Bonanza
Bonanza Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Idea
The game is started with 2, 3 or 4 groups, each departing from the various camps. Each group consists of 3 cowboys and one Cartwright as the leader of the group. In a friendly contest, it is decided who first brings their group to their designated spaces on the Ranch.
Game Flow
The game lets us experience the dangerous adventures of the Cartwright family.
The Cartwrights start first.
To start with a cowboy, a 6 must be rolled. The cowboy is then placed on the start point and may advance on the next round.
Before the cowboys of a group can reach their spaces on the Ranch, their leader must roll for point J so that he can open the gate to the Ranch. He must let all of his cowboys pass before he himself can reach his space on the Ranch.
The Cartwrights begin and end the game. They are the game-dominating figures.
Special Rules
- Within a route section, movement is allowed in only one direction.
- If a player lands on a point on which a figure of another group already stands, that figure must return to its camp. The only exceptions are the special points and the towns. These count as neutral points. Several figures of different groups may remain on them.
- The choice of route to the Ranch is left to the player. He may choose between a short, dangerous route and a longer, less dangerous route.
- Each player rolls once per round. He may then, if he has more than one figure on the route, choose which figure to advance with the roll. With a roll, however, he must move.
Player Numbers
- 2 players: each player takes one or two groups.
- 3 players: one group is left out, so that each player has one group.
- 4 players: each player takes one group.
General
The number of cowboys may be reduced, depending on how quickly the game should run.
Meaning of the Towns
- Reno: Bank robbers have robbed the bank. There is a shootout, but the bank robbers escape regardless. Skip 2 rolls of the dice!
- Virginia City: A notorious bandit has broken out of jail. Despite immediate pursuit, he is not caught. Move back 4 points!
- Carson City: The town is terrorized by a horde of bandits. A fierce firefight follows. Skip 1 roll of the dice!
Meaning of the Special Points
- A: A fight with bandits occurs. A player who, when rolling 3x (see note below), does not reach at least 10 pips is defeated and must skip 2 rolls before he can continue on his way.
- B: Hostile Indians lie in ambush. Move back 6 points!
- C: The path runs through a narrow gorge and is blocked by rubble. Skip 1 roll of the dice until the path is clear again.
- D: A stagecoach station. Here one can rest briefly, so as to continue on the way more quickly. Move forward 6 points!
- E: An old hidden path branches off. The player may use the dashed shortcut.
- F: Friendly ranchers of the Cartwrights have driven bandits out of an ambush. The way is clear. Roll once more!
- G: The bank robbers from the robbery in Reno are caught and captured. As a reward, roll once more!
- H: The fugitive bandit who escaped from the Virginia City jail is recognized and overpowered. For this, the player may advance 7 points.
- J: Just before their space on the Ranch, each Cartwright must roll for this point. The Cartwright may stop at any point along the way until he rolls the required number. If he stands on this point, he opens the gate to the Ranch and waits until all cowboys belonging to him have passed through the gate. Until then, no cowboy may roll for this point or move past it. Once all cowboys have passed through the gate, the Cartwright tries to reach his still-free space on the Ranch.
Transcription Notes
- The printed leaflet has no separate setup section or component list. The sections above follow the printed leaflet's order.
- The phrase "3x würfeln" under point A is ambiguous in the German: it can mean three dice thrown at once or three separate throws. It is transcribed here as "rolling 3x" to keep the printed wording, and the leaflet does not settle which reading is meant.
- "aussetzen" (skip) is rendered as "skip" for the rolls the leaflet says a player misses.