On the Subject of Clockworks

The rules are the same as regular Clocks, except for the following changes. For a refresher of those rules, check out this video.

Win a game of 6-player Clockworks, with knowledge of how your opponents are going to play. Use the cards at the bottom of the module to play them.

Clockworks, how to play:

  • Each player is represented by a unique color.
  • Each player possesses a 0 card, a 1 card, and a special card which has a different effect for each color.
  • Each turn, every player plays a card at the same time.
  • The arrow in the center of the module will turn clockwise one position for each 1 card played (and special card effects will apply, if applicable).
  • At the end of the turn, the player the arrow is pointing at loses, and is removed from the game. Afterwards, the arrow turns clockwise to point to the next living player.
  • Special cards are removed from the game after they are played.
  • The last player standing wins.

Determining your opponents’ personalities:

Interpret the first two characters of the serial number as individual base-36 characters. Add these characters together, modulo the sum by 6, then add 1. Call this final number n. Assign the player in the bottom-left seat the personality associated with the nth character of the serial number. The next opponent clockwise gets the next character of the serial number (looping through the serial number if necessary) and so on, until the bottom-right player is assigned a personality. The remaining character is unused.

The next two tables will explain how each opponent will play.

Legend

  • C : The serial number character representing the specific opponent, converted from base-36 to base-10
  • L : The number of players that have not been removed from the game
  • % : Modulo operator (The result of a % b is the whole number remainder after dividing a by b)

Personalities

Characters Personality
1,F,N Toxic Always plays 1s, unless there are (C % 5 + 2) players left, in which case they play their special card.
0,H,Z Half-dead Always plays 0s, unless there are (C % 5 + 2) players left, in which case they play their special card.
9,A,X Calculating Is threatened if the arrow would be pointing at them after turning clockwise (L / 2, rounded down) times.
3,B,T Empathetic Is threatened if they are sitting next to the player the arrow is pointing at.
Q,I,W Apprehensive Is threatened if the arrow would be pointing at them after turning clockwise (C % 6 + 1) times.
7,C,P Time traveller Is threatened if the arrow would be pointing at them after turning counter-clockwise (C % 6 + 1) times.
6,G,M Traumatised Is threatened when the arrow is pointing at them.
R,S,U Copycat Mimics the player on their right’s personality, or act as Traumatised if it’s either you or a Seer.
2,L,V Seer Mimics the player on their left’s personality, or act as Paranoiac if it’s either you or a Copycat.
4,8,E Strange Is threatened when the number of removed players is even.
5,D,K Occultist Is threatened when the number of removed players is odd.
J Paranoiac Is always threatened.

Threat management

If C is between… ...Then
0–4 or A–M Active If a player is threatened, they will play a 1, unless there are (C % 5) removed players, in which case they will play their special card. Otherwise, they will always play a 0.
5–9 or N–Z Passive If a player is threatened, they will play a 0, unless there are (C % 5) removed players, in which case they will play their special card. Otherwise, they will always play a 1.

Special Cards

Color Icon Power
Red +2 Adds 2 to the number of spins.
Orange Boot If there are 3 or fewer removed players, doubles the number of spins this round.
Yellow Arrows The arrow will point out the player opposite of the initially pointed player. If that player is removed, keep going clockwise until you found a standing player.
Green Arrow going over person If there are 3 or fewer removed players, the arrow ignores the player for this round.
Cyan Shield If the player is pointed at by the arrow this round, they are not removed from the game.
Blue -1 Subtracts 1 from the number of spins. If the number of spins is negative, the arrow will spin in the other direction.

Errata

  • Removed players are always ignored by the arrow, but not by the other players.
  • Being removed from the game will incur a strike. However you will not be eliminated, and the arrow will still point at you.
  • If an opponent tries to play a special card when they do not have one, re-evaluate their personality/threat management while ignoring the special card condition.
  • The orange special effect cancels the yellow one (the arrow goes back to point the player pointed at the start of the round).