ROBOT RISE!
ROBOT RISE! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 90 Play-Deck Cards
- 8 Mad Scientist Identity Cards
- 18 Secret Lair Cards
Initial Setup
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Provide each player 3 secret lair cards. These start the game facing up ("destroyed" side down) on the table in front of each player. Set aside remaining.
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Shuffle the 8 mad scientist identity cards. Deal each player one identity card face down. The player may look at their identity card, but should keep it face down until they are ready to reveal it and use its one-time action (a one-time attack must be used during a player's turn, whereas a one-time defense may be used when attacked). Set aside remaining.
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Shuffle the 90-card play deck. Deal each player either 5 cards (if 3-6 players in the game) or 7 cards (if just 2 players).
NOTE: If a player receives an Event card (red tops and bottoms) in the initial deal, it should be discarded and replaced with a new card. Discarded Event cards should be shuffled back into the deck.
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Place remaining cards (the draw deck) face down in the middle of the table so all players can reach it. Beside it should be room for the discard pile. A 4-player setup (partway through a game) is shown.
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Select a player to go first. Suggested rules:
- The player wearing the cleanest lab coat
- Whoever most recently toppled a government
- Whoever caused a science fair to be evacuated at the earliest age
- The player with the most maniacal laugh
Gameplay
Each player's turn consists of two stages:
- (A) Taking an action, and
- (B) Replenishing their hand
(A) Taking an Action: If a player has any valid turn actions (e.g., playing a card or requesting an alliance), they must take one (mad scientist identity card one-time actions are excluded from this requirement). A played card goes straight to the discard pile (exception: Force Field stays visible for one turn).
If a player has no valid actions (e.g., no cards can be played), they may discard 3 of the same giant robot part cards (e.g., three Giant Robot Heads) and draw 3 new cards from the deck. Whether or not a player can (or chooses to) swap out 3 giant robot part cards, they then proceed to…
(B) Replenishing Their Hand: A player ends their turn by drawing the top card off the draw deck and placing the card in their hand. If a player has fewer than 3 cards in their hand at this point, they keep drawing until they have 3 cards.
Play proceeds to the player to the left (clockwise).
If the draw deck is fully drawn down at any point, set aside the top 3 cards from the discard pile (to accommodate a Time Machine card) and shuffle the remaining discard pile to replace the draw deck.
When a player's first or second secret lair is destroyed, they draw a card. Players exit the game when the third of their 3 secret lairs is destroyed.
If a player destroys another player's last secret lair, the attacker selects one card from the exiting player's hand to add to their hand and discards the rest. The last player remaining in the game wins!
The Cards
There are 5 types of cards in the ROBOT RISE! play deck: 1) Lethal Attack; 2) Nuisance Attack; 3) Utility; 4) Defense; and 5) Event.
Lethal Attack Cards
When a Lethal Attack card is played against an opponent, that opponent must defend (see below) or one of their secret lairs is destroyed (flip over to indicate). If an opponent defends against a lethal attack, the attack has no effect (both the attack card and the defense card go directly to the discard pile). Lethal Attack cards have orange bottom label bars.
Nuisance Attack Cards
When a Nuisance Attack card is played against an opponent, that opponent may defend (see below). Defending against nuisance attacks is optional. If an opponent defends against a nuisance attack, the attack has no effect (both the attack card and the defense card go directly to the discard pile). Nuisance Attack cards have purple bottom label bars.
Utility Cards
Utility cards permit the player to take special actions. They are neither attacks nor defenses. Utility cards have green bottom label bars.
Defense Cards
When a player is attacked, defending against the attack is accomplished by playing a Defense card. Only Defense cards may be played as a response to an attack.
A player wishing to defend against an attack must play (discard) an appropriate Defense card before play continues. The defending player then immediately draws a new card to replace it. Defense cards have blue bottom label bars.
Event Cards
Event cards never go into a player's hand. When an Event card is drawn, the player who drew it must defend against the event (for the Global Annihilation card, all players must defend) or lose a secret lair, just like with a lethal attack. Event cards have red top and bottom label bars.
Giant Robots
Every mad scientist should have a giant robot ready and willing to destroy on command. In ROBOT RISE!, giant robots are constructed from one of each of three kinds of cards: Head, Body, and Legs.
A fully formed giant robot may be played either as a lethal attack or as a defense against any attack.
Without all three cards (Head, Body, and Legs) present, the giant robot is nonfunctional and cannot be played either as attack or as defense.
NOTE: A giant robot may be formed from any combination of Head, Body, and Legs cards as long as one of each kind is involved. A giant robot need not stylistically match to function. However, if a player does play all three matching robot parts cards (as in above example), that player may use the giant robot to lethally attack TWO players instead of just one. To help identify matching giant robot parts, each robot's unique ID number appears on the right side of the card's white text bar (the above example is bot #14).
Giant robots used either as a lethal attack or as a defense against an attack are played and discarded as a set. Once discarded, the giant robot is broken into pieces and the Head, Body, and Legs cards are once again handled individually (such as when being retrieved by a player using a Time Machine card).
Temporary Alliances
There are times when even the most independent mad scientist needs some help. If a player has at least 2 of the 3 giant robot parts (a Head card and a Legs card, for example), they may request a temporary alliance with another player to secure the missing giant robot card.
To do so, the player places the 2 cards face up on the table and announces the request (e.g., "I request an alliance to supply a giant robot body."). Any other player who has the needed card and wishes to join the alliance must then show the card they're offering.
If two or more players offer to join the alliance, the requesting player may choose whose card to accept. But if only one other player offers to join, that offer must be accepted. If no players offer to join the alliance, the requesting player returns the 2 giant robot cards back into their hand and considers other plays.
Once an offered card is accepted, the player providing the missing giant robot part draws a replacement card from the deck. The requesting player, who is now in possession of a fully armed and operational giant robot, may use it to lethally attack any player other than the one who joined the alliance. Consistent with the word "temporary," an alliance terminates immediately after the giant robot's attack. Alliances may not be requested for defense.
Clarifications
Since it's not possible to include every potential clarification in this short booklet, if you have questions about cards or gameplay rules, visit the ROBOT RISE! Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpage: www.happyharpygames.com/robotrisefaq
Or point your smartphone or tablet's camera at the QR code printed in the rulebook. [QR code omitted]
Sample Play
Ana, Ben, Chloe, and Dan are midway through a game of ROBOT RISE! Ana starts her turn and plays a Nuke attack against Dan. She laughs, low and terrible, a gleam in her eye.
That's a lethal attack, so Dan must defend or lose a secret lair. He plays an Escape card. He then draws a card (to replace the defense card he played). Ana draws a card to end her turn.
It's now Ben's turn. He only has two of three Giant Robot parts, so he requests an alliance. "I need a Body!" he says, laying down Head and Legs cards.
Chloe and Dan both hold up Giant Robot Body cards. Ben considers his options and takes Dan's card. Dan draws a replacement card from the deck. Chloe returns her card back into her hand. Ben adds Dan's card to the Giant Robot now formed and, discarding it, announces he is using it to attack Ana.
Ana chooses not to use the EMP card in her hand to defend, instead sacrificing a lair by flipping over one of her secret lair cards to show the "destroyed" side. She draws a card for losing a lair.
Ben ends his turn by drawing a card…
Surprise! It's a Spy Attack card. This does NOT go into Ben's hand. Instead, he discards it and must defend against the attack immediately. However, Ben has no defense cards, so he loses his one remaining secret lair and must exit the game. The cards remaining in his hand are placed on the discard pile. He sips his drink while quietly plotting his revenge.
Play continues to Chloe, who starts her turn by playing a Secret Cache card. She draws two new cards from the deck and adds them to her hand. Chloe then finishes her turn by drawing a (third) card.
Next up is Dan, who plays a giant robot card set: Giant Robot Head, Giant Robot Body, and Flexible Bot Module. He sends his completed giant robot trundling off to attack Chloe, who must defend.
Chloe defends with a Malware card, which sends the giant robot straight back to attack Dan, who must now defend. Chloe draws a defensive replacement card and enjoys the irony as Dan disables his own giant robot with his last card, an EMP.
Dan then draws a defensive replacement card himself. He ends his turn by drawing 2 cards (to get his hand back up to 3).
And play continues…