Project L: Finesse
Project L: Finesse Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Finesse Expansion
This expansion introduces a new game module – Finesses. You will have to adjust your tactics to perform various Finesses for which you are rewarded with Credits, a new useful resource which may be traded for extra actions.
Components
- 35 Credits
- 30 Finesse tiles
- 10 of "Set A"
- 10 of "Set B"
- 10 of "Set C"
This expansion is compatible with the Project L base game and all other expansions.
Setup
Follow the setup instructions from the base game as normal and then set up Finesses by performing the following steps:
- Place all of the Credits nearby to form the bank.
- Separate the Finesse tiles by set according to their backs (A, B, or C).
- Randomly select 2 tiles from sets A and B, and 6 tiles from set C. Return the rest of the tiles back into the box unseen.
- Shuffle the selected 10 Finesse tiles together without looking at them and deal them below the Black Puzzle row (or rows if playing with the Line Clear variant), placing the first two tiles face down and the rest face up.
Gameplay
During a round, only the leftmost Finesse tile can be achieved, and only if it is face up.
At the end of each round, the leftmost Finesse tile is removed from the game. Therefore, in the first two rounds of the game, no player can achieve a Finesse (because the initial two tiles are face down.)
All players can attempt to achieve the current Finesse on their turn.
Achieving a Finesse
To achieve a Finesse, you must complete the objectives shown on the card.
- Set A tiles require you to place certain pieces into puzzles.
- Set B tiles require you to have certain pieces at the end of your turn.
- Set C tiles have a variety of requirements.
For the pink tiles, each time you achieve the Finesse, take the Credits depicted on the bottom of the tile from the bank and place them to the left of your Player mat; they cannot be used until the next round.
For the blue tiles, check the Finesse tile at the end of your turn and take Credits based on how many times you achieved the Finesse.
If you are about to take a Credit and the bank is empty, the player or players who have the most Credits must return 1 Credit back to the bank. Then you take the Credit you would have gained.
At the end of your turn, move all Credits from the left of your Player mat to the right (near their supply of Pieces). Those Credits are now active and can now be spent to perform the Insert special action on a future turn as described below.
Insert
At any time during your turn, you may spend 2 of your active Credits (placing them in the bank), to immediately take any one action. This action does not count towards your 3 actions per turn limit and you can use this special action multiple times, spending 2 Credits each time you use it. The Master action can still only be taken once per turn.
Game End
The game may now end in one of two ways (whichever happens first):
- As per the base game rules: The Black Puzzle deck runs out. Complete that round and then play one additional round, followed by Finishing Touches.
- When the last Finesse tile is removed (at the end of the 10th round). If this happens, there is no additional round, just Finishing Touches.
Finishing Touches
After the end of the last round, move any Credits you have on the left side of your Player mat to the right. You may spend 1 Credit instead of losing a Victory Point for each Finishing Touch placement. You may still lose a Victory Point as normal, if you do not have enough Credits.
Final Scoring
If more than one player has the most Victory Points at the end of the game, the tied player with the most Credits is the winner. If still tied, proceed to the standard game tie-breaker rules.
Finesse Tiles Appendix
The depicted pieces and Level Up icons on the tiles are pictograms. Where the printed example names a piece, it is described here by its printed colour.
Set A
All Finesse tiles in this set work in the same way.
Whenever you place any of the depicted pieces onto any puzzle above your Player mat, gain 1 Credit.
Example: If you place the blue piece and the purple piece on your puzzles with a Master action, gain 2 Credits.
Set B
All Finesse tiles in this set work in the same way.
At the end of your turn, gain 1 Credit for every depicted piece in your supply or on puzzles above your Player mat.
Example: If you have two orange pieces in your supply and one blue piece in a puzzle, you gain 3 Credits at the end of your turn.
Set C
At the end of your turn, gain 1 Credit for every unfinished puzzle you have above your Player mat.
Example: If you have four unfinished puzzles above your Player mat at the end of the turn, gain 4 Credits.
Whenever you use the Master or Ambassador action, gain 1 Credit for each piece (of any type) you place.
Example: If you use the Master action to place three pieces (any types) on your puzzles, gain 3 Credits.
Whenever you complete a puzzle, gain 1 Credit.
Whenever you Take a puzzle, gain 1 Credit.
At the end of your turn, gain 1 Credit for every type of the depicted pieces that you have one or more of in your supply or on unfinished puzzles.
Example: If you have two different types of pieces (three orange pieces and two purple pieces) in your supply or on puzzles, you gain 2 Credits at the end of your turn.
Whenever you place any of the depicted pieces onto any puzzle above your Player mat, gain 1 Credit.
Example: If you use the Place action to put an orange piece on your puzzle, gain 1 Credit.
Whenever you use the Upgrade action, gain 1 Credit.
If you are playing with the Ghost piece expansion, you also gain 1 Credit for each instant Level Up reward that you receive (1 Credit for the blue up-arrow icon and 2 Credits for the red up-arrow icon).
Finesse Solo Variant
The artificial mastermind now takes 2 puzzles per turn, so don't forget to use Finesses to your advantage.
Setup
Follow the setup for the standard Solo variant, but use 20 White puzzles and 15 Black puzzles. Then set up the Finesse expansion according to the Finesse rules (see page 12). Place the Finesse tiles anywhere near the puzzle grid.
Your Turn
Follow the rules of the standard Solo variant and the rules of the Finesse expansion.
Your Opponent's Turn
Your opponent does not collect Credits or perform Finesses. They play according to the standard Solo variant rules, with the following exception:
Your opponent always takes two puzzles during their turn:
- The first puzzle is chosen in the same way as in the standard Solo variant i.e. the most valuable puzzle.
- The second puzzle is chosen from the same column as the first one, but the opponent takes the puzzle worth the least amount of points.
- If there are two puzzles tied for the least amount of points, they take the one closest to the top of the column.
- If there are no puzzles remaining in that column, skip this step.
Only replace the puzzles after both have been taken. First, replace the topmost one, then the other one.
Game End
The end of the game can be triggered using both the standard Solo variant rules and the Finesse expansion rules.
Finishing Touches
Follow the rules of the standard Solo variant and the rules of the Finesse expansion.
Final Scoring
The standard Solo variant rules apply.
Finesse Line Clear Variant
Can you handle 4 rows with Finesses?
When playing the Finesse expansion with the Line Clear Variant, the start of the new round (when you move onto the next finesse) happens when the first player gets the White marker again.