How to Play

pdf version here

introduction

Welcome to Remediate! In this game you play as a scientist, using the tools of synthetic biology to fix (or remediate) a real-world problem - plastic pollution! You’ll set up your own lab and grow supercharged microbes by cloning in useful genes that allow them to chomp plastic, protect themselves, and maybe even mess with your opponents’ labs! The first lab to clear all plastic from their environments wins!

card types

There are 4 types of cards:

microbes

These tiny workhorses of synthetic biology include bacteria, fungi, algae and archaea. They are used to insert genes into so that they can accomplish tasks. But they also come with their own special abilities!

genes

Some genes can be inserted (cloned) into microbes to give them special abilities, like the ability to eat plastic or protect themselves from attacks. Some gene cards can also be used to mess with your opponent’s microbes or even their laboratory!

enviroments

This category of cards can either be environments (places) or plastic cards. You’ll clean up your environments by removing plastic from them. They have the same backing so you can’t tell when you’ll turn over a new environment while you’re removing plastic.

game setup

You’ll need a decently sized area to play, because every player must have enough room for their own lab. Here’s an example of what the table should look like once you’ve set up.

Start by following these steps:

1. Each player should set up their own ENVIRONMENT DECK. Each of these has 32 PLASTIC cards and 4 random ENVIRONMENTS (don’t look at them yet).

There are 8 different environments - Turn them face down so you can’t see them & shuffle them. Then pick 4 at random & put the rest back in the game box.

Shuffle 3 of those environment cards in with 32 plastic cards. They should all be face down so you can’t see them. You’ll reveal these environments randomly as you play.

 

Place the remaining environment face down on top of your deck. That will be your starting environment. You’ll reveal it on your first turn.

We made 4 different coloured versions of these so they’re easier to deal to 4 players ;)

2. Set up the GENE POOL & the MICROBE ZOO

Shuffle all GENE cards for the Gene Pool and all MICROBE cards for the Microbe Zoo. Place these in the center with space beside them for discard piles.

3. Deal STARTING HAND

Each player starts with 6 Genes and 3 Microbes. Keep your genes hidden, but reveal your 3 starting microbes by placing them face up in your lab.

HOW TO PLAY

The player with the best posture starts. Reveal your first environment by flipping the top card and placing it face up alongside your environment deck.

Each turn has 3 steps. Do them in this order, but you can skip steps if you like:

1. PLAY your CARDS

Play any number of cards from your hand in any order. They can be GENES (including hand or table cards) or MICROBES.

GENE cards are either PLAY FROM HAND or CLONE TO TABLE. You can tell which kind you have from the icon on the lower left of the card.

PLAY FROM HAND cards are placed on the table & take effect immediately. These are often (but not always) attacks on your opponents. Lab tools are a special kind of attack that can’t be defended against. Once the actions on the card have been resolved, they go face up into the gene discard pile.

CLONE TO TABLE genes only work once cloned into a microbe. Place the gene in an empty slot to the right of a microbe card. Each microbe can hold up to 3 genes (unless stated otherwise). Once cloned, a gene stays in place until the microbe pops or another card removes it.

MICROBES can be added to your lab to replace microbes that have popped or otherwise been removed.

2. remediate

Microbes can munch through plastic to clean up your environment, but only with a little help. To get started, a microbe needs at least one PETase gene cloned into it. Work through the microbes in your lab one at a time in any order. First, check for PETase: no PETase =  no remediation. If it has PETase, remove from your environment deck the number of plastic cards based on the cloned genes, and stack the plastic behind that microbe card.

Don’t forget to add up any remediation boosters or impairments you might have from cloned genes, microbe abilities or environmental effects.

When a microbe hits its plastic limit, it pops. Discard the microbe and its genes face-up and return its plastic cards to the game box. You can replace this microbe with a new one from your hand on your next turn.

If you reveal a new Environment card while removing plastic, place it on top of the old one. Your current microbe finishes its turn in the old environment, and your next microbe will work in the new one.

3. DRAW new CARDS 

Draw 4 cards in any combination from the gene pool and/or the microbe zoo. Don’t show your opponents. You can use these on your next turn.

After you’ve finished all 3 steps, that’s the end of your turn.

winning

The first player to remove all plastic from all of their environments wins. If that’s you, congratulations!

 

Lab rules

Maximum 3 microbes in your lab at any time. 

Maximum 3 genes cloned into any one microbe (unless you have a special ability).

Not all microbes thrive everywhere. At the start of your turn, check your current environment and apply any effects.

Plastic eaten by a microbe is placed under that microbe card until it hits capacity and pops. If a microbe has the ability to eat more plastic than it has capacity for, the microbe eats all it can and pops. The excess plastic stays in your environment.

Defence genes only work if they have been cloned into a microbe.

Some genes (e.g. Quorum Sensing, Endosymbiosis) create links between cards. You can use small tokens to track these connections.

faqs