Cool Runnings Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Materials
• Game Setup
• Goal of the Game
• Steps of the Game
  • Playing a Card to Attack
  • Deflecting an Attack
  • Playing a Card for Moving
• Special Spaces
• End of the Game
• Additional Notes
• Attacks

Game Materials

• 4 colored caps: blue, yellow, green, and pink
• 8 icy blue ice cube cups
• 60 cards
• 5 square game board parts
• 1 "goal" game board part
• 1 3 ml pipette
• 1 bowl of tap water, 1 tsp of salt, 1 small towel (not included)

Game Setup

Important: To play "Cool Runnings", each player needs an ice cube. Ask an adult to help you prepare them.

Fill each included ice cube cup with 6 ml of water. We recommend using the pipette to measure 2x 3 ml each. Place the cups in the freezer and wait 2-3 hours until the water is frozen. Then you can begin the game setup.

1. Use the 5 game board parts to create a random track in the center of the table. Put the "goal" game board part at the end of the track.
2. Shuffle the 60 cards and put them in a single face down pile. Each player draws 4 cards as their starting hand. Keep your cards secret from the other players.
3. In addition to the game materials you will need a bowl with tap water and 1 tea spoon of salt. Place both next to the track. Hint: Also keep a small towel ready to dry your hands during the game.
4. Each player gets a cup with an ice cube and a cap in the color of their choice. Carefully detach the ice cube from the cup and put it in your cap. Then, you guessed it, attach the cap to the cup. This is your game piece.
5. Place all game pieces at the start of the track, before the first game board part.

Goal of the Game

The player who first moves across the finishing line wins the game. When your ice cube melts, you're out of the game. If there is only one player left in the race, they win, no matter how far their game piece is from the finishing line.

Steps of the Game

The youngest player begins, all other players take turns in clockwise order. Whenever it's your turn, play one of your cards. Choose if you want to use the card to attack (top half of the card) or for moving (bottom half). In each of your turns you can either attack or move a game piece. You are not allowed to use both halves of a card.

Put all played cards in a discard pile, face up. At the end of your turn, draw cards from the face down pile until you again have 4 cards in your hand. If the pile is empty, shuffle the pile of discarded cards and use them to create a new face down pile.

Playing a Card to Attack

Choose a player you want to attack. The picture on the card shows you the type of attack. You can find a description of all 7 different attack types at the end of this manual.

Deflecting an Attack

If you have a card in your hand with the same picture as the card that attacks you, you can counter and deflect that attack. Play the corresponding card and choose a new player as target for the attack. If you want to take revenge, you may choose the attacking player as target.

The new target also has the option to deflect the attack. Repeat this process until a targeted player doesn't have any corresponding cards left or chooses not to play any. That player is hit by the attack. Whoever played the most recent card, carries out the attack.

Example: Karen plays a 'water bath' card to attack Tom. Tom also plays the 'water bath' card and deflects the attack to Mary. Mary also plays a 'water bath' card and deflects it back to Tom. Tom has no card that can defend him and is hit by the attack. Mary played the last card, so she dunks Tom's ice cube in the bowl of water.

Playing a Card for Moving

First, choose if you want to move your own game piece or that of another player. Blue numbers move a game piece that many spaces towards the finishing line. Red numbers move the game piece in the opposite direction.

Important: Each space can only be occupied by one game piece. Occupied spaces never count while moving (forward or backward), they're just skipped.

Example: Mary plays the red 2. She moves Tom's game piece back 2 spaces. Tom lands on a lava space and must reveal the top card from the draw pile. The card shows the 'water bath'. Karen sits on Tom's left and dunks his ice cube in the water.

Special Spaces

Movement space: When a game piece stops its movement on a space with a number, it is immediately moved that many spaces towards the finish line or in the opposite direction. Again, occupied spaces are skipped. Important: If that game piece again lands on a movement space, that space is ignored.

Lava space: When a player lands on a lava space, reveal the top card of the draw pile. That player is immediately hit by that card's attack and cannot deflect it! That attack is carried out by the player sitting to their left.

Ice space: For as long as a game piece stays on an ice space, it can't be the target of any attacks. You can't play or deflect any attacks on that game piece. However, the game piece may still be moved by other players in either direction.

End of the Game

There are two ways the game can end:

1. If a player gets across the finishing line, they win and the game ends.
2. If an ice cube melts completely during the game, its owner is out. Remove their game piece from the board. If there is only one player remaining, they win the game.

Additional Notes

• Important: Please don't eat or lick the salt. Don't bring it into contact with your eyes or open wounds. For hygienic reasons it is important to dispose of it after the game.
• During the game your cup will slowly fill with water. Just pour it into the bowl occasionally.
• The game comes with 8 cups. That way you can play 2 games in a row. To prepare more ice cubes, feel free to use your own ice cube molds and that all ice cubes have the same shape. Just make sure to measure 6 ml of water with the pipette.
• If you are playing on a hot summer day, we recommend shortening the track. Depending on temperature, only use 3 or 4 track parts.
• Make sure to rinse the cups and caps after playing and wipe them dry before putting them back into the box.

Attacks

Polish: Take the game piece of the attacked player and rub your thumb over their ice cube. The attacked player must quickly count as follows: "One ice cube, two ice cubes, three ice cubes, . . ." etc. When they reach "ten ice cubes," stop and replace the game piece on the track.

Squeeze: Take the attacked ice cube from the game piece and make a fist around it. The attacked player must quickly count: "One ice cube, two ice cubes, three ice cubes, . . ." etc. When they reach "ten ice cubes," stop and replace the game piece on the track.

Hot breath: Take the game piece of the attacked player and form a hollow around it with your hands. Breathe into the hollow. The attacked player must quickly count: "One ice cube, two ice cubes, three ice cubes, . . ." etc. When they reach "ten ice cubes," you stop and replace the game piece on the track.

Cold shower: Fill the pipette with 3 ml of water. Drip the water over the attacked ice cube.

Guessing game: Take the attacked ice cube from its cap and hide it under the table in your left or right hand by making a fist around it. Then hold your fists over the table. The attacked player must guess which fist holds their ice cube. If they guess correctly, they get their ice cube. If not, you repeat the game.

Thawing salt: Take a pinch of salt between thumb and index finger and spread it over the attacked ice cube.

Water bath: Dunk the attacked ice cube in the bowl of water. Then the attacked player uses their cap to fish out their ice cube from the bowl.