# Unconscious Mind: Free Association

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2024
- **BGG Rating**: 8.0
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 2)
- **Duration**: 60-120 min
- **Weight**: 3.33 / 5
- **Designers**: Jonny Pac
- **Artists**: Andrew Bosley, Vincent Dutrait
- **Publishers**: Fantasia Games, GaGa Games, Keep Exploring Games, Mosaico Jogos, TLAMA games
- **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game
- **Mechanics**: Contracts, End Game Bonuses, Melding and Splaying, Open Drafting, Programmed Movement, Rondel, Set Collection, Solo / Solitaire Game, Tags, Worker Placement

## Verdict
If you love mixing cards and planning ahead, this expansion will be your new best friend.More card optionsCreative combinationsNew contracts to negotiateRequires prior knowledgeMore pieces, more spaceHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
Unconscious Mind: Free Association is the expansion that will turbocharge your base game experience. With five mix‑and‑match modules, you get 6 Illusion Dream cards, 5 Mirror Client cards, 12 Scholarly Research cards, 6 Rendezvous Objective cards, and 6 Bric‑à‑brac Notebook tiles. Each module brings new strategic possibilities, letting you blend and combine cards in ways you never imagined. The game keeps its subconscious‑exploring vibe, but now you have more tools to plan, negotiate, and collect. Contracts and tags keep you focused on goals, while programmed movement and the rondel add tension and require pre‑planning. If you loved the base, this expansion is the perfect extension to prolong the fun and test new tactics. Ideal for 1‑4 players, 60‑120 minutes, with a complexity from medium to high but still accessible for those who enjoy strategic challenges. Grab your notebook, pick your contracts, and dive into fresh free associations!

## How to Play
Objective of the Game  
Expand your Unconscious Mind experience with five new mix-and-match modules. These modules introduce new cards, tiles, and mechanics to enhance gameplay, such as Illusion Dreams, Mirror Clients, and Rendezvous Objectives. The goal remains to treat clients, resolve dreams, and advance your reputation, but with additional strategic options and effects.  

Preparation (Setup)  
Follow the standard setup, then integrate the new modules:  
  
  Illusion Dream cards: Shuffle the 6 cards into a deck and place it beside the Latent Dream deck after step 13.  
  Rendezvous Objective cards: After step 18, lay out 3 face-up and 3 face-down cards. Layer them into 3 sets near the City Map.  
  Mirror Client cards: Choose either:  
      
      Option A: Replace your starting Routine Client with the Mirror Client matching your player board.  
      Option B: Shuffle all 5 Mirror Clients (randomizing sides) and lay out (players + 1) cards during setup.  
      
    
  Bric-à-brac Notebook tiles: Randomly place (players + 1) tiles during player setup (step 10). Draft one alongside your starting Client.  
  Scholarly Research cards: Shuffle the 12 cards into the base Research deck before creating the display (step 15).  
  

Flow of the Game  
Gameplay follows the standard rules, with these additions:  
  
  Illusion Dreams: When drafting a new Client, you may draw an Illusion Dream instead of a Latent Dream. Resolving it requires specific resources but provides exact Therapy points to cure the Client and triggers the Reputation track.  
  Rendezvous Objectives: During your turn, place an Idea on an objective card if your Professor shares Freud’s location and you meet the card’s requirements. Trigger the bottom card’s effect immediately.  
  Mirror Clients: Once their Grief Layer is removed, their ongoing effects activate when triggering the Reputation track.  
  

Actions and How to Play  
Illusion Dreams  
To resolve an Illusion Dream, use a formula of Insights and resources (e.g., two identical Median Insights and 4 Coffees). The dream provides the exact Therapy points needed to cure the Client.  

Rendezvous Objectives  
Place an Idea on a card if:  
  
  Your Professor is with Freud on the City Map.  
  You meet the top card’s requirements (e.g., having 5 Research cards in hand).  
  You haven’t already placed an Idea there.  
  
Trigger the bottom card’s effect (e.g., gaining 6 Coffees).  

Mirror Clients  
After reaching Catharsis, their effects activate when triggering the Reputation track (e.g., generating a Median Insight).  

Bric-à-brac Notebook Tiles  
Trigger the tile’s one-time effect when completing your second column, then flip it. It can later be replaced like other tiles.  

Scholarly Research Cards  
These allow extra actions like playing additional Research cards or publishing Treatises. Double-Volume cards must fulfill the two leftmost volumes of a Treatise.  

End of Game and Scoring  
Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.  

Tips for Winning  
  
  Prioritize Rendezvous Objectives with high-impact effects (e.g., triggering multiple City Map locations).  
  Use Illusion Dreams strategically to guarantee Therapy points and advance your Reputation track.  
  Leverage Mirror Client effects after Catharsis for recurring bonuses.

## FAQ
### What is the average playtime with the expansion?
Between 60 and 120 minutes, depending on the number of players and chosen strategies.

### Does the expansion work only with the base game?
Yes, it adds components and rules to the original game, so you need Unconscious Mind to enjoy it.

### Does the expansion add new rules or just new cards?
Besides new cards and tiles, it introduces mechanics like contracts and tags that require minor rule adjustments.

### Can I play with just the expansion?
No, it doesn’t replace the base game; it’s only a supplement.

### Who will enjoy this content?
Players who like strategy, worker placement, and exploring psychological and dreamlike themes.

### Do I need a lot of table space?
The modules add extra pieces, so a bit more space helps keep everything organized.

### What is the complexity level?
Medium to high, as it demands contract planning and programmed movement.

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