Mad Science Expo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
• Taking a Turn
  • Play a Henchmen
  • Challenge an Opponent
  • Challenge Results
• Defeated Players
• Recruiting Henchmen
• End of the Game
• Campaign Games
• Example Challenge

Components

• 36 Henchmen cards (values 0 to 5)
• 6 Mad Scientist cards (value 6)
• 6 Exhibit cards

Setup

Each player takes a hand of 7 cards including the following:

• 6 Henchmen cards with values from 0 to 5.
• 1 Mad Scientist card with a value of 6.

Each player also takes an Exhibit card. The back of the card can be used as a reference for new players, but also indicates which henchmen you have recruited during the game.

Return any unused cards to the box and players are ready to begin the game!

Note: Players should be careful not to reveal the value of the cards in their hands. However, players must always show how many cards they have in their hand.

How to Play

The player who can make the most maniacal laugh takes the first turn of the game.

When a player finishes their turn, the next player clockwise around the table takes a turn. Players continue taking turns until the end of the game.

Taking a Turn

During your turn, you must take one of the following actions:

• Play a Henchmen
• Challenge an Opponent

Play a Henchmen

Choose one Henchmen card (values 0 to 5) from your hand and place it faceup in front of you. The cards placed in front of you form your team of henchmen.

You cannot place your Mad Scientist (value 6) as part of your team.

Your turn then ends and the next player clockwise takes a turn.

Challenge an Opponent

Taking this action gives you the opportunity to take the team of henchmen from another player. Use the following steps to resolve a challenge:

1. Choose a player who has a team of one or more henchmen in front of them. This player is considered your opponent during this challenge.

2. You must choose one or more cards from your hand (henchmen and/or your Mad Scientist) and play them facedown in front of you. You must show the number of cards placed facedown but be careful not to reveal their values.

3. The opponent must choose one or more cards from their hand (henchmen and/or their Mad Scientist) and play them facedown.

   Both you and your opponent must then exchange the cards played during the challenge. This means your opponent takes the cards you played and you take the cards your opponent played.

4. You and your opponent now secretly look at the exchanged cards without revealing them to the other players. Each player compares the total value of cards they played with the other player to determine the result of the challenge, as described below.

5. Whether you win, lose, or tie the challenge, you and your opponent return any Mad Scientists played to their owner's hand.

   Both players now place the cards that were exchanged into their hand. This means your opponent adds the cards you played to their hand and you add the cards your opponent played to your hand.

   Note that since Mad Scientist cards are always returned to their owner's hand, you can never add another player's Mad Scientist to your hand.

Your turn then ends and the next player clockwise takes a turn.

Challenge Results

Your Total Is Higher. If your total value is higher than your opponent, you win the challenge. You take all of the cards in your opponent's team of henchmen and add them to your team.

If you have 3 or more cards in your team of henchmen, you may immediately recruit them by placing them under your Exhibit card.

If your opponent played their Mad Scientist, they are defeated.

Opponent's Total Is Higher. If your total value is lower than your opponent, you lose the challenge and you cannot take your opponent's team of henchmen.

If you played your Mad Scientist, you are defeated.

Totals Are Equal. If your total value is equal to your opponent, the challenge is a tie and you cannot take your opponent's team of henchmen. In the event of a tie, neither player is defeated.

Defeated Players

Players are defeated if they play their Mad Scientist during a challenge and have a lower total value than the other player.

If you are defeated, you must place your hand of cards and your team of henchmen in the box. You keep any recruited henchmen (henchmen cards placed under your Exhibit card).

You can no longer take any actions and must skip your turn, but your recruited henchmen still count during scoring at the end of the game. Therefore, it's still possible for defeated players to win the game.

Recruiting Henchmen

Henchmen are fickle and will follow whoever they perceive is the most maniacal scientist. Henchmen only become loyal followers after you recruit them. Recruited henchmen count during scoring at the end of the game.

If your team of henchmen (Henchmen cards placed faceup in front of you) has 3 or more cards, you may recruit them at the beginning of your turn (before you take an action) OR after you win a challenge during your turn.

When you recruit your team of henchmen, place all of the cards facedown under your Exhibit card. Once henchmen are placed there, you cannot look at them until final scoring at the end of the game.

You can recruit multiple teams of henchmen during the course of the game.

Recruiting is always optional, so you may wait until your next turn to recruit a larger team of henchmen if you wish. However, the longer you wait the more you risk losing them to another player if they challenge you!

End of the Game

The game ends if any of the following conditions occur at the end of a turn:

• Only one player remains undefeated (see "Defeated Players").
• All players have 2 or fewer cards in their hands.

Players now count the total value of their recruited henchmen (Henchmen cards placed under their Exhibit card). Cards in hand and placed as a team of henchmen do not count for scoring.

Remember that even defeated players still score at the end of the game.

The player with the highest total value of recruited henchmen wins the game! If two or more players are tied for the highest total, the player who played a turn last is the winner.

Campaign Games

This variant allows players to play multiple games to determine an overall victor of the campaign.

When a player wins a game, they receive 1 point, then play a new game following all of the standard rules.

A player becomes the victor of the campaign after receiving a number of points based on the number of players:

• 2 Players: 4 points
• 3–4 Players: 3 points
• 5–6 Players: 2 points

Example Challenge

Cards played during a challenge remain facedown and are not revealed to other players. Only the active player and opponent can look at the cards. For the purpose of this example, the cards are shown faceup in the rulebook.

1. The active player chooses 3 cards from their hand and plays them facedown.
2. The opponent chooses 2 cards from their hand and plays them facedown.
3. Both players exchange the cards they played, then secretly look at the cards without revealing them to the other players.
4. The opponent played their 1 Henchmen and their 6 Mad Scientist for a total of 7 (1+6=7).
5. The active player played their 2, 3, and 4 Henchmen for a total value of 9 (2+3+4=9).
6. The active player has a higher total value and wins the challenge. They take their opponent's team of 2 henchmen cards and add them to their own team.
7. The opponent returns their Mad Scientist to their hand.
8. Both players now place the cards that were exchanged into their hand.
9. Since the opponent had a lower total while playing their Mad Scientist, they are defeated and return their hand of cards to the box.