Adversaries

Adversaries represent the opposition you face in each encounter. They are the embodiment of a specific fandom, a cultural movement, or a final boss, and they set the rules and victory conditions for the encounter.

Fandoms & Bosses

• Fandoms: These are the standard adversaries you will face for most of your run. Each represents a specific group of fans with their own tastes and preferences (e.g., “Sci-Fi Enthusiasts,” “Horror Aficionados”).
• Bosses: After defeating a series of Fandoms, you will face a final Boss. These are much tougher encounters representing a major “Cultural Event” and serve as the climax of your run. Examples might be “The Moon Landing” or “The World’s Fair”.

Victory and Defeat

Each Adversary defines the win and loss conditions for the encounter:

• Culture Threshold: This is the amount of Culture you must score to win the encounter.
• Cheese Tolerated: This is the maximum amount of Cheese you can accumulate. If your level ever exceeds this number, you lose immediately.

As you progress through a run, the Fandoms you face will become more difficult, with higher requirements and lower tolerance.

Influencing the Scene

Adversaries are not passive observers; they actively influence the game.

Liked & Disliked Descriptors

Every Adversary has a set of Liked and Disliked descriptors. These preferences are key to maximizing your score.

• When a card scores, every descriptor on that card (and any attached cards) is checked against the Adversary’s lists.
• For each matching Liked descriptor, you gain +1 bonus .
• For each matching Disliked descriptor, you gain +1 additional .

Playing to the Fandom’s tastes is a critical strategy for success!

Deploying Obstacles

Adversaries are also responsible for deploying Obstacles to the board. Each Adversary has a thematic pool of obstacles they can use to disrupt your plans. At the start of each turn, there is a chance the Adversary will place a new obstacle on the board, forcing you to adapt your strategy.