Optional Alternative Rules

Whilst we believe the original rules for Asylum offer the most balanced game play, once you are familiar with them why not try adding in one or two of these optional alternative rules to mix play up a little, for fun.

**A free printable pdf version of these rules can be downloaded [ here ] **

N.B. These alternate rules have not been thoroughly playtested, any feedback from play experiences are welcome.

Optional Door Rules

Door Code Security

Doors unlocked by Code only remain unlocked and open until the start of the unlocking players next Turn, as per Security Doors.

This makes the game slightly more difficult in that it is harder for players to use a door opened by Code by another player. It works well with ‘Door Bypass Codes' listed below.

Door Code Bypass

Door pass Codes used to unlock a door simultaneously unlock all doors of the same colour currently in play across the board for the same period of time.

This variation means players will have to be a little more wary of whether they will giving an advantage to another player when using a door Code.

Random Door Codes

Put 1 token for each of the door codes into a pot.

After players have chosen their characters but before they are placed on the board each player blindly draws 1 token from the door code pot. The colour of the token they draw indicates the colour of the door Code that their character knows. This is instead of the Code as printed on Character Card.

Character start positions are then decided by the colour they drew.

The start tile for each Character is then any tile that has on it a door matching the Code colour that the character knows, instead of the start tile as printed on the Character Card.

This can add variability, especially to the start of the game, since no player knows what Code they will have or where they will start.

Locked Unmatched Doors

Only aligned, adjacent doors of the same colour create an ‘Open' door. Other adjacent door pairs where the doors are of different colours remain locked, but may be opened by a Code for either colour door; or a Key or appropriate for either door.

This will make the game more difficult as there will be a lot less open doors created by door alignment. Door Codes will become more important since they will be required to open doors more often.

No Door Codes

Doors can only be opened by Keys and characters do not know any door pass Codes.

This makes the game a lot more challenging, especially at the start of the game.

Reinforced Front Door

The Front Door is ‘Reinforced', such that it cannot be broken down or opened with any Equipment card, only opened with an appropriate Key or Code or aligned door on an adjacent tile.

This prevents players saving Equipment items like the Fire-Axe or Shotgun for use on the Front Door.

Secure Front Door

The Front Door is considered as a Security Door, so that even if it is aligned with a door on an adjacent tile it does not create an open door.

This can make the game a lot more tactical, especially if played with ‘Reinforced Front Door' as well, since it means a player will always require an appropriate Key or suitable coloured door aligned with the Front Door to escape the Asylum. Reality Shifts become even more important to manoeuvre a tile or door into place.

Optional Sanity Bid Rules

No Random Bid

There is no Random Bid made during any Sanity Bid of the Reality Shift Phase.

Reality Shifts will be completely dependent on what the players bid and there will less random Reality Shifts. This can make for an especially interesting option in games with a low (2-3) number of players.

Lowest Bid First

During any Reality Shift, the order in which Reality Shift Actions are made is reversed in that the lowest bid makes the first Reality Shift action, followed sequentially up through increasing bid values to the highest bid.

This option can make it more favourable for players to bid low Insane values in order to try and control board changes. It can make an interesting variation when used with the ‘Controlling High Bid' option.

Controlling High Bid

In this variation of the Reality Shift, the player that bids the highest unique value Sanity Bid gets to make a controlled Reality Shift, even if that bid was also the highest bid overall.

This variation will encourage players to bid higher Insane in the Sanity Bid in order to take control of the board. It will therefore slightly favour those characters with higher Sanity.

Optional Board Rules

Easier/Tougher Searches

Try modifying the Search Spot Difficulty values up or down by 1 or 2 to make Searches more difficult or easier.

Allowing players to find items more easily, or making it more difficult, can substantially alter the overall difficulty of the game. We would therefore not recommend altering the Search Spot Difficulty Values by more than 1 or 2.

Alternate Tile Layout

Once you have mastered the original starting tile layout, why not try placing the board tiles in a different starting pattern. You can even leave some tiles out if you want a smaller board and potentially faster game. Don't forget to adjust the values on the ‘Random Reality Shift Actions' table though, or at least agree to re-roll where a result is inappropriate.

Check the Woteva Games web site of the Asylum page on Boardgamegeek for alternate lay-outs.

Optional Challenge Rules

Challenges & Combat

When a Challenge is made the player initiating the Challenge may declare their intention to attack and injure the target. This intent must be stated before tokens are used or the Challenge rolls are made. In this case the target can only use extra Insane tokens to modify their Challenge score instead of Sane tokens.
If a player wishes to use this option using a Guile Challenge then the may only do so if the target did not have line of sight to them at the start of the Turn in which the Challenge is initiated.
In this case the only effect of the Challenge is that the loser takes 1 point of damage equal to the difference between the two final Challenge scores. None of the other Challenge results apply.
A player must deduct 1 from their Fortitude, Presence, Wits, Guile, Sanity, Movement or Item Limit for every point of damage they receive. They may split the damage amongst any of these as they wish. Deductions due to damage are cumulative and permanent, remaining until the end of the game – it is a good idea to note them on a piece of paper or place extra tokens on your character sheet as a reminder.
If any of the criteria outlined above reach a negative value then the character passes out or is dead and the player is out of the game.
Note that a character will lose a Sanity token for each point of damage taken to their Sanity – this is lost immediately; the controlling player may decide which Sanity token is lost (Active/Spent, Sane/Insane).

This option can radically alter the shift and emphasis of the game, turning it more into a cat and mouse skirmish than a tactical race. However, it can be fun, and is especially recommended for some of the suggested ‘Scenario Team Games'.

Scenario Team Games

This is not so much optional rules as an suggested alternative way of playing the game.

In these games players are not just out for themselves, but are working with other players in order try and achieve joint goals; which are often unassociated with trying to escape the Asylum.
When playing any of these ‘team' variant games, players on each ‘team' should not be seated such that they will not take Turns directly after each other, as far as possible. Eg. If playing ‘Stop the Inmates' with 2 Inmate characters and 4 Staff characters then the players should be seated and take Turns in the order: Staff, Staff, Inmate, Staff, Staff, Inmate.

Team games require the players to act co-operatively, especially in terms of the Sanity Bid.

Stop the Inmates – This game variant is suitable for 4 to 8 players.

A third to half of the players should choose to play Inmate characters, whilst the remaining players play Staff characters.
Start positions for the Inmates are either: the ‘Inmate's Ward'; the ‘Bath Stalls' or the ‘Treatment Suite'. This overrides the usual starting positions, although no 2 characters may start on the same location tile.
Start positions for the Staff are either: the ‘Kitchens'; the ‘Security Gate or the ‘Reception Area'. Again, this overrides the usual starting positions and again no 2 characters may start on the same location tile.
The goal of the Inmates is as normal, to escape the Asylum through the front door. At least half the Inmate characters must escape for them to claim a victory.
The goal of the Staff characters is to prevent the Inmates from escaping, either before a measured time interval, and/or by incapacitation, described as follows:
Measured Time Interval – the Inmates must escape within a set number of Rounds. 12 Rounds gives them a good chance.
Incapacitation – use the ‘Challenges & Combat' optional rules. In games where the Staff and Inmates are of an equal number you may like to allow the Staff players to us the ‘Challenge & Combat' rules to initiate Challenges to cause damage, whilst the Inmate characters cannot, as an added difficulty.
If the Staff prevent at least half of the Inmate characters from escaping then they may claim a victory.

Get the Visitors – This variant is suitable for 6 to 8 players.

A third to a half of the players should play Visitor characters, whilst the other players play Inmate characters.
Start positions for the Inmate characters are either: the ‘Inmates' Ward'; the ‘Isolation Cells' or the ‘Boiler Room'.
Start positions for the Visitor characters are either: the ‘Reception Area'; the ‘Visitation Room' or the ‘Doctors Offices'.
For both teams, characters must be spread evenly throughout the start tiles – ie. you may not place a second character on a location tile if there is not at least 1 character already on all start location tiles.
Use the ‘Challenges & Combat' optional rules for this game, where any character may initiate a Challenge to cause damage. In games where the Inmate characters do not outnumber the Visitor characters you may like to allow the Inmate players to us the ‘Challenge & Combat' rules to initiate Challenges to cause damage, whilst the Visitor characters cannot, as an added difficulty.
You should also use the optional ‘Secure Front Door' optional rule for this variant game. The ‘Reinforced Front Door' optional rule can also be tried as an added challenge.
The goal of the Visitor characters is to escape the Asylum as normal. At least half the Visitor characters must escape for them to claim a victory.
The goal of the Inmate characters is to prevent the Visitors from escaping, by incapacitating them. If the Inmates prevent at least half of the Visitor characters from escaping then they may claim a victory.

Capture the Beast – This variant game is most suitable for 3-4 players.

One player must play a Beast character whilst the other players each play a Staff character.
The start position for the Beast is the ‘Isolation Cells'.
The start position for all the Staff characters is the ‘Doctor's Offices'.
Use the ‘Challenges & Combat' optional rules for this game, where any character may initiate a Challenge to cause damage.
For this game, the player controlling the Beast character gets to control any random Reality Shift actions.
The goal of the Beast is to escape the Asylum, as per normal, or incapacitate all of the Staff characters.
The goal of the Staff characters is to prevent the Beast from escaping by incapacitating it or by trapping it in a cell in the ‘Holding Pens'.

Legal Notes

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WotevaGames does not provide permission to further distribut or sell any Asylum related materials.
Asylum©Woteva Games Co. 2006

 

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