Antimatter Matters
Antimatter Matters Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components & Set-Up
- 1 Board + Spinner Arrow. Lay out the game board within easy reach of all Scientists. If this is the first time you opened the box, attach the arrow to the spinner.
- A. The Center is the highest energy level on the board.
- B. The Middle Ring. Each Scientist places their pawn here to begin the game. Caution: antimatter particle clouds detected in this region.
- C. The Outer Ring is the lowest energy level on the board.
- 6 Scientist Pawns. Each Scientist chooses a pawn and places it on a space on the Middle Ring.
- 6 Proton + Electron Mats. Hand out a "Proton+Electron" Mat to each Scientist, matching the color and symbol on their pawn. (Standard Mode. See "Game Types" for challenge modes and team or cooperative play.)
- 3.5. 6 Neutron Mats. Optional: For construction of more complex atoms.
- 1 Turn Token. Marks whose turn it is. Passed to the left at the end of each turn.
- 2 8-sided Movement Dice. Only one die used in Standard Mode. Each Scientist rolls the die. Highest number plays first.
- 101 Cards - Draw & Discard Piles. Deal each Scientist four cards face down. Scientists must discard any "Immediate" cards dealt and draw cards to replace them.
- 43 Action
- 11 Immediate
- 39 Movement
- 8 Shield
Atoms and Protons and Quarks, Oh My! The Standard Model diagram and the basic explanation of elementary particles, up and down quarks, electrons, photons and gluons, the strong and electromagnetic forces, and how these relate to the game pieces and gameplay are marked "under construction" in the BETA rulebook.
Gameplay
Roll & Move: Roll the Energy Die. Move the number of spaces indicated by the die, in the direction of your choice. Perform the Board Event you land on.
Play Movement Cards (Optional): After completing the Die Move and performing the Board Event you landed on, you may, if you choose, use Movement cards to progress further. You may combine multiple Movement cards, but only perform the final Board Event you land on. NOTE: Movement Cards may NOT be played on other Scientists!
Play an Action Card (Optional): After completing your Movement phase, you may, if you choose, play ONE Action card. NOTE: Action cards may be played on other Scientists- unless otherwise indicated on the card.
Completing Your Turn: To end your turn, draw two cards. You may end your turn with no more than six cards total in your hand. If necessary, discard down to that hand limit. NOTE: If you draw an Immediate card, play it, but do not draw to replace it in your hand.
Pass the Turn Token to the player on your Left.
Die & Card Movement
So many choices...where will you choose to go? (Illustration of a Scientist choosing a route across the rings using a die roll and movement cards.)
Need that Green Up but don't have the exact movement card to reach it? No problem, use multiple movement cards to reach that piece you need. A Jump3 + a Sink2 = move 1 space towards the center and collect that Green Up. (Illustration showing the Quantum Jump 3 and Quantum Sink 2 cards used together.)
Quantum Sink 2 card, as shown in the example: Energy depletion. Pictured. Move TWO spaces away from the Center.
For an even longer game, each Scientist can complete a Deuterium atom model by adding a Neutron Mat for each player. You can even build more complex atoms, depending on the number of Scientists in a game. NOTE: see Stable Atom Chart for all model options.
Multiple Mats: As Particles are collected, they may be placed on any of your active Mats.
Winner
For reasons not yet fully understood, there currently seem to be far more left-handed than right-handed known particles in the universe.
The winner is the first Scientist to reach the center with a completed model of a stable atom. For Standard Competitive mode, construct a Hydrogen atom from the following particles (in any order):
- One Gluons piece
- Three Quarks—two Ups and one Down—of a different color
- One Photons piece
- One Electron
NOTE: see "Game Types" for team or cooperative modes.
Challenge Yourself: Collect all particles in the order indicated on the Mat(s). Can be played in any game mode.
Movement Rules
Space Occupied: If the space you land on is occupied by another Scientist, move back to the closest unoccupied space. Example: Even though a 2 was rolled, the yellow Scientist only moves one space inward.
The Pauli Exclusion Principle says that multiple fermions (matter particles like quarks or electrons) cannot occupy the same state at the same time.
Rings: Anytime you reach a ring, you may choose to continue to the left or the right.
Center: Anytime you reach the Center, you must stop, even if you have additional moves left. If this occurs as the result of a die roll, you may still play Movement Cards. NOTE: If you begin your turn in the center, you cannot end it there.
Board Event Rules
- Draw Space: Draw one card. If it is an Immediate card, play it, otherwise place it in hand.
- Antimatter Space: Spin the Antimatter Spinner.
- Particle Space: Take that particle piece if you need it, otherwise no Event occurs.
- Quantum Tunnel: Move immediately to the matching tunnel space on the Board. If that space is occupied, remain where you are.
Stable Atom Chart
This section is marked "under construction" in the BETA rulebook. The chart of stable atom models is not included in the source.
Game Types
Mixed Mode
To balance Scientists of different ages or skills, you can mix game modes - for example, one Scientist could complete a Hydrogen atom in Standard mode, another Scientist in Challenge mode, a third Scientist could complete a Deuterium atom by adding a Neutron Mat to their Hydrogen Mat, and a fourth Scientist could complete a Deuterium atom in Challenge mode. (The source prints "Neutron Matto their Hydrogen Mat"; read here as "Neutron Mat to their Hydrogen Mat".)
Team Mode
In team mode, work together in 2-3 teams of 2 or 3 Scientists to be the first team to complete a model of the agreed-upon stable atom. NOTE: see Stable Atom Chart for available options.
Set up the game as usual, but distribute mats per Team, not per Scientist. BOTH Movement Dice are used.
A team rolls both dice to start their turn. The total number of moves available to the team equals the sum of the two dice. Team members decide together how to allocate that number among them. All team members do not have to move in a turn, but the entire combined dice value must be used.
Example: The Team rolled a 4 and 2 equaling a total of 6. As a team, they decided to have yellow move 5 spaces, Pink move 1 space, and have Red stay in place.
Each turn, before beginning to move, a team decides which member plays first, second, etc. This order must be followed for the entire turn. Each step in the turn must be played by all members before the team moves on to the next step. For example, after rolling, each team member completes their Die Move & performs any Board Event, before any team member uses any Movement Cards.
When collecting particles, team members decide collectively to which Mat they are added. Similarly, when particles are lost, team members decide which Mat is affected.
Cooperative Mode
In cooperative mode, all Scientists work together at Project SQEAC labs to construct the most complex stable atom possible with the particles still in play. NOTE: see Stable Atom Chart for available options.
Set up the game as usual. However, instead of setting up a Mat in front of each player, place a single Proton+Electron Mat beside the board, for use by all Scientists. Stack the rest of the mats to the side.
Each stable atom must be completed before adding the appropriate Mat/s for the next stable atom. Completed Helium-4? Add one Proton+Electron mat, and one Neutron mat to build Lithium-6!
Scientists may shield one another from Action cards.
When a particle or particles are lost as the result of spinning the antimatter spinner or a containment breach, that particle or particles must be removed from one of the active Mats. Particle/s lost are removed from play for the rest of the game. NOTE: Particles are removed only from active Mats. Once a stable atom is complete, it is safe from Antimatter spins and Containment Breaches.
The game ends when you as a group have constructed the most complex stable atom possible with the particles still in play. Try for Carbon-12—it's difficult, but not impossible!
Card Notes
Containment Breach: Once a Containment Breach card has been played, it is removed from the deck for the remainder of the game. If playing with multiple mats, particle pieces are lost from one active mat only. The affected Scientist chooses which mat will lose particles.
Quantum Entanglement: If you draw a Quantum Entanglement card, place it in front of you. If you are already entangled, place the card in front of the next Scientist to your right who is not entangled. Quantum Entanglement is "monogamous" - it only occurs in pairs. When entangled, both Scientists place a matching pair of Entanglement tokens under their pawns, as a reminder.
Left/Right Handed Helicity Detected: A Shield card may be played to block or reverse a Helicity. If blocked, the Scientist who played the Shield card retains their hand; the shift of hands by other Scientists passes them by. If reversed, all Scientists shift hands in the opposite direction.
Card Types
- Move (Movement cards): May be used after completing Die Move & Board Event stage of a turn. Multiple Movement Cards may be combined in a single turn. Move the sum of cards used. Perform only the final Event landed on. Movement cards may NOT be used on other Scientists.
- Immed. (Immediate cards): Must be played immediately when drawn, regardless of turn. NOTE: During initial Setup ONLY, before beginning play, discard any Immediate cards dealt and draw cards to replace them.
- Act (Action cards): Unless otherwise indicated, may be used on self or other Scientist. If the Action results in a Movement, perform the Board Event landed on.
- Shield cards: May only be used on another Scientist to prevent an Action from affecting you. A BLOCK prevents an Action by another Scientist from affecting you. A REVERSE reflects an Action back on the Scientist who played it. NOTE: can be played in response to a Shield card.
Antimatter Spinner
When a particle and its anti-particle collide, they annihilate, releasing energy.
- Draw: Draw one card.
- Antimatter Spaces: If you land on any of the anti-particle spaces, then, IF you have the corresponding particle on your mat, you lose that particle. If playing with multiple mats, you lose only one particle, from the mat of your choice.
- Breach: Lose any Gluons and/or Photons pieces you have collected.
- Center: Move immediately to the Center space. If the Center is currently occupied, stay where you are.
(The spinner image is a placeholder in the BETA rulebook, marked "actual image of spinner here".)