Star Trek: Cryptic – A Puzzles and Pathways Adventure Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• This Is Not a Normal Game!
• Puzzles
  • Finding the Answer
  • Getting a Hint
  • Wrong Answers and Moving On
• Pathways
  • Setting Up the Pathway
  • Drawing Your Path
  • Interacting with Goals
  • Checking the Key
  • Special Pathways
• Ending the Mission
• Contents

This Is Not a Normal Game!

Don't handle any components yet. First read these instructions!

Ages 10+, 1 or more players.

Puzzles

As you read the logbook, you'll encounter puzzles to solve. You must find the right answer to the puzzle before you can continue the mission.

First, set aside the number of merits shown below the merit symbol at the bottom of the page in the logbook. This is the puzzle's merit pool. Then make sure you have all the components you will need for that puzzle (if any). Puzzles don't require any outside knowledge, but you may find it helpful to take notes. You can use the clear pathway screen and dry-erase marker in the game or grab some scrap paper and a pencil.

Finding the Answer

Each puzzle has a single answer that's one or two words long. Some puzzles show boxes outlined in red that indicate how many letters are in the answer. As you solve the puzzle, you'll determine letters to fill the boxes.

Example: In the logbook there are four red boxes. While solving the puzzle, the player forms the word WARP, which is four letters long.

When you think you know the answer, look it up in the HINTS & ANSWERS Index in the back of the logbook, which is arranged alphabetically. If you're correct, you'll be instructed to gain the merits in the puzzle's pool. Place the merits you gain in the mission envelope, adding them to any merits gained from previous puzzles and pathways. You can exchange the merits for larger ones and make change at any time.

Other puzzles show a few possible answers for you to choose from, written in the logbook in red. When you think you know which one is correct, look it up in the HINTS & ANSWERS Index.

Example of Possible Answers in the Logbook: "HOW SHOULD CAPTAIN COLEMAN RESPOND?" with the options "The gagh is DELICIOUS!", "'The FALL of Kang' is my favorite poem!", "Not as SMOOTH as yours!", "I am a fierce WARRIOR!"

Getting a Hint

Each puzzle has a HINT word in the footer at the bottom of the page. If you'd like a hint on how to solve the puzzle, look up that word in the HINTS & ANSWERS Index in the back of the logbook. But be warned—hints make you lose merits! Note: You can't lose more merits than there are in that puzzle's pool. Don't remove merits from the envelope that you gained in previous puzzles or pathways.

Wrong Answers and Moving On

If you are solving a puzzle with boxes and you try to look up an answer that isn't in the HINTS & ANSWERS Index, lose all the merits in the puzzle's pool. If there are multiple possible answers and you look up the wrong one, you'll be instructed to lose merits from the puzzle's pool and try again.

Each puzzle has an ANSWER word in the puzzle footer at the bottom of the page. If you get stuck or want the answer so you can move on, look up that word in the HINTS & ANSWERS Index. You'll get the correct answer and continue the mission, but you'll lose all the merits in the puzzle's pool.

Pathways

As you continue your mission, you'll encounter pathways to navigate. Each pathway represents an action-packed moment of piloting a ship or evading perils. First, set aside the number of merits shown below the merit symbol in the logbook. This is the pathway's merit pool.

Then take the clear pathway screen, the dry-erase marker, and the pathway card shown in the logbook. Don't look at the back of the pathway card!

Setting Up the Pathway

1. Place the pathway card on the table with the front face up and place the clear screen on top of it so they are perfectly aligned.
2. Find the white start dot on the card and draw a dot on the clear screen in the same spot. This is where you'll start drawing your path.
3. Remove the clear screen and place it at least one dry-erase marker's length away from the card.

Now you're ready to draw!

Drawing Your Path

Using the dry-erase marker, draw a single, continuous path from the start dot on the clear screen. Try to avoid where the hazards and boundaries are, and try to interact with the goals listed in the logbook. Never draw directly on a pathway card—only on the clear screen. And don't flip the card over yet!

Drawing your path can be tricky, but just use your best judgment! You can erase and redraw parts of your path, or erase everything but the start dot and try again, as long as you haven't checked the key yet.

Interacting with Goals

Goals on the card have a dotted white line around them. To interact with a goal, draw an X along your path where you think the goal is. It doesn't matter if the goal is an object you're trying to scan, a position you're trying to fly to, or something else. When you check the key, if the center of the X is in the green goal area, you successfully interacted with that goal.

Checking the Key

When you've completed your path, flip over the pathway card to show the back and place the clear screen (with your drawn path) on top of it so they are perfectly aligned. Then check the key in the back of the logbook—the page number is noted at the bottom of the pathway card and in the logbook.

Depending on which areas your path hit or missed, you may lose merits from the pathway's pool. If your path hit the same color multiple times, only suffer the penalty once. You can't lose more merits than there are in the pathway's pool.

Then read the conclusion, gain any merits remaining in the pathway's pool, and erase the pathway screen before continuing. Place the merits you gain in the mission's envelope, adding them to any merits gained from previous puzzles and pathways. You can exchange the merits for larger ones and make change at any time.

Special Pathways

Some pathways represent special actions like transporting people or engaging a command. Instead of drawing a single, continuous path, follow the instructions for that action, as explained below and in the logbook.

Transport: Draw the four start dots on the clear screen. After removing the screen, use the dotted white line as a guide to connect the dots and lock your transporter coordinates.

Engage: Similar to goals that you interact with, console buttons and phaser targets have a dotted white line around them. Draw an X on each button or target. However, unlike goals, you don't draw a path to or between the X's when engaging.

Ending the Mission

At the end of each mission, count all the merits in the mission's envelope and compare the total to the rankings shown in the journal. How did you do?

You can continue right away to the next mission, or you can put away the game and continue later. The merits you've gained don't carry over—remove them all from the envelope and return the mission items to their envelope before you start the next mission.

Now open your logbook and start reading page 1 to begin your first mission! If you have more than one player, read the logbook aloud.

Contents

15 Pathway Cards, Pathway Screen, Dry-Erase Marker, Tricorder with 3 Filters, Replicator Console Card, Cloth, 27 Tiles, 9 Slides, 6 Isolinear Chips, 5 Dilithium Crystals, 3 Star Charts, 20 Merits, Logbook, Instructions