Complicated Board Game the Card Game
Complicated Board Game the Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 28 Rule Cards
- 5 Win Conditions
- 33 Events
- 9 Board States
- 50 Piece Cards
Setup
- Place the "Starting Board State: Orthogonal" card on the board as shown. This is the Board State Zone.
- Shuffle the deck labeled Piece Pile and the deck labeled Deck of Complications. Place them face down on the table as shown.
- Take the top Piece card from the Piece Pile and place it face up on the center of the table. This is the Starting Piece.
- Deal 5 Piece cards face up to each player from the Piece Pile. These are your Holdings.
- Deal 4 cards from the Deck of Complications to each player. Don't show these to anyone else. This is your starting hand.
Illustration: the board at setup for a 4 player game. The board shows the Deck of Complications, the Pile of Pieces, the Board State Zone, the Starting Piece, the Rules Lane, and each player's Holdings.
How to Play
The object of the game is to be the first player to empty their Holdings by putting all of their Piece cards onto the board or complete a Win Condition. The player who owns the most complicated board game at home goes first, and play continues clockwise.
On Your Turn
- Draw a card from the Deck of Complications.
- Spend up to 2 Turn Points to play Piece cards from your Holdings and cards in your Hand.
Other Turn Notes
- Each player may only play 1 Piece card from their Holdings per turn.
- Every card has a number in the corner that indicates the number of Turn Points it costs to play.
- Each Piece card can only be played on one other type of Piece as shown on the Piece Wheel and indicated in the lower right hand corner of the card. For example, Sheep are played on Spaceships.
- There is no limit to the number of cards you may play per turn as long as you still have Turn Points to spend.
- If you play a Piece incorrectly, it returns to your Holdings. You lose the Turn Point you used to play it.
- There is no limit to the number of cards a player may have in their hand.
- If an action or card ever causes the last Piece to be removed from the board, draw a new Starting Piece from the Piece Pile.
Parts of a Card
Parts of a Piece
- Turn Point Cost: the number in the upper corner of the card, showing how many Turn Points it costs to play.
- Plays On: the lower right hand corner of the card, showing the type of Piece it can be played on, as shown on the Piece Wheel.
Card Type
- Card Type: shown on the card's text panel (for example, Rule).
- Turn Point Cost: the number in the upper corner of the card.
Illustrations: Img. 2, Parts of a Card. The example Piece is a Castle, costing 1 Turn Point and playing on Hats. The example card is "It's a Space Race", a Rule with the text "Spaceships are wild. They can be played on any Piece. To the moon!"
The Cards
Pieces
Pieces are the square cards that start out in your Holdings. You may only play one Piece per turn. When playing a Piece card your Piece only needs to be playable on one adjacent board Piece. A correctly placed Piece follows the rules of the current Board State and is playable on one of the Pieces next to it.
Board State
Board States are cards that change how Pieces are played on the board. Board State cards are played in the Board State Zone. Place new Board State cards on top of the old Board State card, replacing it. The Starting Board State Card is never removed from the Board State Zone.
Win Condition
Win Conditions are cards that add a new, secret way for a player to win the game. When a Win Condition is drawn, play it face down in front of you. A face down Win Condition may be revealed, as soon as its conditions are met, to win the game. "Flip the Table" does not remove Win Condition cards.
Rules
Rules are cards that change the way the game is played for everyone. Rule cards are played on the board from left to right in the Rules Lane and take precedence over any rules in this rule book. Rules remain in play unless another card in the game removes them. Removed Rules are placed in the Discard Pile.
Events
Events are cards that resolve as soon as they come into play. To play an Event, place it on the table, do what it says, then discard the card.
The Piece Wheel
The Piece Wheel illustrates the rochambeau rule system by which Pieces are played. Hats are worn by Soldiers, Soldiers ride sheep, Sheep are abducted by Spaceships, Spaceships obliterate Castles, and Castles... Hat!
Example of a Turn
Player One draws a card then spends 1 Turn Point to play a Piece. They will play the Sheep from their Holdings on the Spaceship following the rules of the Piece Wheel and the "Diagonal" Board State which is in play.
Having played their Piece for the turn, Player One now spends 1 Turn Point to play the Rule "It's a Trading Game", placing it in the Rules Lane. All players now have the option of spending 1 Turn Point on their turn to trade a Piece with any other player.
Player One spends 1 Turn Point to play the Event "I Think You Dropped a Piece?", adding a new Piece from the Piece Pile to their opponent's Holdings. Player One now has no Turn Points left. Any 1 Turn Point cost card could still be played, but Player One chooses to end their turn.
Winning the Game
The first player to put all Piece cards from their Holdings onto the board or complete a Win Condition card wins Complicated Board Game the Card Game.
It is possible for multiple players to win the game at the same time. For example, playing the last Piece from your Holdings and triggering a Win Condition at the same time causes both players to win. If this happens, all players who won win Complicated Board Game the Card Game together.