Wrong Chemistry
Wrong Chemistry Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 blue hex
- 6 yellow hexes
- 5 white discs
- 4 black discs
- 54 cards
- This rulebook
Setup
Set up the game according to the illustration (1) on the last page. The blue, yellow and white hexes, as well as the white and black discs, form the molecule / game board. All players use this one molecule to create new elements.
- The blue hex is placed in the centre, surrounded by the six yellow hexes. Discs are placed on the yellow hexes as illustrated (a mix of white and black discs on the ring hexes). Place 1 black disc and 2 white discs next to the molecule as well; they will be needed during the game.
- Remove the "Restartium" and "Extraxodium" cards. Shuffle the remaining cards and deal 4 to each player. The remaining cards form the deck, which is placed next to the molecule.
- Each player chooses one card from their hand and places it in front of them face down. Once all players have chosen, these cards are revealed simultaneously. The player whose card has the lowest number in the periodic table goes first. Put the chosen cards in the discard pile next to the deck.
- Then each player refills their hand to 4 cards by drawing 1 card from the deck. Now you are ready to start doing chemistry!
Sequence of Play
During their round, each player has 4 points of energy, i.e. actions, or metamorphoses, or however you prefer to call them. In this rulebook they are called energy points. You may perform any of the following actions for one energy point each (each action may be performed several times, but no more than 4 times in total). (See the illustrations with the corresponding numbers.)
(2) Take a white or black disc from the field.
(3) Place 1 white or black disc, taken from the field, on an empty hexagon. There cannot be more than one disc on one hexagon.
(4) Move a white or black disc from one hexagon to another.
(5) Move an empty hexagon from one place in the molecule to another. You cannot move the blue hexagon. It always stays in the centre of the molecule (we do not want the molecule to fly apart).
(6) Discard a card from your hand.
Special case: Once per round you may use "Restartium" to return the molecule to its initial state (the one it was in at the start of the game setup).
Actions That Do Not Require Energy
Playing Cards From Your Hand
If you have created a molecule that is exactly the same as the one shown on one of the cards in your hand, you may openly lay this card in front of you, in your personal pile. You may play as many cards as you like, provided they match the molecule at the time of your round. All the cards you have played are kept in one pile that lies in front of you. At the end of the game, these cards will bring you victory points.
Extra Energy: "Extraxodium"
The second special game element, which you set aside at the beginning of the game, is "Extraxodium". It allows you to use 3 additional energy points at any time during your round; using it costs no energy, and this energy can be spent in several separate portions. However, to use it you must discard one card from your personal pile of cards. You may look through the pile and choose which card you want to discard. If you have no cards in your personal pile, you cannot use "Extraxodium". The discarded card goes to the common discard pile for all players.
Note on Restartium and Extraxodium: Remember that Restartium and Extraxodium remain on the table throughout the game. You do not take them into your hand when you use them. They simply stay on the table next to the molecule you are working with, as a reminder of which actions are available to you in your round. They keep the molecular structure in harmony with the cosmos. Well, perhaps you are mistaken.
Getting Cards
At the end of your round, draw cards from the deck, refilling your hand to 4 cards. If you already have 4 cards, you are not obliged to draw an extra one. Do not try to draw a zero card, or to divide by zero.
End of the Game
The game ends if a player cannot draw a card because the deck has run out. The cards remaining in players' hands are discarded.
Scoring
Each player counts the value of every card in their personal pile (the number in the ring). Also add any bonus for creating molecules whose numbers follow one another in the periodic table: for each number in such a sequence you receive 1 additional point.
Example: Albert collected iron (26), cobalt (27) and nickel (28). They occupy places 26, 27 and 28 in the periodic table. So Albert gets 3 additional points for the cards, plus 3 additional points for the sequence. What is the total? 6 points.
Victory
The player who has scored the most points wins. In case of a tie, the winner is the player who has collected the most cards. If there is still a tie, the winner is determined by the player who goes next (this may be the 2nd, 3rd or 5th player). You may set aside the cards you do not need and play with what you have left.
Periodic Table Reference
The third page shows the full periodic table of elements (1 hydrogen through 103 lawrencium). Elements included in the game are highlighted in yellow; elements not included in the game are not highlighted. A sample card is annotated: "Broken flask" = to use it, discard a card from your personal pile; "Potion flask" = one per use, using it requires one energy; the name of an invented element with a visual association to the real one, its number in the periodic table and its symbol; the value in the ring; the molecule; cards can be played from either side.