Background

Physics has broken and the world is ending. Now, the fate of humanity rests in the hands of the Engineering Gods. Unfortunately, the Gods may only be summoned from a faraway mountain known as Mount Gravitus! Finding a way to the top of this mountain is the only opportunity to save the planet. The road is not easy, and players will need to prove themselves to the Engineering Gods by answering a series of Engineering-related questions. This means that it is not enough to simply reach the top of Mount Gravitus - the Engineering Gods will only answer to those who have proved their knowledge. Only two brave engineers will have the strength and expertise to make this trip, save the world, and potentially become Gods themselves. How to play?

Number of Players

First, while anyone ages 12+ can participate in the game, the game is really geared towards engineering students (preferably those in John Sangster's class, as an element of the game is John Sangster Trivia). The game's objective is for two players in a team to arrive at the top of Mount Gravitus with a minimum of 10 points per person. Players may accumulate points and move through the board by correctly answering a series of questions. Questions must be displayed and answered on a PC controlled by the Game-Keeper. This game is intended for 4-10 players. However, for fewer than 4 players (2-3 players), the entire game must be played individually. If played individually, players must only meet the individual point requirements and will not be allowed to work together. However, all other elements of the game remain the same.

Game-Keeper

The Game-Keeper is a player who has the physical copy of the board, the meeples, access to the code and the Arduino, and someone who is still participating in the game. The Game-Keeper is in charge of coordinating the game itself by sharing their screen and keeping track of player pieces. The purpose of the Game-Keeper is to reduce the required set-up - only the Game-Keeper needs to print out the board and pieces, and put together all necessary components. While all players will need the Arduino set up and available, the Game-Keeper may be tasked with inputting players’ question answers, as only the Game-Keeper is required to have the code and questions available. Additionally, the use of a Game-Keeper prevents potential cheating by limiting the number of people exposed to answer-question combinations. It should be noted that the Game-Keeper is not a required position, and players may choose if the position is necessary prior to the start of the game. If no Game-Keeper is chosen, every player will need all components available to them for the duration of gameplay.

Rules

Players may choose from the question categories of Math, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History of Engineering, Trivia of John Sangster, and Design Process, and may make their path to Mount Gravitus any way they choose. The number of points gained (or lost) is specified with each question, and the number of places the player may move is determined by a random number generator displayed on the LCD screen. But, be careful! Certain “Sisyphysics Questions” may cost a player their progress if answered incorrectly! It should be noted that player points can go into negative values, so carefully consider which questions to answer. A player is allotted a total of 3 passes per game, in which a player neither gains nor loses points on a question - so use these wisely!

Players work together in teams of two, and a minimum of two groups is required to play the game. In order to win, each individual on a team will need to have the minimum required 10 points, for a team total of at least 20 points, and both will need to reach the top of Mount Gravitus individually. Each participant will have their own meeple and work by themselves on most questions. However, after each of the two teammates accumulates 5 points, they may work with their partner to answer questions for the duration of gameplay. Additionally, player order is determined by team, not by individual. This means that when it is a team's turn to move and answer a question (as indicated by the colored RGB LED), a team may choose which player will move and answer a question. A single player in a team may take as many consecutive turns as they choose, but both teammates must still meet the required 15 individual points.

There is no specific way to the top of Mount Gravitus, so players will need to choose which path will be easiest for them. Follow the arrows indicating movement on the paths. Teams do not need to answer questions in the same category - each teammate should choose categories based on their personal abilities. Once a player completes the full track in one of the categories, they cannot continue answering questions in that category. Instead, they must move to the adjacent category and answer those questions instead. If one of the teammates has gained the required points and is at the top of Mount Gravitus, their objective will be to help the other teammate earn points by answering questions together. However, this will only be possible if the player behind has already gained a minimum of 5 points.

Also, players cannot use outside sources to answer questions; they need to prove their engineering knowledge, not their ability to research information. Remember, the world needs your help as soon as possible! For this reason, players will have a maximum amount of 25 seconds to answer each question.

So, if you are reading this, hurry up and save the planet. You will be remembered as the Engineering Gods that save us all!