Star Trek: Lower Decks – Buffer Time: The Card Game
Star Trek: Lower Decks – Buffer Time: The Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Gameplay Overview
The game takes place over five rounds. In each round, the players will work together to complete a single Assignment, while also completing as many Side Projects as possible. Side Projects (and some Assignments) are worth a certain number of Leisure Points, and the players need to score enough Leisure Points before the last round is over to win the game.
Icon Guide
Target Icon: This is found on Assignment cards and Side Project cards, and shows a numerical Target Value. The total value of all Target Icons in play is the Target Total.
Effort Icon: This is found on most Shift cards, and shows a numerical Effort Value. The total value of all Effort Icons in play is the Effort Total.
Officer Icon: Some Shift cards have one or more Officer Icons instead of Effort Icons. If four Officer Icons are in play at the same time, the crew is reprimanded and the round ends early.
Leisure Points Icon: This is found on Side Project cards and some Assignment cards, and shows a numerical Leisure Points Value.
Game Components
- 18x Assignment cards
- 26x Side Project cards
- 28x Shift cards
- 20x Alpha Shift Ability cards
- 6x Reference cards
Setup
To set up a game, perform the following steps:
- Shuffle the Assignment cards, and deal out five into a face-down stack. This is the Assignment Deck. Set aside the remaining Assignment cards, outside the playing area.
- Shuffle the Alpha Shift Ability cards, and place them face-down in the middle of the playing area. This is the Ability Deck. Each player draws two cards from this deck into their hand.
- Shuffle the Side Project cards, and place them face-down in the middle of the playing area. This is the Side Project Deck.
- Shuffle the Shift cards, and place them face-down in the middle of the playing area. This is the Shift Deck.
- The player who most recently complained about work will be the First Player.
Starting a Round
At the start of each Round, perform the following steps:
- Each player draws Side Project cards from the deck until they have two in their hand.
- Turn the top card of the Assignment Deck face-up and place it in the middle of the playing area. This is the Duty Assignment.
- Turn the top card of the Shift Deck face-up and place it next to the Duty Assignment. This is the start of the Shift Stack.
The First Player takes the first turn, then play continues clockwise around the group.
(The printed rules sheet continues the Starting a Round steps in its right-hand column, after step 3.)
Then move all of the Assignment and Side Project cards to the Scoring Row. This is a row of cards to one side of the playing area, laid on top of each other so that the Leisure Points icon on each card is visible, as shown below. (Note that many Assignment cards do not have a Leisure Points icon, but they should still be placed in the row.)
Finally, shuffle all of the cards in the Shift Stack back into the Shift Deck, then start a new round. The player to your left becomes the new First Player.
Shift Dynamics
Whenever a Shift card is drawn from the deck, it is placed on the Shift Stack, so that all Effort or Officer icons in the stack are visible (as shown to the right).
The combined value of all Effort Icons in the stack is the Effort Total. During play, this is compared to the Target Total, which is the combined value of all Target Icons in play.
Taking a Turn
On your turn, you must perform one of the Actions listed below.
GET TO WORK: You can only play this Action if the Effort Total is lower than the Target Total.
Draw the top card of the Shift Deck and place it in the Shift Stack.
START A SIDE PROJECT: Play a Side Project card from your hand into the middle of the playing area, next to the Duty Assignment (and any other Side Projects that have been played this round.)
DO SOMETHING SPECIAL: Play an Alpha Shift Ability card from your hand by reading and following its rules text. If the rules do not instruct you to place the card in the Shift Stack or Scoring Row, discard it into a face-up pile next to the Alpha Shift Ability deck.
LOG A COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT: You cannot play this Action if the Effort Total is lower than the Target Total.
Draw the top card of the Alpha Shift Ability deck and add it to your hand.
Officer Cards
If you draw a Shift card that shows an Officer, place it into the Shift Stack as normal. If there are now at least four Officer Icons in the stack, you're getting reprimanded!
Return the Duty Assignment to the game box, and shuffle any Side Projects that are in play back into the Side Projects deck. Then remove the card with the highest Leisure Points Value from the Scoring Row. (If there are multiple cards with an equally high value, just remove one of them.)
Finally, shuffle all of the cards in the Shift Stack back into the Shift Deck, and start a new round. The player to your left becomes the new First Player.
Game End: Victory
After a player Logs a Completed Assignment, check the Leisure Points Total (the combined value on all Leisure Points icons in the Scoring Row), and look up the number of players against the table to the right.
If you've reached or exceeded the Leisure Goal, the game ends immediately and the players win!
| Player Count | Leisure Goal |
|---|---|
| 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 20 |
| 4 | 22 |
| 5 | 24 |
| 6 | 26 |
Game End: Defeat
If there are no cards in the Assignment Deck at the end of a Round, the game ends and the players lose. Better luck next time!