System WON is a cooperative game that you win as a team. Players work together to build an effective traffic system. Winning is achieved when players get a perfect score of 20 by implementing each piece in the Expanse System. An effective traffic system utilizes Wavetronix radar sensors for data collection; Arc cabinet devices for communication and data processing; and Expanse software to interface with the system and run applications. All four suits have the same foundation of cards: Number 1 cards for sensors; number 2 cards for Arc; and number 3 cards for the Expanse software user interface. Cards 4 and 5 outline specific features and benefits of Expanse that are unique to each suit.
The player with the most experience in the traffic industry goes first, then play continues to the left. On his or her turn, a player must complete one, and only one, of the following three actions (and they are not allowed to skip their turn):
First, flip over one of the 8 SPECIFICATION cards. Then, give another player information about the relevant cards in their hand by saying out loud and pointing to ALL of a single color OR number.
Note: This action cannot be performed if all specification cards have been flipped over.
*A player must give complete information. If a player has two red cards, the informer cannot only point to one of them, they must point to BOTH red cards.
This action flips a SPECIFICATION card right side up (restoring your ability to specify another piece of information).
The player announces clearly that they are DISCARDING, then places a card from his or her hand into the discard pile face up. Then they take a new card from the deck without looking at it.
The player takes a card from their hand and plays it in front of them on the table.
Two options are then possible:
1. The card either begins, adds to or completes a system and it is then added to SYSTEM cards in the appropriate system suit. (You don’t need to know the color before playing)
OR
2. The card doesn’t begin, add to, or complete any SYSTEM. The card is then placed in the SYSTEM ERROR pile and subtract 1 point for each card in this pile.
After playing a card, the player then takes a new card from the deck without looking at it.
There can only be one system of each color. The cards must be placed in rising order (1, 2, 3, 4 and finally 5). There can only be one card of each component (number value) in a single system.
When a player completes a system (i.e., they successfully play the card with the value of 5) they may flip one specification card back to its face-up side for free, thus restoring the ability to specify another piece of information.
Each player is dealt a role card with an ability that may be used ONE TIME ONLY to greatly increase your chances of achieving System Won. Playing a role card should help the entire team. Some abilities enhance players’ actions; other abilities can prolong the game as a whole. Role cards will designate whether an ability can be played as an action or be played at any time. Based on the randomization of the cards, these abilities may be more useful during one game’s situation vs another.
As your turn, SPECIFY two pieces of information for no cost, OR
At any time, flip over one SPECIFICATION card right side up
As your action, PLAY two cards from your hand, OR
As your action, randomly choose two cards from the discard pile to shuffle back into the deck
At any time, allow someone to take an extra turn, OR
At any time, skip any number of consecutive players (thus prolonging the game without penalty)
As your action, PLAY any card from the discard pile, OR
As your action, PLAY any card from the error pile
At any time, play another player’s card, OR
At any time, undo an action
Players add up the largest value card for each of the system suits in play
5 or Fewer pointsTraffic is so bad even your mom calls to complain. No one has made it to their destination since the Nixon Administration. I hate to throw phrases around like “dangerous” or “a constant source of evil in the world” but here we are. You should really apologize or something.
6-10 pointsThe complaint callers aren’t mad, just disappointed, even though most drivers get to their destination eventually. Your system isn’t really a system, is it? It’s a hodgepodge of whatever you could put together. You can do better.
11-15 pointsYour system is good enough for most drivers not to notice it. They just go about their days unbothered by traffic. You know who does notice? The local council who just approved more funding. Good for you.
16-19 pointsPeople are calling to compliment your traffic system. You have been invited to present a paper at ITS international on an almost perfect traffic system. Your peers respect you; your friends want to buy you drinks; your partner is way more attracted to you. You have funding for fun and interesting projects because everyone trusts you and your magically good traffic systems.
20 pointsYou’ve designed the perfect system. Time magazine wants to talk to you about becoming “Person of the Millennium.” NASA is calling about potentially designing intergalactic traffic systems. Politicians provide you with all the funding you want. Drivers donate funds from their own pockets out of gratitude. Almost every problem in the world dissolves around the goodness of your perfect system. Humanity unites. All because of your perfect system.
A player who is SPECIFIED a piece of information can rearrange his or her hand in order to put the related cards in an order which is easiest for them to remember - on the left, on the right or even turned upside down! They cannot look at the cards in their hand, but they can look at the cards in the discard pile at any time.
Keep in mind there is only 1 five card for each suit. Sometimes it may be worthwhile to specify that information early so it doesn’t get discarded.
Counting cards is encouraged! By looking at the hands of the other players, the already played cards and the cards in the discard pile, you can often make accurate assumptions about the cards in your hand.
Use your role-based abilities! Often times, players wait until the last round to use their abilities, but this can sometimes be less effective than if they would have used them earlier in the game.
System Won is intended to have variable difficulty. The rules make it easy for beginners, but for a more challenging game, remove one or all abilities from role cards and/or limit communication.
Communication (and non-communication) between players is essential to this game. If you follow the rules strictly, then you can ONLY communicate with your teammates when you give or receive SPECIFICATIONS. However, you can set your own communication rules to best meet the needs and experience level of the players in order to make the game more fun!