Player's hand.
THE 7-SPACE LIMBO ARC
The Limbo Sideboard features a 7-spacetrack framed within an archway border. Travelers enter at the base and advance toward the escape point at the far end:
Space 1 (Entrance): The landing space when entering Limbo.
Spaces 2–6 (The Arc): Intermediate spaces traversed along the archway track.
Space 7 (The Exit Portal): The final space on the track designated for escape attempts.
LIMBO TURN STRUCTURE
Your turn follows the standard 3-phase rhythm, adapted specifically for the Limbo Sideboard:
PHASE 1: LIMBO DRAW
Draw 1 card from the Limbo Deck.
If the card timing reads "On Draw" or "Start of Turn" (e.g., Whispers in the Dark, Heavy Chains, Deep Cold), resolve its text immediately.
If the card timing reads "Movement Phase," "Action Phase," or "Reaction," set it face-up in front of you to resolve during Phase 2 or Phase 3 of this turn.
PHASE 2: MOVEMENT PHASE
Movement in Limbo is card-driven and sequential; the D6 is not rolled for standard movement distance.
Apply Card Modifiers: Resolve any movement card effects played or drawn (e.g., Spectral Drift advances your pawn +2 spaces; Void Passage moves you directly to Space 7).
Take Natural Step: If your pawn’s movement is not frozen by a card effect (e.g., Static Void, Deep Cold), advance your pawn 1 space forward along the track toward Space 7.
PHASE 3: ACTION & EXIT PHASE
Play Action Cards: Resolve any "Action Phase" cards held in front of you (e.g., Soul Echo, Anchored Soul, Portal Surge, Guiding Thread).
Attempt Escape Check (Space 7 Only): If your pawn is currently sitting on Space 7 (The Exit Portal), perform an Escape Check during Phase 3 by rolling a D6:
Roll 1–2 (Failure): Your pawn remains on Space 7 and your turn ends. You may attempt the roll again on your next turn (or play a card to modify the outcome).
Roll 3–6 (Success): You break free! Immediately return your pawn to the Start Space of Ring 1 (Shock) on the Main Board and shed 2 Burden Tokens back to the supply.
Clean-Up: Discard your resolved Limbo card to the Limbo discard pile. Your turn ends.
RETURNING TO THE MAIN BOARD
Upon successfully escaping Limbo (via a successful Exit Check roll on Space 7 or a card effect such as Portal Surge or Pure Transcendence):
Your active hand un-freezes and standard hand management resumes.
Your pawn is placed on the appropriate Main Board re-entry space as designated by the escape method. (The starting space of Ring 1, unless a card instructs otherwise.
Main Board movement and card play resume as normal starting on your next turn
12. CARD MOVEMENT, SUPPRESSION AND ATTACHMENTS
Card Exhaustion - All Decks
When cards are exhausted in any pile, reshuffle the discard pile and replace the main pile.
Keep In Play
Some cards are labeled Keep in Play. These cards are placed in the active play area rather than being discarded after resolution. They provide ongoing effects (Ex: Companion Animal, Genetic Strength, Keepsake.) Unless a card says otherwise, an Attachment remains active until removed.
Attachment Removal & Discard
An active attachment (Keep in Play card) leaves a Traveler's board and enters the appropriate Discard Pile under three conditions:
Forced Removal (Destruction): Card effects, hazards, or catastrophic events instruct a player to target and discard an attachment.
Voluntary Discard (Recovery): Specific card instructions or abilities allow a player to voluntarily discard an attachment to pay a cost or trigger an effect.
Limbo Strip (Total Collapse): When a Traveler suffers Total Collapse and enters Limbo, all active attachments on their board are immediately stripped and discarded.
Note: Unless explicitly stated otherwise, always send removed attachments directly to their corresponding deck's Discard Pile.
Note: Suppressed cards are not counted as attachments.
THE CARD SUPPRESSION & HAZARD SYSTEM
Suppressing a card represents bottling up, hiding, or burying heavy trauma rather than processing it.. Suppressed cards are placed face-down in the designated Suppressed card area beneath your Player Board.
1. Movement Penalties & Capacity
Movement Reduction: For every card currently held face-down in your Suppressed Area, subtract 1 from your Phase 2 Movement Roll. This penalty applies after rolling the die.
Minimum Movement Floor: Your net movement roll cannot be reduced below 1 space. (Example: A natural roll of 2 with 3 Suppressed Cards equals a net movement of 1 space).
Suppression Capacity: A Traveler may hold a maximum of 3 Suppressed Cards beneath their board at any time.
2. Forced Suppression at Capacity
If an effect forces a Traveler to suppress a card while their Suppressed Area is already full (3 cards), execute the following steps in order:
Gain 1 Burden Token due to emotional overload. (If this increases your tracker to 5 Burdens, immediately resolve a Limbo Crisis Roll).
Select 1 existing Suppressed Card from under your board and place it directly into the discard pile without resolving its effects.
Place the newly forced card face-down into the freed Suppressed Area slot.
3. Un-Suppressing & Purging Cards
Un-Suppressing to Hand: Certain cards or abilities allow a Traveler to un-suppress a card and return it to their active hand. Once returned, the card is revealed face-up and counts toward your standard hand limit.
Purging at Gateways: Whenever a Traveler successfully crosses a Gateway into a new ring layer, they may immediately purge 1 Suppressed Card, discarding it directly into its corresponding discard pile.
4. Master Fate Deck: Suppressed Hazards
Suppressed Hazards (10 cards in the master Fate deck) represent latent, volatile trauma. Unlike standard Suit cards, they bypass your hand upon being drawn and go straight face-down into your Suppressed Area.
The Detonation Trap: Standard Suppressed Cards (cards that you choose to suppress) are discarded harmlessly when un-suppressed or purged. A Suppressed Hazard triggers its negative hazard penalty immediately whenever it is revealed face-up, returned to a hand, un-suppressed, or purged to a discard pile.
FATE CARDS
Fate cards are cards from the master Fate deck. When drawing a card during the initial turn sequence, draw from the Fate deck.
When a Fate card instructs a Player to resolve it immediately (Play Immediately) resolve the card then place it into the discard pile unless the card suggests another location.
The Fate deck consists of the following types of cards:
High-Impact Suit Events
These cards produce major effects associated with one or more Suit themes.
Global Fate Events
These cards affect multiple Players or the overall game state. Resolve exactly as instructed on the card.
Suppressed Hazards
Unless an individual card states otherwise, a Suppressed Hazard follows the normal rules for Suppressed cards when placed in the Suppression area of the Player board.
13. Card and Effect Timing
When multiple effects occur at the same time, resolve them in the following order.
Mandatory Immediate Effects
Active Travelers Character Abilities
Optional Effects (Any instructions that include “a player may…”)
Space Resolution and Cleanup/Turn End
When a rule says “immediately” resolve that effect before continuing with the action currently being performed.
Example: If a Traveler gains their 5th burden while resolving an encounter, the Limbo Crisis Roll must be resolved before the Encounter continues.
Note: If a card explicitly gives a timing instruction, that instruction overrides the general timing order.
14. Reaching Acceptance and Winning the Game
The Acceptance (center) space is the game’s winning space. A Traveler may attempt to reach Acceptance only after landing on a Turning Point space in Ring 5 (Depression) and satisfying the following prerequisites:
Zero Baggage:
A Traveler must have 0 Burden Tokens
A Traveler must have 0 Suppressed Cards.
A Traveler must possess 3 Stage Relics on their Player board.
A Traveler must pass the Acceptance Check:
Roll 1 D6 - The base requirement for the winning roll is a net of 6. Hope may be spent to improve the Acceptance check. Each Hope token adds +1 to the roll. Hope must be spent before the result is finalized.
Note: Unlike Gateway checks, there is no limit on the number of Hope tokens that may be spent on a core check.
Successful Acceptance Check:
If the roll result (plus modifiers) meets or exceeds the required number:
Move the Traveler onto the Acceptance space. The first Traveler to reach Acceptance wins the game, and gameplay concludes.
Failed Acceptance Core Check:
The Traveler remains on the Ring 5 Turning Point. No Burden is automatically gained, and the turn ends. The Traveler may attempt the Acceptance check again on a future turn as long as they satisfy all prerequisites.
Note: Player must still perform all turn steps as usual on their next turn and cannot immediately attempt the Acceptance check unless landing on the Turning Point space again.
15. Traveler Archetypes
Grief does not care about age, status, or preparation. The travelers in ESKELETOS represent the broad spectrum of human experience—each entering the descent with asymmetric starting weight, unique emotional mechanisms, and personal motivations.
16. GENERAL RULE PRINCIPLES
Specific Rules Override General Rules
If a card or character. ability directly contradicts a general rule, the card or ability takes precedence
Impossible Effects
If an effect requires a Player to perform an action that is impossible, resolve as much of the effect as possible and ignore the impossible portion.
Optional Effects
Effects using “may” are optional.
Effects using “must” or “immediately” are mandatory unless another effect prevents them.
Hidden Information
Cards in a Player's hand are private information. Suppressed Cards are face-down and hidden unless a rule specifically permits the Player to inspect them.
