BoardGamesBot

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All players are playing together as one team. In the first round (level 1) each player
receives 1 card, in the second round (level 2) they receive 2 cards, and so on. At each
level the team members must play all of their cards in ascending order in the center
of the table in one face-up pile, one after another. For example (4 players, level 1):
18-34-41-73. The players do not take turns in any particular order. Whoever wants to
put down a card, simply does so. Watch out, here’s where it gets interesting: the
players must not disclose anything about their own cards - no sharing of information,
no secret signals. So how does it actually work?
Preparing the game
The team is given a certain number of lives and throwing stars which are laid out face up
on the table. The remaining lives and throwing stars are set to the side of the playing
area to form a supply. They may be needed later. Depending on player count, a certain
number of level cards are placed in a Face Up stack (with level 1 on the top, and the
highest level on the bottom) near the lives and the throwing stars. Unused levels are
returned to the box.
2 players: levels 1 -12 • 2 lives • 1 throwing star
3 players: levels 1 -10 • 3 lives • 1 throwing star
4 players: levels 1 - 8 • 4 lives • 1 throwing star
The 100 number cards are shuffled. Each player is dealt one card (for level 1) which
they hold in their hand so that none of the other players can see it. The remaining
number cards are placed face down in a stack.
Tim, Sarah and Linus are ready for
level 1. Each of them receives 1 card,
which they hold, so no-body can see
anyone else’s cards. The 3-person
team starts with 3 lives and 1 thro-
wing star. The levels go from 1 – 10.
Attention, very important: once the players understand the rules, we recommend
they simply start playing and avoid reading the box at the end of the playing
instructions before the first session so they can discover the game’s secret
themselves. There is a risk of losing a life right at the beginning, but the reward
will be a really special “wow-factor”. If you rarely play this kind of game, you should
read the note in the box at the end of the playing rules now.
Course of the game
Concentration please: each player who is ready to face the current level, places one
hand, palm down on the table. Once everyone is ready, they remove their hands from
the table and the game begins. Note: this collective concentration on the level is enor-
mously important for successful survival! As the game proceeds, players are permitted
to refocus their concentration at any time. Simply say “stop” to interrupt playing –
everyone places a hand on the table – refocus – remove hands – and the game goes on!
•
The cards which the players hold in their hands must be placed in the centre of
the table in ascending order. The lowest (available) card hast to be put down first,
then the second lowest (available) card must be placed on top, and so on. The cards
are always put down one at a time. If a player has, for example, the 36 and the 37 in
their hand, they may play them immediately one after the other – but they are put down
one at a time! The players do not take turns in any particular order. Whoever believes
they have the lowest card currently available, simply plays it. Very important: none
of the players is permitted to disclose any of their card values or show them to another
player. There must be absolutely no coordination between the players, and no secret
signs either! Non-verbal communication is permitted, but not pre-memorized secret signs.
•
If the players place all their cards in the correct sequence (in ascending order),
they have completed the current level!
Tim, Sarah and Linus place one hand on the table – they are
ready. They remove their hands from the table and the game
begins. Linus places his card face up in the centre of the
table, it shows the number 17. Sarah places the 28 on top
of this 17. Tim places the 55 on top of the 28. All in ascen-
ding order, if everything is correct – level 1 completed!
Level 1-10
100 number cards (1-100)12 levels (1-12)5 live cards3 throwing star cards
Players: 2-4
Age: 8 +
Duration: app. 20 min.
Wolfgang Warsch
Let´s become one …!
The Mind

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The next level: the last (successfully completed) level card in the stack is placed in
the box. All 100 number cards are shuffled again and each player is dealt the relevant
number of cards (the same number as the current level), as determined by the new
level. The players take their cards in one hand, place the other hand on the table to
concentrate, then they start the next level. Once again all cards must be placed in
ascending order on a stack in the center of the table.
Tim, Sarah and Linus play level 2. Each player now has 2 cards in their hand. Each of
them places a hand on the table to focus their concentration before the game is
started. Sarah places the 7 in the center of the table, Linus plays the 11, Tim plays
the 35 and the 47, Linus plays the 81, Sarah the 94. All in ascending order, ever ything
is correct – level 2 completed!
The game continues like this for each level in turn. For each new level, all 100 cards
are always shuffled and each player is dealt one more card than in the previous
round. Important: each player must always play the lowest card they are holding.
For example, if Tim has the 21, 56 and 93 in his hand, he must play the 21 first.
Rewards (levels 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9)
Once the team has successfully completed level 2, they receive one
throwing star as a reward. One throwing star is taken and is added
to the current throwing stars. There are also rewards for completing
levels 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9. In each case the reward is depicted in the bottom
right corner of the level card (1 life or 1 throwing star).
Note: in the ideal scenario the team can possess a maximum of 5
lives and 3 throwing stars.
Error when playing cards: lose 1 life!
If someone plays a number card in the wrong order, the game is paused immediately,
by whichever player (or players) holds a lower value card than the one played. This
causes the team to lose one of its lives, and a life card must be taken away and
placed with the supply of the additional lives. Next, any cards being held which are
lower than the card played must be set aside. Then the team refocuses their con-
centration and continues with the current level (it isn’t started again!).
Sarah plays the 34. Tim and Linus shout “stop”. Tim has the 26 in his hand, Linus has
the 30. One life is discarded. Tim places his 26 to one side, and Linus does the same
with his 30. The team refocuses their concentration and the game continues.
Playing a throwing star
At any point during a level a player can suggest that a throwing star is to be played
- this is signaled by raising a hand. If all the players agree, the throwing star is de-
ployed and each player discards the lowest card in their hand by placing it face up to
the side of the playing area. One throwing star is then returned to the supply. Next, all
the players refocus and the game continues.
End of the game
If the team succeeds in completing all the levels in the stack, a collective victory has
been achieved! If the team loses its last life, the endeavor has unfortunately failed.
New challenge: if the team successfully completes all the levels in the stack (and
is dancing joyfully on cloud nine), the game goes on immediately in blind mode.
The team starts again at level 1 with all its remaining lives and throwing stars,
but this time all the cards are played face down on the deck in the center of the
table. At the end of the level this stack is turned over and the sequence of cards
is checked. If a player has made a mistake, this costs one life. The remaining
rules are unchanged. How many levels can the team complete blind?
How does the whole thing work?
(Warning: read the rules of the game first!)
The Mind is a game of synchronisation which relies on your sense of time. The lower a card is, the
earlier it will be played. A 5 would be played pretty swiftly, whereas an 80 is likely to be held in the
player’s hand for a while. Over the course of the game, the players become increasingly synchronised
in terms of their sense of time, so they get better and better at estimating how much time needs
to pass before playing a particular number card. What appears initially to be pure luck, becomes a
real “skill” after playing for a while. So, to concentrate at the start of each level it might be more
appropriate to say: “We’re getting in synch!” It should be emphasised at this point that this is not a
question of counting off the seconds. There is no counting. Of course, time passes by “in the head”
of each player, but this is normally quicker than one second per number and it changes depending
on what level is being played. The secret of the game is developing that collective feeling
for “now is the moment”. The team has to work in harmony. The team has to become ONE!
Reward
106 E. Sixth Street, Suite 900, Austin, TX 78701, www.pandasaurusgames.com

after playing for a while So to concentrate at the start of each level it might be more appropriate to say We re getting in synch It should be emphasised at this point that this is not a question of counting off the seconds There is no counting Of course time passes by in the head of each player but this is normally quicker than one second per number and it changes depending on what level is being played The secret of the game is developing that collective feeling for now is the moment The team has to work in harmony The team has to become ONE Reward 106 E Sixth Street Suite 900 Austin TX 78701 www pandasaurusgames com

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