Vibes Official Rules

This document contains the official tournament infraction procedure guide. This document is not the right place for new players looking to learn the basic rules. The right place to learn for new players is: https://www.vibes.game/tutorial

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VIBES Tournament Infraction Procedure Guide (VIPG)

Version 1.0 | Effective May 2025

Overview and Framework

This guide defines infractions, penalties, and procedures for handling rules violations and conduct issues at VIBES events held at Competitive REL or above.

1. General Philosophy

1.1 Judge Role

Judges ensure fair enforcement of rules and are empowered to:

• Investigate violations neutrally

• Penalize according to written standards

• Educate players and maintain tournament integrity

1.2 Purpose of Penalties

Penalties serve to:

• Educate the violating player

• Prevent recurrence

• Deter similar errors by others

• Document behavior over time

1.3 Penalty Definitions

2. Game Play Errors (GPE)

2.1 Game Rule Violation

Definition: Performing an illegal game action. Examples:

• [ACT] during the Turn phase

• Playing a second Rod in a single turn

Penalty: Warning

Fix: Partial fix if minimal disruption; otherwise leave state as is.

2.2 Missed Trigger

Definition: Failing to acknowledge a mandatory trigger. Examples: Forgetting Sliding Penguin’s beginning of action time trigger

Penalty: Caution or Warning (see beneficial/detrimental triggers 2.2.1 + 2.2.2)

Fix: Depends if the trigger is a Beneficial or Detrimental Trigger. At the Judge’s discussion they may but are not required to consult the non offending player about the view on the beneficial nature of the trigger. 

2.2.1 Beneficial Trigger

Definition: Beneficial Trigger- A trigger that benefits the player who controls the missed trigger

Penalty: Caution

Fix: If found before any game actions were made, rewind and resolve the trigger. If found after game actions were made, do not resolve the trigger.

2.2.2 Detrimental Trigger

Definition: A trigger that hinders or has a negative effect on the player who controls the missed trigger

Penalty: Warning

Fix: If found before any game actions were made, rewind and resolve the trigger. If found after game actions were made, attempt to rewind the game state as much as possible, before resolving the trigger. The player who missed the trigger should not benefit in any way. 

2.3 Hidden Zone Error

Definition: Error in a hidden zone (e.g. drawing too many cards).

Penalty: Warning

Fix: Reveal entire hand to opponent, and they choose card(s) to be returned/shuffled. Any cards in deck that are known should not be randomized. 

Exception 1: If a player wins a vibe check and draws a card instead of accelerating a rod, and if the player has not drawn a card for the next turn, and it is determined that the card drawn was random and unknown.

Fix: Player puts the current top card of the deck face down as a rod to accelerate. And skips their next draw step since they have already drawn that card. 

Exception 2: A player places their cards facedown mixed in with their rods. Now some number of rods and hand are indistinguishable

Fix: Reveal the pile of cards that are indistinguishable to the opponent, and they choose card(s) to be returned to the player's hand (back to the appropriate hand size). 

2.4 Looking at Extra Cards

Definition: Unintentionally revealing cards (e.g. flipping top card).

Penalty: Warning

Fix: Shuffle visible cards back into the deck. Keep any known cards in the same order that are not randomized

Exception 1: If this is done at the start of the game, and a player inadvertently looks at cards in their opponents deck. 

Fix: The player who looked at their opponents deck loses their ability to mulligan. If that player has already lost their ability to Mulligan, then they start the game with one less card drawn. 

2.5 Failure to Maintain Game State

Definition: Not noticing an opponent's clear violation.

Penalty: Caution

3. Tournament Errors (TE)

3.1 Tardiness

Definition: Not seated or ready at match start.

Penalty:

• >0–7 min: Loses ability to Mulligan

• 7 min: Game Loss

3.2 Decklist Problem

Definition: Decklist is illegal, ambiguous, or incomplete.

Penalty: Game Loss

Fix: Adjust list or deck to match legal configuration attempting to be as similar as possible to originally submitted list.

3.3 Deck Problem

Definition: Physical deck does not match submitted list.

Penalty: Game Loss

3.4 Outside Assistance

Definition: Asking for and receiving strategic advice from another person.

Penalty: Game Loss

3.5 Communication Policy Violation

Definition: Providing misleading or unclear information. Dice on cards must only represent vibe counters. Dice may be put adjacent to cards to represent other game information like boosts, or the current Vibe of ? cards. 

Penalty: Warning

3.6 Marked Cards

Definition: Identifiable cards via wear or sleeve markings.

Penalty: Warning

Fix: Replace sleeves.

Upgrade: If it appears intentional, Disqualification

3.7 Insufficient Shuffling

Definition: Deck not randomized adequately.

Penalty: Caution

Fix: Shuffle again.

3.8 Slow Play

Definition: Unreasonably slow decisions or loops.

Penalty: Warning

Upgrade: If slow play continues, Game Loss

4. Unsporting Conduct (UC)

4.1 Minor

Examples: Swearing, messiness, minor rage.

Penalty: Warning 

4.2 Major

Examples: Harassment, targeted insults.

Penalty: Game Loss 

Upgrade: Disqualification if malicious/repeated

4.3 Cheating

Examples:

• Intentional misrepresentation

• Drawing extra cards and hiding it

• Slight of hand shuffling

Penalty: Disqualification

4.4 Bribery

Examples: A player offers an incentive to entice an opponent into conceding, drawing, or changing the results of a match, encourages such an offer, or accepts such an offer. 

Penalty: Disqualification

4.5 Asking for a concession

Players are prohibited from asking or pressuring their opponent to concede the game

Penalty: Game Loss

5. Round Time Expires

5.1 Round Time Expire

When the time for the round expires, players receive any additional time extensions if any. When all time extensions are exhausted, players will finish the current turn cycle, and play 1 additional turn cycle. If there is no winner, the game ends in a tie. 

Appendix A: Penalty Summary

Appendix B: Rewind

Rewind may be applied when:

• The fix is clean and obvious

• No card identities are obscured

• No major advantage has been gained