Ep 6 Game Rules: Gold Rush Shoot Out!

WHAT IS THIS?

This post explains the rules of the game featured in Episode 6 of Gamebreaker.

These posts will be split into two sections:

Section 1 is the rules of the game as presented in the episode. This is for viewers who find reading rules helpful for game comprehension, or wanted to check a specific rule.

Section 2 is for people who want to try and play the game themselves with friends. It will include extra information on top of the rules explained in section 1, and suggestions to adapt the game outside of the competition format. Section 2 may contain spoilers for the episode.

SECTION 1: RULES FOR EPISODE

Background:

It is the Wild West during the gold rush era, and a group of outlaws are in a standoff over how to split the ‘take’ from their recent robbery.

Game structure:

There are six rounds of Gold Rush Shootout.

There is also a 10 minute discussion break before the first round, after round 2, and after round 4.

The players are competing to collect the most loot, while avoiding getting shot.

The richest player at the end of the game will win one and a half Gamebreaker tokens.

The player who has the most antiques (a type of loot) will earn half a Gamebreaker token.

The player who has the most wounds from being shot will get a strike.

Round gameplay:

1. Lineup: Players take their place around the game table. From 1^st priority to last priority clockwise.

2. The ‘take’: At the beginning of each round, the loot and ability decks are shuffled, and 5 loot cards and 3 ability cards are dealt face up on the table for everyone to see (with the exception of the last round, where the ‘take’ is 8 loot cards only)

3. Choice of ammo: Each player then secretly chooses either a blank or a bullet to load their (finger) pistol with, and places the ammo face down on the table. (All players start the game with 6 ammo cards, one for each round, 4 blanks and 2 bullets.)

4. Aim: On the count of three, each player must hold another player at gunpoint (by pointing their finger gun)

5. Ability phase: Players have a minute to play ability cards (see section below) if they so choose.

6. Standoff: On the count of three, players either:

7. Sit out

8. Stay standing

A player who sits out discards their ammo without revealing it. They have fled and will not participate in sharing the take. However, they are guaranteed not to be wounded.

Note: players are not permitted to sit out 3 rounds in a row.

A player who stays standing risks getting wounded for a chance at sharing the loot. If your target has stood down, discard your ammo card without revealing it.

7. Ambush: There is a 5 second countdown for any player to spend half a token to use the gamebreaker advantage: turn all pistols pointed at you back on their users!

8. Shootout: When the 5 seconds are up, players who still have an ammo card reveal it one at a time in order of priority and apply its effect:

9. Blank: nothing happens.

10. Bullet: The targeted player is wounded. The targeted player applies a wound sticker and is disqualified from sharing in ‘the take’ for that turn.

Note: Effects are applied simultaneously. It is possible to receive more than one wound in a single turn.

9. Share of ‘the take’: starting with the player in the highest priority position and moving clockwise, each player still standing selects one card of their choice from the ‘take’ (which can either be loot or ability cards) to keep*. It is possible to go around the table multiple times. Once every card has been taken, the round ends.

Alternatively, players can select the first priority token instead. This excludes them from the rest of the ‘take’, but they will be in the first priority position next round. If no-one selects first priority, players change their priority around the table by one position clockwise (eg. 6^th priority becomes 1^st priority for next round).

*Players will be given an envelope to store loot and ability cards they earn in secret.

THE TAKE

Loot deck (33 cards):

There are three types of loot.

• Gold cards (16 cards): Either 1 bar (x5), 2 bars (x5), 3 bars (x5) or 5 bars (x1).

• Rare stamp collection (10 cards): The value of a stamp in gold bars is = the number of stamps in your collection. (Eg. if you have 3 stamps in your possession, each individual stamp is worth 3 gold bars, so your collection would be worth 9 bars in total)

• Antiques (7 cards): Worth no gold bars in-game, but the player(s) with the most antiques at the end of the game will earn a bonus half a token.

Ability deck (15 cards):

There are five types of ability card:

• Hired hand (4 cards): Move one pistol to the target of your choice (cannot point someone’s gun at themselves)

• Bullet (4 cards): An extra bullet card. Played during loading phase, not advantage phase.

• Dual wield (3 cards): Point a second pistol for that round at the target of your choice. (the ammo you submitted is duplicated)

• Bandage (2 cards): Remove one wound.

• Duck and weave (2 cards): avoid receiving any bullet wounds that round.

NOTE: You cannot trade cards in this game.

SECTION 2: FOR PLAYING YOURSELF

For once this section is going to be very short: play Cash N' Guns.

This was just an adaption of that board game for the competition, so you can just play the original!

That's all! See you next week!