Cooking Customers
Cooking Customers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How To Play
- The main deck of cards and table cards should be placed in two separate piles in the middle of the players. The table deck should be placed with the meal side up and the money side down. Place the 30 black tokens (used to represent meals) and the dice on the table.
- Deal five cards to each player. Game play goes to the left.
- On your turn, you may play up to two cards, but you must play at least one. You cannot play both cards on yourself or both on your opponents, just one on each. You play on yourself, by laying one down in front of you and on another player, by laying one down in front of them. You may also discard one or both face up in the discard pile if you don't wish to play them. At the end of your turn draw back up to five cards. (Note: You can play defensive cards immediately if a card is being played against you by an opponent.)
- At the same time as step 3, you will draw a table card. You will not draw another table card until you've completed it. When you complete it, you can flip over the card to reveal the tip you earned to the other players. You will not draw a new table card until the beginning of your next turn so any extra meals you've earned are returned to the center pile. At the beginning of your next turn, draw a new table card even if you can't roll the dice. (Note: Your tips must remain visible to all players throughout the game but only after you've completed the table. Until then, keep it to yourself.)
- After you have played your cards, you will roll the dice a.k.a the cooking roll. You must have a cook card equipped on yourself in order to roll the dice. If you have a cook, roll the number of dice indicated on the card. The dice have three sides: MEAL, FIRED & BLANK. If you roll a MEAL, place a black token on your table card to indicate the number of meals you have. If you roll and all the dice say FIRED, you must discard your cook. Blank dice do nothing unless a card specifically says so. Minus (-) cards take dice away from your roll, increasing your chances of being fired. Plus (+) cards and helper cards add extra dice that are rolled after you have rolled your cooking roll and do not affect your cook getting fired.
- Be the first player to earn $20 to win the game.
Cook Cards
- Cook — Roll 3 dice. If all show FIRED, discard your cook.
- The One Armed Cook — Roll 2 dice. If all show FIRED, discard your cook. (Can replace any cook in play.)
- Super Cook — Roll 4 dice. If all show FIRED, discard your cook. (Not affected by the Cook Quite card.)
- Cook Equipped With Gloves — Roll 2 dice. Prevents [red hand symbol] cards. If all show FIRED, discard your cook.
You may only have one cook equipped at a time, and you will need to have one equipped on yourself in order to roll the dice. Cook cards are played by laying the card down in front of yourself and remain in play until someone takes them, another card discards them, or they are fired. Each cook card will allow you to roll a different amount of dice, indicated on each cook card. Some cooks have different attributes such as not being affected by certain cards. All the attributes are on the cards so be sure to read each cook card. There are some cooks that say "Can replace any cook in play" in red. You can play these cards on other players to replace their cook. They will have to discard their current cook card and use the new one.
Customer Cards
- Customer — Found Hair in the Food. Player loses a turn and must remove half the meals from their table. How to stop this card: Roll 2 dice. If both say MEAL, the customer is cooked and you may place 2 meals on your table.
- Simmer Down. Stops any customer, thief or health inspector immediately, and you may place 2 meals on your table card.
Any time a customer card is played, the recipient is able to attempt to void out the effects of the card by cooking the customer. They will be able to roll two dice even if they don't have a cook. If both dice say MEAL, they can discard the customer card and place two meals on their table card. If they do not have a table card, they may draw a new one. If they fail to get both dice to say MEAL the customer complaint must be dealt with.
Customer cards can be instantly stopped with cards like the Simmer Down card. These cards can also stop health inspectors and thief cards, but only if they are being played against you.
Plus, Minus and Helper Cards
- Energy Drink (+2) — A cook must be equipped to roll. Roll two extra dice after your next cooking roll. (Not affected by FIRED dice.)
- Tripped (-1) — Subtract one die from your next roll.
- Trainee (+1) — Helper card. A cook must be equipped to roll. Roll one extra die after your cooking roll each turn. (Not affected by FIRED dice.)
All minus (-) cards are subtracted from your cooking roll. So if you have a cook that can roll three dice, and someone plays a minus two (-2) card on you, you can only roll one die. If that one die turns up to say FIRED, you must discard your cook. Less dice increases the chances of your cook getting fired. Some minus (-) cards only affect your next roll, and others affect each roll until you equip kitchen supplies (such as gloves, work shoes or first aid kits) to stop it. All plus (+) cards and helper cards are rolled separately, after your cooking roll. If your cook is fired during your first roll, you must discard your unused plus (+) cards. Plus (+) cards are only good for one roll whereas helper cards such as trainees and robo-cooks stay with you until you lose them or someone takes them. You may only have one helper card equipped at a time.
You must have a cook equipped in order to use plus (+) cards and helper cards but you can still play them on yourself to use once you get a cook.
Kitchen Supplies
The kitchen supply cards come in the forms of gloves, work shoes and first aid kits. As soon as you equip kitchen supplies on yourself, you may remove any minus (-) cards they prevent and place them in the discard pile. Any minus (-) cards that can be stopped by a kitchen supplies card will have a red hand, foot or first aid symbol. Simply match the red symbol on the bottom of the kitchen supplies card to the minus (-) card they prevent.
Stealing Other Player's Stuff
The better offer card can be used to steal other player's cooks and helper cards. The counter offer card can be played immediately to stop this but can only be used by the person being attacked. Thief cards can be used to steal kitchen supplies, but they can be stopped by certain countering cards.
- The Better Offer — Take any cook or helper card from any player.
- The Counter Offer — Stop the better offer card immediately.
- Thief — Take one kitchen supply card from any player.
Taking Other Player's Tables
Any card that allows you to take over someone's table will also include any meals they have earned. However, you must discard your own card and meals in order to take over their table.
- Take a Break — Player loses a turn. You may take over this player's table and discard your own.
Team Play - Up to 10 Players
Teams are needed if playing with more than 5 people to keep the game from running out of cards and speed up gameplay. In team play, teams will only pick one table card per team. Teams can also play helpful cards on their partners such as cooks, trainees, counter offers, plus (+) cards, etc. which would normally be against the rules.