So I don't understand the setup. You end up with 3 locations two of which have the same name? How does that work? You can't move between them?

Flip them over =) They have different names once revealed.

You can move from a location to any other location whose top-left icon is listed on the bottom of your current location's bar of icons. You'll notice, for instance, the two New Orleans locations, even unrevealed, have the crimson + sign as their location icon AND in their connected locations icons, so feel free to move between the two of them. Of course, once you move to a location, it'll be revealed, and you'll see they're not the same.

EDIT: Typo.

But you cannot even get that far. In setup when I have all the riversides and I tossed everything else's you all the symbols are the same.

It says separate them into 4 piles by trait. So there are four stacks. One is all riverside one is all New Orleans one is all wilderness and one unhallowed. Then you take a random pile and toss it. Then pick random pile to play and toss the other two. So when you are done you have one pile of all the same name. It makes no sense.

So you have 4 piles.

One with the New Orleans trait: this includes two copies of New Orleans location, and one copy of the Cursed Shores, which has the New Orleans and the Bayou trait.

One with the Riverside : this include two copies of the Riverside location, and one copy of the Brackish Waters, which has the Riverside and the Bayou trait.

One with the Wilderness trait: this includes two copies of the Wilderness location, and one copy of the Forgotten Marsh, which has the Wilderness and the Bayou trait.

One with the Unhallowed trait: this includes two copies of the Unhallowed Land location, and one copy of the Foul Swamp, which has the Wilderness and the Bayou trait.

Whichever one you select, you will start with 3 locations in play - two with the same (unrevealed) name, and the third with the different name but also the Bayou trait, which is where your Investigators start. You will notice that each of the 4 Bayou locations are connected with the other locations with the same trait. E.g. Brackish Waters allows you to move to either Riverside; Forgotten Marsh allows you to move to either Wilderness.

Essentially, you get to move back and forth between your own Bayou and your two other locations, until you have enough clues. Then go back to the Bayou , advance to Act 1b, and that will tell you to put the other set-aside locations (the second two piles you "tossed") into play, giving you 6 more locations to then move to and investigate.

Ok. Thanks. I might be too stupid for this game. I still don't get it. If There are only two other locations then why do the bayou's have all those symbols to move to if there are only ever two other locations with the same symbol?

Because the other 3 piles will have those symbols, once revealed. With this game's randomness about locations, it's probable there will be unused location icons, but you will eventually have locations corresponding to more of the connecting icons once you advance to stage 2 and reveal more location piles.

Don't worry about not getting it. The POD scenarios usually have more complicated setups. Just play through following instructions and you'll figure it out. Get to Act 1b, reveal those 2 other piles, and you'll see all those other locations and icons setting out on the table for you to travel to.

Ok thanks for the help. I don't know about this game. It might be too fiddly for me, I have had nothing but problems.

DM me if you want a walk-through, I'd be glad to help if you have confusions.

My middle name is confusions. Thank you for all the help.