Mechanica
Mechanica Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- Factory Boards (4)
- The Shop
- Blueprints (15)
- Big Trucks (6)
- Huge Trucks (7)
- Money (1s, 5s, 10s, 20s)
- ARMAND-0 Card
- Vaults (4)
- 9 different Improvements (3 of each)
- Single Player Chip
- Forks (10)
- Reminder Cards (4)
- TIDYBOT Models: Basic (worth 2) (22), Plus (worth 4) (22), Deluxe (worth 6) (22)
Mechanica's box is part of the game. Play with the Shop, stacks of improvements, and blueprints still in the box!
Goal & Game End
The game ends when there are no more improvements left to buy at the end of the workday. At that point, the player with the most money is the winner, and gets to enjoy that wealth until the robot revolution for the rest of their life.
You add up:
- Money in your Wallet (From selling bots)
- Money in your Vault (From blueprints)
- The value of your improvements (Varies per improvement)
Money + Vault money + improvement values = FINAL SCORE
Setup
1 · Each Player Gets:
- Factory Board
- Vault
- Reminder Card
- 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 (8 money) for their Wallet (money not in Vault is in Wallet)
- Basic bot, placed in the hole on her Basic Fabricator
2 · (If not already done at the end of last game) Shuffle the improvements and put 6 in the Extras and the rest (21) in the Improvements Stack.
3 · Put the top 2 improvements from the Improvements Stack into the 7-cost spot and 5-cost spot in the Shop.
4 · Flip the top blueprint card of each Blueprint Stack face up.
5 · Choose a player to go first and give her the ARMAND-0 card.
6 · Figure out how many stacks of improvements to play with:
| 1-3 Player Game | 4 Player Game |
|---|---|
| Play with the Improvements Stack. Do not use improvements from the Extras. | When the Improvements Stack runs out, continue playing with the Extras improvements (6 improvements) |
7 · If you took the Shop board out of the box during setup, put it back in its spot in the box now. Do the same for the blueprints, and improvements. You play with the box as part of the game.
The Play Area
The box holds the Improvements Stack & Extras, the Money & Bot Supplies, the Forks & Trucks, the Shop (with its 7 & 5-Cost Spots and the Recycler), and the Blueprints. Each player has a Factory Board, a Vault, a Wallet, a Reminder Card and a Bot. The first player also has the ARMAND-0 card.
This is your factory!
Your factory is how you make bots, and bots are how you make money!
You'll spend your game moving bots from the Fabricators in your Start Zone to the Trucks in your Loading Dock. Along the way, you'll buy improvements for your factory that let you make more or better bots.
The factory board is divided into three areas: the Start Zone, the Factory Floor, and the Loading Dock.
Starting the Workday
A new workday starts NOW (at the beginning of the game) and again once all players have taken their turns. At the start of each workday, all players run their factories.
Run Your Factories
Each player pushes the button on the ARMAND-0 card and all players run their factories at the same time, in 2 steps:
1 · Move each bot in your factory along the arrows on your conveyor belts until it gets to a hole. Once it does, that bot is done moving for the workday. (At the start of the game, just move your Basic bot along the conveyor belt to your middle Small Truck.)
2 · Activate any improvements in your factory that have bots in them. (At the start of the game, you don't have any improvements yet, so you can skip this step.)
The back cover of this booklet tells you what each improvement does. Most improvements work by destroying the bots in their input holes (holes near the entrance surrounded by a dotted red line) and filling their output holes (all other holes) with more or better bots.
You can listen to ARMAND-0 on your phone instead of using the ARMAND-0 card here: mechanicagame.com/armand-0/
Your Turn
Every workday, starting with the first player and moving clockwise, each player takes one full turn. On each player's turn, she does all of these 4 things in order:
- Sells bots from her trucks and gets money
- Buys improvements for her factory from the Shop
- Makes new bots for her next turn
- Rotates the Shop and puts a new improvement in it
After a player takes a turn, the player to her left takes a turn. When the round is complete and it's the first player's turn again, the workday ends and a new workday begins.
1. Sell Bots
You may sell any bots in your Trucks and get money for them. Take the bots you wish to sell and return them to the supply. Take money from the supply based on which models of TIDYBOT you sold and put it into your Wallet:
| Model | Money |
|---|---|
| Basic | 2 |
| Plus | 4 |
| Deluxe | 6 |
You can complete blueprints using bots you choose not to sell. But don't worry about blueprints until later in the game.
2. Buy Improvements
Buy improvements from the Shop to make your factory better! You can buy as many as you can afford with the money in your Wallet.
Each improvement upgrades, multiplies, or makes money from the bots that go through it. Each improvement's cost is the number next to it on the Shop. When you buy an improvement, choose whether to install it in your factory or recycle it into bots.
Check the back cover of the booklet for details on what each improvement does!
Anatomy of an Improvement
- Cost — How much the improvement costs.
- Value — Worth this much money at the end of the game (This is not its cost).
- Effect — What the improvement does with bots.
- Input Hole (Red dotted line) — Bots stop here when entering the improvement.
- Entrances — Bots can enter the improvement here.
- Exit — Bots leave the improvement here.
- Output Hole — Bots end up here after the improvement activates.
- Recycling Value — Can be recycled for the bots depicted here when bought, instead of installed in your factory.
Installing an Improvement
- Fabricators go in your factory's Start Zone (left), Trucks in the Loading Dock (right). All other improvements go in any square in the Factory Floor (center).
- Improvements don't need to snap together with anything.
- Once you have installed an improvement you may not move it, but you may demolish (discard) it to make space for new ones.
See the FAQs for more on installing improvements.
Recycling an Improvement
Instead of installing it in your factory, you can choose to drop the improvement into the Recycler (the hole in the Shop). Place the bots depicted in the improvement's recycling value (bottom right corner) in any of the holes in your Start Zone.
Once you are satisfied you don't want to install or recycle any more improvements, you Make Bots.
3. Make Bots
Put one bot from the supply into the center hole of each of your Fabricators. Each Fabricator shows in its upper right corner what kind of bot it makes.
4. Rotate the Shop
1 · Rotate the Shop one spot clockwise until each of the price squares has a number in it again. The improvements in the Shop have become cheaper!
2 · Draw a new improvement from the top of the Stack and place it in the 7-cost spot of the Shop.
3 · If an improvement falls into the Recycler, you immediately recycle it: take the bots shown in its recycling value and place them in any of the holes in your Start Zone.
Double Rotate
2-3 player games only: If the Shop's only improvement after rotating is in the 7-cost spot, rotate a second time and put out the next improvement from the Extras in the 7-cost spot. (This is the only time the Extra improvements are used in a 2-3 player game)
Any Time During Your Turn
You can complete blueprints and buy Trucks and Forks at any point during your turn. Wait until at least the second workday before you worry about them, though; focus on the Shop during your first turn.
Forks
Forks let you send any bots that pass through them to either exit arrow of your choice.
Forks cost 1. Forks are always buyable, and never change price.
Trucks
Big and Huge Trucks replace the Small Trucks in your starting factory.
Big Trucks cost 3 and can hold two bots.
Huge Trucks cost 5 and can hold three bots.
You can replace a Big Truck with a Huge Truck for 3.
Trucks are always buyable, and never change price.
Blueprints
If your Trucks contain the bot models listed on either blueprint, you may return the bots to the Supply as if you had sold them. Instead of putting money into your Wallet, put the money shown on the blueprint card into your Vault. (You may not take money out of your Vault at any point in the game. It's scored at the end.) Then turn both blueprints sideways to indicate that they will be replaced at the end of the workday. The remaining players may still complete the blueprints this workday even if they are sideways.
You may complete both blueprints in a single turn, but you may not complete any blueprint more than once.
Ending the Workday
Every time you get back to the player who has the ARMAND-0 card (the first player), it's time to end the current workday and begin a new one:
Check if the Game is Over
If the Improvements Stack has run out* and there are no more improvements in the Shop, the game is over; if so, stop the workday now and begin scoring.
*In a 4-player game, the Extra improvements must also run out to end the game.
Refresh Blueprints
If the blueprints are sideways (if somebody completed one this workday), put both blueprints face down at the bottom of their respective Stacks and flip new blueprints to replace them.
Start a New Workday
Start a new workday and run everybody's factories. See "Starting the Workday" for details.
Game Over
If the game is over, it's time to score. Each player adds up her money, and the player with the most wins!
You add up:
- Money in your Wallet
- Money in your Vault
- The value of your improvements
Money + Vault money + improvement values = FINAL SCORE
Cleaning Up
Follow these steps to be ready to play right out of the box when you start your next game:
1 · Return all bots and money to the box.
2 · Take apart your factories:
- Return all Trucks and Forks to their Stacks in the box
- Gather all the improvements (including ones that were recycled) and shuffle them. Put 6 improvements into the Extras and the remaining 21 into the Improvements Stack
3 · Shuffle all the blueprints and divide them into a pile of 7 and a pile of 8, then place each pile face down in its Stack in the box.
4 · Place Vaults, reminder cards, and the ARMAND-0 card underneath the Shop.
Factory Running Example
If you haven't completed the first workday, do so now before continuing to read!
It's the start of the workday. Everyone presses the button on the ARMAND-0 card. Rachel runs her factory while everyone else runs their own:
Step 1 (Move bots)
A · Rachel moves the Plus bot in the Upgrader along the conveyor belt to her top Truck.
B · Rachel moves the Deluxe bot in the Repurposer to her middle Truck.
C · Rachel moves the Basic bot to her Upgrader's input hole.
D · Rachel moves the Basic bot through the Gift Wrapper, puts 1 into her Vault, and then puts the Basic bot into her Repurposer's input hole.
E · Rachel moves the Basic bot through the Fork, and decides to send it up into the middle conveyor belt. She puts 1 into her Vault from the Gift Wrapper, then moves the Basic bot into her Repurposer's 2nd input hole.
Bot Collision (uh oh!)
Any time 2 bots would end up in the same hole they collide. You pick which survives and which is returned to the Supply. If a bot goes off the top or bottom of the Factory Board, it's also returned to the Supply. Boom!
Step 2 (Activate improvements)
F · The Basic bot in her Upgrader is turned into a Plus bot and placed in the output hole (the Basic bot is returned to the Supply).
G · The two Basic bots in the Repurposer are turned into one bot of any type. Rachel chooses a Deluxe bot, placing it in her Repurposer's output hole.
The new Plus bot created by the Upgrader and the Deluxe bot created by the Repurposer don't move out of the improvements' output holes until the start of the next workday.
Single Player Version
Goal and Game End
Make more money than ARMAND-0 to win. Try to defeat him on each of the difficulty settings. The game ends immediately once there are no improvements left to buy.
- You score normally.
- ARMAND-0 scores by multiplying the value of his improvements by six (a single Repurposer will be worth 24 for him) and then adding the money in his Vault and the money in his Wallet.
Single Player Setup
Set the game up as in multiplayer, then:
1 · Give ARMAND-0:
- His own Vault
- 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 (8 money) for his Wallet
- The single player chip
- The ARMAND-0 card
2 · Set aside a place next to the ARMAND-0 card to stack improvements he buys (he doesn't get a Factory Board).
3 · Adjust difficulty by adding money to ARMAND-0's Vault:
| Difficulty | Money added |
|---|---|
| Normal | +0 |
| Hard | +20 |
| Impossible | +40 |
| Apocalyptic | +60 |
Single Player Gameplay
The game plays like the multiplayer version, except ARMAND-0 gets his own turn after yours.
1 · Start the Workday. Run your factory.
2 · Your Turn:
- Sell Bots
- Buy Improvements
- Make Bots
- Rotate the Shop (and put out a new improvement)
3 · ARMAND-0's Turn:
- Flip the single player chip
- ARMAND-0 buys an improvement
- Rotate the Shop (and put out a new improvement). Armand-0 doesn't receive anything from recycling improvements.
4 · End the Workday:
- Refresh Blueprints (if any were completed)
- Start a New Workday
ARMAND-0 buys an improvement
After flipping the single player chip, ARMAND-0 will try to buy an improvement from the Shop based on which side the chip landed:
| Chip side | Result |
|---|---|
| ARMAND-0 gets 1 | He buys the cheapest improvement in the Shop if he can afford it. If he can't afford it, he gets 4 more and buys nothing. |
| ARMAND-0 gets 5 | He buys the most expensive improvement in the Shop if he can afford it. If he can't afford it, he buys nothing. |
Stack any improvements ARMAND-0 buys next to his card. He doesn't have a factory, but he'll get lots of points for high value improvements, so be careful about which ones you let him have!
Overactive Fabricators
Each time you use an Overactive Fabricator, put 1 into ARMAND-0's Vault if you made a Plus bot, and put 5 into his Vault if you made a Deluxe bot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Improvements Need To Face Forward?
No! Improvements don't need to face forward. They can be installed and rotated in any direction. It will often be useful to install improvements like the Gift Wrapper facing up or down.
You can even install improvements backward, but be careful — bots follow the arrows on the conveyor belts, and when a bot is carried into an improvement exit or the flat side of an improvement, the bot is destroyed. You'll want lots of Forks to direct bots properly into and out of backwards improvements.
Do Bots For Blueprints Need To Be In The Same Truck?
No. The bots you use to complete a blueprint have to come from your Trucks, but they can come from different Trucks.
Does the ARMAND-0 Card Move Between Players?
No. The first player doesn't change throughout the game.
Can I Move Improvements Once I've Installed Them?
No, but you may demolish (discard) any improvements in your factory to free up space. If you demolish an improvement, put it in the Recycler but do not take its recycling value. Any bots on it are destroyed.
What if I Run Out of Forks Or Trucks?
Forks and Trucks cannot run out. All demolished Forks and Trucks are placed back into the box (and can be bought again). If all Forks or Trucks are in use, place a recycled improvement face down to stand in for the missing Fork or Truck.
How Do Bots Go From One Conveyor Belt To Another?
Downgraders, Duplicators, and Forks all can send bots from one conveyor belt to the one above it or below it. Even though the picture doesn't show the belt connecting, the bots will still transfer to the new conveyor belt! The bots will continue moving until they reach a hole.
What If My Improvement Doesn't Fit?
If an improvement won't fit in your factory due to another improvement's exit or flat side getting in the way, you can't install the new improvement. You can either demolish the old improvement and install the new one, or recycle the new improvement.
Help! I Have More Bots Than I Have Room For!
Sometimes you might receive more bots than you have room for. You can always put bots from Overactive Fabricators and recycling in any holes in your Start Zone, including ones that already have bots in them (replacing the existing bot). When your Fabricator produces a bot but its hole is already full, you choose which bot to keep.
In the end, you can always keep the best bots you get.
What Order Does My Factory Run In?
All the bots in your factory move at the same time. To help you remember which bots you've already moved, we recommend you move the bots on the right side of your factory first, top to bottom.
Improvements List
Learn the improvements with augmented reality at mechanicagame.com/ar
Gift Wrapper*
Gives 1 to your Vault (from the Supply) whenever a bot passes through it
Bots don't stop when passing through the Gift Wrapper.
Upgrader
Upgrades a bot to the next model up
When activated: replace the bot in the Upgrader's input hole with the next more valuable model, placed into the output hole. A Basic turns into a Plus, and a Plus turns into a Deluxe. (A Deluxe is just placed as-is in the output hole.)
At the start of the next workday, the bot in the output hole will leave the improvement.
Duplicator
Copies a bot
When activated: replace the bot in the Duplicator's input hole with 2 bots of the same model in the output holes. At the start of the next workday, 1 will continue on the same conveyor belt and 1 will go to the belt above.
To send bots to the conveyor belt beneath the Duplicator, flip the Duplicator to its back side as you install it.
Advanced Fabricator
Makes a Basic bot during the Make Bots part of your turn
The Advanced Fabricator is placed in the Start Zone (left side) of your factory. It makes 1 bot per turn in the center hole; the other hole can be filled by bots received from other players using their Overactive Fabricators or from recycling improvements.
Bots in both holes leave at the start of the next workday.
Overactive Fabricator
Makes a Deluxe or Plus bot during the Make Bots part of your turn, then gives each opponent bot
Like an Advanced Fabricator, but when you Make Bots, announce which model you're making. If you make a Plus bot, each of your opponents gets a Basic to put in their Start Zone's holes. If you choose a Deluxe they get a Plus or a Basic (their choice). If an opponent's Start Zone is full, they can replace bots that are already there if they wish.
Downgrader
Turns 1 bot into 3 of the next model down
When activated: replace the bot in the Downgrader's input hole with 3 of the next less valuable bot in the output holes (a Deluxe bot turns into 3 Plus, a Plus turns into 3 Basic bots). At the start of the next workday, the bots leave the improvement — 1 to the conveyor belt above, 1 on the same belt, and 1 to the belt below.
A Basic bot is just placed as-is in the output hole of your choice.
Repurposer
Turns any 2 bots into 1 of your choice
When activated: if both input holes are filled, those 2 bots are replaced with whichever model you want in the output hole. You usually want to turn 2 Basic bots into a Deluxe. The bot leaves at the start of the next workday.
Unlike most improvements, the Repurposer takes 2 inputs. If you activate it with only 1 bot, nothing happens. A bot can wait in the Repurposer from workday to workday.
Flight Tester*
Throws a bot as far along its row as you choose. Gives 1 to your Wallet if it throws the bot over any number of improvements
Bots land in the entrance of an improvement in its row/column, or directly into the truck in its row. The Flight Tester throws in the direction of its flat side. You can point it in any direction! Forks are improvements; throwing over them gives the money bonus. Bots don't stop when passing through the Flight Tester.
Static Charger*
Makes a Basic bot whenever another bot passes through it
When a bot passes through the Static Charger, put a Basic bot in 1 of its output holes. The Basic bots in its output holes leave at the start of the next workday. Bots don't stop when passing through the Static Charger.
*Each bot can only pass through each Gift Wrapper, Flight Tester, or Static Charger once each time you run your factory. If a bot would pass through one of these improvements a second time in the same workday, that bot is destroyed.
Fork
Lets you send any bot that passes through it to either of the two exit arrows of your choice
Bots don't stop when passing through the Fork. Forks are always buyable for 1.
Forks are a great way to add flexibility to your factory, or to deal with poorly placed improvements!
Big Truck
Replaces one of the Trucks in your Loading Dock, and has capacity to hold two bots
Big Trucks are always buyable for 3. A Big Truck can be replaced with a Huge Truck for 3.
Huge Truck
Replaces one of the Trucks in your Loading Dock, and has capacity to hold three bots
Huge Trucks are always buyable for 5.
Credits
Game Design by Mary Flanagan & Max Seidman. Illustrations by Ann-Sophie De Steur. Graphic Design by Cisco Garrido & Mariana Sosa. Concept Art by Spring Yu. 3D Models by Patrick Fahy & Firescale. Writing and Additional Game Design by Emma Hobday. Production by Sukdith Punjasthitkul. Logistics by Danielle Taylor. Community Management by Rachel Billings. QA and Balancing by Patrick Matlin Redondo. Animation by Charlie Laud. ©2019 Resonym, LLC. All rights reserved.