Where can I get the Inventions and Overlords expansion?
The expansion was originally released as a part of the Mechanica Kickstarter campaign. We hope to make it available in stores in late 2020!
Do I have to play with both Inventions and Overlords?
Nope! You can play with either Inventions or Overlords, or both! (or neither)
Can I read the instructions?
You can download and read the expansions instructions
here.
Can I use the expansions in Single Player mode?
Yes! For Inventions, choose any of the inventions, and put money in Armand-0’s Vault according to the chart in the
instructions. For Overlords, put 20 money in Armand-0’s vault at the start of the game and deal yourself 2 overlord cards.
How do I get an invention?
At the start of the game, you will set out a number of inventions that players can buy. Every player has the chance to buy a single invention. The starting cost of each invention is 4 money, and every time a player buys an invention (or you go around the table and nobody buys one for the current cost), the cost goes down by 1. The last player to obtain an invention gets it for free. Essentially, players pay more for having first choice of the inventions.
Can I Install Inventions Sideways Or Backwards?
Yes! Installing an invention is just like installing an improvement. As always, be careful: if bots leave an invention onto a conveyor belt pointing the opposite direction, those bots are destroyed. You usually will need Forks if you want to install an invention backwards or sideways.
What happens if I don’t want an invention?
If you are playing with Inventions, each player must take one. However, a player can always choose to demolish an invention during their turn.
What happens if bots go through an invention more than once on the same turn?
If a bot goes through the Monogrammer, Accelerator, or Teleporter for a second time in the same turn, that bot is destroyed.
How does the Accelerator work?
After passing through the Accelerator, the next improvement a would stop in activates immediately and the bot(s) continue to move.
However, if a bot that is created by an improvement from a bot that went through the Accelerator, it will be destroyed if it goes into the Accelerator this turn. For example: a basic bot passes through the Accelerator and enters a Duplicator. It is duplicated immediately and the bots keep moving. If one of the duplicated basic bots is looped back into the Accelerator, it will be destroyed.
How does the Laser Charger work?
Bots stay in the Laser Charger until it has 5 bots in it. When the 5th bot is placed into the Laser Charger, you immediately get 10 money to put into your vault. On the next workday, all 5 bots must leave the Laser Charger and continue going through your factory. For example: A basic bot enters the Laser Charger as the 5th bot, this workday. You get 10 money. On the next workday, all the bots leave the Laser Charger to continue on their journey to enter human homes, or perhaps they get looped around to refill the Laser Charger again…
How do overlords work?
Overlords are your bosses at Mechanica that you are trying to impress in order to obtain their specific bonus. At the start of the game, deal 2 overlords to each player face down. Look at your overlords and think about which one you want to impress during the game. At the end of the game, you choose 1 of your overlords to reveal in order to get its bonus. The other overlord is discarded. A few overlords say “Any time” which means they can be played during the game instead of at the very end, but they will cause you to discard your other overlord.
Mocha
At the end of the game, you get bonus money based on the amount of money in your Vault. For example: If you have 70 money in your Vault, you get a bonus 10 money.
ln(or)
At the end of the game, you get bonus money based on the amount of money in your Wallet. For example: If you have 60 money in your Wallet, you get 10 money.
Sunshine
At the end of the game, you get bonus money based on the bots left in your trucks, and then you get to sell those bots for their normal values! For example: if you have 3 basic bots and 2 deluxe bots in your trucks, you get 5 money from Sunshine and an additional 18 money from selling them.
Bill-E
At the end of the game, you sell all the bots left on your Factory Floor for their normal values. Any bots left in your Upgraders, Downgraders, Duplicators, Repurposers, or Static Chargers (as well as the Laser Charger invention) can be sold. Bots left in your Fabricators cannot be sold. You cannot complete blueprints with these bots.
AL-X
At the end of the game, you get bonus money based the number of improvements in your factory with different names, including your invention. AL-X does not count Forks, Big or Huge Trucks, or the Basic Fabricator towards your total. For example: if you have a Downgrader, 2 Upgraders, and an Advanced Fabricator, you get 5 money.
Jord-N
At the end of of the game, score your improvements as triple their value. For example: A Gift Wrapper would give 6 points instead of 2.
AN-N/A
At the end of the game, you get bonus money based on how few Forks you bought during the game (Forks you’ve demolished still count as having been bought). For example: If you bought 2 Forks, you get 20 money.
Butternut
At the end of the game, you get bonus money based on how few holes you have in your trucks. However, if you demolish a Truck, you cannot use Butternut as your Overlord. Upgrading a Truck doesn’t count as demolishing. For example: If you have 2 Big Trucks and a Small Truck (5 capacity), you get 20 money.
Cook-E
At the end of the game, you get bonus money for any non-Fork improvements pointing backwards or sideways (including inventions). An improvement counts as sideways or backwards if its name isn’t right-side-up.
Exception: The Flight Tester counts as sideways or backwards as long as the flat side of the improvement piece is not facing the right side of the Factory Board. For example: If you have 2 Gift Wrappers with their puzzle piece “outies” pointing down, you get 10 money.
K-8
At the end of the game, you get bonus money for the number of rows and columns that are completely filled with non-Fork improvements (or inventions) in your Factory Floor. (Factory Floor only counts the 3×4 grid, and doesn’t include your Fabricators or Trucks) For example: A completely filled Factory Floor with three Forks in the middle row would get 45 money (K-8 would count the top row, the bottom row, and whichever column doesn’t have a Fork).
Aver-E
At any time in the game, you can reveal Aver-E as your overlord to install an improvement from the recycler (one that a player has demolished, recycled, or let fall off the shop) into your factory. Then immediately discard your overlord cards. In Single Player mode, Aver-E can install an improvement that ARMAND-0 has purchased.
Mishell Script
At any time in the game, you can reveal Mishell Script as your overlord to ignore bot color on one blueprint this turn. Then immediately discard your overlord cards. This allows you to complete a blueprint even if you do not have the correct colors of bots. For example: the Orbital Targeter blueprint requires 3 deluxe bots, but with Mishell Script, you can complete it using 3 basic bots from your trucks.
