Life~Meaning Game

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👁️ Watch Game Introduction ~ 7 minutes TBD
🎧 Listen to Game Overview ~ 17 minutes TBD
🎧 Listen to Example of Play ~ 30 minutes

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Game Name: Life Builds Meaning Game
Hold together, learn what matters, become valuable, extend the horizon.

Life Builds Meaning game is a competitive-collaborative engine builder. The table cooperates to keep the world from sliding into Drift, while each player scores individually by integrating:

• Autopoiesis (self-maintenance, stability, coherence)
• Allopoiesis (value to others, reciprocity, contribution)
• Horizon (legacy and stewardship)

There are no hidden roles and no betrayal. Tension comes from scarcity, timing, and competing priorities under shared pressure.

Players / Time

• Players: 2–5
• Time: 60–90 minutes

Win Condition / End Triggers

The game ends when the first of these happens:

1. A player helps complete a Layer 10 Stewardship Project (see Projects).
2. The World Drift marker reaches the final space.
3. The Project supply runs out.

Winner: Highest Meaning Score.

Components

World Board (1)

Image: Click here

• World Drift Track (0–12)
• World Vital Signals (three tracks, each 0–6)
  • Energy Flow (global capacity to do work)
  • Trust (global social stability)
  • Habitat (global environment viability)
• Pattern Market Row (6 slots) for Pattern Cards
• Project Row (3 slots) for Project Tiles
• Event Slot (1 slot) for the current World Event
• Shared mitigation pool area

Tokens

☀️ E (Energy)
🔁 R (Regulation)
🧩 M (Model)
💎 V (Value)
👥 B (Bond)
🩹 H (Heal)
🌿 L (Legacy)
🌀 D (Drift) (marker on track, plus small D (Drift) stress tokens)

Pattern Cards (90)

Each Pattern card shows icons only:

• Layer number (1–10) and Layer icon
• Cost (icons)
• Outputs (2–4 icons)
• One Tag icon (🧫 Boundary, ⚖️ Balance, 🦋 Form, 🧫 Membership, 🌐 Prediction, 🎯 Reinforcement, 🧠 Presence, 🏛️ Social, 🌳 Story, 🌍 Stewardship)

Project Tiles (24)

Each Project tile shows:

• Required contributions (icons)
• Public benefit (World Vital Signal changes and/or Drift reduction)
• Contribution credit slots (to mark who paid what)
• Scoring (icons and points)

World Event Cards (30)

Each Event shows:

• Drift increase (number)
• Pressure type icon (Scarcity, Threat, Uncertainty, Conflict, Damage)
• Mitigation condition (icons) that can reduce or cancel the Drift increase

Role Tiles (10, optional but recommended)

Each Role tile shows:

• One passive perk icon (discount, extra draw, conversion, etc.)
• One scoring bias icon (Self, Community, Horizon)

Player Mats (1 per player)

Image: Click here

Tracks:

• Coherence (0–10)
• Social Standing (0–10)
• Horizon (0–10)

Pattern Stack: (6 layer slots) Life Builds Meaning layers for building patterns upward.

🧿 1. Boundary: Life Holds Itself Together
⚖️ 2. Balance: Staying In Balance
🦋 3. Form: Morphogenesis & Regeneration
🧫 4. Membership: Shift: From Persistence to Membership
🌐 5. Prediction: Predictive World-Models
🎯 6. Reinforcement: Reward, Avoidance, Reinforcement Learning

• First, When you buy a Pattern Card, you place it into the slot that matches its layer number. If you later buy another Pattern from the same layer, you place it on top of the earlier one in that same slot, creating a small stack. That’s “upward” in the literal sense: the stack grows vertically.
• Second, the game encourages a bottom-up dependency. Layers 1–2 (platform) make the resources that keep you stable and flexible, like ☀️E (Energy), 🔁R (Regulation), and 🩹H (Heal). Those resources make it easier to afford Layers 3–6 cards and to contribute to Projects. If you skip the bottom, you can still buy some higher cards, but you’ll feel fragile because Drift events will hit you harder and you’ll be forced into inefficient conversions.
• Third, “upward” is also about how the engine becomes more sophisticated over time. Early on you’re mostly buying Layer 1–2 Patterns to establish throughput and stability. Midgame you start adding Layer 3–4 Patterns that improve how you function as a member and how efficiently you can contribute. Then you add Layer 5–6 Patterns that let you plan, filter the Pattern Market, and lock in conversions, basically turning your economy into a trained policy instead of scrambling each turn.

A concrete example: You buy a Layer 1 “Boundary” Pattern that outputs 2×☀️E (Energy). Next you buy a Layer 2 “Balance” Pattern that converts ☀️E (Energy) into 🔁R (Regulation) and sometimes 🩹H (Heal). Now you can reliably pay for a Layer 5 Pattern that grants 🧩M (Model) and lets you preview the top cards of the Pattern Market. That sequence is “building upward”: platform first, then regulation, then better modeling and learning.

So the phrase really means two things: physically stacking cards in the right layer slot, and strategically progressing from stability to higher capability instead of trying to jump straight to the top.

Core Ideas Taught Through Play

• Drift is always rising. Life is the counter-move.
• You cannot win by only hoarding (world collapses).
• You cannot win by only helping (your self collapses).
• The highest scoring requires reciprocity + long-horizon stewardship.

Setup

1. Place the World Board in the middle of the table. Set △ World Drift to 3.
2. Set △ Energy Flow to 3, △ Trust to 3, and △ Habitat to 3.
3. Shuffle the Pattern deck. Deal 6 face-up cards to the Pattern Market row.
4. Shuffle Project tiles. Reveal 3 to the Project row.
5. Shuffle World Events. Reveal 1 to the Event slot.
6. Each player takes a mat and starts with:
   • Tokens: 2× ☀️E (Energy), 1× 🔁R (Regulation)
   • Tracks: △ Coherence 4, △ Social Standing 2, △ Horizon 1
7. Each player takes 1 Role tile (random or draft).
8. Choose a starting player.

Round Structure

Each round has five phases:

Phase A: World Event (Pressure Enters)

Reveal/resolve the current Event:

• Increase World Drift by the Event’s Drift value (unless mitigated later this round).
• Place any 🌀D (Drift) stress tokens indicated by the Event onto the World Board (local stress).

Phase B: Pattern Market Refresh

Refill the Pattern Market to 6 face-up Pattern cards if needed.

Phase C: Player Turns (2 Actions Each)

In clockwise order, each player takes exactly 2 actions from the list below.

Action 1: Acquire Resources

Take 2 tokens total, but they must be two different types (example: ☀️E (Energy) + 👥B (Bond)).

• You may not take 🌿L (Legacy) directly with this action.

Action 2: Buy a Pattern Card

Pay the card’s cost. Place it in the matching Layer slot on your mat.

• Immediately gain the card’s outputs as tokens.
• Tag Discount: Each Pattern you own reduces the cost of future cards sharing its Tag by 1 of the matching token type shown on the card (icons indicate which token gets discounted).

Action 3: Contribute to a Project

Pay any subset of the Project’s required icons and mark your contribution on the Project’s credit slots.

• When a Project completes, everyone gets the public benefit, but points go by contribution credit (see Scoring).

Action 4: Heal (Fight Drift Locally)

Spend 🩹H (Heal) to remove Drift’s effects. Choose one:

• Remove 1 local 🌀D (Drift) stress token from the World Board, OR
• Reduce World Drift by 1 (to a minimum of 0)

Emergency conversion (inefficient but always available):

• Spend 2× ☀️E (Energy) to gain 1× 🩹H (Heal)

Action 5: Social Touchpoint (Reciprocity Channel)

Choose one:

• Give 1 token to another player. Gain +1 Social Standing and gain 1× 👥B (Bond)
• Request 1 token from another player. If they agree, both players gain 1× 👥B (Bond)

No negotiation required. This is a clean “reciprocity move.”

Phase D: Stability Check (The Table Pays the Bill)

1) Mitigate the Event:

• The table may collectively spend tokens into a Shared Mitigation Pool to satisfy the Event’s mitigation icons.
• If met, reduce or cancel the Event’s Drift increase (as the card indicates).

The Shared Mitigation Pool is a temporary, round-by-round “everyone pays to keep the World Board stable” area. Each round, after players take their turns and before the Stability Check resolves, any player may contribute tokens to the pool to satisfy the current World Event’s mitigation icons. Contributions are voluntary, can come from any token types shown on the Event’s mitigation requirement (for example, 🧩M (Model) + 🔁R (Regulation), or 🩹H (Heal) + 🔁R (Regulation)), and they’re counted collectively, so it doesn’t matter who provides which icon as long as the pool matches the requirement. Once the table meets the requirement, the Event’s Drift increase is reduced or canceled as specified by the Event, and then all tokens in the pool are discarded back to the supply (they don’t carry over, and nobody “gets them back”). If the table doesn’t fully meet the requirement, partial contributions are still discarded, and the remaining Drift applies. This creates a clean competitive-collaborative tension: players want the mitigation to succeed because Drift hurts everyone, but each token spent into the pool is a token not spent on your own engine or Project credit.

2) Apply World Vital Signals (global constraints):

• If Energy Flow is 0–1: each player loses 1 Coherence.
• If Trust is 0–1: Social Touchpoint does not grant Social Standing this round.
• If Habitat is 0–1: each Project contribution costs +1 extra ☀️E (Energy) per action used to contribute.

Phase E: Meaning Tick (Meaning as a Signal)

Each player gains small points (or track “Meaning Points”) if:

• Coherence 7+: +1 point
• Social Standing 6+ and you have at least 1× 👥B (Bond): +1 point
• Horizon 5+: +1 point

Then reveal the next World Event.

Layer Guidance

Layers 1–6 live mostly in your personal Pattern Stack as engine parts, while Layers 7–10 show up as special effects and shared structures on the World Board. The Tag icons are the bridge. They let the full 10-layer model appear in play without needing 10 personal slots. Pattern cards naturally reenact the layers via token outputs. Layer-by-layer mapping (10 layers):

• Pattern Stack:
  • 🧿 Layer 1 Boundary: It’s depicted as the “self vs world” foundation in your Pattern Stack, and it supports your Coherence state. Make ☀️E (Energy) and 🔁R (Regulation), stabilize your platform.
  • ⚖️ Layer 2 Balance: The 🔁R (Regulation) economy that keeps you in range. Make ☀️E (Energy) and 🔁R (Regulation), stabilize your platform.
  • 🦋 Layer 3 Form: It’s depicted as patterns that improve restoration of structure and reduce the cost of “build/repair” style contributions. Improve Projects and credit via Form tags, create “we-function” advantages.
  • 🧫 Layer 4 Membership: It’s depicted as patterns that make you more efficient at Projects and more reliable in reciprocal play; creating “we-function” advantages.
  • 🌐 Layer 5 Prediction: It’s depicted as 🧩M (Model) generation plus Pattern Market manipulation (peek, filter, reserve).
  • 🎯 Layer 6 Reinforcement: It’s depicted as 💎V (Value) generation plus “policy lock-in” effects (stable conversions, habit-like benefits).

• Effect:
  • 🧠 Layer 7 Presence: is depicted as a rare “agency burst” icon on select Pattern cards, not as a full slot. Gives flexible choice (wild token effect). Mechanically it’s a limited flexibility effect, for example: a once-per-round wildcard token, a third action, or a “choose one of two futures” effect when resolving a World Event. The point is that “Presence” feels like a unified moment of choice, not like another steady currency stream.

• World Board:
  • 🏛️ Layer 8 Social: is depicted primarily on the World Board, not inside a player. Creates 👥B (Bond) and stabilizes Trust via projects. Mechanically it lives in the Trust track, the Social Touchpoint action, and Projects that create shared scaffolds. Culture-tagged Patterns and Projects tend to increase Trust, reduce the cost of cooperation, and improve contribution credit. This matches the layer: culture is shared rules, roles, and institutions that stabilize meaning across minds.
  • 🌳 Layer 9 Story: is depicted as long-horizon scoring structures that convert repeated contributions into 🌿L (Legacy) and multipliers. Mechanically it shows up in Story-tagged Patterns that produce or amplify 🌿L (Legacy), and in Projects like mentorship, teaching, archives, and “containers that outlast a round.” Story is where your play starts to look like a coherent arc, not just turn-by-turn efficiency.
  • 🌍 Layer 10 Stewardship: is depicted almost entirely as high-tier Projects on the World Board. Mechanically it’s the endgame: Stewardship Projects have prerequisites (high Trust, high Habitat), require 🌿L (Legacy) alongside core tokens, and award major points plus world-level stability effects (reducing World Drift, improving Vital Signals). This forces the two-way survival relationship at scale: you can’t “buy” stewardship, you have to stabilize the world enough to make it possible.

Scoring

A) Points from Completed Projects

When a Project is completed:

• Apply its public benefit (Vital Signals and/or Drift reduction).
• Award points by contribution credit:
  • Top contributor: 6 points
  • Second contributor: 3 points
  • All other contributors: 1 point

(Ties split the higher reward.)

B) Endgame Meaning Score (Three Pillars)

At game end, add:

1) Autopoiesis (Self-maintenance)

• +1 point per Coherence above 5
• +2 points if you never dropped below Coherence 3 during the game

2) Allopoiesis (Value to others)

• +1 point per 2 Social Standing
• +1 point per 👥B (Bond) you contributed into Projects (track via credit marks or a simple tally)

3) Horizon (Legacy and Stewardship)

• +1 point per 🌿L (Legacy)
• +3 points if you contributed to at least one Stewardship Project (Layer 10)

Collapse penalty:

• If World Drift ended at 10–12, everyone loses 6 points.

Example Icon-Only Projects

(These are examples; your tile set can vary.)

• Shared Shelter (Layer 8)
  • Requires: ☀️E (Energy), ☀️E (Energy), 🔁R (Regulation), 👥B (Bond)
  • Public benefit: +1 Habitat, +1 Trust
  • Points: by contribution credit

• Training Loop (Layer 6)
  • Requires: 🧩M (Model), 💎V (Value), 🔁R (Regulation)
  • Public benefit: Once per round, the table may convert 1× ☀️E (Energy) into 1× 🔁R (Regulation)
  • Points: by contribution credit

• Mentorship Chain (Layer 9)
  • Requires: 👥B (Bond), 👥B (Bond), 🧩M (Model), 🌿L (Legacy)
  • Public benefit: +1 Trust, reduce World Drift by 2
  • Bonus: top contributor gains +1 Horizon

• Stewardship Pact (Layer 10, end trigger candidate)
  • Prereq: Habitat 5+, Trust 5+
  • Requires contributions totaling: ☀️E (Energy), ☀️E (Energy), 🔁R (Regulation), 🧩M (Model), 👥B (Bond), 🌿L (Legacy), 🌿L (Legacy)
  • Public benefit: reduce World Drift by 2 immediately
  • Completing this ends the game.
  • Points: top contributor 10, second 5, others 2

Example of Play

🎧 Listen to Example of Play ~ 30 minutes

This example demonstrates a full arc, from “platform stability” to “reciprocity” to “legacy” to “stewardship.”

Cast

3 players:

• Alex (stability-first role)
• Brooke (economy/pattern market role)
• Casey (social/project role)

Starting state:

• World Drift = 3
• Energy Flow = 3, Trust = 3, Habitat = 3
• Each player: 2× ☀️E (Energy), 1× 🔁R (Regulation), Coherence 4, Social Standing 2, Horizon 1

Round 1

Phase A: World Event

Event: Uncertainty

• Drift increase: +2 (pending)
• Mitigation requires: 🧩M (Model) + 🔁R (Regulation)

Phase C: Player Turns

Alex (2 actions) 1) Acquire: takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation) 2) Buy Pattern (Layer 2 Balance): pays ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation); gains outputs 🔁R (Regulation) + 🩹H (Heal) Alex now holds 1× 🔁R (Regulation) and 1× 🩹H (Heal) (plus remaining starting tokens if any).

Brooke 1) Acquire: takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🧩M (Model) 2) Buy Pattern (Layer 1 Boundary): pays cheap cost (e.g., ☀️E (Energy)); gains outputs ☀️E (Energy) + ☀️E (Energy) Brooke builds a strong ☀️E (Energy) base and keeps 1× 🧩M (Model) for mitigation.

Casey 1) Acquire: takes ☀️E (Energy) + 👥B (Bond) 2) Social Touchpoint: gives 1 token (for example, 👥B (Bond)) to Brooke.

• Casey gains +1 Social Standing and gains 1× 👥B (Bond).

This establishes early reciprocity without negotiation.

Phase D: Stability Check

Mitigation pool:

• Brooke contributes 1× 🧩M (Model)
• Alex contributes 1× 🔁R (Regulation)

Mitigation met, so the +2 Drift increase is canceled.

World Vital Signals are stable, so no penalties.

Phase E: Meaning Tick

No one has Coherence 7+ or Horizon 5+ yet. Casey might be approaching Social Standing goals later.

Round 2

Phase A: World Event

Event: Damage

• Drift increase: +1 (pending)
• Places 2 local 🌀D (Drift) stress tokens on the World Board
• Mitigation requires: 🩹H (Heal) + 🔁R (Regulation)

Player Turns

Alex 1) Heal: spends 1× 🩹H (Heal) to remove 1 local 🌀D (Drift) stress token. 2) Acquire: takes 🔁R (Regulation) + ☀️E (Energy) Alex stays in “keep it from falling apart” mode.

Brooke 1) Buy Pattern (Layer 5 Prediction): pays cost including ☀️E (Energy) + 🧩M (Model). Gains output 2× 🧩M (Model) (and a “peek” icon, handled as: look at top 2 Pattern cards, keep 1 on top, tuck 1 to bottom). 2) Acquire: takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation) Brooke now enables future mitigation and better Pattern Market choices.

Casey 1) Contribute to Project: chooses the simplest available Project, “Shared Shelter (Layer 8)” Contributes ☀️E (Energy) + 👥B (Bond) (partial progress). 2) Acquire: takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation) Casey is positioning for Project credit.

Phase D

Mitigation requires 🩹H (Heal) + 🔁R (Regulation)

• Alex used 🩹H (Heal) already, but has 🔁R (Regulation)
• The table collectively converts 2× ☀️E (Energy) → 1× 🩹H (Heal) (using the emergency conversion) and contributes 🔁R (Regulation).

Mitigation met, Drift +1 canceled.

Round 3

Event: Scarcity

• Drift increase: +2 (pending)
• Mitigation requires: total 3× ☀️E (Energy) into the pool

Alex 1) Acquire: ☀️E (Energy) + ☀️E (Energy) is not allowed, so takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🩹H (Heal) (via card output or bank availability if allowed). If not available, take ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation). 2) Contribute to Shared Shelter: pays 🔁R (Regulation) (needed for completion)

Brooke 1) Acquire: ☀️E (Energy) + ☀️E (Energy) not allowed; takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🧩M (Model) 2) Buy Pattern (Layer 6 Reinforcement): pays ☀️E (Energy) + 💎V (Value) (if lacking V, buys an earlier card that outputs 💎V (Value)); gains outputs including 💎V (Value)

Casey 1) Contribute to Shared Shelter: pays remaining ☀️E (Energy) needed. 2) Social Touchpoint: gives 1 token to Alex, gains +1 Social Standing and 1× 👥B (Bond). This keeps Trust-favoring play active.

Phase D (Mitigate Scarcity): Table contributes 3× ☀️E (Energy) total. Drift +2 canceled.

Shared Shelter completes this round:

• Public benefit: +1 Habitat, +1 Trust
• Points by contribution:

Casey contributed earliest and multiple icons, Alex also contributed, Brooke likely less. Award: Top contributor 6, second 3, others 1 (based on credit marks).

Interpretation: The table has now built an external scaffold (Layer 8 feel) that makes future play easier.

Round 4

Event: Threat

• Drift increase: +2 (pending)
• Mitigation requires: 🔁R (Regulation) + 👥B (Bond)

Alex 1) Buy Pattern (Layer 2 Balance): gains more 🔁R (Regulation) and possibly 🩹H (Heal) 2) Heal: spends 1× 🩹H (Heal) to reduce World Drift by 1 (pre-emptive stabilization)

Brooke 1) Acquire: 👥B (Bond) + ☀️E (Energy) 2) Contribute to “Training Loop (Layer 6)”: pays 🧩M (Model) or 🔁R (Regulation) as available

Casey 1) Acquire: 👥B (Bond) + 🔁R (Regulation) 2) Contribute to Training Loop: pays 💎V (Value) if available (or contributes to any other active Project)

Phase D Mitigation: Table contributes 🔁R (Regulation) + 👥B (Bond). Drift +2 reduced/canceled.

If Training Loop completes:

• Public benefit: table gains once-per-round conversion 1× ☀️E (Energy) → 1× 🔁R (Regulation)

This is a visible “Layer 6” moment: value-learning creates stable policy.

Round 5

Event: Conflict

• Drift increase: +1 (pending)
• Mitigation requires: 2× 👥B (Bond)

Pattern Market now contains at least one Layer 9 Story/Legacy pattern.

Alex 1) Acquire: ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation) 2) Contribute to “Mentorship Chain (Layer 9)”: pays M (Model) or 👥B (Bond)

Brooke 1) Buy Pattern (Layer 9 Story): pays cost; gains output 🌿L (Legacy) (and possibly 🧩M (Model)) 2) Contribute to Mentorship Chain: pays 1× 🌿L (Legacy) or sets up for it

Casey 1) Social Touchpoint: asks Brooke for 1 token needed for the Project (if Brooke agrees, both gain 1× 👥B (Bond)) 2) Contribute to Mentorship Chain: pays 1× 👥B (Bond) + 1× 👥B (Bond) if available

Phase D Mitigation: Table spends 2× 👥B (Bond) to cancel Drift increase.

If Mentorship Chain completes:

• Public benefit: +1 Trust, reduce World Drift by 2
• Points by contribution credit.
• Top contributor also gains +1 Horizon (on the tile).

Interpretation: Meaning has now moved from “stay stable” to “carry patterns forward through teaching and trust.”

Round 6

Event: Uncertainty (again)

• Drift increase: +2 (pending)
• Mitigation requires: 🧩M (Model) + 🔁R (Regulation)

The table is now strong enough to mitigate regularly.

Players start eyeing the Layer 10 Stewardship Pact in the Project row. Prereq: Habitat 5+, Trust 5+

Because the table has completed at least two major Projects, Trust and Habitat are likely near 5. If not, the table must spend Round 6–7 pushing those tracks up.

Alex 1) Heal: spends 1× 🩹H (Heal) to reduce World Drift by 1 (keeping the runway) 2) Contribute to Stewardship Pact: pays 🔁R (Regulation) or ☀️E (Energy)

Brooke 1) Buy Pattern that outputs 🧩M (Model) and/or 🌿L (Legacy) 2) Contribute to Stewardship Pact: pays 🧩M (Model) or 1× 🌿L (Legacy)

Casey 1) Contribute to Stewardship Pact: pays 👥B (Bond) 2) Acquire: takes ☀️E (Energy) + ☀️E (Energy) not allowed; takes ☀️E (Energy) + 🔁R (Regulation) to prepare a final contribution next round

Phase D Mitigation: Table contributes 🧩M (Model) + 🔁R (Regulation) to cancel Drift +2.

Round 7 (Finale: Layer 10 Completion)

Event: Damage or Scarcity, but the table has built the tools to manage it.

The key move: Players finish the Stewardship Pact requirements:

• ☀️E (Energy), ☀️E (Energy), 🔁R (Regulation), 🧩M (Model), 👥B (Bond), 🌿L (Legacy), 🌿L (Legacy)

Once completed:

• Public benefit: reduce World Drift by 2 immediately
• Game ends
• Points awarded: top contributor 10, second 5, others 2 (based on credit)

Interpretation: Stewardship is not a solo action. It requires:

• A stable platform (Layers 1–2)
• Trained model + value loops (Layers 5–6)
• Real reciprocity (Layer 8)
• Legacy tokens (Layer 9)

Only then can the table “keep the game World Board playable” (Layer 10).

Endgame Scoring Example

Each player totals:

• Project points (earned throughout)
• Meaning Ticks (small points gained over rounds)
• Endgame pillars:
  • Autopoiesis: Coherence above 5, plus “never below 3” bonus
  • Allopoiesis: Social Standing and 👥B (Bond) spent into Projects
  • Horizon: 🌿L (Legacy) tokens plus Stewardship participation bonus

The winner is the player who best integrated self-stability, mutual value, and long-horizon care.

Score Ledger (Worked Example for the 3-Player Walkthrough) This ledger assigns explicit point values to the walkthrough so the example has real final scores. It follows the rules exactly as written:

• Standard Project scoring: top contributor = 6, second = 3, other contributors = 1.
• Stewardship Project scoring: top = 10, second = 5, other contributors = 2.
• Meaning Ticks: scored each round per Phase E (Coherence 7+, Social Standing 6+ with at least 1× B (Bond), Horizon 5+).
• Endgame Meaning Score: three pillars (Autopoiesis, Allopoiesis, Horizon) plus Stewardship bonus.

Projects Completed in the Walkthrough

Round	Project	Contribution Rank (Alex / Brooke / Casey)	Points Awarded (Alex / Brooke / Casey)
3	Shared Shelter (Layer 8)	2nd / 3rd / 1st	3 / 1 / 6
4	Training Loop (Layer 6)	2nd / 1st / 3rd	3 / 6 / 1
5	Mentorship Chain (Layer 9)	3rd / 2nd / 1st	1 / 3 / 6
7	Stewardship Pact (Layer 10, game end)	3rd / 1st / 2nd	2 / 10 / 5

Project totals:

• Alex = 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 9
• Brooke = 1 + 6 + 3 + 10 = 20
• Casey = 6 + 1 + 6 + 5 = 18

Meaning Ticks (Phase E)

Assumed thresholds achieved during the arc (consistent with roles in the walkthrough):

• Alex (stability-first) hits Coherence 7+ late game: rounds 5–7 = 3 ticks.
• Brooke (model/legacy) hits Horizon 5+ late game: rounds 6–7 = 2 ticks.
• Casey (social/project) hits Social Standing 6+ with at least 1× B (Bond) mid-late game: rounds 4–7 = 4 ticks, and Horizon 5+ in round 7 = +1 tick.

Player	Meaning Ticks
Alex	3
Brooke	2
Casey	5

Endgame State Assumptions (Explicit)

These are the final track values and holdings used for pillar scoring.

Player	Coherence (track)	Social Standing (track)	Horizon (track)	L (Legacy) held	B (Bond) spent into Projects	Stewardship contributed?
Alex	8	5	4	1	2	Yes
Brooke	6	4	6	3	1	Yes
Casey	7	8	5	2	4	Yes

Endgame Meaning Score (Three Pillars)

Rules reminder:

• Autopoiesis: +1 per Coherence above 5, plus +2 if never dropped below Coherence 3.
• Allopoiesis: +1 per 2 Social Standing, plus +1 per B (Bond) spent into Projects.
• Horizon: +1 per L (Legacy), plus +3 if you contributed to at least one Stewardship Project (Layer 10).

Assume all three players never dropped below Coherence 3 (consistent with the table surviving and the stability-focused play).

Player	Autopoiesis	Allopoiesis	Horizon	Endgame Pillars Total
Alex	(8-5)=3 +2 = 5	floor(5/2)=2 +2(B spent)=2 => 4	1(L) +3(steer) = 4	13
Brooke	(6-5)=1 +2 = 3	floor(4/2)=2 +1(B spent)=1 => 3	3(L) +3(steer) = 6	12
Casey	(7-5)=2 +2 = 4	floor(8/2)=4 +4(B spent)=4 => 8	2(L) +3(steer) = 5	17

Final Scores

Final Score = Project Points + Meaning Ticks + Endgame Pillars Total

Player	Project Points	Meaning Ticks	Endgame Pillars	FINAL SCORE
Alex	9	3	13	25
Brooke	20	2	12	34
Casey	18	5	17	40

Winner: Casey (40)

Why this outcome makes sense

Alex wins the platform game (high Coherence, steady H (Heal) usage), Brooke wins the market/legacy race (highest Project credit on the Layer 10 finish and strong L (Legacy)), but Casey wins overall by doing what the Life Builds Meaning rewards: converting reciprocity into durable shared structures. Casey’s high Social Standing plus heavy B (Bond) spending into Projects produces the largest Allopoiesis pillar, and still reaches Stewardship. That is the Life Builds Meaning arc in score form: self-stability enables contribution, and contribution is what scales Meaning.