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.
Contents
75 Card Deck of Complications
50 Card Piece Pile
SETUP
Player 4 Holdings
Rules Lane
Player 1 Holdings
-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.
-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.
- 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.
Player 2 Holdings
Player 3 Holdings
Img. 1 The board at setup for a 4 player game.
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HOW TO PLAY
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 gameplay continues clockwise.
On Your Turn
-Draw a card from the Deck of Complications.
-Spend up to 2 Phase Points to play Piece
cards from your Holding and cards in your
Hand.
Turn Notes
PARTS OF A CARD
Phase Point
Cost
Title
Each 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.
At that start of the game each Piece card can
only be played on one other Piece indicated in
the lower right hand corner of the card. For
example Hats are played on Soldiers.
Card Type
Effect
Flavor Text
Piece Name
Phase Cost
There is no limit to the number of cards
you may play per turn as long as you still have
Phase Points to spend.
If you ever place a Piece incorrectly, it returns
to your Holdings, and you lose the Phase Point
you used to place it.
If a Phase or card ever causes the last Piece to
be removed from the board draw a new Starting
Piece from the Piece Pile and place it in the
center of the table.
Piece Wheel Rule
Img. 2 Parts of a Card
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THE CARDS
Board State
Board State are cards that
change how Pieces are played
on the board. Board State
Pieces
cards are played in the Board
Pieces are the
State Zone. When a new Board State card
square cards
is played, place it on top of the old Board
that start out in your Holdings. You
State card, replacing it. The Starting Board
may only Play one Piece per turn even
State Card is never removed from the Board.
if it doesn’t stay in play. When playing
Piece cards your Piece only needs to be
playable on one adjacent board Piece. Win Condition
A correctly placed Piece follows the Win Conditions are cards
rules of the current Board State and is that add a new, seceret
playable on one of the Pieces next to it. way for a player to win the
Rules
Rules are cards that change
the way the game is played
for everyone. Rule cards
are placed on 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.
game. When a Win Condition
is drawn play it face down in front of
you. A facedown 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.
Events
Events are cards that
resolve as soon as they
come into play. To play
an Event, place it on the
table, do what it says,
then discard the card.
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EXAMPLE OF A TURN
After drawing a card the player uses their
first of 2 Phase Points to play a Piece. They
will play the Sheep from their Holdings on the
Spaceship following the “Diagonal” Board State.
For 0 Phase Points the player then plays
the Rule “It’s a Trading Game” all players now
have the option of using a Phase Point on their
turn to swap a Piece card with another player.
The player now uses their last Phase Point
to play “I Think You Dropped a Piece” adding a
new Piece from the Piece Pile to their opponents
Holdings. The player now has no Phase Points left.
They could still play any 0 cost cards they have in
their hand. But instead choose to end their turn.
Rules Lane
Rules Lane
Rules Lane
WINNING THE GAME
The first player to put all Piece cards from their Holdings onto the board or to
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,
using “It’s a Co-Op Game” or playing the last Piece from your holdings and
triggering a Win Condition at the Same time. If this happens all players who won,
win Complicated Board Game the Card Game together.
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