Blue Prince · Mt. Holly Estate
Quick Reference
Keep this card beside the board during play
v2.0 · Sept 18, 2026
What Happens Each Turn
1
Roll the Lock Die
Select a door leading to an empty grid space. Roll the Lock Die before drawing any tiles. If locked: spend 1 Key, use the Lock Pick card, use the Silver Key (opens every locked door on the board), or choose a different door.
2
Draw 3 Tiles
Draw 3 tiles from the Active Bag. They come out face up: the front shows the name, colour and gem cost; flip one over to read its full rule. Tile 1 gem cost is always bypassed. Drafting from a Tunnel: 2 from the bag + 1 from the Tunnel stack.
3
Place 1 Tile
Pay the gem cost and place your chosen tile on the board, a door lined up with the door you came through. L and T tiles: you choose how they bend. The other 2 go straight back in the bag. Put on the tile whatever the back says: trunk, dirt tokens, Shelter token.
4
Move Your Pawn
Move through the door. Spend 1 step. Apply all room effects immediately on entry.
5
Collect & Repeat
Pick up tokens, open trunks (1 Key or the Sledgehammer), dig dirt piles (Shovel; no step cost), eat fruit. Then take your next turn from Step 1.
⚑ Day End
Clear all tiles and tokens except The Foundation. Rebuild the Active Bag. Replace Entrance Hall and Antechamber. Update your Campaign Sheet — Tomorrow rooms, Frozen box, Coat Check, clue pieces, West Gate.
Lock Die by Rank
Free
Hallway · Corridor · East & West Wing Hall — never roll, always unlocked. Great Hall: all 7 doors always locked.
Rank 1–3
Never locked — skip the roll entirely
Rank 4
Locked on 1 White die · 1-in-6
Rank 5–7
Locked on 1 or 2 Blue die · 1-in-3
Rank 8–9
Locked on 1, 2, or 3 Red die · 50/50
Draw Procedure
Draw 3 tiles from the Active Bag. Tile 1 gem cost always bypassed. The 2 you don't place go straight back in the bag. Library: draw 4, keep 1. Greenhouse doors: keep drawing until a green room comes out. Study and Ivory Dice redraws: all 3 back in the bag first.
Starting Resources Each Run
50 Steps
0 Gems
0 Keys
0 Coins
Quick Reminders
Free Gem
First tile drawn each draft always has its gem cost waived — regardless of tier.
Ivory Die
Spend during a draft: put all 3 drawn tiles back in the bag and draw 3 new ones.
Foyer
When placed, remove every padlock from every hallway. Hallways stay unlocked for the rest of today.
Tunnel
Drafting from any Tunnel: draw 2 from the bag and 1 from the Tunnel stack (8 tiles beside the board). One Tunnel in the bag once found.
Dinner
Once you have entered any Rank 8 room today, eat dinner in the Dining Room: draw 1 meal card, +20 steps. Once a day.
Hallways
Hallway, Corridor, East & West Wing Hall: take 1 Key on entry. Foyer, Great Hall, Passageway, Secret Passage: no Key.
Trunks
Every bedroom has a trunk, plus Attic, Den and the Garage car trunk. Nowhere else. Trunks are always locked: open with 1 Key or the Sledgehammer, draw 1 Trunk Contents card. Bedrooms also roll d6 on entry: 4+ draws 1 Resource card.
Placement
Printed on each tile's back where the VG limits it — Rotunda centre · Garage west wing, Ranks 4–8 · Greenhouse outer columns, no corners · Cloister centre 21 squares · Secret Garden Ranks 3–8 via its Key · and others. No rule about which way a room faces.
Safes
Safe rooms: Drawing Room, Boudoir, Study, Office, Shelter — gain 1 gem on first entry each run. Drafting Studio has a safe but gives no gem.
Dig spots
Dirt tokens go on the tile when placed — the count is on the tile back. Shovel needed. No step cost. 1 token = 1 Dig Results card. Green rooms are the dig rooms; bedrooms are the trunk rooms.
Red rooms
Cost 0 gems. The tile says what they cost you. A Shelter token placed with the tile cancels it. Maid's Chamber: rooms placed after it need 5+ on the item roll.
Silver Key
One key, two jobs: remove every padlock on the board, and every Great Hall door opens — now or when the Great Hall is placed later today.