How to play the game
Introduction
Explore a dark, unsettling world and battle your opponents in this turn-based strategic board game in which you take on the role of a leader of a sinister secet society. Your objective is no less than to take over the world! Peppered with biting black humor, COMPLOTY is the world's first board game based on conspiracy theories that actually exist.
Throughout the game, you'll recruit the most ruthless henchmen and occupy the most important key positions in research, economy, media and politics with your allies. You'll stock up on secret weapons and sabotage your opponent's plans with terrorist attacks and other nasty means. You'll forge devious conspiracy plots of enormous proportions that, if successful, can decide everything at once. You'll acquire psychic abilities with which you'll be able to manipulate your own or your opponents' moves. But of course, you'll also have to cope with one or another setback, when the investigative journalists and mainstream scientists get on your nerves with annoying fact checks or your opponents slow you down with acts of sabotage. The last player standing after this thrilling showdown wins the game!
For 2-6 Players (+ Solo Mode)
Duration: 70 - 120 min.
Recommended age: 14+
Languages: English, German
What's in the box? The Components of Comploty.
Key positions
👁️⃤ The project 'world domination' is no bed of roses! First of all, you want to make sure that the most important positions on the (shadow-)political world map are occupied by the right people - namely your people. Take over the most influential groups of people, corporations, military installations, research institutes and other dubious organizations, some of which operate in secret, others in public. They can all be bought – if the price is right.
⛧ You will find these key positions distributed in 24 cells on the game board. You can buy a key position when you land on it with your game piece, provided it is not yet occupied by an opponent. If the position has already been taken, you have to pay protection money to the owner. Or you can use your secret weapons and take it under your control by force (→ Terror Attacks). This applies even to unoccupied key positions owned by the Shadow Bank.
Take over the 24 key positions of the shadow-political world map!
Revenue sources
👁️⃤ Become filthy rich by collecting protection money, doing dirty business and engaging in criminal activities such as trafficking in drugs, weapons and humans.
⛧ An important source of income is protection money: Every time a player strays into your territory, you collect a hefty protection fee. And if you build a terror cell, you can extort even more outrageous taxes. Another source of income are dirty deals you make with the shadow bank or with your fellow players. Criminal activities such as trafficking in drugs, weapons and humans also bring in some extra cash. Of course, things can go terribly wrong in the process. (→ Events).
There are no rules in how to make dirty money. Let your sick imagination run wild!
Conspiracy Plots
👁️⃤ Put the most megalomaniacal plans for world domination into action – from Plandemic to the Climate Change Agenda!
⛧ The most exciting part of the game is when you can put one of your ingenious conspiracy plots into action. For your unfortunate fellow players, this can mean the immediate end, while you come a big step closer to your goal of sole world domination. The execution of a conspiracy plot requires certain prerequisites (for example, possession of certain key positions, weapons, and psychic abilities). The specific prerequisites are described on each plot card.
Aren't you a very stable genius? One of your wicked plans to take over the world.
Psychic Abilities
👁️⃤ Don't think short-sightedly! On your path to world domination, you need foresight and perseverance, because you will also have to deal with many setbacks. On the one hand, you must always be prepared for malicious intrigues, acts of sabotage and terrorist attacks by your opponents. On the other hand, you have to survive the hated inspections of the fact-checkers as unscathed as possible. Fortunately, many attacks can be fended off if you procure suitable means of defense. In addition, it never hurts to make full use of your spiritual potential: get the worst out of yourself by acquiring the appropriate psychic abilities!
⛧You can acquire a new psychic ability when you enter a field that already belongs to you (key positions and headquarters). You mark your new level of consciousness by moving your individual chakra stone on the earth grid by one node towards the center of the board.
Bring out the very worst in yourself by acquiring powerful psychic abilities!
Weapons
👁️⃤ Use a variety of highly effective secret weapons to implement your world domination agenda or sabotage your opponents' plans – from cute mini-nukes to mysterious doppelgangers.
⛧ In the course of the game, there are many opportunities to further expand your arsenal of weapons. Whenever you land on a weapon trade field, you get one weapon for free and can buy additional weapons. And if you have psychic abilities, it will massively increase your chances of acquiring new weapons. They come in three classes: Offensive, defensive and sabotage weapons.
The National Rifle Association would be bursting with envy if they saw your arsenal of secret weapons! Here is just a selection.
Terror Activities
👁️⃤ Your reputation as a villain precedes you. You pursue your plans with absolute ruthlessness and don't shy away from any crime when it comes to eliminating your opponents on your way to sole world domination.
⛧ Every time it's your turn, you can execute a terrorist attack. Your scope of action includes Single Attacks (on key positions), Kamikaze Attacks (on terror cells), Massacres (on enemy headquarters) and Major Offensive (= execution of a conspiracy plot). In addition, you can you can build terror cells on your key positions. Or you can disrupt your opponents' moves by either using sabotage weapons or supernatural powers (→ Psychic Abilities). All types of attacks are described in the game instructions with easy-to-understand examples.
How to perform a single attack on a key position of an opponent.
Events
👁️⃤ Experience first-hand the most outrageous and scandalous events in history, which are still the subject of many conspiracy theories today – from 'Elvis Is Alive' to Pizzagate. (If you want to find out more about it, you can scan the QR code.)
⛧ Of all the spaces on the game board, the 'Event' space is the most frequently occurring. When you get to an event space, you draw the card and read the text aloud. The instruction must be executed immediately. Afterwards, the card is placed face down under the pile again.
Always expect the unexpected! Drawing an event card brings you moments of joy, pride, shame, disgust, despair and sheer silliness.
Fact Checks
👁️⃤ Beware at all costs of the facts! Whenever you need to draw a fact check card, you will be pestered by the mainstream media lying scumbags (as you call them) who will, as usual, try to debunk one of your beloved conspiracy theories and correct your allegedly distorted view of the world. Unfortunately, the result is rarely sobering for them, but for you.
⛧ All organizations, characters, actions, events and stories in Comploty are based on conspiracy theories that are actually spread in such or similar ways. If a player lands on a 'Fact Check' space, they undergo a critical examination. Each fact check addresses a different theory. The analysis is conducted from the perspective of established 'mainstream' science and therefore usually ends unfavorably for the player – namely with a hefty fine.
Always expect a bummer! Drawing a fact check card brings you back to the bottom of the facts.
Shadow Bank
👁️⃤ Make sure you always have enough Adrenochrome in store – the lubricant that sets your machinations in motion, the juice that keeps you bloody young, the all-purpose agent for sweeping success of your dirty business!
⛧ Adrenochrome forms in the human body as a by-product of adrenaline and is considered a highly sought-after super-drug by elites for its alleged rejuvenating effects. In Comploty, 'Adrenochrome' is used as currency. The banknotes, printed on both sides, are available in 6 different denominations: 10s, 20s, 50s, 100s, 500s and 1000s. All money is managed and distributed by the so-called 'Shadow Bank' - a powerful institution that oversees the black market, as an equivalent to the Federal Reserve Bank. One player manages the activities of the shadow bank. However, he can also participate in the game as a 'normal' player.
One player has the great honor to manage the shady activities of the Shadow Bank!
Who wins the game?
⛧ The game is won by the player who most successfully implements his sinister plans and survives all setbacks and evil attacks of his opponents until all others have given up.
👁️⃤ The glorious reward is the total and sole dominion over the entire Earth disk!