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GAME OVERVIEW
In Draft & Write Records, players will be “drafting”
(selecting) cards from their hand to manage a band
and top the charts!
Players will draft cards strategically to take actions
and create Harmony between band members,
triggering bonus actions and rewards. The game
ends when a player has a full crew, completes 6
Goals, or Fails 5 times.
The player with the most Star
Power (VICTORY POINTS)
wins the game with the most
famous band!
Pad of Band Sheets
6 Pencils & Sharpener
66 Goal
Cards
Contents
8 Coloured Pencils
Pass Direction Card
180 Play
Cards
12 Lead
Singer Cards
50 Asset
Cards
28 Musician Cards
32 Agenda Cards
22 Production Cards
8 Scandal
Cards
28 Backstage Cards
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How-to-Play Video!
Prefer to watch a video instead of
reading the rules? Scan this QR
code with your phone!
https://insideupgames.com/how-to-play-draft-and-write-records/
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BAND SHEET OVERVIEW
Note:
Take a moment to look over and identify each section of
the Band Sheet.
Each section can be identified by a corresponding
icon, which will match the icons displayed on cards
and from rewards. These icons will help players quickly
identify the appropriate section of their Band Sheet for
recording their actions and corresponding bonus effects.
The Fails, Goals, and Crew sections include
an EXCLAMATION MARK as a visual reminder
that completing any of these sections will
trigger the end of the game. (See p.6).
SETUP
In games with fewer than 6 players, the crew cards
may be customized during setup. To do so, simply
remove X number of cards of the various crew types
and make sure to add an equal number of cards of
the same type. For example, you could remove 1 Lead
Singer and 2 Musicians, and then add back in 1 Lead
Singer and 2 Musicians (at random or by choice).
Each player takes one Band Sheet and
one Regular Pencil.
Place Coloured Pencils within reach of all players.
Choose and Record your Band Name!
Each player selects a starting colour at random
and fills in the circle to the left of their band name
with one of the Coloured Pencils. (The same
starting colour may be chosen by multiple players!)
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Inside Up Games
Inside Up Games
Locate the Play Cards and
use the icon in the lower
right-hand corner on the
front of the cards to remove
cards with a number that
exceeds the number of
players in the game. For
example, in a 3-player game,
return the cards with 4+, 5+,
and 6 indicators to the box.
30 cards are needed per player.
(Solo players see p.12 for game setup.)
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Shuffle the remaining Play Cards, and place
them facedown in the middle of the table to
create a “Play Stack.”
Place the Pass Direction Card next to this stack
with either side faceup.
Locate and shuffle all of the Goal Cards and
place them facedown in the middle of the table
to create a “Goal Stack.”
Draw and place the top 4 cards faceup to the
right of the Goal Stack to create a line of publicly
available Goals.
From the remaining Goal Stack, deal 2 cards
to each player. Each player selects one card to
keep as their personal goal, placing it facedown
near their Band Sheet, and the remaining cards
are shuffled back into the Goal Stack.
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Fails p.6
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10
Get ready to rock...or punk... or opera...you choose!
Note:
Crew pp.8-10
Goals p.5
Agenda p.11
Touring p.7
Scoring p.6
Charts p.6
Assets p.10 Harmonies p.10
Multipliers p.11
Releases p.8
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1+
1+
Earn all 12 Assets on the outside edges
Perform at this Venue
HOW TO PLAY
Each round is divided into two phases: the Week
Phase and the Weekend Phase.
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A player chose the “GAIN ASSETS” action, as
indicated by the blue arrow icon in the upper left- hand corner of the card. They can now record this
action by crossing off one of the three matching
icons from the Assets section of their Band
Sheet. (In this case, the Piano icon.)
Example:
Once all players have taken their action, they
pass the remaining cards from their hand
facedown to the next player in the
direction indicated by the Pass
Direction card.
During the Weekend Phase, the
pass direction card will be reset,
meaning the direction will change
from round to round.
Players repeat the drafting process (steps 1-3)
until players are passed a hand of two cards.
When this happens, each player chooses
one card to play as normal, and discards the
remaining facedown to their personal discard
pile next to their Accomplishments stack.
With no cards left in hand, the Week Phase ends
and players begin the Weekend Phase.
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Multiple players may claim the same Goal, and
multiple Goals may be claimed. However, each
player is limited to claiming a maximum of six Goals
throughout the entirety of the game.
After a Goal card is claimed by one or more players,
it is discarded and replaced with a new one from the
“Goal Stack,” which is added to the right side of the
line. (If a Goal becomes impossible to complete by all
players, it is returned to the box and replaced with a
new Goal Card.) New Goals that are revealed may not
be claimed until the next Weekend Phase.
Players can choose to not claim a Goal if they wish to
wait for a different one—possibly one worth more SP,
a better bonus, or both!
After all of the public Goals have been checked,
players verify whether they’ve fulfilled their personal
Goal. If so, they may claim it and record the SP and
any bonus actions. (Other players cannot claim your
personal Goal.) Personal Goals are discarded once
claimed, but never replaced.
WEEKEND PHASE
During the weekend, players can cash in on their hard
work by claiming Goals (first public, then personal).
To claim a goal, players will check their Band Sheet to
determine whether they have fulfilled the requirements
of the Goal cards, from left to right. When one or more
players meet or exceed a Goal card’s requirements,
they each claim the rewards of the card in full.
Goals always provide Star Power (referred to from
here on as SP), and many offer an immediate bonus as
well. SP is recorded in the “Goals” section of the Band
Sheet, and bonuses are applied immediately to their
matching sections.
If multiple bonus actions are earned by
claiming a Goal, they may be taken in Note: the order of the player’s choosing.
When a player claims their sixth Goal, the Weekend
Phase proceeds as normal and Goals may continue to
be claimed by other players. However, once the current
Weekend Phase is over, the game will end. (See p.6.)
If by the end of the Weekend Phase, the end of the
game has not been triggered, players will flip the
Pass Direction card over for the next Week Phase, as
described on p.4. If the Play stack is depleted, players
shuffle their personal discard pile (their facedown
cards, not their faceup Accomplishments cards) and
draw 5 cards to start a new Week Phase.
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WEEK PHASE
During the Week Phase, players draft cards to take
actions on their Band Sheet. At the beginning of a
round, deal each player 5 cards from the Play stack.
Each card has an icon in the upper left-hand corner
representing an action the player can take such
as hiring for their band, planning their schedule, or
improving their assets.
During the week, each player will draft (select) 4 cards
in total, and discard the last remaining card to their
personal discard pile next to their Band Sheet.
Daily Draft Action
From their hand, players select one card with the
action they wish to take and place it facedown
next to their Band Sheet.
Once all players have placed a card facedown,
those cards are simultaneously flipped faceup.
Each player takes the action corresponding
to the card they chose by recording it on their
Band Sheet. (Explained in more detail pp.6-11).
After the action has been taken, the card is
placed faceup in a personal “Accomplishments
stack” to the side of the Band Sheet. Players
may look at the cards in their own stack at any
time.
Goal Card Breakdown
Goal Cards are all unique, but contain similar
information.
The objective icon in the upper left-hand corner
reminds players where on their Band Sheet to
record the SP earned from claiming a Goal.
The Band Sheet icon indicates the sections
where the requirements of the Goal must be met.
The requirement on the lower right-hand side
of the Goal Card shows the requirement(s) that
must be met to claim the Goal.
The text on the left-hand side of the Goal Card
clarifies the requirement iconography.
The SP is the amount
earned by anyone
who claims the Goal. If
multiple players claim the
same Goal, they each
claim the full amount of
SP (and any/all bonuses).
The bonus(es) are
immediate actions
players must take when
the Goal is claimed.
If there are multiple
bonuses, players may
take the actions in the
order of their choosing.
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There are three ways to trigger the end of the game.
There is an exclamation point (!) in each of these
sections to remind players of their importance.
A player records SP from
claiming a sixth Goal (p.5)
A player checks off all
five Fail spaces (p.6)
A player fills all 12 of
their Crew posts (p.8)
If the end of the game is triggered during the
Weekend Phase, all Goal Cards are still checked and
may still be claimed by a player if they have space
available in their Goals section.
If the end of the game is triggered by filling all Crew
posts, or the fifth Fail, all players finish taking their
current action and move immediately to the Weekend
Phase where players will have one final opportunity to
claim Goals.
END GAME AGENDA SECTION: The sum of any
SP for completed rows or columns
with SP bonuses.
TOUR SECTION: The sum of all SP
earned on your tour route(s).
RELEASES SECTION: Multiply the
number of spaces crossed out
in the top row by the number of
spaces crossed out in the bottom
row.
FAIL SECTION: Deduct SP equal
to the highest number which
you’ve checked off.
Then, total all sections to
calculate your score. The player
with the most SP has topped
the charts with the most
famous band, winning the game!
Players can record their placement (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
in the Charts section of their Band Sheet and overlap
them to create a visual chart of
everyone’s hit albums!
IF THERE’S A TIE:
If there’s a tie, check the
following conditions in order
until the tie is broken!
• The winner is the player with the most SP from
their Crew.
• Then the player who has the Lead Singer with the
most SP.
• Then the player who claimed the Goal with the
highest SP.
Totaling your Star Power
After the end of the game has been triggered, and any
final Goals claimed, it’s time to tally up your SP!
Use the “Scoring” section to record SP earned from
each section of your Band Sheet.
CREW SECTION: The sum of all SP for all members of
your crew.
GOAL SECTION: The sum of all SP for all completed
Goals.
HARMONY SECTION: The sum of all SP for completed
rows and columns.
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177
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65
35
25
-9
0
If there’s still a tie, play again!
2 Proto - Taprobana
1 Inside Up - Breakout
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RECEIVING
BONUSES
As players cross off spaces on their Band Sheet, they
may trigger bonus actions. Bonuses with the same
icon are treated the same regardless of the shape that
icon is in (circle, square, triangle, hex, etc.)
Check off one
space in the
Touring section.
Unlock one
Multiplier of
equal value.
Cross off one
space in the
Harmonies
section.
Colour in one
circle above/
below the Crew
section.
Cross off one
space in the
Agenda section.
Cross off one
space in the
Assets section.
Cross off one
“album” space
in the Releases
section.
Cross off one
“single” space
in the Releases
section.
Cross off one
Cash
restriction
from the Crew or
Touring sections.
Once a bonus is earned it must be used immediately
and then crossed out to indicate the action has
been taken. Rarely, a bonus is earned, but all of the
matching bonus spaces have already been used.
In this case, the bonus is lost.
If multiple bonuses are earned at the same time,
they can be used in the order of your choice.
TOURING
To cross off a space in the
Tour section, you must earn a
Touring bonus from another
section of the Band Sheet
or by claiming certain Goals.
Touring is not an action found
on Play cards!
All players start their tour in
their garage, which is already
marked. From there, when
you earn a Touring bonus you
can choose to cross out the
next available space in either
direction you choose—touring
at bigger and more famous
venues and earning SP along
the way!
Some venues will trigger
bonuses that you must use
immediately, and some
are blocked by a Cash
restriction—you can proceed
down this route only after
removing that restriction.
There are three tour routes,
and reaching various venues
on these routes awards SP
at the end of the game. Players can visit
venues on multiple paths depending on their Goals
and cash restrictions, but may only visit one venue per
Tour bonus earned.
Like all other bonuses, Touring bonuses must be
used immediately and cannot be saved. If the bonus
cannot be used, due to Cash restrictions or having no FAILS available venue to visit, the bonus is lost.
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If a player adds a check- mark to the second Fail,
they receive a Cash bonus
which can be used to unlock cash restrictions in their
Crew or Tour section. (See “Receiving Bonuses” p.7)
The maximum penalty in the Fail section is -20. If a
player should record a Fail but no spaces remain,
they can ignore it. (In the rare case that someone was
missing lots of crew members.)
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Note:
BEFORE FINAL SCORING: Each player must
check how many vacant posts are left in their
Band section. For each vacant post they must
check off one space in their Fail section.
Band members are important for a band!
THERE ARE THREE REASONS A PLAYER MUST
CHECK OFF A FAIL:
Drafting a Scandal card.
Being unable or choosing not to take an action
from their hand of cards.
Having vacant posts in your Crew section at the
end of the game.
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The Crew section represents the 12 posts needed for
an epic band (Lead Singer, Musicians, Production Staff,
Backstage Staff). At the beginning of the game, all posts
are empty (although the 5 central posts have “cash
restrictions” see p. 9). Each post presents the opportunity
to improve the band’s SP, and create Harmonies.
Once you “hire” and fill a crew position, you may not
remove that crew member or alter their SP or skill layout.
CREW
Each post has sections which should be filled in when
a Crew member is drafted. The center hexagon is
used to record that band member’s Star Power (SP).
The four circles surrounding the hexagon will be
coloured in using the coloured pencils to match that
crew member’s skills.
There are four different types of skills:
Skills may help you claim Goals or create Harmony
within your Crew. When two adjacent crew members
have matching skills, they can be connected using the
line between the two skill circles to create Harmony
(see “Harmonies” on p.10).
On top of bonuses, creating multiple Harmonies can
give a player extra SP for end game scoring!
Note:
The Lead Singer’s top skill space
connects to the starting colour
you chose at the beginning
of the game. If you can hire a
Lead Singer with a top skill that
matches this colour you will earn
a Harmony bonus (see p.10).
2 Steps to Hire a Crew Member
FILL A POST AND RECORD STAR POWER
The first step in recruiting a Crew member is
to decide whether to apply a Multiplier to their
SP value (see p.11). Multipliers cannot be used
until they are earned, and it is common not to
have any available until mid-game. Multipliers
may not be used retroactively.
If a Multiplier is not used, simply record the SP
value from your band member onto an open
post with the matching icon type. SP ranges
from 1-5.
Levels
(blue)
Tune
(red) Tempo
(yellow)
Pitch
(purple)
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PLAYING
CREW CARDS
Cards with these icons allow you to hire new members
to your crew. Each Crew type can only be placed in a
post with a matching icon. Your Crew members’ SP will
be added to your final score at the end of the game.
Crew members each have a unique combination of
skills and SP – which can be boosted using Multipliers.
(See p.11)
Before drafting a Crew card, make sure you have an
empty post matching the icon of the crew member
you wish to hire. If there is no “cash requirement” icon
(or you’ve previously used a cash bonus to cross
out this requirement) and the SP hexagon and skill
circles are empty, the post can be filled!
In this example, the trumpet player could be hired
into the far left or the far right posts in the row
showing the guitar (Musician) icons. They cannot be
hired to either middle post because the posts are
“locked” by a cash restriction.
RECORD SKILLS & CHECK FOR HARMONY!
Next, colour in the four skill circles for the
crew member, matching both their colour and
location. Skill layouts cannot be changed or
rotated. They must be entered in the same
orientation as shown on the Crew card.
Players may also use the shape of the skill
icon (Square/Blue, Circle/Red, Triangle/Yellow,
or Hex/Purple) if they have difficulty matching
colours or would prefer to use shapes.
Creating Harmony is very important, as it can
trigger chain reactions, unlock sections of
your Band Sheet, or even earn SP! The more
Harmony you create, the better your music
and your chances of winning the game!
Once hired, a Crew member cannot be
removed, relocated, or replaced. Their SP
may also not be modified on a future turn.
Crews can have multiple members with the
same art, as the combination of SP and skills
of those Crew members is what makes them
unique.
Each Crew member can only be hired to a post with
an icon matching the drafted card.
Lead Singer
The top row in the Crew is dedicated to the Lead
Singer, of which you can only have one. Lead
Singers can be identified by a microphone icon.
Musicians
The second row has four posts for Musicians.
Musicians can be identified by the guitar icon.
Production Staff
The third row has three posts for Production
Staff. Production Staff can be identified by the
disk icon.
Backstage Staff
The bottom row has four posts for Backstage
Staff. Backstage Staff can be identified by the
speaker icon.
RELEASES
Albums & Singles
To cross off a space in the Releases section, you must
earn it from another section of the Band Sheet or by
claiming certain Goals. Releases cannot be earned
from Play cards!
Some bonuses will award an “Album” bonus,
while others will provide a “Single” bonus.
Both work in the same way, by crossing off
the leftmost available space in the row
matching the Album or Single icon. If you
cross out a space with another bonus, you
take the action immediately.
Note:
Calculate SP from Releases at the end of the game
by multiplying the number of “Albums” crossed off by
the number of “Singles” crossed off. In the example
above, there are 3 Albums and 4 Singles for a SP
score of 12 (3x4).
Note:
There are 5 central posts which are
locked by a “cash restriction” .
You will need to earn a cash bonus to
unlock each one before you can hire a
crew member to any of these posts.
To quickly tell the “Album” and
“Single” bonuses apart, notice that
the “Single” bonus has a piece
missing from the shape!
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