The Mind: Soulmates
The Mind: Soulmates Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 50 Number cards (1-50)
- 12 Level cards
- 4 Lives
- 1 Hint sheet
- 1 Marker
General Setup
Sort the 12 Level cards in ascending order, and place them in a face-down pile in the center of the table (with level 1 on top).
Thoroughly shuffle the 50 Number cards and also place them in a face-down pile in the center of the table.
In a game with 3 or 4 players, place the 4 Lives face up next to each other near the edge of the play area. In a 2-player game, only use 3 Lives (return 1 Life to the box).
Level Setup
Randomly appoint 1 player as the Seer. That player will remain the Seer until the team successfully completes the level. After the level is completed, the next player in clockwise order becomes the new Seer.
- The Seer reveals the top Level card of the pile (starting with level 1). The Level card shows how many Number cards the Seer must draw from the pile. In level 1, they must draw a total of 4 Number cards. The Level card also shows how many of these Number cards the Seer may look at, and how many hints (numbers) they may write on the Hint sheet. In level 1, the Seer may look at 3 Number cards and write down 1 number on the Hint sheet.
- The Seer shuffles the cards they took from the pile and deals them out one after another, starting with the player to their left. This continues until all the shuffled cards have been dealt. Depending on the player count, some players might end up with more cards than others. The Seer also plays cards, just like the other players.
Example: Tim, Sarah and Maria are playing a 3-player game. Tim is the Seer. He reveals the topmost Level card (level 1) and draws the top 4 Number cards from the pile. He secretly looks at 3 of these cards: they are 7, 38, and 42. Tim chooses to write the number 38 on the Hint sheet. Next, Tim thoroughly shuffles the 4 Number cards and deals them out. He gives 1 to Sarah, 1 to Maria, 1 to himself, and 1 more to Sarah.
Playing the Level
Each player that's ready to face the current level places one hand on the table, with their palm facing down. Once everyone is ready, remove your hands from the table and the level can start.
- The players must place their cards in the center of the table one by one (hopefully in ascending order), creating a small pile. Very important: all cards have to be played face down! You're trying to play the lowest (available) card first, then the second lowest (available) card on top of that, and so on. There's no fixed player order. The player who believes they currently have the lowest card, may simply play it. Very important: you are not allowed to talk about your card values or to show them to other players. Players are not allowed to make deals, exchange information or use secret gestures like nodding their head or knocking on the table. We should emphasize at this point that playing this game is not a question of speed. There is no keeping time!
- After the players have placed all of the Number cards in the center of the table, the Seer takes the pile and checks (without showing the cards to the other players) whether all the Number cards were played in the correct (ascending) order.
- If that's the case, the Seer reveals the cards. The level is successfully completed. Move on to the next level.
- If that's not the case, play the current level again using the same set of cards. In addition to the usual hint, the Seer may write an extra hint (an extra number) on the Hint sheet. The cards are thoroughly shuffled and dealt out again, and the team has another go at the level.
Example: Tim checks the pile, without showing the Number cards to the other players. Unfortunately, the order of the cards is incorrect: 7, 38, 35, 42. The 35 should have been played before the 38. The team loses 1 Life, which is returned to the box. They must try the level again. As a second hint, Tim writes the 35 next to the 38 on the Hint sheet. He shuffles the cards and deals them out again. This time, the team was successful. All of the cards were played in the correct order: 7, 35, 38, 42. The players move on to level 2!
Note: especially towards the higher levels, it could happen that players need to repeat a certain level multiple times. Each time the order is incorrect, they lose 1 Life, but the Seer may also write an extra hint (an extra number) on the Hint sheet.
New Level & End of the Game
After a level has been completed successfully (all Number cards were played in the correct order), the team moves on to the next level. The next player in clockwise order becomes the new Seer. The numbers on the Hint sheet are erased. Shuffle the 50 Number cards. The next Level card is revealed from the pile, and the next level is played as described above.
Example: Sarah is the new Seer. After shuffling the 50 Number cards, she draws the top 5 cards from the pile. She may look at 3 of them. The numbers are 7, 11, and 33. Sarah is allowed to give 2 hints. She writes the numbers 7 and the 33 on the Hint sheet. Sarah shuffles the 5 Number cards and deals them out: 1 to Maria, 1 to Tim, 1 to herself, 1 more to Maria, and 1 more to Tim.
If the team loses its final Life, simply play on. The players use their supernatural powers to keep going. However, if the team loses 1 more Life after that, their mission has failed.
If the team successfully completes all 12 levels, they collectively win the game!
New Challenge
When the team has successfully completed all 12 levels (and is floating on a pink, fluffy cloud), players can come up with extra levels to keep playing. Simply add 1 extra Number card to each future level. In these levels, the Seer may always look at 5 Number cards and write down 1 hint. If your team successfully completes level 18, you can stop playing. At this point, you might as well open a school for the paranormally gifted.
Soulmates with 5 Players
Feel free to also try Soulmates with 5 players. Simply start at level 2. The team receives 4 Lives. All other rules are the same.