Alibi (1993)
Alibi (1993) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Equipment
In the box, you should find 78 cards, a pad of record sheets, and these rules. Each player also needs a pencil or pen.
The Card Types
There are four types of cards organized by color: Suspect (24 blue cards), Place (18 green cards), Weapon (18 brown cards), and Emotion (18 red cards). Each group is organized into sets of three by an icon (there are eight sets of Suspects and six sets each of Places, Weapons, and Emotions). Each card in a set is unique, identified by a second icon under the first (see The Icon Boxes below).
The Icon Boxes
Each card has two icons in its upper left hand corner. These icons relate the card to the check boxes on the score sheet. The top icon identifies the Suspect, Place, Weapon, or Emotion represented by the card. The bottom icon identifies the Time, Location, Type, or Motive represented by the card. Time, Location, Type, and Motive are subcategories of the four basic card types. Time is a subcategory of Suspect, Location is a subcategory of Place, Type is a subcategory of Weapon, and Motive is a subcategory of Emotion. Thus Locations associated with the Studio (a Place) are Back Stage, Dressing Room, and On Set, while the Types associated with the Gun (a Weapon) are Pistol, Rifle, and Tommy Gun. Note that the Times associated with the Suspects are always Morning, Noon, and Night.
Setting Up for Play
Separate the cards by type: Suspect, Place, Weapon, and Emotion (see The Card Types on inside). Shuffle each type separately, pick one of each kind (without looking at them!), and hide the cards you pick in the game box until the end of the hand. The goal of the game is to deduce the identity of these four cards. After hiding the cards, shuffle the remaining cards together and deal all of them to the players. The player to the left of the player who received the last card takes the first turn.
Give each player a record sheet and a pencil. During play, the players use their record sheets to record the information they receive. Any time a player gains possession of a card or learns that another player owns a particular card through questioning, he should mark off that card on the record sheet. Any card marked off in this fashion is obviously not one of the cards hidden in the box, allowing players to use the record sheet to help them deduce the identity of the cards that are hidden.
You are now ready to play.
In A Turn
In his turn, a player may either ask a question or make an Accusation (which immediately ends the game). After each player completes his turn, play passes clockwise to the next player.
Asking A Question
The first player starts by asking any other player any question that can be answered with a number. Examples of possible questions are:
- How many Slim Slant cards do you have?
- How many Weapon cards do you have?
- How many Alleyway cards do you have?
- I think Brenda was killed by Slim Slant in the morning in the front seat of her auto with a pillow. How many of those cards have you seen?
- How many Rage cards have you seen?
- How many cards in your hand have you held since the beginning of the game?
The player questioned must answer truthfully and to the best of his recollection. All players are entitled to hear the question and answer given. No player may look at another player's record sheet to verify an answer.
Passing Cards
After each player's question is answered, each player passes some of his cards to the player on his left. During the first round (after each player has asked his first question), one card is passed in this fashion. During the second round (after each player has asked his second question), each player passes two cards in this fashion. During the third round (after each player has asked his third question), three cards are passed in this fashion, and so on.
Cards are passed face down, and the player must pass his cards before looking at the cards he is receiving. In later rounds, a player may be required to pass more cards than he has in his hand. In this case, the player simply passes his whole hand, possibly receiving more cards than he passed.
Melding Sets
Whenever a player has a complete set of three cards in his hand (i.e., three cards with the same upper icon; the three Poison cards are a complete set), he may meld the set by placing it on the table face up in front of him. Melded sets score points for the melding player (see Melding and Scoring inside) but also reveal the presence of melded cards to all the players. For example, if a player holds all three Boat cards during the second round, he may meld them whether it is his turn or not. The player would say as he melds the cards, "Brenda was not killed on the boat." In the second round, a set of Boat cards scores 5 points (see the record sheet).
When a set is melded, the player scores his points by circling the score for the meld on his record sheet. The number scored depends on the round the set is melded, as shown on the record sheet, with the:
- highest number scoring for the meld during the first round (6 for a Suspect set, 7 otherwise),
- the next highest for the meld during the second round (4 for a Suspect set, 5 otherwise), and
- the lowest (3) for a meld during the later rounds.
Making the First Accusation
In his turn, a player may choose to make an Accusation instead of asking his question. When a player announces his intention to make an Accusation, the game ends for everyone and he becomes the "First Accuser." No player may meld sets after a player has announced his intention to make an Accusation.
Winning the Game
The First Accuser must identify the Suspect whom he believes committed the crime and must fill at least three of the remaining seven accusation blanks found on the score sheet, though he may fill additional blanks if he so desires. As the First Accuser is writing out his accusation, each of the remaining players write out an accusation as well, filling in as many of the accusation blanks as they desire (only the First Accuser must specify Suspect and fill out at least three of the remaining blanks). By writing an accusation in a box, a player identifies a card set or specific card that he believes is among those hidden in the game box. Please note that if a Suspect is accused incorrectly the Time is automatically wrong. For example: if a player guesses Andy Anderson at Noon and the solution was Mona Byrd at Noon, the Noon response is considered incorrect.
Ending the Game
During play, sets may be melded at any time (even in the middle of another player's turn). Before each round begins, the first player to take a turn must announce that he is about to begin the next round, giving all players one last opportunity to meld sets in the current round.
Scoring
After all players have finished writing their accusations in the applicable spaces on the record sheet, remove the hidden cards from the box, spread them on the table where all can see them, and score the hand.
The players receive points as follows:
- The First Accuser gets a 7-point bonus; mark the bonus score box at the bottom of the record sheet.
- For each correct accusation, a player receives the score in the accusation blank on the score sheet; circle the + amount in the space.
- For each incorrect accusation, a player loses the score in the accusation blank on the score sheet; circle the - amount in the space.
- The First Accuser loses double the regular points for each incorrect answer.
After scoring the hand, each player totals his points in the box at the bottom of the record sheet (don't forget to add meld points). The player with the most points wins the hand. The game may be played as one hand, as a series of hands, or to a time limit, however the players agree at the beginning of the game; the player with the highest total points at the agreed end is the winner. In the absence of agreement, each hand is a complete game.
Score Sheet Reference
The printed record sheet's reference values, as shown on the sample score sheet.
Melding and Scoring Sets
When a set is melded, the player announces the information he is giving up. He scores his points by circling the score for the meld on his record sheet. The number scored depends on the round the set is melded.
- A meld in the first round is worth 7 points (6 points for Suspects).
- A meld in the second round is worth 5 points (4 points for Suspects).
- A meld in or after the third round is worth 3 points.
End Game Scoring
For each accusation made, the player gets:
- Suspect: 10 points (+) if the accusation is correct, circle the + amount in the accusation blank. If the accusation is incorrect, circle the - amount in the accusation blank.
- Time: 3 points (+ or -), scored the same way.
- Place: 5 points (+ or -).
- Location: 3 points (+ or -).
- Weapon: 5 points (+ or -).
- Type: 3 points (+ or -).
- Emotion: 5 points (+ or -).
- Motive: 3 points (+ or -).
All negative points are doubled for the First Accuser. The First Accuser also receives the 7-point bonus (Score x 7 pts First Accuser, as printed on the record sheet).