How to Play Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past Expansion Guide

By Critical Role Store | Published: 2026-10-26

Category: How-to Guides

Learn the rules for Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past, the standalone expansion for the deck-building battle royale board game. This guide covers setup, gameplay, and victory conditions.

Quick Answer

Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past is a standalone expansion that introduces 4 new Princesses and new mechanics. Set up the game by choosing a Princess, building your starting deck, and then taking turns to attack opponents and earn the crown.

What's New in Quarter Past

Quarter Past can be played as its own game or added to the core Queen by Midnight set. It introduces 4 new Princesses of Twelvefold, each with unique abilities. The core battle-royale deck-building mechanics remain the same, but the new characters offer fresh strategies and interactions.

Choosing Your Princess

Each Princess has a unique starting deck and special ability. Read each Princess card to understand their strengths. For example, some may focus on aggressive attacks, while others build defensive combos. Your choice shapes your early game strategy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A frequent error is forgetting to use your Princess's ability each turn. Another is over-investing in defense early, leaving you vulnerable to surprise attacks. Always check the turn order and plan your moves to maintain a balanced deck.

Step-by-Step Guide to Playing Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past

1. Set Up the Game: Unbox the game and separate the Princess cards, starting decks, and crown cards. Each player chooses a Princess and takes their corresponding starting deck. Shuffle your deck and draw a hand of 5 cards. Make sure each player has the correct starting deck for their Princess to avoid mismatched abilities.
2. Understand the Turn Structure: Each turn has three phases: Draw (draw 2 cards), Action (play cards from your hand to attack, defend, or gain resources), and Discard (discard remaining cards and draw back up to 5). You may also use your Princess's special ability once per turn. Common mistake: Forgetting to use your Princess ability. Check your character card each turn for a reminder.
3. Win the Crown: The goal is to be the last Princess standing or to collect the most crown tokens by defeating opponents. When you reduce an opponent's health to 0, they are eliminated, and you gain a crown token. The game ends when only one player remains or when a set number of crowns are collected. Track crown tokens carefully; a player can win even if they are not the last one standing if they have the most tokens.

Product Facts

Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past: Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past is a follow-up to Darrington Press' August 2023 release, Queen by Midnight, and can be played as a standalone expansion or as an addition to the core game. This means you can jump right into the new content without owning the original game, making it accessible for new players while offering depth for veterans.
Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past