Control
Control Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Rulebook
- 5 Timeline Tokens
- 54 Cards
Goal
To escape the rupture, a player needs to reach a Fuel Cell Charge of 21 or more on his Installed Fuel Cells at the end of his turn. Whoever does so first, wins — closing the rupture and leaving the other travelers lost outside time.
Cards & Tokens
Each card shows the following:
- Fuel Cell Charge — ranges from 1–10.
- Fuel Cell Type — Silver or Bronze.
- Card Artwork
- Fuel Cell Name
- Special Ability — for example, the Deflector reads: "If destroyed by an Anomaly's ability, draw a card or make a player discard a random card."
54 Total Cards
- 2 Rules Cards
- 16 Silver Fuel Cell Cards (4 Different Types)
- 36 Bronze Fuel Cell Cards (9 Different Types)
Timeline Tokens
Timeline Tokens are used for rounds of play. Each round is an alternate timeline. A player collects a token if they win a round. For two or four players, a player or team needs three tokens to win. For three players, a player needs two to win.
Setup
- Shuffle the deck.
- Deal each player five cards.
- Place the deck between players.
- The player who arrived last goes first.
The beginning of each consecutive round should move from player to player in the turn order.
Place the deck and the discard pile between the players. Destroyed cards go on the discard pile.
When looking at your cards, take note of their Fuel Cell Charge, Type, and Ability.
For a four player game, there will be two teams of two. The players on a team should sit opposite each other so turns alternate from one team to the next.
Gameplay
Choose ONE of the following actions on your turn:
Draw a Card
A player may have up to seven cards in hand.
Install a Fuel Cell
Install a Silver or Bronze Fuel Cell to activate its Fuel Cell Charge. Place the card in front of you in your area of play (your time machine).
Abilities on Silver Fuel Cells are triggered when installed.
Burn a Fuel Cell
Burn a Bronze Fuel Cell from your hand to the discard pile to trigger its ability. Its Fuel Cell Charge is no longer applicable.
Once a Fuel Cell is installed, it cannot be burned.
Defuse a Fuel Cell
Defuse an opponent's Installed Fuel Cell by playing a Silver or Bronze Fuel Cell of equal or higher charge on top. Both cards go to the discard pile.
Abilities on Silver Fuel Cells are triggered when installed in your area of play.
Once a player chooses and resolves an action, his turn is over. Turn of play moves to the next player. When a player has reached a Fuel Cell Charge of 21 or more at the end his turn, the game is over. He wins or earns a Timeline Token if playing multiple rounds.
Example
On his turn, Player 1 installs a Reactor, a Silver Fuel Cell with its ability making it "Immune to defusing." His turn ends with a Fuel Cell Charge of 5.
Instead of installing, Player 2 decides to play defense. She cannot defuse the Reactor, but she can burn a Bronze Fuel Cell called a Rewind to the discard pile. This triggers the Rewind's ability, allowing her to "Return an Installed Fuel Cell to the bottom of the deck." She does so to Player 1's Reactor, putting both players back at a Fuel Cell Charge of 0.
The Reactor is immune to defusing once installed. It is not immune to abilities.
Abilities on Bronze Fuel Cells are triggered when burned to the discard pile from your hand.
4-Player Gameplay
The goal to win remains the same. It is not a team's combined charge, but one person on a team needs a charge of 21 or more at the end of his turn to win.
You may only install Fuel Cells in your area of play, but look for ways to use abilities to aid your teammate: (for example, transferring control of a Silver Fuel Cell in play to a teammate).
Sudden Death
When the deck runs out, Sudden Death begins. Each player gets one pass. A pass can be used when a player has a card(s) in hand, but does not want to play it yet, so they say, "Pass." Once a pass is used, the player must play a card on their turn. If a player has no cards in hand and cannot draw, then their turn is skipped.
If no one reaches 21 and all cards have been played, then the player with the highest Fuel Cell Charge at the end, wins. If a tie remains, then the win goes to the player with the the most cards in play. If a tie still remains, then the win goes to the player who went last in the turn order.
Situational Details
Exotic Matter — A chain of Exotic Matter may not exceed a charge of 10. For example, on a single turn, installing 2 → 2 → 2 → 4 is allowed, but not 2 → 2 → 2 → 6.
Deflector — If multiple are destroyed at once, Deflectors are resolved starting with the person who burned the Anomaly. The order then proceeds left.
Wormhole — Players may not know what card another player took when using a Wormhole. Wormholes cannot be used to take other Wormholes.
Time Stop — A Time Stop can be played by any player (even out of turn) whenever a Bronze Fuel Cell is being burned. Let's say Player A burns a Rewind to the discard to trigger its ability. Before it takes effect, Player B burns a Time Stop on top of the discard to cancel the Rewind's ability. Because his turn was stopped, Player A gets a new turn, allowing him to draw, install, burn, or defuse.
A Time Stop can also cancel a Time Stop. This allows the original ability to occur and turn of play resumes as normal. From earlier, let's say Player C immediately burns a Time Stop on top of Player B's Time Stop. This cancel's Player B's Time Stop, allowing the original ability of Player A's Rewind to occur. In this case, Player A's turn was not stopped, so turn of play continues to the next person. If the original ability is stopped, the stopped player gets a new turn. If the original ability occurs, turn of play resumes as normal.
Details & Tips
The Discard Pile is hidden knowledge. Only the top card is public, but a Wormhole allows you to look through it.
Once Sudden Death begins, it does not reset if something like a Rewind is played.
When a player is at a charge of 11 or more, watch out. He could win on his next turn.
Variants
The Precise Traveller — Reach exactly 21 Installed Fuel Cells and no more.
Straight to the Showdown — Deal each player 10 cards. Eliminate the deck and Sudden Death is active.
Level Playing Field — Sort and deal each player one of each type of Fuel Cell: (1 Rift, 1 Exotic Matter, and so forth). Eliminate the deck and Sudden Death is active.