Trapped in a drowned world, you and your allies are doomed - or are you? Using a mystical deck and a healthy dose of logic, you can predict each other's fates and escape unscathed.
This is a cooperative deduction game for 2-5 players. You and your friends are fortune tellers trying to prevent terrible fates from befalling each other. To win you must collectively make 7 correct predictions before your doom reaches 7.
Components
- 20 Arcana cards
- 1 The Hours card
- 2 Score/doom trackers
- 1 Token bag
- 21 Fate tokens
- 35 Number line tokens
- Instructions
Setup
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Place The Hours card at the left edge of the central play area, with the green score tracker at 0. Place the red doom tracker according to your desired difficulty.
- 0 doom - Easy
- 2 doom - Normal
- 4 doom - Hard
- 6 doom - Doomed
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Shuffle the arcana cards face-up and place the deck above The Hours card. Place the top 4 arcana cards in a row to the right of The Hours card.
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Give each player a complete set of 7 number line tokens in one color. If there are fewer than 5 players, put away any remaining number line tokens.
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Place all 21 fate tokens into the bag and shake it to shuffle them. Place the bag in the center of the play area.
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Choose a starting player. Play proceeds clockwise.
The Hours Card
The Hours is a special card that is always in play face-up. It has a dark background, as opposed to arcana cards. It includes a score track and lacks a duration.
It has no ability on its back side, as it will never fade and cannot leave play or be cycled. The Hours card is not considered an arcana card.
Example setup for 5 players on Easy difficulty after several fates have been played.
Arcana Cards
The front of each arcana card depicts a unique name, image, and ability, while the back of each card depicts its faded power.
During the game, the arcana deck is always face up (the front of the top card is visible). There are always 4 face-up arcana cards in the central play area beside the special card The Hours.
Over time, arcana cards in play will fade, which causes them to leave the central play area and flip (see: Fading).
Front Side Features
- Card name
A - Ability title
B - Ability text
C - Card duration
D
Back Side Features
- Power icon
E - Power title
F - Power text
G
Fate Tokens
Fate tokens are black. The front of each fate shows its value (numeral 1 through 7), and how many hours (pips) it consumes when played.
A fate's value is what the other players will try to predict (using the arcana cards). The hours on it determine how quickly that fate will cause arcana cards to fade from play.
- Fates with a value of 1, 2, or 3 consume 1 hour.
- Fates with a value of 4, 5, or 6 consume 2 hours.
- Fates with a value of 7 consume 3 hours.
Fates are drawn from the bag, and return to the bag whenever they are discarded or otherwise leave play.
Number Line Tokens
Each player has a series of 7 number line tokens (numerals 1 through 7), which they arrange in front of them.
During your turn, your allies may ask you to flip some of your number line tokens to reflect what they think your hidden fate's value is or is not. You should not manipulate your own number line unless another player asks you to.
Your number line allows your allies to store information about your hidden fate between your turns. Don't reset your number line at the end of your turn unless your allies make a prediction.
Other than their colors, number line tokens are identical to fates. The hour pips on them have no effect; however, they serve as a useful reminder of how many hours each fate has.
Faded Card Powers
When an arcana card fades (see: Fading), flip it over and place it below the central play area. The back of each arcana card has a helpful power that can be used once by the players; after using a card's faded power, place that card face-up on the bottom of the arcana deck.
Each faded power describes what it does and when and how to use it. Some powers can only be used by the active player, while some can only be used by the group of predicting players.
Only one faded power may be used per turn. Using a faded power does not force the group to make a prediction that turn.
Faded power useable by the active player.
Faded power useable by the group of predicting players.
Some faded powers allow the group to ask the active player questions; the active player may only respond to these with "yes" or "no". There is no limit to the number of faded powers that can be available, and powers are not tied to any one player.
Place faded cards below the central play area. Move them to the bottom of the deck when they are discarded.
Game Play
During a player's turn, they are the active player, and take the following steps in order:
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Draw
Draw fates from the token bag until you have 2 fates in your hand. You may not show these fates to your allies or look at the other fates in the bag.
Later in the game, you may start your turn holding a fate from your previous turn. In that case, you only draw 1 new fate.
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Play
Play 1 of your fates face-up in front of 1 of the 5 cards in the central play area, obeying that card's ability text. If you can obey multiple cards, choose one to obey and ignore the others.
If 1 of your fates is from a previous turn, you may not give any indication whether the fate you are playing is the one you kept from your previous turn.
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Predict (optional)
Your allies may make a single prediction, attempting to guess the value of the fate that is still in your hand (the one you did not play this turn). Their prediction must be a statement about a single value, in the form "We predict your fate is _". For example, "We predict your fate is 4".
If they decide not to make a prediction, keep your fate face-down, do not reset your number line, and proceed to the Fade step. If they do make a prediction, proceed to the Resolve step.
The entire group gets a single unanimous prediction. They can discuss among themselves what they think your fate is. They may tell you to flip some of your number line tokens to reflect what they think they have learned about your fate.
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Resolve
If no prediction was made, skip this step.
If a correct prediction was made, you are freed from that fate! The players collectively score 1 point (move the green score tracker up 1 space).
If the prediction was incorrect, the players' doom advances (move the red doom tracker up 1 space). After any prediction, correct or incorrect, discard your fate back to the bag and reset your number line.
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Fade
At the end of each turn, check to see if any arcana cards fade (see: Fading).
Communication
All players should try to avoid giving away any information about their hidden fates, verbally or nonverbally. It is recommended that the active player not talk to other players during their turn unless responding to a prediction.
Fading
(the sum of the pips from all its fates) is greater than or equal to its duration (the moons at the bottom of the card). When a card
An arcana card will fade when the number of hours in front of it fades, do the following:
- Discard all of the fates in front of it back to the bag.
- Flip it over and place it below the central play area.
- Advance the players' doom by 2 unless your allies made a correct prediction this turn!
- Refill the row of arcana cards by placing the top card of the arcana deck face-up in the empty spot.
Remember that The Hours is not an arcana card and never fades. Fates played in front of The Hours move to the arcana card to its immediate right.
End of the Game
The game ends when one of the score trackers reaches the 7th spot on The Hours' score track.
The players win by making 7 correct predictions (green score tracker reaches 7).
The players lose if their doom reaches 7 (red doom tracker reaches 7).
Adding Or Removing Players
Players can easily join or leave the game after it has started.
If a player joins the game, give them a set of number line tokens and choose a spot for them in the turn order.
If a player leaves the game, discard any fate they were holding and put away their number line tokens.
2-player Challenge Mode
If you wish to increase the difficulty of two-player games (instead of or in addition to starting with more doom), give each player two number lines (A and B).
The turn order should go: player 1's turn A, player 2's turn A, player 1's turn B, player 2's turn B. Hidden fates for A and B turns are kept separate. The extra turns will put more pressure on arcana cards to fade.
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