How to Play Anachrony: Future Imperfect

Objective of the Game

Anachrony: Future Imperfect is a modular expansion that enhances the time travel aspect and player interaction of the base game. The Paths are engaged in a relentless struggle for supremacy, leading to technological advancements and political power. Leaders manipulate the time stream, establish connections with the past and future, open portals to alternate timelines, and influence the World Council for their own benefit. The expansion introduces four new gameplay modules that can be added individually or combined with each other and most previously released expansions and modules.

With the Intrigues of the Council module, the base game's Endgame Condition cards are replaced by the Council’s Agenda grid, a dynamic endgame scoring system shaped by players. By accomplishing missions for the Council, players can add new Agenda tiles to the grid to manipulate endgame scoring or gain other valuable benefits.

Preparation (Setup)

Module 1: Neutronide Buildings

• Shuffle the 4 new buildings into their respective stacks.

Module 2: Hypersync Future Actions

• Give each player their 3 Hypersync tiles: Construct, Recruit, and Research.
• Place the Hypersync board next to the Main board. Use the side with the appropriate player count.
• Set the three Supercharge tiles aside; they will be needed at Impact.
• When playing with 2 players, cover the right World Council Action space (on the Main board) with a Hex Unavailable tile. This hex space cannot be used in 2-player games with Hypersync.

Module 3: Quantum Loops

• Before setup, remove one random base game Superproject from the stack, then shuffle the new Superproject (Multiverse Hub) into the stack. Optionally (and for your first game with Quantum Loops), you may choose to include it in the game and randomly select the remaining Superprojects (randomly placing them all above the Timeline).
• Each player receives 1 additional Warp tile: Quantum Warp.
• Shuffle the 8 Quantum Loop cards, and reveal 3 of them. Place them all face up next to the Main board. Place the remaining 5 in a face down draw deck nearby. This will be the Quantum Loop card offer.
• During the Preparation Phase, if there are fewer than 3 Quantum Loop cards on offer, reveal cards from the face-down deck and add them face up until there are 3. Because chosen cards are returned later, the offer can grow above 3 cards - do not discard any excess.
• NOTE: If Time Wave Neutralizer and/or Time Loop Amplifier are drawn as part of the starting offer, draw a replacement, and reshuffle them into the draw deck. These Quantum Loops cannot start on offer in Era 1 because they have no effect in Era 1. These two cards are marked with an asterisk as a reminder.

Module 4: Intrigues of the Council

• Place the Council Chamber board next to the Main board.
• From the Objective tiles, remove all Objectives (dark blue back) that are associated with a module or expansion not in play and return them to the box.
• Separate the Agenda tiles into Objectives (dark blue back) and Values (yellow back), and shuffle them into two separate face-down piles. Place these below the Council Chamber board.
• Before setting up the building stacks, shuffle the four new buildings into their respective stack.
• Before placing the Superprojects over the Timeline, remove one random base game Superproject and shuffle the new Superproject (World Council Surveillance) into the stack. Optionally (and for your first game with Intrigues of the Council), you may choose to include it and randomly select the remaining Superprojects.
• Place only 2 Timeline tiles after the Impact instead of 3; the game will end after the 6th Era.
• Leave all Endgame Condition cards in the box; they will not be used.
• Give each player their own Agenda Benefits card and a Mission standee. The Agenda Benefits cards are placed face-up next to each Player board.
• Separate the Mission cards into 4 different decks, each consisting of 8 cards with the arrow on the back side pointing in the same direction. Shuffle these decks and give one to each player, placing it face down next to their Agenda Benefits card.
• Set the Emergency Missions aside for now; they will only be needed after the Impact.

Fluxo do Jogo

Action Phase - Changes (Module 2: Hypersync Future Actions)

• On your turn during the Action Rounds Phase, an additional Action type is available: the Hypersync Future Action.
• Instead of placing an Exosuit, place one of your available Hypersync tiles above the Timeline tile corresponding to the current Era (regardless of where your Focus is) and take the Action corresponding to the tile, without placing an Exosuit.

Paradox Phase (Module 2: Hypersync Future Actions)

• During the Paradox Phase, the presence of a Hypersync tile counts as a Warp tile when checking for most Warp tiles per Timeline tile. Therefore, if a player has two Warp tiles on a Timeline tile, while another has a single Warp tile and a Hypersync tile, they both roll for Paradox.
• Additionally, the player (or players) with the most total Hypersync tiles (across all Timeline tiles) in play make one more Paradox roll, unless they have already received an Anomaly during the current Paradox Phase. (If no player has any Hypersync tiles in play, this roll is skipped.)
• IMPORTANT: Just like in the base game, players that have zero Warp tiles on a Timeline tile do not roll for a Paradox, even if they have a Hypersync tile present.

Warp Phase - Changes (Module 3: Quantum Loops)

• During the Warp Phase, you may select the Quantum Warp tile instead of any of the normal Warp tiles. If you do, select one of the available Quantum Loop cards on offer and place it in front of you, performing its effect immediately.
• If multiple players selected their Quantum Warp tile, they will choose their cards in turn order. In the unlikely event of not wanting to take a remaining Quantum Loop card or running out of cards on offer, you can remove your Warp tile, but you may not choose to place a different Warp tile instead.

Power Up Phase (Module 4: Intrigues of the Council)

• At the beginning of each Power Up Phase (3), draw 2 Mission cards from your deck and choose one to keep. Return the other card to the box without revealing it to the other players. Your selected Mission card is hidden information — place it in the Mission standee so that it faces only you and none of your opponents.

Clean Up Phase (Module 4: Intrigues of the Council)

• If you do not reveal your Mission until the Clean Up Phase, you default to the third option, losing 1 VP token (if you have any).
• During the Clean Up Phase, return your Mission to the box, regardless of its outcome.

Changes at Impact (Module 2: Hypersync Future Actions)

• At Impact, place the 3 Supercharge tiles on the corresponding Hypersync Action spaces. From now on, when placing an Exosuit on one of these spaces, gain the additional reward shown on the tile. Unlike Collapsing Capital tiles, these are not removed or flipped when an Exosuit is retrieved from them and they are not counted for triggering the end of the game.

Impact Changes (Module 4: Intrigues of the Council)

• Emergency Missions: Because the Mission decks will be empty during the Power Up Phase of Era 5, deal 2 Emergency Mission cards (from the deck set aside during setup) to each player. Select one Emergency Mission to be used in Era 5 (placing it in your standee, as usual), and use the other Emergency Mission in Era 6.
• Add Collapsing Capital tiles to the Council Chamber following the same procedure for Capital Actions on the Main board.

Ações e Como Jogar

Hypersync Future Actions (Module 2)

Using the Hypersync tiles, players are able to receive the benefits of a Capital Action without placing an Exosuit, performing the Action on the Hypersync board in a later Era.

IMPORTANT: You may only have 1 pending Hypersync tile per Era, and you cannot reuse a specific Hypersync tile until you have retrieved it.

Any abilities that trigger during a Construct/Recruit/Research Action still trigger when taking them as a Future Action.

Any ability permitting you to retrieve a Warp token does not allow you to retrieve a Hypersync tile.

Hypersync Tile Actions:

• Construct: Take a Construct Action with a 1 Titanium discount. (Pay for the building/Superproject’s cost as if you used an Engineer to construct it).
• Recruit: Take a Recruit Action, but receive the Worker from the supply, not from the Recruitment pool. This Action is limited to Worker types that are present on the Recruitment pool card drawn during the Preparation Phase of the current Era. Additionally, receive the Recruitment bonus associated with that Worker.
• Research: Take a Research Action.

Retrieving Hypersync Tiles:

• When your Focus is on a past Timeline tile where one of your Hypersync tiles are present, you may place an Exosuit (with a Worker in it) on the corresponding Hypersync Action space to retrieve the tile.
• The use of either Action space to retrieve a tile grants a bonus of 2 Victory Points, but does not advance your Time Travel marker. You cannot use the Action space just to gain the 2 Victory Points without retrieving a Hypersync tile.
• Worker specifics:
  • The leftmost space only accepts a Scientist (or Genius) to retrieve a Research Hypersync tile.
  • The middle space only accepts an Administrator (or Genius) to retrieve a Recruit Hypersync tile.
  • The rightmost space only accepts an Engineer (or Genius) to retrieve a Construct Hypersync tile.
• In 4-player game only, there is a fourth Action space available that allows you to copy any occupied Hypersync Action space at the cost of 2 Water. Worker restrictions of the copied space also apply to this space.
• IMPORTANT: Hypersync tiles may not be retrieved with “retrieve” effects (found typically on Anomalies and certain buildings and Superprojects).

Supercharge Tiles:

• Construct: Receive 1 Titanium from the supply.
• Recruit: Receive a Genius from the supply OR power up an additional Exosuit at no cost.
• Research: Receive an Energy Core from the supply OR retrieve a regular Warp tile from the Timeline at no cost (do not advance on the Time Travel track).

Quantum Loops (Module 3)

The Quantum Loops module extends the possibilities of the Warp Phase: you may now receive more powerful bonuses and resources and pay them back with Breakthroughs.

Quantum Loop Cards:

Noted in parentheses is the Breakthrough necessary to pay them back.

• Foreign Labor (Genes): Pay 2 Water and move your Morale marker one space to the left to receive 3 different Workers in your Active column, directly from the supply.
• Interdimensional Espionage (Chip): Look at the top 5 tiles of the unused Superproject stack. Select one to keep on the Quantum Loop card, and shuffle the others into the stack. For the rest of the game, you (and only you) may build this Superproject during any Construct Action in addition to that Action’s normal effect. You still have to pay the cost of the Superproject but with a discount of 1 Titanium (regardless of the Worker you used to take the Construct Action). If you return the Quantum Loop card before building the Superproject, shuffle the Superproject back into the stack.
• Future Blueprints (Social): Draw the bottom 5 tiles of one of the primary building stacks. Select one, and return the others to the bottom of the same stack in a random order. Construct this building immediately at a discount of 1 Titanium.
• Privileges of the Multiverse (Weapons): Immediately take a Capital Action, as if you took it with a Genius. (You may Recruit a Genius, and you get a 1-Titanium discount when Constructing.)
• Time Loop Amplifier (Time Travel): Gain 1 Neutronium, then do the following twice: set your Focus back by up to 4 Eras, then optionally pay back a Warp tile on that Timeline tile to advance on the Time Travel track as if you used a Power Plant. Finally, reset your Focus to the present Era.
• Cosmic Data Leak (Triangle): Draw 2 unused Endgame Condition cards. At the end of the game, only you may score points for these cards if you have the most of the assets shown on the cards (even if you are tied with another player). If there are fewer than 2 unused cards remaining, draw as many as you can.
• High Density Universe (Circle): You may spend one Worker (including a Tired one) to gain a total of 4 Titanium, Uranium, and/or Gold, in any combination.
• Timewave Neutralizer (Square): You may spend 1 Neutronium and 2 Water to remove up to 2 Anomalies from your player board at no additional cost.

Retrieving Quantum Warp Tiles:

• A Quantum Warp tile may not be retrieved with “retrieve” effects (typically found on Anomalies and certain buildings and Superprojects).
• The Quantum Warp tile is paid back in the same way as with any other Warp tile. But instead of paying Resources, Workers, or Water, you must pay a Breakthrough of a specific icon or shape, as shown on the Quantum Loop card in front of you. Doing so advances your Time Travel track, just like paying back any other Warp tile would. When you retrieve your Quantum Warp tile, also return the Quantum Loop card in front of you to the face up card pool.

Intrigues of the Council (Module 4)

Agenda Tiles:

The Intrigues of the Council module introduces a new component, the Agenda tiles. There are two types of Agenda tiles: Objectives, showing the pressing matters on debate at the Council, and Values, the Victory Points awarded for addressing them.

These two types are separated in the supply, so you can always choose which type you would like to draw from.

There are two ways of gaining Agenda tiles: 1) drawing the top tile of a pile, and 2) drawing multiple tiles but only keeping some of them