Chemical Overload Rulebook

Table of Contents

Contents
Card Anatomy
Setup
- Center-of-Table Setup
- Individual-Player Setup
Objective
Gameplay
- Player's Personal Table Area
Toxin Levels
End Game
Scoring
Key Words
Recommended Potion Sets
Credits
Potion Effects

1 Game Box
1 Main Rulebook
1 Solo Rulebook
1 Central Board
1 Toxin Cube
500 Cards
75 Victory Point Tokens
75 Coin Tokens
1 First-Player Marker
1 Alternate First-Player Marker

Card breakdown: 276 Potion Cards, 52 Flask Cards, 108 Chemical Cards, 20 Toxin Cards.

Tokens: 75 Victory Point (VP) Tokens (40 of value 1, 35 of value 5), 75 Coin Tokens (40 of value 1, 35 of value 5).

Also included: 20 Solo Easy Cards, 20 Solo Toxin Cards, 4 Player Aid Cards.

Card Anatomy

Potion Cards

Potion Level — Indicates the level of the Potion, as well as what level Flask you need to create this Potion.
Potion Name — printed on the card.
Cost — Chemical type and quantity needed to create this Potion.
Potion Art — The shape indicates which Flask you need to create this Potion.
Toxic Potion Card — Green corners indicate this is a Toxic Potion and will move the Toxin Cube up one spot when creating this Potion.
Potion Effect — Activates when the Potion is played.
Card Placement — Table placement means that once you create this Potion, it is placed directly on the table and its effects come into play immediately, on this turn. Deck placement means that once you create this Potion, it is placed on top of your Draw Pile. You will draw it on your next turn (or possibly this turn).
Victory Point Value — A question mark means the exact number of VP is calculated at the end of the game based on the card's conditions.
Normal Potion Card — Does not have green corners, therefore is not a Toxic Potion and will not move the Toxin Cube when created.

Flask Cards

Flask Level — Indicates the Level of the Flask as well as what level Potions this Flask can be used to create.
Flask Volume — Indicates the number of Chemicals this Flask can hold.
Flask Art — Match the Flask shape to the Potion art shape.
Flask Cost — Indicates the amount of Coins needed to buy this Flask.
Card Placement — Table placement means that once you buy this card, it is placed directly on the Table and may be used immediately.
Victory Points — Higher Level Flasks award Victory Points at the end of the game.

Chemical Cards

Visual Aid — Chemical type and quantity of the card.
Chemical Card Name & Size — All Chemicals are available in three sizes: Single, Double, and Triple.
Chemical Art — pictures the chemical.
Victory Points — Higher level Chemicals award Victory Points at the end of the game.
Cost — Chemical type and quantity needed to create this card.
Card Placement — Deck placement means that once you create this Chemical, it is placed on top of your Draw Pile.

Toxin Cards

Toxin Card Name — printed on the card.
Toxin Level — Play out the effect matching the current Toxin Level on the Central Board.
Toxin Effect Type — Ongoing effects stay in play until the Toxin Level changes. One-Time effects happen only once after the card is flipped.

Solo Easy Cards

Specter Card — names the card.
Potion Layout — The art replicates the Potion locations on the Central Board. Match the Toxin Level color to see which Potion the Specter will create on their turn.

Player Aid

Front and back of the Player Aid.

Player Actions side — a reminder of available actions you can take on your turn: Players have 2 actions per turn. Actions may be taken in any order and can be repeated. Gain a coin. Buy a flask. Gain a chemical. Create a potion.
General Turn Order side — a general reminder of the steps all players take for a smooth game flow: During your turn, spend your 2 actions in any order you'd like. Each potion may be played once per turn at no action cost. When a player creates a toxic potion, advance the toxin cube up one space. If there's an icon attached to that space, resolve it when the current player's turn is complete. You may discard all unused cards or keep any number of them for the next turn. Draw cards up to your current hand limit, 5 cards by default. This completes your turn.

Setup

Center-of-Table Setup

Step 1. Place the Central Board in the center of the table within easy reach of all players.

Step 2. Place the five piles of Flasks, Volume-Two through Volume-Six, in their designated spots on the Central Board. Next, do the same and place the nine piles of each Chemical: Crimson Ash, Sapphire Essence and Liquid Jade, (Single, Double, and Triple) onto their designated spots on the Central Board.

Step 3. Shuffle the Toxin Cards and place them face down next to the indicated slot.

Step 4. Place the green Toxin Cube on the bottom blue starting space on the Toxin Levels Meter.

Step 5. Choose 10 decks of Potions, based on their Potion Levels, and match them to the levels on the Central Board. When placing the Potion decks, take all copies of the same Potion Name and shuffle them together, randomly mixing the Toxic Potions and Normal Potions. Then place the deck on the Central Board. Do this for all 10 locations. Leave remaining, unused Potions in the box as they will not be used in this game.

Note: You may choose a randomized set, but it is HIGHLY suggested that you use one of the eight recommended Potion setups listed on pages 12-13 for your first few times playing.

Step 6. Place both the Coin Tokens and the VP Tokens within reach of all players. This is the Main Coin Token Supply and the Main VP Token Supply.

Individual-Player Setup

Step 7. Each player takes a 10-card starting deck consisting of:

Two Volume-Two Flask Cards
Four Single Crimson Ash Chemical Cards
Four Single Sapphire Essence Chemical Cards

Step 8. The starting player should either be the player who was most recently in a laboratory or is randomly selected and given the First-Player Marker. Either one of the markers can be used.

Objective

The goal of the game is to score the most Victory Points.

Victory Points can be acquired through:

VP Tokens during gameplay
Potions with end game VP conditions
Cards with VP values on them

Gameplay

Player's Personal Table Area

Each player's personal area consists of: Personal Coin Supply, Personal VP Supply, Hand of Cards, Personal Flask Piles (Table Area for buy Flasks), Draw Pile, Play Area, Discard Pile, and Table Area (for played Potions and Chemicals with Table placement).

Shuffle your deck of starting cards and draw five cards. The remaining cards are placed face-down in your Draw Pile.

Each turn you may take up to TWO actions. The same action may be taken twice.

Actions:

Gain a Coin
Buy a Flask
Gain a Chemical
Create a Potion

Each Potion may be played ONCE PER TURN.

Free Actions (do NOT count as 1 of your 2 allowed actions per turn):

Play a Potion
Place a Flask from your hand to your Personal Flask Pile area

Gain a Coin

Gain a value-one Coin from the Main Supply. There is no limit to the number of Coins you may have throughout the game. Coin and VP Tokens are public knowledge and should not be hidden from other players.

Note: Coin and VP Tokens are meant to be an infinite supply. Trade in value-one Coin and VP Tokens for value-five Coin and VP Tokens as needed. In the rare chance the supply runs out, you may use a substitute.

Buy a Flask

Return the number of Coins indicated on the bottom left of the Flask Card back to the Main Supply. Place the newly bought Flask face-up on the table in your personal Flask Pile area.

Note: Level-Two Flasks are FREE and can be obtained by taking one action.

Gain a Chemical

To gain higher level Chemicals (or Liquid Jade), pay the cost indicated on the bottom left of the Chemical Card using Chemicals from your hand. Place the used Chemicals into your Play Area and your newly acquired Chemical on top of your Draw Pile.

Note: Single Crimson Ash and Sapphire Essence Chemicals are FREE and can be obtained by taking one action.

Example: Pay three Single Crimson Ash cards to Get one Double Crimson Ash card.

Create a Potion

The core gameplay revolves around creating and using Potions. To create a Potion, you must have the appropriately sized Flask and the required Chemicals of the appropriate type and quantity.

Using the Ingredients: First, take the Flask from your personal Flask Pile or hand. You must use the exact Flask level required. You CANNOT use higher level Flasks than required to make lower level Potions. Second, take the Chemicals from your hand. Third, place the used Flask and Chemicals into your Play Area.
Gaining the Potion: Take the top-most card of the desired Potion from the Central Board and place it directly on the table in your Table Area, or face-down on top of your Draw Pile. The location of where the Potion goes is indicated on the bottom middle of the Potion.

Example: One Volume-4 Flask + two Double Crimson Ash + one Single Liquid Jade = Potion of the Reborn.

Note: If a player uses more Chemicals than necessary for creating a Potion, the excess Chemicals are considered wasted and cannot be used or counted for anything else during that turn. For example, if a player spends a Triple Chemical for something that only required 2 Chemicals, the leftover Chemical is lost for that turn. This rule also applies when gaining high level Chemicals (see Gain a Chemical, above).

Note: When creating a Potion, check if it has the green corners. If so, this is a Toxic Potion. See Toxin Levels below for how to resolve a Toxic Potion.

Playing Potions

Playing a Potion is a FREE Action. You may play each Potion in your hand or from your Table Area once per turn, if desired.

To play a Potion from your hand, place it in your Play Area and then activate the Potion's effect.

To play a Potion from your Table Area, activate the effect on the card. Table Potions, unlike Deck Potions, are not discarded at the end of your turn. Table Potions will stay on the table, in your Table Area, for the remainder of the game, unless otherwise moved, and can be played once per turn.

Unless otherwise stated, assume that the card text effect refers to the player holding the card. If the card text states "destroy one card", this means destroy one of your cards (choose any). Otherwise the card text will say "destroy your opponent's card".

Table a Flask

At the end of your turn, you draw up to five cards. Sometimes you will draw Flasks that were previously used to create Potions. As a FREE Action, you may place these Flasks onto the table in your Flask Piles area (during your next turn).

Note: Table Potions with tokens on top of them, or cards under them, CANNOT be Discarded, Destroyed, or Stolen in any way.

Turn End

After taking all desired Actions and FREE Actions, place all used cards in your Play Area to your Discard Pile, face-up. If you still have cards in your hand that you did not play, you may choose to keep those cards for the next round, or discard some or all of those cards to your Discard Pile. Then you draw up to a hand size of five cards from your Draw Pile.

If at any time you need to draw a card and your Draw Pile is empty, shuffle your Discard Pile to create a new Draw Pile and continue drawing up to a hand size of five cards. Remember gained Chemicals and created Deck Potions this turn will be on the top of your Draw Pile, and you will draw these at the end of your turn. Therefore, gain and create strategically.

When your turn is complete, play continues clockwise with the next player to your left.

Toxin Levels

There are four levels on the Toxin Levels Meter: 0, 1, 2, and 3. When you create a Toxic Potion (Potion Card with green corners), the Toxin Cube moves up one spot on the meter. The Toxin Cube is only moved when the Potion is Created, NOT when the Potion is PLAYED.

Triggering a Toxin Card

The game starts with no Toxin Effect present.

When a Toxic Potion is created, immediately move the Toxin Cube up one space on the Toxin Levels Meter. Whenever the Toxin Cube enters a new level, including level 0, this will trigger a new Toxin Card.

On the Toxin Levels Meter, there are icons on the left side to remind you to draw a new Toxin Card when this section is reached.

There are rewards on the right side of the Toxin Levels Meter that are given to the player who moved the cube into that space. There is a 1 VP reward for the player who moves the Toxin Cube to Toxin Level 3 and a 3 VP reward for the player who moves the Toxin Cube to the End space on the Toxin Levels Meter.

Resolving the Triggered Toxin Card

When a Toxic Potion is created and the Toxin Cube moves to a space instructing you to draw a new Toxin Card, do the following steps:

Completely finish the current player's turn before doing anything with the Toxin Card. This includes the player taking all their Actions and FREE Actions and also drawing their hand back up to five cards.
Flip over the Toxin Card and place it next to the Active Toxin slot. If there is already a Toxin Card there, remove it and return it to the box. Only one Toxin Card is active at a time and the new Toxin Card will replace the previous Toxin Card.
Resolve the Toxin Card in clockwise order starting with the player who triggered the event.

Toxin Card Effects

The effects of the Toxin Cards vary based on the Toxin Level when they were triggered. Each Toxin Card has four effects on it ranging from level 0 to level 3. Find the corresponding level on the card that matches the level on the Toxin Levels Meter which triggered it and resolve that effect. Some effects are Ongoing effects (Blue Box) while others are One-Time effects (Red Box). Refer to the Toxin Cards entry in Card Anatomy above.

End Game

End Game triggers once the Toxin Cube has reached the top most spot on the Toxin Levels Meter.

When the end game is triggered, play continues until each player has had an equal number of turns, finishing with the player to the right of the start player. If the player to the right of the start player triggered the end game, the game immediately ends once their turn is completed. Proceed to scoring.

Scoring

To calculate your score, add the following:

Victory Point Tokens collected throughout the game.
Potions that award Victory Points during end game scoring.
Victory Points in the bottom right of all your cards owned.

The player with the highest total score wins the game. In the case of a tie, the player with the most Coins wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most Potions wins. If there is still a tie, the victory is shared amongst all players.

Example: 18 Victory Points (from VP Tokens) + 3 Potions of Hoarding (worth 5 VP) + 2 Triple Sapphire Essence (worth 1 VP) = Total Score: 25.

Key Words

Destroy — If a card specifies that it is to be "destroyed," it must be removed from play and placed in the designated area for destroyed cards, such as the "Destroyed Pile" outside of the game area or returned to the game box.
Gain — When a player gains an item, they must acquire it and place it in the designated area as specified. For cards, they should be placed in the deck or on the table, while Coins and Victory Points (VP) should be placed in the player's personal supply.
Worth — If a card is "worth" something, it must be counted towards a player's total Victory Points at the end of the game to determine the winner.

Recommended Potion Sets

When playing multiplayer, any of these Recommended Potion Sets can be used, as there are no easy or hard sets for multiplayer. If you are, however, playing Solo Mode, this is the listing from Easiest Setups to Hardest Setups when playing against the Specter.

Easiest to Hardest (Solo Mode): Prosperity and Prestige, Mystical Means, Kinetic Energy, Chemical Ignition, Gilded Cinders, Divergent Evolution, Circle of Life, Interstellar Alchemy (Hardest).

Circle of Life

Level	Potion
2	Currency Potion
2	Cleansing Potion
2	Potion of Hoarding
2	Metamorphic Potion
3	Potion of Choice
3	Victory Potion
4	Potion of Immolation
4	Potion of the Reborn
5	Sapphire Potion
6	Love Potion

Gilded Cinders

Level	Potion
2	Lucky Potion
2	Replacement Potion
2	Cleansing Potion
2	Potion of Hoarding
3	Militant Potion
3	Toxic Overload Potion
4	Potion of Greater Victory
4	Potion of Greater Transmogrify
5	Piggy Bank Potion
6	Obsidian Potion

Mystical Means

Level	Potion
2	Lucky Potion
2	Minor Victory Potion
2	Potion of Hoarding
2	Inquisitive Potion
3	Radioactive Potion
3	Potion of Transmogrify
4	Potion of the Reborn
4	Amethyst Potion
5	Potion of Superior Victory
6	Potion of Monetary Infusion

Divergent Evolution

Level	Potion
2	Lucky Potion
2	Inquisitive Potion
2	Replacement Potion
2	Metamorphic Potion
3	Augmentation Potion
3	Militant Potion
4	Potion of Immolation
4	Greater Radioactive Potion
5	Chromatic Potion
6	Exceptional Victory Potion

Chemical Ignition

Level	Potion
2	Currency Potion
2	Metamorphic Potion
2	Minor Victory Potion
2	Cleansing Potion
3	Potion of Three Wishes
3	Potion of Transmogrify
4	Potion for the Wealthy
4	Greater Radioactive Potion
5	Emerald Potion
6	Combustion Potion

Kinetic Energy

Level	Potion
2	Lucky Potion
2	Replacement Potion
2	Metamorphic Potion
2	Potion of Hoarding
3	Augmentation Potion
3	Radioactive Potion
4	Ruby Potion
4	Potion of Greater Victory
5	Superior Toxic Overload Potion
6	Phenomenal Victory Potion

Prosperity and Prestige

Level	Potion
2	Currency Potion
2	Cleansing Potion
2	Inquisitive Potion
2	Minor Victory Potion
3	Toxic Overload Potion
3	Potion of Three Wishes
4	Potion of Greater Transmogrify
4	Ruby Potion
5	Lavish Potion
6	Pearl Potion

Interstellar Alchemy

Level	Potion
2	Replacement Potion
2	Inquisitive Potion
2	Minor Victory Potion
2	Currency Potion
3	Victory Potion
3	Potion of Choice
4	Potion for the Wealthy
4	Amethyst Potion
5	Potion of Greater Three Wishes
6	Cosmic Reaction Potion

Credits

Game Design: Michael and Katie Crandall
Publisher: Rebirth Games
Card Templates: Maxim Khodyrev
Potion and Card Art: Juryia
Box Cover Art: James Churchill
Chemical Overload Logo: Cold Castle Studios
Instruction Manual and Back Box Art: OwlGhost Studio
Central Board: OwlGhost Studio
Playtesters: Robert Craig, Ryan Craig, Robert Fisk, Pernell Vaughan, Mark Drejza, Sawyer West, Michael Ricca, Kimberly and Matthew Wolfram, Jon Butler, Ronald Kneller, Beau LaManna, Ryan and the GOTCHA group from the Nerdmall, Josh and Lookin' For Games.
Proofreaders: Chris Stone, Nelson Curtis, Jonathan Leistiko, Robert Fisk, Robert Craig.

Thank You!

Potion Effects

Potion of Hoarding

Hoarding Potions are worth more VP the more of them you have by the end of the game. The VP listed is pertaining to the group of Potions as a collective, NOT each individual Potion.

For example, if you have three Potions of Hoarding and the game ends, your total score for those three Potions is five points, not five each for a total of 15 VP.

These Potions do not have to be tabled as the game ends to be counted toward the total VP awarded.

Metamorphic Potion

The Metamorphic Potion starts as a small level-2 Potion and can grow to any size Potion in the game. Once per turn you may put a Coin on this Potion, OR remove all Coins and destroy the Potion to gain a Potion equal to or less than how many Coins were on the Potion when it was destroyed.

The Coins that are placed on the Potion come from your personal stock, not from the Main Supply. When the Potion is destroyed, return the Coins on it back to the Main Supply.

Militant Potion

The Militant Potion is a struggle to have the largest army. The player with the most (or all players tied for the most) Militant Potions tabled when a Toxin Card is revealed, gains 2 VP. This action is to be done right before you flip over a new Toxin Card. That means the player who caused the cube to move would finish their turn, draw back to five cards, then resolve the Militant Potion just before the Toxin Card is resolved. These cards stay tabled the whole game unless otherwise removed and this event happens every time a Toxin Card is Triggered.

Augmentation Potion & Potion of Choice

These Potions allow you to gain cards directly from the effects of the Potion, bypassing the normal way to gain the card. The newly gained cards are placed in their respective locations as if you gained them normally. They ARE NOT placed directly into your hand unless otherwise stated.

For example, a newly gained Chemical would go on top of your Draw Pile and a newly gained Flask would go directly into your Personal Flask Pile.

Toxic Overload Potions

These Potions directly interact with the Toxin Levels Meter when played. It is possible to raise the Toxin Level during your turn and then use these Potions for a better effect.

For example, as a first action, you buy a Potion and raise the Toxin Cube to hit Level 3. Then you play the Toxic Overload Potion to draw three cards where as it would have been only two cards, had you played it before the cube moved.

Cleansing Potion, Potion of the Reborn & Potion of Immolation

These Potions' effects allow you to Destroy a card. Whenever a Potion says Destroy, it is speaking to you as a player playing the card. If it says Destroy a tabled card or in-hand card, it means one of YOUR cards, not other player's cards. If a Potion is meant to affect another player, it will specifically say "Opponent".

Metamorphic, Lavish & Potion of the Reborn

These Potions allow you to gain a Potion directly from their Potion effects. These newly gained Potions go into the location as if they were created normally, table or deck. Keep in mind that any Potion created in this manner still triggers the movement of the Toxin Cube if the newly gained Potion is Toxic.

Transmogrify Potions

Transmogrify Potions act as different types of Chemicals, essentially they are Double Wild or a Triple Wild. The Chemicals are not to be split into smaller ones.

For example, a Potion of Greater Transmogrify which "acts as a Triple Chemical", cannot be used as Double Liquid Jade and a Single Crimson Ash. It has to be used as a Triple of one type of Chemical, for example a Triple Liquid Jade.

Cosmic Reaction Potion

Cosmic Reaction Potion is worth VP at the end of the game equal to 1 VP per every three Potions you own. Cosmic Reaction Potion itself DOES COUNT toward total number of Potions owned. The number of Potions is rounded down.

For example, you own 20 Potions by the end of the game, this Potion would award you 6 VP (20/3=6.6).

Combustion Potion

The VP value of the Combustion Potion depends on the VP values of your other Potions for end game scoring. This pertains to only numerical values printed on the cards. Any cards such as this one with a "?" in the VP icon are not counted as a printed VP value.

Piggy Bank Potion & Potion of Monetary Infusion

These Potions allow you to invest Coins for Victory Points at the End of the game. To activate these Potions, you may place one Coin per turn on them. The Coins stay on top of the Potions until the End of the Game at which point they are scored. Potions with tokens on top of them CANNOT be Discarded, Destroyed, or Stolen in any way.

Pearl Potion

When you play the Pearl Potion, you play it into your Play Area and gain 3 VP tokens. However, once your turn is over and you've taken all your actions and drew back up to five cards, you then shuffle the Pearl Potion into your Draw Pile, instead of discarding it with the other played cards. If there are no cards in the Draw Pile currently, then the Pearl Potion becomes a one-card Draw Pile.

Amethyst Potion & Ruby Potion

These Potions instruct you to "Choose 2". These choices must be TWO DIFFERENT choices.