14 Frantic Minutes
14 Frantic Minutes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal of the Game
Complete the circuits in each piece to hack the security system and move toward the exit so you can escape, then finish the final circuit before you are caught. Hurry! Time is running out!
14 Frantic Minutes is a cooperative game. You win or lose together.
Components
- 30 Security Device cards (large cards)
- 5 Challenge cards of level 1
- 5 Challenge cards of level 2
- 5 Challenge cards of level 3
- 5 Challenge cards of level 4
- 1 Challenge card of level 5
- 20 circuit pieces (polyominoes)
- 4 Bonus tokens
- 4 reference cards
- 1 Evil Professor pawn
You will also need the soundtrack, which can be found at tinyurl.com/14FranticMinutesVid (to listen) or tinyurl.com/14FranticMinutesMP3 (to download). Alternatively, you may use an electronic timer set to 2 minutes that can be repeated (not included).
Components Layout
The rulebook's component layout illustration shows the Evil Professor pawn, the circuit pieces of players A, B, C and D, the reference card, the Bonus tokens, the five Challenge cards (numbered 1 to 5), and the Security Device cards and their boards in the centre of the table.
Setup
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Each player takes a reference card and their own circuit pieces according to the number of players:
- 1 player: take all 20 circuit pieces.
- 2 players: one player takes all circuit pieces labelled A and B. The other player takes all circuit pieces labelled C and D.
- 3 players: each player takes a set of circuit pieces. One player takes set A, one player takes set B, and the last player takes set C. All players may take any piece from set D at any time.
- 4 players: each player takes a set of circuit pieces.
Note: once the game has started, you may only touch your own circuit pieces, never those of another player.
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Shuffle the Security Device cards and place them face down beside the play area, within reach of all players. Take the top card and place it face down in the centre of your play area.
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Separate the Challenge cards into 5 decks according to the number on the back of the cards (levels 1 to 5). Shuffle each of these decks separately. (Note: level 5 has only one card.)
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Determine the difficulty level you will play by reading the description on page 11. It is strongly recommended to play at the Fright 1 level for your first game or when introducing new players.
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Select and place the Challenge cards face down, from left to right, on top of the Security Device card in the centre of your play area. The Challenge cards must be placed from left to right in order of difficulty. For example, when playing at Fright 1 level, first place a level 1 Challenge card on the left, followed by a level 2 Challenge card to the right, then level 3, level 1, level 2, level 3, and finally level 4. Return all other cards to the game box.
The rulebook shows an example configuration for the Fright 1 level (your first game) with Challenge cards A to G laid out from left to right, with Bonus tokens on the first and fifth cards.
How to Play
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Start the soundtrack. Once you have heard the Professor's laugh, you may begin. Turn over the Security Device card in your central play area so that it is face up. This is the first security device you must hack in order to escape the room.
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Turn over the leftmost Challenge card. This will be the first challenge you must defeat. If there is a Bonus token on top of the Challenge card, turn it over as well. Once turned over, you may use Bonus tokens at any time, with the exception of the last piece.
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Work together (or use your own judgement in solo mode) to place your circuit pieces on the printed circuit in order to connect the switch to the connection points indicated on the Challenge card. Note that this means you must connect the switch to all the connection points shown on the Challenge card. You must connect the yellow line on the circuit pieces to complete the circuit, as shown in the image on the next page.
The rulebook shows a complete circuit: the illustration labels the parts "Complete circuit", "Switch" (commutateur) and "Connection points" (points de connexion), with a close-up of the switch's connection points beside the board.
- Once you hear the rhythm of the soundtrack speed up and the Professor's footsteps, you will hear his laugh and know he is about to move on to the next piece. When you hear the door close, move the Evil Professor pawn one card to the right (his first move is onto the first Challenge card). If you are currently in the piece he has entered, you have been caught and your attempt is over. Otherwise, keep trying to complete the circuit in your piece!
The rulebook shows the Evil Professor pawn having moved onto a Challenge card, with the caption "You have been caught!"
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If you complete the circuit, remove the circuit pieces from the current Security Device card (making sure each player retrieves their own pieces and that players touch only their own pieces). Set the Security Device card aside, reveal the next Security Device card and place it in the centre of your play area. Then turn the current Challenge card face down to show that it has been completed, and turn over the next Challenge card you must complete so that it is face up (and any Bonus token on top of it, if applicable).
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Continue trying to complete the circuits in each piece and move on to the next until you reach the seventh and final Challenge card. If you complete all the connections on this Challenge card before the Evil Professor enters your piece, you have succeeded!
The rulebook shows the final challenge, captioned "The final challenge" (le dernier défi).
Note: if you have completed the circuit and have not yet removed or recovered your pieces when you hear the door close, you may still move on to the next piece.
A note on difficulty: if you do not succeed at first, do not hesitate to keep working on the resolution of the piece, ignoring the soundtrack. You may even play a complete game without the soundtrack to familiarise yourself with the pieces, which will help you go faster!
Placing Circuit Pieces
All circuit pieces must be placed entirely on the green areas of the printed circuit. They may not overlap other circuit pieces or other components on the Security Device card, and they may not extend outside the limits of the printed circuit.
Pieces may be rotated in any direction and flipped in any way before being placed. They may also be moved or removed as needed until you have completed the connection.
It is not a problem if you have incomplete circuits, or if you connect to connection points that are not indicated on the Challenge card. You may always move on as long as you have connected all the connection points indicated on the Challenge card.
You may only touch your own pieces, never those of another player (in a 3-player game, any player may use the pieces of set D).
The rulebook illustrates: correct placement (on the green area, not over components); incorrect placement (overlapping pieces); and incorrect placement (overlapping a component or outside the printed circuit area).
Bonus Tokens
If you turn over a Challenge card that has a Bonus token on top of it, turn over that Bonus token at the same time to reveal the bonus you have received. Bonus tokens may be used immediately once they have been turned over. Each bonus is described below.
Each of these Bonus tokens is single-use. Any player may use a Bonus token at any time (although you may want to discuss it first!), with the exception of the seventh and final piece: Bonus tokens do not work on that circuit. After using a Bonus token, set it aside in the game box.
If you try to use a Bonus token but then decide not to, you may still use it in a later piece.
The Bonus tokens are:
- 4-Way Connector: You may place it on any legal space on the Security Device card. This gives you more connections.
- By-Pass: You may place it on top of any existing component to make that space usable for the circuit pieces of any player.
- Switch: When you place it on top of any connection point on the Security Device card, that connection point becomes the colour of your choice.
- Deactivate: Place it on top of any connection point on the Challenge card to deactivate that connection point. This connection point does not need to be connected to the switch in order to complete the circuit.
The rulebook shows an icon and a short description for each of the four Bonus tokens: 4-Way Connector (Connecteur 4 directions), By-Pass, Switch (Commutateur) and Deactivate (Désactiver).
How to Win
You win only if you get through all seven pieces without the Evil Professor entering the piece you are currently occupying. If he enters the piece you are in, you have lost and humanity is doomed.
Difficulty Levels
Start at the Fright 1 level. If this is too difficult, you may practise without the soundtrack. Later, you may increase the difficulty as follows.
The table below shows the Challenge card level at each position (1 to 7) and the positions where Bonus tokens are placed on top of the Challenge card (shown in green in the rulebook's table).
| Difficulty level | Challenge card levels in positions 1 to 7 | Positions with a Bonus token |
|---|---|---|
| Fright 1 (use for your first game) | 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4 | 1 and 5 (two Bonus tokens) |
| Fright Lvl 2 | 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4 | 2 and 5 (two Bonus tokens) |
| Fright Lvl 3 | 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5 | 2 and 5 (two Bonus tokens) |
| Fright Lvl 4 | 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5 | 4 (one Bonus token) |
| Madness (Folie) | 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5 | None |
Mission Mode
For even more challenge, try Mission mode. You must succeed at each mission before moving on to the next one. Play solo or with the same group (we recommend playing over several sessions), and tick off the completed missions to remember where you stopped.
| Mission | Challenge card levels in positions 1 to 7 | Positions with a Bonus token |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4 | 1 and 5 |
| 2 | 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4 | 2 and 5 |
| 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4 | 2 and 5 |
| 4 | 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5 | 3 and 5 |
| 5 | 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5 | 2 and 6 |
| 6 | 1, 2, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5 | 2 and 5 |
| 7 | 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5 | 4 |
| 8 | 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5 | 4 |
The rulebook also includes a blank tracking grid with columns labelled "Group" for recording mission progress; it is omitted here as it is not a rule.