Crazy Theory
Crazy Theory Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 81 influence tokens
- 6 screens (paravents)
- 1 case (étui)
- 1 rulebook
- 180 cards, shown in the booklet with this breakdown:
- 60 Conspiracy cards (complots)
- 59 Culprit cards (coupables)
- 120 Accomplice cards (complices)
- 1 Powers card (carte Puissants)
The booklet's header says "180 cards" but the listed breakdown adds up to 240 cards. The breakdown is transcribed as printed.
Before Each Game
Give each player a screen, a pencil and some small sheets of paper.
The most innocent player slides the Powers card into the case! This card represents two major influence groups: the Illuminati and the Reptilians.
Turn the case under the table, then retrieve it and place it in the centre of the game. Leave the Powers card in the case until the end of the game!
Setup
Choose a first Grand Architect! Each player will be Grand Architect in turn until the end of the game.
The Grand Architect places in front of their screen as many influence tokens as there are players. The other tokens and cards stay in the box.
At this point in the game, the side of the tokens does not matter.
Then, the Grand Architect places a conspiracy around the case, reading the cards aloud and following this pattern:
- 1 Conspiracy card
- 2 Accomplice cards, slid under the case, on the side of the Grand Architect's choice
- 2 Culprit cards
Prepare Your Explanations
Each conspiracy theorist writes, in secret behind their screen, a list of words, where each word is linked to the next by some form of association of ideas. The length of a list is free, but it must pass through 4 imposed words:
- Start: an explanation must begin with one of the keywords at the bottom of the Conspiracy card. (Example from the booklet: Car or Traffic jam.)
- Middle: it must always pass through the two Accomplices, in either order. (Example: A carpet and Snow White.)
- End: it must conclude with one of the Culprits offered. (Example: Fast food or Big Pharma.)
Never narrate! You must not detail or tell the story of the association of ideas that takes you from one word to the next.
Reveal the Conspiracies
As soon as the players have written their culprit, the player to the left of the Grand Architect explains their explanation aloud!
To explain, a conspiracy theorist must repeat the previous word of their list each time before stating the next word! For example, they must say: "car - plane", then "plane - to fly", "to fly - carpet", "carpet - Aladdin", "Aladdin - Snow White", and so on.
This is very important, because these repetitions allow the others to understand the associations of ideas you are suggesting. Moreover, if you do not respect this rule, the authors will come to your home and break your legs!!!
One after the other, each conspiracy theorist explains their explanation in this way. The Grand Architect must always close the round!
End of the Round
After the last explanation, every conspiracy theorist who chose the same culprit as the Grand Architect takes 1 influence token from among those placed in front of the Grand Architect's screen. The Grand Architect takes back the tokens that remain.
Finally, each conspiracy theorist (including the Grand Architect) takes 1 token from the box and gives it to the player who, in their very personal judgement, gave the strongest, most sensational or most subtle explanation.
Each player places the tokens they have won behind their screen and, at this stage of the game, it does not matter which side is face up!
Example of a Round
Alphonse, Bernadette and Paco play Crazy Theory. Paco is the Grand Architect: he has placed 3 tokens in front of his screen and will be the last to explain his conspiracy. Each player has written their word list before explaining it!
Alphonse explains first:
- Car > Plane
- Plane > To fly
- To fly > Carpet
- Carpet > Aladdin
- Aladdin > Snow White
- Snow White > Snow
- Snow > Powder
- Powder > Medicine
- Médoc > Big Pharma
Alphonse charged ahead with associations that are mostly based on meaning.
Bernadette passes after Alphonse:
- Traffic jam > Wine
- Wine > Cider
- Cider > Apple
- Apple > Snow White
- Snow White > Dwarf
- Dwarf > Garden
- Garden > Lawn
- Lawn > Football
- Football > Bernard Tapie
- Bernard Tapie > Carpet
- Carpet > Tapas
- Tapas > Fast food
Bernadette also made associations by homophony (tapie -> tapis -> tapas).
Paco finishes the round:
- Traffic jam > City centre
- City centre > Market
- Market > Merchant
- Merchant > Carpet
- Carpet > Flying carpet
- Flying carpet > Sky
- Sky > Space
- Space > Mir station
- Mir > Mirror
- Mirror > "Mirror, mirror on the wall!"
- "Mirror, mirror!" > Wicked queen
- Queen > Snow White
- Snow White > Dwarf
- Dwarf > Cheese naan
- Cheese naan > Indian restaurant
- Indian restaurant > Gastro
- Gastro > Pill
- Pill > Big Pharma
Paco does what he wants. He's like that, Paco!
The example is translated into English, so some French homophone play (bouchon = traffic jam or cork; tapis = carpet; tapie = Bernard Tapie; Médoc = a Bordeaux wine region) only partly carries over. The printed example has two small gaps in its link table, transcribed as printed: the link "Médicament > Médoc" is not printed between Alphonse's "Powder > Medicine" and "Médoc > Big Pharma", and Paco's link is written once as "Mirror > Ô, mon beau miroir!" and once as "Ô, miroir ! > Reine méchante".
Results of the example:
- At the end of this round, Alphonse gains 1 token from the 3 in front of Paco, because he finished on Big Pharma, like Paco.
- Paco, the Grand Architect of the round, takes back the 2 remaining tokens.
- Favourites: Paco gives 1 token to Bernadette! Alphonse and Bernadette each give 1 token to Paco!
Following Rounds and End of the Game
After the first round, the player to the left of the Grand Architect becomes Grand Architect for the next round.
This continues until each player has been Grand Architect once (or twice with 3 players). At that point the game is nearly over, and then you will see what you will see!
After the last round, each conspiracy theorist, in secret behind their screen, turns each of their tokens to the side of their choice. A conspiracy theorist can thus have all their tokens on the Illuminati side or on the Reptilian side, or spread them freely between the Illuminati and the Reptilians.
Then the last Grand Architect solemnly reveals the Powers card that was in the case! It shows either an Illuminati symbol, or the portrait of a Reptilian.
At that moment the players lift their screens and reveal their tokens! The conspiracy theorist with the most tokens showing the side revealed by the Powers card wins the game. They are proclaimed the Immense Architect, who has understood everything about the world and life!
All other tokens are worth nothing, absolutely nothing... You will not even be able to buy peanuts with them!
Cruel Options and Advice from the Authors
Option 1: In principle there is no time limit for preparing explanations, but... if you are hot-headed, do as we do: as soon as only one player is still writing, pressure them by counting down from 20, banging your fist on the table at each number. At "0", the last player must put down their pencil, whether their explanation is finished or not.
Option 2: In principle, both accomplices are placed face up and slid under the case, but... if you are fiery, the Grand Architect may instead decide to play a single common accomplice, face up, and give each player an accomplice card to keep secret until the moment when, during their explanation, the player reveals who their second accomplice is!
Option 3: Have you noticed the * symbols on some accomplice cards? If you are boiling, go to lddp.info/complices! (The effects of the starred accomplices are transcribed in the companion file crazy-theory-complices.md.)
Advice for Moving From One Word to the Next
When you prepare your explanation:
- Do not plan before you write: take your starting word and simply note the first word you think of!
- Can't find a word? Ask yourself: can I think of nothing when I think of my starting word? The answer will be no (unless you are the Dalai Lama...). So note the word you think of and repeat the operation!
- Do not think too much about the imposed words! Your brain will get there automatically, however many words it takes!
- Do not hesitate to play on obscure or incorrect links! It is by striking minds that you will win tokens!
- Even though, in principle, an explanation is made word by word, you may also try to go through groups of words (expressions, titles of works, etc.). Your only limit is the credulity of the other players!