How to Play

Cerebria: The Inside World

1-4 players 60-120 min 7.7 Board Game Geek Rating

In Cerebria, two teams control opposing Spirits representing Bliss or Gloom, battling for dominance over a mind's inner world. Players spend Willpower to move, deploy Emotion cards, and build Fortresses across different mental realms. Victory comes from scoring objectives to place permanent Fragments on the central Identity board, with the team controlling more Fragments winning.

Published 2018

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Add Willpower to Origin Spheres

Place 8 Willpower tokens in each Origin Sphere instead of the standard 7

Remove Aspiration cards

Before placing Common Aspirations, remove the Reflection Aspiration and two other random Aspirations from the deck, leaving only 6 Common Aspirations

Determine turn order

Randomly determine turn order as usual, except Balance always plays third and sixth in the turn order

Distribute scoring reference cards

Give each team a Balance Scoring Reference card

Place Balance Spirits

Balance places their Spirits after Bliss and Gloom have placed theirs, on any Frontier space even if already occupied

Skip initial Emotions

Balance does not place starting Emotions unlike Bliss and Gloom

Prepare Balance team board

Place the Balance Team Board near the central board with the Intentions Wheel

Set up Emotion decks

Each Balance player has a deck of 8 Neutrality (Mild) Emotions, 2 of each Tone

Draw starting hand

Each Balance player draws 2 Mild Emotions to start

Collect starting resources

Each Balance Spirit begins with 1 Gloom Essence, 1 Bliss Essence, and 4 Willpower

Place Tone tokens

Each Balance player starts with 4 wildcard Tone tokens, all 4 Actions unlocked with wildcard tokens

Prepare Hidden Aspirations

All three teams shuffle their 8 Hidden Aspiration decks and place face-down on Team Boards

Arrange Strong Emotions

Place the 6 Balance Strong Emotion cards and Strong Emotion Tone markers near the player areas

Set up Identity Fragments

Place Balance's 5 Minor Fragments, 5 Major Fragments, and 1 Final Fragment nearby

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Move Spirit

Balance Spirits can share spaces with any other Spirit without obstruction

Invoke Emotion

Balance can invoke Emotions using either Bliss or Gloom Essence

Determine Alignment

When invoking a Neutrality Emotion, its Alignment matches the Essence type used (Bliss or Gloom)

Quell Emotion

Bliss and Gloom can quell Balance Emotions regardless of Alignment

Fortify

Balance uses its own Identity Fragments to build Fortresses on empty spaces

Raze

Balance can raze Bliss and Gloom Fortresses by paying the opposite Essence type

Exalt

Balance can only exalt its own Fortresses

Empower Emotion

Any Neutrality Emotion can become any of the 6 Balance Strong Emotions

Use Realm Actions

Reason uses all Realm Actions for 1 less Willpower regardless of control

Network of Thoughts

Balance Spirits can move Balance Emotions at normal cost but cannot move Bliss or Gloom Emotions

Land of Desires

Balance Spirits can intensify Balance Emotions using matching Essence type

Willow of Values

When Balance Spirits gain Essence, the player chooses Bliss, Gloom, or a combination

Absorb ability

Balance does not gain bonus Willpower from controlling adjacent Frontiers

Winning

How to claim victory.

Trigger Revelation

When an Origin Sphere empties of Willpower, a Revelation occurs

Reveal Hidden Aspirations

All three teams reveal their current Hidden Aspiration (top card of their deck)

Check Balance Aspiration conditions

Balance only checks its Hidden Aspiration with two conditions

Score Balance Fragments

If Balance meets one condition but not both, add a Minor Fragment

Score Bliss and Gloom Fragments

Each team checks their Hidden Aspiration and the Common Aspiration

Determine new Common Aspiration

The current Common Aspiration is flipped face-down permanently

Select new Hidden Aspirations

Each team returns their Hidden Aspiration to the box

Add Fortress to Identity

If the Fortress space adjacent to the emptied Sphere had a Fragment built before the current turn, add it to the Identity

Refill Sphere

Place 8 Willpower from the reserve into the emptied Sphere

End game triggers

The game ends when any team reaches 20+ points on their Intentions Wheel, any team must add a Fragment and has none of that type remaining, or after scoring the sixth Common Aspiration

Handle simultaneous Final Fragments

If multiple teams would add their Final Fragment simultaneously, the team that triggered the Revelation (or closest in turn order) places theirs

Calculate final scores

All three teams total points from Identity Fragments and Intentions Wheel