Комитет (Committee) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Instructions
  • Game Board
  • Completing and Finishing Tasks
  • Cargo and Documents
  • Character Board
  • Checks
    • How to Pass a Check
    • How to Make a Check Easier
• Game Flow
  • Scenario Phase
  • Task and Ally Phase
    • 1. Moving Tasks
    • 2. Adding Tasks and Allies
  • Income and Penalties Phase
    • 1. Distribution of Action Tokens
    • 2. Receiving Income
    • 3. Penalties
  • Action Phase
    • Serve Duty
• End of Game
• Resource Effects
• Stress and Calm
  • Decoding the Permanent Penalties
• City Effects
  • Arkhangelsk, Yoshkar-Ola, Kuybyshev
  • Gorky
  • Kirov
  • Leningrad
  • Kazan, Murmansk, Yaroslavl
  • Perm
  • Moscow
  • Syktyvkar
  • Effects of Cities That Remove Stress
• Conditions of Ordinary Tasks
  • Pass 2 Interrogation Checks
  • Deliver a Task Token
  • Clear the Road
  • Pass One or Two Checks
  • Spend Resources
• Personal Tasks
• Cell Bonuses
• Identity Cards and Stickers
• Glossary
• Symbols and Notations

Components

• Game board
• Assembled two-layer catalogue (double-layer board for task tokens) and 8 rivets for it
• 42 task tokens
• 6 character figures and 6 stands for them
• Committee figure and stand
• 6 character boards
• 54 personal task cards (9 for each character)
• 42 ordinary task cards
• 8 main task cards
• 5 scenario tokens
• 60 access tokens (10 for each character, in the character's colour)
• 3 Leningrad aid tokens
• 16 action tokens
• 20 stress tokens
• 21 roadblock/interrogation tokens
• 6 calm tokens
• 6 cargo tokens of each kind: medicine, equipment, fuel
• 30 document tokens, nominal value 1 and 2
• 1 key token
• 5 dice
• 12 identity cards
• Sticker sheet
• 2 folded leaflets for the base scenario: "Introduction" and "Victory/Defeat"
• Rulebook (this document)
• Scenario book, and 3 stands for scenario figures
• Scenario envelopes, which stay under the insert and are not to be opened until you start the campaign

Setup

Before the first game

Take block 1 and punch out all the task tokens from it. Punch out the unneeded elements from both blocks. Place block 1 on top of block 2 so that the round cut-outs coincide and the numbers are visible in the holes. Fasten the blocks together with the rivets. You will have a catalogue: a two-layer board for storing the task tokens.

Lay the task tokens into the catalogue's cells in ascending order, from 001 to 042. Use the background sequence numbers in the cells as a guide: they must match the numbers on the tokens. The catalogue may be kept in the box together with the tokens, so it need not be laid out again each time.

Insert the character figures and the Committee figure into their stands. Leave the spare stands in the box: they are intended for some components in other scenarios.

Each game

1. Lay out the game board on the table.

2. Place the following components in the Committee fund, in separate piles:

   • all calm tokens;
   • all cargo tokens;
   • all document tokens.

3. Place all stress tokens face up in the agent limit and shuffle them. Then move from the Committee fund to the agent limit:

   • document tokens with a total nominal value of 16 (it is recommended to take more tokens of nominal value 1);
   • 2 cargo tokens of each kind: 2 medicine, 2 equipment, 2 fuel.

4. Place all action tokens in the area above the agent limit. The bronze action token is needed only for a three-player game; do not use it with any other number of players.

5. Place 5 dice next to the board. You may also keep them in the action-token area for convenience.

6. Place the 3 Leningrad aid tokens on the board next to Leningrad, in the cells marked by an outline.

7. Each player chooses one of the six characters:

   • Artyom Vetrov
   • Willy Spark
   • Asya Solntseva
   • Ila Nanukova
   • Valery Vershinin
   • Farkhad Abdullin

If you have any spare components left, return them to the box. You are ready to begin the game. If this is your first game, go through the instructions below before you start.

Note on the story text: "Komitet" is a story game. To immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the alternative world, we recommend reading the texts aloud to all players, but only when the component bearing the text comes into play (a new task card is opened or turned over) or when the rules say so directly. Do not read the story texts in advance, and enjoy the gradual immersion in the story without spoilers.

Setup example: the publisher shows an example setup for four players, with an annotated photo of the board. This example is an illustration of the steps above and is not repeated here.

Instructions

This section explains the main components and concepts on which the game is based.

Game Board

1. Action token memo.

2. Scenario area. Not used in the base scenario. It is needed only for the unique components from the scenario envelopes.

3. Cities and roads. The board has 14 cities, and each has an effect. Cities connected by one road are considered neighbours. Each road has a travel cost: by default 1 or 2 cars, but during the game the cost may change. Cities are also colour-coded: cities of one colour form a region.

   • Purple region: Gorky, Yoshkar-Ola, Kirov
   • Orange region: Kazan, Kuybyshev, Perm
   • Blue region: Leningrad, Moscow, Murmansk, Yaroslavl
   • Green region: Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Sverdlovsk, Syktyvkar

4. Committee fund. The agent limit is refilled from here.

5. Round order memo.

6. Action token supply.

7. Agent limit. This is the supply of tokens available to the players until the end of the game. During the game this supply may be refilled from the Committee fund or, conversely, returned to the fund.

Completing and Finishing Tasks

Completing a task means carrying out one of the conditions listed on it. Finishing a task means carrying out its single or last condition. When a task is finished, it is moved to the progress scale.

Main tasks, as a rule, have several conditions, equal in number to the cities listed on the card. For example, the task "The Dreamers in Moscow" contains three conditions: each must be carried out in the indicated city, in order: first in Moscow, then in Kirov, then in Murmansk. As soon as the condition in Murmansk is carried out, the task is finished. On ordinary tasks there is usually a single condition. For example, to finish task 042, one must carry out the condition in Leningrad.

For example, in this situation spaces 1–4 are occupied by failed (red) and completed (blue) ordinary tasks, space 5 by a completed main task, and spaces 6 and 7 by completed ordinary tasks. The nearest unfinished main task lies on space 9. So the players have only one free space for a new completed card. Moreover, if the players fail one more ordinary task, they lose.

When an ordinary task that has been failed, and also each completed ordinary and main task, is immediately moved onto the progress scale, it goes onto a free space with the lowest number, but not further than the nearest unfinished main task. The game ends immediately in defeat for the agents if:

• 3 failed ordinary tasks lie on the progress scale;
• a task card must be placed on the progress scale on a space that holds an unfinished main task card (that is, no free spaces remain to its left);
• the stock of stress tokens is exhausted: a player must take a stress token, but the limit and the discard are empty.

Cargo and Documents

Cargo in the game means medicine, equipment and fuel. When you must spend or receive any cargo, you choose between medicine, equipment and fuel. A cargo symbol with an equals sign means cargo of one type: for example, "2 of the same" means 2 medicine, or 2 equipment, or 2 fuel.

Cargo tokens must be kept only in the trunk in the lower part of your character board (see the next section for details). Documents are not counted as cargo and are kept anywhere next to the board in unlimited quantity. Where the rules refer to resources, both cargo and documents are meant.

Receiving a resource is shown in the game with a plus sign or with the income symbol. Other resource notations require you to spend them.

(Examples of the notation: receive 2 equipment; receive 2 documents in the income phase; spend 3 documents and 1 fuel to unlock a cell.)

When you receive resources, you take them exclusively from the agent limit. If you need to spend them, you return them to the limit. If there are no resources in the limit, you cannot take anything. At any moment of the action phase you may return your resources to the limit voluntarily, simply, for example so that your partner can take them from there.

Sometimes the game requires you to lose cargo or a document. Losing means moving the resources from your personal supply into the Committee fund, and if the personal supply lacks them, from the limit.

Character Board

The board shows the agent's access to the organisation's capabilities and helps to pass checks (these are described next). The structure of all character boards is the same.

1. Departments. The main part of the board is taken up by three departments of the Committee, each with its own colour and symbol:

   • Personnel Department (blue, cap symbol)
   • Analytics Department (red, atom symbol)
   • Transport Department (green, target symbol)

2. Cells. Each department consists of 5 cells, which may include:

   • (a) Access token slot. If an access token lies here, the cell is blocked and cannot be used. Some cells have no access-token slot: they are unblocked from the start of the game.
   • (b) Unlocking a cell (padlock symbol). To unlock a cell and remove the access token, you must, by the effect of a certain city, pay the cost shown at the top of the cell: spend these resources. For example, to unlock the cell in the illustration on the right you must spend 1 medicine and 1 fuel. Some game bonuses allow you to unlock a cell for free.
   • (c) Cell bonus. Most cells contain various bonuses that can be obtained at different moments of the game, but only if the cell is unlocked. To decipher the bonuses, see the section "Cell Bonuses" on page 31 and the symbol key at the end of the rules.
   • (d) Successes and rerolls. In the lower part of the cell there may be symbols for checks: a reroll symbol and from 0 to 2 symbols taken from the faces of dice, which are .

Checks

During the game you will often face checks. When you must pass a check of a certain colour, you pass it through the department of the same colour:

• check through the Personnel Department (blue);
• check through the Analytics Department (red);
• check through the Transport Department (green);
• check through any department of your choice (grey).

The number on a check means the minimum number of successes needed for a successful pass. For example, to pass a check of 3+ through the Transport Department, you need to score at least 3 successes.

How to Pass a Check

1. Roll the dice. Roll as many dice as there are unlocked cells in the relevant department. All unlocked cells on the board count, even those covered by stress tokens. At most 5 dice may be rolled, including extra dice.

   (Example: Artyom must pass a check of 2+ through the Transport Department. On his board, three of the five cells in the Transport Department are unlocked. Artyom takes three dice and rolls them.)

   The row of dice above the departments shows how many dice to take depending on the number of unlocked cells.

2. Count the successes. Compare the symbols on the faces of the dice that came up with the symbols in the unlocked cells without stress tokens of the required department. Each match counts as one success. If a department has several identical symbols, one die face with that symbol counts as several successes (by the number of symbols). Symbols in blocked cells are not counted in checks.

   (Example: Artyom's dice show three faces. Only one of them matches the success symbols in the cells — the one he has two of in the Transport Department — so he gets 2 successes. Note that the Transport Department has a reroll symbol, but Artyom cannot use it because the cell is unavailable, covered by a stress token.)

3. Count the failures. Count the failures:

   • each face showing the failure symbol counts as 2 failures;
   • each other face that does not give a success counts as 1 failure.

   (Example: Artyom passed the check and now has to count the failures: one face gives 1 failure and another gives 2. Altogether Artyom has 3 failures.)

4. Gain stress. For each failure, flip any closed stress token on your board. If there are no closed ones, take a new one from the limit and immediately place it, closed, on any unlocked cell without a stress token (you may place it on permanent allies). Then, if you still have failures left, you must flip this token — and the cycle repeats. For more on gaining and removing stress see the section "Stress and Calm" on page 22. If it is impossible either to flip a stress token or to gain one, the remaining failures are lost.

How to Make a Check Easier

• Some game effects reduce the difficulty of a check. The difficulty may be reduced to 0+, but not lower, and in that case the dice must still be rolled and the check passed by the usual rules (counting successes, failures and gaining stress).
• After a roll you may use rerolls if they are shown in unlocked cells without stress tokens of the department through which you are passing the check. For one reroll you may reroll any number of dice.
• An automatic success in an unlocked cell counts as +1 success in any check, even if the check is not through the department where the automatic success is located.
• You may use as many action tokens as you like to gain +1 success on a check for each token.
• Use the effects of resources to gain extra dice or rerolls (more on these effects on page 22).

Game Flow

Each round consists of four phases in order:

• scenario phase;
• task and ally phase;
• income and penalties phase;
• action phase.

In the first round go straight to the income and penalties phase, since the previous phases were passed automatically during setup.

Before the start of the game, unfold the "Introduction" leaflet and read it aloud.

Scenario Phase

Check the scenario token area on the board. Resolve the effects of the scenario tokens that lie in this area and whose text begins with the words "In the scenario phase…". If there are no such effects, or the scenario token area is empty, go on to the task and ally phase. Scenario tokens lying on the cards are not resolved.

Note: the other effects on the scenario tokens may be applied at other moments of the game or act throughout the round. You may read them aloud in this phase to remind the players of the possibilities and limitations.

For example, two scenario tokens lie on the board. One of them is resolved in the scenario phase: someone among the players may apply the effect of their current city. The players assess the situation: in the nearest main task they must spend 16 documents in Yaroslavl, but the limit holds only 12. The players will clearly need more, so they decide that Artyom, who is in Kazan, must apply the effect of the scenario token. He does so and adds 4 documents from the Committee fund to the limit. The other scenario token allows a player to reroll 1 die in any check. This effect applies permanently and to all players, so it is only important to remember this possibility.

Task and Ally Phase

The task and ally phase is divided into two successive steps:

1. Moving tasks;
2. Adding tasks and allies.

1. Moving Tasks

Move each ordinary task on the time scale one space to the right, starting with the rightmost task, and then in turn.

If an ordinary task must move from space 1 past the edge of the board, it is failed due to time: place it, red side up, on the progress scale on the free space with the lowest number (but not further than the nearest unfinished main task), and immediately lose in total 1 cargo or 2 documents from the personal supplies. The players lose these resources collectively, by agreement. If the personal supplies lack them, lose them from the limit; if there too little there as well, lose as much as possible. Return the token of the failed task to the catalogue.

If this is the third failed task on the progress scale, or if it must lie on the space with the current unfinished main task, the game ends immediately in defeat for the agents.

For example, two cards on space 2 move together to space 1. One card on space 3 moves to space 2. The card on space 4 moves to space 3. The players understand that if they do not complete two tasks on space 1 in this round, then in the next round they will be failed due to time.

2. Adding Tasks and Allies

Take 2 cards from the top of the ordinary task deck and the corresponding task tokens from the catalogue. Read aloud the text on the red side of the cards — these are the new ordinary tasks. Do not look at the reverse side yet. Place both cards on space 4 of the time scale. Place the tokens in their destination cities.

If there are these symbols on the card, place additional components on the board:

• roadblock symbol: place a roadblock token on the road connecting the indicated cities, so that the token covers the car symbol on the road;
• interrogation symbol (2 copies): place in the indicated two cities one random interrogation token each (these are the reverse sides of the roadblock tokens).

Then take from the top of the deck 2 more ordinary task cards and the corresponding task tokens from the catalogue. Return the taken cards to the box, unread, and place the tokens face down in the destination cities indicated on them — these are allies. Allies bring one-time or permanent bonuses to the players who take them (more in the action phase, page 20).

If the card deck has run out, new tasks and allies no longer appear until the end of the game.

Income and Penalties Phase

The income phase is divided into three successive steps:

1. Distribution of action tokens;
2. Receiving income;
3. Penalties.

At each step the players may act simultaneously or in an order they agree on. The players move on to the next step only when all have finished the previous one. After step 3 the players move on to the action phase.

1. Distribution of Action Tokens

Hand out action tokens from the supply according to the number of players (see the memo at the top of the character board):

• 2 players: 3 tokens to each player;
• 3 players: 2 tokens to two players, and an additional token to the third player;
• 4 players: 2 tokens to each player.

Additional token in a three-player game. In the first round, agree on or choose at random the player who receives the additional token. In the following rounds, in each income phase this token must pass to the player on the left. So as not to forget who last had the additional token, do not discard it when it is used, but place it near yourself.

2. Receiving Income

All players, in any order, receive all the income available to them:

• the base income shown in the upper right corner of the board;
• income from the available cells of the board and from permanent allies (without stress tokens);
• income from the bonus of an identity card;
• income from the bonuses of completed personal tasks.

Income on game components is shown with a rectangle bearing an open hand (the income symbol). As a rule, income brings resources, additional action tokens, or allows you to refill the limit. If resources in income are shown separated by a slash, choose which one to receive.

Note:

• Each player decides for themselves the order in which to receive the different kinds of income available to them; this can be important.
• The supply of resources is limited by the tokens in the agent limit. If a player does not have enough resources in the limit, they cannot receive them.
• You may refuse any income fully or partially. Decide who needs which resources more in this round.

For example, Willy can receive his base income and the income from three available cells in the Personnel Department. The remaining cells are blocked, and he has not yet carried out any personal tasks. Willy sees that he can receive 2 documents in total from two incomes, but only 1 document is in the limit. So Willy first applies the income "1 document to the limit" — he moves a token from the Committee fund to the agent limit. Now he receives both documents, 1 equipment, and 1 fuel or 1 medicine of his choice — he chooses fuel.

3. Penalties

Penalties appear on open stress tokens (lying face up on the board). At this step only income penalties are applied. The others act for as long as an open stress token lies on the board: remember them during the game (for the decoding of these penalties see "Stress and Calm" on page 22).

If there are open stress tokens on your board, apply each income penalty in any order. Remember that losing means returning to the Committee fund (see the Glossary on page 34).

Income penalties:

• Lose 1 cargo.
• Lose 2 documents.
• Return 1 action token to the supply on the board.

Action Phase

In this phase the main decisions are made that affect the outcome of the round and of the whole game. The phase has no steps and no strict sequence: all players, in any order convenient to them, use their action tokens to carry out as effectively as possible the tasks standing before them.

You may agree in advance who uses action tokens in which order, or decide this on the fly. In each round you must together find the order of using the tokens that leads you to victory.

General rules of the action phase:

• One action token may be used in one of the ways. The list of these ways is given below and is repeated in simplified form on the memo on the board.
• Players use action tokens until they run out.
• A completed action cannot be undone, so it is recommended to plan your actions at the start of the phase and simulate the situation without discarding tokens.
• A token may be discarded without being used.

Ways to use action tokens (action token symbol):

• Serve Duty. This is the main action. It includes the following steps in strict order (they are described in detail below):

  1. Movement to another city. You may refuse to move and stay in your current city (this is not counted as a move of 0).
  2. Exchange with one player of your choice in your city, if there is one. This is an optional step.
  3. Mandatory check on the interrogation tokens in your city, in any order, if there are any.
  4. One of four kinds of activation of your choice: apply the effect of the city, take an ally, complete/finish a task, or stand by (decline an activation).

  This action must be carried out in full; it cannot be interrupted by another Serve Duty action.

• Add +1 success to a check. When you pass a check, use an action token to count 1 more success for yourself. For more on the rules of passing a check see page 13.

• Remove 1 stress from each player. To remove 1 stress means either to close an open stress token or to discard a closed one from the board. You may choose on which of your stress tokens to apply this action. For more on stress see "Stress and Calm" on page 22.

In addition, some game effects offer other ways to use an action token.

For example, Valery Vershinin has, in the Personnel Department, a bonus allowing him to use an action token to start an exchange between any two players regardless of their location on the board.

Serve Duty

Step 1. Movement

You may move to the chosen city only if both conditions are met:

• you have enough cars to pay the travel cost;
• on your route you do not pass the same road or the same city twice.

The travel cost is the total number of cars on all the roads between your current city (where your figure stands) and the chosen one. If a roadblock token lies on a road, the number of cars on it counts towards the travel cost along that road.

For example, Valery is in Murmansk and needs to reach Vologda. The trip from Murmansk to Arkhangelsk costs 3 cars (there lies a roadblock token), and from Arkhangelsk to Vologda 2 cars. In total Valery needs 5 cars for the trip to Vologda.

Check how many cars you have:

• in the Transport Department, in the available cells and on permanent allies (not covered by stress tokens);
• from the bonuses of completed personal tasks;
• from the bonus of your identity card.

Remember that through the effect of fuel you may receive additional cars. If the total number of your cars is equal to or greater than the travel cost, you have enough cars to move: move your figure to the chosen city and continue the action Serve Duty.

Other cities on your route are passed through without stopping and without activation. All unspent cars are lost.

For example, Valery has 2 cars in the Transport Department; the other cells are blocked. He needs 3 more cars to move to Vologda. One of his completed personal tasks boosts the effect of fuel: it gives one additional car. Valery spends fuel and receives by its effect 2 cars (2 cells are unlocked in the Personnel Department) and one additional car from the personal task bonus. In total he has 5 cars, which is enough to move to Vologda.

Step 2. Exchange with one player

If there are figures of other players in your city, you may choose any of them and give to or receive from them any amount of cargo, documents and/or task tokens (which must be carried with you under the conditions of ordinary tasks). Allies and action tokens may not be exchanged. Remember that cargo is kept only in the trunk. At any moment of the action phase you may redistribute cargo in the trunk or lose it back to the limit.

Step 3. Check on the interrogation tokens

Pass a check on the interrogation token by the general rules of checks (see Checks on page 13). If there are several interrogation tokens in the city, pass the check on each of them in any order.

• Check passed successfully: place this token on any ordinary task that requires an interrogation (see "Conditions of Ordinary Tasks" on page 27).
• Check failed: the interrogation token stays in place, and the check on it may be passed again on the next activation of Serve Duty.

Step 4. Activation (one of the following)

• Apply the effect of the city. Apply the effect of your city. Explanations of the effects are in the section on page 24.

• Take an ally from your city. Allies may be one-time or permanent.

  • A one-time ally is marked with a black frame and the symbol of receiving at the top. Take it and immediately receive from the limit into your personal supply the resources shown on it. Then return the token to the catalogue.
  • A permanent ally is marked with a coloured frame: blue, red or green. To take it, you must pass successfully the check shown in the upper right corner (see page 13). If the check fails, leave the ally in place. If the check is passed successfully, take the ally and place it to the right of your board, in the department matching the colour of its frame. From then on you may use the bonus, the successes and the rerolls of the permanent ally, and you may place stress tokens on it. It cannot be discarded; it stays until the end of the game.

  For example, Asya decides to take a permanent ally. She passes the check through the Personnel Department, scoring 2 successes. Since the ally has a red frame, Asya places it in the Analytics Department to the right of her board. Now she has a new income that removes 1 stress and adds a calm token to the limit, and a new success symbol for checks through the Analytics Department.

• Complete/finish a task. If this is a city with an Anomaly, you may complete/finish the main task (see "Main task" below). If a task token of an ordinary task lies in the city, you may complete/finish the corresponding ordinary task (see "Ordinary task" below).

  To complete a task means to carry out one of the conditions listed on it. If you carry out the single or last condition, the task is . Under one activation you may complete and/or finish only one of the tasks in the city: main, ordinary or personal. A personal task always contains only one condition: when you carry it out, you finish the personal task. Some conditions are carried out automatically during the game (this is not counted as an activation). For more on personal tasks see page 29.

End of Game

Immediately after the fifth main task is finished, the game ends with a victory for all agents.

The game ends immediately in defeat for the agents in any of these situations:

• 3 failed ordinary tasks lie on the progress scale;
• a task card must be placed on the progress scale on a space that holds an unfinished main task card (that is, no free space remains to its left);
• the stock of stress tokens is exhausted: a player must take a stress token, but the limit and the discard are empty.

Unfold the "Victory/Defeat" leaflet and read the side that matches the outcome of your game.

If this was your first game, then regardless of its outcome it is considered that you have completed the probationary period in the Committee and are ready to receive your identity card and your first stickers. For more on this see the section on page 32.

Beyond this, decide for yourselves: play the base scenario again, several times, or try other scenarios. If you are ready for them, open the scenario book.

Resource Effects

At any moment of the action phase you may spend a resource to apply its effect. The strength of the effect depends on the number of unlocked cells in the Personnel Department (even those covered by stress tokens). You may spend as many resources this way as you like.

• Spend equipment and take as many additional dice for the check as there are unlocked cells in the Personnel Department. This may be done after the main roll, and the extra dice rolled. Remember that at most 5 dice may be rolled, including the extra dice.
• Spend fuel and receive, for the current move, as many cars as there are unlocked cells in the Personnel Department.
• Spend medicine and remove from yourself as many stress as there are unlocked cells in the Personnel Department. It may not be used during the passing of a check until the receipt of stress is finished.
• During a check, spend 4 documents and receive 1 reroll of any number of dice.

Stress and Calm

During the game you receive stress.

Gaining stress means flipping any closed stress token on your board. If there are none closed, take a new one from the limit and immediately place it, closed, on any unlocked cell without a stress token (you may place it on permanent allies) — and then the cycle repeats. You may not look at the reverse sides of stress tokens.

Important:

• In one cell of the board, or on one permanent ally, only one stress token may lie — open or closed.
• If there is nowhere to place a stress token, you do not receive it.
• If you must receive a stress token while the limit and the discard are empty, the game ends immediately in defeat for the agents: they are morally and physically exhausted and cannot continue their work.

While a stress token of any kind lies on a cell, that cell is unavailable: it may be counted for the number of dice in a check and for the effects of resources, but its bonus may not be used and its symbols may not be counted in checks. Places in the trunk may still be used.

On open stress tokens there are penalties of two kinds:

• income penalties — apply only in the income phase;
• permanent penalties (all others) — begin to act at once after the stress token is opened.

Calm token — one of the ways to avoid receiving stress. Instead of receiving 1 stress you may remove from the limit to the fund 1 calm token. Calm tokens always lie either in the limit or in the fund. When you receive a calm token (for example, through income), always add it to the limit from the fund.

Removing stress means either closing an open stress token or discarding a closed one from the board. You may choose yourself on which of your stress tokens to apply this action. Important: if a game effect allows you to remove several stress, they may be distributed between different stress tokens as you see fit — both open and closed.

Discard stress tokens in open form beside the board. When the stress tokens in the limit run out, shuffle the discard face down and place it in the limit.

For example, Artyom uses an action token to remove 1 stress from each player. Farkhad may either close one of his two open tokens (1 or 3), or discard the closed one (2). Farkhad decides that it is more advantageous now to close the most unpleasant one — the one that deprives him of one action token (1). Farkhad turns this token over.

Decoding the Permanent Penalties

• The cost of any reroll is increased by 1 document. Even if the reroll is free (for example, granted by a cell), you must spend 1 document to use it.
• Only paid rerolls. You may not use free rerolls (in cells and from other effects), even if the reroll-cost penalty above also applies.
• Add +1 to the difficulty of any check you pass.
• You may not complete tasks or finish them.
• You may not apply the effects of cities.
• You may not unlock cells.
• You may not receive, lose, spend or exchange equipment.
• You may not receive, lose, spend or exchange fuel.
• You may not receive, lose, spend or exchange medicine.
• When moving, count that you have 1 car fewer.

City Effects

Arkhangelsk, Yoshkar-Ola, Kuybyshev

Unlock on your board any number of cells, starting with the leftmost blocked one and continuing from left to right. The rules for unlocking are described below.

Depending on the city, unlocking is available in different departments:

• Arkhangelsk — in the Personnel Department;
• Yoshkar-Ola — in the Analytics Department;
• Kuybyshev — in the Transport Department.

Rules for unlocking cells

1. Pay the unlocking cost shown on the cell and remove the access token from the cell. Within one activation you may unlock any number of cells in the indicated department, as long as you have enough resources to pay the unlocking cost, but strictly from left to right.
2. Turn the removed access token over and place it in front of yourself. If you have unlocked several cells in a row, turn over all the removed access tokens after paying the cost of all these cells. The reverse side shows either a positive effect or a negative one (a loss). A positive effect is one-time and may be applied at any moment of the action phase; a loss is applied at once. After applying the effect, place the access token beside your board with the "Sealed" side up. Access tokens may not be passed to other players.

Hint: each set of access tokens contains 3 negative and 7 positive effects.

The positive effects are: receive the indicated resources or an action token; reroll any number of dice during a check; remove 2 stress from yourself; the negative effect is: lose 1 cargo or 2 documents from your personal supply (if there are not enough, then from the limit).

Unlocking discount. Some game bonuses give a discount on unlocking cells. The discount applies to the total cost of all the cells you unlocked within one application of the effect. You may distribute the discount as you see fit.

For example, Asya applies the effect of Arkhangelsk to unlock two cells in the Personnel Department: one for medicine and equipment, the other for documents and fuel. In total Asya must spend 2 documents, 2 fuel, 1 medicine and 1 equipment. Asya decides to save on cargo and spends 1 fuel instead of two. The bonus of a personal task gives her a discount on the unlocking — either of 2 documents or of 1 cargo.

Gorky

Take an ally from any city as if you had carried out the activation Take an ally in that city (see page 20).

Kirov

You may swap places of either 2 ordinary tasks on the time scale, or 2 open scenario tokens on the main tasks.

For example, the players understand that this round they will succeed in completing task 007, but will not cope with task 026. On space 4, however, there is a comparatively easy task, 010 — Artyom is near Perm, and the players can gather and pass him 9 documents. The players decide that Asya, who is in Kirov, must use her action token and apply the effect of the city: swap places of tasks 026 and 010.

Leningrad

Take one of the aid tokens next to Leningrad and place it on top of a condition of any task: ordinary, main or personal. In this way you can make the condition easier to carry out. You may also choose not to take an aid token, and instead move the aid token already placed from one condition to another on the same task card or on another card. Having carried out a condition with an aid token, return the token to Leningrad.

• Spend 2 documents less than the condition requires.
• Spend 1 cargo less than the condition requires.
• −1 to the difficulty of one check in the condition.

For example, Farkhad is going to complete the condition of the main task in Arkhangelsk — pass a check of 4+ through the Analytics Department. However, he has only 3 unlocked cells in this department and 3 different successes. Farkhad asks Ila, who is in Leningrad, to use her action token and apply the effect of the city, to make the check easier. Ila does so and places the aid token on the card of the main task.

Kazan, Murmansk, Yaroslavl

Move from the Committee fund to the limit the indicated resources:

• Kazan: 4 documents;
• Murmansk: 2 calm tokens;
• Yaroslavl: 2 cargo of any kind.

Perm

Receive 1 of your own incomes. Exception: you may not receive an income that brings an action token.

For example, Willy has two base incomes and two incomes in the Personnel Department. He applies the effect of Perm and chooses a base income that brings either fuel or medicine. Willy chooses fuel.

Moscow

Spend 2 documents to take from the limit 1 cargo of any kind, or the other way round — spend 1 cargo of any kind to take from the limit 2 documents. Within one activation you may apply only one type of exchange, but you may repeat it as many times as you like. For example, you may spend 6 documents and take 3 cargo.

Syktyvkar

Choose a player in any city and exchange with them any amount of cargo, documents and/or task tokens. The same rules apply as for an exchange with a player within the action Serve Duty (see "Exchange with one player" on page 20).

Effects of Cities That Remove Stress

The effects of these cities allow you to remove stress:

• Vologda — for each document you spend, remove 2 stress (you may distribute them among any players);
• Sverdlovsk — remove a total of 5 stress from yourself.

For more on removing stress see "Stress and Calm" on page 22.

Conditions of Ordinary Tasks

Ordinary tasks come in several kinds, distinguished by their conditions. The number of the task and its kind are shown on the card. The conditions are described below.

Pass 2 Interrogation Checks

Tasks: 001, 004, 015, 021, 024, 036, 040

In these tasks you are asked to interrogate citizens who are in different cities, and then report on the work done in the destination city. Besides the destination city, the card names two more cities, to each of which you place one random interrogation token. To finish the task you must successfully pass checks on any two interrogation tokens on the board: not necessarily in the cities named on the card. The two checks may be passed by different players.

The check on an interrogation token in your city is a mandatory step of the action Serve Duty. If you pass the check successfully, you may place the interrogation token on any ordinary task card with the condition of 2 interrogations. If that card already has two interrogation tokens, the task may be finished: for this you must travel to the destination city (where the task token lies) and, with the action Serve Duty, choose the activation Complete/finish task.

Interrogation tokens lying on the card are placed in the discard of roadblock/interrogation tokens beside the board. When the supply runs out, shuffle the discard face up and form a new supply from it.

Note:

• If the check on an interrogation token fails, the token stays in place. The check may be passed again on the next activation.
• If an ordinary task with the 2-interrogation condition is failed due to time, the interrogation tokens placed with this task stay on the board.

For example, the task 021 and the task 036 lie on the time scale. Interrogation tokens lie in the cities of Gorky, Murmansk, Yoshkar-Ola and Moscow. Ila uses an action token for an activation in Murmansk, successfully passes the check and places the token on task 036. Asya passes the check on another interrogation token in Gorky and likewise places the token on task 036. Now the task can be finished: for this someone among the agents must come to Syktyvkar and choose the activation Complete/finish task.

Note: during an exchange between players, task tokens may be passed from one player to another. This may greatly ease the work.

Deliver a Task Token

Tasks: 002, 008, 026, 029, 033, 035, 039

In these tasks you are asked to collect from the destination city particularly valuable materials — they are symbolised by the task token itself — and bring them to another city indicated on the task.

Being in the city with a task token, choose the activation Complete/finish task and place the token in your trunk. The task token takes up all the places in the cell (if necessary you may move the token to another cell or redistribute the cargo). If there is no free space, you cannot take the token. If necessary you may free the trunk: discard cargo to the limit or, if you carry another task token, leave it in your current city.

Then you must travel to the other city indicated on the task. Being there, choose the activation Complete/finish task and move the token from the trunk back into the catalogue, to its place. After this the task is considered finished.

For example, in Moscow lies the task token 033. Artyom uses an action token: he travels from Yaroslavl to Moscow, takes the task token and places it in his trunk. Now he must reach Arkhangelsk and there use an action token to return the token to the catalogue and thereby finish the task. After this the card can be moved onto the progress scale.

Clear the Road

Tasks: 003, 012, 013, 023, 028, 041

In these tasks travel to the cities is hampered by incidents: when you place the task card, immediately place a roadblock token on the road between the indicated cities, over the car symbol. Now the cost of travel along this road equals 3 cars.

To remove the roadblock token and finish the task, each of the cities indicated on the task must hold at least one player. As soon as this has happened, the player in whose city the task token lies may choose the activation Complete/finish task and remove the roadblock token from the road to the discard beside the board. After this the task is considered finished.

If the task is failed due to time, the roadblock token stays on the board until the end of the game and cannot be removed. When the supply of roadblock/interrogation tokens runs out, shuffle the discard face down and form a new supply from it.

For example, a roadblock token lies between Kuybyshev and Kazan. Artyom travels to Kuybyshev and, since Valery is already in Kazan, chooses the activation Complete/finish task and removes the roadblock token from the board. Now task 003 is finished and it can be moved onto the progress scale, and the task token goes into the catalogue.

Pass One or Two Checks

Tasks: 006, 011, 014, 017, 019, 025, 032, 034, 038

In these tasks the work of the Committee's departments must work together.

Being in the city with a task token, choose the activation Complete/finish task and pass the checks indicated on the task. When all the indicated checks are passed successfully, the task is considered finished. If at least one check fails, the task and its token stay in place. You may try again during another action Serve Duty.

Note: if the task shows two checks, you must pass both, in any order, and one player must do it within one activation. If at least one check fails, the task cannot be finished, but both checks must still be passed.

Spend Resources

Tasks: 005, 007, 009, 010, 016, 018, 020, 022, 027, 030, 031, 037, 042

In these tasks you must support the citizens with the Committee's resources: only with special means can the matter be sorted out.

Move to the city with a task token, choose the activation Complete/finish task and spend the resources of the kind shown in the indicated quantity. After this the task is considered finished.

Personal Tasks

The fates of the agents are closely intertwined with the Anomalies. Having joined the Committee, each of them hopes, through service, to uncover their own secrets. Each character has 7 personal tasks, linked by a single story. By completing personal tasks you receive game bonuses and advance through the history of your character.

Each task has a number and a side (opening and resolution). Hold the personal task deck in front of you like a book: on the left, completed tasks lie resolution side up; on the right, unfinished tasks lie opening side up. Read the texts only as you complete tasks, and do not try to learn the ending before its time.

Important: in the base scenario you may complete only tasks 1 and 2. Personal tasks 3 to 7 may be completed only during a campaign. For more on this see the scenario book.

Personal task deck at the start of the first game. The card on the left is the personal file of the character, the card on the right is the opening text of task 1 (1 — the personal file of the character; 2 — the condition of the task; 3 — the number, title and side of the task, here the opening; 4 — the opening text of the task).

The conditions of personal tasks may differ: choose the activation Complete/finish task in the indicated city to spend resources or pass a check; finish a task of a specific kind or on a specific space; be in a certain game situation, and so on.

Note: the activation Finish a personal task is the activation Complete/finish task.

For example, to complete personal task 6, Valery must be in Kirov, choose the activation Complete/finish task, and after that successfully pass the three indicated checks in any order. Only a condition carried out in full allows him to turn the card over.

Conditions that do not require an activation are carried out once the indicated game situation has been resolved to the end.

For example, Asya is in Perm, where Artyom finishes a main task. First Artyom resolves the situation to the end: he moves the card onto the progress scale, places the scenario token on the board, moves the key token to the new card and the Committee figure to the new city. Only after this is the condition of Asya's personal task considered carried out.

When you have carried out the condition, turn the card over and place it to the left of the deck. Read the continuation of your character's story. Then:

• receive the default bonus: free unlocking of the leftmost blocked cell of your choice in any department. For the general rules of unlocking cells see the explanation of the city effects Arkhangelsk, Yoshkar-Ola and Kuybyshev on page 24;
• receive the unique bonus: it lasts until the end of the game and stacks with the other unique bonuses from earlier completed tasks. Place the cards on top of each other with an offset so that all unique bonuses are visible.

(Card key on the page: 1 — default bonus; 2 — unique bonus; 3 — text of the resolution of the task; 4 — number, title and side of the task, here the resolution.)

For explanations of some conditions and bonuses of personal tasks see the scenario book, pages 22–23.

For example, Valery has earlier already completed task 1, and now task 2 is available to him. Standing in Yaroslavl, he completes ordinary task 030 — he spends 3 documents and 2 medicine. The task is complete, and Valery moves it from space 4 of the time scale to the progress scale. Thus the condition of Valery's personal task (finish an ordinary task on space 4 of the time scale) is carried out, and he turns the card over. He immediately receives the default bonus — the free unlocking of the leftmost blocked cell. Valery chooses such a cell in the Personnel Department, removes its access token and places it in front of himself, face up. Also, two unique bonuses — for task 1 and task 2 — are now available to him.

Cell Bonuses

Bonuses separated by a colon allow you to use resource or action tokens in a special way: spend the token and receive what is shown.

For example, Asya may remove one cargo to the fund, another cargo of the same kind to the limit, and receive for this an additional action token from the supply.

Further explanations of some complex cell bonuses follow.

Artyom: the bonus allows you to hold in this cell not one but two stress tokens stacked one on top of another. The first is placed closed, the second is placed closed, and then it can be opened under the usual rules for receiving stress. For game effects and scenarios the states of both tokens are considered: so if the upper token is open (the lower one is always closed), then the cell counts as having that open token. The bonus applies to receiving stress from any source. When removing stress, the tokens must be closed or removed from the board separately and in order, starting from the upper one.

For example, Artyom receives 3 stress in the result of a check. He places a closed stress token in the cell, then immediately places a second closed token on top of it and opens it. Thus all 3 stress are applied, and in addition Artyom is protected from the penalty of the lower token. Later in the game Artyom gets the chance to remove 2 stress. First he closes the upper token, then removes it from the board. One closed token remains in the cell, which can be removed at the next removal of stress.

Farkhad: the bonus allows you to keep an ordinary task in its space.

*For example, in the task and ally phase Farkhad is in Syktyvkar, where lies the ordinary task token 034. The card of task 034 is on space 1 of the time scale, and by the rules it must move to the right, past the edge of the board. Farkhad applies the bonus of the cell and leaves the task card on space 1 until the next task and ally phase.

Ila and the colour bonuses: the bonus means that you may pass checks of the indicated colour through the department in which the bonus is located.

For example, Ila has an unlocked cell with a bonus in the Personnel Department. In a check of 6+ through the Analytics Department she may pass it as usual through the Analytics Department, or use the bonus and pass it through the Personnel Department.*

Identity Cards and Stickers

The identity card is a legacy component of the game. It allows you to strengthen your characters between plays of the base scenario and/or during a campaign. The component is not tied to the box: you may take your identity card to another company that plays with another box, and continue the progress of your character.

The stickers contain random bonuses. You receive stickers at the end of a game, for all players, depending on how far you have advanced along the progress scale. You receive stickers even as a result of defeat. Both components oblige you to nothing: you may use them permanently or only in some games, or not use them at all. However, they can make the game easier, and in a campaign they are obligatory for completing personal tasks (for more see the scenario book).

How to fill in an identity card

1. After the first game, take a blank identity card and fill it in as shown in the illustration.

   • Photo: paste in a photo of your character from the sticker sheet.
   • Surname, first name and patronymic: write in the data of your character (they are shown on the personal file in the deck of personal tasks).
   • Curator: write your own first name or surname.

2. Check and circle the level of your character (in the right part of the identity card, at the top). It equals the number of your last completed personal task. Level 0 is circled by default. In one game you may gain several levels (by completing several personal tasks). Remember that in the base scenario you may complete only task 1 and task 2. Further tasks and levels are available only in a campaign (for more see the scenario book).

   Note: characters may have different levels in one game.

3. Receive stickers for the game.

   • In case of victory: check on which space of the progress scale lies the last completed main task card — the number on that space shows how many stickers you receive:

     • space 11 or lower — 6 stickers;
     • space 12 — 5 stickers;
     • space 13 — 4 stickers;
     • space 14 — 3 stickers;
     • space 15 — 2 stickers.

     This is the total number of stickers for all players, which you distribute among yourselves as you see fit.

   • In case of defeat: each player crosses out the leftmost uncrossed red drop at the bottom of the identity card and receives 1 or 2 stickers as indicated. These stickers are only for that player. If you have crossed out the last drop with the black cross, your character is considered dead and you may no longer use this identity card for play, but you may start a new one.

If you completed the base scenario and won, mark the mark under its symbol. Other scenarios do not concern you: they matter only in the campaign.

Your identity card is ready to play. Afterwards, after each game, repeat steps 2–4.

How to use the identity card

At any moment of the action phase you may apply any number of sticker bonuses. Each bonus is one-time: when you apply it, cross out the sticker. Immediately afterwards, circle one of the four dashed lines around any permanent bonus — they are shown under the name. The explanation of all bonuses is given below.

Permanent bonuses

As soon as all four lines of one permanent bonus are circled, it starts to act for you permanently. Thus, to obtain one permanent bonus you must apply four sticker bonuses.

For example, Artyom has used both sticker bonuses in the action phase and crossed them out. Now he may circle two arbitrary dashed lines. Artyom decides that he wants most of all an additional car quickly.

Explanation of the permanent bonuses

• At the start of the action phase of the first round, unlock for free the leftmost blocked cell in any department.
• When passing any check, receive 1 reroll.
• In each income phase, receive once more 1 of your own incomes. Exception: you may not receive an income that brings an action token. In each new income phase you may receive a different income.
• You have 1 car more.

Explanation of the sticker bonuses

• Receive two of your incomes (one twice, or two different ones) that do not bring action tokens.
• Remove 5 stress in total from any players.
• Receive 1 action token.
• Receive 2 cargo of any kind.
• Receive 4 cars for one move.
• Apply the effect of any city (this effect must not be covered — important for some scenarios).
• Receive 5 documents.
• Receive +2 successes in any check.
• Free of charge, unlock the leftmost blocked cell in any department.
• Take any ally from the board without passing a check.

Glossary

Your city (current city) — the city where your character's figure stands.

City with an Anomaly — the city where the Committee figure stands. In this city you may carry out the current condition of the main task.

Destination city (city with a task token) — the city indicated on an ordinary task card in the "Destination" field. The task's token must be placed in this city.

Travel cost — the number of cars on the road or roads between your city and the chosen city (to which you wish to move).

Ally — the reverse side of a task token. Allies are placed on the board in the task and ally phase. There are one-time and permanent allies.

Blocked cell — a cell of a department with an access token.

Unlock a cell — pay the cost of the cell and remove the access token from it.

Closed stress token — a stress token lying on the board penalty side down.

Open stress token — a stress token lying on the board penalty side up. To open a stress token means to turn a closed stress token over.

As an activation — when carrying out one of the kinds of activation. Note that some campaign scenarios add new kinds of activation.

Success — a match between the symbol on a rolled die face and the symbols in the cells of the required department (including allies).

Failure — each rolled die face that is not a success. A face gives 2 failures.

Difficulty of a check — the minimum number of successes shown on the check symbol, which must be scored to pass it successfully.

Remove 1 stress — either close an open stress token, or discard a closed stress token from the board.

Available cell — an unlocked cell without a stress token.

Unavailable cell — an unlocked cell with a stress token. An unavailable cell may be counted for the effects of cargo and for the number of dice in a check, but its bonus, successes and rerolls may not be used. Places for cargo in the trunk of an unavailable cell in the Transport Department may be used.

Complete a task — carry out one of the conditions listed on the task. Finish a task — carry out its single or last condition. A finished ordinary or main task is immediately moved onto the progress scale. A finished personal task is turned over and placed to the left of the deck.

Lose / lose — move the resource from your personal supply into the Committee fund. If the failure is caused by a failed ordinary task, the players lose the resources collectively by agreement; in case of a shortage the resources are lost from the limit. If the loss is on an access token or a stress token, the owner of that token loses the resources; in case of a shortage the resources are lost from the limit. In rare cases, if neither the players nor the limit have suitable resources, the loss is ignored.

Spend / spend — move the resource from your personal supply into the agent limit.

Calm token and cargo — see the sections above.

Symbols and Notations

Resources and receipt

• medicine
• equipment
• fuel
• any cargo (medicine, equipment or fuel)
• X of any cargo of one type
• X documents
• receipt symbol (on access tokens and allies)
• income (income symbol)
• loss (lose / loss symbol)

Checks and departments

• unlock a cell
• extra die (for passing a check)
• reroll (once reroll any number of dice)
• +1 success (automatic success)
• 2 failures
• red / green / blue checks — may be passed through the department in which this bonus is located
• decrease the difficulty of a check by 1

Stress, calm and actions

• action token
• extra action token (for a three-player game)
• calm token
• stress
• remove 1 stress
• remove X stress

Regions

• Purple region: Gorky, Yoshkar-Ola, Kirov
• Orange region: Kazan, Kuybyshev, Perm
• Blue region: Leningrad, Moscow, Murmansk, Yaroslavl
• Green region: Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Sverdlovsk, Syktyvkar

Source note: the symbol key is the publisher's key on the last page of the rulebook; the symbols themselves are shown in the original and are named here in words.