How to Play

Gizmos

2-4 players 40-50 min 7.4 Board Game Geek Rating

Scientists compete at a Great Science Fair by constructing mechanical engines using energy marbles. Players take four actions: Archive cards for later, collect colored marbles, build machines by paying marble costs, or research new cards. Machines provide victory points and trigger powerful chain reactions when built, enabling cascading bonus actions. Highest scoring engineer wins.

Published 2018

Get Ready

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

Distribute player components

Give each player a random Dashboard, Energy Storage Ring, and Starting Gizmo Card which is placed below the File symbol

Determine first player

Player with 1st player Dashboard goes first

Prepare level decks

Sort and shuffle Level Decks by level shown on back

Remove Level 3 cards

Randomly remove 20 cards from Level 3 Deck and return to box

Arrange display area

Place Level Decks on table forming 3 rows, then draw 4 Level 1 cards, 3 Level 2 cards, and 2 Level 3 cards face-up in rows matching their corresponding deck to form a triangle Display Area

Fill energy dispenser

Place all 52 Energy Spheres in the Energy Dispenser where 6 will slide out to form the Energy Row

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Choose one action

Perform exactly 1 of the following 4 actions on your turn

File action

Place 1 face-up Gizmo card from the Display Area into your Archive next to your Dashboard, then refill the empty slot from the same Level Deck

Pick action

Add 1 Energy from the 6 available in the Energy Row to your Energy Storage Ring

Build action

Select a Gizmo from the Display Area or your Archive, pay Energy from your Storage Ring matching the Energy Type and cost on the card, then place the Gizmo below your Dashboard in the area matching its Gizmo Type

Research action

Draw a number of cards from one Level Deck equal to your Research number, then choose 1 card to either Build or File, or do neither

Trigger gizmo effects

Check under your action for Gizmos that are triggered and activate their Effects

Resolve chain reactions

There is no limit to the number of Gizmos that can be activated by an Action, and the order Effects are executed is up to the player