In Mental Blocks, players are racing against the clock together in real-time to build a specific, single shape in the center of the table, using the blocks provided, without showing other players their cards.
It won't be easy! Players can't show each other their cards, and could also have restrictions on what they can touch, how they can interact with blocks and other players, and what perspectives they can see. Ultimately culminating in a chaotic challenge of teamwork, clever thinking, and problem solving.
In case that isn't hard enough for you and your team, you could also choose to play with the Hidden Traitor Variant where one of your teammates is secretly working against you, trying to run down the clock, without being caught.
Mental Blocks has 60 puzzles of various difficulties; each of which can be played fully co-operative or with the tension inducing Hidden Traitor.
Components
- _270 Double-sided Perspective Cards
- 24 Foam Blocks
- 9 Restriction Cards
- 9 Card Sleeves
- 5 Major Glitch Cards
- 4 Minor Glitch Cards
- Rulebook
Card Anatomy
Perspective Cards
Mental Blocks features double-sided Perspective Cards that give each player their own unique view of the puzzle solution.
Each card has the corresponding Puzzle Number of the other Mode on the flip side. So, Family Puzzle 01 has Challenge Puzzle 01 on the flip side; F01 -A has C01 -A on the flip side, C01 -E has F01 -E on the flip side, and so on.
The Family Icon in the lower left corner and the top green border indicate the Family side. These puzzles are simpler to complete than the challenge side puzzles.
The Challenge Icon in the lower left corner and the top red border indicate the Challenge side. These puzzles are more difficult than the family puzzles.
The Puzzle Numbers are in the lower right corner. Here you see Family Puzzle 01, Card A. All cards labeled F01 belong to the same puzzle. Each puzzle will be comprised of 9 cards labeled A through I.
Each puzzle will also have 1 -6 stars along the bottom showing the difficulty of the puzzle. 1 -star Puzzles are the easiest and 6-star Puzzles are the most difficult.
All Required cards are used each play, with the optional cards being used for higher player counts. The Required / Optional icons in the bottom left indicate if the card is Required (The checkmark) or Optional (The dashed circle)
Some Perspective cards include this Any Side Up icon. For these puzzles it means you have no idea which orientation is up or down, left or right for the puzzle, and adds an additional layer of complexity.
The "I" puzzle cards also include the "Squared Triangles" icon, to remind players about the Squared Triangles rule. See the Squared Triangles side bar for more details.
The green Good Builder icon in the top left lets you know that you are on the team attempting to complete the puzzle in time.
The red Traitor icon in the top right of the "I" card of each Puzzle Set will be used by the Traitor if playing the Hidden Traitor Variant, or as the answer key card if playing fully Cooperatively.
In the center of each Traitor card will be two isometric, full-color side views of the puzzle. These will double as both the answer key and the information available for the Traitor.
The two types of Perspectives
The center of each Perspective card, except card "I", will picture either a full-color, 2-dimensional view of one side of the shape your team is trying to build, or a grayscale, isometric view that does not include lines between individual blocks.
This is always a side view, never from the top down or bottom up.
Example: Molly has the Perspective card on the left.
She knows that when the puzzle is completed, from her perspective she will see a blue block above the yellow block, but she doesn't know if the blue is a square sitting on the yellow, or is actually a tall blue block sitting farther back with it's bottom half being blocked by the yellow block.
Nathan has the Perspective card on the right. He know that the finished shape will consist of 2 levels, and will have what appears to be 2 small squares on top of blocks in the base.
But doesn't know if those square shapes are squares siting on other blocks, or tall blocks.
The orientation of the blocks in the picture is true from the player's perspective. At the end of the game, the structure built needs to match each player's Perspective for the solution to be correct and the players to win.
Restriction Cards
These cards offer individual challenges for each player Note: They apply only to the player who drew the card and not to the entire table.
Examples:
Major and Minor Glitch Cards
These cards are used to increase the difficulty when playing the expert or genius level.
The indicated Glitch Card is dealt face-up to the table and will be followed as a rule by all players, including the Traitor if also playing the Hidden Traitor Variant.
Setup
Step 1: Choose the puzzle that you wish to play
There are two recommended ways to do so.
Play through the Puzzles in order like a campaign, starting with Family 01 and working your way to Family 30, and then turning them over and working from Challenge 01 to Challenge 30. Then to continue playing, increase difficulty and add in glitch cards to replay previous puzzles!
Randomly choose a Puzzle based on difficulty ranking. 1-star Puzzles are the easiest and 6-star Puzzles are the most difficult.
Step 2: Collect the puzzle cards
Once you have selected a Puzzle to play, take all the cards with the corresponding Puzzle Number from the deck. Place the chosen play side face-down so you are looking at the opposite side of the cards.
For example, if you want to play Family Puzzle 01, this means the green side will be face-down and you will be looking at the red side that shows Challenge Puzzle 01.
Important: You should never look at the cards of the Puzzle you intend to play. Use the Puzzle Number, Required Card, and Optional Card icons on the opposite side of the cards to help with set up.
Step 3: Create the Deck
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First, take all of the cards marked required
and place them in a single pile.
Jonathan and 5 friends have decided to play Family Puzzle 02 at the Expert difficulty level without a Traitor.
Jonathan pulls all 9 of the C02 Puzzle Number cards, A-I, out of the deck and places them with the green, F02 side face-down on the table. He will use the icons on the red, C02 side to aid in setup.
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Remove the Traitor Card from the deck and set it to the side. It will not be used during play (unless playing with the optional hidden traitor variant), but will be used as the Puzzle answer key.
It is critical that this card not be turned face-up at any time during play.
Jonathan takes out Puzzle Number card C02-I, careful not to look at the green side, and places it green side down next to the play area.
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Place each of the Required cards
into the sleeves. Make sure you have aligned the cards so that the puzzle you are playing will be visible through the sleeve.Using the icons on the Challenge (Red) side of the Perspective Cards, Jonathan takes all 4 of the Required cards and places them into the given card sleeves so that the green (Family) puzzle will be visible through the sleeves, again being very careful not to look at the cards, and then places the stack face-down next to the play area.
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If playing with 5 or more players, also place all the Optional cards
into sleeves creating a deck of Optional cards. Otherwise, place the Optional cards back in the box, they will not be used this game.a. Hidden Traitor Variant: If you have 5 or more players and wish to play with the chance of a Traitor, place the Traitor card in a sleeve and add it to the Optional card deck.
Note: We recommend playing a few games fully cooperative and then trying the Hidden Traitor Variant. If you are playing with 9 players, you must play with the Hidden Traitor Variant.
Since Jonathan's game has 6 players, he creates the Optional card deck just like he created the Required card deck. Since the team has chosen not to play with the Hidden Traitor, the Traitor card stays face-down on the table as the end-of-game Puzzle answer key.
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Shuffle the deck of Optional cards. Add 1 Optional card face-down to the deck of Required cards per player over 4, so that there will be 1 card for each player. Any extra Optional cards go back in the box, as they will not be used this game.
Jonathan draws 2 Optional cards, since the team has 6 players, and adds them to the Required cards deck. Returning the 2 unused Optional cards to the box.
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Shuffle the new deck of Perspective cards and deal each player a card face-down. Don't look at the card yet!
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If you have fewer than 4 players, place any cards not dealt face-down on the table. These will be the remaining "required" cards. These will be flipped face-up when play begins.
Step 4: Set the Difficulty
Now you can adjust the difficulty of the game based on player level and experience. Add these steps to the Setup based on your chosen difficulty.
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New Players:
a. Do not deal any Restriction cards to players.
b. If playing with fewer than 8 players, flip one of the unused Optional cards face up onto the table.
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Practiced:
a. Shuffle the Restriction cards together and deal 1 to each player face-down. Each player must follow the rule on their private Restriction card for the rest of the game. Don't look at the card yet!
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Expert:
a. Shuffle the Restriction cards together and deal 1 to each player face-down. Each player must follow the rule on their private Restriction card for the rest of the game. Don't look at the card yet!
b. Shuffle all of the Minor Glitch cards together and deal 1 face-up on the table. All players must follow the rules on the card for the rest of the game, including the Traitor if playing with the Hidden Traitor Variant.
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Genius:
a. Shuffle the Restriction cards together and deal 1 to each player face-down. Each player must follow the rule on their private Restriction card for the rest of the game. Don't look at the card yet!
b. Shuffle all of the Major Glitch cards together and deal 1 face-up card on the table. All players must follow the rules on the card for the rest of the game, including the Traitor if playing with the Hidden Traitor Variant.
Step 5: Set the Time
Set a timer on a phone, watch, or other handy time-keeping item based on the below table.
Step 6: Start Play
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Players should now read their Restriction cards. Players must follow the rule on their private Restriction card for the rest of the game.
Remember: It is important that players never see the cards of any other player, either their Puzzle card or their Restriction card. Players are however, free to talk about any information except their puzzle letter.
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If you have fewer than 4 players, any Required Perspective cards not dealt should be face-down on the table. Flip them face-up now.
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All players should now look at their Puzzle cards and state what puzzle number they have, to confirm everyone is playing the correct puzzle. Only the Puzzle Number should be read aloud, never tell the Letter of the card.
Example: Jonathan has F01-C in his hand. He should say, "I have puzzle F01" or "I have family puzzle number one". He should never say, "I have F01 C" as that would give other players too much information.
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Start the clock and solve the puzzle!
Squared Triangles
Since triangles may appear square or rectangular from certain perspectives, either shape is correct if turning a triangle on its side does not contradict the information on any players' cards.
Effectively, because a triangle laid on it's side will appear identical to a square from all four, 2D side views on the Required cards, there are certain puzzles in the game that can be solved with either a triangle turned on it's side or a square block.
This solution is generally valid at lower player counts.
A square and a triangle on it's side appear identical from all 4 "side views".
Important: The Optional isometric grayscale cards provide additional information to players that may invalidate the "squared triangle" as a solution for a given puzzle by making it clear if a solution uses a triangle or a square.
If any active player has a card that is contradicted by the structure built then players have lost. This means solutions using the "squared triangle" may be valid at lower player counts but invalid at higher ones. Remember, communication it critical before a vote is called!
Game Play
If this is anyone's first time playing the game, or you want a quick refresher, the quick start guide on the back of the rulebook is a quick introduction on how to play!
Solving The Puzzle
Once the timer starts, there is no time to waste! All play is simultaneous; there are no turns and players are free to grab blocks and start building. A few things to keep in mind:
Players may never show other players their cards, Perspective or Restriction cards.
Players must follow any restrictions listed on their Restriction cards, and any rules listed on Major or Minor Glitch cards in play.
Players are free to talk about what is on their Perspective and Restriction cards (except for the puzzle letter) and how they think the puzzle should be solved. Open communication is key!
The hidden traitor may lie about anything. But be careful not to get caught!
Players may change what other players have previously built and all pieces are freely available to be picked up and moved by any player at any time during the game.
Play continues until someone feels the structure is complete and correct, and then a vote is called.
Players may move around the table, unless a card specifically forbids it.
Calling a Vote
If at any time a player believes the team has solved the puzzle correctly, they may call a vote. Players must stop building the structure when a vote is called, but do not stop the timer. All players who agree the puzzle has been solved should raise their hands.
If the majority of players agree that the puzzle has been solved, stop the timer and check the results of the puzzle using the Traitor card as the Puzzle Answer Key.
In the case of a tie in the vote, or when the majority of players disagree that the puzzle has been solved, play continues until another vote is called.
End of the Game
Players Win:
If they call a vote before time expires and the solution to the puzzle matches the structure built on the table exactly or is correct per the Squared Triangles solution.
Players Lose:
The game is lost if time runs out or the solution did not match the structure built.
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