Sanity Test for The Plexus

First, let me preface this Sanity Test by saying I am a retired Family Physician with 25 years of intimate knowledge of the brachial plexus. :) The theme immediately made me smile.

The structure generally flows well, though the Object should be before the Setup.

Player count is mentioned, but play time and age range are not.

Consider an intro paragraph explaining what the brachial plexus is, and the marvelous and intricate way it connects our brains to our arms, hands, and fingers. (To those not in the medical field, the tree analogy shown only on the cover of the rulebook might be mystifying, so including a sentence about the metaphor might also be helpful.)

--I strongly recommend you drop the term Tableau completely, and call your constructions Pathways with a capital P. Using the term Tableaus adds an unnecessary level of abstraction that detracts from the tree.

--Look for ways to make shorter sentences work. The second and third paragraphs could be "Longer Pathways are worth more points, and grant power bonuses. However, completing shorter Pathways can quickly increase your score. Each strategy has its advantages." 24 words instead of 66.

--Have you considered making the background colors form a spectrum from root, through cords and trunks, to nerves? It would be a subliminal cue for playing the cards correctly. For instance, Make the roots orange, then the cords yellow, then the trunks green, then the nerves blue.

--I'm not sure of the significance of the differing borders of the innervation cards. Perhaps making each a darker version of the background would be more useful.

The only improvement I could suggest in all your card illustrations would be to use rounded rectangles to make them look like the actual cards.

--Try this: 1) Shuffle the Innervation cards. Deal 5 face-down to each player. Place the rest face-down to form the Innervation Draw Pile. 2) Shuffle the Muscle Cards. Deal 1 face-down to each player, and 3 Shared Muscle Cards face-up in the center. Place the rest face-down to form the Muscle Draw Pile. 3) Players may look at their Innvervation cards and Secret Muscle card, but should not reveal them to others.

I'm not sure labelling the "Secret Muscle Card" separately is necessary.

By illustrating the player hands as a fan instead of a row, you are reinforcing the concept of each hand being hidden, and can thus get rid of the "secret" label.

Your gameplay flows, but it takes a bit. Starting with an overview anchors the learner. Consider:

Gameplay:

"The player who was most recently unnerved goes first. Play proceeds clockwise." {I love this starting player method!}

"A turn consists of (in order): 1) Taking one Card, and 2) Playing one Card. Players may also, at any point in their turn: a) Connect Pathways, b) Innervate a Muscle, or c) Activate a Root Power. These optional steps may be taken in any order."

"Cards are played to form Pathways of Innervation cards leading to a Muscle card."

"Here is an example of a completed Pathway of 4 nerves and a muscle:"

--Showing how nerves count here is important, because there is some confusion later in the rules as to what length Pathway counts for what points.

--You can hopefully see how eliminating the Tableau label, and calling them Pathways, shortens and simplifies all the rules.

--Green section: calling this Taking instead of Drawing better describes your choices.

--Yellow: Again, look for wordiness issues. Long sentences and paragraphs are intimidating. "Any Innervation card may be played as a Singleton, even if a Pathway connection is available. Keep in mind that Singletons can be stolen by other players." 27 words instead of 53. This applies throughout your rules.

--Perhaps it would be useful for non-Neurology nerds to note that each card need only match a nerve color with the adjacent cards, and that nerve endings can only connect with muscles.

--Complete a Pathway: Players can add to a Pathway by connecting two incomplete Pathways or Singletons to each other:

--Innervate a Muscle: a Pathway of two or more Innervation cards may Innervate a Muscle to score points. The player either reveals their Secret Muscle card or takes one a Shared Muscle card from the table. After showing the other players that the Pathway is correct, the player places the Muscle card in front of them with the collected cards of the Pathway on top. The name and point value of the Muscle should be left visible.

--Unless the Innervation Pathway contains four cards, the Pathway is placed face-down.

--If the Pathway contains four cards, it is placed face up with the Root card on top, showing its Root Power.

--Muscle cards played, whether Secret or Shared, are immediately replaced from the Muscle deck.

--The terms for one-time Root powers should be labelled "One-Time" rather than Play, since the Root card was Played much earlier.

--How do you keep from miscounting Pathways with Anomalous Innervation cards? Suggestions: return them to the box when the Pathway is Scored, or place them sideways face down.

--Wow! Who is in love with the pronator teres muscle? What if two players (or no players) have innervated pronator teres Muscles?

The examples are excellent. Again, consider the notes above about rounded corners and card coloration.

Wow! Who is in love with the pronator teres muscle? What if two players (or no players) have innervated pronator teres Muscles?

The design is easy to learn, and intuitive to play.

The most important improvement you can make in these rules is eliminating wordiness. As it says in the Strunk & White Style Guide, "make every word tell." If a word is not essential, remove it.

Your background has lots of cure nerves. Why not replace the tree on the cover with a graphic based on that?

The most hilarious GameCrafter shop description I have ever read.

A completed Pathway laid out in from of the box might add to the backdrop.

Very nice - but a unidirectional shadow behind the green logo (instead of the grey outer glow) would make it "pop" more.

Best action shots I have seen in over 30 Sanity Tests. The only improvement would be for the masked players to be wearing gloves.

Intriguing without being a simple parroting of the rules introduction.

There is no video in the shop.