Pax Transhumanity Rulebook

Table of Contents

A. What's This Game About?
B. Components & Anatomies
C. Setup (The actual rules begin here)
D. Sequence of Play
E. Production of Money & Work
F. Actions
G. Impacts
H. Cutting Edge & Regimes
I. Game End & Victory
J. Investment Strategies & Money Management
K. Exoglobal Arena — Solo Variant by Jon Manker
Glossary (Definitions for terms in Capital Letters)
Rosetta Stone (Icon Key)

A. What's This Game About?

A1. Overview

As a startup entrepreneur in the not-too-distant future, you make your living by offering new ideas and visions. The position and number of financial agents on your finance board track your financial resources. Move these agents within your finance board to generate money, or move them from the finance board as employees, patents, and syndications. You have two actions each turn, which can include syndicating ideas in the market to gain their special abilities, commercializing previously syndicated ideas to startup companies or solve problems, hiring employees, importing idea cards from one Sphere (column) to another, placating outraged activists, and researching columns of ideas in order to gain patents and reveal new ideas.

A2. Metarules (rules about rules)

The rules are divided into two parts: sequential processes and alphabetical glossary. The sequential processes are arranged in the order you meet them in a typical game: Setup (C), Sequence of Play (D), Finances & Work (E), Actions (F), Impacts (G), Cutting Edge & Regimes (H), Game End & Victory (I). Although useful for learning to play, the processes are not comprehensive without defining the game terms. These terms and non-sequential processes are listed alphabetically in the glossary, where they make for easily-found reference during a game and do not bog the sequential rules with unnecessary minutiae.

Capitalized terms (e.g., Viable, Heat, Patent) are defined in the glossary. Bold indicates the term is being defined. Italics indicates a previously-defined term.
Sequential processes are presented according to the sequence of play, and are introduced by a simple overview followed by specific bullet points.
Card Numbers. The symbol "#" in the rules refers to a card's number, from 1 to 120.
Golden Rule. If the text on a card contradicts these rules, the card has precedence. If text on a play aide contradicts these rules, the rules have precedence.
Footnotes. These describe the science and philosophy behind the technology and politics of the game, according to Phil Eklund (and not necessarily his son Matt).
Learning this Game. See www.sierra-madre-games.com under the "Video" tab for the link to a YouTube video tutorial produced by Heavy Cardboard.

A3. The Five Arenas of Play

Finance Board. Moving Agents downward generates money to pay for each costly action. Use the fundraiser action to move them back up. Divesting moves Agents from another arena to the finance board. Installing moves Agents in the opposite direction, from the finance board to become Patents, Syndications, Employees, etc.
Market. Choosing from among a four-column Market of Ideas, you syndicate enterprises to gain their listed Abilities. Each market column is associated with a Sphere: First World, Developing World, The Cloud, and Space. Unlike other Pax games, the market does not reset on its own. Gaps in the columns are refreshed only if you perform the research action (F5).
Infrastructure. These 4 placards, one associated with each Sphere, incorporate spaces arrayed into 3 tiers. Agents installed here are Employees, and if shifted downward (following arrows) produce Maker (hand) or Thinker (lightbulb) Work. The red octagons in each Sphere are called Barriers. Each one uncovered in a Sphere adds to the Sphere's Barrier Cost, making the commercialize or research actions of that Sphere more expensive. Disks installed here are called Companies, which sometimes are worth VP at the end of the game.
Victory Pile. Unless the game ends with singularity (I1b), tycoon (I1d), or paradigm shift (I2b), each Problem in your Victory Pile will count as VP at the end of the game if it is part of either the Dominant or your Hidden Spheres. Add Problems to your Victory Pile by commercializing Ideas with solution impacts (G2).
Splay. This is a column of semi-overlapping public cards, each oriented so that one of its two discipline colors is visible. Pairs of adjacent visible icons in a Splay, called Discipline Pairs, indicate if an Idea in the Market is Viable (i.e. qualified to be commercialized into the Splay). Agents called Future Shock can be stored here too.

A4. Agents

The wooden cubes are called Agents, of which you start the game with 9 of your color. You can increase this number through Growth Impacts (G1, G7). Each Agent assumes its identity depending upon where it is located:

a. Finance Board Agent. Capital, wealth, or debt depending upon position.
b. Market Card Agent. Syndication or Heat depending upon position.
c. Infrastructure Agent. An Employee in a Utility, Company, or Barrier.
d. Human Progress Card Agent. A Patent in one of the 4 Disciplines.
e. Splay Agent. Future Shock on a Heat square (white or black).

A5. Commercialization Consequences

Your first goal in the game is to commercialize an Idea (F3). This will trigger impacts (G) as listed in the left column of the card. These are generally favorable, including growth (a new financial Agent) plus stuff possibly worth VP at the game's end, such as Future Shock, startup Companies, and Problems. As Ideas are commercialized the Splay will lengthen, creating more pairs and making more Ideas Viable, in turn encouraging further commercialization. However, each commercialization removes a Market card, leaving a Gap in the market column.

A6. Cutting Edge, Regime, Dominant Sphere

The bottom 2 or 3 cards in the Splay, called the cutting edge, determine the Regime per H2. Only one Regime is active at a time, and it encompasses all players and all Spheres. The Regime in turn sets the Dominant Sphere (see glossary), relevant during dominant sphere scoring (A7a).

A7. Game Objective Overview

The game ends when someone commercializes a tipping point card, of which 4 are found in the lower half of the draw deck (I1a). The game can also end instantly by singularity (I1b), plurality (I1c), or tycoon (I1d). There are 3 scoring types, depending on how the game ends:

a. Dominant Sphere Scoring. Each player counts victory points (VP) for each of his Companies and Problems in both the Dominant Sphere and his Hidden Sphere. Those in the Dominant Sphere count double. If there is no Dominant Sphere, only the Hidden Sphere VP count. This scoring occurs for tipping point and plurality game ends.
- Tip: Since the Dominant Sphere depends on the Regime existing the moment the game ends, you should manipulate the cards in the Splay to attain a favorable cutting edge (H1). Your Hidden Sphere will be determined at the start of the game (C7).
b. Future Shock Scoring. Each player counts 1 VP for every Agent of his in the Splay. These Agents are called Future Shock. This scoring occurs for paradigm shift or singularity game ends.
c. Tycoon Scoring. A player instantly wins if he establishes a fifth Company.

B. Components & Anatomies

B1. Game Contents

Cardboard 2 Piece Box. (127 X 127 X 60 mm).
Rulebook. (115mm X 115mm, 48 pages).
4 Finance Boards. (115mm X 115mm X 1 mm, single-sided), one for each player.
4 Infrastructure Placards (115mm X 115mm X 1 mm, single-sided).
120 Cards. (57 X 87mm), represent Ideas (111), Regimes (3), tipping point/plurality cards (5), human progress splay card (1).
25 Cardboard Counters. (20 mm square, single-sided), Mainly represent Problems worth a victory point or two.
60 Cubes. (8mm square, 15 blue, 15 black, 15 pink, 15 red), represent Agents.
16 Disks. (15mm diameter, 3mm thick, 4 in each player color: blue, black, pink, red), represent Companies.
Z-Folded Cheat Sheet. (342 x 115mm), contains Sean Jehan's process flow.
4 Zip Bags, 100 x 120mm.

B2. Finance Board Anatomy (Qty 4)

Finance Agents of your color start in one of 3 boxes on your finance board. From top to bottom these boxes are capital, wealth, and debt. You generate 1 money by moving an Agent down your board (i.e. from capital to wealth, or wealth to debt).

a. Fundraiser. Early in the game, you will be heavily reliant on fundraiser actions, but later costly actions can be fully or partially funded by patent sales.
b. Agents are not money, rather moving financial agents generates money. Money cannot be directly saved from turn to turn, nor even from Action to Action. Except when selling Patents, Money Generation (see glossary) is always just enough to perform a costly action.
c. Divestments. At the start of a fundraiser, it is normal to find yourself spread too thin. If so, divest Agents invested in the Spheres or Market (e.g. Syndications) to your finance board to be used in other ways (like fundraisers).

B3. Market Card Anatomy (Ideas, Qty 116)

All of the Market Cards in the draw decks are Ideas, which have two Discipline colors: on the right and left edges of the card. This pair of colors are used to see if the Idea is Viable (able to be commercialized given the commercial environment).

a. Surge Arrows. This triple arrow gives one bonus Syndication when you syndicate (F2) its card.
b. Heat. White or black-square icons where extra Agents may be placed upon Syndication of a controversial Idea. While in the Market, use only the icons on the left side.
c. Abilities. Describes the advantages of the Idea while you have it Syndicated.
d. Impacts. Describes the advantages to commercialize the Idea.
e. Disciplines. A pair of colors that define the type of Idea the card represents and determine its Viability for commercialization.

B4. Infrastructure Anatomy (Qty 4)

There is one Infrastructure placard for each Sphere. Each has 2 tiers of Barriers (octagons) and Utilities (4-colored squares). The barrier name indicates what the Employees and Companies are solving with their presence. A 3rd tier, "UNEMPLOYMENT", is at the bottom.

a. Expenditure Arrows. The downward arrows indicate the direction of Agent movement when expended for Work Production. This simulates subcontracting.
b. Thinker/Maker. The central divider separates Thinker (left) from Maker (right) Work. Barriers that straddle this divider can generate either Thinker or Maker work, depending on the arrow followed.

B5. Problem Chit Anatomy (Qty 19)

If the game ends by tipping point (I2) or plurality (I4), each of these chits, called Problems, are worth 2 VP if its color and icon indicates it is in the Dominant Sphere, or 1 VP if in your Hidden Sphere.

B6. Pax Transhumanity Mapboard (order separately)

You can order at sierra-madre-games.com a folding Pax Transhumanity setup mapboard.

C. Setup (The actual rules begin here)

C1. Assign Player Color

Two to four players can play. Each player is randomly assigned one of the four player colors.

a. 2- & 3-Player Games. In a 2-player game, do not use Col. Black and Citizen Pink (so Blogger Blue vs. Doctor red). In a 3-player game, do not use Col. Black.
b. Player Order. As marked on the placard, the player order is blue, black, pink, red.
c. Finance Board. Give each player the finance board of his color.
d. Financial Agents. Give each player 9 Agents of their color. Place 8 of them into capital, wealth, and debt as indicated by the small colored circles.
e. Starting Patents. Each player places the last Agent of his color on the human progress card (A4d), in the circle corresponding to his color. Place remaining Agents and disks into a communal pool.

C2. Create Market Area

Create a Market area with four columns with space for 6 faceup cards in each column. Each column represents a Sphere.

a. Sphere Placards. Place these just above each respective market column.
b. Market Cost Markers. Use the markers labeled 0 through 5 to denote the rows as shown. Do not populate the columns with cards yet.

C3. Create Draw Deck

Remove the 4 tipping point cards and 1 plurality card from the deck for now. Then create a draw deck of 38 idea cards.

a. Starting Market. From this deck, populate the developing world and first world columns with six cards each. Place 1 card into the cloud and space columns, in the uppermost (most expensive) slot as shown.
b. Add 4 Tipping Points. Add and shuffle the four tipping point cards into the bottom half of the deck. Place the top half back on the bottom half.
c. Add the Plurality Card. Place the white card labelled "PLURALITY" faceup to the bottom of the draw deck.

Note: If you accidentally add the tipping points (b) before populating the Market (a), tipping points may start appearing too early.

C4. Starting Splay

Draw a card from the top of the draw deck, and tuck it half under the human progress card as shown in the diagram, with only its left Discipline visible. This seeds the Splay with its first Discipline.

C5. Regime Cards

Place the regime cards in a stack with the globalization regime faceup at the top, denoting that the current regime is globalization.

C6. Problem Chits

Place the Problems in 4 stacks dependent on their icon.

C7. Choose Hidden Sphere

From the unused deck, deal each player two facedown cards. They secretly examine the four discipline colors on these cards, and place one card under their placard, oriented so the one color is uppermost. This color is the player's Hidden Sphere. If the game ends by tipping point or plurality, your Hidden Sphere can give you extra VP.

C8. Beginner's Game (Variant)

If this is your first game, consider playing this simpler variant which requires less mental load to obtain commercializations and startups. Normally, a card to be commercialized must be both Viable and syndicated (F3a). In this variant, the card must only be Viable (see glossary). All Market Cards are syndicated for the purposes of commercialization, making the syndication action (F2) largely obsolete. Furthermore, all Abilities on Ideas are inactive.

D. Sequence of Play

During each round, players take their turns in the player order blue, black, pink, red. On your turn, choose up to 2 Actions. You may perform the same Action multiple times. Choose both Actions from this list, then go to the next player:

a. Fundraise (F1). First Divest (return) any Agents from play that you wish (you can Divest Syndication, Employees, and Patents, but can't Divest Heat or Future Shock), then collateral (using capital to buy out debt), and finally move all Agents in the 'wealth' area of your board to the 'capital' area.
b. Syndicate (F2). Pay to install an Agent on an Idea in the market and gain its Abilities. If there are any uncovered white-heat squares on the Idea, you must install additional Agents to cover those icons in order to syndicate it. The money cost to syndicate is the Market Cost of the Idea's current row (5-4-3-2-1-0).
c. Commercialize (F3). Check Viability, spend Barrier Costs, and expend a Maker Employee in the Sphere of one of your syndicated Ideas. This gains you the impacts on that card (from the top down), transfers all Syndications on it to the appropriate patent slot on the human progress card, and moves the Idea to the Splay (retaining Heat).
d. Hire (F4). Install an Employee into any Barrier, Company, or Utility within an Infrastructure. Each Barrier or Company may hold only one Employee, and each Utility may hold one Employee of each color. Hiring cost is 3 money.
e. Research (F5). Spend Barrier Costs and expend a Thinker Employee in a Sphere to discard (or claim) the lowermost card (if any) and refresh its market column. You have the choice either to discard the card and obtain up to 2 Patents, or to add it to the top of your think tank stack.
f. Placate Heat (F6). Divest a Heat of your color from an Idea in the Market.
g. Import (F7). For no cost, move a Market Idea with no opposing Agents on it to a Gap in the Market.

E. Production of Money & Work

Agents on your finance board keep track of your funds. Agents (of your color) on the Infrastructure placards keep track of your Work. When performing an Action that is both costly (requires Money Generation) and busy (requires Work Production), generate the money first, then the work. Money can be via financial payments, patent sales, or both.

E1. Financial Payment for Costly Actions

Just before you perform a costly action (i.e. one that costs money), move Agents on your finance board in order to generate the money needed. One money is generated by moving an Agent from capital to wealth, or from wealth to debt. You may do this multiple times to generate the money you need.

a. Transparency. Your finance board is public knowledge.

Example: Your finance Agents are 2 capital, 2 wealth, and 4 debt. You perform a syndication action which costs 5 money. You move 2 capital into wealth (generates 2 money) and then 3 wealth into debt (generates 3 money). At this point you have 1 wealth and 7 debt. Completing the action will require you to install your last wealth as the Syndication. You end with a 0/0/7 finance board.

E2. Patent Sales for Costly Actions

Just before you perform a costly action, you may sell one or more Patents. This moves the Agent from the human progress card to the wealth box of your Finances, and gains money equal to the Patent Value. This money must be immediately spent on the costly action, either in addition to or replacing the payment per E1.

a. Patent Value. The amount of money gained is equal to the number of cards of the Patent's Discipline visible within the Splay.
- Tip: Even if a Patent is worth 0 money (because it has no cards of its color in the Splay), it can be profitably sold. The sold Patent goes to wealth, and from here the Agent can be moved to debt to generate one money.
b. Bubble. If a transbiology (gold), group dynamics (green), computing (blue), or assembly (orange) regime is active, then its corresponding Patents are worth double. If the paradigm shift regime is active, then all Patents are worth double.
- Example: Five transbiology and two assembly colors are visible in the Splay during the assembly regime. You have a transbiology and an assembly patent, and your finance board has 1 capital, 1 wealth, and 6 debt. You wish to syndicate a card in the 4 row that has already been syndicated by another player (cost of this action is 8). You sell your assembly patent by returning it to your wealth and generating 4 money (value 2 for two disciplines, doubled because of the regime). Then you move your 1 capital into wealth and your (now) 3 wealth agents into debt to generate the remaining 4 money needed for the action. Finally you install a debt agent onto the syndicated card, and end with a 0/0/8 finance board.
c. All Transactions Are Final. Money cannot be carried over from Action to Action. Any money leftover after completing an Action is lost.
- Example: In the previous example, you instead decide to pay the 8 cost by selling both your Patents. This generates 9 cash, but the 1 extra money is wasted. You end with a 1/3/6 finance board.
d. Limits. You can Divest Patents during a fundraiser (F1), but cannot sell them then.

E3. Installing Agents from your Finance Board

Some Actions install financial Agents as Employees, Syndication, Heat or Patents. If this Action is costly, first generate money to pay for it, then install the Agent. Installation is always from your finance board.

a. Installation Hierarchy. When installing Agents from your board, take them from your board from the top down. In other words, remove capital first, then wealth if there is no more capital, then debt.

E4. Divesting Agents to your Finance Board

a. Divest moves Agents of your color to the wealth box of your finance board. See glossary.

Example: You are totally in debt on your finance board. But you have 1 Patent, 2 Syndications, and 2 Employees. Divesting all of them in a fundraiser will put 5 Agents into wealth, which are moved into capital during capital accumulation (F1c).

E5. Work Production

If an Action is busy (i.e. requires Work), you must produce the required Work by immediately moving an Employee of your color to a row one step lower in the infrastructure, following the dotted line. This is called an Employee Expenditure. This costs neither extra money nor Actions.

a. Thinker Vs. Maker Work. Work is either thinker or maker, depending upon the arrow followed is on the right or left side of the Infrastructure. The left side (lightbulb icon) produces Thinker Work, while the right side (hand icon) produces Maker Work. Work is produced regardless if the space exited is a Utility, Barrier, or Company (yours or an opponent's).
b. Work Location. Work production must be in the Sphere where the Action takes place.
c. Stacking. There is a maximum of 1 Agent per circle spot, and 1 Agent per colored square in a Utility.
d. Foreign Employee. If an opponent's Agent sits in your Company, either you or your opponent (but not both) may expend it for Work Production.
e. Unemployment. An Expenditure of an Employee into the lowermost tier means the Employee remains there until Divested or hired by its owner.

Note: Doing work subcontracts the Employee somewhere else: either to another Company, Utility, Barrier, or unemployed.

F. Actions

Choose up to two Actions to perform, plus any free Actions. You may perform the same Action more than once.

a. Order. You may perform your Actions in any order.
b. Costly Action. Must be paid for by Money Generation (see glossary).
c. Busy Action. Must be accomplished through Work Production (see glossary).

F1. Fundraiser Action

This 3-step process improves the money in your finance board:

a. Divestments. You may choose to return any of your Agents that are not on a heat icon (white or black square) to your wealth box. So you can return Syndication, Employee, and Patent Agents.
b. Collateral. If you have Agents in both debt and capital, move one capital Agent into wealth and one debt Agent into wealth. Repeat until you either have no more debt or no more capital.
c. Capital Accumulation. Move all the Agents in your wealth box to your capital.

Example: You have 6 finance Agents: 2 in capital, 1 in wealth, and 3 in debt. For collateral, move 2 Agents from capital to wealth, and 2 Agents from debt to wealth. For capital accumulation, move the 5 Agents in wealth into capital. You end with a 5/0/1 finance board.

F2. Syndicate Action (costly)

After paying the costs, take one of the uppermost Agents from your finance board and install it on an Idea. This Agent is called a Syndication. This Agent confers the card's Abilities (if any) and is also a necessary first step towards commercializing that card (F3). Your syndication deters rival syndication and prevents a rival from claiming the card to his think tank stack.

a. Market Costs. The cost for syndicating depends on the Idea's columnar location in the Market. As indicated by the cost tokens, the lowermost Idea in the column costs 0 money, the next 1 money, then 2 money, 3 money, 4 money, and 5 money for the most expensive, closest to the Infrastructure card. If the Idea is already syndicated by one or more opponents, the Market Costs are doubled: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
- Example: OPEN SOURCE SEXUALITY (#49) is in the second row from the bottom. To syndicate this Idea costs 1 money for Market costs. Place a syndication cube, plus (since it has white heat) a heat cube.
b. White-Heat. If there are any uncovered white-heat icons (white squares) on the left side of the card, you must Install (E3) additional Agents from your finance board to cover them. If you have insufficient Agents, you cannot place the syndication agent. It does not cost any additional money to install Heat Agents.
- Rookie Mistake: The heat squares are duplicated on the right and left sides of the card, yet you only need to cover the icon on the left side, not both! The heat squares are duplicated for ease of identification once it goes into the Splay.
c. Black-Heat. Uncovered black-heat squares are treated the same as those containing the white square of the previous bullet, except placement of Heat on this icon is optional instead of mandatory.
- Example: PARENTAL LICENSING (#36) has PARENTAL RIGHTS as white-heat and COERCED POPULATION CONTROL as black-heat. The first heat (immediate protest) is mandatory, and the second (long term risks) is optional.
d. Shared Ability. If multiple players have syndicated the same Idea, they each enjoy the card's Ability.
- Example: Two opponents have Agents on QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY (#81). For you to syndicate it would cost double, but then all three players would have access to the card's quantum espionage ability.
e. Limits. You may never have two Syndications on a single Idea.
f. Additional Surge Syndication. If an Idea has a triple arrow icon on the top edge of the card, then you are immediately allowed, upon syndication, one free syndication placed on any card above the surging card in the column. The target card must have a Discipline color that shares that of the arrows. This second Syndication can only be placed immediately after the first one and you install Agents onto uncovered heat squares on the newly syndicated card as normal (i.e. mandatory for white, and optional for black).
- Example: You syndicate SEPARATION OF BUSINESS & STATE (#101), which has a green surge labeled SUPREME COURT. This idea is in the 1 cost row in the cloud. The cloud contains two other cards with at least one green Discipline: a green-blue idea (#78) in the cost 3 row and a green tipping point in the cost 5 row. You decide to surge-syndicate the former, paying nothing. You also decide to cover its COERCIVE ANTI-GROWTH black-heat.
g. Avalanche Surge. If the second Syndication also has a surge arrow, it can be used for a 3rd Syndication, etc.
- Example: In the previous example, suppose the regime is transbiology. This has exoglobalization H3b. You decide to surge-syndicate the green tipping point in the cost 5 row after surge-syndicating the green-blue idea (#78).

F3. Commercialize Action (busy, costly)

This Action moves an Idea from the Market to the Splay. Follow this 10-step process:

a. Check Preconditions. There are 2 preconditions for this Action: (1) You must have a Syndication (F2) of your color on the Idea, and (2) The Idea must be Viable.
b. Viability. To be Viable, the 2 Disciplines on the card (blue/gold, orange/orange, etc.) must either (1) match a Discipline Pair in the Splay (both either free of opponent's Future Shock, or containing your Future Shock), (2) match the Disciplines on 2 of your Patents which you immediately Divest, or (3) exactly match the 2 colors on the top card of your Think Tank (F5i). If you choose (3), remove the Think Tank card from its stack and move it back into the Market, into the slot just vacated by the commercialized card.
- Example: You have a gold/orange card in your Think Tank plus two gold Patents. A gold-gold market card is viable for you, assuming you Divest both your 2 Patents. But instead, you commercialize a gold-orange market card, sacrificing your Think Tank in order to make it Viable. Move the lost Think Tank into the slot left vacant by the gold-orange card.
c. Cost. To perform this Action, you must pay the Barrier Cost (see glossary). This cost is doubled unless the Work is subsidized (e.g. expending an Employee in a Utility or Company).
d. Work. You must expend Maker Work (E5) in the Idea's current Sphere.
e. Impacts. Trigger the card's impacts (G) as shown in the card's left icon column, starting from the top down.
- Example: The impacts of card NANO-DESALINATION (#64) are "FAMINE OR SLUMS + growth". First you choose one of the 2 problems to claim, and then perform the growth.
f. Orientation. Choose which Discipline (via its orientation) you would like to be visible while in the Splay. Move the commercialized Idea onto the bottom of the Splay tucked so that only the chosen Discipline is visible. This is called a visible discipline and it forms a new Discipline Pair.
- Note: If there was a disruption impact performed as part of commercialization, then you must choose the disruptive discipline (G5) as the orientation.
g. Heat (either white or black) stays on a card when commercialized into a Splay. Once in the Splay, these Agents become Future Shock. The Future Shock resides in the square icons indicated on the end of the card that is visible after the card is oriented in the Splay.
h. Patent Generation. Unless the Maker Work to commercialize was from a Utility, each Syndication on a commercialized card is moved to the Human Progress Card, into the region that corresponds with the visible Discipline. This Agent is now a Patent in that Discipline. If the Maker Work was from a Utility, then each Syndication is Divested to its owner's wealth.
i. Regime Change. Check the cutting edge (H1) to see if a Regime Change is necessary (H2).
j. Endgame Check. As a final step, check for a singularity ending (5+ same adjacent disciplines in the Splay, see I1b) or a tycoon ending (if you establish your 5th Company, see I1d).

Example: You have NEUROHACKING (#33) syndicated, which is a gold and blue card. This matches a Discipline Pair in the Splay. You perform the commercialize action, triggering the impacts on the card. For the first impact, disruption, you choose the gold transbiology side to be the disruptive discipline. This divests all the current gold Patents, and discards a gold card of your choice from the Splay. You place the neurohacking card into the Splay so that its gold edge is visible. For the second impact (wild problem), you choose the EXOSCIENCE GAP chit. The third impact gives you a company in the cloud. The last (recession) is ignored because you have Heat on MANCHURIAN CANDIDATES. Both your Syndication, and the Syndication of an opponent that happens to be there, are placed on the human progress card as gold Patents. There are 3 Heat on the card, and these all become Future Shock. Finally, you note that the Regime has changed to transbiology because of the addition of the new card to the cutting edge.

F4. Hire Action (costly)

Installs an Employee into any Infrastructure Space, including unoccupied Barriers (freelancing), Utilities (unless you already have an Agent there), or unoccupied Companies (yours or an opponent's). Obtain the new Employee of your color by Installation (see glossary) from your finance board or moving from unemployment within the same Sphere.

a. Cost is 3 Money.
b. Stack Limits. Each Barrier and Company can hold only 1 Employee, and each Utility can hold only 1 Employee of each color.
c. Company Hiring. Hiring into your own Company differs from other hiring because it does not require expending an Action. You can even hire several of your Agents in the same turn, without expending any Actions, as long as you pay 3 money for each.

Example: You have 2 Companies in the first world, and another in space. During your turn you first fundraise, then hire into all 3 Companies (costs 9), then perform research from the Company in space.

F5. Research Action (busy, costly)

This Action discards or claims a Market card and then adds fresh cards to a depleted Market. The Market card discarded or claimed is always the lowest in the chosen column. Perform these 9 steps:

a. Choose a Sphere.
b. Cost. To perform this action, you must pay the Barrier Cost (see glossary). This cost is doubled unless you expend a Subsidized Employee (e.g. Company or Utility) to perform the Thinker Work.
c. Work. Perform thinker work in that Sphere. It can be your color, or foreign per E5b.
d. Tipping Point. In order to research a tipping point out of the market, you must first have Syndication on it.
- Rookie Mistake: Except for Tipping Points, you do NOT need to have a card syndicated in order to research it.
e. Remove the lowermost (i.e. least expensive) Idea in that Sphere (if any), and Divest any Agents on it.
f. Slide all cards in the column down to fill in any Gaps.
g. Refresh Gaps with new cards from the draw deck (from bottom gaps to top gaps).
- Example: The cloud started with only one card, which was lost due to an import. You have established a Thinker Company in the cloud infrastructure. On your turn you hire an Employee to your company for no actions but 3 money, then perform a research using your first action. This expends your Employee and costs 4 money (the number of Barriers remaining in the cloud). Since it is performed by a company man, your research is subsidized. No cards are discarded from the cloud, since it has none. But it does have 6 Gaps, all of which are filled from the draw deck. Unfortunately, you can't install any Patents because no Idea Card was discarded.
h. Optional Patents. Decide to accept the researched card as Patents or as a Think Tank. If you decide on Patents, the Thinker Work for the research must not be from a Utility. Then install (E3) your choice of zero, one or two Patents. Each Patent must match a Discipline on the card discarded (if any). If you install 2 Patents, they must be the two Disciplines of the card.
- Example: In the previous example, suppose GENETIC AUGMENTATION (#16) was the only card in the cloud column. This is a gold-gold card. You decide to install 2 gold (transbiology) patents.
i. Think Tank. Assume the researched card did not have any opponent's Agents (i.e. Syndicate or Heat) on it, instead of discarding and claiming Patents, you may claim it to the top of your Think Tank stack (see glossary). The two colors of your Think Tank enhance your viability, and give you private access to the card's Ability (if any).
- Example: In the previous example, assume GENETIC AUGMENTATION (#16) did not have any foreign agents on it. When you research it, you may claim it to the top of your Think Tank stack instead of installing the 2 Patents. Gold-gold is now a Viable pair for you, and you get its cool ability.

F6. Placate Heat Action

Divest one Heat of your color. It can be on either a white or black square.

Note: Your Agents in the Splay (Future Shock) can't be placated. They can only be Divested if either they are targeted by a social resilience impact (G4), or the card they are on is discarded via disruption impact (G5).

Example: You syndicate EXOCORTEX (#4), which has 2 white-heat (identity blur). Therefore, you install 1 Syndication and 2 Heat Agents. For your second action, you perform a placate heat, which removes one of the Heat and returns the Agent to your wealth.

F7. Import Action

Move an Idea from any market column to a Gap (empty spot) in any market column.

a. Agent Precondition. The card moved must have no opponent's cubes on it. If it has your cube(s), they move with the card.

Example: You import EXOCORTEX (previous example) from the first world, to the nearly empty cloud where you have a company. You decide to move it to the most expensive spot (5), to discourage Syndication competition.

G. Impacts

As the first step of commercialization (F3), perform the icons on the left column of the card from top to bottom. These are called impact icons.

And/Or. If two impact icons are separated by a "+" icon, then you get both impacts. But if separated by an "OR" icon, then you choose which of the two impacts that you wish to activate. Always evaluate an "-OR-" icon before evaluating any "+" icons.

G1. Growth Impact

The growth icon means to take a new Agent of your color from the pool, and place it into wealth on your finance board.

G2. Solution Impact

Take the named Problem in that icon's Sphere and place it in your Victory Pile, assuming that Problem has not already been solved. Note that there are 2 copies of some Problems, and you can only claim one at a time.

a. Wild Problem. Impact icons with the question mark are wild, you can select any unclaimed Problem from any Sphere.

Example: You commercialize NEOGEN PHARMING (#24) which has 3 impacts: FAMINE - OR - DISEASE + first world thinker company. You decide to claim the solution for disease, then you establish the Company.

G3. Company Startup Impact

Take one of your unused Company disks (if you have any) and place it on any Barrier in the Sphere's Infrastructure that is on the appropriate side (thinker or maker). If the Company is a brash startup (G3d), it may alternately be placed to dislodge a foreign company.

a. Local Hiring. If the chosen Barrier is occupied by an Employee, including an opponent's Employee, it must be immediately employed into the Company. Place it on top of the disk.
- Example: You commercialize AVATAR TEACHERS (#77), which has an impact of a thinker company in the developing world. You decide to place your company disk on the PROTECTIONISM barrier. Your opponent has an Agent there, who is immediately employed into your new company.
b. Thinker/Maker Companies. Each Sphere has a thinker half (left side) and a maker half (right side). If the impact icon indicates thinker, it must be on the left side. If maker, the right side. In each Sphere there is one or two Barriers with the (hand/light bulb) icon, and either a thinker or maker company can go here.
c. Business Saturation. If all the available Barriers are occupied by Companies, this impact has no effect.
d. Brash Startup. These company impacts are marked below with the name of a Barrier followed by an exclamation point (!). If so, these follow the same rules as other startups (including local hiring), but if placed on its named barrier, it discards any company disk already there.
- Rookie Mistake: You do NOT need to place a brash company on its named barrier.
- Example: In the previous example, you decide to establish your company on the EDUCATION barrier instead of PROTECTIONISM. Your opponent already has a company disk there, but because AVATAR TEACHERS has EDUCATION listed as a brash startup, the old company is replaced by your company.

You may Divest one Heat or Future Shock. It can be either white or black, in the Market or in the Splay, or yours or an opponents'. It cannot be a Heat/Future Shock on the card being commercialized. The divested Agent returns to its owners' finance board.

Example: You commercialize STATELESS CITIZENSHIP (#65) containing 3 social resilience impacts. You decide to divest a couple of Heat you have in the market, and one of your opponent's Future Shock in the Splay. The latter gives you access to an advantageous Discipline Pair.

G5. Industry Disruption Impact

If you commercialize an Idea with the industry disruption icon, the discipline chosen to be visible when it enters the Splay is called the disruptive discipline. This impact has 2 effects (perform in this order):

a. Patent Kill. Divest all Patents in the disruptive discipline (this Divestment occurs before placing Patents generated by commercializing, see F3).
b. Splay Kill. Choose one Splay card with a disruptive discipline visible (if there are any), and discard it from the game, Divesting any Future Shock on it.

Note: This can eliminate certain Discipline Pairs, and create new ones. It also can change the cutting edge and the regime (H2).

Example: You commercialize the disruptive idea SANGRECYTES (#25) and choose the orange orientation to be the disruptive discipline. During patent kill, all orange patents are divested. During splay kill, you remove a orange card visible in the splay. This removal joins two 3-card chains of green disciplines, ending the game in singularity during endgame check (F3k).

G6. Exoglobal Recession Impact

This impact only occurs if the Idea being commercialized has no Heat on its black-heat square. If so, each player with Employees (in any Sphere) must select one of them and discard it into the pool.

Note: Like Regimes, recession is exoglobal, i.e., it impacts all players in all Spheres.

Rookie Mistake: An Employee lost in a recession is discarded into the pool, not Divested!

Example: You commercialize GLOBAL POLICING (#79), but have not covered the black-heat CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING. You choose one of your unemployed Agents to discard, but your opponent is forced to discard one of his company employees. Both losses go into the pool and not returned to finance. Another opponent, who has no Employees, is immune.

G7. Defusal Growth Impact

This impact allows you to take one of your Agents from the pool, and place it on any uncovered black-heat square in the Market or the Splay. This Agent is then treated the same as Heat or Future Shock respectively. This impact has no effect if there are no available black-heat to cover.

Example: You activate a defusal-growth impact (#14), which places a new Agent on an uncovered black-heat. You choose the GRAY GOO (#45) in the Splay to cover. Your new Agent comes from the pool, thus increasing your repertoire of Agents in play.

G8. Nuclear Exchange Impact

This impact icon is found on tipping point cards, the 4 ideas regarded as "epic", and the plurality card. For each black-heat square visible in the Splay before the impact is enacted, all players are forced to discard to the pool their choice of one Company or one Problem in the Sphere icon indicated by the color and shape of the mushroom cloud.

a. Shielding. For each Future Shock that you have on a black-heat square in the Splay, you may ignore one discard from a nuclear exchange.

Note: This impact has no effect on those with no Companies or Problems in that Sphere.

Example: Your opponent commercializes PROGRAMMABLE MATTER (#106) an orange (space) card with the nuclear exchange impact. There are 3 black-heat squares visible in the Splay. Therefore, each player must discard 3 entities in space, either Companies or Problems. Your opponent does not have any, so he is unaffected. You have 3 Future Shock on black-heat, and you are also unaffected.

G9. Game End Impact

Like all impacts, the game end impact is mandatory, and the players score per (I1a) if the game ended with the purchase of a tipping point card, or per (I1c) if it ended with the discard of the plurality card.

Example: You commercialize the gold tipping point card and perform the nuclear exchange impact and the wild problem impact. Then, without placing the card in the Splay, you perform the game end impact. The Regime is computing, so each player counts 2 VP for each cloud Company and Problem. Each player adds his Hidden Sphere VP to see who is the winner (I2a).

H. Cutting Edge & Regimes

The game state is always in exactly one of the six regimes: globalization, group dynamics, transbiology, computing, assembly, or paradigm shift. These 3 double-sided cards are stored in a stack.

a. Start Regime. The game starts with the globalization regime faceup on top of the regime stack.

H1. Determine Cutting Edge

The bottommost (i.e. most recently added) 3 visible disciplines (or 2 visible disciplines if the Splay only contains 2 cards) determine the cutting edge, which sets the Regime per H2.

H2. Regime Change

As a final step in commercialization (F3), check to see if the regime changes from the current one. If so, add the new regime faceup on top of the regime stack. Its effects (H3) are active immediately. There are 6 regimes:

a. Globalization — the default regime. If there is no other regime, then the regime is globalization.
b. Transbiology — if exactly 2 of the cutting edge (H1) are the transbiology discipline (gold).
c. Group Dynamics — if exactly 2 of the cutting edge are the group dynamics discipline (green).
d. Computing — if exactly 2 of the cutting edge are the computing discipline (blue).
e. Assembly — if exactly 2 of the cutting edge are the assembly discipline (orange).
f. Paradigm Shift — if all 3 of the cutting edge are all the same Discipline (same color).

Example: The last 3 cards in the Splay are assembly, assembly, group dynamics. Therefore, the cutting edge is assembly (H2e).

H3. Exoglobalization

Each Regime lists its exoglobalization, i.e. metarules universal for all players as long as that regime is active. For all the regimes except globalization and paradigm shift, one Dominant Sphere is specified, which determines how to count victory points during a tipping point scoring (I2).

a. Globalization Regime Active. Research and commercialization in the developing world is subsidized. There is no Dominant Sphere.
b. Transbiology Regime Active. Every market idea has surge arrows (F2f) for both of the card's Disciplines. Transbiology (gold) Patents are worth double (E2). The Dominant Sphere is first world.
- Example: A sphere has 3 cards in its market column: orange-green (at top), gold-gold, blue-orange (at bottom). The regime is transbiology, which confers surge to every card in the market. Therefore, by syndicating the lowermost orange idea, you can surge upwards, syndicating the other card with orange per F2f.
c. Group Dynamics Regime Active. Hiring costs zero. Group Dynamics Patents are worth double. The Dominant Sphere is the developing world.
d. Computing Regime Active. Research actions do not cost any money. Computing Patents are worth double. The Dominant Sphere is the cloud.
e. Assembly Regime Active. Commercialization is Subsidized. Assembly Patents are worth double. The Dominant Sphere is space.
f. Paradigm Shift Regime Active. Syndication costs zero. All Patents are worth double. There is no Dominant Sphere.

Example: The Regime is assembly (see previous example). On your turn, you commercialize (which is subsidized), and pay for this by selling 2 assembly patents (worth double).

I. Game End & Victory

I1. Game End

The game ends instantly one of four ways:

a. Tipping Point. At the beginning of the game four Tipping Point cards are shuffled into the bottom half of the deck (C3b). If one of these is commercialized, its game end impact (G9) ends the game and scores per I2.
- Remember! Impacts occur before adding the Idea to the Splay (F3).
b. Singularity. Certain Abilities or the last step of a commercialization (F3k) can result in the Splay somewhere containing 5+ successive cards all of the same Discipline. This ends the game at that point. Score per I3.
c. Plurality. During setup (C3c), the plurality card is added as the very last card in the deck. The game ends if this card is discarded from the Market by research (I4).
d. Tycoon. During the last step of a commercialization (F3k), if you cannot place your Company because you already have all 4 disks used, then the game ends and you win.

I2. Tipping Point Scoring

The game ends if a tipping point is commercialized. Count scores according to the current Regime:

a. Transbiology/Group Dynamics/Computing/Assembly. If the Regime is one of the 4 Spheres, this is the Dominant Sphere (H3a,b,c,d,e), and each of your Companies and Problems in your Victory Pile that are associated with that Sphere are worth 2 VP. Each Company and Problem in your Hidden Sphere are additionally worth 1 VP.
- Example: The game ends with the computing regime active, so that the cloud is the Dominant Sphere. Your Hidden Sphere is space. You have artificial consciousness (a cloud problem) and global warming (a developing world problem). You also have a company in the first world. Because you have nothing in your Hidden Sphere, only the artificial consciousness chit counts, and you end with 2 VP.
b. Paradigm Shift. If the Regime is paradigm shift, there is no Dominant Sphere and singularity scoring is used (I3).
c. Globalization. If the Regime is globalization, there is no Dominant Sphere and the winner is the player with the most Companies and Problems in his Hidden Sphere.
- Example: Your opponent commercializes a tipping point during the globalization regime. Your Hidden Sphere is the developing world, and in this Sphere you have 1 Company and 1 Problem. You end with 2 VP.

Rookie Mistake: What is important for Tipping Point Scoring is the Regime when the game ends, and not the color of the tipping point card commercialized.

I3. Singularity Scoring

If the game ends in a paradigm shift (H2f), or in a singularity (I1b), then Future Shock (Agents in the Splay) are worth 1 victory point (VP). Nothing else scores.

Example: You commercialize a disruptive card which creates a string of 6 cards with the same visible discipline in the Splay. This ends the game in a singularity (I1b).

I4. Plurality Scoring

The final game card, the plurality card, can't be commercialized. If discarded during research (F5d), apply its 4 nuclear exchange impacts (G8) and then end the game. Each player scores 1 VP for each Problem in any Sphere, and an additional VP for each Problem in his Hidden Sphere.

Example: You research the plurality card, ending the game. You have 2 Problems in your Victory Pile for space which is your Hidden Sphere. Your final score is 4.

I5. Ties

If there are players tied for the lead at the end of the game, break the tie with the winner as the player with the most capital (B2). If still tied, the winner is the one with the most wealth. If still tied, share the victory.

Example: In the example for I3, you have 3 Agents as Future Shock and 1 capital, the same as an opponent. You have more wealth, so you win.

J. Investment Strategies & Money Management

The finance board is not your only source of income in the game. As the Splay gets longer, Patents can generate all the money you'll ever need. This allows investment strategies familiar to any investor who has been approached by promoters of managed risk mutual funds: what percent of your assets should be fixed income (finance board) and how many in global markets ("Patents").

a. Debt Avoidance. Avoid going heavily into debt, and if this happens, you may have to divest during multiple fundraisers (F1a). As a last resort, syndicate in the 0-cost column and immediately divest the agent by performing a fundraiser. In this way you gain a capital, which you can use to recover your finances.
b. Speculator. A bold player with a certain savoir-faire can ignore the tips for debt-avoidance given above. This strategy concentrates on the acquisition and sale of patents instead of fundraising, think tanks or utility work, and requires planning several turns ahead to buy the next important patent.

K. Exoglobal Arena — Solo Variant by Jon Manker

As business expands into the cloud and space, "multinationals" become supplanted by "exoglobals". In this variant, play as a solo player against automated exoglobal players:

K1. Exoglobal Setup

a. Assign Player Color. Choose one player board for yourself and setup per C1. Choose 2 or three exoglobal player's boards and place all 15 of their cubes on their respective boards.
b. Setup Market Area per C2.
c. Setup Draw Deck is per C3. Then create a second faceup draw pile, called the exoglobal deck, using all remaining cards. It will be used to determine exoglobal player's actions.
d. Starting Splay, Regime Cards, Problem Chits, & Hidden Sphere are per C4 - C7. Deal each of the exoglobals a facedown Hidden Sphere.

K2. Exoglobal Difficulty Level

a. Easy. For your exoglobal players, use 3 exoglobal players. Use a faceup exoglobal deck.
b. Hard. For your exoglobal players, use 2 exoglobal players. Use a facedown exoglobal deck.

K3. Exoglobal Sphere Selection

If an exoglobal syndication (K5c) or a commercialization (K6b) occurs, select the Sphere and Market Card as follows:

a. Tipping Point. As tipping points become available in the Market, the exoglobal player will preferentially target the first one, following the order specified in the next bullet.
b. Spheres. Start in the first world market, and evaluate cards from cheapest to most expensive. If there are no suitable cards, then move to the next column to the right, and repeat until a match is found or all cards are evaluated.
c. No Matches. If no cards in the market match any of the discipline colors on the drawn card, no exoglobal syndication is placed.

K4. Exoglobal Economy & Companies

a. Economy. Exoglobal players can always afford their actions; you don't track their economy, patents, or employees.
b. Exoglobal Companies. You may not hire into or enter a exoglobal company. If your Employee is already present where an exoglobal is formed, it becomes employed into that company.

K5. Exoglobal Sequence of Play

You play your turn as normal, then one of the exoglobal players takes its turn. Then it is your turn again. The sequence for a exoglobal turn is as follows:

Note: During an exoglobal recession, if exoglobals suffer losses they lose Companies instead of Employees (since they have no Employees).

a. The Phasing Exoglobal Player. The exoglobal player for this phase is the color with the fewest cubes in play (as syndication, heat, or future shock). If tied go in player order (C1b).
b. Draw Exoglobal Card. Reveal the topmost card of the exoglobal deck. This is the exoglobal card for this phase.
c. Place Exoglobal Syndication. Place 1 exoglobal player syndication cube on a market card that has the same Discipline Pair as the exoglobal card. See K3 for priority. This card cannot have been already syndicated by that exoglobal player, but can have the syndication of your color or those of other exoglobal players. If the market card has white-heat, place exoglobal cubes on all white-heat spaces on the Syndicated card.
d. Surge. If the card being syndicated has surge arrows, place syndications on all cards possible, including chain surge.
e. Perform Exoglobal Impacts. The icons on the exoglobal card have a different effect when the card is drawn from exoglobal deck, follow the rosetta stone below: All icons take effect (ignore any "- OR -" statements).
- Note: Ignore Abilities on exoglobal cards.

K6. Exoglobal Rosetta Stone

When performing exoglobal impacts (K5e), interpret its icons as follows:

a. Company. Place a exoglobal player disk as a company following standard rules (G3). If there are several options to place it on, you choose where. However, a brash company (G3d) is always placed on its named barrier.
b. Growth or Defusal Growth Impact. Commercialize a card in the market that is syndicated for the phasing exoglobal player (K5a). See K3 for priority. No impacts or patents are awarded to the exoglobal player. Orient the card with its left Discipline visible in the Splay.
c. Exoglobal Recession Impact. Discard 1 of your Employees to the pool (G6).
d. Industry Disruption Impact. Perform normally (G5) choosing one of the two colors of the icon.
e. Social Resilience Impact. Remove the lowermost card (if any) of the Sphere with the most Companies plus Employees (counting all players). In case of a tie use the leftmost of the tied spheres. Divest any cubes on this card.
f. Solution Impact. Take the solution shown on the card if it is still available.
g. Wild Problem Impact. Draw one card from the bottom of the global deck of ideas and place in a Gap in the market. See K3 for priority.
h. Other Impacts (nuclear exchange, end of game) are handled per standard rules.

K7. Game End & Victory

The solo game ends per I1, and scores per I2, I3, I4, and I5. Consider each exoglobal players individually when it comes to scoring, so you win if you beat the best of them. Note that a exoglobal player may win a tycoon victory.

Glossary (Definitions for terms in Capital Letters)

Ability — is a metarule (A2) listed in the lower part of certain idea cards. Each player who has such a card syndicated or in his Think Tank may utilize this metarule during his Actions. If an Idea is discarded, commercialized, or covered by a new Think Tank, the ability is instantly lost.

Adjacent — Two Disciplines are adjacent in the Splay if they are visible next to each other. This forms a Discipline Pair. If one or both members of a Discipline Pair contain Future Shock, it remains adjacent but the pair is only Viable to the player(s) owning the Future Shock.

Action — During your turn, perform up to 2 actions. Money or work generation, Patent sales, and Company hiring (into your own Company) do not expend actions. Research does not cost money during the computing regime (H3d).

Agent — is the game's basic unit, a cube token in a player color. Each assumes an identity based upon its location, see A4.

Barrier — is a red octagon on an Infrastructure placard. The number of barriers in a Sphere not covered by a Company disk or Employee token is used to compute Barrier Costs.

Barrier Cost — is the cost to perform the commercialize or research actions. It is equal to the number of Barriers remaining uncovered by tokens in the Sphere. The barrier cost is doubled unless performed by a subsidized Employee. For instance, if the first world has 1 of its 3 Barriers covered by your Employee, the unsubsidized Barrier Cost in the first world is 4. Barrier cost for an Action is reckoned before Work Production.

Company — is a disk in one of the player colors. It is placed on a Barrier by the company startup impact (G3). Once placed, it never moves. Each Company may employ up to one Employee, shown by placing the Agent on the disk. Any player may hire (F4) into an unoccupied company. Each company covers a Barrier, reducing the Barrier Costs for the Sphere by one. At the end of the game, companies are worth VP during some tipping point scorings (I2a,c) or plurality scoring (I4).

Discipline — is a color associated with one of the 4 Spheres: transbiology (gold), group dynamics (green), computing (blue), or assembly (orange). Two disciplines are found on each Idea, one on each side.

Discipline Pair — is two adjacent visible icons immediately above or below each other in the Splay. If they match the 2 colors of an Idea, they make that Idea Viable and able to be commercialized without divesting patents. If one or both members of a Discipline Pair contain Future Shock, the pair is only Viable to the player(s) owning the Future Shock.

Divest — is a withdrawal of an Agent of your color from cards or infrastructure into your wealth box. An Agent is involuntarily divested if its card is discarded (research, disruption) or commercialized by another player, with the exceptions (1) Heat becomes Future Shock (F3g), and (2) Agents on Ideas commercialized by non-utility work become Patents (F3h). During a fundraiser, you may voluntarily Divest Employees, Syndication, and Patents, but not Heat or Future Shock. Heat is divested by the placate action (F6). Future Shock is divested by impacts (G4, G5).

Dominant Sphere — is the Sphere associated with the current Regime at the end of the game. If the Regime is globalization or paradigm shift, there is no dominant sphere. During tipping point scoring (I2) and plurality scoring (I4), Companies and Problems in the dominant sphere count 2 VP each.

Employee — is an Agent in an Infrastructure, either on a Company, Utility, Barrier, or unemployed. If moved downward (e.g. during the commercialize action), it produces Work through Employee Expenditure. An Employee of one color on a Company of another color is called a foreign employee. This employee can be expended either by the owner of the Agent or the owner of the Company, and in either case produces work for the player doing the expenditure.

Expenditure — See Work Production.

Future Shock (F3g) — is an Agent on a Splay card, either on a white- or black-heat square. It can only be Divested if either it is targeted by a social resilience impact (G4), or the card it is on is discarded via disruption impact (G5). Future shock blocks a card from being used as part of a Discipline Pair by anyone except one of the future shock owners, and counts as VP during a singularity scoring (I3). It does not block the sale price of a Patent.

Gap — is an empty spot in the 6 X 4 matrix that comprises the Market for all 4 Spheres.

Growth — adds a new Agent of your color from the pool, so that you have one more pawn in play. This happens during impact icons with the "+" sign, including growth (G1) and defusals (G7).

Heat — is an Agent installed on a heat icon of an Idea in the Market, which allays the fears of special interests. The heat squares come in two colors: white-heat (to the left) and black-heat (to the right). White-heat squares are treated the same as black, except placement of Heat on a white square is a precondition for syndication (F2b), while placement on a black square is optional during syndication (and cannot be placed outside of syndication). However, if a black square is left uncovered it adds to destruction if an exoglobal recession (G6) or a nuclear exchange (G8) occurs.

Important! Each heat square is duplicated on both the right and left edges of the card, but you only install heat on the left side.

Hidden Sphere — is the Sphere you secretly select at the start of the game (C7), as indicated by the Discipline color uppermost on a card hidden under your placard. During tipping point scoring (I2) Companies and Problems in your hidden sphere count a VP each. During plurality scoring (I4) Problems in your hidden sphere count a VP each.

Idea — is a card with two Discipline colors, able to be syndicated, commercialized, researched, or imported. See B3 for anatomy.

Infrastructure — This placard is in a column associated with one of the 4 Spheres. It contains Barriers and Utilities for the Installation of Employees and Companies. Unoccupied Barriers count towards Barrier Costs. It also includes a place at the bottom for unemployed Employees.

Install (E3) — moves an Agent from the uppermost occupied box on your finance board to a Sphere. This happens during syndicate (installs Syndication and Heat, F2), hire (installs an Employee, F4), and research (install 1 or 2 Patents, F5).

Maker Work — is an Employee Expenditure, in which the Employee exits a Barrier, Company, or Utility located on the right half of the infrastructure (marked with the hand icon), moving to a space one row lower in the Infrastructure. Maker Work is necessary to commercialize (F3).

Market (C2) — has four columns: first world, developing world, cloud, and space. Each column has a Sphere placard and then up to six faceup Idea cards. See the setup diagram in Part C. Each Idea is in a specific row, as marked with a cost token indicating the Market Cost (from 0 to 5).

Market Cost — The cost for the syndicate action (F2) depends on the Idea's columnar location in the Market. The lowermost Idea in the column costs 0 money, the next 1 money, then 2 money, 3 money, 4 money, and 5 money for the most expensive. These costs are indicated by a cost token beside each row.

Money Generation — If an Action is costly (i.e. costs money), generate the required money by moving Agents to a lower box on your finance board (E1) and/or by Patent sales (E2). You generate one money for each Agent shifted down your board (i.e. from capital to wealth, or wealth to debt). You must always choose one of your uppermost Agents to shift. For instance, if you start with 1 in capital and 5 in wealth, and need to pay 4 money, shift 1 from capital to wealth, and then 3 from wealth to debt. Patent sales are a special way to generate money, useful only when paying for costly actions, see E2.

Patent — is an Agent placed in a patent slot of the human progress card (C4), corresponding to one of the 4 Disciplines. Patents are created during commercialize (F3) or research (F5). Patents can be sold to pay for costly actions (E2) or Divested (E4) to make a matching idea viable during commercialization.

Problem — is a chit, stored either in the pool, or in a player's Victory Pile. If the latter, it is worth 1 or 2 VP during tipping point scoring (I2) or plurality scoring (I4).

Regime — There are six cards in the game indicating a regime: globalization, assembly, computing, group dynamics, transbiology, and singularity. They are stored in a stack, and the faceup regime is determined by the final 2 or 3 cards in the Splay, called the cutting edge (H1). Whenever the cutting edge changes, such as the final step in commercialization, check the cutting edge to see if a regime change (H2) is required. If so, put the new Regime on top to show it is active. The active Regime imposes an exoglobalization (H3) and also determines the Dominant Sphere that may be scored at the game end (I1).

Sphere — is one of the market card columns, including its Ideas and Infrastructure. There are four: first world, developing world, cloud, and space. Each is associated with one Discipline: transbiology (gold), group dynamics (green), computing (blue), or assembly (orange).

Splay — (short for human progress splay), is a semi-overlapping column of commercialized cards stored just below the human progress card. The first card in the splay is seeded during setup (C4).

Subsidized — This prevents the doubled Barrier Cost for producing the work for the commercialize or research actions. An Employee is always subsidized if he exits a Company or Utility during Work Production. Exiting Barriers is unsubsidized except during certain Regimes (H3) or Abilities.

Syndication — is an Agent on a Market Idea. It is installed by the syndicate action (F2). This Agent immediately gives you the card's Ability if any, and is the first step to commercialization. "To syndicate" means to organize a group around an idea or founding principle.

Thinker Work — is an Employee Expenditure, in which the Employee exits a Barrier, Company, or Utility located on the left half of the infrastructure (marked with the lightbulb icon), moving to a space one row lower in the Infrastructure. Thinker Work is necessary to research (F5).

Think Tank — is the uppermost card of a personal stack of cards representing your research department. The 2 colors of this card are a Viable pair for you, and if used for Viability during commercialization, the Think tank is reintroduced into the Market per F3b. The Ability (if any) of the think tank is active for you. Think tank cards can be added during research (F5i), which covers (and makes obsolete) previous think tank cards.

Token Management — All tokens not in play are stored in a central pool. You are limited to the tokens provided, and e.g. cannot gain an Agent if the pool is empty of your color. If you establish a 5th Company but can't place it because you ran out of your 4 company tokens, you win the game as a tycoon (I1d) (or, if blocked from victory by an ability, remove an old company for the new company).

Utility — One of the square-shaped spaces on an Infrastructure. It is divided into 4 quadrants, because it can support one Employee of each of the 4 player colors. Work Production from a Utility is always Subsidized but never generates Patents.

Viable (F3) — There are 3 ways an Idea can be Viable, which allows it to be commercialized (F3). These 3 cannot be mixed:

Splay Viability if its two Disciplines appear in a Discipline Pair, i.e. visible on any two adjacent cards in a Splay. The order does not matter, but if there is any Future Shock on a splay card, only those players with that Future Shock may use it for discipline pair viability.
Patent Viability if its two Disciplines match the Disciplines on 2 of your Patents which you immediately Divest, moving the 2 Agents to your wealth.
Think Tank Viability if its two Disciplines match the 2 colors on your Think Tank (F5i). If so, return your Think Tank card to the newly vacant market slot (F3b).

Victory Pile (A3.4) — is your private stack of Problems, which you have solved. During tipping point scoring (I2) and plurality scoring (I4), each Problem is worth 2 VP if it is in the Dominant Sphere and 1 additional VP if it is in the Hidden Sphere.

VP — short for Victory Point.

Work Production — moves an Employee down one tier in an Infrastructure, following the arrows, in order to fulfill the precondition for busy actions (commercialization or research). This movement, simulating subcontracting, is called an Expenditure, and the Employee must either be your color or be in your Company. Work is produced by exiting any Barrier, Company (either yours or an opponent's), or Utility.

Thinker vs. Maker Work. Exiting from a Barrier, Company, or Utility on the left produces Thinker Work, while exiting on the right produces Maker Work. Exiting from the middle (straddling the central divider) produces either Thinker or Maker Work, depending on the arrow chosen.
Work Location. The Sphere where the Work production occurs must be in the Sphere where the Action takes place.
Work Costs. Work production costs neither money nor Actions.
Work Subcontracting & Unemployment. An expenditure from the upper tier leaves the Employee in a space in the middle tier, as a subcontractor. An expenditure from the middle tier into unemployment (E5e) remains there until Divested or rehired.
Utility Work. Work produced by a Utility does not result in Patents during commercialize (F3) or research (F5h). This is indicated by a note on the arrow exiting each Utility.

Rosetta Stone (Icon Key)

Barrier — The number of Barriers in a Sphere not covered by a cube or disk token adds to the Barrier Costs within that Sphere.

Black-Heat Square is where you can place a heat cube upon syndication.

Brash Startup Impact places a company disk as per a normal company startup, but if placed on its named barrier discards the company already there if any.

Cloud is the Sphere (market card column) associated with the computing discipline (blue).

Company Startup Impact places a company disk in the Sphere indicated on the appropriate side (thinker or maker).

Defusal Growth Impact takes a new Agent from the pool, and places it on any uncovered black-heat square in the Market or the Splay.

Developing World is the Sphere (market card column) associated with the group dynamics discipline (green).

Exoglobal Recession Impact occurs if this card is commercialized without Heat on its black-heat square. If so, each player must discard an Employee.

First World is the Sphere (market card column) associated with the transbiology discipline (gold).

Game End Impact ends the game immediately with final scoring.

Growth Impact takes a new Agent from the pool and places it into your wealth.

Industry Disruption Impact first kills all patents of the color chosen to be visible upon commercialization, then kills one splay card of this discipline.

Maker Icon indicates the right half of the infrastructure must be used to place companies or produce work.

Nuclear Exchange Impact forces all players to discard a number of Companies or Problems in the indicated Sphere according to the number of black-heat squares visible in the Splay. Effects are reduced by shielding.

Social Resilience Impact allows you to divest one Heat or Future Shock, either yours or an opponent's.

Solution Impact allows you to claim a matching named chit from the pool of unclaimed chits.

Space is the Sphere (market card column) associated with the assembly discipline (orange).

Surge allows you, upon syndication, one free syndication placed on any card above the surging card in the column.

Thinker Icon indicates the left half of the infrastructure must be used to place companies or produce work.

Utility is where you can store an Employee to do subsidized work but without claiming Patents.

White-Heat Square is where you must place a heat cube upon syndication.

Wild Problem Impact is a solution in which you can select any unclaimed problem.