Making Monsters Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Object of the Game
• Gameplay
• Order Monster Parts
• Receive Deliveries
  • Monster Part Tokens
  • Drawing Monster Parts and Placing Tokens
• Reanimate (Optional)
• Refresh
  • Drawing Monster Cards
• Mad Science Fair
  • 1. Prep
  • 2. Mad Science Fair
  • Final Score
• Description of Components
  • Order Tokens
  • Playing Order Tokens
  • L.E.S.T.E.R. Cards
  • Reanimate Table
  • Monster Cards
• Laboratory Playerboard Upgrades
• Quick Guide Summary

Components

• 1 rotating center board
• 1 score track board
• 72 Monster cards
• 16 fifty point score tokens
• 20 L.E.S.T.E.R. cards
• 1 neoprene mat with wooden disc and adhesive cardstock disc for board
• 40 laboratory Upgrade tiles

Components in player colors:

• 4 player standees with 4 stands
• 4 laboratory playerboards ("lab board")
• 4 player aids
• 4 Stockroom bags
• 12 order tokens

344 Monster part tokens:

• 58 rot
• 70 limb
• 52 stitch
• 52 spike
• 48 goop
• 44 zapper
• 20 mutation

Setup

A. Place the game board in the center of the table and fill the graves with their matching Monster parts to make the supply. Put the rule book nearby for everyone to reference the Quick Guide Summary.

Note: You'll need to assemble the center board with the neoprene mat underneath.

B. Each player selects a color and puts their matching scoring marker near the scoring track.

C. Players take their matching lab board, player aid card, and Stockroom draw bag. In their draw bag, players need 22 Monster part tokens to start the game: 7 Rot tokens, 5 Limb, 4 Stitches, 3 Spikes, 2 Goop, and 1 Zappers. These bags can be reset at the end of each game and used to store the starting tokens.

D. Each player also puts their set of 3 order tokens and L.E.S.T.E.R. cards next to their lab board.

E. Shuffle all the Monster cards and give 1 to each player. Place the rest of the Monster card deck face down near the central board. Players put their monster card on any of the spaces on their lab board.

F. Shuffle the Laboratory Upgrade tiles and place two Upgrades face-up in the marked spots on each of the four central carts. Place the remaining Upgrade tiles face down in the two marked spots on the central board to be added to the carts later.

G. Fill the Rot track at the bottom of the scoreboard based on the number of players in the game. When this track is empty, players will move into the final stage of the game and participate in the Mad Science Fair.

H. Place all additional Rot tokens in the Rot supply space.

I. Finally, each player randomly draws 5 Monster part tokens from their Stockroom bag and places the tokens onto their lab as they are pulled. Match the Monster part to its pre-printed position on a Monster, put Rot tokens on the Rejects track in the upper right corner of the board, or store the Monster part on the sorting table following the rules outlined on page 4. The game is now ready to begin with the Order Monster Parts phase.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to earn the most prestige. Players score prestige for:

• Each Monster they successfully Reanimate
• Bonus points for successfully Reanimating lots of Monsters at once without going bust

Gameplay

Most gameplay is simultaneous, with players taking a majority of their actions at the same time. They will play through a variable number of rounds that consist of 4 phases each, before participating in the Mad Science Fair, which is the culmination of their experimentation and madness. In each round, players will:

1. Order Monster Parts
2. Receive Deliveries
3. Reanimate (optional)
4. Refresh

Order Monster Parts

"It would be much easier to predict what your neighbor is going to play if you installed a chip in their brain to read their thoughts. I could install it tonight if you want... But until then I suggest thinking about how their board looks. Do they want to draw a lot of tokens or a few tokens? This may help you guess correctly!"

To order Monster parts, each player will secretly pick one of their 3 Order Tokens. This will determine how many parts they draw from the Stockroom bag and will involve bluffing to try and get a Super action from their neighbors. Players can bluff and talk in order to trick their opponents into giving them a Super action.

When a player has picked their Order Token, place it face down on the table. When all players are ready, they will simultaneously flip over their tokens to reveal their choice.

There are 3 types of Order Tokens that give a standard action, differentiated by color: Red, Yellow, and Blue. Each token tells players how many Monster parts they must pull from their Stockroom bag, along with various other actions they gain. Each token also has a Super action they could get, indicated by the secondary color near the bottom of the token. If the secondary color of a player's token matches the main color of either neighbor's token, the player gains the Super action instead. Learn more about each Order token under Order Tokens below.

Receive Deliveries

"Of course I know what you ordered from the Stockroom. But in a much more real sense I have no idea what you ordered. Good thing you're a highly trained Mad Scientist and can make a Monster out of just about anything! If you let me deliver Monster parts one at a time, be sure to stop me before you get too much Rot."

After checking to see if they get the standard action or the Super action from their order token, players will receive deliveries. All players will simultaneously randomly draw the appropriate number of Monster part tokens from their Stockroom bag to complete Monsters on their lab board.

Monster Part Tokens

There are 3 categories of Monster part tokens in the game:

• Useful parts come in various forms: limb, stitches, spikes, goop, and zappers
• Mutations are "wild" tokens, meaning they can be used for any slot on a Monster Card
• Rot tokens are useless and must be immediately placed on the Rejects track

Useful parts and Mutations may be placed onto a Monster card, the Sorting Table, or other Upgrades players acquire for their lab board. However, if a player doesn't have any place for these tokens in their lab, they must put them on their Rejected Monster parts track (Rejects track).

Note: If players ever run out of a type of useful Monster parts from the cart in front of them, they will need to pick a different, available, type instead.

Drawing Monster Parts and Placing Tokens

1. Draw token
2. Place on board
3. No room? Place on Rejects track

Players may not move Monster parts once they've placed them on their lab board, with the exception of those placed onto the sorting table; these may be moved onto Monster cards at any point and are returned to their bag if they aren't used when that player Reanimates their Monsters.

Lab Boards have 4 different sections (the lab board also shows numbered areas 1-5, with 5 being the Rejects track in the upper right):

1. 5 slots for Monster Cards. The first two slots have default Monster Cards already included. Players may choose to complete these Monsters as many times as they like, or simply cover them up with a more desirable Monster card.
2. 3 Upgrade slots that players can fill with their Laboratory Upgrades. After these 3 slots are filled, players may not gain any more Upgrades (unless they get the Warehouse).
3. 2 sorting table spots where players can place Monster parts (Rot may not be placed here). This allows players to keep potentially useful Monster parts in their lab for future Monsters, and also avoid having to place Monster parts that are not immediately useful onto the Rejects track. Players can immediately remove a Monster part from the sorting table when they get a Monster Card that can use that token.
4. 6 spots in the Rejects track for Rot and Monster parts that cannot be used this round. When these 6 slots are filled, the player busts and is forced to reanimate their Monsters.

Note: Players have to balance the need to complete as many Monsters as they can, with the risk of filling up their Rejects track. If they push too far and go bust, they miss out on bonus points for their completed Monsters.

Reanimate (Optional)

"Every time you flip that switch I think about when you first reanimated me! The lights dimming, your delighted giggles, sparking electricity...feels like home. Don't worry if you don't get it right every time; it took you three times on me and now you can't do anything without me."

Players will: (1) choose to Reanimate their completed Monsters, (2) be forced to Reanimate because they went bust, or (3) choose to push their luck further and Reanimate a future round.

When a player chooses to Reanimate, they will always gain the points indicated on the Monster card(s) they have completed. They will also gain additional rewards, including bonus points and laboratory Upgrades from the cart in front of them, based on the number of Monsters completed (see the Reanimate Table).

Remember: As players Reanimate Monsters, they'll be taking Rot tokens from the Graveyard track based on the Reanimate Table, which moves everyone closer to triggering the Mad Science Fair and the end of the game.

If a player busts (when they fill their Rejects tracks), they only gain the points on Monsters they completed up to that point and the item(s) from the cart that is directly in front of them. The number of items gained depends on the number of Monsters they created before busting (see the Reanimate Table). However, the player will not receive the bonus points indicated on the table.

When a player Reanimates a completed Monster, whether by choice or because they went bust, they place that Monster card face-up next to their lab boards. Cards placed next to a player's lab boards can be used again by that player during the Mad Science Fair. After Reanimating, players pick up their Order token and return all Monster parts and Rot on their lab board to their Stockroom bag.

Note: The only Monster tokens that aren't cleared are ones on a lab board Upgrade that specifically says players can keep them into the next round.

If a player does not Reanimate, that player will only pick up their Order token. The player will not clear Monster parts or Rot from their lab boards, and will be able to add to those parts during the next round.

Refresh

"I brought you those Monster bodies you asked for but you have to pick which one to work on and perfect. Remember you're preparing for the Mad Science Fair so pick carefully...or don't. I don't know! What was the question?"

To get ready for the next round check the Rot track. If it's empty, move to the Mad Science Fair. If there is still Rot on the track, follow these steps as a group:

Refill the Merchant Cart Upgrade areas on the board if any Upgrade tiles were taken. Then rotate the board clockwise so each player has the next Cart in front of them.

Each player draws 2 Monster cards from the board in any order players want. Keep 1 and place it face up in an empty spot in their lab board. The other card is discarded face-up into a discard pile near the board to be shuffled back into the draw pile if players ever run out of Monster cards.

If a player doesn't have an open space for another Monster in their lab, they may either replace an existing Monster card with the new card (discard the replaced card to their personal discard), or place the new card next to their lab board with any Monsters they've already completed. In either case, no points are scored.

Note: Players cannot discard any Monster card during Refresh that already has Monster part tokens on it.

Drawing Monster Cards

1. Draw two cards
2. Choose one to keep
3. Discard the other

Mad Science Fair

"This is your big chance to show off all those great Monsters you've created during the game! Try to choose the 5 best Monsters that work with all the tokens in your Stockroom!"

When the last Rot is removed from the Rot Track, complete the current round (everyone must Reanimate) and then move on to the Mad Science Fair, where all players compete in one final and climactic demonstration of scientific genius. The Mad Science Fair takes place over 2 phases. The first is the Prep Phase, followed immediately by the Science Fair phase.

1. Prep

Players remove all remaining Monster cards from their lab boards and put them into their Monster pile next to their lab without scoring any points for them. Then players select any 5 Monster cards from their pile and place them on their lab boards. Players may also use the pre-printed Monsters in their laboratories, but generally the ones gained during the game are better!

Players return all of their Monster part tokens and Rot back into their Stockroom bags.

2. Mad Science Fair

When all players are ready, they simultaneously draw Monster parts one at a time from their bag and place them into their lab, following the same rules and restrictions used during the main phases of the game. Players can use any of the Upgrades they've added to their lab boards.

Players may stop drawing any time they wish to avoid going bust. Players gain Prestige points from Monsters they complete PLUS bonus Prestige, but DON'T take new items from the cart.

If a player fills their Rejects track, they go bust and must stop pulling Monster parts from their bag. They only earn the Prestige shown on the Monster cards they completed but they do not earn the bonus Prestige from the Reanimate Table.

Final Score

After the Mad Science Fair prestige has been recorded, whoever has the most prestige is the winner. If there's a tie, the player with the fewest Rot tokens in their bag wins. If players are still tied, the player who scored highest in the Mad Science Fair wins. In the unlikely event there is still a tie, they share the victory.

Description of Components

Order Tokens

"I love these orders, they just hold so much promise! I mean, I can't promise I'll bring you what you were hoping for but I'll bring you something."

Order Tokens determine the number of Monster parts drawn from the player's bag for each round. The base action is indicated by the background of the token, and the Super action is indicated by the banner at the bottom.

Red

• BASE: Draw 2 Monster parts (must be drawn at the same time) from the Stockroom bag AND select any Monster part from the supply (except a Mutation) to add to the Stockroom bag.
• SUPER: Gain 3 Prestige immediately, draw 1-5 Monster parts (may be drawn one at a time and the player may stop at any point), and add a Mutation Monster part token to the Stockroom bag.

Note: If Mutation tokens ever run out of the supply, select any other available Monster part to add instead.

Yellow

• BASE: Draw 4 Monster parts all at once (must be drawn at the same time) from the Stockroom bag.
• SUPER: Draw 2 Monster tokens. Then draw up to 5 more tokens one at a time (the player may stop at any point), and then return one Rot to the Stockroom bag (even if it's the last token on the Rejects track and would normally make the player go bust).

Blue

• BASE: Draw 6 Monster parts all at once (must be drawn at the same time) from the Stockroom bag.
• SUPER: Draw 3 Monster tokens. Then draw up to 6 more tokens one at a time (the player may stop at any point) AND play one of their LESTER cards. To play a LESTER card, they will choose one of their unused LESTER cards, immediately use the effect, and discard it face up (creating a discard pile for them next to their board if it's the first time they have used a L.E.S.T.E.R. card). If a player uses their last LESTER card, they will use the effect and then return all of their LESTER cards to their hand.

Playing Order Tokens

Example: In this 4-player game, the players all try to trick their opponents into giving them access to their Super action. Beth plays her yellow token, Jacob picks his red token, Damon plays his blue token, and Geneva selects her red token. Beth is next to Jacob and Geneva's red tokens so she doesn't get her Super action. But because Jacob and Geneva played their red tokens, Beth gave them both their Super actions. Damon also gets to use his Super action because he picked the blue token and is next to at least one red token. Poor Beth is the only player who had to use her Base action.

L.E.S.T.E.R. Cards

"Wait, what's this? Is that a robot?! Are you replacing me?? Despite my doubts, that ridiculous robot is a great way to get ahead in the world of Mad Science. Try to choose the right card for your situation!"

Each player has a deck of 5 L.E.S.T.E.R. (Laboratory Efficiency System Technology Enhancement Robot) cards in their color, which may only be played using the Super Action on the blue Order token or using the LESTER Upgrade. Each LESTER card has a different power, and players may use them in any order they choose. After using one, place it face down off to the side. Once all 5 have been used, players pick them all back up to use again if they have another opportunity. Here is an explanation of what the cards do:

• Compost: Take any 1 Rot from your bag and remove it from the game.
• Flexibility: Immediately add 2 Mutation tokens from the supply to the Stockroom bag. If Mutation tokens run out, players can select the token of their choice for each Mutation token they can't take.
• Scavenge: Immediately add any 3 non-Mutation Monster parts from the supply to the Stockroom bag.
• Publicity: Gain 3 Prestige on the scoreboard.
• Expand: Take 1 Upgrade from any cart and add it to an available space on the lab board.

Reanimate Table

"The more Monsters you reanimate with one flip of the switch, the more stuff I get to add to your Stockroom! Your fame also goes way up but that's something us Monsters don't care much about..."

When a player Reanimates (whether by choice or because they went bust), they will consult the Reanimate Table on their player aid to determine additional benefits earned that round.

1. How many Monsters they completed (filled all the Monster part spots) this reanimation.
2. The bonus prestige points gained.
3. The number of Rot tokens the player must take from the supply (to add to their Stockroom bag). This moves the game closer to the Mad Science Fair.
4. The number of items they may take from the cart directly in front of them. The player may take any combination of Monster parts from the supply matching the types pre-printed on the cart (to add to the Stockroom bag) and/or Upgrades (to enhance their lab board).

Reanimate Monsters table (as printed on the board and player aid):

1. Monsters completed	0	1	2	3	4	5
2. Bonus Prestige	0	1	3	6	10	15
3. Rot tokens taken	0	1	1	2	2	3
4. Items from cart	1	2	3	4	5	6

Example: Beth chooses to Reanimate with 3 completed Monsters (5). She may take a total of 4 items from the cart in front of her. This could be up to 4 Monster parts from the types printed in her cart, or the 2 Accessories and 2 of the Monster parts, or any combination that adds up to 4 items (6). Beth will also gain 6 bonus points and must add 2 Rot to her Stockroom bag (7).

Note: If a player is forced to Reanimate because they filled their Rejects track, they may only take items from the cart, and they do not gain the bonus Prestige points shown on the table. All other effects of Reanimating are applied as normal.

Monster Cards

Each Monster card shows the name of the Monster, the Monster parts needed to complete the Monster, the Prestige points for completion, and a Reanimate action.

Laboratory Playerboard Upgrades

"I always love installing new Upgrades for your laboratory. Have you ever thought about getting me a bed so I don't have to sleep in the corner? That could be a cool Upgrade!"

Upgrades permanently enhance the lab board, which give players helpful bonuses for the rest of the game. Place them in an empty Upgrade space or replace an existing Upgrade with a new one; the old Upgrade is then discarded to the box. Below is an explanation of the lab board Upgrades found in the game (names as printed on the tiles):

• Sorting Table: Hold 2 additional Monster parts until Reanimation.
• Refrigeration: Hold any 1 Body Part after Reanimate Monster(s).
• BOGO Coupon Printer: Grants 1 additional Monster part from the supply into your bag every Reanimation.
• Meat Replicator: Add 2 Limbs to the Stockroom bag immediately. Also gain 2 Limbs every Reanimation, in addition to other benefits received.
• Stitches Replicator: Add 1 Stitches to the Stockroom bag immediately. Also gain 1 Stitches every Reanimation, in addition to other benefits received.
• Spikes Replicator: Add 1 Spikes to the Stockroom bag immediately. Also gain 1 Spikes every Reanimation, in addition to other benefits received.
• Goop Replicator: Add 1 Goop to the Stockroom bag immediately. Also gain 1 Goop every Reanimation, in addition to other benefits received.
• Zapper Replicator: Add 1 Zapper to the Stockroom bag immediately. Also gain 1 Zapper every Reanimation, in addition to other benefits received.
• Universal Replicator: When gaining a token from a Replicator Upgrade, gain one additional token of that type.
• Teleporter: When selecting an item from the carts, pick from any cart instead of being limited to the one in front of this player.
• Med School: Place any 2 Monster parts on this Upgrade tile, to gain 2 additional Prestige on the next Reanimation. Remove the Monster parts after Reanimation.

Quick Guide Summary

Each player draws and places 1 monster card. After setting up your bag according to the back of the player aid, draw 5 Monster part tokens and place them on your lab board.

1. Order Monster Parts
   • Select an Order Token and reveal simultaneously.
2. Receive Deliveries
   • Check neighbors to see who gets a Base or Super Order.
   • Pull Monster part tokens based on the Order.
3. Reanimate (optional)
   • Players Reanimate Monsters if they want, or because they filled their Rejects Track (busted!).
   • Check the Reanimate Table and take the appropriate items, Prestige points, and Rot tokens.
4. Refresh
   • Rotate the central board and refill Upgrades.
   • Draw two Monsters and keep one.
5. Mad Science Fair
   • When the last Rot is taken, complete the round; all players Reanimate.
   • Players select 5 Monsters from their personal pile.
   • Draw Monster parts one at a time to animate one last wave of Monsters.
   • Players Reanimate whenever they want or when they bust, but only gain Prestige.
6. Count Prestige, and whoever has the most wins