Transmissions Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
• Taking Actions at Locations
• End of Game
• Scoring
• How to Play Solo
  • Set Up
  • How to Play Harvey
  • Taking Solo Actions
  • Solo Scoring
  • Does Harvey Always Win?
• Idea Glossary
• Forest Cards Glossary
• Special Items
• Expansion Modules
  • Module #1: Transformers
  • Module #2: Wild Items
  • Module #3: Pipe Forest Cards
  • Module #4: Scoring Ideas
• Credits

Components

• 1 game board
• 1 rule book / expansion rules
• 2 transformer tiles
• 34 pipe tiles
• 42 ideas (6 sets of 7 tiles)
• 42 item (6 sets of 7 tiles)
• 28 transmission cards (7 for each player)
• 28 forest cards / 7 pipe cards
• 1 score pad
• 15 white, 15 yellow, 15 blue, 15 green engram tokens
• 50 electricity tokens
• 25 scoring tokens (used with expansion modules)
• 4 player boards, 4 starting pipe tiles, 10 starting idea tiles
• 4 robot miniatures

Setup

1. Place the game board in the middle of the table. Put the 4 robots on any four different spaces—making sure each is separated by at least 2 spaces.

2. Give each player a player board and 1 starting pipe tile.

3. Shuffle the starting idea tiles and give 2 to each player. Each player places these on their player board—2 on one robot, or 1 on two different robots. Return unused starting ideas to the box.

4. Separate the item and idea tiles by their letter set (A, B, C, D, R, X and E, F, G, H, Q, Z). Note that sets R, X and Q, Z are for advanced players only!

   2 players: use any three sets (21 ideas and 21 items).

   3 players: use any three sets (21 ideas and 21 items).

   4 players: use any four sets (28 ideas and 28 items).

   Shuffle the tiles into face down stacks next to the game board—one for ideas and one for items. Display 4 ideas and 4 items face up on the game board.

   Return all unused ideas and items to the box.

5. Shuffle the pipe tiles.

   2 players: create 4 stacks of 5 tiles face up on the board.

   3 players: create 4 stacks of 6 tiles.

   4 players: create 4 stacks of 7 tiles.

   Return all unused tiles to the box.

6. Shuffle the forest cards. Reveal 1 as a face up discard. Place the others in a face down draw pile in the FOREST.

7. Put the engrams and electricity in a supply near the game board. An engram is a "memory trace".

8. Give each player 1 engram of each color (blue, green, white, yellow) and 4 electricity. Each player places their engrams on their player board.

9. Give each player a set of 7 transmission cards.

   Each player shuffles these cards, creating a personal face down draw pile, and then draws 3 cards as their starting hand.

The board's locations, going clockwise, are: the Scrap Yard, the Town, the Lake, the Power Station, the Forest, the Meadow, and the Pipes.

How to Play

The player who most recently received a text message goes first. Play then proceeds clockwise around the table, each player taking a turn until the game ends.

On your turn, you must move one robot and then may take one action. To move a robot, choose one card from your hand to play.

If the card is a robot, move that robot.

If the card shows locations, choose a robot in one of the locations and move it.

Example: Move 3 then take a card in the FOREST.

Example: Move from the LAKE and buy an item in the TOWN.

You must follow the path clockwise around the board. Each location has 2 spaces and each space counts as 1 movement. A space may only have 1 robot.

Jump over robots in your way—do not count spaces occupied by other robots!

You must move the robot at least 1 space. You can move up to the distance displayed on your player board.

Example: The yellow robot can move up to 2, the blue up to 3.

Take the action on the location where you end the robot's movement. If you cannot take the action, you may ignore it. Then place your played card face down on the bottom of your draw pile and draw 1 card from the top of your draw pile. Do not shuffle your cards!

If the robot you are moving has ideas, you may use each idea on the robot one time in any order. Ideas 'break the rules' for the game and gain you additional benefits. See the Idea Glossary on page 14 for how each idea works.

Example: This robot can spend 2 electricity to gain a blue engram.

Taking Actions at Locations

When a robot moves to the LAKE or the MEADOW, you may take engrams.

In the LAKE, take 1 blue engram or 2 white engrams.

In the MEADOW, take 1 green engram or 2 yellow engrams.

When you take an engram, place it at the top of your player board.

During the game, you can hold up to 7 engrams. If you ever have more than 7 engrams, you must discard down to 7 at the end of your turn.

In the POWER STATION, take 4 electricity.

Place the electricity in front of you. You can hold any amount of electricity. The supply is intended to represent an endless amount. If you run out of components, use some other method to remember your total.

In the FOREST, you may draw 2 cards from the face up discard pile or the face down draw pile (2 from one or 1 from both).

Choose 1 of these cards to keep and return the other face up to the top of the discard pile. A forest card can be used once during the game and is kept face up in front of you until you use it.

You may play any number of forest cards on your turn—including the turn you take the card! After playing a forest card, turn it face down to indicate you have used it. If the forest deck ever runs out, shuffle the discards and form a new face down draw pile.

In the TOWN, you can buy an item to score at the end of the game.

To buy an item, discard the indicated 2 engrams on the item and the electricity cost on the board below the item. Then place the item on any robot—it does not have to be the robot that just bought the item! An item must properly 'fit' on the robot, taking up two 'slots' on your player board. Once placed, you cannot move it.

After buying an item, return the idea next to it back to the game box. Push the remaining ideas and items to the right to fill the gap. Then draw and place a new item and idea on the far left.

In the SCRAP YARD, you can buy an idea to improve one of your robots.

To buy an idea, discard the electricity cost on the idea. If you buy one of the two far left ideas, in addition to the electricity cost, you must also discard a yellow or white engram. Place the idea on any robot—it does not have to be the robot that just bought the idea! An idea must properly 'fit' on the robot, taking up one 'slot' on your player board. Once placed, you cannot move it.

After buying an idea, return the item next to it to the game box. Push remaining ideas and items to the right to fill the gap. Then draw and place a new item and idea on the far left.

An idea takes up 1 slot and an item takes up 2 slots.

At the PIPES, buy a pipe off the top of any one stack.

To buy a pipe, discard the indicated 3 engrams. To connect the pipe to one of your existing pipes, discard 1 electricity (for narrow pipes) or 2 electricity (for wide pipes). Once you connect a pipe, you cannot move it later! To score more points, try to make a long connection from your starting pipe!

If you cannot or do not want to connect the new pipe, flip it face down and set it off to the side. It will be worth 4 pts at the end of the game. Once set aside, you cannot connect it later!

End of Game

The game ends when any player....

• Removes the last pipe tile in any one of the stacks OR
• Cannot refill the display with 4 items and 4 ideas OR
• Fills all robots on their player board with items and/or ideas.

That player does not get any more turns, but all other players get one final turn. Then all players calculate their final score.

Scoring

A player's final score is a total of the following:

Birds and butterflies appear on ideas, items, and pipes.

Look closely and count all your butterflies and birds collected. Multiply your birds times your butterflies.

For example, 3 birds and 4 butterflies would be 3 x 4 = 12 points. If you happen to have birds but no butterflies or butterflies but no birds, your score would be zero (e.g. 0 x 4 = 0).

Pipes score as indicated on each pipe.

Each flipped over unconnected pipe is worth 4 pts.

Score your longest flow of pipes. Starting with a pipe connected to your starting pipe, count the number of pipes in your longest set of connected pipes. The player with the longest set of connected pipes scores 5 pts. If two or more players are tied, each gains the points.

Example: This player has 3 connected pipes. If that is the longest, they score 5 pts.

Robots filled with ideas and/or items score as indicated at the top of each robot on your player board.

Score all items and ideas on your player board. Some items score based on sets. For example, 1 sock scores only 1 pt. Two socks scores 5 pts each for a total of 10 pts. If you have all 3, each scores 8 pts for a total of 24 pts.

Some items score based on collecting items, ideas, or pipes. For example, for 3 items (including this one), score 6 pts. You can only score 4 times for a maximum of 8 pts with this item!

Score any points on saved forest cards.

Then total the number of acorns at the bottom of your forest cards. The player with the fewest acorns (but must be at least 1 acorn) scores 5 pts. If two or more players are tied, each gains the points.

The player with the highest score wins. If two or more players tie for the most points, the tied player with the fewest acorns wins.

How to Play Solo

Set Up

Set up for a 2 player game (21 ideas and items). You begin with 2 starting ideas, 4 engrams, 4 electricity, and a starting pipe. The solo opponent is named Harvey. Set aside a player board for Harvey. He does not begin with any starting ideas nor any starting resources.

Place 4 electricity, 2 green, 2 yellow, 2 blue, and 2 white engrams on the game board. When you gain resources during the game for any reason, you must take them only from the game board. If the game board is empty for a given resource, you cannot gain the resource!

When you pay with resources for any reason, you may either place all of them back on the game board (e.g. for an item, you must place both engrams and electricity back on the board) or place them all back in the supply. At the end of the game, any remaining resources on the game board count against you.

How to Play Harvey

To determine who goes first, Harvey received a text message two hours ago.

You take your turns normally. Harvey uses all the left over transmissions cards in a single deck. Shuffle these 21 cards together to form a face down draw pile. To take a turn for Harvey, draw the top card from his deck.

If the card is a robot, move that robot and take an action for Harvey. If the card shows locations, move all the robots from each location on the card. Then discard the card face up. If Harvey runs out of cards, shuffle and form a new draw pile.

Harvey always moves robots their maximum distance. When moving or taking an action, Harvey always ignores all ideas on his robots.

To move robots on a location card, start with the top location on the card and move the robot from that location and take an action for Harvey. Then continue down the card to each location and move the robot from that location and take an action. Note this means Harvey may move more than one robot and may move the same robot more than once!

If there are two robots in a location, move the robot that is furthest clockwise first. After completing the action with that robot, move the other robot. If there are no robots in a location, skip to the next location down the card. If there are no robots in any of the locations, Harvey loses a turn (don't worry, he'll make up for it later).

Taking Solo Actions

Meadow. When Harvey moves a robot to the furthest spot clockwise, add 1 green engram to the game board. If he moves to the other spot, add 2 yellow engrams.

Lake. When Harvey moves a robot to the furthest spot clockwise, add 1 blue engram to the game board. If he moves to the other spot, add 2 white engrams.

Power Station. When Harvey moves a robot to the furthest spot clockwise, add 2 electricity to the game board. If he moves to the other spot, add 1 electricity.

Town. Harvey will take an item. The item taken depends on the color of the robot: from left to right in the display, yellow takes the first item, blue second, green third, and red last. Harvey never spends resources.

Example: Harvey's green robot always takes the third item.

To determine where to place the item on Harvey's player board, start with the yellow robot. If the item doesn't fit there, try the blue robot next, then green, and finally red. If the item doesn't fit on any robot, remove the item from the game.

Scrap Yard. Harvey will take an idea. As with items, the idea taken depends on the color of the robot: from left to right in the display, yellow takes the first idea, blue second, green third, and red last.

To determine where to place the idea on Harvey's player board, start with the yellow robot. If the idea doesn't fit there, try the blue robot next, then green, and finally red. If the idea doesn't fit on any robot, remove the idea from the game.

Forest. When Harvey stops a robot in the forest, he gains the top card in the discard pile. Place it near his player board for end game scoring and turn up a new card from the draw pile.

Pipes. Harvey will take a pipe. The pipe taken depends on the color of the robot. From top to bottom stack, yellow takes from the first stack, blue second, green third, and red from the last stack. Set the pipe near Harvey's player board. Harvey does not spend resources on pipes and the pipe does not need to be connected.

Example: Harvey's blue robot always takes from the second pipe stack.

Solo Scoring

The solo game ends normally. It might happen that you end the game rather than Harvey. If this happens, Harvey may not be able to take an item, idea, or pipe after moving because the display is empty. In this case, Harvey loses a turn.

Score yourself normally. To score Harvey, count up all his points for pipes, items, ideas, filled robots, and birds & butterflies normally. Harvey's longest pipe is the total pipes taken—assume they are all connected for maximum length.

Reveal Harvey's forest cards. If any are scoring cards, add them to Harvey's score. Then count your and Harvey's acorns. The player with the fewest acorns scores 5 pts. Harvey then scores 1 pt for every forest card he has collected.

Resources in your supply or off the board have no effect on scoring. However, any left over engrams and electricity on the game board count against you! Each left over green or blue engram on the game board subtracts 2 pts from your score, each left over yellow or white subtracts 1 pt, and each left over electricity subtracts 1/2 pt.

Highest score wins!

Does Harvey Always Win?

If you feel Harvey is too difficult, remove one or more location cards from his deck. The cards with the town, scrap yard and pipes are the best for Harvey—so remove those and see how you do. If still too difficult, remove all the location cards.

Idea Glossary

Each idea tile shows a small icon explaining its effect; the icons are described here in words alongside their effect.

• Instead of moving the robot, discard 1 electricity to exchange places with another robot.
• Instead of moving the robot, discard 1 electricity to jump to any empty space.
• Move the robot in the opposite direction; i.e. counter-clockwise.
• Discard 2 electricity to gain the indicated engram.
• Discard 1 electricity to gain either a yellow or white engram.
• Discard 3 electricity to gain any 1 engram.
• Discard 2 electricity to gain a card from the top of the FOREST draw pile.
• When the robot gains engrams in the MEADOW or LAKE, also gain the indicated engram.
• When the robot gains engrams in the MEADOW or LAKE, also gain 2 electricity.
• Discard any 2 engrams to gain any 1 engram.
• Discard a white engram to gain a green engram.
• Discard a yellow engram to gain a blue engram.
• Discard a yellow engram to gain 3 electricity.
• Discard a white engram to gain 3 electricity.
• Move the robot up to 1 additional space. It does not cost electricity to buy this idea.
• Move the robot up to 2 additional spaces.
• Gain the indicated electricity.
• At the end of the game, gain 2 butterflies.
• At the end of the game, gain 1 victory point and 1 bird.
• At the end of the game, gain 2 victory points and 1 butterfly.
• At the end of the game, gain 3 victory points.
• At the end of the game, gain 4 victory points.
• Use any 1 idea from the robot immediately to the right on your player board. You cannot use this for end game scoring.
• Use any 1 idea from the robot immediately to the left on your player board. You cannot use this for end game scoring.

Forest Cards Glossary

• Gain 3 points at the end of the game.
• Gain 6 electricity.
• Gain 1 engram of your choice.
• After taking your action in the POWER STATION, gain 2 engrams of your choice.
• After taking your action in the LAKE, gain 2 engrams of your choice.
• After taking your action in the MEADOW, gain 2 engrams of your choice.
• When in the TOWN or at the PIPES, you may pay with blue engrams as if they were green engrams and vice versa and yellow engrams as white engrams and vice versa.
• Discard 1 electricity to gain 1 green engram and 1 white engram.
• Discard 1 electricity to gain 1 blue engram and 1 yellow engram.
• When you buy an item in TOWN, gain the idea next to the item at no cost instead of removing it from the game.
• Immediately take another turn with a robot of your choice.

Special Items

• At the end of the game, score 2 points for each item on your player board (including this one). Maximum is 8 points.
• At the end of the game, score 2 points for each idea on your player board. Maximum is 10 points.
• At the end of the game, score 2 points for each pipe (not including your starting pipe). Maximum is 8 points.

Expansion Modules

These four add-on modules for Transmissions can be used together or separately to add new strategy to the game.

Module #1: Transformers

During set up, place the green (idea) transformer in the MEADOW and the red (item) transformer in the LAKE. It doesn't matter which side is face up. Put the victory points in a supply near the game board.

During play, when a robot moves to the MEADOW or LAKE, you may instead of taking engrams use the transformer. A transformer converts components (ideas, items, and electricity) into victory points. When you use the transformer, discard the component and gain the indicated victory points from the supply.

You may either use the top or bottom of the transformer, but not both. After using a transformer, flip it over to the other side! Depending on which side is up, the scoring will change.

If there are not enough victory points in the supply, take what is available. If the supply of victory points runs out, remove the transformers from the game.

Idea transformer: discard any idea from your player board to gain 2 pts. Discard 3 electricity to gain 2 pts.

Item transformer: discard any item from your player board to gain 7 pts. Discard 2 electricity to gain 1 pt.

Module #2: Wild Items

During scoring, a wild item counts as a duplicate of one item of a set on your player board. It must match the count of items in the set — either 2 or 3. If a wild item does not have a match, it does not score.

For example, if you have collected the paint brush from the art supplies set and two wild items, the brush and wild items are each worth 6 pts for a total of 18 pts.

The salt shaker and magnet match the 3 count of art supplies.

Birds and butterflies are not duplicated. For example, if you have collected one toothbrush and one wild item, the toothbrush and wild item would both be worth 4 pts, but the bird would not be duplicated.

If you have completed a set, you may not use the wild item as a duplicate. For example, if you have collected both the coffee mugs, you may not duplicate either of these items.

Module #3: Pipe Forest Cards

During set up, layout the 7 pipe forest cards face up next to the game board near the FOREST. When a robot moves to the forest, you may instead of taking two forest cards take one of the pipe forest cards from the display. You may take the card only if your pipes are connected as shown on the card. You may rotate the card if necessary. The layout may include your starting pipe.

This forest card scores 7 pts with this layout of pipes.

Module #4: Scoring Ideas

During set up, put the victory points in a supply near the game board. During play, you may use scoring ideas to discard engrams to gain victory points. When you use the idea, gain the indicated victory points from the supply. If there are not enough victory points in the supply, take what is available. If there are no victory points left in the supply, the idea does nothing.

Credits

Game Design: A. B. West (crosscutgames.com)

Illustration: Matt Dixon (mattdixon.co.uk)

Graphic Design: Peter Gifford (universalhead.com)

Playtesters: John Ahlfield, Yvonne Chi, Jeff B, Steve Clark, Sharon Clark, T J Clark, Brian Current, Adam Daulton, Rebekah Hendricks, Sean Johnson, Nick Keeler, Dave Kinkade, Karl Mayer, Becky McGrath, Jeremy Montz, Daniel Patterson, Jessica Patterson, Angie Romano, Vinny Romano, Linsey Settle, Kristen Settle, Peter Settle, Danielle Reynolds, Ellen West, Megan West, Jerry Wilkinson, Eric Yorkston, Stephenie Zheng