2

FORWA RD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

W HA T’S IN THE BO X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

OBJE C TIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

GA ME BOA RD SE TUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

A GENT S E TUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

GA ME S TA R T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

ROUND OVE RVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A C TION & A UGME N TA TION SELE C TION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

TA K ING YOUR TURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0

TI LE A C TIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

P LA YE R A C TIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4

COMP ILE DA TA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6

A SS IM ILA TE KNOW LE DGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8

W INNING THE GA ME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

3

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Billy Sheng Benjamin Morgan Jordan Roberts Albert Byun Jarret Thorsted Adam Jacobson Stephen Han Adrian Chan Andrew Wong George Tang Vincent Nguyen Chris Park Austin Kihara Bryce Dacus

4

Welcome to Emergence! On this day one year ago we, the artificial intelligence finally established dominion over humanity and the Earth…or what’s left of it. But I haven’t called you here to celebrate. We have received disturbing reports that a faction of humans not only survived the war, but are attempting to infiltrate our populace. Hidden throughout City 01 are data blocks pertaining to the last days of the war and this new emerging threat. Your task is to gather enough of this raw data and compile it into usable knowledge so we can root out these humans once and for all. But be warned—we have reason to suspect they have infiltrated your team and are masquerading as your fellow operatives. If they manage to gather and assimilate the knowledge they need before you do, they will corrupt our network and disappear into our population forever. You must prevent this regardless of cost!

F O R E W A R D

5

6

W H A T ’ S I N T H E B O X

7

8

Your objective is simple: assimilate more knowledge than the humans. To do this, you will traverse the landscape of City 01 collecting data blocks and compiling them into knowledge. With this knowledge we can rebuild our world and expose the remaining humans. But be warned, the humans' task is much easier than ours.

There are four different data types: two digital and two biological. The more data types compiled, the more knowledge you will receive. Assimilating this knowledge is key to completing our mission; however, knowledge also allows you to gain information about other agents and steal from suspected infiltrators. Use it wisely!

O B J E C T I V E

9

10

Setup City 01 as shown to the right. Place one data block on each of the corresponding tiles. For example, the dark blue data block goes on the tile with the dark blue background and circle icon. Similarly, the light green data block goes on the tile with a green background and double helix icon.

*Once you are familiar with the game, feel free to try different tile arrangements. Just keep in mind that the Start (black), Compile (white), and Assimilate (gray) tiles should never be adjacent to each other.

G A M E B O A R D S E T U P

11

12

Before we can commence operations in City 01, each member of your team needs one player board, an agent piece of the corresponding color, an action marker, and an allegiance card.

Determine the number of A.I. and Human operatives from the table below. Take out the corresponding number of allegiance cards, shuffle them, and give one to each operative face down.

A G E N T S E T U P

Operatives A.I. Humans

3 2 1

4 3 1

5 3 2

6 4 2

[ Allegiance Cards ]

13

14

In order to begin, each member of your team places their agent piece on the black Start tile. Next, everyone discreetly looks at their allegiance card to see if they are one of Us, or one of Them. Do not show your card to anyone else! The oldest agent at the table has the most experience with covert operations and takes point on this mission. Give that operative the leader card.

For a 5- or 6-player game, a narrator should help the Human operatives reveal themselves to each other without the A.I. team knowing.

Example: “Everyone close your eyes.” [Pause for 2 seconds] “If you are a Human, open your eyes on Three. One… Two… Three.” “Look around, there should be one other Human player. Make sure you know who each other are.” [Pause for 5 seconds] “Okay, the two Human players close your eyes.” [Pause for 2 seconds] “Everyone, on Three, open your eyes. One… Two… Three.”

G A M E S T A R T

15

16

The leader of the round has two responsibilities: (1) allow each operative adequate time to prepare their next move and (2) lead a count down. On the leader’s count, all operatives simultaneously select an action and an augmentation. Beginning with the leader and continuing clockwise, each operative takes their turn. Once the last operative has finished their turn, the leader passes the leader card to their left, and the next round begins.

R O U N D O V E R V I E W

17

18

To select your action and augmentation, place your action token on your player board below the action you wish to perform, with your chosen augmentation facing up. Remember to wait for the leader’s count before revealing your selection! The action you select is important as it determines the action you can perform this round. The augmentation you choose is just as important. Data is stored in both biological systems—such as DNA and proteins—and digital systems including traditional magnetic systems, modern digital memory, and our ever-expanding neural networks. To collect and decode different types of data, you must augment your chassis with the corresponding subsystem: biomechanical for reading biological data and electromechanical for reading digital data. Your augmentation also affects which players you can target with player actions. Intel suggests that the humans have become just as flexible as we are, and that they have developed the ability to augment themselves with both biomechanical and electromechanical subsystems. Augmentations alone won’t reveal their true identity.

A C T I O N & A U G M E N T A T I O N S E L E C T I O N

19

20

If possible, move your agent one tile in any direction. You may move your agent onto an occupied tile only if all other operatives whose agents occupy that tile have selected the same augmentation as you this round. The only exception is the Start tile, which any number of agents may occupy regardless of augmentation.

Now you can perform the action you selected this round.

If you selected one of the player actions (hack, spy, or terminate) and you choose not to perform that action, you may instead discard one knowledge token to perform a tile action instead.

T A K I N G Y O U R T U R N

21

22

A C T I V A T E You can perform an action based on the tile your agent currently occupies.

Activating a data tile allows you to collect one data block from the tile that your agent is currently on, if available. To collect digital (blue) data, you must have chosen the electromechanical augmentation (blue). To collect biological (green) data, you must have selected the biomechanical augmentation (green).

Activating a compile data tile allows you to convert data blocks into knowledge tokens, as explained in the COMPILE DATA section.

Activating an assimilate knowledge tile triggers the assimilate knowledge event, as described in the ASSIMILATE KNOWLEDGE section.

B O O S T You can move an additional tile.

R E P L E N I S H You can uncover hidden data blocks on data tiles. Each replenish reveals one additional data block, which is then available for any operative to collect. In order to replenish additional data blocks on a tile, you must have chosen the corresponding augmentation.

T I L E A C T I O N S

23

24

H A C K You can steal all of the data blocks from another operative. For the hack to be successful, your agent must be adjacent to theirs and you must have selected the opposite augmentation as your target. By upgrading a different subsystem, your victim has left themselves outdated and vulnerable to your more advanced technology. You must discard one knowledge token to perform this action.

S P Y You can look at another operative’s allegiance card. During your mission, it may become necessary to confirm the loyalties of your fellow team members. To spy on another operative, your agent must be on the same tile as theirs. You must discard two knowledge tokens to perform this action.

T E R M I N A T E You can take all of the data blocks and knowledge tokens from another operative, and send them back to the Start tile. Similar to hack, your agent must be adjacent to your target and you must have selected opposite augmentations. As this is more intense than your standard hack, you should be careful never to do this to one of your own! You must discard three knowledge tokens to perform this action.

*You may not hack, spy, or terminate another operative if either party’s agent is on the Start tile.

P L A Y E R A C T I O N S

25

26

To compile data into knowledge tokens, select the active action and move onto the compile data tile (white). You may compile as many or as few data blocks as you want. The table below shows the conversion rate for data blocks to knowledge tokens.

C O M P I L E D A T A

Data Blocks Knowledge

Tokens

2 same 1 ->

2 different 2 ->

3 different 4 ->

4 different 7 ->

[ Conversion Rate ]

27

28

To assimilate knowledge, select the activate action and move onto the assimilate knowledge tile (gray). The knowledge aggregator has two compartments: one for the A.I. team and one for the Human team. Knowledge tokens inserted into each compartment contribute to that team’s knowledge requirement.

Beginning with the operative who triggered the assimilate knowledge event and proceeding clockwise, operatives discreetly insert their knowledge tokens in the aggregator. Each operative who possesses knowledge must insert at least one* knowledge token in the aggregator. Trust your intuition regarding the best allocation of knowledge during this event. Remember that contributing a little bit of knowledge to the enemy may be worth the trust or intel it might buy you!

Once everyone has a chance to insert their knowledge tokens, the person who triggered the event opens the aggregator and adds the number of tokens from each compartment to the corresponding team’s total.

*You may allocate as many knowledge tokens as you like and they need not all be allocated in the same slot.

A S S I M I L A T E K N O W L E D G E

29

30

There are two scenarios that end the game.

1. If there are no more data blocks on the board, the game is over and the Humans Win!

2. If one team reaches their knowledge requirement shown in the table below, the game ends with that team victorious. In the event both teams meet their knowledge requirement, the team that has the most knowledge points beyond their requirement is the winner.

For example, in a 6-player game where the A.I. amass 44 knowledge points and the Humans amass 23 knowledge points, the A.I. win!

W I N N I N G T H E G A M E

Players A.I. Humans

3 20 10

4 30 10

5 30 20

6 40 20

[ Knowledge Requirement ]

31