What's He Building in There?
What's He Building in There? Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Game board
- 7 "Doomsday Machine" boards
- 7 "Escape Plan" boards
- 14 "Workshop" cards
- 12 "Black Market" cards
- 48 "Intermediate Invention" cards
- 12 "Direct-Effect Invention" cards
- 6 Turn summary cards
- 175 small "Resource" cards
- 1 Evil Doctor pawn, 3 Henchman pawns and 5 marker cubes in each of the six player colors (blue, red, green, yellow, purple and black)
- 2 White cylinders (1 Starting Player Marker and 1 Round Marker)
- 49 Money tokens (9 worth 5, 40 worth 1)
Object of the Game
Players use their Doctors and three henchmen to acquire resources at the available Workshops, acquire gold, visit the Black Markets, provide the "Genius at Work" Labour (GAW), provide "Manual Labour" (ML), improve their Doctors' social standing, improve security and acquire exotic pets.
Doctors will also have the opportunity to invent things each round.
Doctors must complete both a Doomsday Machine and an Escape Plan. Higher stage Doomsday Machines and Escape Plans will garner more victory points.
Scotland Yard is wary of the Doctors' reputations and getting suspicious, so time is limited. There are only fifteen turns.
If Doctors do not complete both a Doomsday Machine and an Escape Plan (to at least their first stages) before the end of the game, they cannot win.
Additional victory points can be earned for fitting in with society, exotic pets, security and first-time Inventions.
The player with the most victory points at the end of 15 rounds is the winner.
Setup
Place the game board in the middle of the table.
Each player chooses a color and takes all the corresponding wooden pieces. They keep their four pawns in front of them, and place their five marker cubes near the board ready to mark their progress along the five tracks: Genius at Work labour, Manual Labour, Social, Security and Exotic Pets.
Each player randomly and secretly takes one of the seven Doomsday Machines and one of the seven Escape Plans. Place the remainder back in the box, as the extras will not be used. Your Doomsday Machine and Escape Plan have grooves. When fit together, they will provide you with a privacy screen to keep your resources and money hidden during the game.
Sort the small resource cards by type into twelve piles and place them face-up beside the board. (This is the stock.) Players do not start with any resources. If you run out of any resource during the game, there will be no more until that resource is used and returned to the stock.
Place the money tokens beside the board as the bank.
Shuffle the 14 Resource Shop cards and place them facedown beside the board. Place one card from this deck face-up in the Resource Shop spaces on the board for every player in the game. (Example - Three Resource Shops will be used in every round in a three-player game.)
Shuffle the 12 Black Market Shop cards and place them facedown beside the board. From this deck, fill all four Black Market Shop spaces on the board. (You will see four new Black Market Shops every turn regardless of the number of players.) There are eight first-time Intermediate Inventions cards (dark blue and dark silver,) with five copies of each (light blue and light silver.) At the top of the board, there are tabs with matching icons to indicate where the stack of each should go (face-up.) Place the dark blue or dark silver card on the top of each stack of six cards.
There are twelve Direct-Effect Inventions (rust-colored cards.) At the top of the board, there are four rust tabs indicating where they should go. Shuffle the Direct-Effect Invention cards and place four into play, one for each rust tab. Place the eight remaining cards facedown in a stack beside the board.
Place one white Round Marker cylinder on the first space on the Round Track. Give the Starting Player Marker to the person who last did something evil. (If there are no forthcoming admissions, randomly choose a starting player.) Play will continue clockwise from the starting player. Give the players going second and third one gold each. Give the players going fourth, fifth and sixth two gold each.
Explanation of Symbols
- Any one raw resource
- Any one refined resource
- Any two raw resources of the same kind
- Any two raw resources, they may be the same kind or two different kinds.
- Two gold
- Two units of Manual Labour (ML)
- Two units of Genius at Work Labour (GAW)
- Two victory points
Turn Overview
Part 1: Move the Round Marker
Move the round marker one space ahead on the Turn Track.
Part 2: Placing Doctors and Henchmen
Beginning with the starting player, each player places either their Evil Doctor or one of their henchmen on the available action spaces on the board. These action spaces are either orange circles or blue circles or half-orange and half-blue and are found in Workshops, the Black Market, the Genius at Work Track, the Manual Labour Track, the Social Track, the Security Track and the Exotic Pets Track.
Only one pawn may be placed on each spot. Some cards have more than one spot.
Doctors may only be placed on orange circle action spaces. Henchmen may only be played on blue circle action spaces. Either may be placed on an action space that is half orange and half blue.
Play continues clockwise, with each player placing a Doctor or henchman. Players may play their Doctor in any of the 4 rounds of each turn.
Do not resolve their actions until all Doctors and henchmen have been placed.
Note that some cards offer more than one action space for henchmen or Doctors. (Example: Player X is the starting player and wishes to place a henchman in a Steel Mill. They should place their henchman in the action space marked "1st." The next player to place a henchman in that shop takes the "2nd" spot.)
Some action spaces may only be available to games with certain numbers of players. (The spot marked "4-6 PLAYERS" may not be used in 2 or 3-player games.)
There is no limit to the number of Doctors that can get "Genius at Work" credit (GAW) on any given turn. There is no limit to the number of henchmen that can get "Manual Labour" credit (ML) on any given turn.
Part 3: Resolving
Once all players' Doctors and henchmen have been placed on the board, resolve their actions in order of the numbers in the blue circles on the board. (If playing with less than six players, you will have to skip some numbers in the Resource Shops section. See Setup.)
Resources garnered earlier in a turn may be used later in the same turn. (Example: A henchman takes five gold in the space numbered 7 in the Black Market. That same turn, the gold may be used by the Doctor towards a Manners Tutor on the Social Track.)
As the Doctors' and henchmen's actions are resolved, return the Doctors and henchmen to their owners for the next turn.
Resource Shops (Numbers 1-6)
Steel Mills supply steel, copper smithies supply copper, weavers supply cloth, wood shops supply wood, glass makers supply glass and tanneries supply leather and other animal parts.
Each of the Resource Shops has three spots for placing Doctors/henchmen.
If your henchman or Doctor holds the first spot in a shop, then you can decide which service that shop will provide on that turn.
If your henchman is in the first spot and you decide to take raw resources, then you may take two raw resources from the supply. If your Doctor is in the shop taking raw resources, you may take three instead of two. Every other player with a henchman also in that shop may in turn also take raw resources if available; they cannot refine resources.
If your henchman is in the first spot and you decide to refine resources, then you may trade two of the resources that shop deals in for one refined resource of the same type. If your Doctor is in the shop refining resources, they may refine once or twice. (You may trade four raw resources for two refined resources.) Every other player with a henchman in that shop may in turn also refine resources if available; they cannot take raw resources. If the first Doctor or henchman in a shop chooses to refine, they must have the resources to do so. They may not choose to refine just so others may not collect.
If you have more than one pawn in a shop, you may take the appropriate action once for each pawn.
Examples: The green Doctor chooses to get 3 raw copper. The red henchman gets 2 copper. / The red henchman chooses to refine. Red may refine leather twice. Blue may refine leather once.
Black Market (Numbers 7-12)
The Gold Acquisition spaces marked numbers 7 and 8 provide gold. Take the correct amount from the Bank when resolving. The owner of a henchman played on the +2 Gold Acquisition spot may also take the Starting Player Marker when resolving.
The following cards may show up in spaces numbered 9 through 12:
Gold Acquisition (either +3 or +4): When resolving, take the correct amount of gold from the Bank.
Black Market Resource Acquisition: The owner of the henchman in the first spot in the market may trade three gold for any two raw resources. (The two raw resources do not have to match.) The owner of the henchman in the second spot in the market may trade four gold for any two raw resources.
Black Market Refinery: The owner of the henchman in this market may trade two of the same raw resource and one gold for one refined resource of the same kind.
Black Market Exchange: There are two kinds of Black Market Exchange cards. Owners of henchmen in these markets may (depending on the Market) exchange either two of any raw resources for one of another kind or one raw resource and one gold for one raw resource of another kind.
Black Market Liquidation: The owner of a henchman in this market may exchange either any two raw resources for four gold or one refined resource for five gold.
Each ability offered by a Black Market or Gold Acquisition spot may only be used once per henchman per turn.
Genius at Work Track (Number 13)
When Doctors are placed on a Genius at Work (GAW) spot, they are spending time working on Inventions.
The first player's Doctor here each turn gets up early in the morning and gets three units of GAW. Each subsequent Doctor placed here on a turn gets two units of GAW. There is no limit to the number of Doctors that can be played in the spot that provides only two units of GAW.
This valuable research time is kept track of by using one of their colored cubes and placing it on the track provided.
Example: When resolving, the Red Doctor will move their marker cube up to 8 GAW, and green will move theirs up to 3 GAW.
Manual Labour Track (Number 14)
When henchmen are placed on a Manual Labour (ML) spot, they are spending time doing the grunt work for the Doctors' Inventions.
The first player's henchman here each turn gets up early in the morning and gets two units of ML. In a four, five or six-player game, the second henchman here each turn also gets two ML. Each other henchman placed here on a given turn gets one unit of ML. There is no limit to the number of henchmen that can be played in the spot that only provides one unit of ML.
This labour is kept track of by using another colored cube and placing it on the track provided.
Social Track (Number 15)
What's the point of being an Evil Doctor if you can't do it with aplomb? Victory points are awarded here for fitting in better with society.
Each achievement on the track must be done in order, with "Manners Tutor" coming first. There is a cost involved with each achievement, as marked by the gold icon in each. Only one Doctor may be placed on each achievement spot per turn, but there may be several players sharing an achievement level by reaching it on different turns. For four, five or six-player games, the first three achievements on the track may accommodate a second Doctor per turn.
Victory points (in the shields) are given to each player whose Doctor chooses to use this track. Victory points are not cumulative. (Example: If a player finishes the game achieving A Proper Engagement, they will receive 23 victory points at game's end.)
If a player does not reach the "Real Estate" achievement on this track by round 5 of the game, they must pay rent of 1 gold per turn for the rest of the game or until they achieve Real Estate. (Note that Doctors are not required to pay rent in round 15 of the game as they are skipping town in their Escape Plan.)
Example: When resolving, the blue Doctor must pay 10 gold to advance their marker cube to the Real Estate achievement.
Security Track (Number 16)
Having a secure place to work on your Doomsday Machine is a basic part of the plan. Victory points are awarded here for having a secure place to work on your Doomsday Machine.
Each achievement on the track must be done in order, with "Night Watchman / Security Manager" coming first. There is a cost involved with each achievement, as marked by the gold icon in each. Only one Doctor or henchman (depending on the spot) may be placed on each spot of this track per turn, but there may be several players sharing an achievement level by reaching it on different turns. Only one Doctor or henchman per player may be placed on this track in any turn.
The "Real Estate" achievement on the Social Track must have been previously reached by a Doctor to be able to advance to the "Secure Fences" space on this track.
Victory points (in the shields) are given to each player whose Doctor chooses to use this track. Victory points are not cumulative. (Example: If a player finishes the game achieving Guard Dogs, they will receive 10 victory points at game's end.)
If a player's Doctor reaches the "Bribe Scotland Yard" spot by the end of the game, they will receive a bonus of two GAW and two ML towards building their Doomsday Machine.
Example: When resolving, the green Doctor must pay 2 gold to place their marker cube on the Night Watchman & Security Manager achievement. Green may not also place a henchman on the Secure Fences spot this turn.
Exotic Pets Track (Number 17)
All the best Evil Doctors have style. Victory points are awarded here for eccentricity.
Each spot on the track must be done in order, with "Tarantulas" coming first. There is a cost involved with each achievement, as marked by the gold icon in each. Only one Doctor may be placed on each spot per turn, but there may be several players sharing an achievement level by reaching it on different turns.
The "Real Estate" achievement on the Social Track must have been previously reached by a Doctor to be able to advance to the "Ostrich" spot on this track.
Victory points (in the shields) are given to each player whose Doctor chooses to use this track. Victory points are not cumulative. (Example: If a player finishes the game achieving "Komodo Dragon," they will receive 11 victory points at game's end.)
At the end of the game, a bonus of 5 victory points will be given to the player whose Doctor has advanced the farthest along this track. Bonus points will be awarded to all parties in a tie.
Example: When resolving, the green Doctor must pay 2 gold to advance his marker cube to the Ostrich achievement. The green Doctor must have previously achieved Real Estate on the Social Track.
Part 4: Invent
Starting with the starting player (which may have changed during Part 3 of the turn,) each player may, if they choose, create a maximum of one Invention.
Eight of these are Inventions that more than one Doctor may invent, seven of which are Intermediate Inventions - necessary components of Doomsday Machines and Escape Plans. (These have blue fronts.) The eighth Invention that all Doctors may invent is "Duct Tape." (It has a silver front.) There are twelve Direct-Effect Inventions, of which four will be in play at any given time. (These have rust fronts.) If you run out, there are no more. Only one Doctor may create each Direct-Effect Invention.
A Doctor may only create one invention of any kind per turn.
Each invention may only be created once per turn. (Example - if Doctor X has the Starting Player token and invents the combustion engine, the other Doctors must wait until subsequent turns to invent a copy of the combustion engine.)
The first time that each Intermediate Invention or "Duct Tape" is created, that Doctor must pay the resources on the card (which sometimes includes gold), and the GAW. Remember to move your colored cube backwards on the GAW track. Then take the dark blue or dark silver invention card and place it in front of you for all to see. In addition to using the Invention towards your Doomsday Machine or Escape Plan, first-time Inventions get victory points as marked on the dark blue and dark silver first-time Invention cards.
If Doctor X had on a previous turn created an Intermediate Invention (or "Duct Tape") that Doctor Y needs, Doctor Y may also create it. Doctor Y must pay the resources on the lighter-colored Invention cards. In addition, Doctor Y must pay a fee to Doctor X. (Doctor X has the dark blue or dark silver Invention card, and can see how much gold he will get when selling his Invention. Doctors may not decline to sell to another Doctor.) Doctor Y should take a lighter-colored Invention card and place it in front of him for all to see.
If you have an Intermediate Invention that appears on both your Doomsday Machine and your Escape Plan, you may create it twice. Players do not need to use a turn to invent an Invention a second time. To create it a second time, the resources must be paid a second time. (At the end of the game, simply place the required resources on the Invention card). GAW or fees to the original inventor do not need to be paid the second time. (You already have the know-how!) Do not take a light-colored Invention card for your second time inventing the same Invention.
Examples: A Doctor must pay 1 raw wood, 1 raw leather, 1 raw glass, 2 gold and 4 GAW to invent this first-time Intermediate Invention (Transmutative Catalyst). / This Invention has been previously invented. Inventors must now pay 1 raw wood, 1 raw leather, 1 raw glass and 2 gold to the supply/bank. In addition, they must pay 5 gold to the first-time Inventor.
The eighth Invention that all Doctors may invent is "Duct Tape". If "Duct Tape" is used to help in creating any level of Escape Plan, it can count as five ML towards the ML needed for the Escape Plan if you decide to use it. If you use it, however, you will be penalized five victory points, as your Escape Plan will appear much less impressive. "Duct Tape" may only be used once per player per game.
This may be invented for the victory points and the potential sales to other Doctors.
Direct-Effect Inventions
Each Direct-Effect Invention gives its owner an ability to hinder the effectiveness of one of another player's henchman or to aid the abilities of their own Doctor or one of their own henchmen. These abilities come into play on the turn after they are invented.
Electra Walking Cane: Once per turn you may move one opponent's henchman from the 1st spot in a Workshop back to the 2nd or 3rd spot. (The 2nd or 3rd spot in that same Workshop must be available.) You must take the first spot in that Workshop with either your Doctor or a henchman if you do so. You may not affect other Doctors.
Mini Shrink Ray: Once per turn you may target one opponent's henchman who collects one raw resource instead of two. Use during resource collection in the Resolve step. You must have a Doctor or henchman in the same shop as your victim.
Waterproof Gunpowder: One of your henchmen may share the +5 gold acquisition space once per turn. If another player's henchman occupies that space, you may use one of your henchmen to share the space. Both henchmen will acquire 5 gold each on such a turn. If one of your henchmen is already occupying that space, you may place a second henchman there and acquire 10 gold that turn between the two henchmen.
Scruple Mesmerizer: Once per turn, one of your henchmen may share any Black Market space. Gold acquisition spaces are not included. You may share with yourself. If another player's henchman occupies a Black Market space, you may use one of your henchmen to share the space. Both henchmen will be able to use that space's ability on such a turn. The first henchman into that space will resolve first. If one of your henchmen is already occupying such a space, you may place a second henchman there and use that space's ability twice that turn between the two henchmen.
Teeth Sharkification: If one of your henchmen is on a Black Market Exchange spot, you may (instead of the ability offered by the Black Market Exchange) trade any two raw resources for any two other raw resources.
Steel Beam Spawning: Gain +3 Manual Labour towards your Escape Plan.
Sleeping Potion Bomb: Once per turn, you may move one opponent's henchman from a spot gaining +2ML to another spot that gains +1ML. You must take the +2ML spot if you do so.
Acid Squirting Pen: You may advance on the Social Track without paying associated gold costs. (The "Real Estate" space is excluded.) You still must place your Doctor on an available spot to use this Invention.
Copper Pipe Spawning: You may advance one henchman's space along the Security Track per turn without having a henchman there. Gold costs must be paid. You still must have reached "Real Estate" on the Social Track to advance to "Secure Fences" on the Security Track. You may do this only if the next spot you wish to advance to is unoccupied and you have not placed a pawn on the Security Track this turn.
Pied Piper Pipes: You may advance on the Exotic Pets Track without paying associated gold costs. You still must place your Doctor on an available spot to use this Invention.
Concealing Cloak: Your Doctor and henchmen are immune to the effects of all Direct-Effect Inventions unless they choose otherwise. Space-sharing Inventions such as Waterproof Gunpowder and the Scruple Mesmerizer are not affected and may still be used.
Temporary Transmogrifier: You may disguise your Doctor as a henchman as often as you like, allowing him to occupy any spot on the board. If disguised, the Doctor acquires resources as a henchman. Disguised Doctors act as a henchman in the Workshops and Black Market Shops. If a disguised Doctor is used to gain Manual Labour, the Sleeping Potion Bomb does not work against him.
Part 5: Pay Rent
Starting with round 5, each player must pay rent of 1 gold each turn until the end of the game. Players who have achieved "Real Estate" on the Social Track are exempt from paying rent. Rent does not have to be paid in round 15, as the Doctors have plans to use their Escape Plans at the end of the game.
Any player whose Doctor has not reached "Real Estate" on the Social Track by round 5 and who cannot pay the rent will only have the use of two of their henchmen for the following round. Subsequent rounds will not be affected.
Example: The red player does not have to pay rent as they have reached Real Estate. The blue player must pay 1 gold each turn until they achieve Real Estate, if they ever choose to do so.
Part 6: Replace Workshop cards, Black Market cards and Direct-Effect Inventions
Remove the Workshop cards on numbers 1 through 6 and place them in a discard pile. Replace them with new cards from the Workshop deck. If there are not enough cards, place the remaining cards and shuffle the discards to provide the rest.
Remove the black market cards on numbers 9 through 12 and place them in a discard pile. Replace them with new cards from the Black Market card deck. Shuffle the discard pile every three turns to provide a new deck.
This will also provide a check against what round you are on. You will cycle through the Black Market deck every three turns.
If any Direct-Effect Inventions were invented this round, replace them so that there are four available for the next round.
Example: At the end of round 4 in a 3-player game, you will have used 12 Workshop cards with 2 left over. Place the 2 remaining Workshop cards on the board for the next round and shuffle the remainder of the Workshop cards. Draw the top card and use it as the third available shop in round 5.
Winning The Game
There are three stages of completion for both your Doomsday Machine and your Escape Plan. The Intermediate Inventions, resources, GAW and ML required to go up to higher stages may be increased. The resources etc. on each line are not cumulative.
(The printed stage table is icon-only and shows only Stage 1 and Stage 2 rows: each row lists required Inventions/resources/GAW/ML icons and the victory points, e.g. Stage 1 shows 4 and 6 points; Stage 2 shows 5 and 7 points.)
Example: To go from a Stage 1 to a Stage 2 Death Ray, you must acquire a Circuit Transmogrifier, one raw wood, one raw leather, one raw GAW and one ML in addition to the requirements for Stage 1.
Example: If your Doomsday Machine requires 4 GAW and your Escape Plan also requires 4 GAW, you will need a total of 8 GAW at the end of 15 rounds in order to finish both.
If after 15 turns you do not have sufficient Intermediate Inventions, resources, GAW and ML to create at least stage one of both your Doomsday Machine and your Escape Plan, you have lost. If no player has completed both, there is no winner.
Reveal your evil plans and add up the victory points that you have earned for your Doomsday Machine, your Escape Plan, your original Inventions, the Social Track, the Exotic Pets Track, and the Security Track. Take into account minuses for using "Duct Tape" for your Escape Plan.
No victory points are awarded for leftover resources or gold.
The player with the most victory points is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most first-time Inventions is the winner (including Direct-Effect Inventions). If there is still a tie, there is more than one winner.