Mimic Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents and Cards
• The Playing Grid
• Preparation - Basic Game
• How to Play (1 Player)
• How To Play (2-4 Players)
• How to Play (Teams)
• Ending the Game
• Winning the Game
• Sets
  • How they are built
  • What a completed set looks like
• Obstructions
• Sets to Set Interaction
• MIMIC Cards
• Power Cards
  • Green Power Cards
  • Yellow Power Cards
  • Red Power Cards
  • Blue Power Cards
  • Orange Power Cards
• Start Cards
  • Helpful Hints
• Ties
• Advanced Play Option
  • Advanced Preparation
  • Advanced How To Play
• Example of Basic Game in Play

Contents and Cards

Contents: 60 Mimic Cards, 6 Start Cards, 24 Power Cards, 20 Cubes.

• Start Cards: 1 Red, 5 Yellow.
• Mimic Cards: 4 Red, 4 Blue, and 4 Green of each of 5 animals.
• Power Cards: 4 Green, 4 Yellow, 4 Blue, 4 Orange, 8 Red.

The Power Cards are: Green "Place A Third Card", Yellow "Remove & Use A Card", Blue "Score An Incomplete Set", Orange "Jump", and Red "Eliminate A Card From Play".

The Playing Grid

The game of MIMIC is played on a 7 x 7 invisible grid, with the Red Start Card at the center (see page 3 Fig. 2a,b,c). The Red Start Card determines the boundary of the grid, which means that MIMIC cards cannot be placed more than 3 cards away from the Red Start Card in any direction.

Preparation - Basic Game

(Refer to Page 3 Fig 2a,b,c)

1. Divide the cubes according to the number of players:

   • 1 Player - 15 Cubes
   • 2 Players - 6 Cubes Each
   • 3 Players - 5 Cubes Each
   • 4 Players - 5 Cubes Each
   • Teams - 8 Cubes/Team

2. Separate the MIMIC, Start, and Power cards into their own decks.

3. Place the Red Start Card at the center of the playing surface.

4. For 1, 2 and 3 players remove one red, green and blue MIMIC card of each of the five animal shapes and put them back in the box. Also, for 2 and 3 players put all Orange Power cards back in the box. For 4 players and Teams use all MIMIC cards and Power cards.

5. Shuffle the MIMIC card deck and randomly place one MIMIC card face up next to each of the four sides of the Center Red Start Card. As you do this it is important that each of the three MIMIC card colors (red, green, blue) should be represented by at least one card, as demonstrated in Fig. 2a,b,c. If not, continue turning up cards until this condition is met. Repeated card colors should be reshuffled into the deck.

6. Place Yellow Start Card(s) adjacent to any of the four MIMIC cards surrounding the Center Red Start Card.

   • 1-3 players: place one yellow Start card.
   • 4 players & Teams: place two yellow Start cards. Note: start cards cannot be placed directly next to each other.

7. Deal five MIMIC cards to each player face down. These are the player's hand.

How to Play (1 Player)

Goal: To build sets of two different pairs of animal shapes that are the same color, in order to get rid of as many of your cubes as you can before the end of the game. (see Sets pages 6 & 7)

Placement Phase: You must place a minimum of two MIMIC cards from your hand onto the playing grid, but a player can decide to place a 3rd, 4th, or 5th MIMIC card in this phase. (Where cards are placed is very important so refer to 'sets' pages 6-7.) Once you have finished placing MIMIC cards and have no alternative plays (i.e. use of Power cards pages 11,12,13) you enter the Draw Phase.

Draw Phase:

1. From the draw area, draw back up to five MIMIC cards into your hand from the MIMIC deck.
2. Go back to Placement Phase.

IMPORTANT: If during the placement phase a set is completed, (see Sets pages 6 & 7) place one of your cubes on the fourth/last card of the completed set. Then, immediately draw a Yellow Start card from the draw area, and place it adjacent to any MIMIC cards on the playing grid, including MIMIC cards with cubes on them. Only one Start card can be placed per Placement Phase (see Start cards page 14).

Power cards can be used at any time during the placment phase, and as many on your turn as you want (see Power cards pages 11,12 &13). Note: The 1 player option is a great way to practice using power cards and various strategies. 1 player is also a challenge to try to improve on the number of Cubes you place from game to game.

[Figure 2a - Example of 1 player set up: a 7 x 7 grid with the Red Start Card at the center, three MIMIC cards placed around it, and two Yellow Start cards in the Draw Area.]

How To Play (2-4 Players)

Goal: To build sets of two different pairs of animal shapes of the same color, in order to be the first player to get rid of all of your cubes before the end of the game. (see Sets pages 6 & 7)

Placement Phase:

1. The player to the left of the dealer goes first.
2. Two MIMIC cards must be placed by each player per turn from the cards in their hand onto the playing grid.
3. After placing two MIMIC cards, and if no other possibilities are apparent (i.e. use of Power cards pages 11,12,13), the play moves into the draw phase.

Draw Phase:

1. From the draw area, draw back up to five MIMIC cards into your hand from:
   • a. The face up MIMIC Cards
   • b. The MIMIC Deck
   • c. A combination of both
2. If cards are drawn from the face up MIMIC cards, they are replenished only after a player has finished drawing.
3. Play moves clockwise to the next player.

IMPORTANT: If in the placement phase a set is completed, (see Sets pages 6 & 7) place one of your cubes on the fourth/last card of the completed set. Then, immediately draw a Yellow Start card and place it adjacent to any MIMIC cards on the playing grid, including MIMIC cards with cubes on them. Only one Start card can be placed per Placement Phase (see Start cards page 14).

Power cards can be used at any time during this phase, and as many on your turn as you want (see Power cards pages 11,12 &13).

[Figure 2b and 2c - Examples of 4 player & Team set up and 2 & 3 player set up, showing the grid, the Red Start Card, the face-up MIMIC cards and the Draw Area.]

How to Play (Teams)

Goal: Each team is trying to collectively build and complete sets that consist of two different pairs of animal shapes of the same color, in order to be the first team to get rid of all or most of its cubes before the end of the game. (see Sets pages 6 & 7)

When playing with Teams, follow the 2 - 4 Player rules in combination with the following changes:

A Team is made up of two players, with team members sitting across the playing grid from one another. Maximum of two teams.

The cubes for each team should be in the possession of one of the team members.

The player to the left of the dealer goes first.

Team Phase: Team phase is the first action on a player's turn, and involves the player whose turn it is and their partner.

First, the partner gives one MIMIC card from his/her hand to the player who's turn it is. Second, one MIMIC card, either the same one or a different one, is given back to the partner. After this is done, the player who's turn it is moves into the Placement Phase.

Placement Phase: Same as 2-4 Players

Draw Phase: Same as 2-4 Players

After the Draw Phase, play moves clockwise to the next player.

Ending the Game

1 player:

When a player has placed all their cubes.

OR

If a player cannot lay a minimum of two MIMIC cards during the placement phase, the game ends.

2 - 4 players & Teams:

When a player or team has placed all their cubes.

OR

When one of the players cannot lay the required two MIMIC cards on there turn, the game ends. (this is a very rare occurence)

Winning the Game

Two ways to win:

(1) The first player or team to place their last cube.

OR

(2) The player or team who has depleted the greatest number of their Cubes when the game ends.

Sets

Before beginning to play, it is important to remember that the goal of MIMIC is to place as many of your Cubes as you can before the end of the game. This is accomplished by building and completing sets that consists of two different pairs of animal shapes of the same color, which is explained on the following pages.

How they are built

1. Sets are constructed by players placing two MIMIC cards onto the playing grid from their hand to either:
   • a. Begin a new set(s), at any empty space next to a Red or Yellow Start card(s) on the playing grid. Both MIMIC cards are placed to form part of two different set lines. OR Both MIMIC cards are placed at the same side of a Start card to form part of one new set.
   • b. Add onto any unfinished set(s) on the playing grid.
   • c. A player can decide to do a little of both and place one MIMIC card to begin a new set and one MIMIC card to add onto an unfinished set.

[Example #1 and Example #2 diagrams show the placements described in 1a and 1b.]

What a completed set looks like

2. A completed Set consists of two different pairs of animal shapes of the same color, that are in a continuous line from a Start card. Therefore:

   • a. Each pair will have a different animal shape.
   • b. Both pairs must be the same color.
   • c. A set can only have two different animal shapes.
   • d. The pairs can be arranged in any, continuous, order to form a completed set. (Two Different Pairs of the Same Color = A Completed Set)
   • e. A set is completed when the fourth/last card of a set is placed.
   • f. Cubes: When players form a completed set, they must place one of their Cubes on the fourth/last card of that Set.

   IMPORTANT:

   1. A MIMIC card with a cube on it becomes an obstruction on the playing grid and can no longer be used in the building of Sets.
   2. MIMIC cards that do not have a cube on them can be added onto to make other sets. (see Set to Set interaction)
   3. A player can place as many Cubes per turn as possible, one for each Set the player completes.

Obstructions

Sets are constructed in a straight line from the sides of a Start card. But, the set will turn left or right when it encounters one of three obstructions (see a, b, c below). Note: It is important to realize that if there is no obstruction a set does not turn. A set must have a reason to turn, i.e. an Obstruction.

• a. Obstruction #1 (The Border of the Playing Grid): A set cannot extend outside the borders of the playing grid, which would be considered out-of-bounds (see page 3 fig.2 a,b,c for grid pattern). A set can bend multiple times when encountering multiple obstructions and must be continuous.

  Remember: The borders are three card placements from the RED Center Start Card.

• b. Obstruction #2 (Other Start Cards): The example below shows how a Start card can have two functions: (1) starting sets and (2) as an obstruction that turns sets. The important part for a player is to decide from which Start card the set begins. Once a beginning Start card has been decided upon for a particular set, all other Start cards act as obstructions and turn the set left or right.

• c. Obstruction #3 (Cubes): The example below shows how a Cube, previously placed from another set line (green), causes the blue set to turn.

Sets to Set Interaction

• * When laying down MIMIC cards it is important that a player state which Start card their set is starting at.

Example #1: A set that is being added onto may interfere with previously laid unfinished sets. Below are two different set lines, red and green. The red set is the one a player is adding onto and therefore interferes with the green set, which cannot be added onto unless an action is taken to change the card positions, by the use of Power Cards or changing the starting point for the green set.

Example #2: All MIMIC cards on the playing grid, except MIMIC cards with cubes on them, can be reused in the creation of future sets. (see below)

Example #3: The use of Power cards is a critical part of playing the game. Below a green MIMIC card is removed, with the use of a red power card, which frees up space for the red set to continue.

For More Set to Set Interactions and Strategies go to: WWW.FUNMAKERGAMES.COM

MIMIC Cards

1. There are five shapes of MIMIC cards, with four of each color (red, green, blue).
2. MIMIC cards are used to make sets (see Sets).
3. MIMIC cards cannot be placed on top of other cards.
4. The placement of MIMIC cards must always contribute to the formation of a completed Set (2 different pairs of animal shapes that are the same color).
5. Each player must have five MIMIC cards in his/her hand at the end of each turn.

Power Cards

Power cards are the heart of the game and the key to winning, but use them wisely, as they are a limited resource.

1. There are 5 types of Power cards: Green, Yellow, Blue, Orange and Red.
2. Power cards remain face up (Active) on the table in front of a player until used.
3. Power cards are not part of a player's hand.
4. Power cards are used to strategically aid a player in their MIMIC card placement.
5. To use a Power card, a player does the action on the card and then turns it face down (inactive) for the remainder of the game.
6. A player can use as many Power cards as he/she wishes per turn.
7. Any action that a Power card causes does not count as part of the two cards normally played from a player's hand.

Green Power Cards

1. Green Power cards are used to place a third MIMIC card from a player's hand on that turn.

Yellow Power Cards

1. Yellow Power cards allow a player to remove any one MIMIC card from the playing grid and move it to another location on the grid, but it does not become part of a player's hand.
2. Start cards and MIMIC cards with Cubes cannot be moved.
3. Any empty grid space left by the removal of a MIMIC card is left empty until filled.

Red Power Cards

1. Red Power cards allow a player to remove one MIMIC card from the playing grid, which is placed out of play, face up, so that players can still see it.
2. Start cards and MIMIC cards with Cubes cannot be removed.
3. Any empty grid space left by the removal of a MIMIC card is left empty until filled.

Blue Power Cards

1. Blue Power cards can be used to place a cube on the last card of any incomplete set on the playing grid.
2. An Incomplete Set consists of one and a half (1.5) pairs (see below).
3. These shorter Sets can be arranged in the any of the following ways: (Incomplete Sets: three example arrangements of one and a half pairs are shown.)

Orange Power Cards

1. The Orange Power Card allows a player to jump over one Cube or one Start card and place a MIMIC card(s) on the other side to continue the Set.

[Example #1 to Example #3 diagrams show jumps over a Cube and over a Start card.]

2. After a "jump", players must follow normal set building rules.
3. When there are two obstructions in a row, the Orange Power Card can only be used to jump over the first obstruction, but not the second. The second obstruction will cause the set to turn left or right as in normal play and continue the set. (see examples 4, 5 & 6)
4. The border of the playing grid cannot be jumped, but will act as the second obstruction and turn a set left or right.
5. IMPORTANT: The act of causing a set to jump over an obstruction is a one time event, to be done on the turn the player uses the card. When their turn has ended the affect of the Orange 'Jump' card has also ended.

In examples 4, 5 & 6 follow the arrows and see how the second obstruction causes the set to pivot over the first obstruction and then continue. [Example #4, #5 and #6 diagrams.]

Start Cards

1. A Start card performs two functions:
   • a. Start cards are the beginning point of a set.
   • b. Start cards act as obstructions that will cause Sets to bend left or right 90º.
2. There are two colors of Start cards, red and yellow. Both perform the same functions but the Red Start Card is always at the center of the playing grid.
3. After a player has completed a set and has placed one of his/her Cubes on the last card of the newly completed set, a yellow Start card is immediately drawn from the surplus Start card pile and placed adjacent to any MIMIC card already played, including MIMIC cards with a Cube on them. When the Start card pile is depleted, players continue the game as before, with no more Start card placements after cubes are placed.
4. A Start card cannot be placed where it is blocked in.
5. A player cannot place a Start card over another card.
6. A player cannot place a Start card adjacent to another Start card; corner to corner is permissible.
7. Only one Start card can be placed per turn, regardless of the number of Cubes a player has laid down during that turn.
8. No Start card can be placed after a player has begun the draw phase.

Helpful Hints

1. When putting down Start or MIMIC cards, watch out that you don't set up your opponent for an easy Cube placement.
2. Keep in mind the abilities of your Power Cards.
3. Watch your opponent closely and question their MIMIC card placements if necesary.

Ties

1. Players chose one MIMIC card from their hand, based on the MIMIC Hierarchy of Animals, and reveal them at the same time.
2. The player with the highest ranked animal wins.
3. If players have the same animal, then the animal with the highest ranked color wins.
4. If multiple players have the same highest card, repeat steps 1-3.

MIMIC Hierarchy of Animals (highest rank to lowest rank): Lion, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Ostrich. Colors (highest rank to lowest rank): Red, Green, Blue.

Advanced Play Option

The Advanced Play Option follows the 2-4 player basic preparation and play in combination, with the following changes:

Advanced Preparation

1. Players receive only one Blue Power Card. All extra Blue Power Cards are placed back into the box.
2. Shuffle all remaining Power cards and place them next to the MIMIC card deck, face down. Then draw and place three Power cards face up in a line.
3. Place two Yellow Start cards adjacent to any of the four MIMIC cards surrounding the central Red Start Card. Remember, Start cards cannot be placed directly adjacent to other Start cards.

[Advanced setup figure: a grid with the Red Start Card, MIMIC cards and two Yellow Start cards placed around it.]

Advanced How To Play

Placement Phase

1. A player can choose not to lay down a second MIMIC card on his/her turn and instead draw one Power card from the three that are face up, which ends the placement phase for the player.
2. A Power card that is drawn cannot be used on the same turn.
3. A player can only have 3 face up (active) Power cards.
4. A player cannot have 2 of the same face up (active) Power cards.
5. A player must lay one MIMIC card before drawing a Power card.

Draw Phase

1. In the Draw Phase a player draws their hand, of MIMIC cards, back up to five cards from either:
   • a. The face up MIMIC cards
   • b. The MIMIC deck
   • c. A combination of both
2. If cards are drawn from the face up MIMIC or Power cards, they are replenished only after a player has drawn all of his/her cards.
3. Play moves clockwise to the next player.

Example of Basic Game in Play

Black arrows represent where new sets can start. Colored arrows represent active sets. [Diagram of a basic game in play.]