gistfile1.txt

# Zombie Kittens - Technical Game Rules Documentation

## Game Objective

- **Primary Goal**: Be the last player left alive
- **Win Condition**: Survive by avoiding drawing Exploding Kitten cards
- **Loss Condition**: Draw an Exploding Kitten without a Zombie Kitten to save yourself
- **Victory State**: Only one living player remains

## Game Setup

### Player Count Configuration
- **Supported Players**: 2-5 players
- **Deck Adjustment Rules**:
  - **2 Players**: Use only cards with **Paw Print** symbol (24 cards total)
  - **3 Players**: Use only cards **WITHOUT** Paw Print symbol (33 cards total)
  - **4-5 Players**: Use all non-Exploding Kitten cards

### Setup Sequence
1. **Remove Exploding Kittens**: Extract all 4 Exploding Kitten cards from deck
2. **Adjust Deck**: Remove inappropriate cards based on player count
3. **Distribute Zombie Kittens**: Give one Zombie Kitten card to each player
4. **Deal Starting Hands**: Deal 7 cards face-down to each player (8 total with Zombie Kitten)
5. **Insert Exploding Kittens**: Add (players - 1) Exploding Kittens back to deck
6. **Shuffle Draw Pile**: Thoroughly shuffle the final deck
7. **Determine First Player**: Select starting player, proceed clockwise

### Starting Configuration
- **Hand Size**: 8 cards per player (7 dealt + 1 Zombie Kitten)
- **Exploding Kittens in Deck**: Number of players minus 1
- **Turn Order**: Clockwise from first player

## Core Game Mechanics

### Turn Structure
Each turn consists of two mandatory phases:

#### Phase 1: Play or Pass
- **Play Option**: Play any number of cards from hand
- **Pass Option**: Play no cards
- **Card Resolution**: Follow instructions on each played card
- **Nope Window**: After each card play, allow Nope responses

#### Phase 2: Draw
- **Mandatory Action**: Draw one card from top of Draw Pile
- **Turn End**: Turn ends after drawing (unless special conditions apply)
- **Explosion Check**: If Exploding Kitten drawn, resolve explosion sequence

### Player States

#### Living Player State
- **Turn Participation**: Takes regular turns
- **Card Play**: Can play all card types
- **Target Eligibility**: Can be targeted by other players' actions
- **Draw Requirement**: Must draw at end of turn

#### Dead Player State
- **Turn Participation**: Does not take turns
- **Limited Card Play**: Can only play Nope cards and NOW cards
- **Target Protection**: Cannot be targeted by most player actions
- **Exploding Kitten Display**: Place Exploding Kitten face-up in front of player
- **Hand Retention**: Keep all other cards in hand

### Death and Resurrection System

#### Death Process
1. **Trigger**: Draw an Exploding Kitten card
2. **Zombie Kitten Check**: Player may choose to play Zombie Kitten (if available)
3. **Death Resolution**: If no Zombie Kitten played, player dies
4. **Exploding Kitten Placement**: Place drawn Exploding Kitten face-up in front of dead player
5. **State Change**: Player enters Dead state

#### Resurrection Process
1. **Trigger**: Living player uses Zombie Kitten to save themselves
2. **Mandatory Revival**: Must choose one dead player to resurrect (if any exist)
3. **Exploding Kitten Collection**: Take both Exploding Kittens (current + dead player's)
4. **Secret Reinsertion**: Place both Exploding Kittens back in Draw Pile at chosen positions
5. **Zombie Kitten Discard**: Place used Zombie Kitten in Discard Pile
6. **Turn End**: Current player's turn ends immediately
7. **State Restoration**: Resurrected player returns to Living state

## Card Types and Effects

### Special Cards

#### Exploding Kitten
- **Effect**: Player explodes and dies unless Zombie Kitten played
- **Mandatory Display**: Must show immediately when drawn
- **Cannot Be Noped**: Immune to Nope cards
- **Death Trigger**: Primary elimination mechanism

#### Zombie Kitten
- **Primary Function**: Only card that saves from Exploding Kitten
- **Resurrection Requirement**: Must resurrect one dead player (if any exist)
- **Turn End**: Playing this card immediately ends turn
- **Cannot Be Noped**: Immune to Nope cards
- **Strategic Value**: Most powerful defensive card

#### Nope
- **Function**: Cancels any action except Exploding Kitten or Zombie Kitten
- **Timing**: Can be played at any time, even during other players' turns
- **Dead Player Access**: Dead players can still play Nope cards
- **Chain Resolution**: Can be Noped by another Nope card
- **Resolution Rule**: Odd number of Nopes = action canceled, Even number = action proceeds

### Action Cards

#### Attack (2x)
- **Effect**: End turn without drawing, next player takes 2 turns
- **Stacking**: Multiple Attacks stack (next player takes cumulative turns)
- **Turn Skip**: Current player skips draw phase
- **Target**: Next player in turn order

#### Attack of the Dead (3x)
- **Effect**: End turn without drawing, next player takes 3 turns per dead player
- **Restriction**: Cannot be played if no dead players exist
- **Calculation**: 3 × number of dead players = turns for next player
- **Turn Skip**: Current player skips draw phase

#### Skip
- **Effect**: End turn without drawing
- **Attack Interaction**: Only skips one turn if under Attack
- **Simple Function**: Basic turn-ending card

#### Super Skip
- **Effect**: End turn without drawing
- **Attack Interaction**: Skips ALL remaining turns if under Attack
- **Enhanced Function**: More powerful than regular Skip

#### See the Future (3x)
- **Effect**: Privately view top 3 cards of Draw Pile
- **Order Maintenance**: Return cards in same order
- **Information Gathering**: Strategic planning tool
- **No Deck Modification**: Cards remain in original positions

#### Shuffle (NOW)
- **Effect**: Shuffle the Draw Pile
- **NOW Card**: Can be played at any time by any player (living or dead)
- **Deck Disruption**: Randomizes card order
- **Universal Access**: Available to all players regardless of state

#### Feed the Dead (NOW)
- **Effect**: Choose dead player, all living players give them one card
- **Target Selection**: Choose specific dead player
- **Mandatory Giving**: All other living players must comply
- **Card Choice**: Giving players choose which card to give
- **NOW Card**: Can be played at any time by any player

#### Clone
- **Effect**: Becomes copy of card directly beneath it in Discard Pile
- **Restriction**: Cannot be played on another Clone
- **Turn Limitation**: Can only be played on your turn
- **Copy Function**: Inherits all properties of copied card

#### Grave Robber
- **Effect**: All dead players put one card back into Draw Pile, then shuffle
- **Restriction**: Cannot be played if no dead players exist
- **Mandatory Participation**: All dead players must comply
- **Deck Shuffle**: Draw Pile shuffled after cards added

#### Favor
- **Effect**: Force any living player to give you one card of their choice
- **Target Restriction**: Can only target living players
- **Card Selection**: Target chooses which card to give
- **Living Player Only**: Cannot target dead players

#### Dig Deeper
- **Effect**: Draw top card, choose to keep it or draw next card
- **Two Options**: Keep first card (end turn) or discard and draw second
- **Mandatory Keep**: Must keep second card if first is discarded
- **Turn End**: Turn ends when card is kept

#### Clairvoyance (NOW)
- **Effect**: See where player places Exploding Kittens when using Zombie Kitten
- **Trigger**: Play when another player uses Zombie Kitten
- **Information Reveal**: Observe secret placement of Exploding Kittens
- **NOW Card**: Can be played at any time by any player

### Cat Cards
- **Individual Power**: No effect when played alone
- **Pair Function**: Two matching Cat Cards steal random card from living player
- **Target Restriction**: Can only target living players
- **Random Selection**: Stolen card chosen randomly from target's hand
- **Card Types**: Various themed cat cards (all function identically)

### Additional Action Cards (From Extended Set)

#### Alter the Future
- **Effect**: Look at top 3 cards of Draw Pile and rearrange in any order
- **Deck Modification**: Can change order of upcoming cards
- **Strategic Planning**: More powerful than See the Future
- **Turn Continuation**: Does not end turn

#### Draw from Bottom
- **Effect**: Draw from bottom of deck instead of top
- **Alternative Draw**: Bypasses top cards
- **Turn End**: Ends turn after drawing from bottom
- **Deck Access**: Accesses different part of deck

#### Targeted Attack
- **Effect**: Choose specific player to take 2 turns
- **Target Selection**: Choose any living player (not just next player)
- **Turn Skip**: Current player skips draw phase
- **Strategic Targeting**: More flexible than regular Attack

#### Swap Top and Bottom
- **Effect**: Swap the top and bottom cards of Draw Pile
- **Deck Manipulation**: Changes both ends of deck
- **Information Advantage**: Useful with deck knowledge
- **Turn Continuation**: Does not end turn

#### Feral Cat
- **Effect**: Acts as any Cat Card for combo purposes
- **Wildcard Function**: Can substitute for any cat type
- **Combo Enabler**: Helps complete cat card pairs
- **Flexible Usage**: Adapts to player needs

## Special Combos

### Two of a Kind
- **Requirement**: Play any two cards with identical titles
- **Effect**: Steal random card from any living player
- **Card Ignore**: Ignore individual card instructions when used in combo
- **Target Selection**: Choose any living player
- **Random Steal**: Card stolen randomly from target's hand
- **Examples**: Two Attack cards, two Shuffle cards, two Cat cards of same type

### Three of a Kind
- **Requirement**: Play any three cards with identical titles
- **Effect**: Name specific card and steal it from chosen player
- **Card Naming**: Specify exact card title
- **Success Condition**: Target must give named card if they have it
- **Failure Condition**: Get nothing if target doesn't have named card
- **Card Ignore**: Ignore individual card instructions when used in combo
- **Examples**: Three Skip cards, three See the Future cards

## Advanced Mechanics

### NOW Card System Details
- **Universal Access**: Can be played by any player at any time
- **State Independence**: Dead players retain NOW card privileges
- **Interrupt Timing**: Can interrupt other actions in progress
- **Priority Resolution**: Resolve immediately when declared
- **Examples**: Shuffle, Feed the Dead, Clairvoyance

### Attack Stacking Rules
- **Cumulative Effect**: Multiple Attacks add together
- **Turn Calculation**: Total turns = sum of all Attack values
- **Resolution Order**: Must complete all owed turns before normal play resumes
- **Skip Interaction**: Skip cards only remove one turn from stack
- **Super Skip Interaction**: Super Skip removes all remaining turns

### Dead Player Interaction Rules
- **Card Giving Restrictions**: Living players cannot use Favor or cat pairs on dead players
- **Exception Cards**: Some cards specifically allow targeting dead players
- **Hand Retention**: Dead players keep all cards except the Exploding Kitten that killed them
- **Limited Actions**: Can only play Nope cards and NOW cards
- **Resurrection Eligibility**: Any dead player can be chosen for resurrection

## Game Flow Systems

### Nope Resolution Chain
1. **Action Played**: Player plays action card
2. **Nope Window Opens**: All players can respond with Nope
3. **Nope Chain**: Players can Nope the Nope, creating chain
4. **Chain Resolution**: Count total Nopes in chain
5. **Final Result**: Odd number cancels action, even number allows action

### Attack System
- **Attack Counter**: Track number of turns owed
- **Turn Execution**: Player takes multiple consecutive turns
- **Counter Reduction**: Decrease attack count after each turn
- **Chain Completion**: Continue until attack count reaches zero

### NOW Card System
- **Universal Timing**: Can be played at any time during any player's turn
- **State Independence**: Available to both living and dead players
- **Interrupt Capability**: Can interrupt ongoing actions
- **Priority Resolution**: Resolve immediately when played

## Win Conditions and Game End

### Victory Conditions
- **Last Player Standing**: Only one living player remains
- **Survival Achievement**: Successfully avoid all Exploding Kittens
- **Elimination Process**: All other players have died

### Game End Triggers
- **Single Survivor**: Game ends when only one player is alive
- **Immediate Victory**: No additional turns needed
- **Clear Winner**: Last living player wins

### Edge Cases
- **All Players Dead**: Theoretically possible but extremely rare
- **Simultaneous Death**: Resolve in turn order
- **Deck Exhaustion**: Continue with empty deck (no draws)
- **Multiple Zombie Kittens**: Player can accumulate multiple Zombie Kittens
- **Voluntary Death**: Player may choose not to play Zombie Kitten even if available
- **No Dead Players**: Zombie Kitten resurrection requirement skipped if no dead players exist
- **Clone on Empty Discard**: Clone cannot be played if Discard Pile is empty
- **Grave Robber with No Dead**: Cannot be played if no dead players exist
- **Attack of Dead with No Dead**: Cannot be played if no dead players exist

## Strategic Considerations

### Zombie Kitten Management
- **Acquisition Priority**: Actively seek additional Zombie Kittens
- **Conservation Strategy**: Save Zombie Kittens for critical moments
- **Resurrection Timing**: Choose resurrection targets strategically
- **Alliance Building**: Resurrect players who may help you later

### Information Warfare
- **Deck Knowledge**: Use See the Future and Alter the Future for advantage
- **Clairvoyance Usage**: Monitor Exploding Kitten placements
- **Shuffle Timing**: Disrupt opponents' deck knowledge
- **Memory Management**: Track known card locations

### Attack Strategy
- **Attack Chaining**: Coordinate multiple Attacks for maximum effect
- **Target Selection**: Use Targeted Attack for strategic advantage
- **Defense Planning**: Maintain Skip cards for Attack defense
- **Dead Player Leverage**: Use Attack of the Dead when advantageous

### Dead Player Dynamics
- **Resurrection Politics**: Build relationships for favorable resurrections
- **NOW Card Influence**: Continue affecting game while dead
- **Feed the Dead**: Accumulate cards while dead for future advantage
- **Strategic Death**: Sometimes dying temporarily can be advantageous

## Technical Implementation Notes

### Card Tracking Requirements
- **Hand Management**: Track cards in each player's hand
- **Deck State**: Monitor Draw Pile and Discard Pile
- **Player States**: Track living/dead status for each player
- **Attack Counters**: Monitor turns owed by each player

### State Validation Rules
- **Legal Moves**: Validate card plays against current game state
- **Target Validation**: Ensure targets are valid for specific actions
- **Timing Checks**: Verify NOW cards can be played at any time
- **Resource Checks**: Confirm required cards/players exist

### UI/UX Considerations
- **Clear State Display**: Show living/dead status prominently
- **Hand Organization**: Group cards by type for easy access
- **Action Feedback**: Provide clear confirmation of card effects
- **Turn Indicators**: Clearly show whose turn it is and any special conditions
- **Attack Counter Display**: Show remaining turns owed prominently
- **Dead Player Indicators**: Visual distinction for dead players
- **NOW Card Accessibility**: Easy access to NOW cards at all times
- **Nope Response Window**: Clear timing window for Nope responses

### Animation and Visual Effects
- **Explosion Effects**: Dramatic visual for Exploding Kitten draws
- **Resurrection Animation**: Special effect for player revival
- **Card Movement**: Smooth animations for card transfers
- **State Transitions**: Clear visual feedback for state changes
- **Deck Manipulation**: Visual representation of shuffle, swap, etc.

### Audio Design
- **Explosion Sounds**: Distinctive audio for player deaths
- **Card Play Sounds**: Unique audio for different card types
- **Victory Fanfare**: Celebration sound for game winner
- **Tension Music**: Atmospheric audio during critical moments
- **NOW Card Alerts**: Audio cues for immediate action cards

### Multiplayer Considerations
- **Turn Synchronization**: Ensure all players see consistent game state
- **Nope Window Timing**: Standardized response time across all players
- **Secret Information**: Secure handling of private card information
- **Disconnection Handling**: Graceful handling of player disconnections
- **Spectator Mode**: Allow eliminated players to observe

### Performance Optimization
- **Card Pool Management**: Efficient object pooling for card instances
- **State Serialization**: Compact game state representation
- **Network Optimization**: Minimize data transmission for multiplayer
- **Memory Management**: Proper cleanup of game objects
- **Loading Optimization**: Fast game startup and state restoration

### Accessibility Features
- **Colorblind Support**: Alternative visual indicators beyond color
- **Screen Reader Support**: Text descriptions for all visual elements
- **Input Alternatives**: Multiple input methods for card selection
- **Font Scaling**: Adjustable text size for readability
- **High Contrast Mode**: Enhanced visibility options

This comprehensive technical specification provides the complete rule set for implementing Zombie Kittens in Unity, covering all mechanics, edge cases, strategic considerations, and implementation requirements for development teams.