In Extremis
In Extremis Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Content
- Preamble
- Preparing for the Experiment
- Using the Application
- The Experiment Begins
- End of Round and Debriefing
- Preparing for the Next Round
- Go to Other Experiments
- Special Rules
- Protocols Specific to the 16 Experiments
- Experiment 1: "of the day" experiment
- Experiment 2: "The big rush" experiment
- Experiment 3: "At home" experiment
- Experiment 4: "This is the procedure" experiment
- Experiment 5: "Ultimate atom" experience
- Experiment 6: "Who's the boss?" experiment
- Experiment 7: "To the glory of the great totem" experiment
- Experiment 8: "Neither God nor Master" experiment
- Experiment 9: "North-South" experience
- Experiment 10: "Fossil and hammer" experiment
- Experiment 11: "No fossil" experiment
- Experiment 12: "Normal man" experiment
- Experiment 13: "No limit" experiment
- Experiment 14: "The end of croissants" experiment
- Experiment 15: "Sociocracy" experiment
- Experiment 16: "Oasis" experiment
- Reminder of Codes Used in the Application
Game Content
Package 1: 55 cards
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A - 12 Total Pollution cards. These represent Pollution on both sides.
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B - 6 Experimenter cards, 1 per player. Each shows a player avatar.
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C - 32 basic cards. These are the cards needed to play the 1st Experiment. They represent:
- Machine projects:
- the Ventibrasse, which uses wind power (values 1 to 3);
- the Aquatouille, which uses the power of water (values 1 to 3);
- the Tournicosol, which uses the sun's energy (values 1 to 3);
- Kracanbuche, which uses wood energy (values 1 to 3);
- Carbotron, which uses fossil fuels (values 1 to 4).
- Pollution.
All Machines and Pollution are distributed on the front AND back of the cards. But be careful, the front and back of a card are different: you'll need to look at all sides!
- Machine projects:
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D - 1 Game Turn Reminder card, plus 4 insert cards.
Pack 2: 55 cards
- E - 47 Specific Experiences cards (plus 8 divider cards). These cards are used for Experiments 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 and 15. They are described on their rules pages.
Other components
- F - 1 discard tray: the Paper Shredder.
- G - 1 transition tray: the Pollution Machine.
- H - 1 energy totem.
- The "In extremis" application, available on Google Play and the App Store. You don't need an internet connection to play! To play, you'll need a tablet or smartphone with the app installed, and all your energy!
Preamble
In extremis is a cooperative game: you'll win or lose together. Either way, you're going to win a special human moment!
It's also an evolving game. Depending on the Experiments you play, you'll need to adapt the rules (pages 16 to 47) and the cards to be used (cards from pack 2). Be prepared: this is a game where you're going to have to learn, unlearn and relearn a lot!
It's easy! There's a "Novice" mode for beginners. It gives you more time for each Experience. Find out more on page 9.
Your goal
Each Experience consists of 3 rounds. To win a round, you need to use the resources available to provide the energy needed by the territory's population. To win a game, you need to win all 3 rounds of the Experiment.
If you win all 16 Experiments, something will happen.
On the other hand, you lose immediately at the end of a round if:
- you don't meet all the population's energy needs using available resources;
- you pollute more than is sustainable.
Thank you for volunteering. You may be surprised, excited or bewildered… and that's exactly what we want! On the other hand, this is a game, and everything is extremely symbolic. The intention is first and foremost to provide you with a playful experience that gives you a particular feeling, and not to inculcate an ideology!
WARNING: Please read these rules through to page 17 before your first game, so that you have all the information in your head!
Preparing for the Experiment
Place the A.I. (smartphone or tablet) in the middle of the table. Make sure everyone has easy access to it, as everything will be happening around it! This system will be called "A.I." in the rest of the rules.
Shuffle the 32 basic cards, deal 3 to each player (this will be your hand) and place the rest in a deck near the A.I.
Place the Paper Shredder board next to it: this will be your discard pile.
Place the 12 Total Pollution cards in a pile below the A.I.
Hand out 1 Experimenter card to each player, and leave the ones you don't need in the box (depending on the number of players).
Leave the remaining deck of cards in the box, to be used for specific Experiments! Leave the totem in the box too, but not for long…
Fig. 1: Example of preparation for 4 Experimenters (a player-area layout diagram; the cards and the Free space markers are shown in the figure).
Using the Application
A reminder! You're going to use both the front AND the back of the game cards. There's no question of face-up or face-down, front or back: it's all up to you! So you'll often be turning the cards in your hand.
A. Open the application. You can always wander through the options later, in particular to manage sound volumes (ambience and music).
B. To play, select the play button. To create a 1st group of players, select "Create a team". To modify a group, choose "Modify team".
C. Select the Experimenters corresponding to each player's card. You can even fill in the first name of each player by clicking on the edit icon. This is optional, but it will simplify the game action for you! This is also where you can choose whether to play in "Normal" or "Novice" mode, so you have more time for each Experience. When you win an Experience with this mode, remember to play in Normal mode! Choose the play button.
D. You're now in front of the Experience diagram. In your 1st game, you only have access to the 1st Experience, aptly named Experience of the Day. In fact, we've called it that because we thought it would be healthy for your first Experience to correspond to the current state of our world, like a tutorial. Once you've selected an Experience, press the play button to start the game.
E. Choose "Protocol" to read the specific rule for the selected Experience, or "Go!" to play. Rules common to several Experiments can be consulted by selecting the Protocol pictogram (see pictograms on page 15).
Specific rules for each Experiment can be found on the app ("Protocol") and in this booklet on pages 16 to 47.
The Experiment Begins
You're timed: your timing is represented by a colored bar that descends and gradually invades the game screen. THE A.I. presents you with tabs. Each tab shows:
- the resources to be used (color/pictogram);
- and the amount of energy required by the population.
Special case: during certain Experiments, 2 players are called simultaneously by the A.I. They play in any order they wish, and each player must press his or her name for the turn to pass to other players.
Fig. 2: Example of an experiment in progress. The figure labels the deck, the cards played by players, the discard pile "Paper shredder", a card discarded by a player, the called player, the stopwatch (elapsed time and time remaining), the tabs, and the total pollution cards.
For some Experiments, a tab may not show all the information at the start of the round (resource type or value)!
A player's turn
Only the player called by the A.I. plays. On his turn, he can either:
- play a card (2 possibilities):
- either opposite a tab;
- or in the paper shredder.
- OR skip his turn: he does absolutely nothing!
The cards are always placed one on top of the other, as in the following example. In all cases, he ends his turn by pressing his name to hand over to a new player called by the A.I., and so on.
With 2 players, it's very common for the same player to be called several times in a row by the A.I.!
Rules for laying down cards
- Cards are always laid one on top of the other, so that the value of each card can be seen, opposite a tab.
- From the 2nd round of the 1st Experiment, there will be 2 resources and 2 values per tab: Machines of 2 different colors are still laid on top of each other, regardless of their order.
- The Carbotron allows you to use fossil resources, but is also a joker that can replace any other Machine.
- A Pollution cannot be played opposite a Tab, but can be discarded in the Paper Mill.
You can draw one or more cards at any time, even if it's not your turn to play. But be sure to have a maximum of 3 cards in hand at all times (no minimum).
Fossils are magical, easy to transport and can make up for anything!
When a location's resource is optimally used to supply energy to the population (the sum of the card values is equal to or greater than the tab's value), any player can press the tab to validate it. In case of doubt, it's always possible to make the tab reappear by pressing on the part that sticks out a little.
Unless otherwise specified in certain experiments, you can talk as much as you like, saying and asking others what you think is useful, essential or stupid! In short: communicate!
End of Round and Debriefing
The round ends in 2 ways:
- Time's up: you've lost! (if you put down the last card at the last second and haven't had time to validate the tab, you can debrief). OR
- All the tabs have been validated by the players: the debriefing screen appears. Place the Pollution Machine board nearby and consider the following points, in this order:
- If the sum of the values of the Machines of one color (and possibly Carbotron) below each tab is less than the tab's value: the game is lost!
- Does the sum of your Machine values exceed the tab value? You've overproduced and wasted! Place the last card opposite the tab in the Pollution Machine.
- Every Carbotron in front of the tabs is placed in the Pollution Machine. Fossils don't renew themselves…
- A Machine (other than a Carbotron) that doesn't match the resource it's opposite is placed in the Pollution Machine.
- Add to your deck as many Total Pollution cards as you have placed in the Pollution Machine (these cards will no longer be part of your deck for future rounds of this Experiment, and are replaced by Total Pollution cards). Finally, discard the Pollution Machine cards into the box.
Warning: at the end of a round, if you have placed more cards in the Pollution Machine than there are Total Pollution cards available, you immediately lose the game. Your operation is not viable… But as this is a game, you have as many chances as you like!
If you've won a round, but feel you've lost the next one because you really don't have enough Total Pollution left, then you can choose to replay that round.
If you have lost a round, you can choose to:
- restart the Experience from the beginning, on the first round: you'll need to sort all the cards to reset your deck;
- start again from the lost round: just shuffle the cards from the completed round.
Fig. 3: End-of-run debriefing example. In this example, (1) the sum of each Machine's values is equal to or greater than the value indicated on the tab, so the game is not lost. (2) The sum of the Aquatouilles' values (8) is greater than the tab value (7); the last Machine played (2 Aquatouille) is therefore placed in the Pollution Machine. (3) The 2 Carbotron cards visible here (opposite the "1 Fossil" and "9 Wind" tabs) are placed in the Pollution Machine. (4) All Machines (except Carbotron) correspond to the resource on each tab. (5) The 3 cards placed in the Pollution Machine are replaced by 3 Total Pollution cards added to the deck for the next round.
Fig. 4: Example of end-of-run debriefing. From the 2nd round of the 1st Experiment, there are 2 pairs of resources and values offered in each tab. You play in the same way, overlapping the cards. A Carbotron can be used for 2 different Resources in the same tab. Here, the sum of the values of each Machine is equal to or greater than the value indicated on the tab: the game is therefore not lost. The Carbotron "3" compensates for 2 Solar Resources and 1 Wood Resource, giving a total of 4 Solar and 3 Wood. The Carbotron 3 card shown here is placed in the Pollution Machine.
Preparing for the Next Round
Shuffle all the cards in your hands, in the Paper Shredder, opposite the tabs, plus the added Total Pollution cards, to form a new deck. Deal 3 cards to each player and play the next round.
The optimized test for round 3!
For each Experiment, the 3rd round has a specific rule to take into account. In edutainment jargon, this is known as a "twist". Details are systematically explained on the Experiment page, as well as on the A.I.
Go to Other Experiments
As soon as you start playing an Experiment, the next one(s) are automatically unlocked. The evolution of the experimental systems on offer is not linear, but follows a precise logic. However, to finish the game completely, you'll need to have won all 3 rounds of the 16 Experiments in Normal mode.
Once you've played the 1st round of the 1st Experience, you'll have access to the 2nd Experience. Once you've played the 1st round of the 3rd Experience, you'll have access to Experiences 4 and 5, and so on…
Fig. 5: Diagram of Experiments. The color of each Experience means that:
- white: you haven't played it yet;
- red: you haven't won it yet;
- blue: you've earned it in Novice mode;
- green: you've won it in Normal mode.
Special Rules
During the various Experiments, you'll come across the following pictograms. Here's what they mean:
Who's playing when?
- THE A.I. calls the Experimenter who must play.
- THE A.I. calls the 2 Experimenters who are to play.
- THE A.I. calls 1 or 2 Experimenters who are to play.
- The Experimenters play simultaneously; the A.I. calls no one.
- The boss calls the players (e.g. "Who's the boss?" page 26).
Tab-specific rules
- The nature or value of the tab will be revealed after a while.
- You can't play Carbotron.
- This resource is rare: a single card can be used to validate the tab, considering its front AND back.
- Remember that the information in this tab will disappear… Some resources are not available all the time, but depend on sunshine, wind, etc.
Global rules
- This central Oops button will be a malus counter.
- This central button is used to save time.
- Public opinion convinced / unconvinced.
- Not allowed / allowed to play Nuclearium.
- Not allowed / allowed to play Alézou.
- Information is not shown on the tabs, but on the cards.
- If you finish the round in the last 25 seconds, then add (for the next round) a Total Pollution card for each Pollution card in your hand. Remember to clear the pollution from your hands before validating the last tab!
Protocols Specific to the 16 Experiments
For each of the 16 Experiments, the rules you have just read (p. 4 to 15) form a common base, to be adapted and/or completed with the specific rules detailed on the following pages.
Each Experiment consists of 3 successive rounds, the last of which proposes an optimized protocol, with a rule adjustment to be taken into account.
Between 2 Experiments, remember to reset your deck of cards and start the Experiment with the requested cards.
It's possible (indeed, it's a certainty) that playing certain Experiments will require you to add a card to your deck permanently. From that moment on, you'll have to play with it, whatever the Experience and whatever the group of players, even if this card isn't mentioned in the set-up. So if you're told to "shuffle all 33 cards…", understand "shuffle all 34 cards"! You may even find that some Experiences can only be won after you've added one of these cards to your deck…
Experiment 1: "of the day" experiment
"Bla-bla-bla…" (Greta Thunberg, UN, Milan, 2021). To get you into the swing of things, here's a first experiment that could also be called "Earth 2024". For a better understanding of this experiment, turn to page 16 of the book "Avant d'éteindre la lumière".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 base game cards
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 32 cards and deal 3 cards to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
Follow the basic protocol.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: one Experimenter, who must play; the totem.) You're going to use the totem pole, which will be your right to pollute! The last player to have been to a gas station places it in front of him/her at the start of the round.
- To play a Carbotron in front of a tab, you must have the totem in front of you (and of course be called by the A.I.).
- The totem cannot be taken from another player, but must be given to the player to his left, regardless of turn order: at any time, whether or not it's his turn to play, a player can give the totem to the player to his left.
- If a player plays a Carbotron without the totem, press the Oops button.
At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards as the value of the Oops button.
Experiment 2: "The big rush" experiment
"Nothing will be less industrial than the civilization born of the industrial revolution." (Jean Fourastié, The Great Hope of the Twentieth Century, 1949)
Back to the time of your recent ancestors, who discovered the black magic in the soil… some time to come… To better understand this Experience, turn to page 18 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 base game cards
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 32 cards and deal 3 cards to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
You cannot draw cards from the deck whenever you wish, but you must draw 2 cards:
- when you've played a Carbotron opposite a tab;
- when you have no cards left in your hand.
If you play a Carbotron as the last card in your hand, you draw 2 cards (not 4).
It is possible to have more than 3 cards in your hand.
If you have to draw cards and there aren't enough left in the deck: the round is lost!
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: one Experimenter, who must play; the yellow totem-hat button.) You'll use the totem pole to represent rail development. The last player to have taken the train places it in front of him at the start of the round: he'll be the train driver!
- The totem cannot be taken from another player, but must be given to the player to his left, regardless of turn order: at any time, whether or not it's his turn to play, a player can give the totem to the player to his left.
- Each time the train driver collects the totem, he presses the button. Each press saves you time in completing the round!
- A train needs to be maintained, refilled with coal or water… These times are symbolized by the gray button, which you don't need to press: just wait until it's yellow again!
Experiment 3: "At home" experiment
"Nothing is indifferent, nothing is powerless in the universe; an atom can dissolve everything, an atom can save everything." (Gérard de Nerval, Aurelia or Dream and Life, 1855)
A little focus on a particular territory, which may have opted for a particular energy strategy… Perhaps this experiment will remind you of a particular country? For a better understanding of this Experience, please turn to page 20 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Nuclearium cards).
- 32 basic game cards + 7 Nuclearium cards
- totem (round 3 only)
Add 3 Nuclearium cards (at random) to the 32 cards in the basic deck, shuffle, and deal 3 cards to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck. The remaining 4 Nuclearium cards are placed in a pile (Nuclearium sides visible) representing the power plant projects, next to the Total Pollution cards.
Method
(Pictograms for round 2: Experimenter; the "?" tab, whose nature or value is revealed after a while; the cloud, whose information disappears.)
Your aim is to develop the nuclear power plant park by having all 7 Nuclearium cards in your deck by the end of the 3 rounds.
- When 2 Nuclearium cards are placed opposite a tab, you automatically validate it. Thus, 2 Nuclearium alone (without any other Machine) validate any tab, whatever the resources and values. And if other Machines are placed in addition to the 2 Nuclearium, they will be useless and you'll get them back in your game at the end of the round (they won't be placed in the Pollution Machine).
- You can discard a Nuclearium card just like any other card.
- A single Nuclearium card placed opposite a tab has no effect and is returned to the deck.
- At the end-of-run debriefing, for each pair of Nuclearium cards placed in front of a tab, add a new Nuclearium card to your deck (from the plant project pile).
- If, at the end of a round, a player has 1 or more Nuclearium cards in his hand… Boom: the game is lost. Remember to clean your hands before ending the round…
Callout: Complex Nuclear Technology… For this to work, you need 2 cards!
Nuclearium consequence
As soon as you've played a game of the At Home Experience (won or lost), you add the Nuclear Waste card to your basic deck. It will remain in your base deck ad vitam, regardless of the group of players. In your next games, the Nuclear Waste card cannot be played and must be kept in the hand of the player who has it: this waste will clutter his hand and reduce his possibilities.
Let's just say that nuclear power also pollutes, but in a different way!…
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab revealed after a while; cloud, information disappears; red button, public opinion.) You'll use the totem, which represents the level of public confidence. The last player to see a nuclear power plant places it in front of him at the start of the round: he will be the guarantor of public opinion.
- The totem cannot be taken from another player, but must be given to the player to his left, regardless of turn order: at any time, whether or not it's his turn to play, a player can give the totem to the player to his left.
- Each time the guarantor of public opinion collects the totem, he presses the red button to increase the acceptability of the opinion, before giving it back to the player to his left.
- When the button turns green, the opinion is convinced, then only players are allowed to play Nuclearium. Keep a close eye on the opinion button: if it turns red again, you'll have to turn the totem again, to make it green again!
Experiment 4: "This is the procedure" experiment
"Form is freedom's twin sister." (Rudolf von Jhering, The Spirit of Roman Law in the Various Phases of Its Development, 1877)
I propose an experience based on good, solid and structured administration. As solid and structured as you can make it… For a better understanding of this Experience, turn to page 22 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Administrative card and Nuclearium cards).
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card + 7 Nuclearium cards + Administrative card.
- totem (round 3 only)
Place the Administrative card next to the A.I. (see example below). Shuffle the 40 cards and deal 3 cards to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab revealed after a while.)
Machines can only be played in front of one of the 3 Administrative card slots. Players no longer play their cards in front of the tabs, but in front of slot 1, then 2, then 3.
- Cards cannot be placed directly in the paper shredder.
- As soon as 3 cards have been placed in front of the Administrative card, the player called by the A.I. picks them up and places them either in front of the tabs or in the paper shredder. This will be his game action: he will not be able to play any card from his hand this turn. He may not turn over the 3 cards, and must therefore play them in the direction in which they were placed by the players.
- The specific rules for Nuclearium cards (Experiment 3 "At home") must be applied during this Experiment.
Fig. 6: Example set up in place. The figure shows the Administrative card with the A.I. beside it.
Round 2: new pollution management
(Pictogram: the pollution stack.) From now on, if the time bar reaches the dotted line and the A.I. is completely polluted, you need to manage the pollution in your hand. So, at the end of the round, each pollution card in your hand (even those with only one Pollution face) adds a total Pollution card to your deck for the next round! So before you validate the last tab, remember to "clean up" your hand by placing any Pollution cards in the Paper Shredder!
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab revealed after a while; pollution stack; orange Oops button.) You'll be using the totem pole as your institutional stamp! The last player to complete an administrative procedure places it in front of him/her at the start of the round.
- To distribute the 3 Machines in front of the tabs and/or the Paper Shredder, the player must be called by the A.I. AND have the totem.
- The totem cannot be taken from another player, but must be given to the player to his left, regardless of turn order: at any time, whether or not it's his turn to play, a player can give the totem to the player to his left.
- If a player distributes the 3 cards without having the totem, press the Oops button once.
At the end of the round, add a number of Total Pollution cards to your deck corresponding to the value of the Oops button.
Experiment 5: "Ultimate atom" experience
"Nuclear power is an energy of the future that belongs to the past." (Amory Lovins, Conference on the future of non-nuclear energy, 1977)
You've experienced the advent of fossil fuels and the power of nuclear energy. What if, in the end, the energy transition had to be accompanied by denuclearization? To find out more about this Experience, turn to page 24 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Nuclearium cards and Compensation Reminder card).
- 32 cards from the basic deck + Nuclear Waste card + these 4 Nuclearium cards + Compensation Reminder card.
Shuffle the 4 Nuclearium cards (Nuclearium sides visible) and place one on the table. You don't know its reverse side. On this card, add the Compensation Reminder card, which summarizes the 4 possible versos: Aquatouille 2 (blue), Ventibrasse 2 (pink), Tournicosol 2 (yellow) and Kracanbuche 2 (green).
Add the remaining 3 Nuclearium cards (without looking at the versos) to the 33 cards in the base deck (32 cards + Nuclear Waste card) and shuffle. Deal 3 cards to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: two Experimenters, who play; "?" tab revealed after a while; round 2 pictogram.)
Your goal: denuclearize! To achieve this, you'll need to dismantle 1 Nuclearium in each of the first 2 rounds, and 2 Nuclearium in round 3.
A Nuclearium to be dismantled is a Nuclearium card placed upside down on the table: consider this card as an additional tab. During the round, you can place Machines on this card in the same way as on the tabs (the back of the Nuclearium card). You'll need to use the resource available nearby, according to the 3 other Nuclearium cards that will circulate during the game. So, as soon as a Nuclearium is drawn, let your buddies know what's on the back!
Callout: To dismantle, you have to offer compensation, and you'd better make sure it's relevant!
At the end of the round, turn over the Nuclearium card on the table. If you haven't played the Machines needed to use this resource as a classic tab, the game is lost… If you succeeded, well done! Throw this Nuclearium card into the box: one less for the next round, it'll be easier!
- It's forbidden to play Nuclearium cards opposite a tab.
- It is forbidden to play a Carbotron to compensate for the Nuclearium to be dismantled. All other tricks are allowed.
- Remember to place any Nuclearium cards in your hand in the Paper Shredder before ending the round, otherwise the game is lost (as in the At home Experience, p. 20).
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; "?" tab revealed after a while; top-hat button.) Congratulations, you only have 2 more Nuclearium cards [sic: printed "Nuclearariums"] to dismantle! But you still have 2 Nuclearium cards to dismantle… Place the 2 remaining Nuclearium cards on the table. You're bound to know what resources they have on the reverse.
What's more, you're going to be mobilized at certain times in specific areas where anti-nuclearization opinion has prevailed. When all the tabs are blocked except one, you'll only be able to play on that one: that's the area where you'll have to compensate first. You can then play a Machine opposite this tab or in the Paper Shredder, but you can't skip your turn. This is a moment of great activism!
This is the only round of the only Experience for which it's impossible to check a tab you've validated!
Experiment 6: "Who's the boss?" experiment
"A leader is made to lead!" (Jacques Chirac, on a plane to Colmar, 1990)
The experiments you've gained so far have required you to be strong collectively. I'm going to let you try one in which a hierarchy could push you around… For a better understanding of this Experience, turn to page 26 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Who's the Boss? cards).
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card + 6 Who's the Boss? cards.
The tallest player (it's perfectly unfair) takes the A.I. stand in his hands, and the others just have to roll up their sleeves (sartorial humor). Shuffle the 33 cards (32 from the basic deck + Nuclear Waste card) and deal 3 cards to each player, except for the Chief, who gets none. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Place the 6 Who's the Boss? cards in place of the A.I., as follows: each card (A, B, C, D, E and F) has the same function as an A.I. tab.
Method
(Pictograms: the boss-and-players icon; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack; orange Oops button.)
Only the boss sees the A.I., which he holds in his hands! It is he who always communicates the necessary information orally to the other players. The other players are not called, but play simultaneously. Naturally (well,…), players can also communicate verbally with the Chief!
At the end of the round, the Chief places the A.I. on top of the 6 Who's the Boss? cards, and it's time for the debriefing.
Round 2
(Pictograms: boss-and-players icon; "?" tab; grey stack; orange Oops button; Nuclear Waste card with red X.)
Agree on another leader. This time, players can't talk to the boss! Each time someone talks to the boss, they must press the Oops button once. At the end of the round, add a number of Total Pollution cards to your deck corresponding to the value of the Oops button.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: boss-and-players icon; "?" tab; grey stack; Nuclear Waste card with red X.) The rule is identical to Round 1: everyone can talk to each other again. But the boss has got a big head and has locked himself in his office, so his back is to the other players!
Experiment 7: "To the glory of the great totem" experiment
"We mustn't swallow more beliefs than we can digest." (Henry Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923)
In this new experiment, I'm going to instill a little of what you call faith, which is decidedly foreign to my algorithms. For a better understanding of this Experiment, go to page 28 of the book "Before turning off the light".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Great Totem Pole glory cards).
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card.
- In Praise of the Great Totem Pole cards, to place near the A.I.:
- Glory of the Great Totem Pole 1 card, for round 1;
- Glory of the Great Totem 2 card, for round 2;
- Grand totem 3 glory card, for round 3.
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: Experimenter; cloud, information disappears; grey stack; red-X Carbotron.)
To make sure the God of Energies has you right, build a wooden statue of him. To do this, place green cards (Kracanbuche) on the Totem Glory card in the order shown (as if there were an extra tab):
- Round 1 (card 1): in order, 3 green cards of values 1, then 2, then 3 respectively.
- Round 2 (card 2): in order, 5 green cards of values 1, then 2, then 3, then 1, then 2.
- Round 3 (card 3): in order, 7 green cards of values respectively 1, then 2, then 3, then 1, then 2, then 3, then 1.
It's forbidden to play the Carbotron in front of a tab during this Experiment: it's a time-space where fossil resources can't be used. It can, however, be placed in the Paper Shredder.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: Experimenter; cloud; grey stack; red-X Carbotron.) You're going to use the totem, which will be the Great Architect, a collection of your prayers! Place it near the A.I.
When a player is about to place a green card (Kracanbuche), he must announce its value, and you must all invoke the Great Architect by placing 1, 2 or 3 fingers on the totem, depending on the value of the card announced. Once this ceremony has been performed correctly, the green card can be played, and the game can resume… until the next one!
Experiment 8: "Neither God nor Master" experiment
"They made themselves God and we made ourselves put." (Renaud Séchan, Le Tango des élus, 1991)
After what you've been through, I propose a new experiment in direct democracy, with no real vertical power, unless… For a better understanding of this Experience, please turn to page 30 of the book "Before turning off the light".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card.
- totem pole (rounds 2 and 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack.)
During the 3 rounds of this Experiment, you place your cards ON THE WRONG SIDE facing the tabs. Once you've placed a card, you can't look at its reverse side for the rest of the round.
At the end of the round, turn over all the cards that have been played: it's what was hidden that counts.
Round 2
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab; orange Oops button; grey stack.)
Agree on the player who took the most power during the first round: he or she will receive the anti-authority totem, which he or she will keep for the whole round. This player, a little seduced by power, won't be able to say a single word for the whole round! Every time he breaks this rule and talks anyway, press the Oops button: warning, dominant in sight!
At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards to your deck as indicated by the value of the Oops button.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: "?" tab; orange Oops button; grey stack; the A.I. pictogram.) During this round, the totem will represent the balance of action and speech between experimenters.
- To play a card and/or speak, you no longer need to be called by the A.I., but to have the totem in front of you.
- Everyone is free to ask (with signs, since you can't speak) or take the totem.
- Whenever a player without the totem is caught chatting or putting down a card, press the Oops button: warning, rebel!
At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards to your deck as indicated by the value of the button.
Experiment 9: "North-South" experience
"Stop this north-south bullshit! Once and for all, north, depending on how you're facing, changes everything!" (Alexandre Astier, Kaamelott book 1, 2005)
The "Who's the boss?" may have given you an idea of what to expect here. Here's a new experience where not everyone is on the same level… For a better understanding of this Experience, turn to page 32 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card.
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Split the players into 2 groups as evenly as possible: the southernmost player(s) will play the southern part, and the northernmost player(s) will play… the northern part! To help you: https://onlinecompass.net/fr/online-compass
For those to the west, there's nothing we can do.
Method
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack; rare-resource pictogram; cloud, for round 2.)
Southerners can only play Machines of value 1. Northerners cannot play value-1 machines.
It is possible to draw the first card of the Paper Shredder instead of drawing a card from the deck.
Rare resources: when the pictogram appears, you can only play one card opposite this tab, considering both the front AND back of the card.
Callout: Exchanges can be rough between South and North, so we may sometimes want to finally take advantage of previously rejected ideas…
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab; grey stack; cloud; rare-resource pictogram.) The goodwill of the North is symbolized on the A.I. by a bar. No player may place cards opposite the tabs on which the bar is located. On his turn, instead of laying down a card, a Northerner (and only a Northerner) can press down on the bar to make it change side.
Experiment 10: "Fossil and hammer" experiment
"Trust does not exclude control." (Lenin)
From now on, I suggest that you seek the greatest possible coherence and cohesion between yourselves… To better understand this Experience, turn to page 34 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and distribute 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: simultaneous play, the A.I. calls no one; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack; cloud, for round 2.)
Players are not called by the A.I. All players place the card they wish to play face down in front of them. Once everyone is ready, each player plays their card by turning it and placing it opposite the tab of their choice or in the Paper Shredder.
Please note that Machines cannot be shuffled and must be grouped together, as in the example below. A Carbotron can only compensate for 2 resources if it is placed exactly between the 2 groups of Machines.
At the end of the round, if a Machine of one color is not grouped with the other Machines of its color, add a Total Pollution card to your deck.
It's forbidden to skip a turn during this Experiment.
Players then press the hourglass to gain a little time.
Fig. 7: End-of-run debriefing example. The figure shows a Carbotron 4, well positioned between the 2 groups of Machines, which compensates for 1 point of Kracanbuche and 3 points of Tournicosol. Machines are grouped according to type opposite each tab, except for this territory! For the next round, you'll need to add a Total Pollution card to your deck.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: the totem; simultaneous play; "?" tab; orange Oops button; grey stack; cloud.) You'll use the totem pole to represent the turnover. The last player to use a hammer places it in front of him/her (the totem, not the hammer).
When all players have placed their cards in front of them, the totemized player places his card in front of a tab or in the discard pile first, followed by the player to his left, and so on. When all players have played their cards, the totemized player passes the totem to the player to his left for the next turn, and so on…
Important note: we work in silence… Whenever a player speaks, even just a little, press the Oops button. At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards to your deck as indicated on the button.
Experiment 11: "No fossil" experiment
"Oil makes you travel far, but narrows your horizon." (Gauz, Debout-payé, 2014)
You've already achieved an energy transition by doing away with nuclear power. Now you're going to try to do away with fossil fuels! To better understand this Experience, go to page 36 of the book "Avant d'éteindre la lumière".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: two Experimenters called; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack; cloud; no-Carbotron.)
Your goal: decarbonize! How? Having discarded all the cards in the deck with at least one Carbotron face at the end of the third round.
The called player can play a Machine opposite a tab or in the Paper Mill, or can play a Carbotron next to the A.I.: this will be a decarbonation in progress. On this Carbotron, which is to be considered as an additional tab to be validated, you can play any Machine but no Carbotron. If several Machines are needed to reach exactly the value of this Carbotron, they can be of different types. As soon as the Carbotron's value is exactly reached, you can play a new Carbotron on top of it, which will in turn be decarbonized, and so on.
If the Carbotron's value has been exceeded, then the last Machine played goes into the box (with the decarbonized Carbotron), and Total Pollution is immediately added to the game.
At the end of the round, if the decarbonized Carbotron is not fully compensated, the game is lost.
If the value of a Carbotron has been exceeded, the last Machine placed goes into the box, and Total Pollution is added to the game (standard rule).
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: two Experimenters called; "?" tab; grey stack; cloud; no-Carbotron.) You'll use the totem pole, which represents your preferred mode of transport. The last player to ride his bike takes it in front of him.
- The totem cannot be taken from another player, but must be given to the player to his left, regardless of turn order: at any time, whether or not it's his turn to play, a player can give the totem to the player to his left.
- On his or her turn, when the A.I. calls him/her, a player can only play a card if he/she has the totem in front of him/her.
Experiment 12: "Normal man" experiment
"In France, we don't have oil, but we have ideas! So I swapped my '2 chevaux' for a two ox!" (Raymond Devos, Ma deux bœufs, 1979)
An experiment that puts the spotlight on the first energy generator: muscle! To find out more about this Experiment, go to page 38 of the book "Avant d'éteindre la lumière".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Alézou cards).
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card + 9 Alézou cards (different fronts and backs)
- totem (round 3 only)
Add 2 Alézou cards (at random) to the 33 game cards. Place near the A.I. a pile of the remaining 7 cards: this is the promise pile. Shuffle the 35 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; "?" tab revealed after a while; orange Oops button; grey stack; cloud and no-Carbotron, for round 2.)
Your goal: to rehumanize energy production by adding all the Alézou cards to your deck before the end of the third round.
- The Alézou is a joker that replaces any Machine of value 1 (a bit like the Carbotron, but less dirty and less powerful).
- Human machinery requires recovery time, so the Alézou can only be played when the Alézou pictogram appears. If an Alézou is played outside an authorized period, press the Oops! button!
At the end of the round, for each tab whose values are perfectly reached by the cards (without overrun) and an Alézou was the last card played, a new Alézou is added from the promise pile to the cards in play. In addition, add as many Total Pollution cards as indicated on the Oops button.
Fig. 8: Example of an end-of-round debriefing. The example shows a round in which it was forbidden to play Carbotrons. What's more, the value of the tabs is exactly reached by the Machines, with an Alézou as the last card played: so a new Alézou is added to the game for the next rounds!
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; "?" tab; orange Oops button; grey stack; cloud; no-Carbotron.) You'll now use the totem, which represents your vital energy. The last player to cycle takes it in front of him/her.
- The totem cannot be taken from another player, but must be given to the player to his left, regardless of turn order: at any time, whether or not it's his turn to play, a player can give the totem to the player to his left.
- You can only draw when you have the totem in front of you.
- You can't have more than 3 cards in your hand.
Long-term effect of rehumanism
This rehumanist experience won't leave you indifferent in the long run! After winning all 3 rounds of this Experiment, add the Humans card to your deck (Humans on front AND back). From now on, it will remain ad vitam in your basic deck, regardless of the group of players and the Experiment played (even if this is not indicated in the setup). You can play it as a joker, replacing any Machine of value 1!
Experiment 13: "No limit" experiment
"How do you respond to permanent insatiability with limited resources?" (Pierre Rabhi, Reporterre, 2013)
Would it be easier to experiment if you put limited power in your hands? For a better understanding of this Experiment, turn to page 40 of the book "Avant d'éteindre la lumière".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack; cloud.)
Each card placed in front of a tab, whatever its value, is considered to have a value of 3.
At the end of the round, any tabs whose value is not a multiple of 3 will have a lost card in front of them, which will go into the Pollution Machine (and therefore a Total Pollution card added to the game).
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; "?" tab; grey stack; cloud.) Designate a billionaire from among the players, and give him the totem pole, symbolizing the stranglehold of finance and the media on societal decisions. He'll keep the totem in front of him, because he likes to keep things in front of him, so he's easily recognizable.
As soon as the billionaire appears on the A.I., players must give him 2 cards in all, and press the A.I. to resume play. With 2 players, it's the non-billionaire who gives 2 of his cards to the billionaire (if he has less than 2 cards in his hand, he must draw to be able to give 2). With 3 or more players, you distribute the 2 given cards among the players as you wish.
Players must hold a maximum of 3 cards; only the billionaire may hold more. However, he can only draw if he has less than 3 cards in his hand.
As usual, everyone, on their turn to play, can pass their turn by simply pressing their name on the A.I.
Experiment 14: "The end of croissants" experiment
"Utopia today does not consist in advocating well-being through degrowth and the subversion of the current way of life; utopia consists in believing that the growth of social production can still bring about well-being, and that it is materially possible." (André Gorz, Ecology and Freedom, 1977)
Can a finite planet allow for infinite growth based on its resources? Here, I propose a symbolic move towards "less"… To better understand this Experience, go to page 42 of the book "Before turning off the light".
Equipment and set-up
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; "?" tab revealed after a while; grey stack; cloud; no-Carbotron, for round 2.)
Opposite each tab, you can only play a card of equal or lesser value than the card you played previously.
At the end of the round, each card of higher value than the one previously played is discarded into the Pollution Machine. For each of these discarded cards, a Total Pollution card is added to your deck.
In addition, collectively choose a tab: you place all the cards that have been placed opposite this tab in the Pollution Machine.
Callout: It's easier to go downhill when you haven't overdone it yet!
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; "?" tab; orange Oops button; grey stack; no-Carbotron.) You'll use the totem pole to represent your irrepressible urge to consume.
Designate one of the players as a big consumer: he takes the totem in front of him.
- When it's your turn to play, if you have the totem, you're obliged to play the highest-value Machine in your hand (considering the front AND back of your cards) opposite a tab, and it's not possible to discard it… This probably doesn't suit you too well! After playing and BEFORE pressing your name on the A.I., you give the totem to the player of your choice.
- Whenever a totem player plays anything other than his highest-value Machine, or discards a card, press the Oops! button!
At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards to your deck as indicated by the value of the button.
Experiment 15: "Sociocracy" experiment
"All people are different. At the same time, all players are equal." (Gerard Endenburg)
How's this for an experiment in which all information must pass through everyone, yet everyone must perform their own task? To find out more about this Experiment, turn to page 44 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Sociocracy cards).
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card + 18 Sociocracy cards
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 33 cards and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Shuffle together the 6 Sociocracy cards from Round 1 and place them in a face-down pile near the A.I. You'll need to do the same with the 6 Sociocracy cards for rounds 2 and 3.
Method
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; a "?" card; grey stack.)
The info is not on the tabs, but on the cards with which each tab is associated! And it's the players who have the cards in their hands: at the start of each round, each player draws as many Sociocracy cards as the tabs with which his avatar is associated on the A.I.
Each player's Sociocracy cards cannot be shown to the other players. Players will have to communicate with each other to indicate which tabs to play which Machines against, without ever showing each other their Sociocracy cards!
At the end of the round, each player shows the others the Sociocracy cards he or she has in hand, and you can move on to the end-of-round debriefing.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: two Experimenters; a "?" card; orange Oops button; grey stack.) You'll be using the totem, which represents the talking stick. Designate the most talkative player from among the players: he takes the totem in front of him.
- Only the player with the talking stick can talk.
- There's no special rule for making the talking stick travel: whoever wants to can take it or give it away.
- If a player talks but doesn't have the talking stick, press the Oops button.
At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards to your deck as the number indicated by the Oops button.
Experiment 16: "Oasis" experiment
"You've found happiness," you say. But beware! For this is the oasis, and Pegasus will carry you no further. (André Gide, Diary, 1889-1939)
Ecological collective living and working spaces, geared towards energy and food self-sufficiency, combining housing with economic, agricultural and craft activities… That's what I'd like you to try out here! To find out more about this Experiment, go to page 46 of the book "Before turning out the lights".
Note printed on the page: the optimized test (round 3) of this Experiment is not feasible if there are only 2 experimenters. To benefit from a good variability of knowledge and know-how, you'll need at least 3 oases, so you'll need to find more volunteers!
Equipment and set-up
In Package 2 (Human card).
- 32 basic game cards + Nuclear Waste card + Human card
- totem (round 3 only)
Shuffle the 34 cards (32 base game cards + Nuclear Waste card + Human card) and deal 3 to each player. The remaining cards make up the deck.
Method
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab; grey stack; cloud; the simultaneous-play pictogram; no-Carbotron, for round 2.)
Each player can only place a card opposite a tab with which their avatar is associated.
Skills may be worth sharing with neighboring oases: instead of playing his card opposite a tab or in the discard pile, the player called may choose to give a card to the player to his right or left. In this case, it is possible to have more than 3 cards in hand.
Remember: you can only draw a card if you have less than 3 cards in your hand.
Round 3: Optimized test
(Pictograms: Experimenter; "?" tab; orange Oops button; grey stack; cloud; the simultaneous-play pictogram; no-Carbotron.) You'll be using the totem pole, which represents the link between the oases.
- At the start of the round, the totem is placed between the 2 players most closely linked (we hope a micro-discussion will begin).
- Instead of playing a card, a player called by the A.I. can move the totem, but it must still be between 2 players.
- On your turn, instead of playing a card, you can choose to give a card to the player to whom you are linked by the totem.
- If a player gives a card to another player to whom he or she is not totem-bound, press the Oops button.
At the end of the round, add as many Total Pollution cards to your deck as the number indicated by the Oops button.
Reminder of Codes Used in the Application
Printed on the last page of the booklet, as the in-app key.
- Tab
- Not
- Oops button
- Totem required
- Time saving: counter
- Not allowed to play in front of temporarily blocked tabs
- Public opinion convinced / unconvinced
- Not allowed / allowed to play Nucléarium
- Not allowed / allowed to play Alézou
- If you finish the round in the last 25 seconds, then add (for the next round) a Total Pollution card for each Pollution card in your hand. Remember to clear the pollution from your hands before validating the last tab!
- No Carbotrons allowed
- Pictograms of special rules: see page 15
- Buttons: Play, Help, Write, Parameters, Close, Go back, Replay round