Img. 1 The board at setup for a 4 player game.

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-Place the “Starting Board State: Orthogonal” card on the board as shown. This is the Board State Zone.- Shuffle the deck labeled Piece Pile and the deck labeled Deck of Complications. Place them face down on the table as shown.- Take the top Piece card from the Piece Pile and place it face up on the center of the table. This is the Starting Piece.-Deal 5 Piece cards face up to each player from the Piece Pile. These are your Holdings.-Deal 4 cards from the Deck of Complications to each player. Don’t show these to anyone else. This is your starting hand.

SETUP

Rules LanePla

yer 4

Hold

ingsPlayer 1 Holding

s

Player 3 HoldingsPlayer 2 Holdings

Contents:75 Card Deck of Complications

50 Card Piece Pile

Complicated Board Game the Card Game is a simple card game about playing a complex board game. Using the cards in these decks you will need to outsmart, outmaneuver, and outplay your opponents to win the world’s most convaluted board game. The first player

to play all their Pieces or complete one of the board games complex win conditions wins Complicated Board Game the Card Game.

Deck ofComplications

Pile ofPieces

Board StateZone

StartingPiece

On Your Turn-Draw a card from the Deck of Complications.-Spend up to 2 Phase Points to play Piececards from your Holding and cards in your Hand.

Other Turn NotesEach player may only play 1 Piece card per turn.

Every card has a number in one corner that indicates the number of Phase Points it costs to play.

Each Piece card can only be played on one otherPiece as shown on the Piece Wheel and indicatedin the lower right hand corner of the card. For example, Sheep are played on Spaceships.

There is no limit to the number of cardsyou may play per turn as long as you still havePhase Points to spend.

If you play a Piece incorrectly, it returns to your Holdings. You lose the Phase Pointyou used to play it.

If a Phase or card ever causes the last Piece tobe removed from the board, draw a new StartingPiece from the Piece Pile.

The object of the game is to be the first player to empty their Holdings by putting all of their Piece cards onto the board. The player who owns the most complicated board game at home goes first, and game play continues clockwise.

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PARTS OF A CARD

Img. 2 Parts of a Card

PIECE WHEEL

HOW TO PLAY

Phase Point Cost

Title

Card Type

Effect

Flavor Text

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Board StateBoard States are cards that change how Pieces are played on the board. Board State cards are played in the BoardState Zone. Place new Board State cards on top of the old Board State card, replacing it. The Starting Board State Card is never removed from the Board.

THE CARDS

RulesRules are cards that change the way the game is played for everyone. Rule cards are played on

PiecesPieces are the square cardsthat start out in your Holdings. You may only Play one Piece per turn. When playing a Piece card your Piece only needs to be playable on one adjacent board Piece. A correctly placed Piece follows the rules of the current Board State and is playable on one of the Pieces next to it.

the board from left to right in the Rules Lane and take precedence over any rules in this rule book. Rules remain in play unless a Phase or card in the game removes them. Removed Rules are placed in the Discard Pile.

Win ConditionWin Conditions are cards that add a new, seceret way for a player to win the game. When a Win Conditionis drawn, play it face down in front of you. A face down Win Condition may be revealed, as soon as its conditions are met, to win the game. “Flip the Table” does not remove Win Condition cards.

EventsEvents are cards thatresolve as soon as they come into play. To play an Event, place it on the table, do what it says, then discard the card.

Player 1 draws a Piece card then uses their first of 2 Phase Points to play a Piece. They will play the Sheep from their Holdings on the Spaceship following the rules of the Piece Wheel and the “Diagonal” Board State which is in play.

Having played their Piece for the turn Player 1 now spends 0 Phase Points to play the Rule “It’s a Trading Game,” placing it in the Rules Lane. All players now have the option of spending 1 Phase Point on their turn to trade a Piece with any another player.

Player 1 spends their second Phase Point to play the event “I Think You Dropped a Piece,” adding a new Piece from the Piece Pile to their opponents Holdings. Player 1 now has no Phase Points left. Any 0 cost card could still be played, but Player 1 chooses to end their turn.

Rules Lane

Rules Lane

Rules Lane

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WINNING THE GAMEThe first player to put all Piece cards from their Holdings onto the board or complete a Win Condition card wins Complicated Board Game the Card Game.

It is possible for multiple players to win the game at the same time. For example, playing the last Piece from your holdings and triggering a Win Condition at the same time causes both players to win. If this happens, all players who won, win Complicated Board Game the Card Game together.

EXAMPLE OF A TURN

Player 1 Holdings

Player 1 Holdings

Player 1 Holdings