Impact Factor

Impact Factor is a strategic tile laying game in the world of science. Nine research laboratories are competing in the fields of physics, biology and chemistry for much needed funds. But having the most promising research projects might not be enough as faulty data, laboratory accidents and major scandals are overshadowing the success.

The players are Science investors looking for the most lucrative investment and once they have built up and nurtured a research facilities they will try to support it by favorable reviews, media campaigns and dirty tricks.

At the start of the game each player has a hand of three tiles and three investment markers.
During his turn a player can essentially take two of the following actions:
- place one tile from his hand on one of the nine spaces of the game board that has no investment marker on it;
- draw one tile from an open display;
- draw one tile from the deck;
- discard any number of tiles and draw the same number of new tiles from the deck;
- place one investment marker on one of the nine spaces of the game board that has no investment marker on it;
- use the special action of a tile in play that has one of that player's investment markers on it;
- remove one of his investment markers from play and take it back into his hand;
- discard a tile from his hand to use that tile's special action.

The game ends when either one player has all his investment markers in play, all nine spaces of the game board are occupied by investment markers or when the last tile is drawn from the deck.

The goal of this game is to collect the most science points, which are granted by the value of the top card on each of the nine spaces on the board, modified by the number of tiles on that space, the number of different colors (fields of research) and all the modifiers provided by the adjacent tiles.

Impact Factor plays with 2-4 players in approximately 30 minutes and offers many meaningful decisions.