The Beat: Rockstars of the Galaxy
The Beat: Rockstars of the Galaxy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 60 Beat cards (4 identical decks of 15 cards: one deck per player)
- 26 Venue cards
- 32 Event cards
- 24 Song cards (12 for each player count)
- 1 Solo card
The Tour
The Beat is fully cooperative: you all win together or you all lose together. You and your fellow players form a band and take the stage across 26 Venues, each with its own conditions for success. To get the full experience, you can play through all of them in order. For a quick game, you can also play any single Venue of your choice.
The numbered Venues in the Tour Logbook are arranged in order, starting from easy, followed by medium, then hard. To get familiar with the game mechanics, we recommend starting with the easy Venues.
Setup
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VENUE: Choose a Venue card and place it in the center of the table. Leave some space on its left side for the ON POINT area, on its right side for the LOUD area, and below it for the FAIL area.
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SONGS & ENCORES: To prepare the Song deck, take the 12 Song cards for your player count, indicated on the bottom right of the song cards, and shuffle them. Return the rest to the box. The Venue card indicates how many Songs must be in the Song deck. Take that many cards at random from the 12 Song cards and place them face down below the Venue card, to the left-hand side, to form the Song deck for this Venue. Leave some space on its right for the current Song. Then place the remaining Song cards as an additional pile (called the Encore deck), turned sideways, above the Venue card.
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EVENTS: Shuffle the Event cards and place them face down below the Venue card, to the right-hand side, to form the Event deck. Leave some space on its left for the current Event.
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BEAT DECK: Each player takes one of the four personal decks consisting of 15 Beat cards, shuffles it, and places it face down in front of them.
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STAGE AREA: Each player has a personal space in front of them called their Stage Area. Each player takes the top 3 cards of their own deck and turns them face up into their own Stage Area, arranged in columns by value, increasing from left to right. Beat cards you play later are added here. Your Stage Area shows everyone which cards you no longer have in your deck or hand.
HAND: Each player draws 5 Beat cards from their own deck to form their starting hand. The remaining 7 cards form their personal draw pile.
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SOLO: Give the Solo card to the player whose Stage Area has the highest total value. That player is now known as "the Solo player". In case of a tie, it is given to the player who has the most 5s, then the most 4s, etc. If perfectly tied, it is given to the best real-life singer.
Card Explanations
Beat Cards
Each player has a personal deck of 15 Beat cards showing one band member. They have a value ranging from 1 to 5, with three copies of each. All 4 decks are identical.
Some Beat cards have an icon indicating one of the following special abilities:
FACE UP (with values 2/3/4, one each) When you play a card with the Face Up icon, you may play it Face Up to reveal its value to other players.
CUE (with values 2/3/4, one each) When a card with the Cue icon is already in your own Stage Area, you may use it to give a Cue. To do so, rotate it by 90 degrees to indicate to other players whether the card you just played face down has a higher or lower value than the card with the icon.
Rotating to the right means higher, rotating to the left means lower. If they have the same value, you cannot indicate that. When a card is already rotated, it cannot be used again to give a Cue. Each time you play a card, you can only give one Cue at most.
ENCORE (only with value 1) When the band delivers, the crowd demands even more. When resolving the Song, if one or more players played a Beat card with the Encore icon during that Song, you may add one extra Song to the Song deck for each card with the Encore icon played. To do that, take the top card from the Encore deck and add it to the Song deck. Exception: If the Song is a FAIL, you cannot gain Encores.
IMPORTANT: Adding an Encore is optional and this decision should not be taken lightly! Encores help you meet the Venue's targets, but once added, you must play them all. Some Venues require an Encore to be winnable; a few could become harder with Encores.
Song Cards
Each Song card has a number which represents its difficulty. It tells you how hard it will be to play that Song. Each Song card also indicates the player counts it is used for.
Event Cards
Each Event adds a special rule for the current Song in play. If you don't fulfill the rule imposed by the Event, then the Song is a FAIL.
Venue Cards
Each Venue indicates how many Songs make up the Song deck. The Venue also indicates its win and lose conditions: how many Songs must be ON POINT, how many must be LOUD, and how many can be a FAIL before the show collapses and you lose the Venue. Each Venue also adds a special rule that you must fulfill, otherwise you lose the Venue.
HINT: "+" means the indicated number or higher. "=" means exactly the indicated number.
Solo Card
This is a single card representing one powerful ability, usable once per Venue.
There is exactly one Solo card, handed out to a single player during setup, called "the Solo player". The Solo represents one big moment in the spotlight.
Once per Venue, when playing Beat cards, the Solo player may play an additional Beat card at the same time. Announce the Solo while playing and immediately flip the Solo card face down to show it has been spent. During a Solo, you can still use Beat cards with the Face Up / Cue / Encore icons as normal.
HINT: The Solo is a great way to get an Encore.
Communication
Discuss freely before and between Venues: plan, strategize, and agree on a game plan.
During a Venue, you cannot discuss the Beat cards in your hand. You cannot reveal, describe or hint at specific Beat cards you hold or intend to play.
Besides the Face Up and Cue icons, you can share some information through nonverbal communication: You can play your cards quickly or slowly, confidently or hesitantly, to convey some information to other players. However, you cannot explicitly talk about the cards or their values.
Playing a Venue
Each Venue is played over a series of rounds, one per Song. Each round has 4 steps.
1. Reveal the Song and Event
Reveal the top Song card and the top Event card. The player that reveals the Event reads it out loud so that everyone knows its effect.
2. Play Beat Cards
Players must play one Beat card each, face down, in any order.
In the rare case where you can't play a Beat card, you don't play one.
When all players are ready, they agree together when to reveal their Beat cards.
IMPORTANT: All players play music together, so there is no turn order (unless a Venue or Event imposes one). At any time during this step, you may change your mind and take back a Beat card into your hand that you played face down and then choose to play a different one. However, you cannot do this if you have given a Cue or played a card Face Up.
Example: Anna, Bob, Carole, and Daniel form the band. Anna and Bob play a card face down as normal. Carole plays a card face down and gives a Cue about it. Daniel plays a card Face Up. Now that they know all this information, Anna and Bob could change their mind if they want. Anna decides to keep her card as it is. Bob decides to take back his card and play a different one. Carole cannot change her mind because she has given a Cue. Daniel cannot either because he played his card Face Up.
3. Reveal and Resolve
Players reveal the Beat card they played one by one, starting with the Solo player. Add their values together, applying any Event effects.
There are 3 different results that may occur:
- FAIL — The sum is lower than the Song's difficulty. Place the Song face down in the Venue's FAIL area. If you FAIL more Songs than the Venue allows, you lose the Venue immediately.
- ON POINT — The sum is exactly equal to the Song's difficulty. Place it face down in the Venue's ON POINT area on its left side.
- LOUD — The sum is higher than the Song's difficulty. Place it face down in the Venue's LOUD area on its right side.
Players may look at previous Songs at any time.
4. Cleanup Phase
Each player moves the Beat card they played into their own Stage Area, then draws back up to a hand of 5 cards. Reveal the next Song and a new Event card.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that the icon is visible so that you can see if you have one available!
How a Venue Ends
Instant loss: The moment you FAIL more Songs than the Venue allows, you lose the Venue immediately. The show is over and the Greys boo you off the stage.
Final check: Once every Song has been played, compare your results to the Venue's targets. Meet them all and you win; otherwise, you lose. If you win, play the next Venue in order. If you lose, try again (but you can skip that Venue if you prefer and try again later).
Clarifications
If an Event or Venue refers to the value of a Beat card, it always refers to the value printed on that Beat card, even if another ability has, for example, given that card +1. The same applies to Song cards and their printed difficulty.
If an Event changes the value of a Beat card with the Face Up / Cue / Encore icon, the card still holds the icon ability. Icon abilities are bound to the Beat card, not to the card's value.
Events have priority over Venues. If an Event card contradicts a Venue's condition, follow the Event for that Song.
If you take back a Beat card, it is considered to have never been played.
Beat cards with the same value are considered to be "the same card" regardless of their icons (for example for the Event cards "Feedback Loop" and "Resonance Frequency").
Players can FAIL a Song on purpose. In fact, several Venues require it.
Disputes: if the band cannot agree on a decision, the Solo player decides. For disputes regarding Encores, the call goes to the player who played the card with the Encore icon.
Tour Logbook
1. Garage on Proxima V
STARTER — 6 songs · at least 1 on point · at least 3 loud · up to 2 fails · last song loud
Welcome to the big time. Which, in your case, means a grimy garage on a moon nobody can pronounce, where your audience is nine rock lizards, three wide-eyed Greys and a vending machine that only sells lukewarm soup. There are no fancy gimmicks here. Just land at least one song ON POINT, keep FAILS to two or fewer and whatever else you do, make sure the last one is LOUD. Because around here, the only thing anyone remembers is how you finish your set. Do that and congratulations, you've officially become a touring band. The soup machine is already your biggest fan!
2. Twin Moon Truckstop
EASY — 8 songs · exactly 2 on point · at least 2 loud · up to 2 fails · must play solo
The trucker Greys parked between the Twin Moons have seen thousands of touring bands roll through. They can spot a show-off long before the tour bus lands. They just want to know you can hit the mark when it really counts. Give them exactly two songs ON POINT and no more! The rest can be loud and a bit rough around the edges. Just don't forget the SOLO before the end of the Venue. Around here, they always expect to see the star of the show. Luckily, they're truckers first and music critics second. Put on a fun show and they'll happily forgive two FAILS.
3. Red Rocks Roadhouse
EASY — 3 songs · at least 1 on point · at least 3 loud · up to 1 fail · encore required
A weathered roadhouse tucked between the galaxy's busiest trade routes. Around here, the Greys believe the real concert only starts after the ENCORE. Your opening set? That's just the warm-up.
They want one ON POINT and three LOUD songs which, if you count on your fingers, very obviously doesn't fit into three songs. The only way is to get them howling for an ENCORE by sneaking a 1 into an ON POINT or LOUD song.
Bring the crowd back for one more song and you'll earn their respect. After all, every band can finish a concert. The great ones get called back on stage.
4. Area Fifty Fun Bar & Grill
EASY — 7 songs · at least 1 on point · at least 6 loud · up to 2 fails · odd songs must be loud
This bar sits suspiciously close to a military base that officially doesn't exist, run by a bouncer who never blinks.
House Rule #1: Every odd-numbered song must be LOUD. Break it and you immediately lose the Venue, quietly replaced by tonight's trivia contest.
Your LOUD quota already fills almost the entire setlist, leaving just enough room for a single ON POINT performance. Watch those odd-numbered songs carefully or your band might become the galaxy's next conspiracy theory.
5. Roswell Rave
EASY — 6 songs · at least 2 on point · at least 4 loud · up to 1 fail · turn order, pass left
Somebody welded a stage sideways onto the wreck of a crashed Grey Space Cruiser and somehow turned it into the hottest party spot in the sector.
The only working spotlight still follows the lead performer. Every song it swings to the next band member, making them the center of attention whether they're ready or not. Play in turn order: whoever holds the SOLO starts, then the lead passes one seat to the left after every song.
With only one FAIL to spare and a demanding LOUD quota, every decision matters. Around here, everyone gets their moment in the spotlight. Whether they wanted it or not.
6. Comeback Comet Center
MEDIUM — 7 songs · exactly 2 on point · exactly 3 loud · first 3 songs must fail · up to 3 fails
Every legendary band has one thing in common: a disastrous first gig. At least that's what the Greys around here believe.
They don't trust bands that start strong. Anyone can have one lucky night. A real legend has to prove they can recover from disaster.
Your first three songs must all FAIL on purpose. Only then can your comeback begin. Land exactly two ON POINT and exactly three LOUD to complete the greatest comeback in the quadrant.
After all, a comeback is only impressive if there's something to come back from.
7. Rusty Airlock
MEDIUM — 9 songs · at least 4 on point · at least 5 loud · up to 2 fails · no face up until every value is staged
A retired docking ring held together by rust, hope and outdated safety protocols, packed wall-to-wall with desperate Greys.
Until you've proven your range, the ancient airlock protocol keeps every visor sealed and every transmission scrambled. No card may be played FACE UP until every value from 1 to 5 appears in your STAGE AREA at least once.
Only then do the ancient airlocks finally unlock, the comms come back online and cards can be played FACE UP again. Nine songs, four ON POINT, five LOUD and barely any room for mistakes.
8. Milkyway Junction
MEDIUM — 8 songs · at least 4 on point · at least 5 loud · up to 1 fail · cues can tune a card by 1
A busy and filthy transit station where every band changes shuttles before the tour reaches the galaxy's biggest stages. Tradition demands one last performance before you're allowed through.
The sound engineers at Milkyway Junction are famous for making last-second adjustments. They believe every great performance can be improved with one final tweak.
A CUE card in your STAGE AREA may instead tune one played card up or down by 1 before the reveal, but it can no longer be used as a CUE. Every adjustment is a choice: guide your bandmates or trust your own instincts and fine-tune the performance yourself.
9. Jupiter Jazz Club
MEDIUM — 5 songs · exactly 1 on point · exactly 4 loud · up to 1 fail · empty start, full range by the end · solo card at random
You've finally made it. The dive bars and dingy venues are behind you.
The Jupiter Jazz Club is your first stop among the galaxy's most prestigious stages.
The Greys here have heard every genre, every riff and every rhythm imaginable. These days, only one thing still impresses them: range.
You walk on stage with an empty STAGE AREA. Randomly decide who gets the Solo. By the final song every player must have staged at least one of every value from 1 to 5, all while landing exactly one ON POINT and four LOUD.
Show them your full range and you'll earn the respect of one of the toughest crowds in the galaxy.
10. Neverending Nebula Nights
MEDIUM — 9 songs · at least 4 on point · at least 5 loud · up to 2 fails · play all 12 songs
The Nebula glows all night, the stage never closes and the Greys apparently have nowhere else in the universe to be.
Around here, nobody expects the show to end after the scheduled set. Three ENCORES are simply part of the evening, meaning you'll play all twelve Songs instead of the scheduled nine.
That stretches your cards to their limit. Burn your high values too early and you won't have enough left for the finale. The schedule says nine songs. The Greys strongly disagree.
11. Entropy Hall
MEDIUM — starts at 1 song · win when every player has all three 1s staged · up to 1 fail
Grey scientists insist Entropy Hall was built where entropy somehow flows backwards. Nobody fully understands why, but every successful performance somehow creates another one. You start with just a single song. Your 1s can still be turned into ENCORES as usual, but every ON POINT or LOUD song automatically adds another ENCORE. Only once every player has all three 1s in their STAGE AREA have you earned the right to continue the tour. Keep adding 1s through an ever-growing chain of performances without more than one FAIL or you'll be starting over again and again.
12. Event Horizon Event
MEDIUM — 6 songs · all six must be on point · a loud or fail recycles the song
The Event Horizon isn't a place so much as a tear in reality where every concert echoes through time. The universe has already decided how the night ends and it won't let you leave until you get there.
All six Songs must land exactly ON POINT. Whenever a Song is LOUD or a FAIL, it goes back underneath the Song deck to be played again.
There is no escape. Only another take.
The Greys are patient here. Six songs, all flawless or an eternity of second tries.
13. Rock in the Belt
MEDIUM — 6 songs · at least 3 on point · at least 4 loud · up to 2 fails · two songs played at once
The steel towers of these asteroid mining rigs send music echoing across the Belt. Over the years, the Belter Greys fell in love with the moments where one song melts into the next. They are convinced a medley defines a band more than any single song ever could.
Reveal two Songs, each with its own Event. Every player must play two cards, one for each Song. Both Songs are played simultaneously and resolved independently.
One band. Two songs. One medley. Don't lose the rhythm.
14. Scrapyard Stage
MEDIUM — 12 songs · you must fail every single song · solo may be used to not play card
A legendary underground venue built from the wreckage of abandoned ships and floating debris, where the weirdest Greys in the galaxy insist that polished performances are for sellouts and only flawed concerts become legendary.
All twelve Songs must FAIL. Not a single one may land ON POINT or LOUD, which sounds like a wonderfully relaxing evening. Until you remember your deck is packed with high-value cards just waiting to overshoot.
Save your SOLO for the Song you simply can't afford to get right. Turns out getting paid to play badly on purpose takes real talent.
15. Burning Star
MEDIUM — 7 songs · at least 2 on point · at least 4 loud · up to 3 fails · two cards kept hidden
You are performing inside the glare of a dying star and the dust created by the heat is so intense you cannot fully see yourself. Two of your cards in your hand must stay flipped the whole time: you may not look at them, name them, or talk about them. The Greys and your bandmates can cheer you on toward playing a mystery card but are strictly forbidden from telling you which one. When you play a flipped card, always replace it with a new flipped card if possible. Trust the vibes, commit to the risk and try very hard not to think about the giant exploding sun.
16. Stellar Studio 54
MEDIUM — 6 songs · at least 2 on point · at least 3 loud · up to 2 fails · no two louds in a row
Welcome to the legendary disco planet, where dance floors stretch endlessly and DJs are treated like galactic heroes.
The Greys here live for the buildup, not a constant wall of noise.
Every drop has to be worth the wait. Two LOUD Songs should never be played back to back or the dance floor empties and the second LOUD Song counts as a FAIL.
Read the room, build the tension and time your drops. The Greys will keep dancing until the suns come up.
17. Black Hole Bjørkhein
HARD — 8 songs · at least 2 on point · at least 5 loud · up to 3 fails · discard 2 random cards at setup
Hidden on the edge of a black hole, this is the galaxy's most famous underground venue. Playing here is a badge of honor and getting in is half the achievement. Every hipster Grey claims they discovered it before it became famous and insist it was way better back then. Before the show starts, the bouncers confiscate two random cards from every player. Gone forever, no refunds. The regulars wouldn't have it any other way.
If you needed those cards, maybe you weren't ready for Bjørkhein.
18. Cosmochella
HARD — exactly 9 songs total · at least 5 on point · at least 1 loud · up to 3 fails
The galaxy's most photographed festival, where the lineup is absolutely stacked and every band gets one perfectly timed slot. With dozens of acts waiting backstage, there's no room for delays.
You must play exactly nine Songs. Not eight. Not ten. Every ENCORE has to be planned with precision. Add a steep requirement of five ON POINT Songs and every decision matters.
Miss your slot and half the Greys will already be watching the next band.
19. Binary Ballroom
HARD — 7 songs · at least 4 on point · at least 4 loud · up to 3 fails · even songs must be on point
A grand ballroom run by impeccably polite service robots, famous among the Greys for its absurdly strict standards. Here, anything other than a perfectly clean number is considered a personal insult.
Every Song with an even value must be ON POINT. Deviate from perfection and the ballroom's automated management permanently revokes your performance license.
With four ON POINT and four LOUD required across seven Songs, you'll need an ENCORE. One wrong step won't end the dance. Three will.
20. Astro City Limits
HARD — 6 songs · at least 1 on point · at least 6 loud · up to 3 fails · never loud by more than 2
The galaxy's brightest skyline venue comes with the most unforgiving noise limits, and the Grey Council enforcing them happens to own an orbital laser. Play LOUD all you want but exceed a song's value by 3 and the laser instantly turns your performance into a FAIL. You'll need to push almost every song to the limit while showing just enough restraint to survive the set and still find room for an ENCORE. One note too far and the only thing leaving the stage is smoke.
21. Madyson Sphere Garden
HARD — 6 songs · at least 2 on point · at least 4 loud · up to 1 fail · last two songs must be on point
You've made it to a stadium the size of a small moon, packed to the rafters with chanting Greys.
Bring the energy early with at least four LOUD Songs, but the final two Songs must each land ON POINT. Crack under the spotlight and the whole galaxy will hear it. Save your FACE UP cards and CUES for the closing songs.
Nobody remembers the opening act. They remember the finale.
22. Kaos Kesselhaus
HARD — 9 songs · at least 4 on point · at least 3 loud · up to 2 fails · two events every song
One of the galaxy's most iconic venues, disguised as an abandoned industrial bunker. It earned its legendary reputation by proving that great bands thrive under impossible pressure. The Grey management lives by one simple philosophy: why have one disaster when you can have two? Every song is played under two Event cards at once, their effects piling on top of each other into glorious chaos. Nine songs of escalating madness leave almost no room for error. The Greys don't remember who played here. They remember who survived it.
23. Warken Open Orbit
HARD — 5 songs · exactly 1 on point · at least 5 loud · 6 fails (barely matter) · songs are hidden
A colossal open-air festival stage floating in high orbit, where millions of Greys gather beneath the stars. The setlist remains a closely guarded secret, and only the Solo player is allowed to peek before the lights come up. They may play any card FACE UP to drop a hint. Everyone else commits based on trust. Five LOUD. Exactly one ON POINT. The entire show rests on one band member confidently saying: "I got this."
24. Broken Stardome
HARD — 10 songs · exactly 3 on point · exactly 6 loud · exactly 1 fail · no encores
The galaxy's most ancient planetarium, where the colossal star projector still traces constellations not seen in centuries. The Grey astronomers who run it believe every star has its place and so does every note.
Across all ten Songs you need exactly three ON POINT, exactly six LOUD and exactly one FAIL.
No ENCORES exist here. The Songs you're dealt are the stars you have to align.
25. Upload Festival
HARD — 6 songs · at least 3 on point · at least 2 loud · up to 2 fails · stage your highest card after each song
The crown jewel of the festival tour, broadcast live to every corner of the galaxy. Every Grey is watching, every note is immortalized, and every amazing performance becomes an instant classic. Nothing stays exclusive here. The moment you finish a song it's transmitted to billions of listeners and replayed across the galaxy. Every performance takes something out of you. After each song, place the highest card in your hand into your Stage Area. A song can only become an instant classic once. Make sure your band can survive the rest of the gig.
26. Pulsar Palace
HARD — 6 songs · all six must be on point · no louds · no fails · no encores
Your final stop: the Imperial Concert Hall, where the Royal Grey Family awaits. The acoustics are legendary. Every note rings crystal clear, and every mistake echoes through the hall.
All six Songs are revealed FACE UP and sorted in ascending order before the concert begins. Every Song must land exactly ON POINT. No LOUDs. No FAILs. No ENCORES.
You can see the entire setlist before you play a single note, which is either deeply reassuring or the slowest form of panic imaginable.
The galaxy already knows your name. Tonight decides whether it remembers it forever.
Name Your Band
- Garage on Proxima V
- Twin Moon Truckstop
- Red Rocks Roadhouse
- Area Fifty Fun Bar & Grill
- Roswell Rave
- Comeback Comet Center
- Rusty Airlock
- Milkyway Junction
- Jupiter Jazz Club
- Neverending Nebula Nights
- Entropy Hall
- Event Horizon Event
- Rock in the Belt
- Scrapyard Stage
- Burning Star
- Stellar Studio 54
- Black Hole Bjørkhein
- Cosmochella
- Binary Ballroom
- Astro City Limits
- Madyson Sphere Garden
- Kaos Kesselhaus
- Warken Open Orbit
- Broken Stardome
- Upload Festival
- Pulsar Palace
Rules Overview
Setup
- Choose Venue.
- Take the 12 Song cards for your player count. Place the number of Song cards indicated on the Venue as the Song deck. Place the remaining Song cards, called the Encore deck, turned sideways above the Venue card.
- Shuffle and place the Event deck.
- Stage Area: Each player takes the top 3 cards of their own deck and turns them face up into their own Stage Area.
- Draw 5 Beat Cards from your personal deck.
- Solo: Give the Solo card to the player whose Stage Area has the highest total value.
Solo Once per Venue, the Solo player may play an additional Beat card at the same time.
Icons
- Face Up (with values 2/3/4, one each).
- Cue (with values 2/3/4, one each).
- Encore (only with value 1).
Playing a Venue
- Reveal Song and Event.
- Play Beat cards.
- Reveal and resolve:
- FAIL — Sum is lower than Song. If you FAIL more Songs than allowed, you lose the Venue immediately.
- ON POINT — Sum is equal to Song.
- LOUD — Sum is higher than Song.
- Cleanup Phase: Put played card in Stage Area. Draw up to 5 cards. Repeat step 1.