Evil Corp (2021) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• How to Win
• Launch Your Endgame
• Setting Up
  • Board and Centrepiece
  • Billion Dollar Bills and the Evil Corp Bank
  • The Opportunity and World Event Decks
  • The Wasted Opportunities Area
  • The World Die and Bankrupt Tokens
  • CEO Card and Gameplay Pieces
  • CEO Power Cards
• Starting the Game
  • Player Order
  • Secret Base
  • Businesses
  • Liquidity and Opportunity
• About Opportunity Cards
• Player Turn
  • Collect Revenue
  • Collect Free Opportunities
  • Calculating Revenue
  • Spend
  • Lay a Phase
  • Phases, HQ and Hand Limit
  • Perform a Hostile Takeover
  • Play Nasty Business or Agent Cards
  • Buy More Opportunity Cards
  • World Event
    • Market Modifiers
    • Disaster Philanthropy
• Endgame
  • Go for the Win
• Other Rules
  • Audit
  • Bankruptcy

How to Win

Lay your groundwork of PHASES.

• Play your PHASE 1 card: Acquire your R&D team - build your dream team of talent.
• Play your PHASE 2 card: Build your prototype - a proof of concept to blow minds.
• Play your PHASE 3 card: Complete your killer app - trojan horse and launch vector.

Once you have all three of your PHASES in play, almost nothing can stop you - get ready to launch your ENDGAME.

Launch Your Endgame

When the time is right, reveal the true scope of your plan, and the sacrifice needed to save the world. With only moments left, your enemies send their AGENTS to stop you - but can you be stopped?

Setting Up

Board and Centrepiece

Assemble the board and centrepiece. The board is divided into six named continental MARKETS. Each contains:

• three cities - where business empires are built.
• one volcanic island / tax haven - a great place to build your SECRET BASE.
• a space to display the MARKET's active WORLD EVENT.

Billion Dollar Bills and the Evil Corp Bank

The BILLION DOLLAR BILL is the game currency - anything smaller just isn't worth your time.

Place the stack of BILLION DOLLAR BILLS into the upright slot in the centrepiece - this is where the EVIL CORP BANK lives.

The Opportunity and World Event Decks

Place the shuffled OPPORTUNITY and WORLD EVENT decks in each of the centrepiece's two card shoes.

The Wasted Opportunities Area

Designate an area for OPPORTUNITY and WORLD EVENT discards.

The World Die and Bankrupt Tokens

Keep these near at hand - they'll soon be needed.

CEO Card and Gameplay Pieces

In player order, select the CEO you are going to play and take the associated CEO card, coloured BUSINESS tokens, and the three pieces of your SECRET BASE.

The CEO card - like you - has two faces:

• The front shows your public face, your alias and technology sphere of influence, and your 'vision statement' - the PR approved corporate line.
• The back hides your ENDGAME plan to save the world - no matter the cost.

Until you are ready to reveal your ENDGAME, keep your CEO card public face up.

CEO Power Cards

Take your CEO POWER card. This is a personalised, single-use special advantage power play. It can be played only once and then must be discarded. It must be played at the beginning of the turn and its effects last only for that turn.

• Played wisely, the CEO POWER card can change your fortunes completely.

(Advanced rules; Optional)

Starting the Game

Player Order

Decide who gets to go first and your preferred direction of play. We're not going to hold your hand on this - work it out yourself - but be aware that going first isn't much of an advantage.

Secret Base

The MARKET directly in front of you is your home. If you don't like it, you're welcome to move to another - it's no big deal. Place your SECRET BASE 'foundation' piece on the volcanic island / tax haven in front of you to claim it as your own.

• Your SECRET BASE earns you $2B REVENUE every turn, and generates FREE OPPORTUNITIES.
• Building up your SECRET BASE increases your HAND LIMIT - the number of OPPORTUNITY cards you can hold in your hand.

Businesses

You start with a business empire spanning three continental MARKETS. Place three BUSINESS pieces on whichever cities you like in any three different MARKETS.

• Each BUSINESS earns you $1B REVENUE every turn.
• Strive to expand your business empire - to generate more REVENUE - to increase LIQUIDITY - to expand your opportunities.

Cities are free-trade hubs, open to all - there are no restrictions on the number of BUSINESSES they can host.

Liquidity and Opportunity

Almost all of your active gameplay will be spending cash from your LIQUIDITY, or playing OPPORTUNITY cards from your hand, so you will need a handful to start:

• $5B of LIQUIDITY from THE EVIL CORP BANK.
• 3 OPPORTUNITY cards - the 'foundation' HAND LIMIT.

Right then, the world isn't going to save itself. Turn over and let's start the first player's turn.

About Opportunity Cards

Most OPPORTUNITY cards are of the PHASE type. These cards are split into two COMPLETELY UNRELATED parts.

EITHER:

• Play as PHASE - to progress your plan and add a BUSINESS.

OR:

• Play as NASTY BUSINESS - to gain a tactical advantage by following the instructions on the card.

In addition, AGENT cards allow you to safely commit actions outside of the law. These cards are especially useful in ENDGAME.

Finally, there are two other special cards. We could tell you about them, but then we'd have to kill you. Well, maybe not - but it's more fun for new players to discover their unique effects during the cut and thrust of the game.

Player Turn

Each player turn occurs in three stages: COLLECT > SPEND > WORLD EVENT.

Collect Revenue

Your SECRET BASE and BUSINESSES generate resources at the beginning of every turn.

Collect REVENUE for each MARKET in which you have assets:

• $1B for each BUSINESS.
• $2B for your SECRET BASE.

Each MARKET's sum may be adjusted by a WORLD EVENT (see World Event, below) which modifies the MARKET as a whole.

If you have managed to get BUSINESSES in all three cities in a MARKET, you have a MONOPOLY - ignore any WORLD EVENT in play and calculate REVENUE as DOUBLE.

Collect the total for all MARKETS and add it to your LIQUIDITY.

You must declare your calculated REVENUE before collecting the cash from the BANK. If you have 'made a mistake', your enemies may AUDIT you (see Other Rules: AUDIT, below).

Collect Free Opportunities

Your SECRET BASE also generates free OPPORTUNITY cards every turn. Before you draw any free OPPORTUNITY cards, you may discard any cards currently in your hand to make room for more free cards - then draw free cards up to your HAND LIMIT - the number of OPPORTUNITY cards you are allowed to hold at any one time.

Your HAND LIMIT increases as you lay PHASES (see Lay a PHASE, below).

For the rest of the turn, if you want any more OPPORTUNITY cards you must buy them (see Buy More Opportunity Cards, below).

IMPORTANT: You must complete all your COLLECT actions before performing any SPEND actions. If you forget and perform any SPEND action, you immediately forfeit for the current turn anything you neglected to COLLECT. This is a rookie error.

Calculating Revenue

Reference diagram ("Calculating Revenue"):

1. For each MARKET where you have assets, add up the value:
   • PER BUSINESS: +$1B.
   • SECRET BASE: +$2B.
2. No assets means no REVENUE from that MARKET.
3. Adjust for the effect of any WORLD EVENT card (only for MARKETS where you have assets).
4. If you have a 'MONOPOLY' (assets in all three cities), ignore WORLD EVENT effect and take DOUBLE the MARKET REVENUE.
5. Finally, add up the totals for each MARKET - that's your REVENUE for this turn.

Announce your revenue "SEVENTEEN BILLION DOLLARS!" and take it from the BANK. Remember - if you have 'miscalculated', your enemies may call "AUDIT!"

Spend

This is where the 'fun' happens - where most of your gameplay activity takes place. There are a number of things that you can do:

• Lay a PHASE.
• Perform a HOSTILE TAKEOVER.
• Play NASTY BUSINESS or AGENT cards.
• Buy more OPPORTUNITY cards.

You can keep doing any of these actions until you run out of cards and/or money - although that may not be entirely wise.

Lay a Phase

PHASES in play are the key to unlocking ENDGAME - and winning. You will need all three PHASES in play - in your CEO colour... eventually.

You can lay PHASES of any colour, but only in sequential order of the PHASE number - 1, 2, and 3 - so you would need PHASES 1 and 2 in play to be able to lay a PHASE 3.

To lay a PHASE:

• pay the BANK the cost stated on the card's top right corner.

This then allows you to:

• gain a new BUSINESS in the city specified on card.
• gain the SECRET BASE piece for the associated PHASE number (if you don't already have it), increasing your HAND LIMIT.
• lay the card under your edge of the board, showing your progress toward ENDGAME for all to see.

(Once on the board these elements are disconnected from each other - so if you somehow lose the PHASE or BUSINESS, the other elements stay in play.)

In addition, you can also play again any PHASE number that you already have. Follow the same process as above, but when it comes to laying your card under the edge of the board, keep the one you want most and discard the other to the WASTED OPPORTUNITIES area.

• You can only have one of each PHASE number in play at a time.

Once you have all three PHASES in your CEO colour, you have unlocked ENDGAME (see ENDGAME, below).

• If you have unlocked ENDGAME, you are immune to BANKRUPTCY (see Other Rules: BANKRUPTCY, below).

PHASES that are in your CEO colour are aligned to your technology sphere - so if an enemy has laid a PHASE in your CEO colour, you are allowed to just buy it out from under them. Pay them the cost stated on the card's top right corner and take it. Better still - if you have an AGENT card you can use it to seize the PHASE for free.

Now that you have the card in your hand, you can use it how you please - however, if you want to play it down as a PHASE for yourself, you'll need to pay the BANK just like any other PHASE (see Play down a PHASE, above).

Phases, HQ and Hand Limit

Reference diagram ("Phases, HQ and Hand Limit"): the diagram shows which SECRET BASE piece is added on the first play of each PHASE, and the HAND LIMIT that results:

• Foundation: HAND LIMIT 3.
• After PHASE 1: HAND LIMIT 4.
• After PHASES 1 and 2: HAND LIMIT 5.
• After PHASES 1, 2 and 3: HAND LIMIT 6.

REMEMBER - MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN HAND IS A GOOD THING.

Perform a Hostile Takeover

Of course, if you do perform a HOSTILE TAKEOVER, you need to make sure that your HAND LIMIT is big enough to accommodate the extra card - too many cards in your hand and your enemies may AUDIT you (see Other Rules: AUDIT, below).

Play Nasty Business or Agent Cards

Beyond progressing your plan, there are other ways to give yourself an advantage - or slow down your enemies. NASTY BUSINESS functions and the powerful AGENT cards are the way to do it. To play just follow the instructions on the card - once done, discard the card to the WASTED OPPORTUNITIES pile.

• NASTY BUSINESS: COUNTERS are used out of turn - to block your enemy's attempts at NASTY BUSINESS.
• In the first round, you may not use NASTY BUSINESS to attack players that have not yet had a turn.
• Whenever an AGENT is used and discarded, all cards in the WASTED OPPORTUNITIES discard piles - both OPPORTUNITIES and WORLD EVENTS - are shuffled back into the shoe decks.
• The AGENT'S 'Raid WASTED OPPORTUNITIES' power allows you to discard the AGENT and replace it with any other discarded OPPORTUNITY card. Useful.

Buy More Opportunity Cards

While it is a good idea to sit on a small LIQUIDITY reserve, too much spare cash can make you a threat - and a target. Use up your excess LIQUIDITY by buying more OPPORTUNITY cards - only $3B each!

Once purchased, you can play them immediately - and then buy more! But remember - if you go over your HAND LIMIT your enemies may AUDIT you (see Other Rules: AUDIT, later).

World Event

Once you have done all you can do - or want to do - finish your turn by drawing a WORLD EVENT card.

WORLD EVENTS are how the world turns when CEOs are not paying attention. Nation state governments do what they're told mostly, but there is still a risk that they'll do something stupid, screwing up the global economy. Normal people! What can you do?

Market Modifiers

Most WORLD EVENT cards represent events that affect a market's financial profitability. If drawn, roll the WORLD DIE to see which MARKET it applies to and then slide the card into the space under the centrepiece. There it stays - affecting the MARKET until replaced by another, or removed by a player action.

• WORLD EVENTS in play only apply to CEOs with assets in the MARKET when collecting REVENUE (see Collect Revenue, above).
• Remember, if you don't like where the card landed, NASTY BUSINESS: COUNTER can be used to force WORLD DIE re-rolls.

Disaster Philanthropy

Industrial accidents will happen. When they do, locally operating corporations are obliged to throw money at the clean-up problem - even if it makes them BANKRUPT.

Unlike other WORLD EVENT cards, DISASTER PHILANTHROPY events are one-shots that drain the coffers of every CEO with assets in the affected MARKET. Roll the WORLD DIE to see which MARKET it applies to, then all affected CEOS must pay the $5B clean-up costs. Once played, the DISASTER PHILANTHROPY card is immediately discarded.

Endgame

Once you have all three PHASES in your CEO colour, you have unlocked ENDGAME, and are close to winning.

Playing ENDGAME is an all or nothing affair. On your next turn - or any following turn - you must decide to either:

• play a normal turn; OR
• go for the win - the special ENDGAME turn!

Go for the Win

First, pay the ENDGAME cost of $9B to the BANK. Once this formality is out of the way, it is time to revel in your imminent victory! Flip your CEO card and read out your brilliant ENDGAME plan to save the world - no matter the cost.

Your enemies have one last chance to stop you! In player order, each may attempt to thwart your ENDGAME plan by using the AGENT'S 'Attack or Defend ENDGAME' power to attack - but you can play your own AGENT cards to defend, if you have any.

If you fail to defend all attacks, your ENDGAME attempt fails and your turn ends. Sheepishly flip your CEO card back over and prepare to try again at the next opportunity.

If you successfully defended against all AGENT attacks - or none were made - your ENDGAME attempt succeeds. Your ENDGAME plan to save the world is enacted in all its savage, freedom-shredding glory.

Consider yourself a winner, Winner!

Card text (ENDGAME card, "New Frontier New World Order"): "HOW TO WIN: PLAY ALL THREE RED PHASE CARDS. NEXT TURN, PAY 9 TO PLAY THIS ENDGAME CARD. IF YOU CAN DEFEND AGAINST ALL AGENT ATTACKS, YOU ARE THE WINNER!"

Other Rules

Audit

The wealth and power of you plucky few is so vast that the only thing keeping your enemies honest is your constant scrutiny - and vice versa. You would all cheerfully 'sic the auditors' on each other at the slightest corporate infraction.

At any point in the game where you think you have caught an enemy 'making an accounting mistake' or 'bending the rules' - and, more importantly, believe that you can prove it - you can call out 'AUDIT!'.

If you are able to prove your accusation to be true, the culprit is obliged to correct the error before paying an AUDIT spotter's fee of $2B to you. If, however, you are wrong - or cannot prove that you were right - you are guilty of libel, and must pay the aggrieved party a penalty of $2B.

Common cases for AUDIT:

• Collecting REVENUE - your enemy's declared REVENUE amount is poorly calculated.
• Collecting REVENUE - your enemy's withdrawal BANK does not match the declaration.
• HAND LIMIT - your enemy is holding more OPPORTUNITY cards than their HAND LIMIT allows.

Bankruptcy

A good business leader honours their obligations. If at any point you do not have enough LIQUIDITY on hand to pay your debts, you are BANKRUPT.

Of course, for Corporations being bankrupt is just not that big a deal. Simply take a BANKRUPT token and display it prominently. On your next turn, you may not collect REVENUE. That's it. Instead, flip the token to show that you are now REBRANDING and play the rest of your turn as usual. The REBRANDING token remains displayed prominently until the beginning of your next go, at which point it is returned to the BANK and you may collect REVENUE again.

• While displaying the BANKRUPT / REBRANDING token you are immune to all financial attacks.
• Being BANKRUPT / REBRANDING only forbids you from collecting REVENUE, but does not prevent you from gaining and keeping LIQUIDITY by other methods.
• If you have unlocked ENDGAME, you are immune to BANKRUPTCY.