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Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
Game's full and started! If you're interested in playing, drop a post in the thread and I'll pop open another game if enough people express interest.

Bombs are dropping at midnight.

You were one of the first to arrive at a bunker that can ensure your survival. However, now the bunker is too crowded to close. You and the other early birds have been deemed judges and have been tasked with the ugly job of kicking out two survivors.

If that wasn’t bad enough, you’ve learned that among the survivors and judges are members of a doomsday cult hoping to sabotage the bunker to fulfill their doomsday prophecy.

Choose wisely, because...




Hello gentlegoons, and welcome to The End is Nigh, a deduction game by Mystic Ape Games.

What is The End is Nigh?

In The End is Nigh, 3 - 6 players act as judges over admittance to a fallout shelter, on the flimsy premise that they happened to get there first. In the end, only 4 of the 6 NPC survivors can join the players in the shelter, and so over the course of the game (at turn 6 and turn 12 respectively) the players will vote to exile 2 of the NPCs. Why is this important? Because among the NPCs are doomsday Cultists who, if allowed into the shelter, will team up with any PC Cult Elders and cause everyone in the shelter to perish losing the game for Civilian players. In order to determine which survivors to vote out, PCs spend their turns questioning an NPC, which allows them to see some or all of that NPCs traits, which may reveal that NPC to be a cultist.

Complicating this further are the following facts:

  • all players have a one-shot ability, chosen from two randomly selected abilities at the start of the game.
  • all survivors behave slightly differently when questioned.
  • all survivors have a number of traits (between 1 and 3), many of which have special conditions that cannot be revealed.
  • some of these traits may reduce or add to the number of cultists in the survivor pool, depending upon their interactions with each other.
  • some of the players may be Cult Elders, and thus may be actively sabotaging attempts to vote out cultists.
  • after each turn, whether or not you know who is or isn't a cultist, the active player must cast one vote to exile a survivor. The survivor with the most votes at the end of turn 6 and turn 12 are exiled.

What is it like?

Kind of Mafia or The Resistance meets Battlestar Galactica and Clue(do), but without player elimination, random number of PC bad guys, and no out of thread communication. I guess.

Is it any good?

I don't know, but I sure hope to find out! It is a game that is still in playtesting phase, although it has been fairly well received at prototyping/design events that it has been demoed at. I've been looking over and thinking over the rules and the various traits/abilities all day, and haven't been able to suss out whether or not it'll be an interesting deduction game or a hot mess of randomly selected and unaccountable garbage. I would prefer the former!

I want to play!

Cool! I'm looking for 6 players. Check out the rules and cards (also detailed in the next post), and post your interest and provide a means of contact (acceptable: PMs, e-mail, skype).

As per usual, if we've got more than 6 sign-ups, I'll toss the list into random.org to choose. Sign-ups will close at midnight CST on the 12th or when 6 players sign-up, whichever occurs latest.


Game's full and started! If you're interested in playing, drop a post in the thread and I'll pop open another game if enough people express interest.

Clockwork Gadget fucked around with this message at 19:05 on Feb 11, 2016

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Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
RULES:

SETUP:

Identity cards:

Collect the identity cards based off the numbers of players as show in the list below. Shuffle the identity cards and deal one facedown to each player. One card will be removed from the game; do not reveal it. Your identity card will dictate how you will win the game.

3 Players… 1 Cultist, 3 Civilians
4 Players… 1 Cultist, 4 Civilians
5 Players… 2 Cultists, 4 Civilians
6 Players… 2 Cultists, 5 Civilians

Do not show this card to any other player. You may claim whether you are or are not a cultist (you can even lie).

Ability Cards:

Randomly set aside two ability cards per player. Shuffle these ability cards and deal two facedown to each player. These cards will list an ability that you may use once per game. You will choose one of the two abilities to use for the game, and discard the other face­down. This must be kept secret until you reveal your card to play it’s effect.

Note: ​Andrew Jastry must be included in the cards dealt to players. If any player has received Andrew Jastry, they MUST select the Andrew Jastry card and immediately reveal it.
Note: ​Therapist is only to be used in games with four or more players.

Survivors and doomsday clock:

At the beginning of the game, place the doomsday clock in the center of the play area, and put an exile token over each number on the clock. The red exile markers go over 6 and 12. Set aside the scientist, conman and undergrad survivor cards. Shuffle the five remaining survivors and draw three to add to the stack with the scientist, conman and undergrad. Place these six survivors around the doomsday clock, with one at each end, and two on each side. Return the remaining two to the box; they will not be used this game. Take the two cultist cards, and four random trait cards. Shuffle them together and deal one card below each of the survivors. Shuffle the remaining trait cards and distribute them to the survivors who need additional trait cards. The survivor card says how many traits it receives in the bottom right corner. Return any unused trait cards to
the box without looking at them.

For any survivor with more than one trait card, shuffle the cards that belong to that survivor.
If playing with the geezer or celebrity, stack their respective trait cards.
If playing with the scientist, shuffle the two cards belonging to her and place one underneath her card, horizontally.

The game ends after the second survivor is voted out at midnight.

GAMEPLAY:

The player with the “Andrew Jastry” ability reveals their ability card and begins the game as the first player. Play goes as follows:
  1. Question a survivor.
    1. Question any non­exhausted survivor. Draw one trait card from below a survivor of your choice and look at, following the rules printed on the survivor’s card. You may claim the survivor is/is not a cultist, but you may not claim that the survivor had any specific trait card.
      NOTE: Some trait cards have effects. If you reveal a trait card with a printed effect, you must follow that effect without revealing to the other players that you are following a text effect.
  2. Vote to exile.
    1. Starting with the exile marker sitting on the 1 spot on the doomsday clock, take the next highest exile marker and place it on a survivor.
  3. Survivor upkeep.
    1. Refresh any exhausted survivors (turn them back to a portrait position). Exhaust the survivor you just questioned (turn them to a landscape position).
  4. Check for exile.
    1. If the doomsday clock reads 6 or 12 the survivor with the most exile markers is removed from the bunker. Do not look at the trait card(s) belonging to that survivor. In case of a tie, the player with the “Andrew Jastry” ability decides which survivor is removed from the bunker.
  5. End Turn.
    1. Play continues with the next player, going clockwise.

ENDGAME:

After the second survivor has been removed from the bunker reveal the trait cards under the survivors in the bunker, one at a time. With all of the trait cards revealed, players reveal their identity cards and determine who won the game.
If there are no cultists in the bunker, the civilian players win and the cultist players lose.
If there is one or more cultist in the bunker, the cultist players win and the civilian players lose.

Clockwork Gadget fucked around with this message at 06:34 on Feb 11, 2016

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
SURVIVORS

GEEZER: (2) Shuffle both traits under the geezer and draw one to look at.
CHILD: (1) After questioning, the child is exhausted until a survivor has been voted out of the bunker.
HERMIT: (1) You may not look at the hermit's trait card.
CONMAN: (1) Switch the conman's trait with any other trait of your choice. Then, view the conman's new trait.
UNDERGRAD: (2) Look at both traits. Then, draw one trait from any other survivor (do not look at it) and shuffle them all together. Return two traits to the undergrad and one to the survivor you drew from.
ATHLETE: (2) Cannot become exhausted. When questioning, draw and look at one trait. The trait you viewed is now exhausted and may not be viewed. The trait you did not view is now refreshed.
SCIENTIST: (2) Draw and look at one trait. You may not look at the trait card underneath the scientist.
CELEBRITY: (3) Draw and look at the top trait, then show it to another player of your choice. Place the viewed trait on the bottom of the stack.

ABILITIES

ANDREW JASTRY: Reveal this card immediately! You are the first player and decide the outcome of all ties. You must choose this card at the beginning of the game.
POLICE OFFICER: Reveal on your turn! Ignore a survivor's effect.
LAWYER: Reveal after an exile marker is placed! You may remove an exile marker from a survivor.
ANTHROPOLOGIST: Reveal before an exile marker is placed! No exile marker will be placed this round (this will make the game 13 turns rather than 12).
PRIEST: Reveal after an exile marker is placed! You may place an additional exile marker on any survivor of your choice.
REPORTER: Reveal after viewing a trait! If you see a trait card without effect text on it, you may reveal it and place it ace-up with the survivor who had that trait card. The face-up trait may not be manipulated in any way.
MASSEUSE: Reveal on your turn! You may question an exhausted survivor.
PSYCHIC: Reveal after a survivor is removed! You may look at all trait cards belonging to the survivor who was removed through the bunker.
THERAPIST: Reveal on your turn! Choose any other player and view each other's identity cards.
SALESMAN: Reveal on your turn! You may question two survivors this round.
BROKER: Reveal after a survivor is removed! Choose 1 exile marker on a survivor in the bunker to remain in play.
ACTOR: Reveal at any point! Copy the effect of a revealed ability card.

TRAITS

ACTIVE:
CULTIST: If one or more cultist is in the bunker at the end of the game, the civilians lose.
JERK: You must claim this survivor is a cultist.
PET DOG: This survivor is not a cultist, even if they have cards claiming they are a cultist.
DOOMSAYER: If this survivor is the scientist, she is a cultist.
PROPHET: This survivor negates one cultist card on one adjacent survivor at the end of the game. You may announce that this survivor is the prophet.
PASSIVE:
PACIFIST, HANDY, MUSICIAN, GENIUS, RICH, CLEANFREAK

PLAYERS: (in random order)
  • MG2
  • Somberbrero
  • Chili
  • PBS Newshour
  • Asiina
  • Meinberg

Clockwork Gadget fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Feb 11, 2016

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?
Let's see what this is all about.

Snooze Cruise
Feb 16, 2013

hey look,
a post
I have played traitor games for half my life and they have warped my mind so I have to try this one as well... I have PMs

Chili
Jan 23, 2004

college kids ain't shit


Fun Shoe
Any estimate on the length of time? I'm out of the country in 3 weeks, think it'll wrap by then? If so, I'm interested.

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock

Chili posted:

Any estimate on the length of time? I'm out of the country in 3 weeks, think it'll wrap by then? If so, I'm interested.

That's a good question.

The game itself is essentially exactly 12 actions with some discussion in-between. The first few rounds, when the players don't have much information to go on and are primarily just gathering information, will probably go by extremely quickly. The only thing that could hook things up would be the reaction abilities, but there are only a maximum of five of those over the course of the game. If people are diligent about pre-loading actions, I don't foresee that being an issue.

The designers say that the game lasts about 15 to 30 minutes IRL, so it ain't exactly BSG, and there's less of a social aspect than Mafia/The Resistance (and no ACTUAL voting phases, really).

I can't promise 100% that it'll be resolved within three weeks, but I would be SHOCKED if it took longer than two weeks from the starting point. There's no reason a round should last more than 36 hours on the long side of things, and a round could realistically be as short as a few minutes.

Up to you!

Kashuno
Oct 9, 2012

Where the hell is my SWORD?
Grimey Drawer
If you run this again in the future I would be in but I will be gone before it is reasonable to be sure that it will have wrapped up.

Asiina
Apr 26, 2011

No going back
Grimey Drawer
I haven't read all the rules yet, but I like Somber and Chili and capps is okay I guess.

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock

Kashuno posted:

If you run this again in the future I would be in but I will be gone before it is reasonable to be sure that it will have wrapped up.

:yeah:

Chili
Jan 23, 2004

college kids ain't shit


Fun Shoe
If the game starts by Sunday, I'm in.

MG2
Jan 30, 2016

by LadyAmbien
I want to try

Meinberg
Oct 9, 2011

inspired by but legally distinct from CATS (2019)
This seems rad as heck, if there's still room, sign me up, otherwise I will observe!

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
That's six! I think I might just take yous guys and run with it, since we're WORKING ON BORROWED TIME from Chili's perspective.

If you are still interested in playing, feel free to post here saying so! If there's enough call for it, I'll throw up another thread.

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
All Identity Cards and Ability Cards have been sent out. Game will begin as soon as everyone replies confirming their ability choice.

e: TO BE CLEAR, you need to respond via PM. Obviously. But just in case someone was about to post their choice in the thread like a big dummy.

Clockwork Gadget fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Feb 11, 2016

Meinberg
Oct 9, 2011

inspired by but legally distinct from CATS (2019)
I'm not entirely sure how the game works, but I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually!

Asiina
Apr 26, 2011

No going back
Grimey Drawer
Yeah I'm a little confused, but I'm sure it'll become clear over time.

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
I'm sure all will reveal itself.

We're waiting on Somber and MG2.

imgay
May 12, 2014

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
I want to play.

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?
Game is weird.

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
The sirens are crying out. You head to the nearest shelter. You arrive in the following order:

Chili
PBS Newshour
Asiina
Meinberg
MG2
Somberbrero


As you begin to seal the door, a second group of survivors runs up. They are:

An UNDERGRAD, a CHILD, a CONMAN, a HERMIT, a CELEBRITY and a SCIENTIST.

The bunker can only hold four more people. Some tough choices must be made, and they must be made quickly. If the rumors are true, there may be members of the DOOMSDAY CULT among these survivors, and there may even be some among your fellow bunker dwellers.

Can you seal your vault successfully, or will a CULTIST let in to your safehold break the seal at the last moment, dooming you all?

TURN ONE:

Chili reveals himself as ANDREW JASTRY. He immediately takes control of the situation, and begins the questioning.

Action Queue: Chili, choose a survivor to question.

CURRENT PLAY SPACE

Turn Order:
  • Chili - ANDREW JASTRY
  • PBS Newshour
  • Asiina
  • Meinberg
  • MG2
  • Somberbrero

Survivors:
  1. UNDERGRAD: (2) Look at both traits. Then, draw one trait from any other survivor (do not look at it) and shuffle them all together. Return two traits to the undergrad and one to the survivor you drew from.
  2. CHILD: (1) After questioning, the child is exhausted until a survivor has been voted out of the bunker.
  3. CONMAN: (1) Switch the conman's trait with any other trait of your choice. Then, view the conman's new trait.
  4. HERMIT: (1) You may not look at the hermit's trait card.
  5. CELEBRITY: (3) Draw and look at the top trait, then show it to another player of your choice. Place the viewed trait on the bottom of the stack.
  6. SCIENTIST: (2) Draw and look at one trait. You may not look at the trait card underneath the scientist.

The order is cyclical, meaning the SCIENTIST is also adjacent to the UNDERGRAD.

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?
Man I am having trouble wrapping my head around this for some reason.

So right now we're looking at who to question. Out of the face up cards, The Scientist gives us some insight as to what's in the deck, therefore what's on the table, right? Same for the Celebrity. My question is, do you keep the drawn trait? Like if I draw the Jerk trait when questioning the Scientist, am I forever a jerk?

Chili
Jan 23, 2004

college kids ain't shit


Fun Shoe

Somberbrero posted:

Man I am having trouble wrapping my head around this for some reason.

So right now we're looking at who to question. Out of the face up cards, The Scientist gives us some insight as to what's in the deck, therefore what's on the table, right? Same for the Celebrity. My question is, do you keep the drawn trait? Like if I draw the Jerk trait when questioning the Scientist, am I forever a jerk?

Me too. I have just about zero idea what I'm doing. Having said that BRING ME THE CHILD!

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?
In theory I think questioning the child round 1 is a bad idea, because then the exhausted Child is unquestionable again until round 6. However, why do we want to question the child multiple times?

Chili
Jan 23, 2004

college kids ain't shit


Fun Shoe

Somberbrero posted:

In theory I think questioning the child round 1 is a bad idea, because then the exhausted Child is unquestionable again until round 6. However, why do we want to question the child multiple times?

Sh, I'm busy trying to cult it up.

:ssh: yes, it's a terrible idea :ssh:

Asiina
Apr 26, 2011

No going back
Grimey Drawer

Somberbrero posted:

Man I am having trouble wrapping my head around this for some reason.

So right now we're looking at who to question. Out of the face up cards, The Scientist gives us some insight as to what's in the deck, therefore what's on the table, right? Same for the Celebrity. My question is, do you keep the drawn trait? Like if I draw the Jerk trait when questioning the Scientist, am I forever a jerk?

You were always a jerk.

Also are we allowed to strategize or are only the people whose turn it is allowed to talk?

Snooze Cruise
Feb 16, 2013

hey look,
a post

Somberbrero posted:

However, why do we want to question the child multiple times?

Eldars may lie is a possible reason why

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?

PBS Newshour posted:

Eldars may lie is a possible reason why

Oh, well duh.

Does it make sense to claim our abilities off the bat?

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock

Somberbrero posted:

Man I am having trouble wrapping my head around this for some reason.

So right now we're looking at who to question. Out of the face up cards, The Scientist gives us some insight as to what's in the deck, therefore what's on the table, right? Same for the Celebrity. My question is, do you keep the drawn trait? Like if I draw the Jerk trait when questioning the Scientist, am I forever a jerk?

The rules are organized a little confusingly. Here is how table setup and drawing traits works.

When setting up survivors, I mix together the survivors as determined by the rules.

Then I mix together the 2 Cultist trait cards and 4 randomly selected trait cards. I deal one each to a spot under the survivors (UNDER, not UNDERNEATH). I then do the special survivor setup for the Geezer/Scientist/Celebrity. For the Scientist, for example, one card goes UNDER her, and one card goes UNDERNEATH her. You cannot look at the card UNDERNEATH the Scientist when questioning the Scientist.

You could, however, use the Conman to switch it out, or use the Police Officer ability to ignore the text on The Scientist and look at it anyway. For example.

Clockwork Gadget fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Mar 1, 2016

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock

Somberbrero posted:

Does it make sense to claim our abilities off the bat?

It's against the rules to reveal your ability before you actually REVEAL your ability.

jfc read the rules you noob

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
Chili, can you confirm that you want to question the Child?

Just for future purposes, bold final decisions for me, thanks.

If anyone wants to preload abilities, my PM box is ALWAYS OPEN.

Snooze Cruise
Feb 16, 2013

hey look,
a post
There are other reasons why child is scary, ie things that switch out traits

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
It seems there's some confusion AT LEAST AMONG ONE OF YOU as to how traits and drawing and questioning and stuff work.

To those people: you need to read the setup sections of the rules, not just the play sections. The setup sections have CRITICAL INFORMATION to understanding the gameplay.

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?

Clockwork Gadget posted:

It's against the rules to reveal your ability before you actually REVEAL your ability.

jfc read the rules you noob

To be fair it is a very important sentence that is tacked onto the end of paragraph!

Chili you can yell at that baby if you want butttt I'll probably put an exile on you for it.

Snooze Cruise
Feb 16, 2013

hey look,
a post
players=/=survivors

Clockwork Gadget
Oct 30, 2008

tick tock
ian you can't exile other players.

did you read the rules at all

do you need me to draw a picture for you when i see you later

Snooze Cruise
Feb 16, 2013

hey look,
a post
i have literally skim over this and i have a better grasp and understanding of this game than you somber

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?

Clockwork Gadget posted:

ian you can't exile other players.

did you read the rules at all

do you need me to draw a picture for you when i see you later

Yes please. I read the rules! I read them thrice.

Somberbrero
Feb 14, 2009

ꜱʜʀɪᴍᴘ?
I'm super excited to talk about this part on the podcast.

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Snooze Cruise
Feb 16, 2013

hey look,
a post
i wish i was an eldar so i could use all the pro strats i figured out :smith:

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