Crimopolis

Crimopolis Rulebook

Table of Contents

Overview

2-5 players, 20 minutes/player, 12+ years.

Objective

Recruit gangsters, move through the city and explore places where you can carry out jobs. Executing jobs increases your prestige. However, whatever you do causes a newsflash and you must deal with the consequences.

When you get close to other gangsters, ambush them and take over their city blocks. It advances your body count which in the end contributes to your prestige.

Stewing over ideas rewards you with fortunes. They give your gang special skills and abilities.

The player who reaches a prestige of 21 rings the bell for the final crime. Every player has a last turn before the game ends.

Goal

Your goal is to become the most prestigious gangster. There are four paths to earn prestige:

Earn instant prestige by doing jobs.
Increase your influence by occupying city blocks which earns prestige at the end of the game.
Carry out ambushes which increase your body count.
Improve your gang's abilities by investing in your fortunes.

Note: Prestige and body count are safe: once earned they cannot be lost throughout the game. The player with the most prestige wins.

Components

5 Headquarters: One per player. Placed during your initial turn. You can recruit new gangsters to your Headquarters.
5 Safe Houses: One per player. Placed during any of your turns. It functions like your Headquarters, but is typically placed far away from it.
48 Job Cards: Execute jobs to increase your prestige. See card almanac for details.
42 Newsflash Cards: A newsflash is an event that occurs after a job is executed. See card almanac for details.
48 Fortune Cards: A fortune gives you an ability or skill no one else has. See card almanac for details.
48 City Tiles: These tiles come into play when gangsters explore new areas of the city.
50 Gangsters: 10 color-matching gangsters per player. They explore the city, execute jobs and ambush.
5 Reference Cards: One per player. Lists all actions and how much time they consume.
Card Almanac: Explains all cards and provides further details to most newsflashes and fortunes.
Rulebook.
Counter Board in 3D: Counts every player's prestige (outside walkway) and bodies ambushed (graveyard with sections in the player colors).
Insert Tray: Stores all components safely for transport.
Clock: Counts the hours you can spend per turn.
40 Tombstones: Shared between all players. Count bodies in the graveyard. Supply stored inside the church.
Extras: There are 2 placeholder tiles and 12 placeholder cards in case you lose or damage components or you want to get creative on your own. There are also spare parts for the clock and counter board.

Setup

Find a large play area. Keep the middle of it empty. This is where you will set up the board, which will grow during the game. You will need an area of at least 4 times the size of the game box.
Shuffle the decks of job cards, newsflash cards and fortune cards individually. Place the card decks face down outside the play area. Later in the game, place discarded cards at the bottom of their respective decks.
Take the Headquarters and Safe House tiles in your gang color and keep them. All other Headquarters and Safe Houses go back into the game box; they won't be needed.
Shuffle all other tiles. Stack and place them face down.
Turn over the top 2 tiles and place them face up next to the stack, so everyone can see them. These 2 tiles are called revealed tiles.
Place the counter board on one side of the play area. Here you will count the prestige of all players as well as their body counts.
Put all tombstones into the church.
Draw 2 job cards each. Make sure nobody sees your jobs.
Every player takes 8 gangsters in their color, not all 10. The surplus goes back into the game box. Put 1 gangster into the No Prestige box (0) on the counter board. This is your prestige marker. When your prestige increases, move your marker forward. Keep the remaining 7 gangsters next to you; they are your gangster supply.
Put the clock onto the table.
If you are new to Crimopolis, take a reference card. It gives you essential turn information.
Keep the card almanac close for questions that may arise while playing.

If you want to play an introduction game, we recommend adjusting the setup as per the "Lucky Speed Game" under Variations.

Understanding Tiles

You use tiles to build the game board. All tiles, including Headquarters and Safe Houses, consist of two elements: a city block and adjacent street sections.

City blocks are the inner part of tiles. They show locations where you execute jobs such as Banks, Houses and Lakes.

A small city block is on 1 tile.
A large city block stretches over 2 tiles. Example: it is both a House and a Lake.

Street sections surround city blocks. Most city blocks have 4 adjacent street sections such as the Bank in the examples and your Headquarters. Some tiles come with only 3 street sections such as the House and the Lake in the examples. They can form large city blocks which are surrounded by 6 street sections.

Note: The small dots on street sections are manholes. Ignore them! They have no purpose.

A street section between 2 city blocks is just 1 street section, not 2.

Placing Tiles

Tiles are placed together: either street section on street section or city block on city block. City blocks must not be placed next to street sections.

Street Definitions

A street section is the street area adjacent to a city block that is located on a single tile.
An entire street is an uninterrupted series of street sections that stretches over neighboring tiles either horizontally or vertically.

Start the Game

The game starts with a small city consisting of the Headquarters of all players and some tiles. Throughout the game, more and more tiles are added and the city grows.

First Player

The player with the worst social manners starts the game and is the first who moves to the city of Crimopolis. Follow these steps in order:

Take your Headquarters and place it in the middle of the play area.
Take one of the 7 gangsters from your supply and move it into your Headquarters. That is your first recruit.
Choose either of the 2 revealed tiles and place it adjacent to your Headquarters. Any side is fine.
Reveal a new tile so that there are 2 revealed tiles again.
Once more, choose either of those 2 revealed tiles and place it adjacent to your Headquarters.
Again, reveal a new tile.

By now, you should have a small city setup in your play area: the Headquarters of the start player, a gangster and 2 tiles adjacent to the Headquarters.

Tip: Have a look at your job cards first! If any of them matches a revealed tile, pick it! It will be easier for you to do your first job.

In rare situations, you will be unable to perform step 5. In this case, skip the steps 5 and 6.
In extremely rare situations, you will be unable to perform step 3. In this case, skip the steps 3 to 6.

All Other Players

The next player clockwise takes their Headquarters and places it adjacent to any already placed tile.
Then repeat steps 2 to 7 until all players have contributed to the city setup.

Crimopolis is set up now. The game can begin.

Example: If there are 3 players, your initial setup could look like this: The first player, yellow, placed a Doctors tile and a Park adjacent to their Headquarters. The second player, green, placed their Headquarters adjacent to the Park which the yellow player placed, and then placed a Butchery and another Park adjacent to their own Headquarters. The third player, red, placed their Headquarters adjacent to the Park which the green player placed, and then placed a Bank and a House.

Important: When placing revealed tiles, make sure you place them adjacent to your own Headquarters, not anywhere random.

Gameplay

Turns

The game is played in turns during which you play actions at will. Most actions consume time. You have 7 hours per turn. The start player becomes the active player and begins with their first turn.

The player counterclockwise is the time keeper who takes the clock and sets it to 7 hours. Every time the active player performs a time-consuming action, count their time backwards. Notify the active player if there is not enough time left to perform an action. On the reverse side of the clock you will find a list of actions with their relevant time durations. This list is for the time keeper's reference. The actions are explained below.

Action: Time keeper, if you don't have the clock in your hand yet, take it now!

Unused time must be forfeited and it must be added to the next player's turn. Example: If you have 1 hour left and forfeit it, the next player has a turn consisting of 8 hours instead of the regular 7 hours.

Destiny Cards

Some of the newsflash and fortune cards have actions that take place during a later turn. They are called destiny cards and are marked with the term Destiny.

When you play a destiny card for or against a player, you must place the card in front of the player, so that everyone can see it. The card becomes the player's destiny. You can be that player yourself.

Every time you start a new turn, you must execute all your destinies which lie in front of you. Once your destinies are executed, discard the cards and play other turn actions at will.

You can choose the order in which you execute your destinies.
Some fortune cards allow you to defend against fortunes and newsflashes. However, you can only defend against destinies when they are played. Once they lie in front of you, they become your destinies: you cannot defend against them anymore. You must execute them at the start of your next turn.

Actions

Recruit a Gangster

Action: Recruit a gangster into your gang. Time: 2 hours per gangster Effect: Take a gangster from your supply and add it to your Headquarters. If your Safe House is already placed, a recruit can go there instead.

If you have no gangsters left in your supply, you cannot recruit.
There can be up to 3 gangsters in your Headquarters and up to 3 gangsters in your Safe House.

Move Gangsters

Action: Gangsters in city blocks can move onto any adjacent street section either one by one or in groups of up to 3. They can also move from one street section to any adjacent street section. Time: 1 hour for all gangsters moving together Effect: Take 1, 2, or 3 gangsters from a city block or street section and move them together to an adjacent street section.

Example: 2 gangsters leave a Headquarters.

If you move from a street section to another, you normally cross exactly one intersection.
There can be up to 3 gangsters on a street section at any point in time, never more, not even temporarily.
Moving a gangster onto a street section, on which you already have a gangster or two, consumes no time.
Moving a gangster into your Headquarters or Safe House consumes no time.
Moving a gangster into a city block which you occupy consumes no time.

Explore the City

Action: Gangsters who walk onto street sections that are missing a tile on one side must explore this part of the city. Time: no time (moving still consumes 1 hour) Effect: Choose one of the revealed tiles and place it next to the street section onto which you just moved. Then reveal a new tile so that there are two revealed tiles available again.

Example: You move 2 gangsters onto a street section that is missing an adjacent tile. The move consumes 1 hour. Choose one of the 2 revealed tiles and place it. Choosing and placing consumes no additional time.

Instead of choosing a revealed tile, you can place your Safe House instead.
If there is no suitable tile available that can be placed, you must not place a tile and you must not reveal any new tiles.
If you run out of tiles, you can place other players' Safe Houses; see "Running out of Tiles" below for details.

Tip: Moving and exploring is necessary to get your gangsters to locations where they can execute jobs; see the locations on your 2 job cards.

Ambush a Gangster

Action: Gangsters from different players cannot stand peacefully with each other on the same street section. They carry out an ambush the moment they move to a street section where 1 or more other gangsters stand. Time: no time (moving still consumes 1 hour) Effect: Remove the ambushed gangster(s) and your own ambushing gangster(s) one for one. Return them to each player's supply. Increase your body count by 1 per opposing gangster. This means you add 1 tombstone per ambushed gangster to your section in the graveyard.

Example: You ambush 1 green gangster: 1 hour to move + remove green gangster + remove own gangster + increase your body count by 1.

Only the ambushing player increases their body count and only for the ambushed gangsters, not their own gangsters.

Occupy a City Block

Action: Occupy an empty city block which earns you influence over parts of the city. More influence means more prestige at game end. Time: 3 hours per city block or as per job Effect: Take 1, 2, or 3 gangsters and move them from adjacent street sections into a city block.

There can be up to 3 gangsters in a city block.
You must not occupy another player's Headquarters or Safe House.

Take over a City Block

Action: Take over an occupied city block. This will decrease another player's city influence. Time: 3 hours per city block or as per job Effect: Count the number of gangsters in the occupied city block which you want to take over. Move 1, 2, or 3 more gangsters from adjacent street sections into that city block. Ambush rules apply: Remove the other player's gangsters and the same number of your own gangsters. Return them to each player's supply. Increase your body count by 1 for every opposing gangster you removed: add tombstones to the graveyard. Also, increase your prestige by 1.

Example: Green has 2 gangsters in the Post Office which you can take over by moving 3, 4, or 5 of your own gangsters into it. You lose 2 of your gangsters. Your body count increases by 2 and your prestige increases by 1. (3 hours to take over + remove both green gangsters + remove 2 of your own gangsters + increase your body count by 2 + increase prestige by 1.)

After a takeover, there must be 1, 2 or 3 of your gangsters in the city block, not more, not less. However, if you execute a job which requires 4 or more gangsters, then you can take over the city block with as many more gangsters as per your job.
For a takeover you earn instant prestige: increase your prestige by 1.
You must not take over another player's Headquarters or Safe House.

Execute a Job

Action: Execute a job and earn prestige.

Preconditions:

You must have enough gangsters on street sections adjacent to the city block where you want to execute a job: name and color must match.
You must have enough time.
You can only execute a job if you do not have a gangster in the targeted city block, and you must not have had a gangster in the city block at the beginning or during your current turn.

Time: as per job Effect: Follow these instructions in order:

Show your job to all other players. The time keeper reduces the hours as per your job card and intervenes if you don't have enough time.
Move your gangsters into the city block. Occupying or takeover rules apply depending on whether the city block is empty or occupied. You must move with at least the number of gangsters as per your job card. Important: After a takeover, you must have at least as many gangsters in the city block as stated on your job.
Draw the top newsflash card and play it immediately. See card almanac for details if in doubt. Then discard the newsflash.
Increase your prestige as per the executed job unless the newsflash tells you otherwise. Then discard your job.
Draw a new job from the top of the jobs deck so that you have 2 jobs again.

Abort a Job

Action: Abort a job. Time: 3 hours per job Effect: Discard one of your job cards. Draw 2 new cards. Pick one of them and put the other one back onto the top of the jobs deck.

Tip: Aborting jobs can be helpful when a required city block is missing in the city, as explored so far, or when it is too hard to get your gangsters to the required location.

Invest in a Fortune

Action: Stew over ideas and develop useful abilities and skills for your gang. Time: 2 hours per fortune Effect: Draw the top card from the fortunes deck and keep it.

You can keep as many fortunes as you want.

Play a Fortune

Action: Use your gang's abilities and skills. Time: no time Effect: Play any of your fortune cards and follow its instructions. See card almanac for details.

You can play a fortune card in the same turn you get it.
Some fortune cards can be played at the same time as when you execute a job.

Finish your Turn

Action: Gangsters end their actions as the night ends. Time: no time Effect: Tell everyone that you finished your turn. Your time remaining gets added to the next player's clock. Their turn starts now and you become the time keeper.

Note: You must announce the end of your turn because even if you have no time left, you can still act, e.g. by playing a fortune.

What Happens When ...?

Identical Job Cards

Action: If you have 2 job cards in your hand which happen to target the exact same city block, you can discard them and get new jobs. Time: no time Effect: Disclose your 2 job cards to all other players and let them confirm that they target the same city block. Then discard the cards and draw the top 2 jobs from the job deck.

Example: You may have 2 jobs for Parks. These jobs target the same city block, so you can discard them and draw the top 2 cards from the jobs deck.

You can redraw jobs only during your turn.
If the new jobs target identical city blocks, you can keep them or draw again.

Jobs in the same City Block

You can do more than one job in the same city block; however, they must be done in separate turns. You are only allowed to do a job in a city block if you do not have any of your gangsters in that location at the beginning of or during your turn.

That means: if you occupy a city block in which you want to do a job, you must leave that city block first and then reoccupy it during any of your later turns.

The same rule applies to large city blocks consisting of different locations: you can do only one job in that location per turn.

Headquarters Are Safe

Headquarters and Safe Houses are city blocks; however, they have special rules applied to them.

You cannot occupy or take over other players' Headquarters and Safe Houses. These city blocks are generally safe.

If a fortune or newsflash mentions city blocks, then Headquarters and Safe Houses are excluded. If Headquarters and Safe Houses are mentioned explicitly, then they can be targeted indeed.

Exception: If a city block is targeted from the outside, such as from a street section, then Headquarters and Safe Houses can be affected. An example is the fortune "Bombing". The card almanac explains most fortunes and newsflashes, so if in doubt refer to the almanac!

Occupation Limits

The occupation limit on street sections and in city blocks is 3.

A city block can only occupy up to 3 gangsters. This is the case for both small and large city blocks as well as for Headquarters and Safe Houses.

Some jobs require more than 3 gangsters. Then, and only then, you can have more than 3 gangsters in a city block. This is called over-occupation. Gangsters enter the city block from multiple street sections.

If you remove a gangster from an over-occupied city block, then the occupation limit applies. You cannot return into the city block later with more than 3 gangsters.

Fortunes and newsflashes may require you to add a gangster to your Headquarters, Safe Houses or any other city block. If they are fully occupied, you must remove that gangster from the game and return it to your supply.

Example: You have 3 gangsters in your Headquarters. A newsflash instructs you to move a gangster from a street section to your Headquarters. You must remove this gangster from the game and return it to your gangster supply.

Maximum Body Counts

Body counts can be increased without limit for as long as the church has tombstones for the graveyard. Once all tombstones are exhausted, all body counts are locked until the game ends.

Running out of Tiles

If there is no revealed tile left, then the city cannot be explored any further. However, if anyone still has a Safe House to place, you can choose any of them, even other players' Safe Houses, and place them when you explore.

Game End

Last Turn

Once a player reaches a prestige of 21 or more, their turn becomes their last. Everyone else plays one last turn. Then, the game ends.

Tip: If you are new to Crimopolis and play with 4 or 5 people, consider playing a Lucky Speed Game. This shortens an otherwise long game; see "Variations".

Players gain additional prestige for their achievements throughout the game.

Influence

For every one of your occupied small city blocks increase your prestige by 1. Ignore Headquarters and Safe Houses. For every one of your occupied large city blocks, which consist of 2 combined tiles, increase your prestige by 3.

Example: You occupy 2 small city blocks: a Graveyard and a Bank. You also occupy a large city block: a Park & Market. You increase your prestige by 2 for the small city blocks and by another 3 for the large city block. Your total increase is 5.

Body Counts

For every 2 tombstones increase your prestige by 1. Additionally, the player with the highest body count overall increases their prestige by 2.

Examples: You have 5 tombstones in your graveyard section, so increase your prestige by 2. No one else has a tombstone hence you gain an additional prestige of 2.

If multiple players have the highest body count, all of them increase their prestige by 2.

Hidden Fortunes

Some fortune cards have a game end prestige. Increase your prestige as shown on all the fortune cards which you still own and haven't played.

Example: You've got 3 unplayed fortunes. 2 of them have a game end prestige of 2 and 3. Increase your prestige by 5.

Fortune cards which you have played belong to the discard pile and don't count. Played destinies which aren't executed don't count either.

Winner

You win if you have the most prestige. If there is a tie, victory goes to the player with the highest body count. If there is still a tie, then those players control Crimopolis equally well and win together.

Gangster Slang

Jobs and newsflashes carry flavor stories using gangster slang from the 1920s, or what we think was slang back in those days. Here are the words and phrases used.

Babe: Woman. Bim: Woman. Blow one down: To kill someone. Boob: Dumb guy. Bootlegger: Person who makes, distributes, or sells goods illegally, especially hooch. Bordello: Brothel. Buttons: Police. Cabbage: Money. Can house: Brothel. Century: $100. Cheese it: To put it away, hide it. Chicago overcoat: Coffin, or cement shoes. Chick: Woman. Chilled off: Killed. Chippy: Woman of easy virtue. Clip joint: In some cases, a nightclub where the prices are high, and the patrons are fleeced. Corn: Bourbon (corn liquor). Croaker: Doctor. Cut down: Killed. Daylight: To put a hole in by shooting or stabbing. Dish: Pretty woman. Dope: Drugs. Dope fiend: Drug addict. Dope peddler: Drug dealer. Dough: Money. Flapper: Stylish, brash young woman with short skirts and shorter hair. Giggle juice or giggle water: Liquor. Glaum: To steal. Goon: Thug. Have the bees: Be rich. Hinky: Suspicious. Hooch: Liquor. Hotsy-Totsy: Pleasing. Ice: Diamonds. Kitten: Woman. Lettuce: Folding money. Looker: Pretty woman. Maroon: Person marked for a con or a gullible person. Mugs: Men, especially referring to dumb ones. Nibble one: To have a drink. Palooka: Man, probably not very smart. Peeper: Detective. Peterman: Safecracker who uses nitroglycerin. Plugs: People. Rhino: Money. Sheba: Woman with sex appeal. Sing: Make a confession. Skirt: Woman. Sleuth: Detective. Snitch: Informer, or to inform. Snooper: Detective. Speakeasy: Illicit bar selling bootleg liquor. Spill: To talk, or to inform. Stool-pigeon: Informer. Sugar: Money. Tiger milk: Some sort of liquor. Wise head: Smart person. Yegg: Safecracker who can only open cheap and easy safes.

Variations

You can adjust the game by changing any factors you wish. Here are examples which we like.

Lucky Speed Game

To play a fast game, end at a prestige of 13. A game lasts for about 10 to 15 minutes per player. Every player gets 6 gangsters instead of 7, plus one gangster as a prestige marker for the scoreboard.

Side effect: Luck has a higher impact on who will win the game.

Step 4 of the setup changes to this:

There are 15 tiles with a clock icon next to their location names. Put these tiles aside.
Shuffle all other tiles. Stack and place them face down.
Now shuffle the 15 put aside tiles and place them on top of the stack, also facing down. These will be the first tiles to draw.

Timed Game

You can time your game to any length. It can be as short as 15 minutes for a 2-player game or you can stretch it to over 45 minutes per player. Choose any number of gangsters per player: the longer the game the more gangsters you should have. We recommend a minimum of 5 gangsters.

Side effects: Short games play on lucky chances. Long games are for people who like playing strategically.

Tips: Play short games only when you know the rules well; otherwise, you may play only 1 or 2 turns. Also, use the specific shuffling technique as explained for Lucky Speed Games.

Deeper Strategy Game

To play a long game, end at a prestige of 42. When you score, do not go into the graveyard section when you pass a prestige of 24. Instead, go around the graveyard again. A game lasts for about 30 to 50 minutes per player.

Every player gets 9 gangsters instead of 7.

Side effects: Players who think ahead have a higher chance to win. The effect of good luck is smaller than in a game ending at a prestige of 21. You are more likely to run out of tiles. Jobs, newsflashes and fortunes may be reused and therefore played multiple times. Do not reshuffle them!

Influence on the Streets

At game end, the players who have the largest number of gangsters on streets increase their prestige by 2.

Big Business

At game end, you gain additional prestige for occupying multiple same-named city tiles, e.g. 2 Banks and 3 Parks:

For every 2 same-named city tiles increase your prestige by 2.
For every 3 same-named city tiles increase your prestige by 4.
For every 4 or more same-named city tiles increase your prestige by 7.

If a large city block consists of 2 different locations, then this city block can count twice if you occupy both locations in other city blocks. A large city block consisting of 2 identical tiles is just 1 city block, not 2.

Example: You occupy a large city block consisting of a Park and a Butchery. You also occupy 2 more Parks, another Butchery and a Graveyard. You gain 4 additional prestige for the 3 Parks and 2 additional prestige for the 2 Butcheries. You gain no additional prestige for the Graveyard.

Side effects: Occupying and takeovers become more attractive.

Team Mode

You can play with 2 people per gang and combine your brain power. Choose someone you would like to play with. Share jobs and fortunes. Play together as you would as a single player.

Side effects: You can play with up to 10 people. Games may take a little longer due to an increase in strategic discussions.

Missed a Rule?

Commonly missed rules:

Ambushing consumes no time: Ambushing happens by moving onto a street section or into a city block. There is no extra time required for the ambushing itself; see "Ambush a Gangster".
Defend a destiny: Destinies are played first and then executed at a later turn. Fortunes that defend against other fortunes or newsflashes can only defend when destinies are played, not when they are executed at a later turn; see "Destiny Cards".
Exploring consumes no time: Exploring happens by moving onto a street section where one tile is missing. There is no extra time required for the exploration itself; see "Explore the City".
Gangster placement before occupying: Before you occupy or take over a city block either as part of a job or not, you must place your gangsters on street sections adjacent to the targeted city block. You can enter a city block from multiple adjacent street sections in one move; see "Occupy a City Block".
Gangsters in a city block: The maximum number of gangsters in a city block is 3. The only exception is when you do a job that requires more gangsters; see "Occupy a City Block".
Gangsters on streets: The maximum number of gangsters on a street section is 3; see "Move Gangsters".
Large city blocks: They stretch over 2 tiles and only certain tiles can be used to build them. Large city blocks are surrounded by 6 street sections and are worth 3 prestige at the end of the game; see "Understanding Tiles".
Multiple Jobs: You can only execute a job in a city block which you do not occupy. If you occupy a city block in which you want to do a job, you must leave it first. You can occupy the city block at any later turn; see "Jobs in the same City Block".
Setup: After setting up your Headquarters, the 2 tiles that you place must be placed adjacent (!) to your own (!) Headquarters; see "Start the Game".