From Mike Petty: Bedlam: The Countdown This is a resource management and negotiation game set in the dark future. Most simply, it's an auction game where the characters you buy provide the options you'll have for actions on your turn. Instead of using the usual approach with character based card games--when cards refer to broad classes of characters such as "thief" or "wizard"--the cards in Bedlam refer to specific characters and they give the game an excellent sense of narrative. Prepare for some surprises, some backstabbing and plenty of tough decisions. I know that, as the game's creator, my own opinion doesn't count for much. I have to say this is my favorite game of all that I have created. I'm glad to be able offer it for the first time in this form. I trust expansions and other editions will follow as more people discover the simple system and explore the possibilities it offers. The game is for three to five players and it can be completed in 45- 60 minutes. You'll need to print and cut out about 50 cards, a player sheet for each player and some counters (if you don't want to use poker chips or other tokens).