Draft & Write Records Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Band Sheet Overview
• How To Play: Week Phase
• How to Play: Weekend Phase
  • Goal Card Breakdown
• End Game
• Adding Up Your Score
• Band Section
  • Playing Band Cards
• Harmonies
• Multipliers
• Playing an Agenda
• Playing an Asset
• Stuck with a Scandal
• Unable to Play a Card
• Fail Section
• Receiving Bonuses
• Releases
• Touring
• Iconography Reminders
• Credits & Copyright
• Solo Set-list

Components

• 180x Play Cards
  • 90x Band Cards
    • 12x Lead Singers
    • 28x Musicians
    • 22x Production
    • 28x Backstage
  • 50x Assets
    • 30x Single Option
    • 20x Double Option
  • 32x Agendas
    • 20x Single Option
    • 12x Double Option
  • 8x Scandals
• 1x Pass Direction Card
• 66 Goal Cards
  • 42x Gold
  • 21x Platinum
  • 3x Diamond
• 4x Coloured Pencils (1 Blue, 1 Yellow, 1 Red, and 1 Purple)
• 6x Pencils
• 1x Eraser
• 1x Pad of Band Sheets

Setup

1. Each player takes one Band Sheet and one pencil.
2. Place all coloured pencils within reach of all players.
3. Players should take a moment to create and write their band name here.
4. Players will select a starting colour. To record this colour, each player will colour in the circle to the left of their band name with one coloured pencil of their choice.
5. Take all Play cards (yellow back with a blue "play" icon) and sort them for your player count. For example, for a 3-player game, you will need all cards with "2+" and "3+" in the lower right-hand corner. All other Play cards can be returned to the box. 30 cards are used for each player, so there are 60 cards in a 2-player game and 120 in a 4-player game.
6. Shuffle all the selected Play cards and place them face-down in the middle of the table to create a "Play stack." Place the Pass Direction card next to this stack (with either side faceup).
7. Shuffle together all Goal cards (blue back with a yellow star icon) and place them face-down in the middle of the table to create a draw stack. Then draw and place 4 Goals face-up to the right of the draw stack to create a line of publicly available Goals.
8. Deal 2 Goal cards to each player. Each player will choose one of these Goals as their personal Goal (which only they may claim) and shuffle the other back into the draw stack.
9. Review "Band Sheet Sections" below and then you are ready to rock!

Band Sheet Overview

Take a moment to look over and identify each section of the Band Sheet. The icons shown will match the icons on cards and from rewards. These will help players quickly find the section needed when recording effects.

The Band Sheet is made up of the following sections: Band, Goals, Fails, Agenda, Releases, Touring, Multipliers, Harmonies, Scoring, Assets, and Charts.

Note: 3 sections (Fails, Band, and Goals) each have an exclamation mark. This is a visual reminder that each of these sections can trigger the end of the game.

How To Play: Week Phase

Each round is divided into two phases: the Week Phase and the Weekend Phase.

WEEK PHASE

At the beginning of the round, each player receives 5 cards from the Play stack. Each of these cards represent an action the player can take, such as hiring new band members, planning their schedule, or improving their assets. Players will be selecting 4 cards throughout the round, with each card representing an action. So players will be choosing one action for each weekday, with the exception of Friday when the band needs to rest, so the final card will be discarded.

Drafting your action each day of the week

1. Players simultaneously pick one card from their hand and place it face-down next to their Band Sheet.
2. Once all players have chosen a card, those cards are flipped face-up and each player records their chosen card's effect on their Band Sheet. (Players do not record other players' cards.) After the card is recorded, it is placed face-up into your personal discard pile—this will help if you need to look back at any cards.
3. Players simultaneously pass the remaining cards facedown to the next player. (At the beginning of each Week Phase the direction of this pass changes: clockwise, counterclockwise, clockwise...etc. The Pass Direction card helps players remember throughout the week.)

Players repeat this "drafting" process (steps 1 through 3) with the next hand, until they have two cards remaining. When this happens, each player picks one card to play and one to discard.

Example: the player chose the "Equipment" Asset from their hand. They can now record this action by crossing off one of the three Equipment icons from the Assets section. With no cards left in hands, the week phase is concluded and players move on to the Weekend Phase.

How to Play: Weekend Phase

WEEKEND PHASE

After a busy week, players spend the weekend checking to see if they have achieved any of the Goals (public and then personal). The line of public Goals must be checked one at a time, from left to right with each player checking their Band Sheet to see if they fulfill each Goal's requirements.

When one or more players meet or exceed a card's requirements, they may claim its rewards. Goals will always give VP, and many will offer immediate bonuses as well. Victory Points are recorded in the "Goals" section of the Band Sheet, and bonuses are applied immediately to their matching sections.

After a public Goal has been claimed and recorded, it is discarded and replaced with a new Goal from the stack. New Goal cards can only be claimed in the next Weekend Phase.

If a Goal can no longer be claimed by any player it is discarded and replaced with a new Goal—which can be claimed starting in the next Weekend Phase.

Multiple players can claim the same Goal, and multiple Goals can be claimed during the Weekend Phase. However, each player is limited to claiming a maximum of six Goals total, which means a player may choose to skip claiming a Goal if they wish to wait for a different one—possibly for more points, a better bonus, or both!

After all public Goals have been checked, each player checks their personal Goal to see if they fulfilled it—other players cannot claim your personal Goal. Personal Goals are also discarded once claimed, but they are never replaced.

Note: If a player claims their sixth Goal, the game will end once the current Weekend Phase is over.

If the end of the game has not been triggered, players continue to a new Week Phase, drawing 5 Play cards from the stack and following the draft details above. If the Play stack is depleted, shuffle the shared discard pile (not the personal discard piles) and create a new Play stack.

Goal Card Breakdown

Goal cards are all unique, but they contain similar information. The objective icon will help you remember where to record the VP. The requirement explanation will help clarify the requirement if you are unsure of its meaning. The Band Sheet section icon will show you where this requirement can be completed. The VP is the amount earned by anyone who claims it during the Weekend Phase. The bonuses are immediate bonuses players earn when the Goal is claimed.

End Game

There are three ways to trigger the end of the game. There is an exclamation point (!) in each of these sections to remind players of their importance.

Three Ways to End the Game

1. By recording your sixth Goal card's VP.
2. By checking off the last space of the Fails section.
3. By filling all band positions in the Band section.

If the end of the game is triggered during the Weekend Phase, all Goal cards are still checked in order by all players.

If the end of the game is triggered by the Fail or Band section, all players move immediately to the Weekend Phase—after recording their current card.

Before final scoring: Each player must check how many vacant positions are left in their Band section. For each vacant position they must check off one space in their Fail section. Band members are important for a band!

Adding Up Your Score

Now that the game has ended, it is time to add up all the VP earned during the game. Go to the Scoring section to record your VP from the various sections.

From top to bottom:

• BAND SECTION: Total the Star Power (SP) for all members of your band.
• GOAL SECTION: Total the VP for all completed goals.
• HARMONY SECTION: Total the VP for all rows and/or columns completed.
• AGENDA SECTION: Total the VP for all rows and/or columns completed.
• TOUR SECTION: Total the VP for reaching the end of a path(s).
• RELEASES SECTION: Multiply the number of spaces crossed out in the top row by the number of spaces crossed out in the bottom row.
• FAIL SECTION: Record VP equal to the highest number which you've checked off.

Then, total all sections to calculate your score. The player with the highest score has the most famous and successful band and is the winner of the game! Players can use the Charts section to record their rank in VP, and then Band sheets can be overlapped to create a visual "Chart Toppers" for the rankings.

If there's a tie:

The winner is the player with highest total VP from the Band section. Then the player who has the Lead Singer with the highest recorded Star Power. Then the player who had the fewest Fails. Then the player who has completed the highest-scoring Goal card.

If there's still a tie, play again!

Band Section

Band cards make up 50% of the Play deck, so playing them properly will be key to your success. The Band section represents the 12 various positions needed for an epic band. At the beginning of the game, every post is empty and offers a position that can be recruited to improve the band's quality and Star Power (SP).

Lead Singer — The top post is dedicated to the Lead Singer, of which you can only have one. Lead Singers will have this microphone icon and they can only be placed in this post. Once you fill this position, you cannot recruit more Lead Singers.

Musicians — The second row has four posts for Musicians. Musicians will have this guitar icon and they can be placed only in these posts. However, two posts are locked by cash, so they will need to be purchased and unlocked before they become available.

Production Staff — The third row has three posts for production staff. Production staff will have this disc icon and they can be placed only in these posts. One post is locked by cash. It will need to be unlocked before it becomes available.

Backstage Staff — The last row has four posts for Backstage staff. Backstage staff will have this speaker icon and they can be placed only in these posts. Two posts are locked by cash and will need to be unlocked before they become available.

Regardless of which row it is in, each post has similar areas to be filled when a band card is drafted. The center hexagon will be used to record that band member's Star Power (SP), and the four circles around the hexagon will be coloured in with the coloured pencils to match that band member's skills. There are four different types of skills: Levels (blue), Tune (red), Tempo (yellow), Pitch (purple).

These skills might help you reach certain Goals, but possibly more importantly they also allow you to create Harmonies within your band. When matching skills are connected by a line between adjacent band members this allows the player to trigger a spot in the Harmonies section that matches the colour of the skill. For example, if a Musician and a Production staff connect with Levels, that player would be able to trigger a spot on the blue line of the Harmonies section—possibly triggering another icon for another section!

Note: This is one of three sections that have an exclamation mark. This is a visual reminder that when a player has filled all of their band positions, the week is over and players move immediately to the Weekend Phase. The icon below reminds players that when the game ends they will receive one Fail for each empty position in the Band section.

Playing Band Cards

These cards represent the people you'll hire to be part of your band. There are four different types: Lead Singers, Musicians, Production Staff, and Backstage Staff. Their type will determine which row they can be placed in, and all of them will earn you VP equal to their Star Power (SP).

They are further differentiated by their combination of skills (represented by symbols and colours) and their SP value—which can be increased using the Multipliers section. Before selecting a Band card, make sure your Band Sheet has an empty and unlocked post in the row with an icon that matches that of the card you would like to play. If there is no "cash" icon (or the cash icon has previously been crossed out) and the hexagon and circles are empty, that post is available to be filled!

Two Simple Steps

1. The first step in recording the details of a new band member is to decide if you will be applying a Multiplier to their SP. Multipliers cannot be used until they are earned. It is very common not to have any Multipliers available until midway through the game. If a Multiplier is not used, simply copy the SP value from your new band member onto an open post with a matching icon type. This value will range from 1 to 5 SP.

   Example: the trumpet player could be placed into the leftmost or the rightmost posts in the Musicians' row. The two posts in the middle are still locked with the cash icon.

2. Next you will colour in each of the four skills that the band member has, making sure to match both their colour and their location. (Players may also use the shape of the skill icon—hex, circle, triangle, square—if they have difficulty differentiating the colours.)

   Creating Harmonies between your band is very important as it can trigger chain reactions, unlock other areas of the Band Sheet, and earn you even more VP! The better the music, the more likelihood of topping the charts!

Notes: Once a band member has their information recorded they cannot be removed or replaced. Bands can have multiple cards with the same art as the SP and skills of those cards is what makes them unique.

Harmonies

Each band member has the ability to make Harmonies with their surrounding bandmates—they can be seen easily with the lines connecting skill circles from one band member to another. Each time there is a match of two identical colours/symbols between adjacent bandmates, a Harmony is triggered. Multiple Harmonies can be triggered by the placement of one well-positioned band member. Harmonies will allow you to trigger spaces in the Harmony section, which will earn you more bonuses and potentially more VPs at the end of the game.

This section represents how well some band members work together. The more Harmonies you create, the more bonuses you'll get from this section. In a band, compatibility matters, so sometimes skills are more important than Star Power.

When you create a Harmony between band members, you'll be able to cross off a space in the Harmonies section—which might chain to crossing off spaces or earning VP in other sections. First check which colour(s) created the Harmony between bandmates and then cross off one space (of the same colour) on the Harmony track. Each colour has five available spaces and there is no restriction on the order in which you choose to cross them off. Some spaces have an icon—if you choose to cross off one of these spaces, you get the associated bonus immediately. If multiple Harmonies were created, choose the order in which you want to trigger them. If a Harmony was made but there are no more spaces of that colour to cross off, don't cross off any space. At the end of the game, each completed row and/or column will earn you VPs as shown.

Multipliers

During the game, there are many ways to trigger bonuses and extra VP, and one of the great ones is to use Multipliers! Through clever play and planning, players can use the Agenda and the Assets sections, as well as some Goal bonuses, to unlock Multipliers which can then be used to boost new band members' Star Power (SP).

There are three x2 (times two), two x3 (times three) and one x4 (times four) Multipliers available.

Before you are able to use a Multiplier, you must first unlock it. The Agenda/Asset/Goal bonus that you've earned will show the value of the Multiplier you can unlock. When you earn one, simply add a check mark next to the matching value in the Multipliers section. Next time you add a new band member to your Band Sheet, you can decide if you want to use this one-time Multiplier or if you will save it for another card.

A x4 Multiplier might only change a 1 SP to 4 SP, or it could rocket a 5 SP to 20 SP!

Each Multiplier space can only be used once, so after it is applied, cross it off with an X. You cannot use a Multiplier on band members that are already recorded on the Band Sheet, and you can only use one Multiplier per new band member.

Playing an Agenda

Playing one of these cards will allow you to cross off a square with the matching icon in the Agenda section of your Band Sheet.

There are four different activities that your band can schedule: Interviews, Rehearsals, Studio Recordings, and Live Shows.

You can only cross off any one space that matches the icon on the card you've played. (If your card has two icons you can choose one or the other, not both!) Icons can be crossed off in any order, you do not have to follow any sequence/order. As soon as you complete a line of four different icons (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) you gain the bonuses relating to the icons on both sides of that line. Bonuses must be used immediately and then are crossed out. VPs are scored at the end of the game and can be circled as a reminder to count them.

Playing an Asset

Playing one of these cards will allow you to cross off a matching icon in the Asset section of your Band Sheet—but these work differently than Agendas.

1. Choose any one icon in the Assets section that matches the icon on your card, and cross it off. (If your card has two icons you can choose one or the other, not both!)
2. A bonus is received once a player has crossed off the icons on both sides of that bonus. It is possible that a player crosses off one icon and this triggers multiple bonuses at the same time—in this case they can decide the order in which to record those bonuses. Bonuses cannot be saved—they must be used immediately and then are crossed out.

Stuck with a Scandal

Scandals cards should be avoided when possible! But sometimes, if you are unable to play any other card in your hand, you must play one. When a Scandal card is played, add a check mark above the leftmost hexagon in the Fail section. At the end of the game you'll lose points equal to the highest number which you've checked off. These points are not cumulative.

Unable to Play a Card

Sometimes you aren't able to choose a card, for example if you are passed cards and you have no more empty spaces where they can be recorded. Or sometimes you don't want to record any of the cards in your hand because you are waiting for better ones.

When this happens, you must still select a card from your hand but instead of recording its information, add a check mark above the leftmost empty hexagon in the Fail section. (Tip: Players can always look through their discard pile to make sure information was recorded properly—for this reason we recommend you place these "unrecorded" cards face-down in your discard pile to help remind you that it wasn't recorded.)

Note: This is one of three sections that have an exclamation mark. This is a visual reminder that when a player has filled all of their Fail spaces, the week is ended and players move immediately to the Weekend Phase.

Fail Section

There are three ways a player is forced to check off a space in their Fail section:

1. Picking a Scandal card.
2. Being unable to record a card (or choosing not to record one).
3. By having vacant positions in your Band section at the end of the game.

Now sometimes bad news can be good for the band, such as the second Fail space which grants a Cash bonus when it is reached (see Receiving Bonuses below).

But overall players want to avoid Scandals and Fails when at all possible, as you'll lose VP at the end of the game equal to the highest number which you've checked off. These points are not cumulative.

Note: This is a visual reminder that when a player has filled all of their Fail spaces, the week is ended and players move immediately to the Weekend Phase.

Receiving Bonuses

As players fill in and cross out spaces on their Band Sheet, they will receive different bonuses. Bonuses with the same icon are treated the same regardless of the "shape" that icon is in (circle, square, triangle...etc.). Bonuses include: checking off one space in the Touring section; colouring in one circle above/below the Band section; crossing off one "album" space in the Releases section; unlocking one Multiplier of equal value; crossing off one Agenda icon in the Agenda section; crossing off one "single" space in the Releases section; crossing off one space in the Harmonies section; crossing off one Asset icon in the Assets section; crossing off one Cash restriction from the Band or Touring sections.

Once you have used a bonus, cross it out on your Band Sheet so that you know it's already been recorded. Very rarely, a bonus is earned, but all of the matching bonus spaces have already been filled. In this case that bonus is lost. Bonuses cannot be "saved," they must be used as soon as you receive them. If you receive multiple bonuses on the same turn, you can choose the order in which to record them.

Releases

To be able to cross out a space in this section, you have to get a Release bonus from the Band Sheet, or from completing a Goal card—they are not on Play cards! Some bonuses will give you an "Album" bonus and some will give you a "Single" bonus. Both work the same way: cross off the leftmost space in the matching track. If the space has already been crossed out, cross out the one to its right. If you cross out a space with an icon in it, you receive that bonus immediately (see Receiving Bonuses).

Point out to new players that the "Single" bonus has a piece missing from the shape to help differentiate it from the "Album" bonus!

At the end of the game, to calculate VP from this section, you will simply multiply the number of crossed-out spaces from each row, for example a section with 3 spaces crossed out in one row and 4 in the other would score 3x4 = 12 VP.

Touring

To cross off an empty space in the Touring section, you have to receive a Touring bonus from another section of the Band Sheet or a Goal card. There are no Play cards associated with this section.

All players start at their garage, which is already checked off. From there you can choose to work your way down either or both paths as you perform in better venues—gaining fame through your city, country, and then the world.

When you get a Touring bonus, check off an empty space next in line from a venue that has already been checked off. Some venues will trigger bonuses that you must use immediately, and some are blocked with a Cash restriction—you can proceed down this route only after unlocking that restriction.

There are three different paths which, when completed, earn you VP at the end of the game. Players can move down multiple paths depending on their goals and cash restrictions, but they can only check off one venue per Touring icon received. Just like all other bonuses, Touring bonuses cannot be saved. If they aren't, or cannot, be used they are lost. Make sure you unlock some cash restrictions or you won't be going far!

Iconography Reminders

The Band Sheet uses the following icons throughout: Fails Section, Goals Section, Band Section, Assets Section/Bonus, Agenda Section/Bonus, Harmonies Section/Bonus, Multiplier Section/Bonus, Touring Section/Bonus, Colour-in Bonus, Releases Section (Album Bonus, Single Bonus), and Cash Bonus/Cash Restriction.

Credits & Copyright

© Inside Up Games 2023

• Game Design: Bruno Maciel
• Development & Art Direction: Conor McGoey
• Art & Graphic Design: Pedro A. Alberto
• Editing: Daniel Mansfield
• Rulebook Design: Katelyn Summers
• Lead Play-testers: Dahlia, Dominique, Kilianne, and Caleb McGoey, Hudson Morash, Carter Morash, Chris Walters, Trevor Waytowich

Solo Set-list

Changes to Setup

Set up the Play deck by including only the cards with "1+" in the lower right-hand corner. Shuffle these cards into a deck and set it beside your band sheet, leaving room for a discard pile.

For variation and added difficulty, use the 1+ and 2+ cards, shuffle them all together and then randomly remove 7 cards (facedown) from play.

Use the entire Goal deck, but do not deal yourself 2 personal goals. Then deal 4 cards faceup above your band sheet as "public" goals.

On your turn

1. Draw 2 cards from the Play deck. You may now choose one of the following options.

   Option (A): Select one card of your choice, placing it faceup next to your band sheet and recording its details. Then discard the second card facedown into your personal discard pile and return to step 1.

   OR

   Option (B): Draw a 3rd Play card from the Play deck. In this hand of three cards, if you have a pair of Agenda, Asset or Crew cards, you MUST play the "other" card—being the card that isn't for the same band sheet section as the other two. If you have a hand with cards from three different sections or three from the same section, you may play any card of your choice. (Note that all Crew cards are from the same section, having one Musician and one Backstage Crew does not mean they are from different sections.) Place the required card faceup next to your band sheet and record its details. Then discard the two other cards facedown into your personal discard pile and proceed to step 2.

2. Only after resolving a hand of three cards are you allowed to check the Goal cards and claim a maximum of ONE Goal—if you have fulfilled its requirements. (If you have met the requirements for more than one goal, choose ONE to claim. You will have to choose option (B) again each time you want to claim another Goal.) If you claim a Goal card, discard it facedown. If you do not claim a Goal card, or if you claim a Goal from spaces 1, 2 or 3, the Goal card in space 4 is also discarded. Slide the remaining 2 or 3 goal cards to the right, and fill the empty spaces from the Goal deck. Then return to step 1.

Game End

The game ends when any of the following occur:

• You have filled all 12 crew positions.
• You have completed 6 Goals.
• You have reached "-20" on the Fail section.
• You cannot draw 2 Play cards from the deck.

You can now add up your score to see how you did!

Top the Charts!

Add up the total score from your band sheet:

• 250+ Your music is recognized and loved worldwide!
• 200+ Wow! Your band sells out major venues!
• 160+ Looking good, on your way to going platinum!
• 110+ regular gigs keep coming your way, keep it up.
• Under 60? More practice is needed to catch your break.