From the publisher’s rulebook
Who goes first in Hardback?
English Fowers Games rules

Whoever last used a pen takes the first turn.
Rule details
Give that player the First Player Token and continue clockwise.
In the Cooperative Anthology variant, each human player takes a normal turn, followed by Penny Dreadful's turn.
Source & edition
- Hardback: Fowers Games (English manual hosted by Skellig Games) rulesFowers Games (English manual hosted by Skellig Games) · Setup step 4; Cooperative Anthology; credits · Checked 2026-09-23Printed page references: 1, 2, 16, 17, 18
Image: © Fowers Games (PDF hosted by Skellig Games distributor) and any cover-art licensors or artists (precise ownership not stated in PDF) · Fowers Games (PDF hosted by Skellig Games distributor)
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say.
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