Time Capsules Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Aim of the Game
• Components
• Setup
  • Short Game Setup
• Playing the Game
• Player Turn
• Receiving VPs
• Objects
  • Class 1 Objects Are
  • Class 2 Objects Are
• Object Types and Their Use
  • 1. Batteries
  • 2. Computers
  • 3. Artifacts
  • 4. Bioobjects
  • 5. Fluctuation Cards and Chronocrystals
  • 6. Temporal Break Tokens
• End of the Game
• Turn Example
• Solo Rules
  • Additional Components
  • Setup
  • Playing the Game
• Alternative Rules
  • Setup
  • Playing the Game
    • I. Purchase Phase
    • II. Action Phase
    • III. End of the Round
  • Appendix

Aim of the Game

Use the contents of your time capsules to acquire new objects and resources. Amass victory points for the knowledge you receive and the artifacts you bring to the present, and you will win this amazing race. Just don't get too many temporal breaks!

Final scoring comes after 10 rounds. Players with 6 or more temporal breaks lose the game. Of the rest, the player with the most victory points wins.

Components

• 16 time capsules (lift the top tray to find the capsules)
• 4 bags
• 40 chronocrystals: Chronocrystals are quite remarkable - they exist beyond any specific moment in time and can be used to transfer energy to any point, changing the flow of time around capsules.
• 36 fluctuation cards: You cannot venture to the past in person but can affect the movement of the capsules using the energy of chronocrystals.
• 26 computers (d6, d8 and d12 dice) and 60 computer tokens: Computers left behind by the ancient civilization are indispensable for bringing useful objects to your capsules. Use the alien technologies to upgrade computers.
• 4 scoring pawns
• 1 round pawn
• 100 artifact tiles: Artifacts are mysterious objects created by a civilization now extinct. They are worth bringing to the present and grant new abilities.
• 40 temporal break tokens: Transferring information from the past to the present upsets the normal flow of time. Some powerful artifacts can affect it even more. If you create enough temporal breaks, capsules will never return to your time - if there still is a time to return to.
• 20 bioobject tiles: You may encounter some of these while exploring the past. Immediately useful, they can also be sent on a trip through time to study the effect time travel has on live matter. A second jump, however, will inevitably turn them into dust.

Setup

1. Give each player 4 capsules, 1 bag and 1 player mat. (How to open the capsules: push at the marked spot, then open.)

2. Put 6 batteries-1 (battery tokens with the value of 1) and 2 computers-6 (computer token depicting a d6) into your capsules as follows:

   • capsules 1 and 2 - 2 batteries-1 per capsule,
   • capsules 3 and 4 - 1 battery-1 and 1 computer-6 per capsule.

   Then close your capsules, put them into your bags and shuffle.

3. Sort the artifacts into two stacks (by the back color) and shuffle each separately. Create an offer of 6 artifact tiles (3 from each stack).

4. Shuffle the fluctuation deck and deal each player 3 cards. Put the deck on the table.

5. Shuffle the bioobject tiles and place them on the table, face down.

6. Place the VP and round track to the side, along with the round marker. Each player takes a scoring pawn in the color of their capsules and places it on space 0/80 on the VP track.

7. Place the round marker next to space 1 of the round track.

8. Put the rest of the components on the table so that each player can reach them, forming the supply.

The first player is the one who travelled through time the most.

Short Game Setup

You may use the following additional setup rules to make the game shorter:

2A. Additionally take one of the four sets of artifacts (each set has cards with the same number to the right of their names) and put them into your capsules as you see fit. You also receive the bonus objects for these artifacts (see "Artifacts" on p. 8). Place the objects in the same capsules as the corresponding artifacts (but keep in mind to place no more than 7 components per capsule), except chronocrystals which are placed in the indicated space on a player mat.

Sets 2-4 have 3 artifacts each, while set 1 has only 2.

6A. Place the round marker on space 3 of the round track. The first player does not move it before their first turn.

Playing the Game

Players take turns in clockwise order, starting with the first player.

Before their first turn, the first player places the round marker on space 1 of the round track. Before each of their later turns, the first player moves the round pawn 1 space further on the round track.

Player Turn

On their turn a player:

1. Takes 2 capsules out of their bag, opens them and places all the components in the active zone of their mat (such objects are called "active"). If there are no capsules in the bag at the start of the turn, put all 4 capsules in the bag, shuffle them and take two.

2. May use the active objects and fluctuation cards. These can be used in any order, but, once used, the active objects are moved into the inactive zone (to the right of the player mat), and the fluctuation cards into the discard pile (they can be used only once).

   Active objects and fluctuation cards allow you to perform the following actions:

   • Buy an artifact from the offer paying its cost and placing it in the inactive zone (always refill the offer from the corresponding stack immediately after purchase);
   • Use a permanent ability of an artifact in the active zone and move it to the inactive zone;
   • Resolve the effect of a fluctuation card in your hand paying its cost in crystals and discarding it;
   • Use a bioobject tile in the active (bigger reward) or inactive (smaller reward) zone and discard it;
   • Use any of the standard actions listed in the reference:

   Standard action
   Spend 3X energy to receive X computers-6
   Spend 3X qubits to receive X batteries-1
   Spend 5X qubits to receive X VPs
   Spend 5X qubits to discard X breaks
   Spend X energy to reroll X active computers (or you can reroll one and the same computer)

Important: after you gain some familiarity with the game rules, we advise to perform all the steps but step 2 during other players' turns.

Receiving VPs

When you earn VPs during the game, move your scoring pawn forward the corresponding number of spaces on the scoring track. Apply the effects of all spaces your pawn passes (including the one it stops on). For each space with a break icon, take a break token. For each space with a fluctuation icon, take either a crystal or a fluctuation card, your choice.

Objects

All the objects in the game belong to one of two Classes.

Class 1 Objects Are

Bioobjects, artifacts, computers, batteries and temporal break tokens.

Upon receiving one of these, place it in your inactive zone. When you take them out of a capsule, place them in your active zone, except the breaks which are immediately placed in the inactive zone. Objects in the active zone can be used during phase 2 of your turn. Move them to the inactive zone after use (bioobjects are an exception, they are discarded immediately after use).

Class 2 Objects Are

Fluctuation cards and chronocrystals.

Never place them in your active/inactive zones or inside the capsules. Crystals are placed in their indicated space on a player mat, while cards go to your hand. Both are always available and discarded upon use.

Object Types and Their Use

1. Batteries

Energy provided by batteries can be spent on various effects in the game. Batteries come in 3 values - 1, 3, and 5. To pay by energy, move the batteries of required total value or more from the active to the inactive zone. Energy can be used to purchase artifacts from the offer (the cost is indicated on the artifact tiles), acquire new computers-6 and change their qubits output (as noted in the reference on a player mat).

During phase 3 you may exchange your batteries for those of higher value - discard any number of batteries and take batteries of the same or lower total value from the supply. For example, you may exchange 3 batteries-1 for a battery-3, or 2 batteries-3 for a battery-5. You cannot exchange batteries for those of lower value - say, a battery-5 for a battery-3 and 2 batteries-1.

You may discard X batteries with the total value of 3 to receive 1 upgrade or 1 bioobject.

2. Computers

In this game, computers are represented by 2 kinds of components - dice and tokens. Whenever you receive a computer, place a corresponding token in your inactive zone. When you take a token out of a capsule, place it in the active zone. Then take a corresponding die from the supply, roll it and place it on the token. When you spend the die, return it to the supply and move the token to the inactive zone.

The value of a die is the performance of the computer in qubits. You can spend qubits on various effects during phase 2 of your turn. To do that, discard dice with a total value greater or equal to the cost of the effect. You may use several dice to pay for a single effect, but cannot use a single die to pay for multiple effects. Qubits can be used to purchase artifacts from the offer (the cost is indicated on the artifact tiles), gain batteries, VPs and discard breaks (as noted in the reference on the player mat).

Energy can be spent to reroll active computers or to increase their qubits (as noted in the reference). You can use any amount of energy on a single die.

Some effects allow you to upgrade computers. Whenever you earn an upgrade, replace a computer token in your active or inactive zone for a more advanced version from the supply (d6 for d8 or d8 for d12). If it is in the active zone, replace the die as well (rolling it anew). You receive 1 VP every time you upgrade a computer.

You may also discard computers to receive 1 upgrade for a remaining computer or 1 bioobject per any 2 computer tokens discarded.

3. Artifacts

Artifact tile anatomy:

1. Cost (in energy or qubits)
2. VPs
3. Bonus objects
4. Name
5. Color (and colorblind help symbol)
6. Ability

You can purchase artifacts from the offer by paying their cost in energy or qubits (1). Place the acquired artifacts in your inactive zone. When you buy an artifact, receive the listed bonus objects (3) (batteries-1, computers-6, breaks (put them in your inactive zone), or crystals (placed in their indicated space on a player mat)) and gain VPs indicated in its upper right corner (2).

You can only use the ability of an artifact after you take it out of a capsule. To do so, pay any cost listed (6) and move the artifact to your inactive zone.

Some abilities require that you have 2 or more artifacts of the same color. Count the artifacts in your active and inactive zones including the artifact with that ability.

For example, Nanoassembler requires that you have 2 yellow artifacts to receive a computer-8. If it is in your active zone and you want to use its ability, you need one more yellow artifact. If you haven't found one in the capsules you opened this turn, you can still use this ability if you buy a yellow artifact this turn.

Some effects allow you to repeat a used artifact ability one or two more times. When you do this, you do not have to pay the cost (if any) again.

For example, you play the Time Loop fluctuation card to copy the effect of the Crystal Synthesizer you already played this turn. You remove 6 more breaks, even though you already discarded the artifact in question, saving yourself from an inevitable demise.

The correct usage of artifact abilities is your way to victory in the temporal race!

4. Bioobjects

Upon receiving a bioobject take one from the top of the pile and add it to your inactive zone, face up.

• While a bioobject is in your inactive zone, you may discard it to receive the immediate reward indicated on a lighter background with the green check mark in the left corner.
• While a bioobject is in your active zone, you may discard it to receive the reward indicated on a darker background with the red arrow in the left corner. Once a bioobject is in your active zone, you cannot put it back in a capsule again. You must discard it even if you have decided not to apply its effect.

Note that bioobjects are always discarded upon use.

5. Fluctuation Cards and Chronocrystals

You can play fluctuation cards during phase 2 of your turn. To do that, pay the card's cost in chronocrystals, apply its effect, then discard it.

You can receive both cards and crystals by advancing on the VP track.

Fluctuation cards allow you to use powerful effects at the pivotal moments of the game, significantly expanding your options.

6. Temporal Break Tokens

They cannot be used in any way and can lead to your demise. You may discard them through various means (for example, by spending qubits, as listed in the reference). At the end of the turn you must place all your breaks in the open capsules.

End of the Game

When the round marker reaches space 10 on the round track, the players finish the round, and after that the game ends. Players open their capsules and count their breaks. Each player with 6 or more temporal breaks loses immediately. Out of the remaining players, the one with the most points wins.

Turn Example

At the start of a turn, Alex has no capsules in his bag. He places all 4 of his capsules in the bag and shuffles them. He then takes two and opens them.

Inside the first one he finds a battery-3, a battery-1 and a computer-8. The second one contains a computer-6 and 3 artifacts: Capsule Programmer, Microfusion Device and Knowledge Base. He places all the components in his active zone. He also takes a d6 and a d8 from the supply and rolls them, getting a 4 and a 5.

Alex has an Infinite Feedback fluctuation card in his hand and a crystal to play it. He discards the card and the crystal to be able to convert energy to qubits more efficiently.

*He uses both batteries to increase the qubits of the computer-8 to 13 (5 on the die + (3+1 sum of the battery values)2 due to the fluctuation effect he just played).

That is enough to buy another Microfusion Device from the offer (it costs 12 qubits). He places the artifact, the computer token, and both batteries in his inactive zone, returning the die to the supply. He also receives 3 VPs. As his pawn passes a break space, he takes 1 temporal break.

Now Alex has 2 yellow artifacts (Microfusion Devices), and he can play the one in his active zone. He takes a Recon Drone from the offer and a chronocrystal (the bonus object on the Drone tile), and places both artifacts (the used and the acquired one) in his inactive zone. He also receives 4 more VPs thus gaining a break (for stopping on a break space) and decides to take a crystal (for passing a fluctuation space) in the process.

Alex decides to use the remaining qubits (4) to pay for an ability of the Capsule Programmer. He discards the die, moves the token and the artifact to the inactive zone, and removes the 2 acquired breaks.

Finally, Alex uses the ability of his Knowledge Base. He takes a break token, a fluctuation card (he receives Portal into Consciousness), and replaces the computer-8 token in his inactive zone with a computer-12 token, returning the computer-8 token to the supply and gaining one more VP for upgrading a computer.

He has no more active objects, and has to decide how to distribute his 5 artifacts, 2 computers, 2 batteries, and 1 break among the 2 open capsules. Meanwhile, the next player's turn begins.

Solo Rules

Additional Components

• 1 reference card (double-sided: front "Rounds 1-5", back "Rounds 6-10").

Setup

Setup the game as normal, just for one player. You can't use the short game setup in this game variant. Choose one more scoring pawn to represent the score of your competitor. Put that pawn on the scoring track, on a space corresponding to the challenge you prefer:

• 25 for an easy game
• 40 for a normal one
• 55 for a difficult game

When you create the artifact offer, arrange the artifacts of each type by their cost in ascending order from left to right. In case of a tie, place the more recently drawn artifact further to the right. Keep the artifacts arranged by cost every time you refill the offer during the game.

Place the solo reference card in front of yourself (side "1-5" up) and two d6 dice next to it.

The reference card reads: "Roll 2d6 and discard the corresponding artifacts." Each artifact type (the two rows of the offer) has three positions from cheap to expensive (the left row on the card is the first type, the right row the second type). On side "Rounds 1-5": the first group is 1-2, 3, (blank); the second group is 4-5, 6, (blank). On side "Rounds 6-10": the first group is 1, 2, 3; the second group is 4, 5, 6. Doubles: gain 2 breaks.

Playing the Game

The game is played as normal, with the following exceptions:

1. Before playing your own turn, perform the following actions for your competitor. Roll the two dice you placed next to the reference card. Then discard two artifacts from the offer, indicated by the numbers rolled (see the reference card), and award the VPs on the artifacts discarded to your competitor (ignoring the effects of the VP track spaces).

   If the two different numbers you rolled point to the same artifact in the row (for example, on the "Rounds 1-5" side, a 1 and a 2 both point to the same position), remove only this one artifact. If you roll a double, remove only one artifact and receive 2 temporal break tokens for yourself.

2. Refill the offer only at the end of your turn. Do not forget to sort artifacts by cost.

3. If the effect of an artifact would make your competitor gain a break token, it loses 2 VPs instead. The competitor simply ignores acquiring any other components.

4. At the end of round 5, flip the reference card.

5. To win, you must finish the game with less than 6 breaks and more VPs than your competitor.

Alternative Rules

These are the official alternative game rules. They replace the turn structure of the base game with simultaneous phases.

Setup

Set up the game following the base rules. The first player takes the first player marker (use any token).

Playing the Game

The game is played over several rounds. Each round is divided into 3 phases:

• I. Purchase Phase
• II. Action Phase
• III. End of the Round

In the beginning of the first round, place the round marker on space 1 of the round track. From now on, before every new round the new first player moves the round marker 1 space further on the round track.

I. Purchase Phase

All players simultaneously take 2 capsules out of their bags and put all the components from the capsules in the active zone of their player mats (such objects are called "active"). If there are no capsules in the bag at the beginning of the turn, the player puts all 4 of their capsules in the bag, shuffles them and takes 2.

Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, players take turns making purchases from the offer. On their turn, the player can either buy 1 artifact by paying its cost in the indicated resource or perform one of the available actions (see below). Put the acquired artifacts in the inactive zone. Always refill the offer from the corresponding stack immediately after purchase.

If the player decides to perform an action, they must choose between the following available actions:

• Spend X energy to reroll X active computers (or reroll the same computer X times);
• Spend X energy to add X qubits to a computer;
• Apply the effect of an artifact from the active zone if its effect should be applied during the purchase or somehow affects it (see Appendix below);
• Discard 3 battery tokens or 2 computer tokens from the active zone to get 1 upgrade for another remaining computer or 1 bioobject;
• Apply the effect of the fluctuation card in your hand if its effect should be applied during the purchase or somehow affects it. Pay its cost in chronocrystals and then discard it (see Appendix below).

Used artifacts are moved to the inactive zone, and fluctuation cards are placed in the discard pile.

Players continue to take turns buying artifacts until everyone passes. After that, proceed to Phase II.

II. Action Phase

All players simultaneously resolve the effects of the objects remaining in the active zone and their fluctuation cards. The player can perform the following actions:

• Spend 3X energy to get (put in the inactive zone) X computers-6;
• Spend 3X qubits to get (put in the inactive zone) X batteries-1;
• Spend 5X qubits to get X VPs;
• Spend 5X qubits to discard X breaks;
• Use a permanent ability of an artifact in the active zone and move it to the inactive zone;
• Resolve the effect of a fluctuation card in their hand by paying its cost in chronocrystals and then discarding it;
• Use a bioobject in the active (bigger reward) or the inactive (smaller reward) zone and discard it;
• Discard 3 battery tokens or 2 computer tokens from the active zone to get 1 upgrade for another remaining computer or 1 bioobject.

The players can apply the effects of bioobjects only during this phase.

IMPORTANT: If a player uses the abilities of the EMP Cannon or the EMP Bomb, the other player (or players) puts the acquired break in their chronocrystals zone instead of their active zone. The player who received the break has to move it to the inactive zone in the next round. Now this player can try to discard the break by applying a corresponding effect. If a player receives a break in the last round of the game, the break stays in the chronocrystal zone until the end of the game and is counted towards the total number of breaks received by the player.

If the player has performed all possible actions or no longer wants to play anything, they end the Phase II and proceed to the next Phase.

III. End of the Round

After the players have finished performing the actions, they distribute all objects from the active and inactive zones between the 2 open capsules, placing no less than 2 and no more than 7 objects in each capsule. All the excess objects will have to be discarded (the artifacts and bioobjects are placed in the discard pile; other components, in the general reserve).

When a player discards an artifact, they lose as many VPs as indicated in its upper right corner. The player loses 1 VP for each discarded computer-8 and 2 VPs for each discarded computer-12. Breaks cannot be discarded unless a specific effect allows it.

As soon as they're ready, the players close their capsules and set them aside. If there are any temporal breaks in the chronocrystal zone of their player mats, the players move them to the inactive zone. Pass the first player token to the next player clockwise and begin a new round.

Receiving VPs and End of the Game Rules remain unchanged.

Appendix

We recommend playing the following artifacts and fluctuation cards in Phase I:

• Artifacts purchased for qubits: Replicator, Knowledge Base, Machine Control Interface, Microfusion Device, Cryptoanalyzer, Crystallizer, EMP Cannon.
• Artifacts purchased for energy: Maintenance Bot, Thermal Generator, Mechanical Manipulator, Mine Probe, Redoubler, Construction Robot, Gene Splicer.
• Fluctuation cards: Portal Into Consciousness, Molecular Resonance, Time Loop, Infinite Feedback, Future Techs, Wormhole, Shape of Infinity, Chaotic Resonance, Biofield Resonance.