Christmas Game

Congratulations on purchasing Ultra-Vortex Cheeseboard Frenzy! This game, banned in 32 countries and heralded as “unplayable” by 8 out of 10 philosophers, combines strategy, physics, absurdity, and a deep understanding of 14th-century French dairy law.

Prepare yourself for a multi-dimensional showdown of wit, patience, and vaguely cheese-related mishaps. Warning: Side effects may include confusion, existential dread, and mild brie cravings.

Components

      1.   The Board: A holographic hexagonal grid that shifts unpredictably with each turn. It includes:

        •  Cheese Nebula Zone (centre): Where hopes go to die.

        •  Portal Nodes: Scattered randomly (re-roll their locations every 3 rounds).

        •  Void of Emmental Despair: Any token landing here is banished forever.

      2.   Tokens:

        •  4 Cheese Wedges per player (each wedge is equipped with a mood ring to reflect its “quantum temperament”).

        •  2 Anti-Cheese Sporks (sporks, because spoons are passé).

        •  1 Schrödinger’s Hamster (optional expansion pack required).

        •  5 Temporal Mice per player, each named after a European philosopher.

      3.   Dice:

        •  A standard d6.

        •  A d12 inscribed with ancient runes (translate using Appendix Zeta).

        •  A d100 the size of a grapefruit. If it rolls under the sofa, all players must immediately freeze in place until the hamster token retrieves it.

      4.   Cards:

        •  72 Quantum Rift Cards.

        •  40 Cheese Subtype Modifier Cards (e.g., “Camembert of Destruction,” “Cheddar of Betrayal”).

        •  1 Black Hole Cheese Card (DO NOT TOUCH).

      5.   Miscellaneous:

        •  One Wheel of Feta spinner (use only during an odd-numbered round).

        •  A small bell (used to summon the Interdimensional Cheese Council).

        •  The Emergency Gouda Token (break glass only when truly desperate).

Setup

      1.   Board Placement:

        •  Unfold the board carefully. If it folds itself back up, do not panic—this is normal. Unfold it again.

        •  Randomly place Portal Nodes by rolling the d12 and consulting the Astral Cheeseboard Alignment Chart. If the chart catches fire, consult a priest.

      2.   Determine Player Roles:

        •  Assign one player the role of High Cheese Regent. This is decided by a “Cheese Duel,” which involves balancing a cheese wedge on your head while reciting the full text of Beowulf.

        •  The player with the least knowledge of dairy becomes the Keeper of the Sporks.

      3.   Token Distribution:

        •  Each player receives 4 Cheese Wedges, 5 Temporal Mice, and 1 Anti-Cheese Spork. The High Cheese Regent starts with the Emergency Gouda Token but must wear an oven mitt on their dominant hand for the first three turns.

        •  Place Schrödinger’s Hamster in the Cheese Nebula Zone. It exists and does not exist simultaneously until activated.

      4.   Initial Card Draw: Each player draws 2 Quantum Rift Cards, 1 Cheese Subtype Modifier Card, and a fortune-telling card from any tarot deck you have lying around.

Gameplay

Each game is divided into 12½ Temporal Cycles, with each cycle consisting of 5 Phases. Proceed in clockwise order unless the board is in a quantum flux state, in which case reverse direction while humming Greensleeves.

Phase 1: Invocation of the Cheese Spirits

      1.   All players chant, “BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE, THAT IS THE QUESTION!”

      2.   Roll the d12 to determine which player is blessed by the Spirits of Dairy this turn. Blessed players may immediately move one Temporal Mouse into a Portal Node of their choosing.

Phase 2: Quantum Cheese Allocation

      1.   Each player rolls the d100.

        •  If the result is a multiple of 7, draw a Cheese Subtype Modifier Card.

        •  If the result is prime, gain 3 “Dairy Points.”

        •  If the result is 42, all players must bow to the High Cheese Regent.

      2.   Players may spend “Dairy Points” to move their Cheese Wedges or purchase an Anti-Cheese Spork upgrade.

Phase 3: Portal Manipulation

      1.   Spin the Wheel of Feta. The result determines which Portal Nodes are “active.”

      2.   If Schrödinger’s Hamster is in play, roll the d6 to decide whether it eats a cheese wedge, causes a time paradox, or simply stares at everyone judgmentally.

Phase 4: Cheese Combat

      1.   Players may challenge others to a duel using their Temporal Mice.

        •  Each player rolls the d12 and adds their Cheese Resonance Score (tracked using the Mood Rings of Quantum Balance).

        •  The loser must surrender one Cheese Wedge or perform an interpretive dance of defeat.

Phase 5: Reckoning

      1.   Draw a Quantum Rift Card and follow its instructions. These may include:

        •  Swapping Cheese Wedges with another player.

        •  Opening a vortex to the Void of Emmental Despair.

        •  Summoning the Interdimensional Cheese Council, which requires all players to argue passionately about the best type of cheese for at least 3 minutes.

      2.   Resolve any remaining effects from previous turns, such as mousenados, black holes, or unresolved grudges.

Winning the Game

The game ends when any of the following occurs:

      1.   A player accumulates exactly 100 Dairy Points.

      2.   The Black Hole Cheese Card is drawn, causing reality to implode.

      3.   All players unanimously agree to abandon the game out of sheer bewilderment.

The winner is crowned Supreme Cheese Emperor of Space-Time and is entitled to free cheese-themed puns for life.

Good luck, brave soul. You’re going to need it.