Tabletop Simulator

Tabletop Simulator

49 ratings
Mad Science
   
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Type: Game
Complexity: Medium Complexity
Number of Players: 2, 3, 4, 5
Play Time: 60 minutes, 90 minutes
Assets: Rules
File Size
Posted
Updated
164.585 KB
Feb 5, 2015 @ 11:34am
Feb 16, 2021 @ 2:51am
54 Change Notes ( view )

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Mad Science

Description
An original silly card game about ruling the world through Mad Science (and some mad engineering). 2-5 players, about 60 minutes play time.

Rulebook at: fubargames DOT se/madsciencerules.pdf (Rules also readable in Tabletop Simulator.)

Mad Science comes with 92 game cards, 6 role cards, 1 board and loads of possibilities for ways to rule the world!

The expansion "Maniacal Laughter" adds 40 more game cards and 2 new role cards for even more insanity. While the expansion adds new rules, those rules are all written on the cards, so no need to read another rulebook. Since the cards from the expansion do have a bit higher average word count, it's recommended that for your first game you play through the deck with the base game at least once. If you need to reshuffle the discard pile, or during your second game, that's a good time to also shuffle in the expansion.

Game design by Pelle Nyrén (aka FurbyFubar)
42 Comments
FurbyFubar  [author] Sep 10, 2021 @ 9:20am 
(2/2)

1) I like simultaneous action selection as opposed to having to wait for each other player in sequence to decide if they should spend a card. Though, now that I write this, planning everything in one go is likely more inducing of analysis paralysis and thus time-consuming than having players doing it in turn order. So maybe the *time* argument is bad. Regardless, I like simultaneous action selection because of...

2) ...the mind games of trying to predict what or how far the other players are moving phase markers so that I can plan what I should move. This adds strategy to an otherwise quite chaotic game.

But as long as you're having fun with the game I'm happy and you should house rule any way works best for you. Thanks for the comment! It made me at least stop and consider if the Stop cards are still carrying their weight.
FurbyFubar  [author] Sep 10, 2021 @ 8:59am 
@KaoruHare The Stop cards are only needed if you are worried about your opponents changing how many cards they'd spend to move phases when they see how many cards the other players are spending. Currently doing so would be cheating.

Of course, if you house rule to change it there are ways to remove the Stop cards while still having the rules be robust (though different). Either by spending one card at a time (or pass) until everyone around the table have passed (or maybe everyone have passed in a row). Or by giving the last player (as decided by the first player marker) anadvantage by having each player in order spend all the cards they want *after* seeing what the players before them have moved.

While I'm always a fan of getting rid of components, since it makes games cheaper to print, ie easier to get published, the Stop cards are likely to stay for now, for two reasons.

(1/2)
KaoruHare Sep 8, 2021 @ 8:46pm 
I absolutely love this game! My boyfriend and I play it pretty often because it's one of his favorites. I think the only thing we don't really touch is the stop cards. We pretty much just wild out with the phase order movement. Otherwise, this game is great and I love introducing new people to it.
themajestikmoose Apr 22, 2021 @ 9:28pm 
Just fonud this game recently. Great balance and replayability. Very fun.
FurbyFubar  [author] Jan 26, 2021 @ 1:47pm 
More minor fixes since the last update had accidentally reverted some cards to an older version. Thanks for the award-logos to those who have given them, much appreciated! Also thanks to everyone who's added Mad Science to your collections and/or favorites!
FurbyFubar  [author] Nov 15, 2020 @ 11:14am 
Fixed bug where some cards got a black black while seen in a player's hand.
FurbyFubar  [author] Oct 30, 2020 @ 12:36pm 
Small update tweaking the two scheme cards that attack an opponent's research cards, making them less likely to completely destroy a player's labs.
FurbyFubar  [author] Apr 11, 2020 @ 12:44pm 
Updated the game with Hench-Droids. Additional setup rule: Each player starts with a Hench-Droids card in play!
FurbyFubar  [author] Aug 12, 2017 @ 2:37pm 
Jimbo and Blad Skydancer: Oh, so sorry! Ran out of space at Dropbox and the rules were purged in an attempt to being able to keep using it for another game project. Didn't think that they were linked from here as well. The rules can now be found at fubargames DOT se SLASH madsciencerules.pdf

I also took the time to add in some comments in yellow about what's different when playing on Tabletop Simulator as opposed to playing the game with my real life prototype.
Blade Skydancer Aug 4, 2017 @ 8:25pm 
The rules need to be reuploaded.