® Instructions

with
1 1.00 Element and 2 4.00

H Ninja GuideHe
Hydrogen Helium

Li Be
3 6.94 4 9.01 5 10.81 6 12.01 7 14.00 8 15.99 9 18.99 10 20.18

B C N O F Ne
Lithium Berylium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluorine Neon

Na Mg
55 22.99 38 24.30 13 26.98 14 28.08 15 30.97 16 32.06 17 35.45 18 39.94

Al Si P S Cl Ar
Sodium Magnesium Aluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine Argon
19 39.09 20 40.08 21 44.95 22 47.86 23 50.94 24 51.99 25 54.93 26 55.84 27 58.93 28 58.69 29 63.54 30 65.38 31 69.72 32 72.64 33 74.92 34 78.96 35 79.90 36 83.79

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton

37 84.46 38 87.62 39 88.90 40 91.22 41 92.90 42 95.95 43 98.90 44 101.07 45 102.90 46 106.42 47 107.86 48 112.41 49 114.81 50 118.71 51 121.76 52 127.60 53 126.90 54 131.29

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenur Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon
55 132.90 56 137.32 72 178.49 73 180.94 74 183.84 75 186.20 76 190.23 77 192.21 78 195.08 79 196.96 80 200.59 81 204.38 82 207.2 83 208.98 84 (208.98) 85 (209.98) 86 (222.01)

Cs Ba
Caesium Barium
Hf Ta
Hafnium Tantalum
W Re Re
Tungsten Rhenium Osmium
Ir Pt Au Hg
Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury
Tl Pb
Thallium Lead
Bi Po
Bismuth Polonium
At Rn
Astatine Radon
87 223.02 88 226.02 104 (261) 105 (262) 106 (266) 107 (264) 108 (269) 109 (268) 110 (269) 111 (272) 112 (277) 113 (286) 114 (289) 115 (288) 116 (293) 117 (294) 118 (294)

Fr Ra
Francium
Rf Db Sg Bh Bh Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh
Dubnium Bohrium Ununtrium
Fl Mc Lv
Flerovium Livermorium
Tn Og Oganesson
Radium Rutherfordium Seaborgium Hassium Meitnerium Darmstadtium Roentgenium Copernicium Moscovium Tennessine

57 138.90 58 140.11 59 140.90 60 144.24 61 144.91 62 150.36 63 151.96 64 157.25 65 158.92 66 162.50 67 164.93 68 167.25 69 168.93 70 173.05 71 174.96

La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
Lanthanum Cerium Praseodymium Neodymium Promethium Samarium Europium Gadolinium Terbium Dysprosium Holmium Erbium Thulium Ytterbium Lutetium
89 227.02 90 232.03 91 231.03 92 238.02 93 237.04 94 244.06 95 243.06 96 247.07 97 251.08 98 251.08 99 (252) 100 (257) 101 (258) 102 (259) 103 (262)

Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Californium Fermium Nobelium

Lr
Actinium Thorium Protactinium Uranium Neptunium Plutonium Americium Curium Berkelium Einsteinium Mendelevium Lawrencium
Watch how-to-play videos at: www.scienceninjas.com/valence/
Valence Molecule Type
Number
Color Point
Element Value

Atomic
Number Colors

Molecule
Symbol
Action Text

48 Element Cards 46 Molecule Cards

12 Oxygen 8 Chlorine 9 Salt 5 Base
10 Hydrogen 2 Potassium 9 Water 6 Carbon Dioxide
3 Carbon 2 Calcium 5 Metal Oxide 4 Deadly Carbonyl
6 Sodium 1 Helium 5 Acid 3 Halocarbon
4 Fluorine

Build 10 Points worth of Molecules to win the Game!

In Valence, players use Element cards to build Molecules. Each Molecule is worth a different
point value, noted in the diamond in the corner. The first player to 10 points wins the game!
Getting Started

Initial Setup

Element Discard
Deck Pile
start game with one card
Molecule Bank already in discard pile

1. Arrange the Molecule cards in the center of your playing surface to form the
Molecule Bank.
2. Deal each player 6 Element cards.
3. The player with the Element card with the highest atomic number (the purple
number at the bottom of the color box) goes first and turns proceed clockwise.
Calcium is the highest - whoever has it usually goes first! In a tie, the next highest
atomic number is used to determine who goes first.
Drawing Element Cards

Unless someone reacted with you last

turn, your turn always starts with drawing
Element cards. If you have two or more
Element cards in hand, draw one card from
the Element Deck. If you have only one
Element Card in your hand, draw two. If

0
you have none, draw three.
If only drawing one card, you may instead
draw the top card from the Discard Pile.
Find Elements with Valence
Instead of drawing, you can discard your numbers that add up to zero
entire hand and draw three new cards.
If the Element Deck is empty, reshuffle
discard pile and reuse as Element Deck.
If an opponent has reacted with one or
more of your Molecules on the previous
turn, you must skip drawing Element
Cards on your turn! You can still collect
Element Cards by Trading Up with a Salt Take Molecule that matches
or Reacting. colors of Elements
Building Molecules to Earn Points and Win the Game
1. Build Molecules on your turn by finding combinations of your Element Cards whose
Valence numbers add up to zero

2. Take the Molecule from the Molecule Bank that matches the colors of the Element
Cards. Check the back of the Molecule to make sure you built it correctly.

3. Place the Molecule face up in front of you so all opponents can see - it is now in your
Molecule Stash. If you have ten points worth of Molecules, you’ve won the game!
4. Place Element Cards that built the Molecule face up in the Discard Pile.

Build as many molecules as you choose on your turn. If the Molecule Bank is out of a
Molecule, you cannot build it.

Helium is a special Element Card - add Helium to your

Molecule Stash as if building a complete Molecule (worth
two points) directly from your hand. All players then pass all
Element cards in hand to the player to their right. If Helium is
one of your first six Element cards, return to the bottom of the
Element deck and replace with another card. You cannot add
Helium on your first turn!
Reacting
Acid and Water Molecules are Reactors and can react with certain white-bordered Molecules.
You can react as many times as you choose on your turn.
Reactor Opponent Molecule Products (collected by opponent)

reacts makes
with

reacts makes
with

reacts makes
with
 1. Find an Opponent’s Molecule and React. The bottom of your Reactor tells you
what Molecules you can react with. Acid reacts with Base and Metal Oxide;
Water reacts with Deadly Carbonyl.
2. Return the Reactor to the Molecule Bank. Take a random Element Card from
your opponent. If opponent has no Element Cards, take an Element card from
the Element Deck.

3. Collect Products. Whoever owns the white-bordered Molecule replaces it with

the products of the reaction. Exchange a Base or Metal Oxide for a Salt and
Water; exchange a Deadly Carbonyl for a Carbon Dioxide and Acid. This
player skips the draw phase of their next turn!

Trading Up
Discard (return to the Molecule Bank) a Salt during the Build phase of your turn to
draw two Element Cards from the Element Deck. You can Trade Up once per turn.

Finishing your Turn

When you are done building molecules, reacting, and / or trading up, you are done
with your turn. If you have 7 or more Element cards in hand, discard until you only
have 6 Element cards.
Tips and Strategies
Try to get rid of all of your Element cards - then draw
3 on your next turn! More cards = more molecules!
You can put Element cards in the discard pile in any
order you choose. If you have Bases, don’t put anything
that could make Acids on top!
You don’t have to build molecules every turn. Save for
a surprise Acid attack, or a late burst of points. But
keep an eye out for Helium...

Alternative Rules
Beginner Rules - Set aside trading up and reactions
and just focus on building Molecules.
Cooperative Rules - Work together to build every
type of Molecule before reshuffling the Element deck.

Science Ninja Rules - Players must name the specific

Molecule they’re building. So if a player builds a Base
from Sodium, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, they must declare
they’ve made Sodium Hydroxide to take their Molecule!
If they get it wrong, players can try again next turn.
 What is Valence? electron
Everything in the universe nucleus
is made of tiny bits called
ATOMS. Atoms are so shell
small you could fit a billion
trillion in one drop of water! Hydrogen Atom
These diagrams are designed to show the
atoms’ structures. In real atoms, the nucle-
One sextillion atoms
(1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) us is a lot smaller compared to the electron
Oxygen Atom shell. If an atom was the size of a stadium,
the nucleus would be a marble.

How do atoms fit together? It depends on To get a full valence

the outermost shell - the Valence Shell. To shell, an atom needs
achieve stability, an atom needs to fill any to share electrons
empty “slots” in its Valence Shell. with other atoms.
valence
shell
We call this
stable group
of atoms a
molecule - the
H2O Molecule building block
empty of all matter!
(water)
slots
 Dr. Eureka Fermi
Rank: Science Ninja
Age: 11
The youngest Science Ninja, Eureka has
the brash confidence of someone whose
tremendous wits and abilities have yet to fail
her. Sometimes her schemes get her (and
almost certainly, her peers) in hot water, but
wouldn’t it be boring if everything was easy
all the time? Maybe Eureka feels secure
because of her special relationship with
Shogun - the mysterious leader of Science
Ninjas.

Hydrogen
Atomic Number: 1

It’s appropriate that Science Ninjas’ brightest star is

represented by the first element, given that most stars
are made of hydrogen. Colorless, tasteless, odorless,
and flammable, a Science Ninja could use this nearly
undetectable gas to cause a sneaky explosion!
 Carlos Einstein
Rank: Science Ninja Cadet
Age: 10
Genetically modified to be twelve times tougher
than your typical ten year old, Carlos doesn’t
have a violent bone in his body. Cadets like
Carlos can’t go on official missions - unless
a sneaky Science Ninja forges some forms
to exploit Carlos’ superior strength, speed,
and can-do spirit. Carlos endears himself to
everyone with his “aw, shucks” charm, but he
can barely get through his own dumb jokes
without chuckling like a knucklehead!

Carbon
Atomic Number: 6

Carlos forms bonds with everyone he meets, and carbon

forms bonds with other elements to make over ten million
different compounds. Carbon can form soft, opaque
graphite or hard, transparent diamonds. This capacity for
diversity makes it the common element of all known life!
 Sloopeeku Okiedokie
Princess of the Mizuhan
Age: 14
Princess Sloopeeku (Sloopy to her friends)
left the waterfalls of her homeland to learn
how science and technology - unseen among
the technophobic folk of the Mizuhan - could
improve the lives of her people. Defined by her
bravery, compassion, and (all too often) striking
looks, some of her colleagues (well, really just
Mei) think she’s just a self-righteous goody-
two-shoes!

Oxygen
Atomic Number: 8

As a vegetarian, Sloopy may not consume animals, but all

animals consume oxygen for cellular respiration! We think
of oxygen as something in the air, since that’s how we
engage with it moment to moment, but it makes up half
the earth’s crust as oxides, and most of the ocean (H2O)!
 Rascal
Age: ?
Much remains unknown of the shadowy
agent called Rascal, including age, gender,
and motivation. What is known should give
even the most seasoned Science Ninja pause:
Rascal is a master of martial arts, disguise,
and improvised ninja tools who may assist or
oppose you depending on the situation.

Fluorine
Atomic Number: 9

Dangerous like Rascal, fluorine is a highly toxic yellow gas

at room temperature. Fluorine is the most electronegative
(hungry for electrons) element - it even pulls electrons from
stubborn Noble gases! Despite the danger, trace amounts
of flurorine added to dental products prevent cavities!
 Mei Wu
Rank: Science Ninja Cadet
Age: 13
Genetically modified to be twelve times
stronger than your typical teen, her peers might
say she’s also twelve times grouchier - just,
probably not to her face. Mei is fiercely loyal to
her few friends like Carlos, who know under that
stony scowl lives a sensitive soul. Mei is not so
sure of her smarts - she prefers problems she
can fix with her fists!

Sodium
Atomic Number: 11

Mei gets pretty salty, which is how we think about sodium

when we consume it as table salt. Pure sodium is a soft
metal but could burn your skin if it comes in contact with
your sweat. Raw sodium, like Mei, doesn’t occur in nature
- it’s isolated in a lab from other compounds.
 Dr. Tox
Rank: Science Ninjas Security Forces
Age: ?
Even though most information on Dr. Tox
remains classified, it’s safe to assume she does
Shogun’s dirty work. She’s sustained crippling
injuries fighting Science Ninjas’ deadliest foes,
but cutting-edge prosthetics and implants
make sure she stays on her feet. While her
peers would be too terrified to ask, they may
wonder how much of her is still human.

Chlorine
Atomic Number: 17

Like Dr. Tox, chlorine is thoroughly dangerous - as a

yellow-green gas it attacks the lungs, skin, and eyes.
But if you harness it’s destructive power, it can be helpful
to humans. If you’ve been in a public pool, chlorine has
protected you by killing harmful bacteria!
 Lo’Jian the Ascetic
Iwahan Leader
Age: ?
Forever seeking knowledge, Lo’Jian is a brilliant
mathematician in a land where anything beyond
the most rudimentary science is forbidden.
Despite advanced training from martial arts
masters, Lo’Jian abstains from violence. In
tense situations Lo’Jian uses his Monk’s
training to lower his heart rate and limit his
movements to the point of being undetectable
to robotic sensors. It’s rumored that Lo’Jian is
much older than his youthful appearance!

Potassium
Atomic Number: 19

A deep thinker, the complex network of nerves firing in

Lo’Jian’s brain depends on the movement of potassium
through nerve cell membranes. Just as vital to plants,
adding potassium to soil as fertilizer is necessary for
growing large quantities of crops.
 Dr. Calvin Davy
Rank: Science Ninja
Age: 16
This wizard of electrochemistry joined Science
Ninjas to access the world’s best labs,
with state-of-the-art hardware and brilliant
colleagues. But missions? Fighting? Forget
it! Wouldn’t it be much nicer to analyze some
data over a hot beverage with some cute lab
partner? Unfortunately for Calvin, someone
(usually Eureka) needs his expertise at the most
inconvenient times.

Calcium
Atomic Number: 20

Like Calvin, Calcium isn’t a loner! Despite being an

abundant element, it’s nearly always found in compounds,
like calcium carbonate in limestone and fossils! Calcium’s
best work is as part of a team, combining with other
elements to build soap, cement, and strong bones!
 Learn Physics with
Big Trouble with
Simple Machines!
128-page full color graphic novel

Ambitious Science Ninja Eureka Fermi

and her super-powered pals Carlos and
Mei wedge, ramp, and wheel their way
through Julie Joules’ lost lab in search of
a revolutionary technology. But a blown
curfew, screwy obstacles, and an army of
apologetic robots leaves the trio desperate,
overleveraged and definitely in Big Trouble!

Along the way, readers 8 and up learn

principles of force, work, mechanical
advantage, and compound machines.
There’s even an illustrated appendix of
experiments readers can do at home to
build their own simple machines!
Valence: the Graphic Novel
Available Late 2020
Carlos Einstein can fast-track his dream of becoming a Science Ninja by winning the
legendary Valence Tournament, a test of chemistry knowledge and ninja prowess. But
can he compete with brilliant rivals like Eureka and Calvin? Against his friend Mei’s
suspicions, Carlos enlists mysterious outsiders Lo’Jian and Sloopy to help navigate the
dangerous Material Tunnels and grueling Molecule Exam.
The final eight contestants face a deadly labrynth of fire, poison gas, and acid. Armed
with a unique element from the periodic table, competitors must partner with rivals to
build compounds that protect allies - or punish opponents. But all’s fair in love and
chemistry - can you really trust your competitors?
Going well beyond the chemistry taught in the game, readers 8 and up can learn a
comprehensive chemistry education, including modeling atoms and molecules, intensive,
extensive, and chemical properties of materials, conservation of matter, and much more!
 Want more Science Ninjas?
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and graphic novels on
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