BaRRacuda
BaRRacuda Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Materials
- 12 square bar-cards with the following values: 1 x 6.000, 3 x 5.000, 3 x 4.000, 4 x 3.000, 1 x 2.000
- 110 banknote-cards with the following values: 10 x 10.000, 15 x 5.000, 25 x 2.000, 25 x 1.000, 35 x 0.000 (= "Counterfeit money")
- 30 tokens in 5 different colours
- 1 small fabric bag
- Rules
Game Idea and Game Target
Barracuda is a game of negotiating about bars and money with many unknowns. None of the players has all the information – this is what makes it so exciting.
- All players know how much rent each player pays to the bank.
- But only the two negotiating partners know which prices they pay among themselves.
Though everybody sees the actual game situation in the bars, the players do not know the cash position of the others. According to these two facts the positions of bargaining power and weakness change continuously during the course of the game and are strongly affected by the negotiating skills of the players.
It is essential to use your own strength and exploit the opponent's weakness.
The game target is to place your 5 tokens in the bars either as a tenant and/or as partner and to get through one round – which is though enough! But beware! The way to the goal is expensive and if you don't take care you'll bust, lose and finish the game.
In this case the winner is the player with the most tenants and/or partners in the bars. The starting capital amounts 50.000 plus some counterfeit.
Game Preparation
Please break all cards from the board panel carefully.
Only 10 out of 12 bar cards are needed for one game - 5 bars with two seats and 5 bars with one seat.
[Diagram labels: "Bar with two seats" – "This is the partner's seat" (above the leasing price) and "This is the tenant's seat" (below it); "Bar with one seat".]
To take two bars out of the game all bar cards are sorted (one pile with one seat, one pile with two seats) and put on table face down (CLOSED). Then you choose one card from each bar pile "blindly" and put those unseen (CLOSED) back into the box.
Now the game master is drawn (or determined) who is responsible for the following tasks: he is the banker, collects the rents and changes money as required. The game master arranges the game as well:
- The bar cards are shuffled face down (CLOSED) and placed in the middle of the table.
- Each player gets 5 tokens of one colour and play money:
- 2 notes à 10.000
- 3 notes à 5.000
- 5 notes à 2.000
- 5 notes à 1.000
- 7 notes à 0.000 ("Counterfeit money")
- The remaining token of each player is put back into the bag as a "lot".
Every player puts down the money hidden in front of him or picks it up not visible for the other players.
Course of the Game
The counterfeit money is for bluffing purposes only and doesn't count in the end. You can use your counterfeit money for the moves "introducing a partner", "take over a bar", "auction off a bar" and "Last order".
The game is played over several rounds. It ends as soon as one of the players is broke or has been able to keep all his tokens in the bars over one complete round.
At the beginning of each round the game master puts all the "lots" (one token of each player) in the bag. Then he draws one to determine who's turn it is; he takes one token out of the bag "blindly". The first drawn token determines the starting player. After his turn the next token is drawn. This continues until every player made his turn. The game master puts back all the tokens into the bag before the next round starts and so on.
Before starting: it is essential to keep the value of your own notes secret from the other players during the whole game! All offers and bids are made hidden. The counterfeit money which backsides don't differ from the rest of the play money helps to cover up the amount of an offer/bid.
But: Of course the recipient of the offer always has to have a look at the hidden bid.
First Round
In the first round every player opens a bar. For this everybody turns over one face down bar of his choice according to the sequence determined by lot and puts one of his 5 tokens on the field below the leasing price. Whoever opens a bar does not pay within the same turn! The next player is drawn.
In each further round every player has to
- pay his rent
- make a move.
Pay the Rent
By the beginning of each turn you have to pay the rent for every bar you're tenant of at this time. The amount of the payment is the sum of the prices of all bars you lease. The leasing price for each bar is printed on the bar cards. The rent is paid visibly for everybody and checked by the bank (game master).
Example: For one bar "3.000" and one bar "5.000" you pay a total rent of 8.000.
Discounts:
-
Two for three: If you have leased three bars you only pay for two bars. The rent for the cheapest bar is dropped.
Example: For one bar "3.000", one bar "5.000" and one bar "2.000" you pay a total rent of 8.000. The rent for the bar "2.000" is dropped.
-
Three for four: If you have leased four bars you only pay for three bars. The rental for the most expensive bar is dropped.
Example: For one bar "4.000", for one bar "3.000", for one bar "6.000" und for one bar "5.000" you pay a total rental of 12.000. The rental for the bar "6.000" is dropped.
(Source note: "und" appears in the English example as printed; it is a German word left in the source and is transcribed unchanged.)
Make a Move
Which move can be made depends on the condition of the bars: closed or open. As soon as you have decided which move you will make you announce it loud and clear.
Move: Open a Bar - Requires No Money at First
If a bar is still closed you can open it by turning the bar card around. Only then you will know the amount of the rent for this bar per round. Now you put one of your tokens as tenant on the field below the leasing price which has to be paid starting only from the next round.
If the player in turn is no tenant in a bar for the moment (=no token on a field below the leasing price) he has to choose the move OPEN A BAR!
Exception: All for this number of players allowed bars are already opened. Then he has to choose another move.
How many bars may be opened depends on the number of players:
- 3-player-game - 6 bars
- 4-player-game - 8 bars
- 5-player-game - all 10 bars
Move: Introducing a Partner - Requires Money Instantly, but Not Any More Subsequently
Some of the bars have a second seat above the leasing price. You may put one of your tokens as a partner there.
Is it your own bar you can just put a second one of your own tokens on the upper field of your bar. You don't have to pay any further rent for this bar but you have another of your tokens in the game, though.
If you wish to become partner in one of the other players' bars you have to submit him an offer. You push some money and eventually counterfeit hidden towards this player. The offer has to range between 1.000 and 12.000.
Example: You would like to become partner in the bar "5.000 Karambole". You push money hidden towards the tenant of this bar, by saying: "I want to become partner in your bar!"
If the tenant accepts the offer he gets the money - and you place one of your tokens on the free seat of this bar. Your move is over and the next player is drawn.
If the tenant refuses the offer he has to get out the same amount (according to your offer but without the counterfeit) from his/her stock of money for an imaginary doorman and pay the total to the bank. The seat remains free and the next player is drawn.
Do you succeed in introducing a partner into a foreign bar you only have to pay money once to the other player but no more in the further rounds.
Move: Take Over a Bar - Costs or Makes Money
If you cannot, don't want to or mustn't neither open a bar nor introduce a partner, you have to try to take over a bar of one of the other players. For this purpose you have to submit him an offer which is at least the leasing price and amounts a maximum of 12.000. You push money and counterfeit hidden towards the other player.
Example: You wish to take over the bar "4.000 Bar Albatros". You push money and possible counterfeit hidden towards the other player, by saying: "I would like to take over this bar!"
If the other player accepts your offer he has earned money and takes his token out of the bar. You can put your token as tenant in the bar.
If there is a partner in this bar as well which belongs to this player or to someone else that one takes the partner out of this bar. The seat is free again. If you're the partner in the bar you leave the token there.
If the other player refuses your offer he has to give the whole amount back to you and additionally pay you the same amount from his money stock as "protection money". He is allowed to keep possible counterfeit from your offer, though. Now you have made money.
Example: You offer 6.000 to another player for a bar. He pays you 12.000 back. You have earned 6.000.
Move: Auction Off or Close a Bar - Saves Money
As soon as a player has leased at least three bars he can auction one of them. He takes his tenant out of the bar and asks the other players to submit an offer. A possible partner stays in the bar.
Example: You lease bar "Octopus", "Banana Bar" and Bar "Barracuda". To save rent you offer the bar "Barracuda" for the auction by saying: "I'm going to auction the Barracuda-Bar!"
Now all the other players have to make a hidden offer which amounts at least one counterfeit.
If you accept one of the offers you take the money of it to your stock. You return the offers of the other players including the counterfeit to each one of them. The one who won the bid places one of his tokens as a tenant in the bar.
If you refuse all the offers you have to close down the bar and return the money including the counterfeit to the bidders. Now a possible partner has to leave the bar as well. You, as the previous tenant, pay an amount of 1.000 to the bank for renovating and turn around the card. The bar is closed again.
Special Rule Last Order - Pay Money to Change the Sequence of the Turns
By the end of the game at the latest money will get tight and you may eventually not have the money you would need to pay your rent and make a move.
You can try to help the draw before a new round so it might be your turn as late as possible - maybe another player will be broke before you.
You shout: "Last order!" and put down an amount of money hidden on the table - it must be a counterfeit at least and a maximum of 12.000. All other players have to do the same! Everybody turns around their gaming amounts simultaneously.
The higher someone's amount is the later it's his turn. Counterfeit isn't of any value. All money and counterfeit go to the bank.
Example: A and B put down only counterfeit. C puts down 2.000, D and E 4.000 each. The order of the turn is determined as follows: First the lots (tokens) of A and B are put in the bag for drawing the first and second player. C is the third one and finally the tokens of D and E are drawn to find out the fourth and the last one.
The last in the sequence has the best possibilities to avert the impending bankruptcy.
Of course a player can also bluff and shout "Last order!" to take money off the other players… he may put down counterfeit only to be the first in line.
Negotiating and Paying
Something fundamental concerning the rules of negotiating and paying:
- Negotiations are made verbal and non verbal using every nasty trick in the book.
- You can try to agree upon an offer orally first… but as soon you have pushed the amount towards the other player you mustn't change it anymore! This amount does not have to correspondent to the previous negotiation result.
- It is possible to skip all negotiations completely and "let money talk" instantly by just pushing the notes hidden towards the negotiation partner.
- Each offer may be pimped with counterfeit.
- You make all the offers (money and counterfeit notes) hidden.
- Counterfeit is always neutral and has no value. For this reason you don't give counterfeit from an offer back to the bidder but keep it to yourself. Except for the move "AUCTION OFF OR CLOSE A BAR".
End of the Game, Winner and Scoring
There are two possibilities to finish the game.
- If a player is able to place his own 5 tokens in the bars and to get through one round with all five of them he wins the game instantly when it is his turn again, without the obligation of making another move. This also applies when he is the last one in one round and the first one in the next round.
- The games is finished as well if one player is not able to make a whole move, that is if he is broke.
This applies:
- if he cannot pay his rent - he is instantly broke.
- if he can pay his rent but not make a move anymore as he does not have enough money, e.g. to take over a bar, he is also broke.
Example: If a player is able to pay his rent and place a partner in one of his own bars as "chargefree" move, he stays in the game - and is even able to win.
- Whoever is broke, loses and finished the game instantly.
After bankruptcy the player with most tokens in the bars wins.
If two or more players have the same number of tokens in the bars the one with the greatest amount of money wins.
If the cash balances of these players also equal the one with the most expensive rent for the bars wins.
Have fun gambling and maneuvering!
It's all a question of negotiation as money can't buy happiness.
Variations
The following variations can be made when playing Barracuda:
- The players decide collectively which bars will be sorted out.
- Each player has the right to recount the current cash status of the bank once per game.