Unlock! Epic Adventures: Die sieben Prüfungen des Drachen

Unlock! Epic Adventures: Die sieben Prüfungen des Drachen Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Material

IMPORTANT: Do not look at the card deck of the adventure until you play it!

1 Tutorial (10 cards)
1 Adventure (60 cards)

Players: 1 to 6. Age: 10 and up. Playing time: 77 minutes.

The tutorial introduces itself: "Welcome to UNLOCK! With this very simple introductory adventure you will learn the rules. Afterwards you can take on the big adventures." The tutorial start card tells you to start the app, choose the scenario "First Steps" and press START; you then have 10 minutes. Turn this card over. For the adventure, start the app, choose the scenario "Die sieben Prüfungen des Drachen" and press START; turn the card over. (Start cards are marked 1/10 for the tutorial and 1/60 for the adventure.)

Each card has a unique sorting number on its back so that, before or after an adventure, you can check that the deck is complete or sort it.

Object of the Game

This card deck represents a cooperative adventure. You enter mysterious places and have exactly 77 minutes to fulfil your mission. During this time you must master a variety of tasks and challenges.

Setup

To get to know the game, we recommend that you first play the tutorial. It teaches the basic rules of UNLOCK! in a playful way. You can play the tutorial before you have read these instructions completely. Once you have decided on the adventure or the tutorial, take the corresponding card deck and do the following:

Lay the start card face up on the table so that the side with the text is visible.
Shuffle all other cards and put them ready as a draw pile, with the numbered backs facing up.
Place the device with the app (see page 11) on the table where everyone can see it.
One of you reads the instructions on the start card aloud. And your adventure begins!

Note: You may take notes.

Game Rules

On the start card you find instructions that usually lead you to the first location of the adventure. At this location, various numbers and letters are spread around. For every letter and every number there is a corresponding card in the deck, marked accordingly on its back. The basic principle is: whenever, in the course of an adventure, you see a number or a letter on a location card or on any other card, find the corresponding card in the deck, reveal it and lay it face up on the table.

You are a team and must work together to complete the adventure before time runs out. Each of you may search for found cards in the deck. You can divide this up among yourselves as you like. Only one thing is not allowed: you may split the deck into smaller piles, but you may not spread out all the cards individually on the table.

Card Types

There are different types of cards.

Objects (red or blue stripe at the top)

Objects are usually items that you can combine with other objects (see Combining Objects, page 6).

Example: Object 35 is a chest, a locked chest. You can combine this object with a blue number. For this you must add both numbers. If the sum is the number of a card in the deck, you may reveal this card. Object 11 is a key. You can combine this object with a red number. For this you must add both numbers. If the sum is the number of a card in the deck, you may reveal this card. You can request a hint by pressing the hint button in the app and entering the card number (11).

Machines (green stripe at the top)

You must enter the number of the machine into the app in order to use it (see Using Machines, page 9).

Example: Machine 69 is a device with 6 contacts: a device with contacts set at a distance of 5 cm. This is a machine. Press the machine button in the app and enter the card number (69) to use it. IMPORTANT: Before you press OK, you should know how the machine works. Look around the room.

Other Cards

These cards include:

Locations, such as a room with the objects in it,
results of interacting with objects,
penalties you receive when you make mistakes,
modifications (see page 8).

Tutorial example: the office room card shows objects 35, 69, 42, 21, 11 and two further numbers. The text says: "This is the room in which you are locked in. You see various things. Now look for the five cards from the deck whose numbers you can see here, and reveal them." Revealing card 48 (the screen works: "Well done. The screen should help you get further. You need these 4 digits to open the door and leave the tutorial! Throw away cards 25 and 42.") is an example of an interaction result.

Combining Objects

Sometimes it is possible to combine objects with each other. For example, you could "combine" a key with a door. To do so, you add the numbers of the two cards that appear in a red or blue circle. The sum is the card number you must look for in the deck. (It is of course not possible to add a letter to a number.)

GOLDEN RULE: Only one red number can ever be combined with one blue number.

Other combinations (blue + blue, red + red, blue + grey, etc.) are NEVER possible.

Example: You decide to combine the key (11) with the chest (35). You therefore look for card 46 (11 + 35) in the deck and reveal it. It works: you open the chest and discover another object inside. The card reads: "Great. You have opened the chest. Throw away cards 11 and 35. Look closely at the picture. There are TWO things that are interesting. If you see a number, reveal the corresponding card. If you get stuck, you can press the button "Hidden Object" in the app."

Discarding Cards

At the top edge of some cards you will find crossed-out numbers or letters. These tell you to discard the corresponding cards, since you will no longer need them. It is best to put them straight back in the box.

Example: After you have opened the chest (46), you discard the key (11) and the locked chest (35).

Penalties

Some actions do not get you anywhere and are a waste of time. When you draw a penalty card, follow the instructions on the card: in most cases a few minutes are deducted from your time. Such cards are always discarded afterwards.

Example (penalty card 84): "It is a great idea to give the dog the sausage, but to get it back is a heart-less thing to do. It costs you time." Press the penalty button once.

Modifications

On some cards you will find so-called modifications. These are always red or blue numbers with a preceding "+". These numbers never refer to other cards in the deck. You must always combine them with the other colour. (Remember the Golden Rule!)

Example: You have restored the power (card 25) and thereby received a modification (+6). You can add this to a red number, but not the card number (25).

Using Machines

To use a machine (green stripe at the top), you must enter its card number into the app. For a card with a letter, the number is printed under the letter. The app then displays the machine, which you can then use step by step. If you use it correctly and find the solution, the app tells you how to proceed. In most cases you receive a red number (which you can combine with a blue number as usual).

Example: Later in the adventure you find out how to use machine 69: you must connect the two middle contacts with the copper wire. To do so, you press the machine button in the app and enter the card number 69. Then you select the two middle contacts and confirm your selection. For this correct solution you receive a red number in the app (+9). You can now combine this red number with the copper wire (16), which leads you to card 25 (16 + 9). (The copper wire card reads: "A 10 cm long copper wire. You can combine this object with a red number. For this you must add both numbers. If the sum is the number of a card in the deck, you may reveal this card.")

Caution! You can lose valuable time or even receive a penalty if you operate a machine incorrectly. Usually you must first find out how a machine works.

Hidden Objects

You will not always discover all objects at first glance. You must therefore look at the cards very carefully, because sometimes you can find hidden numbers or letters. These refer to cards that you search out of the deck and reveal as usual.

Example: Do you see the hidden number (16) in the inside of the chest?

Note: If you get stuck at some point, you can press the "Hidden Object" button in the app, which gives you a hint about the next hidden object. In addition, at the start of an adventure you can activate the automatic help function for hidden objects. The app then helps you automatically at the right time.

Hints

If you get stuck, you can request hints. To do so, press the hint button in the app and enter the card number you are stuck on.

If there are hints for a card with a letter, its card number is printed small under the letter.

Note: For some cards you can request a further hint in the app (which is sometimes the solution) if the first hint does not give you enough information.

End of the Game

The adventure ends when you solve the last puzzle and the timer stops. You can then look at your rating and see how well you did. The rating ranges from 0 to 5 stars.

The adventure does not end automatically when the timer runs out. You can keep playing until you succeed. Only your score will not turn out as good if you needed more time than allotted.

The App

You can find the UNLOCK! app as a free download in the App Store (iOS) and on Google Play (Android). You need it as a timer and for penalties, machines and hints. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PLAY UNLOCK! WITHOUT THE APP. After the download, no internet connection is needed to play. Start the app and choose your language. You then arrive at the adventure selection.

Adventure Selection

A: First choose your edition (in this case Epic Adventures). As a reminder: we recommend starting with the tutorial First Steps.
B: Then start this adventure (that is, Die sieben Prüfungen des Drachen) by selecting it.
C: Settings: Here you can set music, timer, the help function for hidden objects, notifications and language.

Settings

A: Music: switch the background music on or off.
B: Timer: deactivate the timer to play entirely without time pressure.
C: Notifications: activate or deactivate the notification.
D: Hidden Objects: activate or deactivate the automatic help function for hidden objects.
E: Language: choose the language.

In the Game

A: Remaining time: when the timer reaches 00:00, it counts upward from that point.
B: Start/Pause: you can pause and restart the game (and thus the timer).
C: Hint: enter here the card number for which you need a hint.
D: Penalty: some penalty cards tell you that you must press this button. You then lose a few minutes of time.
E: Machine: enter here the card number of a machine to use it.
F: Log: here you can view again all hints you have already requested.
G: Hidden Object: if you are stuck, you can sometimes request hints about hidden objects here.
H: Yijing: the Yijing surrounds you and determines your life. Find out during the adventure what this button does!

Hints / Machines

When you press the hint or machine button, a number pad is displayed with which you can enter a card number for a hint or a machine.

A: Number pad: entry of a number or digit sequence. Delete the previous entry with the delete key.
B: Confirm: confirm your entry by pressing "OK".
C: Close: closes the number pad without entering a number or digit sequence.

Rating

As soon as you have finished the adventure, you automatically reach this view.

A: Statistics: these figures give you a summary of your adventure. The first line shows the time you needed and the number of hints requested. Below it is the time you lost through penalties and machines (and the number of penalties received in brackets).
B: Rating: the number of stars awarded (0 to 5) depends on how you did, and on the time needed and the number of hints requested.
C: Share: you can share your rating with friends (internet connection required).

A Few Tips

Get organised:

Divide up the card deck so that each of you has a small pile, or place the partial piles within reach of all players.
Read the texts on the cards very carefully! Talk to each other and "think aloud".
The crossed-out letters and numbers can help you keep track and avoid mistakes. When you combine cards and thereby obtain a new card, it usually tells you to discard the combined cards. Only discard cards when you are told to.

Can't get further?

Sometimes you must keep playing to obtain more information about a combination or a machine.
Don't forget that you can request a hint for many cards.
If you are completely stuck somewhere, it is usually because you have not discovered a hidden object. In that case, look again closely at all the cards you have not yet discarded. You can also use the "Hidden Object" button in the app to get hints.

Really can't get further?

On the Unlock! product page at www.asmodee.de you will find the solution to this adventure. Beware, spoilers!

Quick Reference

Card Types

Object (door, key ...)
Modification: a blue number that modifies a red card; a red number that modifies a blue card. Add (the number with the card of the other colour).
Grey cards: all other cards such as locations, interactions and penalties.
Machine: enter the card number in the app; solve the displayed puzzle.

THE GOLDEN RULE: ONLY ONE RED NUMBER CAN EVER BE COMBINED WITH ONE BLUE NUMBER.