T.I.M.E Stories

Objective: All players form one team of temporal agents and try to complete the objective specified by the current mission deck. There is no individual victory or competitive score. Each scenario can add its own goal, components, or special instructions, so begin by reading the briefing at base and follow the mission cards. The base box supplies the Asylum mission; other mission decks are outside this entry's scope.

Mission setup: Place the timeline, mission deck, location board, dice, life points, state tokens, and resources within reach. Read the scenario briefing at base, choose the required receptacles and starting resources, and prepare the scene as directed. The deck contains narrative, locations, items, and tests. Do not reveal cards that the mission has not unlocked, because doing so can expose story information or spoil a puzzle.

Choose receptacles: Each player selects a character suited to the mission's world. A receptacle card shows attributes, life points, the number of action dice it can use, and any special ability. In a two-player game, each person controls two receptacles. Players with more people assign characters according to the scenario and the rulebook. Before a test, compare the relevant attributes and decide which receptacle should take the risk.

Group and Time Captain: After the briefing, the team enters the first location. The group token represents the party's shared position, and the agents cannot split into separate groups. A Time Captain manages scene cards, reads location introductions, and rolls the Time Captain die when required. The role passes to the next player as instructed, giving everyone a turn managing the board and the flow of information.

Temporal Units and a run: Each mission grants a limited number of Temporal Units, or TU, tracked on the timeline. Whenever the Time Captain spends one TU, each player takes one action: resolve a characteristic test, move to an accessible space, or do nothing. Players choose the order of actions. One complete run starts when the team leaves base and ends when its TU are exhausted or the mission is resolved. Entering a location and reading a card at a space just reached cost no extra TU; the Time Captain rolls the die and pays the indicated TU when the team changes location.

Locations and exploration: A location consists of a set of scene cards. The Time Captain finds the cards by their backs, lays them out as a panorama, and reads the location's A card. The team discusses which spaces to investigate. Players may inspect a card or place a receptacle above it only when they meet the conditions printed on the card. Before changing location, collect the current scene cards in order and follow the scenario's movement rules.

Tests and dice: Combat, strength, persuasion, dexterity, and other tests use the relevant attribute on a receptacle card to determine how many action dice to roll. Hits remove shields from the test. Skulls can trigger a riposte when skull shields remain, while unresolved heart, time, or special shields cause the effects specified by the rules or scenario. Passing a test may grant an item, state token, or information; the card text determines the actual reward.

Life, items, and state: Each receptacle has its own life points. Reaching zero temporarily removes that receptacle from the adventure; it can re-enter according to the timeline rules. The run may fail if all receptacles are unable to act at once or if the mission triggers a failure condition. Items are carried by receptacles and can be handed to another agent only when the rulebook's location conditions are met; one item cannot be used by two receptacles during the same TU. State tokens record completed actions or discoveries and may provide access to new cards.

Failure and another run: If the team has not completed its objective when the allotted TU are exhausted, the current run ends and the agents return to base to start again. Reset temporary scene cards and states as directed. Certain items marked with the Agency logo persist between runs and can give the team an advantage. Players may use information already learned to avoid repeating investigations, while still obeying the mission deck's instructions.

Completion, saving, and mission scope: The whole team succeeds when it meets the conditions on the current mission cards; any failure condition is also determined by that scenario. If play pauses mid-run, the rulebook explains how to store the current location and plan cards so the same attempt can continue later. Keep every location deck in order and hidden as directed. Rules introduced by other mission decks do not automatically apply to Asylum or to one another.