Compounded: The Peer-Reviewed Edition Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Anatomy of a Workbench
  • Experiment tracks
• Compound Cards
• Round Structure
  • Discover Phase
  • Study Phase
  • Research Phase
  • Lab Phase
• Lab Fires and You
• Scoring
• Tools: A Scientist's Friend
• Chemical Reactions
• End Game
• Variant Rules
  • 2 Player Games
  • No Player Trades
  • Lab Partners

Components

• 1 Scoreboard
• 1 Lead Scientist tray
• 5 Workbenches
• 55 Compound cards
• 40 Scientist pieces (8 in each scientist color)
• 90 Element gems
  • 25 Hydrogen (Clear)
  • 20 Oxygen (Red)
  • 15 Nitrogen (Blue)
  • 15 Carbon (Black)
  • 10 Calcium (Green)
  • 5 Sulfur (Yellow)
• 1 Element Draw bag
• 35 Tool tiles
• 30 Flame tokens
• 5 Reminder cards
• 20 Lab Partner Cards
• 1 Evaporating Trade Dish

Setup

1. Put all of the element gems into the element bag and give it a good shake to make sure everything is all mixed up. (You don't have to worry about accidental chemical reactions. Science assures us that elements in this bag are inert).
2. Place the scoreboard in the center of the table, within reach of all scientists.
3. Place the 30 flame tokens on the designated space on the scoreboard.
4. Each scientist takes a workbench board and the scientist pieces that match the board. Put 4 of your pieces in the bottom "Start" location for each of your experiment tracks (the test tubes), and keep 1 for a claim token. Put 1 piece on the scoreboard next to the "1" for tracking scores, and put 2 pieces in the indicated spaces at the top of the scoreboard as your claim reserve (you can unlock them later).
5. Give each scientist 1 reminder card, placing it next to their workbench.
6. Each scientist takes 1 red Fire Extinguisher tool, from the tool tiles. Place the remaining tool tiles above the scoreboard. Reminder: Everyone in the lab is responsible for preventing fires and responsible for all damages incurred by fires.
7. Shuffle all of the square compound cards together, then draw compound cards one at a time from the deck to create a 4x4 grid in front of all scientists (or a 3x4 grid in a 2 or 3 scientist game). If any Lab Fire cards are drawn during setup, set them aside and keep drawing until you have a full grid of compound cards. After creating the grid, shuffle all Lab Fire cards back into the deck. Place the deck, face-down, on the indicated spot on the scoreboard.
8. The first player (scientist) is whoever most recently mixed two liquids together. Give the lead scientist the element tray. The lead scientist then draws 3 elements from the bag, putting them on their Workbench. After they draw, the next scientist to the left draws 3 elements. Continue in this fashion until all scientists have 3 elements.

Anatomy of a Workbench

Each Workbench has a large circular space, called the Evaporating Dish, for element storage, 4 Experiment tracks, and a reminder of how many elements are in the game and in what distribution.

Experiment tracks

The 4 test tubes on your Workbench are your experiments, and dictate how much you can do in each phase. The more you go up in a given experiment, the more you get to do in that phase! From left to right these experiments are:

• DISCOVER: The higher your scientist piece moves, the more elements you get to draw from the bag. If you reach the top, you immediately score 10 points!
• STUDY: The higher your scientist piece moves in this track, the more claim tokens you have to reserve compounds or refresh tools. The top nets you 5 points, and getting to the midpoint gets you the Journal, a tool that allows you to take back an element when you complete a compound, which is useful for hanging on to some of the rarer elements!
• RESEARCH: The higher your piece moves, the more elements you get to place from your Workbench to the compounds on the board. Reaching the top gets you 10 points!
• LAB: The higher your piece moves, the more elements you can keep on your Workbench at a time. In addition, unlike the other experiments, each time you progress your Lab experiment, you'll get points!

Compound Cards

Each Compound has specific properties:

• STATE (1): All compounds in Compounded are a set state of matter; liquid (blue), solid (orange), or gas (green). When completed, advance the piece in the corresponding experiment on your workbench up 1, getting more ability to do things in that phase. For instance, when you complete a Liquid (blue) compound, you move the piece in the Discover (liquid/blue) experiment tube up 1 space, allowing you to draw more elements during the Discover phase.

  Some compounds can be multiple states. In these instances the scientist may choose which 1 experiment to advance upon completion.

  Note: You may always move the Lab (purple) experiment piece instead of any other color, increasing the number of elements you can hold.

• VOLATILITY (2): Some elements are flammable, as indicated by the red header and flame icons on the side. This means that if a Lab Fire occurs, they gain 1 flame token and are worth fewer points... or, if they have no more room for flame tokens, they explode and scatter the elements on them to adjacent compounds. We talk more about this in the "Lab Fires and You" section.

• POINTS (3): Each compound is worth a specific number of points, as indicated in the upper right corner. Compounds are generally worth more if they require rarer elements or are volatile.

• ELEMENTS (4): Each compound requires elements to be completed. The number and type are indicated on the card.

• BONUS (5): Some compounds award a scientist with a bonus on completion. Rewards include Tools or Chemical Reactions. See the "Tools: A Scientist's Friend" section for a complete overview.

Round Structure

Each round is composed of 4 phases, these are denoted along the top of each scientist's workbench.

Discover Phase

Note: The Discover phase is ALWAYS skipped the first round of play.

1. Each scientist (starting with the lead scientist and proceeding to the left) draws a number of elements equal to the unlocked number on the "Discover" experiment on their Workbench (the number next to the scientist piece on the Blue test tube). At the start, everyone's scientist piece is next to the number "3", which is why everyone drew 3 elements as part of setup!
2. After drawing elements, scientists may trade elements between each other.
3. After trades are completed, scientists discard excess elements to the lead scientist tray, these discarded elements do NOT go back into the bag. The number of elements you can keep on your board is indicated on the Lab (purple) experiment. At the start of the game, everyone can keep 3 elements on their board.
4. After all elements have been drawn, traded, and discarded, move to the next phase.

Study Phase

1. Each scientist (starting with the lead scientist and proceeding to the left) may either move their claim token from their Workbench to a compound on the board, may move their claim token from 1 compound to an unclaimed compound, or may move their claim token to a tool icon on the scoreboard in order to immediately refresh a tool that they have. You MAY move your claim token to a tool even if you haven't unlocked it. You won't get any personal benefit for doing so, but since only 1 scientist can claim a given compound or tool at a time, you might deny someone else the opportunity.
2. After every scientist has moved (or chosen to keep their token where it is), scientists with more than 1 claim token (as indicated on their orange "study" test tube) may move another claim token to a compound or tool. This continues until all claim tokens have been placed. Everyone starts with 1 claim token. When more are unlocked, take them from the 2 of your tokens reserved at the top of the scoreboard.
3. After all claims have been made, move to the next phase.

Research Phase

1. Scientists may trade 3 of a kind for any element in the bag. Your Workbench has a count of the number of elements that start out in the bag. As an example, if there are only 5 yellow "Sulfur" elements in the game, and all 5 are on Workbenches, compounds, or have been discarded to the tray, you know that all the Sulfur is accounted for. In this case, if you wanted to trade in 3 of a kind for 1 Sulfur, you would be out of luck, since there is no more Sulfur in the bag.
2. Each scientist (starting with the lead scientist and proceeding to the left) may place elements on ANY compound on the board, even those claimed by another scientist. The number of elements that you can place is indicated on the green "research" test tube on the Workbench. Everyone starts being able to place 2 elements.
3. If you complete an unclaimed compound by placing the last element on it, use 1 of your reserved claim tokens to indicate that you have completed it.
4. If you complete a compound that has your claim token on it, no action is needed.
5. You may complete a compound that someone else has claimed by placing the last element on it. If you do, you won't get the points or an experiment increase, but you AND the scientist who claimed it get any bonus reward (as indicated in the lower right corner; usually a tool).
6. After all elements have been placed, proceed to the next phase.

Lab Phase

1. Starting with the lead scientist and proceeding to the left, scientists who have completed compounds score. Scoring happens in a specific order, so that edge cases with bonus rewards are minimized (and so scientists can use this order to their advantage to capitalize on rewards).
2. You score the indicated number of points. Each Flame token on the compound reduces the score by 2.
3. No 2 scientists can occupy the same space on the scoreboard, if a scientist's score marker is ending in an occupied spot, they advance to the next unoccupied spot. So watch your timing when scoring.
4. You increase the experiment on your workbench that corresponds to the compound's color (or Lab experiment) up 1. (For example, if you completed a green compound, you'd move the scientist piece on your green "research" test tube up 1).
5. You collect the reward (if any) associated with the compound. If someone else completed your claimed compound, they also get the bonus reward.
6. Your claim token moves back to your board.
7. The completed compound is removed from the grid and discarded. After the lead scientist finishes scoring ALL of their completed compounds, the scientist to the left scores. This proceeds until all compounds have been scored.
8. All elements from completed compounds and the discard tray are moved to the bag.
9. After ALL compounds have been scored, the grid is refilled entirely from the compound deck.
10. When a Lab Fire card is revealed any scientist can choose to use their Fire Extinguisher to immediately discard it.
11. Deal with any existing Lab Fires, if any.
12. The lead scientist role moves to the left, passing the Element Tray to that player to indicate their new role.

Lab Fires and You

In the course of refilling the compound grid, Lab Fires may happen. This is to be expected, and is why you are provided with a Fire Extinguisher. If a Lab Fire is drawn, it takes up 1 space on the grid. Scientists may then choose to use their Fire Extinguishers (starting with the lead scientist and moving to the left).

If any scientist uses a Fire Extinguisher, the Lab Fire is discarded and that scientist flips their Fire Extinguisher to the empty side.

Once a Lab Fire is discarded, a new compound is drawn to continue refilling the grid. Be aware, there CAN be multiple Lab Fires in the course of refilling the grid!

If a Lab Fire is NOT extinguished, all flammable compounds (as indicated by the red header and flame icons on the right of the card) in the grid gain 1 flame token. If a compound does not have any more space for flame tokens, they explode and are removed from the grid.

If a compound explodes with NO elements on it, nothing happens. It opens an empty space on the grid which is refilled after the current fire is resolved.

If a compound explodes WITH elements, the elements on it are moved to ANY compound above, below, left, or right of the exploding compound.

If the exploding compound is claimed, the scientist with the claim decides where ALL of the elements on it go. They do NOT have to be spread evenly, which means that this can potentially cause a compound to be finished. However, since scoring is over, that compound must survive until the next Lab phase!

If the exploding compound is not claimed, the lead scientist decides where the elements go.

The Lab Fire card remains in the Research Field until the end of the NEXT Lab phase.

Scoring

When Points are scored through claiming compounds or reaching score thresholds on experiments, move the scientist's corresponding marker on the scoreboard to keep track. Only one scientist marker may occupy a given space on the scoreboard at a time, so if a scientist would stop on an occupied score space, they jump ahead to the next available unoccupied space.

Example: Lilly scores 3 points this turn for completing Water. She moves her player piece ahead 3 spaces, but Gwen's player piece is currently spot 29, therefore Lilly gets 1 additional point and lands on spot 30. If there was another scientist in spot 30, Lilly would move to 31, etc.

Tools: A Scientist's Friend

As you complete compounds, you can acquire tools to aid you in your experiments.

All lab tools are single use and can be refilled by completing another compound with that tool on it as a reward or refilled by moving a claim token to the corresponding space on the scoreboard.

Only 1 scientist may claim a given tool refill at a time... but there is nothing stopping someone from claiming a given refill space even if they do NOT have that tool to prevent someone else from getting any benefit.

Here is a list of the available tools:

• Fire Extinguisher: All scientists start with a Fire Extinguisher. Fire Extinguishers can be flipped to discard a Lab Fire when it is drawn, or triggered by an effect.

• Pipette: During the Research Phase (green), you may flip this tool to exchange any number of elements at a 2:1 ratio rather than the typical 3:1 exchange rate.

• Safety Goggles: During the Research Phase (green), you may flip this tool to use the elements in the discard tray as if they were stored on your Workbench when placing elements on compounds.

  Note: Scientists using Safety Goggles may NOT trade elements during the Research phase.

• Journal: You may flip this tool when scoring a compound during the Lab Phase (purple) to move one of the elements from that compound to your workbench.

  Note: Should an ability reduce your Study level to below the Journal tool space, you must return the Journal tool back to the supply.

• Graduated Cylinder: You may flip this tool at the end of the Lab Phase, after all scoring has been completed and experiment tracks moved to reduce one of your experiments by 1 and increase a different experiment by 1. This may cause additional points to be scored (by reaching the maximum of any Experiment Track, or by increasing the Lab Experiment track).

  Note: You may not reduce any experiment that has scored points. Any experiment that had reached the top and thus scored points cannot be reduced, nor can the Lab Experiment track, as it scores points with each increase.

• Bunsen Burner: You may flip this tool during the Lab Phase to add 1 flame token to any compound without flame tokens. Fire Extinguishers may not prevent this action.

Chemical Reactions

• Lab Fire: Some extremely volatile compounds cause a Lab Fire after being scored as if it had been drawn from the deck. Use this to your advantage to explode the compounds of the people after you in the turn order, or at least reduce their score.
• Grant: This is a gift to the scientist with the lowest score, causing them to immediately move one of their experiments up by 1. The scientist who scored the compound determines which of the tracks is moved up. If YOU are the scientist with the lowest score, you get the grant.
• Claim Jump: Immediately move a claim token to a new compound or tool refresh.
• Extinguisher Refill: Immediately flip over your spent Fire Extinguisher to the filled side.

End Game

Source note: the printed rulebook says "5-4 scientists" for the second line below; transcribed as printed.

• 2-3 scientist game: The first scientist to reach 56 points triggers the end game. There is 1 more round, after which the scientist with the highest score wins.
• 5-4 scientists: The first scientist to reach 88 points triggers the end game. There is 1 more round, after which the scientist with the highest score wins.

Note: The game ends immediately if the compound grid cannot be fully refilled.

After the final round of the game (no matter how the end game was triggered), there is additional scoring. Any elements remaining on a scientist's workbench are worth 1 point for every 2 elements. Any unfinished compounds they have claimed, are worth 1 point for each element on them (example: at the end of the game Caitlyn only had 2 Oxygen elements on the water compound. Caitlyn would score 2 points here for her uncompleted work).

Whichever scientist has the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Variant Rules

Below are variant styles of gameplay for Compounded:

2 Player Games

In a 2 Player game, setup is the same as described above with the following addition. Place the gray Evaporating Trade Dish within reach of both players. Draw 4 random elements and place them on the dish. Players may not trade with each other during the Discover phase. Instead, starting with the lead scientist, scientists made trade 1 for 1 for elements on the trade dish from their workbench. After the lead scientist trades 1 element, the next player may do so. Each scientist may take turns trading 1 element, until both pass. If at any time the Evaporating dish shows 3 of the same element, the elements are all discarded and 4 new elements are drawn to replace them.

No Player Trades

Setup the game as described above with the following addition. Place the gray Evaporating Trade Dish within reach of all players. Draw random elements equal to the number of players, plus 1, and place them on the dish. Players may not trade with each other during the Discover phase. Instead, starting with the lead scientist, scientists made trade 1 for 1 for elements on the trade dish from their workbench. After the lead scientist trades 1 element, the next player may do so. Each scientist may take turns trading 1 element, until all pass. If at any time the Evaporating dish shows 3 of the same element, the elements are all discarded and new elements (equal to the amount just discarded) are drawn to replace them.

Lab Partners

Lab Partner cards are oversized cards that require more attention and (sometimes) teamwork than a typical Compound card. The anatomy of a Lab Partner card is the same as Compound cards, with the exception that they may hold 2 claim tokens, as you see in the bottom corners of the card.

In a Lab Partners game (for 3-5 players), following the game setup rules above, with the following exceptions:

Shuffle the 20 Lab Partner cards and place the deck face-down next to the scoreboard.

When creating the Compound Card grid, ensure the middle cards are Lab Partner cards as pictured in the setup examples (but with the cards face-up).

When a Lab Partner card is completed, each scientist scores points equal to the value of the Lab Partner card for each of their claim tokens on the card.

When a Lab Partner card is completed or discarded from the Compound Grid, the lead scientist will replace it with another one during the end of the Lab Phase.

If a Lab Partner cards has a bonus ability BOTH scientists will benefit from it. However, if a scientist has both claim spots they only gain the bonus effect (if any) once.

Lab Partner cards follow all the same rules as a Compound Card with Lab Fires, explosions, claiming, abandoning, completed, etc.