Catch Don Falconi

Catch Don Falconi Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game content

4 play cars: the "Country" police, "Harbour" police, "Forest" police, and Don Falconi.
12 edge pieces. The 12 edge parts can be put together and form the edge of the playing field.
81 road cards: Straight street, Curve, Branch, Crossing, U-turn, and Under- / overpass.
3 escape cards: "Country" escape card, "Harbour" escape card, and "Forest" escape card. If Don Falconi reaches an escape card, an accomplice waits for him there and he has escaped the police successfully.
2 "Chili-Bomb" cards: destroy obstacles in front of Don Falconi or the street behind him (for Gameplay I).
2 "Chili-Boost" cards: "Attention 'hot and fast'! Accelerate Don Falconi and let him destroy obstacles." (for Gameplay II).

The game principle

"Catch Don Falconi" combines 5 game variants, some of which are based on the deeper game variant, leading to increasingly more tactically demanding actions on the part of the players. In addition to game preparation, the rules of the game also change, depending on the game variant selected. We therefore recommend reading the instructions carefully and keeping them close at hand during the first few games.

Number of players

The game is designed for a maximum of 4 players. One player is Don Falconi, the rest of the players are police officers. After a game you switch players to the right or rotate the board accordingly so that each player gets into the role of Don Falconi once.

If only 2 players are playing, the police officer starts in the blue police station, which is the one opposite to the prison, where Don Falconi starts.

If there are only 2 players, it is of course also permissible for one player to play Don Falconi and the other to play all 3 police officers together.

Game variants

"Catch Don Falconi" supports 5 different degrees of sharpness, which according to the most popular pizza varieties from Don Falconi's pizza chain are:

Pizza Margherita

...is a simple, more luck-oriented game variant. It is very playable for children from 6 years. Each road map drawn is placed directly on the playing field and the player places his car at the desired end of the street on the street map.

Pizza Funghi

...is a more challenging game variant than "Pizza Margherita". The tactical element in the game is given greater weight because each player has 2 reserve cards in front of him. He can choose between the drawn card or a reserve card to optimize his move.

Pizza Prosciutto

In this variant of the game, Don Falconi not only has to be caught, but also be prevented from escaping. In addition to the reserve cards, the 3 escape cards are now also in the game. The escape cards have to be issued directly and be placed on the corresponding edge of the field when drawn by a player. If Don Falconi receives an escape card, an accomplice is waiting for him and his escape was successful.

Pizza Salami

...is the game variant for strategists. Each turn contains three actions, whereby each player can freely choose between moving, placing and / or driving. The outcome of the game is now primarily decided on the basis of the tactical decisions of the players.

Pizza Diavola

...is the game variant for the game professionals. Same as "Pizza Salami" each turn includes three actions, where each player can freely choose between moving, placing and / or driving. Thanks to the two "Chili Boost" cards, Don Falconi can now too flee through dead ends or suddenly expand your lead over the pursuers. In addition, an accomplice is already waiting for Don Falconi in a secret location to enable him to escape, and only Don Falconi knows where. The hunt for Don Falconi becomes a diabolical undertaking for the police officers.

General game preparation

Select the game variant you want to play: Margherita, Funghi, Prosciutto, Salami or Diavola. Depending on the variant, the game preparation looks a little different.
Before the start of the first game, the edge parts of the game board are put together. Each side is assembled with the matching colors. Ultimately, the playing field should look like this (see the diagram on the page). The board has the "Prison" starting field, the "Country", "Forest" and "Harbor" police stations, and tunnels.
Determine who will play Don Falconi for the game and turn the edge of the board so that this player has the prison in front of him.
Shuffle the 81 street cards and place them in 2 or more piles on the corners of the board.
Don Falconi places his black car on the street at the "Prison" starting field. The police officers put their car on the street at their police station.
You are ready to start the game.

Tunnels: Use the tunnels to quickly get to the other side of the city. It is only allowed to travel from forest to forest or country to country.

Goal of the game

The goal of the game is that the police catches Don Falconi or prevent his further escape by blocking his route. But you have to watch out that the police don't block each other or drive down a blocked road.

Win a game

A game ends when...

...a police car can approach Don Falconi from behind. The police officer in question has won the game.
...the continuation of Don Falconi is blocked. In this case all police officers who are still in the game have won.
...all police officers are blocked from continuing their chase. In this case, Don Falconi has won the game.
...Don Falconi reaches an escape card (game variants "Pizza Prosciutto", "Pizza Salami" and "Pizza Diavola") on the edge of the field. In this case, Don Falconi won the game.

Gameplay I: simpler game variants

General rules of the game I

If a police officer manages to connect his street with Don Falconi's street, he can move over the existing road to Don Falconi and catch him.

This only works if the police officer is driving on the same side of the road as Don Falconi. If the police officer is on the opposite side, he can only catch Don Falconi if he can change the side of the road in the existing road system (e.g. by means of a U-turn map).
If a police officer manages to drive up to Don Falconi, as long as Don Falconi still has one of his "chili-bombs", even if it's not Don Falconi's turn, he can put it behind him. This destroys the road and the police officer cannot catch up with him. He has to go to another end of the road that he can reach.
If, after Don Falconi has placed a "chili-bomb" behind him, there is no longer a reachable end of the road for the police officer, then he is eliminated from the game, since his onward chase is blocked.
If Don Falconi reaches a blocked end of a road, he has lost the game and his escape has failed, unless he still has a "chili-bomb". With this he can blast his way free, if there is a road behind the blockade. To do this, he places the bomb on the blockade. But be careful: the way is now also free for the following police officers.

Additional game preparation

"Pizza Margherita"

Don Falconi gets 2 "chili-bombs" which he places with him.

"Pizza Funghi"

Don Falconi gets 2 "chili-bombs" which he places with him.
Before the game starts, each player draws 2 road cards from the pile to use instead of the road card drawn during the game. All players place these 2 reserve cards face up in front of them.

"Pizza Prosciutto"

Don Falconi gets 2 "chili-bombs" which he places with him.
Before the game starts, each player draws 2 road cards from the pile to use instead of the road card drawn during the game. All players place these 2 reserve cards face up in front of them.
Shuffle the 3 escape cards into the remaining piles of road cards.

Start of game I

The first move belongs to Don Falconi. He draws a road card from the pile. He places this card at the prison so that the road is built on and drives his game car to the end of the road. At intersections, Don Falconi can choose which end of the road to drive to. This ends the turn.
You continue in a clockwise direction. Now the first police officer takes his turn and draws a street card from the pile. He places the card at his police station and drives his car to the end of the road. At intersections, the policeman can choose which end of the road to drive to. This ends the turn.
After that, the other police officers take their turn until it is Don Falconi's turn again for the next turn.
Each additional card played must be placed by the player at the end of the street where his car is currently located.

Features of the game variants I

Pizza Margherita

None, you play according to the "General Game Rules I" until Don Falconi is caught or blocked or all the police officers are blocked.

Pizza Funghi

The reserve card: On each turn, the player can decide whether to place the street card he has just drawn or a reserve card he drew before the game started. He then places the currently drawn road card in front of him, so that he always has 2 reserve cards in front of him.

Pizza Prosciutto

The reserve card
Escape card: When a player draws an escape card from the deck, he places it anywhere on the color-matching edge piece. Escape cards may not be put back as reserve cards, but must be placed immediately on the edge of the board. At the escape card, an accomplice is now waiting for Don Falconi to enable him to escape. After that, the player may make another move.

Escape card

The escape card must not be placed on a police station or on a tunnel and the road must be oriented towards the playing field. It is allowed to place an escape card in such a way that it is blocked by already placed road cards. However, by means of a "chili bomb" Don Falconi can still gain access to the escape card by blowing away the blockade. If Don Falconi manages to reach an escape card via a road, he can flee the city, has escaped from the police and has won the game.

Gameplay II: strategic game variants

General rules of the game II

Each player must perform 3 actions per turn. (see the actions below)
The player on the turn may perform any action multiple times, but may only perform 3 actions total per turn.
At the beginning of the game, each player gets 2 reserve cards, which he puts in front of him. The police officers put the reserve cards face up, Don Falconi puts them face down.

Each player may have a maximum of 2 reserve cards during the course of the game, but he may have less than 2 reserve cards by, for example, laying 2 road cards during a turn.

If a police officer enters Don Falconi's road network, he cannot drive directly up to Don Falconi, but can only try to catch up to Don Falconi with the actions at his disposal. He can therefore drive to the next road map a maximum of 3 times per turn.
Only when a police officer manages to hit Don Falconi with his train, he has caught Don Falconi and won. He does not have to use all 3 actions of his turn.

The actions

Draw a road card Add these to your reserve cards (max 2). Cost: 1 action

Driving the car Drive the car to the next road card. Cost: 1 action

Place an escape card Place the escape card on the corresponding edge. (see page 13) Cost: 1 action

3 point turn Each player has the opportunity to turn on the road map on which he is currently standing. Cost: 3 actions.

Place a road card A road card may be placed adjacent to the road card on which your car is currently located. It may be rotated in any way and placed in front of, next to, or behind you. This way you can continue to build your way or block the road for others. Cost: 1 action

Additional game preparation: Gameplay II

Pizza Salami

Reserve cards: Before the start of the game, each player draws 2 road cards from the pile to use instead of the road card drawn during the game. The police officers place the 2 reserve cards face up in front of them. Don Falconi places the 2 reserve cards face down in front of him.
Escape cards: Shuffle the 3 escape cards into the remaining piles of road cards.

Pizza Diavola

Reserve cards
Escape cards
Chili-Boost: Don Falconi gets the 2 "Chili Boost" cards.

Start of game II

The first move belongs to Don Falconi. He performs 3 actions (e.g. draw road card, lay road card, move to the next end of the road). After that the turn is over. The cars can now start at two exits.
You continue in a clockwise direction. Now the first police officer takes his turn and also performs his 3 actions. After that, the turn is over.
After that, the other police officers take their turn until it is Don Falconi's turn again for the next turn.
When a policeman draws an escape card from the deck, he places it anywhere on the color-matching edge piece. Escape cards may not be put back as reserve cards, but must be placed immediately on the edge of the board. At the escape card, an accomplice is now waiting for Don Falconi to enable him to escape. Cost: 1 action.
If Don Falconi draws an escape card, he may add it to his reserve cards and use another card on his turn. Again, no player may have more than 2 reserve cards. The cost of drawing and placing (even if the escape card is held as a reserve card) an escape card for Don Falconi is: 1 action.

Features of the game variants II

Pizza Salami

None, you play according to the "General Game Rules II" until Don Falconi is caught or escaped from the city by means of an escape card.

Pizza Diavola

Chili-Boost: Don Falconi has 2 "chili boost" cards. He can use these for 1 "drive" action each to either:

... to travel 3 road cards with a single action ...
... or to remove a roadblock. But after that the police officers can follow him through the blockade. If there is a wide road he can also drive over 3 road maps.
... or you can additionally take a police car out of the game by overtaking it using a "chili boost".

Escape card: Don Falconi can use his secret escape card at any time when it is his turn. He must place it at the beginning of his turn. After placing the escape card, Don Falconi still has his 2 actions left for this turn.