Caper Cards: Bells Hells Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Overview
  • Playing a Round
  • Attempting the Heist
  • Starting the Next Round
  • Winning & Losing
• Tips & Clarifications
  • Table Talk
  • Heist Difficulty
  • Busting
  • Crew & Complications
• Player Count Variations
  • 2 Players
  • 3 Players
  • Solo Mode

Components

• 1 Boss Card
• 1 Risk Card
• 9 Reward Cards
• 24 Crew Cards (3 of each)

Setup

Number of Crew cards dealt to each player: 1-2 players: 4 cards each. 3-4 players: 5 cards each.

1. Place the Risk card in the center with the "11" face up. For a more challenging game, use the "12" instead.
2. Shuffle the Reward cards and deal 4 in a face down pile next to the Risk (or 5 in a 1-2 player game).
3. Shuffle the Crew cards and deal the number shown top right to each player, face down.
4. Place The Boss card in front of the player whose age is closest to 21.

Gameplay

The following sections explain the rules for a 4-player game. See the Player Count Variations section for rule changes for other player counts.

Overview

The game is played over 4 rounds. Each round, you and your friends cooperatively build a Crew to attempt a heist. If the total value of the Crew cards you play ties or exceeds the difficulty of the heist - without going over 21 - the heist is successful!

The difficulty of each heist is the total of the face up Risk card plus the face down Reward card on top of the pile. Since the Reward isn't revealed until the end of the round, you won't know exactly how difficult the heist will be!

If you can successfully complete 4 heists in a row, you win! However, if you fail even once, the game is over.

Playing a Round

Starting with the player with The Boss card and going clockwise, each player plays 1 Crew card from their hand in a face up row in the center. When you play a Crew card, you must use its ability (if possible), then add up the total value of all Crew in play to get the current Crew score and announce it to the table.

Example: On Liam's turn, he plays the Muscle. The Muscle must discard another odd-numbered Crew card if there is one in play, so Liam discards the Fixer. He then tells everyone the new Crew score is 15.

NOTE: Some Crew can be rotated to show different numbers (see Crew & Complications). Make sure all Crew are oriented the same way as the Risk card so you can tell which number is "rightside up."

Attempting the Heist

After 4 Crew have been played, reveal the top card on the Reward pile and add its number to the Risk to determine how difficult the heist turns out to be. (Ignore any text effect on the Reward for now.)

• If the Crew score ties or exceeds the heist's difficulty without going over 21, the heist succeeds, and you can move on to the next round!
• If the Crew score is less than the heist's difficulty, or if you bust (your score is over 21), then the heist fails, and the game is over.

Example: After 4 cards are played, the Crew score is 18 (4+6+3+5, +1 from the Fixer's ability and -1 from the Grifter's ability). The players reveal the Reward and discover that the heist's difficulty is also 18. Since the Crew wins ties, they're just barely successful!

Starting the Next Round

When you complete a heist, tuck the revealed Reward underneath the Risk card, so the Complication at the bottom is showing. Then set up the next round by discarding all played Crew and passing The Boss card to the left. Keep the leftover cards in your hand and do not draw any new ones (unless playing with 1-2 players; see Player Count Variations).

Each revealed Complication is active for the rest of the game, increasing the challenge for each following heist. The more you succeed, the more Complications are added to the Risk!

Example: Once you've "liberated" the Changebringer Coin, you must add +1 to the Crew score whenever someone plays an odd-numbered Crew card in a future caper.

Winning & Losing

If you manage to complete the fourth and final heist, you win the game!

If you fail any heist, the game ends immediately. If you wish to continue playing, you must restart again from the beginning.

Tips & Clarifications

Table Talk

Players may not communicate game information with each other except to announce the Crew score. This includes hinting or using gestures to describe cards in your hand or other cards you've seen.

Heist Difficulty

The numbers on Reward cards range from 5 to 8, meaning the heist's difficulty will always be between 16 and 19. (If you play with the Risk on the more difficult 12 side, the heist's difficulty will be between 17 and 20.)

Reward Value	5	6	7	8
# in Deck	2	3	3	1

Example: Risk 11 + Reward +8 = 19.

Busting

If the Crew score is over 21 at the end of a round, you alert the guards and fail the heist. However, you can have a Crew score over 21 at any other time during a round. (You can still use abilities to bring your total down before the end of the round!)

Crew & Complications

• Some effects can modify the Crew score based on the number of Crew with certain icons in play. Example: The Fixer adds +1 to the Crew score for each other Crew with a heart icon in play.
• Some effects can discard a Crew card from play. Discarded Crew no longer count towards the Crew score.
• Some effects can rotate a Crew card to change its number. Only the number that is rightside up (relative to the Risk) counts towards the Crew score. Example: The Insider must be played as a "10," but some effects can rotate it to "01."
• The Thief allows the next player in turn order to peek at the Reward before they play their Crew card. They may not communicate what they see.
• The Mastermind can replace the Risk card to reduce the heist's difficulty. Place it on top of the Risk card to show the Risk is now 8. It still counts as "in play" for other abilities and Complications, and is discarded at the end of the round.
• A Crew card is odd or even if its printed number is odd or even, regardless of modifiers. Example: The Fixer (3) is always odd, even if it has +1 from its ability.

Player Count Variations

2 Players

Each player takes 2 turns each round. If the heist is successful, each player draws 2 new Crew cards before starting the next round. You must complete 5 rounds to win.

3 Players

Each round, The Boss must play 1 Crew card at random from the top of the deck and 1 Crew card from their hand as normal. The Boss must use the ability on the random card as if they played it from their hand.

Solo Mode

After drawing your hand, deal 10 Crew cards in a face down row in front of you. Each round, you will flip over 1 face down card, then play 1 card from your hand, then repeat, so that you have revealed 4 Crew total. When a face down card is flipped, you must use its ability as if you played it from your hand.

If the heist is successful, draw 2 new Crew cards before starting the next round. You must complete 5 rounds to win.