Gamehelpnicodemus

Objective

• To be the first player to reach 20 or more points by repairing machines and completing projects.

Game play

• The players take turns until the end of the game is triggered by reaching 20 points or drawing the last machine.
• During their turn, a player has the choice between two actions:
  • play a machine from their hand or
  • repair a machine from the Bric-a-brac.

Playing a machine from their hand

• The player places a machine from their hand in the next empty space on the Bric-a-brac, then activates it. They have 3 choices:
  1. Earn as many charcoalium as the victory point value of the machine.
     • These are taken from the reserve and placed in their workshop.
  2. Produce 1 resource or charcoalium according to what is shown in the machine’s production zone.
     • The resource or charcoalium is taken from the reserve and placed intheir workshop.
       • Note: If you want charcoalium, it is usually better to choose first option even if your machine shows it in the production zone.
  3. Apply the effect of the machine
     • See details on help button.
• The player finishes their turn by drawing a new machine from the deck to bring their hand up to 5 cards once more.
  • If there are not enough cards in the deck, the end of the game is triggered.

Repairing a machine from the Bric-a-brac

• To repair the last machine placed on the Bric-a-brac, a player must simply spend the resources listed on that machine, returning them to the reserve from their workshop less any reduction they have earned.
• If they want to repair a machine placed before the last one, in addition to the required resources, they must also place 1 charcoalium from their workshop on each machine in front of the one they want to repair, going from right to left, bottom row first.
• The player takes the machine that they have repaired as well as all the charcoalium placed on it during previous turns.
• They place the machine in their workshop and score the number of victory points indicated on the machine by moving their token forward on the score track.
• If the repaired machine leaves an empty space when removed, those placed to the right are shifted left to fill the empty space.
• The player checks if they can complete any of the projects that are still available.
  • They must fulfil the conditions of the project and the machine they just repaired must meet one of those requirements.
  • If they do, they move forward on the score track the number of points indicated on the project.
  • Then they set it aside together with the machines they used to complete it, separate from their workshop.
  • The empty project space it is not refilled with another project.
  • Completing projects is optional.
• The player then checks if their workshop now contains 4 machines.
  • If so, they only keep the last one.
  • The other 3 are set aside separate from their workshop.
• Note: The machines and projects that are set aside are no longer part of the workshop.
  • They will not be used for the rest of the game.

End of the game

• The end of the game is triggered when a player reaches 20 or more victory points OR when there are not enough cards in the deck for a player to have a full hand.
• In both cases, the players finish the current round.
• Note: If the first player triggers the end of the game, the second player plays their turn and then the game ends.
  • If it is the second player, the game ends at the end of their turn.
• The player with the highest score on the track wins.

Tiebreaks

1. Most charcoalium wins
2. Most resources

Additional information

The Bric-a-brac

• The Bric-a-brac shows 2 rows of spaces for machines.
• Each space can hold only 1 machine at a time, and they are always filled from left to right, top to bottom:
  • If the top row is full, new machines are placed in the bottom row.
  • If both rows are full at the end of a player’s turn, discard all 5 machines in the top row and move the ones in the bottom row up
    • Any charcoalium on the discarded machines goes back to the reserve.

Resources and Charcoalium

• The three resources have the same value.
• The quantity of each resource and charcoalium is limited to the components in the game.
• If you gain a resource or charcoalium and there are none left in the reserve, take it from your opponent instead (if possible).
• The "3 different faces symbol" is a “wild” resource:
  • When you see this symbol, you may choose one of the three resources.

Repairing reductions

• Repaired machines in your workshop allow you to reduce the resources needed to repair a machine on the Bric-a-brac:
  • Each resource shown in the production zone of these machines counts towards the repair cost.
• Likewise, each charcoalium reduces the fee you must place on the Bric-a-brac.
  • But, you must use your charcoalium reduction first then top off with charcoalium from your workshop, if necessary.

Projects

• It is possible to complete more than one project during the same turn, even using the same machines for multiple projects.
• You are not required to complete a project if you are able.
• You can save your machines for a more interesting project later.
  • However, in order to complete the original project, you would have to wait until you repair another machine needed for this project.