#CrisisAlarm! Optional Rules
Optional Rules!
As the name suggests, the following are optional rules you can use to alter, enhance, or otherwise generally mess around with your #CrisisAlarm! experience. There is no limit to how many optional rules you can add on to a game, though some may not be compatible with others, and in general the more optional rules you add the longer you should give players to read and make ready for the game. We recommend a getting a couple of regular games under your belt before you try these out, but as always, that’s up to you.
For your convenience, we’ve tagged them by the type of modification they represent – Voting (voting process), Scoring (value of entries), Content (what’s allowed), Images (what kind of pics are required), and Gameplay (basic game mechanisms). In additional, these rules are numbered so that you can refer to them quickly and easily on Twitter or in other condensed social media formats – “We’re using optional rules 1, 4, and 7 this game.”
1 – Excelsior! Mode (Scoring)
Instead of victory awarding 1 Triumph Point, the number of points is based on how much manipulation went into the winning image. Stock or barely modified pics are worth 1 Triumph Point, heavily modified pics are worth 2 Triumph Points, and primarily player-created images are worth 3 Triumph Points. This encourages people who put a bit more effort into their entries, though it might discourage more casual or less artistic players.
2 – Vertigo Mode (Content)
As a regular game of #CrisisAlarm!, except that you’re going for a serious game, not a silly one. Note that this does not automatically mean you can submit NSFW entries, though it’s often used with that rule. This usually takes a bit more effort, though, so make sure you give players enough time each round to complete a worthy entry. Tends to make for a much slower game, but can have some truly badass results.
3 – Warren Ellis Mode (Content)
This game allows NSFW content. Before using this option, please make sure all players are in agreement, and of appropriate age and location to participate. In addition, please make sure that the content shared does not violate any laws, or the terms of service of the hosting program. Don’t lose your job, traumatize innocent kids and/or wind up on a watch list. Seriously. Play smart.
4 – Robot Chicken Mode (Images)
As a regular game of #CrisisAlarm!, except that action figures – representing heroes, villains, bystanders – are required in all submitted images. Note that you don’t need to actually have action figures at hand yourself, though it certainly might help – they just need to be used in the submissions.
5 – Rising Stars Mode (Gameplay)
In this mode, everyone loses the hashtag power they played each round (the winner still gets a wildcard). This makes the game a little more strategic – do you use one of your solid ones early, or save it for later? – but it can be a bit frustrating for some players.
6 – Millennial Mode (Images)
As a regular game of #CrisisAlarm!, except that each player must somehow include themselves in all submitted images. Note that this doesn’t mean each shot must be a full-on selfie, just that you have to work yourself into each submitted picture somehow. But if you wanna dress like a superhero and bust out some action shots, hey, nobody’s stopping you!
7 – Avengers Assemble Mode (Voting)
Instead of the Crisis Manager determining the winning image each round, the players vote after time is up/all submissions are in. The Crisis Manager only votes to break ties. Every player who’s tagged in to the game can vote, even if they did not submit an entry this round, but you cannot vote for your own entry. This rule takes a little pressure off the Crisis Manager and can be a lot of fun in a group that doesn’t mind this extra bit of competition, though it does slow the game down just a bit and requires some extra setup time to determine how to vote – by private message to the CM, by favoriting your chosen pic, by public reply, whatever works.
8 – Red Son Mode (Gameplay)
In this mode, S.I.C.K.L.E. is quick to bring the hammer down on those pesky heroes giving them a particularly hard time. If a hero wins 2 or more Pages in a row, they automatically suffer the #sickle wild card effect every round until they lose a round. Note that this doesn’t stop other players from throwing even more #sickle effects at them in a single round – they might have three, four or more hashtags to handle at once!
9 – New 52 Mode (Gameplay)
In this mode, everyone makes a character at tag in. The winner of each round becomes the Crisis Manager for the next Page, and the previous Crisis Manager becomes a player. The resulting Comic is probably going to be a bit schizophrenic as editorial decisions change hands constantly, but hey, it’s gonna be a fun ride! Right?
10 – Dynamic Duo Mode (Gameplay)
In this mode, players play and are scored in pairs. These pairings should be announced at tag in. How each team divides up their duties is up to them – one partner might do captions and hashtags while the other handles the artwork, for instance. This is a fun variant when you have a mix of artists and non-artists, but does make gameplay a little more cumbersome as it requires more coordination.
11 – Betty & Veronica Mode (Content)
This is the opposite of NSFW mode. In this mode, only G or at most mild PG words and images are permitted. Not a bad way to play if there are kids around. Perhaps even better – combining it with #9 for some truly titanic parent/child team-ups!
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Positively Woodworthian 
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