Living Stories: Pulse

Living Stories: Pulse Rulebook

Table of Contents

Goal of the Game

Pulse is a story-rich, competitive game.

It tells the story of four band members chasing Vibe, Sound, and Swagger. At the end, the player with the least Sound is eliminated.

Among the remaining players, the one with the most Victory Points wins.

Not a Roleplaying Game (unless you want it to be!)

You can play Pulse purely as a fast-paced strategy game. But many players enjoy leaning into the characters and the story as they play.

Both approaches are right. It's your table, your tale, your choice.

Component Overview

4 Player Aids
1 Status Track
A bag of Drive Tokens
6 NPC Bid Tokens
10 Action Mode Spotlight Cards
8 Action Mode Aftermath Cards
5 Achievement Cards
4 Status Markers
36 Action Cards
4 Targeting Tokens
4 Character Sheets
4 Randomizer Tokens
47 Cinema Mode Cards
34 Sound Tokens
22 Swagger Tokens
26 Pain Tokens
12 Vibe Tokens
12 Album Cards

Ways to Play

Action Mode

This mode jumps straight into the action. You use randomized Spotlight and Aftermath Cards to create a different story each time you play.

Playing time: 30+ minutes

Cinema Mode

Each Living Stories title includes a special experience: a curated storyline told through a deck of cinematic cards.

Think of this as the movie version of the game. An extra treat to enjoy with friends or on your own.

Playing time: 2+ hours

Tip!

New to Living Stories? We recommend starting with Action Mode.

Card and Sheet Anatomy

Action Card Anatomy

Printed Power: Your base Power in a Spotlight.
Quote: Something grungy for you to say when you play the card.
White Rule Box: Resolve when you play the card.
Black Rule Box: Resolve after claiming your Spotlight Reward.
Cinema Mode Icon: These cards are only used in Cinema Mode.

Character Sheet Anatomy

Character Ability: Gives your character a unique edge.
Backstory: Learn more about your character.
Starting Ressources: Your starting resources and position on the Status Track.
Band Step: Resolve this step at the end of Aftermaths.

Setting Up the Game

Build the Supply. Place all game tokens in separate piles. This is the Supply. The Supply is unlimited. If you run out of a resource, use suitable replacements.
Set Up the Status Track and Achievements. Place the Status Track and the 5 Achievement Cards in the center of the table.
Choose Characters. Each player chooses a character. Place the Character Sheet in front of you.

Build your Action Deck:
- Action Mode: Use your 7 unmarked Action Cards.
- Cinema Mode: Use all 9 of your Action Cards.
Shuffle your Action Deck and place it next to your Character Sheet. Draw 3 cards. This is your starting hand.

Place your Status Marker on the Status Track as indicated by your Character Sheet.

Take your Targeting Token and starting Sound, Swagger, Pain, and Drive, and place them in your Stash.
Build the Story Deck.
- Action Mode: Randomly select 5 Spotlight Cards and 4 Aftermath Cards. Use these 9 cards to create a Story Deck that alternates between a Spotlight Card and an Aftermath Card, with a Spotlight Card on top.
- Cinema Mode: Stack all 47 Cinema Mode Cards face down in numerical order, with Card 1 on top.

Game Concepts

The following concepts are shared across all Living Stories titles. Each game also includes concepts unique to its world and story. Concepts that appear in colored boxes are shown below in that form.

Status

Status represents your social standing. It determines play order during Spotlights and breaks all ties in the game.

When you gain Status, move your marker one step up the Status Track. The player whose space you take is bumped down one step.

When you lose Status, move your marker one step down the Status Track. The player whose space you take is bumped up one step.

Example: Status. Jenifer gains 1 Status. She moves har [sic] Status Marker from C to B. Courtney is bumped from B to C.

Ties

All ties in the game are broken by higher Status.

The tied player highest on the Status Track breaks the tie in their favor, choosing whether to count as having the most or the least of the tied value.

If more than two players are tied, continue this process down the Status Track as needed.

Example 1: Breaking Ties. Jenifer (Status A) and Chris (Status B) are tied for the most Pain. They must resolve the following effect: "The player with the most Pain gains 2 Drive. Everyone else gains 1 Drive."

Because Jenifer has higher Status, she breaks the tie in her favor and chooses to count as having the most Pain. Jenifer gains 2 Drive and everyone else gains 1 Drive.

Example 2: Breaking Ties. At the end of the game, Courtney (Status A), David (Status B), and Chris (Status D) are tied for the least Sound.

Courtney breaks the tie first. Since the player with the least Sound is eliminated, she chooses to count as having the most Sound.

David now becomes the highest-Status player among the remaining tied players. He also chooses to count as having the most Sound.

Chris is left as the player with the least Sound and is eliminated.

Vibe

Vibe represents the connection between band members.

Each Character Sheet has room for one Vibe token from each other player. A Vibe token on your Character Sheet means you dig another band member's style, artistic personality, or way of playing.

When you gain or lose Vibe, choose a Vibe Token depicting another band member and place it on your Character Sheet. Some effects specify which token you gain or lose.

Vibe tokens on your Character Sheet are part of your Stash.

In Sync

If two players vibe with each other, they are In Sync.

When In Sync, both players flip their Vibe Tokens to the In Sync side and both gain 1 Sound.

If either player loses their Vibe Token, the two players are no longer In Sync, and the remaining Vibe Token is flipped back to its normal side.

Spotlights

Spotlights are the heart of Pulse. These are the dramatic moments where characters compete for Sound, Swagger, and Status, while trying to avoid Pain.

A Spotlight is resolved in 5 steps.

1. Check the Spotlight Rewards

Place the Spotlight Card on the table and let all players check the Rewards for 4-place through 1-place.

Each Spotlight Card lists a reward for each placement: 4-place, 3-place, 2-place, and 1-place.

The example Spotlight Card "A Record Store" shows the following rewards:

4-place: Gain 2 Pain.
3-place: Gain 1 Pain and 1 Swagger.
2-place: Gain 1 Status or 1 Swagger.
1-place: Gain a total of 2 Status or Swagger. Then gain 1 Sound or Swagger.

2. Play Action Cards

In reverse Status order (from D to A), players take turns playing one Action Card face-up into their Play Area.

If the card has a White Rule Box, resolve it as you play the card.

Example 1: White Rule Box. David plays Freak Genius. Its White Rule Box reads: "Gain 1 Swagger OR Choose another player. They gain 1 Vibe." As David plays the card, he resolves the effect, choosing one of the two options given.

Example 2: White Rule Box. David plays Sarcastic. Its White Rule Box reads: "Add your Targeting Token to this card. It has +1 Printed Power for each Pain in your Stash, to a maximum of +5." As David plays the card, the effect becomes active. This round, the Printed Power of David's card changes according to the amount of Pain in his Stash.

3. Secret Drive Bidding

After all players have played a card, each player announces the total amount of Drive in their Stash.

Then players secretly bid Drive to boost their Power:

Gather all your Drive in one hand.
Secretly move 0 or more Drive into your other hand. This is your bid.
When everyone is ready, reveal at the same time and place the Drive you bid on your card.

4. Spotlight Rewards

First, each player calculates their Total Power:

Total Power = Printed Power + Drive bid

The player with the lowest Total Power claims and resolves the reward marked 4-place on the Spotlight Card.

Among the remaining players, the player with the lowest Total Power claims and resolves the reward marked 3-place. Then do the same for 2-place and 1-place until each player has claimed exactly one reward.

If your Action Card has a Black Rule Box, resolve it after claiming your reward, and before the next player claims their reward.

Example: Claiming Rewards. After revealing their bids, the players have the following Total Power:

Courtney (Status B): 6
Chris (Status C): 6
Jenifer (Status D): 6
David (Status A): 5

David claims the 4-place reward. Then he resolves any Black Rule Box on his card.

Of the three tied players, Jenifer is lowest on the Status Track, so she claims the 3-place reward and resolves any Black Rule Box on her card.

Then Chris claims the 2-place reward and resolves any Black Rule Box.

Finally, Courtney claims the 1-place reward and resolves any Black Rule Box.

Important: Placement. Many cards and effects use the term placed (e.g. "If you placed higher than your target..."). This refers to your placement in the current Spotlight (4-place, 3-place, 2-place, or 1-place) and not your position on the Status Track.

5. Clean Up

Discard your Action Card. Its effects are no longer active.
Return all Drive from it to the Supply.
Return your Targeting Token to your Stash.
Draw back up to three cards, if possible.

Important: Your Action Deck is not reshuffled when it runs out.

Aftermaths

Aftermaths represent the quiet moments that follow a Spotlight.

No Action Cards are played. Instead, read the card aloud and follow its instructions, making any required choices.

The Band Step

The Band Step represents rehearsals, late nights, and life between gigs. In the world of Pulse, Pain fuels creativity, and band members who are In Sync grow musically.

Perform the Band Step at the end of Aftermaths:

First, each player gains 1 Sound for each Vibe In Sync in their Stash.

Then the player with the most Pain gains 2 Drive. Everyone else gains 1 Drive.

Playing the Game

Play through the Story Deck one card at a time. Resolve each Spotlight and Aftermath as they appear.

In Action Mode, discard each Spotlight and Aftermath Card after resolving it.

In Cinema Mode, after reading a card, place it face up on the table to create a shared tableau for the chapter. At the end of the chapter, discard the tableau and continue with the next chapter.

Cinema Mode Tip. We strongly recommend taking turns drawing and reading the Story Cards aloud. Sharing the reading adds atmosphere, tension, and a stronger sense of shared experience.

Card Effects

Resolve effects one at a time, in the order they appear.

Effects that use the word "may" are optional. All other effects are mandatory.

If you can't resolve everything an effect tells you to do, resolve as much as you can.

Example: Card Effects. Courtney claims the following Spotlight Reward: "Gain a total of 2 Status or Swagger. Then gain 1 Vibe OR Lose 2 Pain."

She resolves the first effect and chooses to gain 1 Status and 1 Swagger.

Then she resolves the second effect and chooses to lose 2 Pain. She has only 1 Pain in her Stash, so she loses that.

When an effect requires you to choose between two or more options, you must choose one that changes the game state.

Example: Changing the Game State. Chris is at Status D and must resolve the following effect: "Lose 1 Status OR Gain 2 Pain."

He cannot lose Status because he is already at Status D. He must choose the other option and gain 2 Pain.

Effects that use the wording "lose X to do Y" describe a cost. If you cannot lose the full amount (i.e. pay the cost), the effect does not happen.

Example: Paying a Cost. David plays Pain Into Art. Its White Rule Box reads: "Lose 1 Pain to gain 2 Sound."

If he does not have 1 Pain to lose, he cannot pay the cost, and the effects does not happen [sic].

Common Card Effects

The following effects are used across all Living Stories titles.

Gain X: Take X from the Supply and put it into your Stash.
Lose X: Return X from your Stash to the Supply.
Give X: Take X from your Stash and put it into another player's Stash. For triggering other effects, giving counts as losing.
Steal X: Take X from another player's Stash and put it into your Stash. For triggering other effects, stealing counts as gaining.
Target: Place your Targeting Token in another player's Play Area. They are now the Target of your effect. You cannot target yourself.

Character Abilitites

Each character has a Character Ability. See your Character Sheet for details.

Final Scoring

After resolving the last card of the Story Deck, the player with the least Sound has failed to find their artistic voice and is eliminated.

The remaining players claim Achievements and tally Victory Points (VP) to determine the winner:

Each Swagger in your Stash = 2 VP
Each Vibe in your Stash = 2 VP
Each Sound in your Stash = 1 VP
Each Pain in your Stash = -1 VP
Each Achievement = VP shown on the card

The player with the most VP wins.

Album Cards (Optional)

Album Cards are an optional module for experienced players.

Each Album Card represents a song from the band's debut album, Soaked. As the story unfolds, the songs reveal themselves through the moments that inspired them.

Setup

Each player draws one Album Card from the 12-card deck and keeps it secret.

Playing Album Cards

You may play your Album Card on your turn along with your Action Card.

Only one Album Card may be played per Spotlight.

When played, an Album Card adds an additional White or Black Rule Box to your Action Card. These are resolved after any Action Card effects.

Any Album Card you do not play is worth 1 VP at the end of the game.

Non-Player Characters (NPCs)

When playing with fewer than four players, the remaining characters become NPCs.

NPC Setup

Set up each NPC as you would a regular player, with these exceptions:

NPCs have an Action Deck but do not draw a starting hand.
NPCs gain their starting resources except for Drive.

NPC Drive

NPCs can never hold Drive in their Stash. Return any Drive an NPC would gain to the Supply.

NPCs are considered to have unlimited Drive when resolving effects and bidding.

When bidding, each NPC uses an NPC Bid Token. After all human players have revealed their bids, each NPC flips one NPC Bid Token onto the Action Card they played. This is their bid.

NPC Ties

When an NPC resolves a tie, they choose to count as having the most of the compared resource.

Exception: When resolving a tie in Pain for the A Wound That Won't Heal Achievement, they choose to count as having the least Pain.

NPC Spotlight

When it is an NPC's turn to play, reveal the top card of their Action Deck and place it face up in their Play Area.

NPC Card Effects

NPCs resolve card effects in isolation. They never consider what will happen later, however obvious it may be to a human player.

When an effect gives two or more options, NPCs choose the first option in reading order.

NPCs always say yes to "may" effects.

Example 1: NPC Behavior. Courtney is at Status A and claims the following Spotlight Reward: "Gain a total of 3 Sound or Swagger. Then gain 1 Status or Sound."

Courtney resolves the first effect. Gaining 3 Sound is the first option in reading order, so Courtney chooses that option and gains 3 Sound.

Courtney then resolves the second effect. Gaining 1 Status is the first option in reading order. But it would not change the game state because Courtney is already at Status A.

The next option in reading order is gaining 1 Sound. So Courtney chooses that option for a total of 4 Sound gained.

Example 2: NPC Behavior. Courtney plays Buried Rage. Its Black Rule Box reads: "You may have each player who placed lower than you lose 1 Vibe. If you do, gain 1 Pain."

Courtney placed 4-place in the Spotlight, so no player will lose Vibe. However, NPCs always say yes to "may" effects, so Courtney resolves it and gains 1 Pain.

Randomizer Tokens

If an effect requires an NPC to choose or target a player, use the Randomizer Tokens. Shuffle them and draw one.

If the token shows the NPC itself, redraw.

NPC Clean Up

In the Clean Up step, discard the NPC's Action Card. Return any Targeting Tokens and NPC Bid Tokens used by the NPCs this round to the Supply.

NPC Character Abilities

NPCs ignore their Character Ability.

NPCs and Achievements

NPCs can claim Achievements just like human players.

For the Burnout Achievement, each NPC draws one NPC Bid Token to determine their final amount of Drive.

NPC Edge Cases

These rules are designed to keep the game moving and the pressure on.

If an NPC encounters a situation not covered here, quickly agree on a ruling, or choose randomly among the available options and keep the action rolling.

Achievements

Achievements are claimed by players during Final Scoring. Each Achievement card shows its Victory Points and the condition for claiming it.

Soul (3 VP): "You found your true sound." Claimed by the player with the most Sound.
Rock Star (5 VP): "They came for the music. They stayed for you." Claimed by the player with the most Swagger.
The Heart (5 VP): "You made Pulse sound like Pulse." Claimed by the player with the most Vibe.
A Wound that Won't Heal (-6 VP): "It doesn't fade. But you learn to play through it." Claimed by the player with the most Pain.
Burnout (-3 VP): "You played every night like it might explode." Claimed by the player with the least Drive.