Author: Cédric Millet
Ilustración: Markus Erdt
Redacción: Patrick Tonn
Duración de la partida: aprox. 20 minutos

Se abre el telón para dar paso a las actuaciones más monstruosas jamás vistas. Nos alegra presentaros el mundo de “The Next MonStar”. En este espectacular concurso de talentos, las estrellas futuras más horripilantes demuestran de lo que son capaces.

Pero el jurado es muy exigente y tiene sus propias preferencias: a algunos de sus miembros les encantan las voces atronadoras; a otros, las coreografías vertiginosas o los vestuarios de miedo. Y hay a quien le gustan las actuaciones repugnantes y aterradoras. El objetivo del juego es formar el elenco que mejor se adapte al gusto del jurado y así os ganaréis también el favor del público, que os compensará con los puntos de popularidad del aplausómetro. Ganará quien obtenga el mayor número de puntos de popularidad a lo largo de tres rondas.

• 45 MonStar tokens (with 5 Mega-MonStars)

• 15 jury tokens

• 4 stages

• 4 scoring spiders

• 1 applause meter

• Spotlight symbol:

  the MonStar can only be placed in the yellow, green, or red area of the stage.

• Power Duo (variant only): some MonStars form a Power Duo together. For each pair with the same Power Duo symbol, you receive one extra popularity point.

• Talents: each MonStar has 2 distinct talents. In total, there are 5 talents: scare, gross-out, voice, choreography, and costume.

1. Each of you takes a stage and places it in front of them. The scoring spider of the corresponding color is placed on the green sticky area of the

   applause meter.

2. Remove the five Mega-MonStars tokens, which will only be used in the third round. Also, if you are two or three players, you only need only 10 jury tokens (2 of each talent). Only when you are four players will you use the 15 tokens.

3. Distribute the rest of MonStar and jury tokens in the center of the table face down.Next, reveal the 6 tokens of your choice

4. (it doesn't matter if they are MonStar or jury tokens).Find the audio file that corresponds to the number of players audio files to listen to and download on this page

You play in turns clockwise and for 3 rounds. Each round consists of 2 phases:

• During the selection phase, you will take the tiles to the rhythm of the audio file and you will place them on your stages. The MonStars are placed in one of the three upper zones, while the judges sit on the chairs.

• Your goal is to have, in the applause phase (at the end of each round), the maximum number of talent symbols on your MonStar tiles that match the talent symbols on your judges' tiles. For each matching talent you will score

  popularity points which you will mark with the scoring spider on the applause meter.

Selection phase: collect tiles

Everyone has the same opportunities to place tiles (both MonStars and judge tiles) on your stage, and to fill it completely until the end of the round. In the first round, there must remain a judge seat free, since there is always some monster who arrives late...

Who among you puts the most terrifying face? You start the first round. Start playing the audio file.

When you hear the trembling breath, you must flip over a tile that is face down. When you hear a bell and cheers of joy, you take one of the tiles that are face up and you place it on your stage. When the trembling breath is heard again, it will be immediately the turn of the person to your left. From that moment on, you will not be able to take or place any more tiles; nor will you be able to move them around on your stage.

Attention: it is very important that you pay attention to the signals from the audio file, because if you ignore them or don't hear them, you will get confused and someone may lose their turn unfairly. Fair play is fundamental in “The Next MonStar” (well, that and “don't eat the audience”).

As soon as the big applause, the selection phase ends. Pause the audio file.

Applause phase: earn popularity points

It's time to celebrate success with your MonStars! After the selection phase, applause will rain down on you and, with it, popularity points (or at least we hope so).

Check all the tiles you have on the stage and perform the following actions:

1. Discard duplicates: you can only count one tile of each type (either MonStar or judge). Therefore, you will have to decide which tile you keep for each character and you must place the others in the center.

2. Flip over MonStars that are not in the correct place: if a MonStar is in a spot on the stage that does not correspond to its spotlight color, flip it over.

3. Count the popularity points: compare the talent symbols on your MonStar tiles with the symbols on the judges' tiles. For each matching talent symbol you will receive one point. For each tile you had to flip over, you will lose one point.

4. Move the scoring spiders:

   mark your score on the applause meter with the help of the spider. When you exceed the 30 star, you must flip the spider and place it on the star side. That way you'll know you already have more than 30 popularity points.

When you have placed the spider to mark your score, put all the tiles from your stage in the center. Flip the tiles, shuffle them well and reveal six.

Resume the audio file. This time, the person to the left of the scariest player starts.

• Round 1: you can only count on 2 of the 3 jury tokens and you play without Mega-MonStar tokens.

• Round 2: you can count on all the jury tokens, but you play without Mega-MonStar tokens.

• Round 3: you can count on all the jury tokens and, at the start of the selection phase, add, shuffling them, the 5 Mega-MonStar tokens face down.

The game ends after the third round.

Which scoring spider is furthest ahead on the applause meter?

Congratulations: you have won the hearts of the audience and can consider yourself “The Next MonStar”. At least until the next contest is held; because one thing is clear, and that is that The show must go on.

Is there a tie? In that case, the one who obtained more popularity points in the third applause phase.

With this variant, you add even more excitement to the game and perhaps also take a little pleasure in someone else's misfortune. Now you will also have to pay attention to the Duo Power symbols that appear on some MonStar tiles. Try to get pairs with the same symbol on your stage. For each Duo Power pair, there will be a bonus of one popularity point in the applause phase.

But don't rejoice so soon! Whoever has a MonStar tile with the Duo Power symbol will be able to steal a tile with the same symbol from another stage. To do this, you only have to wait to hear the cheers of joy during the selection phase and then you can take the Duo Power tile you are missing instead of taking a tile from the center. The person you took the tile from will have one less tile on their stage until the end of the round. Does that seem cruel? Of course it is! After all, you are monsters.