OVERVIEW Ages 10+ 2-4 Players 10-20 Minutes

In Linkage, each player links RNA cards side-by-side to build their own RNA strand, attempting to
copy the shared DNA Template (in biology, this process of copying is called DNA Transcription). Players
decide whether to build on their own RNA strand, repair their RNA strand, or mutate an opposing
strand (or the template itself.) Players earn points based upon how accurately their RNA strands match
the DNA Template, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins!

GAME CARDS
10 DNA CARDS 46 RNA CARDS
• 2 Guanine Nucleotides
• 2 Cytosine Nucleotides • 11 Guanine Nucleotides
• 2 Adenine Nucleotides • 11 Cytosine Nucleotides
• 2 Thymine Nucleotides • 11 Adenine Nucleotides
• 1 Promoter • 11 Uracil Nucleotides
• 1 Terminator • 2 DNA Mutations

The Promoter DNA cards like this The Terminator Players use RNA cards A DNA Mutation
begins the DNA one will form the ends the round like this one to build their card can mutate the
template. DNA template. when drawn. RNA strands. DNA template itself.

GAME DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT A special thanks to a few key

John J. Coveyou people whose continual playtesting,
feedback, advice and support made
ARTWORK & GRAPHIC DESIGN this game possible:
Tomasz Bogusz Marlene Coveyou, Marie Velius,
Megan Velius, Troy Velius and Published by Genius Games
RULES DESIGN www.GotGeniusGames.com
Jamey Stegmaier.
Joshua Cappel ©2014 Genius Games
ROUND SETUP
Separate the RNA and DNA cards.

Set aside the Terminator and Promoter cards from 3 random DNA cards
the DNA deck; remove four random cards from the
4 random DNA cards plus
DNA deck and then reshuffle the Terminator back the Terminator shuffled in
into the DNA deck. Now place three of the four
1 random DNA card
removed DNA cards back on top of the DNA deck,
and place the final removed DNA card on the To be clear, your properly assembled
bottom of the DNA deck. (Keep all DNA cards face DNA deck will result in the above
down during this whole process.) arrangement, as seen from the side.

Set the DNA Promoter card face up on the table. Place the properly assembled
DNA deck face down to the left of the Promoter card, and make a (shuffled) RNA
deck face down to the left of the DNA deck.

Deal each player 4 RNA cards, then you are ready to begin!
(Players keep their hand of cards secret.)

DURING A ROUND
Linkage plays in rounds. The oldest player starts the first
round. To start a round, draw a DNA card and place it face up
to the right of the DNA Promoter card. (This is the beginning
of this round’s DNA Template; the Template will usually grow
during the round as further DNA cards are added to it.)
Starting with the first player and moving clockwise, each
player takes a turn. (See On Your Turn below)

When all players have taken a turn, place another DNA card to the immediate right of the previous
DNA card (extending the Template), and all players in clockwise order take their turns again. This
process continues until the DNA Terminator card is drawn, which ends the round.
When the round ends, immediately count and record the round’s points. (See Scoring for details) The
winner of the round will be the first player in the next round. Four rounds are recommended, but more
or fewer may be played to shorten or extend the length of play; make sure to agree on how many rounds
you are playing before you begin!
Before starting the next round, all players discard their remaining cards and sweep the DNA Template
and their RNA strands from the table; perform the Round Setup again to prepare for the new round.
ON YOUR TURN
There are two steps to your turn, performed in this order:
1. You must perform one of the four Primary Actions, and you may perform one of the two Secondary
Actions. (See The Two Secondary Actions for details about when they may be performed.)
2. You must draw exactly one RNA card from the deck into your hand.

THE FOUR PRIMARY ACTIONS

1. ADD AN RNA CARD TO YOUR RNA STRAND (or START YOUR STRAND)
Play a single RNA card from your hand to the table, either face up or face down. (If this is your first
RNA card this round, this will start your RNA strand. If your strand is already started, this card must
be placed to the immediate right of the previous RNA card in your strand.)
• Face Up. If the RNA Nucleotide of your card
matches the DNA Nucleotide in the same
The DNA
relative position in the DNA Template, it is Template
correct. If not, it is considered incorrect.
There are two ways to check if your RNA card
matches the DNA card. The first way is to look
for the little triangular arrow on your RNA card.
If it matches the color of the DNA card’s title bar, Your
it is correct. The other way is to look for the Strand
cloudy background at the bottom of the DNA
card and the top of the RNA card. If their color
matches, the RNA card is correct.
• Face Down. A face down RNA card is In this example, the first card in your strand is incorrect;
its arrow does not match the title bar of the first DNA
considered to be a wild card. A wild card
card, and the cloudy background colors don’t match up.
counts for zero points itself, but it is
considered to be a correct card in a The second card in your strand is correct; its arrow does
sequence of three or four, allowing it to match the title bar of the second DNA card, and the
cloudy background colors do match up.
count toward bonus points.

2. REPAIR YOUR RNA STRAND

Discard one incorrect card from your strand, then
play a card that bears the Chaperone icon from
your hand into the discarded card’s position.

The Chaperone icon

3. MUTATE AN OPPONENT’S RNA STRAND

Take one face up card from an opponent’s strand
and add it to the right of your own strand, then play a
card that bears the Mutation icon from your hand
into the empty position in your opponent’s strand.
The mutated opponent immediately draws one new The Mutation icon
RNA card from the deck into his or her hand.
4. MUTATE THE DNA TEMPLATE
Discard either a DNA Mutation card or any two RNA cards from your hand, then:
a) Draw and peek at the top two cards from the DNA deck*.
b) Use one of those two cards to replace one DNA card in the Template, picking
up the replaced card.
c) Order the two DNA cards you are holding (one from your original draw of two,
and one that was replaced) however you like, and place them back face down
onto the top of the DNA deck.
* If either of the two drawn cards in step a is the Terminator card, you may choose to
reveal it and end the round immediately. If you choose not to, then you continue as
normal but must use the other drawn card as the replacement in step b.

THE TWO SECONDARY ACTIONS

1. PAY FOR AN EXTRA ACTION (This action is performed after your normal Primary Action)
You may discard one RNA card from your hand and then take one additional Primary Action.

2. TRADE RNA CARDS (This action may be performed before or after your Primary Action)
You may give one or two RNA cards to one other player, and draw an equal
number of random cards from that player’s hand to add to your own hand.
The card(s) you gave should not be among those you draw from.

SCORING
NUCLEOTIDE POINTS
2 Points for each individual correct card The DNA Template
in your RNA strand. Face down cards do
not count as correct for nucleotide scoring.
BONUS POINTS
Face down cards do count as
correct for bonus point scoring.
Your
2 Points for a sequence of three Strand
correct cards in your RNA strand.
3 Points for a sequence of four
correct cards in your RNA strand.
Scoring Example: There are three correct face up
cards in your strand, so they earn 2 points each.
RNA cards may not be counted toward multiple
Since we count the face down card as correct for
bonus point sequences. For example if a four-card
bonus points, we also count a 4-card sequence; this
sequence is scored, none of the cards in that
earns you an additional 3 points. Your total score
sequence may be scored as part of another sequence.
this round is 9 points!

WINNING THE GAME

The player with the most points at the end of all of the rounds wins the game!