In Rent a Hero, players compete in a fantasy world where they strive to assemble a party of six unique heroes. Each hero has a number (from 1 to 7) and a special ability that can be used once per game. The theme is a lighthearted yet tense adventure in which players "hire" heroes while trying to avoid collecting duplicates.
The first player to gather six different heroes wins the game. Each player starts with two different heroes. On their turn, a player chooses a card from their hand and places it face down as a vagabond. The vagabond must meet the conditions specified by the top card of the discard pile (for example, its number must be lower than the number of players). The vagabond then travels around the table, and each player in turn decides whether to recruit it, pass it along, or try to identify it.
Player options:
- Recruit: If the player does not already have that hero, they add it to their party. If they already have the same hero, both copies are discarded.
- Pass: The player sends the vagabond to the next player if they think it is not useful to them.
- Guess: The player may try to guess the identity of the vagabond and receives a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
Each hero also has a unique special ability that can be used once per game (for example, looking at a card or refreshing another hero’s ability).
Rent a Hero is an excellent choice for introducing new players to modern board games or as a light and entertaining filler between heavier gaming sessions.
