I just ran through gameplay with some friends last night and everything sounded great. Really positive response, a clear understanding and it looks like I need to get this game fabricated so I can start full on play testing!!
Here are the current version of the rules – there may be parts that don’t make sense, it’s a work in progress!!
The Cause, Side A – Rough Lay Out
The Cause 1.2
Clear Rules, lots of visual examples
1 faction deck = 16 character cards.
2 Faction Decks for 2-4 players
3 Faction Decks for 5-6 players
Variable time length from 10-30 minutes.
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OVERVIEW
The Cause is a minimalist character based card game where you race to collect and manage a declining number of resources that are used to recruit, promote and convert factions to thier Cause.
Every play is completely different as resource items and characters are chosen from the real world environment around you, making this a fitting game (requiring minimal components and a good memory), for times when you find yourself waiting in line or stuck amongst crowds of people.
Double sided character cards first outline which type of resource to collect, then flip to show resources they now produce, then finally are pocketed to signify a specific amount of victory points scored.
Once a resource item is chosen and collected, no other player may take that specific item for the remainder of the game. This ever changing and ever diminishing supply of resources forces you to balance between maintaining your characters at a production level before committing them to victory points.
But don’t wait too long, while standing in line, play may be stopped at any moment forcing all players tally victory points based on the last complete round (everyone having an equal number of turns)!
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ANATOMY OF A GAME CARD
Character Card – Side A
A-1 Faction
A-2 Type of resource you may collect
A-3 Instead of Collecting, you may recruit another character
A-4 Character Image
A-5 Character Name
A-6 Cost to Promote Character from Collector to Producer
Character Card – Side B
B-1 Faction
B-2 Type and Amount of resources you produce each round
B-3 Special Powers
B-4 Cost to Convert Character to their Cause.
B-5 Quantity of Resources required equals quantity of Victory Points scored
Faction Card
C-1 Faction
C-2 Outline of Faction’s Cause
C-3 Bonuses to this Faction
Backside – Resource Card
D-1 Description of Resources
Gameplay Card
E-1 Turn Order
Backside
F-1 Setup
F-2 Final Scoring
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SET UP
This game can be played sitting or standing. If standing a dealer must be chosen who can hold and hand out new cards as required.
To begin, shuffle and pass each player two Character Cards starting on side A. Each Character Card has a random number in the bottom left corner next to the letter A. The player holding the card with the highest number will start. If seated you may decide to rearrange your table positions following the next highest number so that play will follow clockwise. If standing, determine the player order following the next highest numbers.
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Character Cards
Every Character Card is double sided and belongs to a specific Faction (A-1). Characters start the game on side A as a Collector. Each Collector you hold in your hand can perform 1 Action per turn. This action will be either to collect the specified type of resource (A-2) or recruit a new character (A-3) by drawing an additional Character Card from the dealer (this new Character Card cannot be used until your following turn).
Once you can gather enough specific resources (A-6) on a single turn, you can use them to promote one or more Collecters to Producers. The action of Promoting a character is signified by flipping the character card over to side B.
Each subsequent turn a Producer will perform the single Action of producing specified resources (B-2) instead of collecting, thus increasing the momentum of gameplay. Producers also have unique Special Abilities (B-3) that can be used to positively affect any of the resources you collect/produce on your turn.
Once you collect and/or produce enough specific resources (B-4) on a single turn, you can use them to convert a Producer to their Cause scoring you Victory Points (B-5). Once a Producer is converted, that card is removed from active gameplay and placed aside or in a pocket, and can no longer used for Collecting or Producing.
Resources collected and/or produced must be used immediately, any items collected and/or produced that are not applied to the action of Promoting or Converting are not carried over to your next turn.
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END GAME
A standard game will complete at the end of the round during which the last character card is drawn. The game may end early if played (for example) waiting in line, and all victory points are tallied based on the most recent complete round of play (where every player had an equal number of turns).
Victory points are first scored by totalling the number of Victory Points (B-5) across all of the Characters you have Converted. Once all players have revealed their converted Characters, tally the total number of each Faction (across all players) that were converted. The Faction that had the largest amount of Characters Converted to their Cause will now award bonus points to players. If you hold any Converted Characters from the most successful Faction, each Character will award you one bonus point. Receive a final single additional bonus point if ALL of your Converted Characters were from the most successful Faction. Collecters and Producers do not score any Victory Points.
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1. Resources.
There is one of three possible resources specified on each character card: food, clothing or objects. When you announce and collect a type of resource specified from the environment around you, that item may no longer be collected by any other player for the remainder of this game. All players are collectively responsible for no item being chosen twice. If however an individual player does choose an item twice, and no other player catches the mistake during this turn, play will continue as if that item was freshly collected.
Each type of resource will also show a specific state: Food will show solid or liquid, Clothing (which includes all bodily accessories) will show colour or monochrome. Objects will show big or small (a size that must be agreed upon at the start of the game based on the environment around you, for example bigger/smaller than the size of you hand). If the item you collect matches the specific state, it is now worth double (this turn it counts as two resources instead of one).
Additionally, each turn, one of your Collectors may choose a single resource that does not match their specified type.
or be used to recruit one new agent (draw another character card that cannot be used until the following turn).
Agents have a specified type of resource they may collect. However, each turn one of your agents is allowed to collect a resource that does not match their specified kind. Should they do this, that resource cannot score double.
Once a resource is collected from the environment around you, no other character may collect that resource for the remained of this game.
Along the bottom of the card, an Agent will show the required type and amount of resources they need to be promoted to a Handler. If you can collect the appropriate resources at the end of your turn, you may promote an Agent to anHandler by flipping that character card over to side B. The Handler is not active until your next turn. You may promote any number of Agents to Handlers on a single turn permitting you collected/produced the required resources.
Start by recruiting “Collectors”. Once you have enough matching resources you can promote them to “Producers” (each with a special ability). Once you have enough matching resources they can be “Converted” to your cause, removed from active gameplay and scoring victory points.
Play may stop at any time, or at a prearranged goal (eg. 15 victory points, all cards used…), however all players must have an equal number of turns once play is stopped.
On your turn you may perform one action per active character you have. Each Collector may collect the matching resource(s) or recruit another collector, not both. Producers will automatically produce a number of resources each round and any resources from the collector or producer may be applied to the producer’s special ability. At the end of your turn you may use these resources to promote or convert your own characters. Resources from one round of play are not carried over to the next round. Even if not used, a player may collect resources for nothing other than to disallow any future players from collecting that resource.
Resources
Sheep – People
Grain – Food
Wood – Clothing/Accessories
Stone – Objects
Bricks – Wild (can be food/clothing/accessories/objects)
All resources are real world items in the environment around you.
Once a character card is chosen, you must assign a real world person to that character card and they may no longer be used for resource collection in gameplay by players other than yourself.
It is up to the group to police resource gathering and remember who chose what. Once an item is chosen from the environment around you it may no longer be chosen for the remainder or the game.
Matching resources. Your collector may only gather the type of resource shown on their character card or recruit another character. Each resource will have an additional description: solid/liquid, big/small, colour/monotone. If you can match an item to that type of resource and match the description, that resource will count as double (2 items collected).
At the end of your turn, all resources collected can be assigned to promote any characters from Collector to Producer or Producer to Converted.
Factions
The outsiders
The insiders
Shadowy strange poses, almost monster like.
Maybe have different poses based on different VP levels 3,4,5
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May 21, 2012
I’m in New York City on a business trip and for some reason this new game idea is spilling out faster than I can write! Below is the first time I collected all my notes from my sketchbook, but I thought I should put it out there so it is official.
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The Cause
16 character cards per faction, 2 factions minimum. 2-6 players.
A social game of resource collecting for moments stuck in line ups.
Draw two character cards each. The person with the highest single initiative (number on side 2 bottom left corner) becomes player one, all play continues clockwise.
Objective, convert the most number of people to your cause.
Start by recruiting “Collectors”. Once you have enough matching resources promote them to “Producers” (each with a special ability). Once you have enough matching resources they can be “Converted” to your cause, removed from active gameplay and scoring victory points.
Play may stop at any time, or at a prearranged goal (eg. 15 victory points), all players must have an equal number of turns once play is stopped.
On your turn you may perform one action per active character you have. Each Collector may collect the matching resource(s) or recruit another collector, not both. Producers will automatically produce a number of resources each round and any resources from the collector or producer may be applied to the producer’s special ability. At the end of your turn you may promote or convert your own characters. Resources from one round of play are not carried over to the next round.
Resources
Sheep – People
Grain – Food
Wood – Clothing/Accessories
Stone – Objects
Bricks – Wild (can be food/clothing/accessories/objects)
All resources are real world items in the environment around you.
Once a character card is chosen, you must assign a real world person to that character card and they may no longer be used for resource collection in gameplay by players other than yourself.
It is up to the group to police resource gathering and remember who chose what. Once an item is chosen from the environment around you it may no longer be chosen for the remainder or the game.
Matching resources. Your collector may only gather the type of resource shown on their character card or recruit another character. Each resource will have an additional description: solid/liquid, big/small, colour/monotone. If you can match an item to that type of resource and match the description, that resource will count as double (2 items collected).
At the end of your turn, all resources collected can be assigned to promote any characters from Collector to Producer or Producer to Converted.
