Overview
Consentacle is a cooperative card game of trust, intimacy, and communication for two players. One player takes the role of a Curious Human and the other a Tentacled Alien. Players work together to create and collect Satisfaction Tokens by building trust, sharing trust, and creating intimacy. The more Satisfaction Tokens both players accumulate, the more fulfilling the encounter.
Components
- 1 Identity Card per role (Human and Alien)
- 19 Action Cards per role (38 total)
- 4 Extension Cards per role (8 total, advanced play)
- 4 Desire Cards per role (8 total, advanced play)
- Colored Trust Tokens
- Satisfaction Tokens
- 1 Playmat
Action Cards per deck (19 each):
- Wink (2), Gaze (3), Touch (3), Kiss (2), Bite (1), Restrain (1), Penetrate (1), Envelop (1), Release (3), Lick (1), Stroke (1)
Setup
- Ask your partner if they are willing to play Consentacle (consent to play is required).
- Decide which player is the Curious Human and which is the Tentacled Alien. Take the cards for your role.
- Place the correct amount of colored Trust Tokens on your Identity Card.
- Shuffle your Action Cards to form your Action Deck.
- Place the Consentacle playmat between you and your partner.
- Choose a game mode:
- Practice Consent (“Let’s Talk About It, Baby!”): Open verbal communication about cards and strategy allowed.
- Consent Challenge (“Universal Translator Breakdown!”): No talking about cards or strategy; communicate only with eyes.
- Draw 5 cards from your Action Deck as your starting hand. If you have few or no cards with Build Trust (1) or Share Trust (2), you may redraw.
Turn Structure
Each turn follows these steps:
- Pick a card to play. Communicate with your partner (openly or non-verbally depending on mode).
- Play your cards. Both players simultaneously place a card face down, then flip them over.
- Check for combos. If the two played cards form the combo listed at the bottom, follow the combo instructions. If not, follow the top-of-card instructions instead. Resolve in order of the numbers at the bottom (starting with 1 = Build Trust).
- Option to Withdraw Consent. Instead of following instructions, either player may cancel the turn by taking their card back (no new card drawn). Withdrawing costs 1 Trust Token.
- Discard and Draw. Place the played card in your Discard Pile and draw a new card.
Actions
There are five types of Action Cards:
| Type |
Number |
Effect |
| Build Trust (1) |
+3 |
Add Trust Tokens from game tray to your Identity Card |
| Share Trust (2) |
x2 |
Move Trust Tokens from Identity Card to Intimacy Pool |
| Create (3) |
x4 |
Convert matched pairs of red and blue Trust Tokens in the Intimacy Pool into Satisfaction Tokens |
| Take (4) |
x3 |
Take Satisfaction Tokens from the Intimacy Pool to your Identity Card |
| Give (5) |
+1 |
Discard 1 Satisfaction Token to give your partner many Trust Tokens |
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The game ends when one player draws the last card from their Action Deck; the following turn is the final turn. After the final turn, total all Satisfaction Tokens held by both players and consult the outcome chart:
| Total Satisfaction |
Outcome |
| 0-1 |
…was just kind of okay? |
| 2-4 |
…managed to be adequate for routine maintenance |
| 5-9 |
…gave you quite a few lasting tingles! |
| 10-15 |
…satiated your hungers and left you thirsting for more |
| 16-20 |
…threatened to turn you into a moonstruck servant |
| 21-23 |
…transported you beyond the bounds of self |
| 24+ |
…collapsed the local fabric of time and space |
Additionally, compare individual Satisfaction between partners for a secondary flavor result.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- If you have fewer tokens than a card requires, perform the action with whatever you have.
- When both players play Release cards, divide Satisfaction Tokens evenly. If odd, the remainder stays in the Intimacy Pool unless mutually agreed otherwise.
- Consent Challenge sub-modes: Suggestive Gestures (easier), Windows of the Soul (standard, eyes only), The Strictest Discipline (harder, staring only).
- Extension Cards (advanced): Choose up to 3 before playing. Pay Trust Tokens to reveal. Once revealed, they grant additional abilities.
- Desire Cards (advanced): Draw 1 randomly before play. Fulfill its condition for bonus Satisfaction Tokens. In Consent Challenge mode, do not discuss desires.
Player Reference
| Phase |
Key Rule |
| Start |
Cards with 1 (Build) or 2 (Share) are most useful early |
| Midgame |
Create Satisfaction from paired Trust Tokens |
| Late game |
Take Satisfaction and Give to keep building |
| End |
Last card drawn triggers final turn |
| Scoring |
Sum both players’ Satisfaction Tokens |