Outnumbered: Improbable Heroes Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Setup
• Gameplay Overview
• Player Turns
  • Examples
• Bonus Powers
• The Infinity Generator Moves
• The Villains Attack!
• Reaching Atomix Lab
• Winning and Losing
• Training Mode (Ages 4+)
• Credits

Game Setup

1. Place the Game Board in the center of the play area. Place the Infinity Generator truck on the "Start" space of its route tracker. Fold the 5 BARRICADE cards in half and place 1 at the bottom of each Lane.

2. Each player selects a Hero Card with a unique Hero Power and places it in front of them. The player who most recently did math homework takes the 3 DICE and will take the first turn (as described in "Player Turns").

3. Prepare the VILLAIN deck, consisting of the Minions and their leader, Absolute Zero. Choose your difficulty level:

   • For Sidekick Mode (standard difficulty), use only the Minions with a blue background, and return the rest to the box.
   • For Hero Mode (hard difficulty), use all of the Villains, keeping Absolute Zero in the bottom half of the deck.

   Shuffle the Villain deck, then deal 5 Villain Cards, face up, into the top row of Villain Spaces.

4. Shuffle the BONUS POWERS deck and give 1 Bonus Power to each player.

   For Hero Mode, shuffle the Event deck.

   Place the Card decks near the Game Board, leaving space for a discard pile for each deck. If any deck ever runs out, reshuffle the discard pile.

You're ready to save the city!

Gameplay Overview

Outnumbered: Improbable Heroes is a fully-cooperative math game in which players must work together to defeat waves of oncoming Villains approaching down 5 Lanes. Players will take turns rolling 3 Dice, then use their Hero Power and Math Operations to combine and change the Dice values. By creating the numbers shown on the Villains, players can defeat the Villains who are attacking the city.

After each player takes their turn, the Infinity Generator will advance to the next space on its route. On some spaces, the Villains will move down the Lanes and new Villains will appear. You must defeat the Villains before too many reach the bottom of the map, breach your Defenses, and capture the Infinity Generator.

Player Turns

On your turn, start by rolling the 3 Dice. Your goal is to use your Dice to match the numbers shown on any Villain Cards on the board. To help do this, you have 3 tools:

1. You can Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide any of the 3 values to combine them, in any order, as much as you want.

   die showing 3 + die showing 6 = 9

   die showing 4 x die showing 6 ÷ die showing 3 = 8

2. You can Power Up values by Squaring them (multiplying a value by itself). Powering Up helps reach large numbers very quickly!

   die showing 4 squared = 16

   die showing 3 + die showing 2 = 5 → 5 squared = 25

3. Once per turn, you may use the Hero Power printed on your Hero Card.

   REROLL any or all of your dice

   DOUBLE a value

Create the values shown on the Villains to defeat them! You may use the 3 abilities in any order and combination, but may only use EACH DIE ONCE. Defeated Villains are discarded and used Dice are set aside. You may continue targeting other Villains with any remaining Dice.

Examples

Big Plus rolls a 4, a 4, and a 2. He uses his Hero Power to change a 4 into a 5, defeating the 5 Villain. He Multiplies the remaining 4 and 2 to make 8, to take out the 8 Villain as well.

die showing 4 + 1 = 5

die showing 4 x die showing 2 = 8

Digitizer rolls a 3, a 5, and a 5. She finds a clever play: she uses her Hero Power to flip one die showing 5 to a die showing 2. Next, she Adds a 3 and a 5 to make 8, then Powers Up the 8 to 64. Nice!

die showing 5 → die showing 2 = 2

die showing 3 + die showing 5 = 8

8 squared = 64

Bonus Powers

When you defeat a Villain on a Yellow Space using the Dice, draw 1 Bonus Power Card. The Bonus Powers provide powerful abilities for defeating additional Villains.

You may play Bonus Powers immediately, or save them for later, but you can only play Bonus Powers on your own turn.

Using a Bonus Power to defeat a Villain cannot earn you another Bonus Power, even if the defeated Villain was on a Yellow Space.

Example Bonus Power cards: "Defeat a Villain with a PRIME NUMBER!" and "Defeat a Villain with a number DIVISIBLE BY 4!"

The Infinity Generator Moves

After each player's turn, the Infinity Generator will move one space down the track. If the space is an empty space, pass the Dice to the player on your left for their turn. If the space shows a Villain Attack icon, it's time for a Villain Attack!

The Villains Attack!

When the Infinity Generator reaches a Villain Attack space, the Villains Attack before the next player turn. Villain Attacks have the following steps:

1. ADVANCE all of the Villain Cards by 1 space down their Lanes, toward the Barricades. Villains will always stay in the same Lane, they won't move left or right. If a Villain would move onto a Barricade Space at the bottom of the Lane, it has reached your Defenses!
   • The first time a Villain reaches the bottom of each Lane, DISCARD the Villain and the Barricade. You are safe for now, but your defenses are compromised.
   • If a Villain reaches the bottom space of a Lane with NO BARRICADE, the Villains have taken the Infinity Generator and the HEROES LOSE! Avoid this fate at all costs.
2. Deal 5 NEW VILLAIN CARDS into the top spaces of each Lane. The attack continues!
3. HERO MODE ONLY: Draw an EVENT CARD and resolve its text. It may add Villains to the Red Spaces on Board, move some of Villains forward, or have no effect. Whenever Villains move forward, they will push any Villains directly in front of them as well, making a full lane very dangerous!

Example Event cards: "WATCH OUT! Advance all Villains with EVEN NUMBERS in the top row." and "THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! Deal 1 Villain on each empty Red Space."

After a Villain Attack, pass the Dice to the player on your left for their normal turn. (Don't advance the Infinity Generator after a Villain Turn, it doesn't replace a Player Turn.)

Reaching Atomix Lab

Players continue taking their turns and moving the Infinity Generator, with a Villain Attack on each Villain Attack space, until the Infinity Generator reaches ATOMIX LAB at the bottom of its route. Now the Villains begin their final assault!

When the Infinity Generator reaches the Atomix Lab space, advance all the Villain Cards 1 space down their Lanes, WITHOUT drawing new Villain or Event Cards. Players will continue taking turns, working to defeat all remaining Villains on the board. After each player turn, the Villains advance 1 space down their Lanes. The game continues in this way until all Villains are defeated, or until a Villain moves onto an empty Barricade Space.

The Final Assault

• No New Villains or Events
• Villains advance every turn

Winning and Losing

If the Villains in any Lane overcome your Defenses and would move onto an empty Barricade Space, the Heroes have lost. The Villains have stolen the Infinity Generator and you were unable to stop them.

If the Infinity Generator reached the Atomix Lab and you defeated all the Villains on the Board, you win! Calculate your final score below:

Points	Condition
10 pts	The Infinity Generator made it safely to Atomix Lab!
+3 pts	For each remaining Barricade
+5 pts	If Absolute Zero was defeated (using Dice)

Score	Result
10 - 15	Megatropolis is safe… for now.
16 - 21	Absolute Zero has escaped, but will think twice before returning to town.
22 - 27	The citizens of Megatropolis rest easy knowing that Absolute Zero has been stopped.
30	A perfect victory! Absolute Zero and his Minions are captured and Megatropolis prospers.

Training Mode (Ages 4+)

Younger players can play Outnumbered in Training Mode, battling to stop as many Villains as possible.

Set up the game using only the Minions numbered 1-10, no Bonus Powers, and no Events. Use only 2 Dice, only the center 3 Lanes, and no Barricades.

Play proceeds like the Sidekick Mode, but players don't lose the game if Villains make it through the defenses (the other Heroes will stop them). Instead, set these Villains aside and keep track of how many made it through. The goal is to let as few Villains escape as possible. Record your lowest score and track your progress!

Credits

Role	Name
Design	Matthew Tidbury
Development	Andy Van Zandt, John Coveyou, Steve Schlepphorst, Daniel Dávalos
Art and Graphic Design	Katie Welch, Sarah Lafser, Tomasz Bogusz