# The Overtime

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2018
- **BGG Rating**: 5.8
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 3-5
- **Duration**: 15-30 min
- **Weight**: —
- **Designers**: 大野真樹 (Maki Ono)
- **Publishers**: Caramel Column Inc.
- **Categories**: Card Game
- **Mechanics**: Trick-taking

## Verdict
Fans of office tension and trick-taking cards will love this quick hit!Fast and strategicEngaging trick playIntense office vibeRequires focusNot for chillersHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
Picture yourself as an employee of a never‑ending company where Friday is the ultimate test: staying until the end of the day risks being called in for weekend work. In *The Overtime*, you’re dealt five cards at a time and must manage them to avoid accumulating stress tokens. If you play the last leave card, you get a stress token and become the next starting player. The game’s simple flow escalates tension fast: Monday through Thursday are relatively calm, but Friday’s pressure spikes. Staying past Friday’s end means the company summons you for Saturday and Sunday, costing you a life token. When life tokens hit zero, the game ends—no more play. Conversely, if you start Friday with three or more stress tokens, you trigger a stress check that can let you rest and recover a life. An extra twist: you can only leave work after the last train of the week, if someone has missed the final train. This rule adds a layer of strategy about when to play your cards and when to hold back. In short, *The Overtime* is a trick‑taking card game that blends corporate anxiety with quick decision‑making. Use your cards wisely, keep your stress in check, and if you’re lucky, avoid the dreaded weekend shift. It’s a fast 15‑30 minute game for 3‑5 players who enjoy card games that demand focus and a touch of luck.

## How to Play
Goal of the Game
In The Overtime, players take on the roles of office workers trying to survive the stress of overtime. The goal is to avoid losing all your life tokens while accumulating as many as possible. The game ends when a player's life reaches 0, and the winner is the one with the most life tokens at the end.

Setup
To set up the game, follow these steps:

  Distribute 3 life tokens to each player.
  Determine the starting player. The player who worked the most overtime last week goes first. Other methods of determination are also valid.
  Shuffle all the deadline cards and deal 5 to each player.


Game Flow
The game follows a sequence of stages that repeat until someone loses all their life tokens:

  Game Setup: Distribute life tokens and determine the starting player.
  Card Dealing (Gloomy Monday): Shuffle and deal 5 cards to each player.
  Card Trading (Morning All-Hands Meeting): Each player chooses two cards to pass to the player on their left and receives two cards from the player on their right.
  1st to 4th Rounds (Monday to Thursday): Players play cards in sequence, following specific timing rules and accumulating stress.
  High Stress Assessment (Stress Check): Players with three or more stress tokens gain a life token.
  Final Trick (Friday): Players play their last cards, and the loser loses life tokens.
  Cleanup (Saturday and Sunday): Collect all stress tokens and restart the process.


Actions and How to Play
During the rounds, players follow these rules:

  The starting player plays any card and says: "Excuse me, first!"
  The next players must play a card with a later time than the card in play and say: "Thank you for your hard work!"
  If they cannot play a valid card, they play the card with the earliest time face down, without saying anything.
  The player who plays the card with the latest time receives a stress token and becomes the next starting player.

During the final trick, players with high stress do not participate, and the player who plays the card with the latest time loses life tokens.

End of Game and Scoring
The game ends when a player loses all their life tokens. The winner is the player with the most life tokens at the end. During the final trick, the player who loses loses 2 life tokens if they played the Last Train Owata Card or 1 life token if they played any other card.

Tips for Winning

  Collect cards that allow you to leave late to restore life, but be careful not to run out of options during the final trick.
  Balance your hand between early and late exit cards to avoid losing rounds.
  Defeated players receive a stress token unconditionally, which can help them recover.

Consult the manual for details regarding this section.

## FAQ
### How long does a game last?
Between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the number of players.

### Who is the game aimed at?
Perfect for 3 to 5 players who enjoy fast card games with a hint of tension.

### What is the game’s complexity?
Medium; you manage stress and life tokens, but the rules are straightforward.

### What components are included?
A deck of cards, stress tokens, and life tokens.

### Can it be played with more than 5 players?
No, the game is designed for 3 to 5 players.

### Are there any rule variants?
No official variants, but players can create casual house rules for added challenge.

### How does the last train rule work?
You can only leave work after the last train of the week if someone missed it, adding a strategic timing element to your play.