T.I.M.E Stories: The Marcy Case

The game board is laid out, displaying the time track, character slots, and various codex and item decks. Each player selects a character, placing their pawn on the starting location. Item decks (such as 'Item 16' and 'Item 27') are shuffled and placed in their designated spots. Location cards are set up according to the scenario's initial instructions, with some face-up and others face-down.

The primary objective of 'The Marcy Case' is to locate a young woman named Marcy, who is believed to be infected, and ensure her safe extraction. Players must navigate through various locations, gather clues, overcome obstacles, and make critical decisions to achieve this goal within the allotted time.

During a turn, players can move their character pawns to different locations on the board. Upon arriving at a new location, players reveal and resolve the corresponding location cards, which may involve reading narrative text, encountering enemies, or performing skill checks. Skill checks require players to roll dice, with successes determined by matching symbols on the dice to those required by the card. Time units are spent for movement and certain actions.

The game's scoring is primarily based on the number of time units remaining at the successful completion of the mission. Additionally, certain narrative choices and the successful resolution of specific sub-objectives may contribute to a higher score. The goal is to complete the mission with as many time units as possible.

The game concludes when Marcy is successfully found and extracted, leading to a 'Mission Successful' outcome. Alternatively, the game ends if the players run out of time units on the time track, resulting in a 'Mission Failed' outcome. Certain critical failures during the mission can also lead to an immediate game over.