Elevenses: The Guilty Party
Elevenses: The Guilty Party Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Your Game Includes
For 2-5 players aged 14 and up. 30 minutes to play.
- 6 Guilt cards (the "Not Guilty" cards show a cup of tea; the "Murderer" card shows a murder weapon)
- 1 Sugar Bowl card
- 6 Guest cards
- 5 Plates
- 30 Suspicion cubes
- 55 Tea Party cards (11 per player, differentiated by the designs on their backs)
- 1 Starting Server card
- 5 Player Aid (overview) cards
Setting Up the Game
The printed rulebook illustrates the components and a 2-player set-up diagram (page 7) with pictures; the pictures are not reproduced here. The set-up steps are transcribed from the text.
- Place the Sugar Bowl card in the centre of the table. It is used to hold all the Suspicion cubes in the game. Place at least 6 Suspicion cubes per player onto the Sugar Bowl.
- Each player takes an overview card and places it on the table near them. This card acts as a reminder for all the positions, values and special actions of the Tea Party cards. Each player also receives a plate which should be placed near them but in reach of the other players. It is on the plates that Suspicion cubes will be placed by the players throughout the game. One plate is left in the centre of the table. This is for the murdered Mrs Lansdowne. Players may wish to place suspicion on her plate as well (…was it suicide…?)
- Each player takes a set of 11 Tea Party cards (differentiated by the designs on their backs). The players should now shuffle their 11 cards and place 8 of them randomly face-down in front of themselves as in the image below. This rectangle of cards is known as a player's spread. The remaining 3 cards form each player's starting hand. Players should not look at their spread, and should not show the other players their hand (unless a card action directs you to do so).
- Each player is now randomly handed a Guest card. These cards represent the player and should be kept face-down on the table until the guest has eaten the three items represented on it (explained in detail later). Players may look at their own Guest card at any time.
- One of the players now takes the Guilt cards and takes as many "Not Guilty" cards (showing a cup of tea) as there are players, and one "Murderer" card (showing a murder weapon). Any left over cards are returned to the game box and will not be used. This collection of Guilt cards is shuffled and then dealt to each player. The single remaining Guilt card is placed face-down near the plate previously placed in the middle of the table for Mrs Lansdowne and should not be looked at. Each player now secretly looks at their Guilt card, before placing it face-down near their Guest card. (Note: this step of set-up is slightly different when playing with 5 players. Please check the end of this rulebook for how to set up and play a 5-player game.)
- The player who the group decides looks the most suspicious will be the starting player and places the start player card in front of themselves. (Or you can determine the start player randomly.) The starting player places 3 Suspicion cubes on their plate from the supply, the second player places 2 Suspicion cubes on their plate, and every other player places 1 cube on their plate. Also place 1 Suspicion cube on Mrs Lansdowne's plate in the centre of the table. Play proceeds clockwise.
Your Goal
Every player in The Guilty Party is a suspect in the murder of Mrs Lansdowne. Every guest has a motive and no one has a good alibi. The police have been notified and are on their way to the house. When the constable arrives, he will question the guests and investigate the house. He will arrest the player (or players) that he deems most suspicious. (If Mrs Lansdowne has the most suspicion, the constable will assume the crime was a suicide.) In order to escape the constable's handcuffs, you must ensure that you are not suspected by him.
With nothing better to do while waiting for the constable, the guests decide to continue their tea party and chat amongst themselves. By playing cards to their spread, each player will indulge in some tea or treats, all the while placing suspicion on the other guests and trying to remove it from themselves.
When a player plays the "Elevenses" card, it is 11 o'clock - the constable will arrive and the game will end. Then, players will reveal their Guilt cards. If the murderer was indeed the most suspicious guest at the party (with more Suspicion cubes on their plate than anyone else), then the "not guilty" players were successful in uncovering the guilty party and the "not guilty" player with the least suspicion will be the winner of the game.
If the player with the most suspicion was not the murderer, then the murderer automatically wins the game as they got away scott-free.
Playing the Game
On a player's turn, they must take one of two actions…
Play 1 Tea Party card from their hand to their spread, or, make 1-2 re-arrangements.
Players continue to take turns clockwise around the table until someone can and does play an "Elevenses" card. Then the game immediately ends.
Playing a Tea Party Card
Choosing to perform this action is the most common in the game. When a player takes this action they choose 1 card from their hand and play it face-up to their spread in its proper position. Cards 1-5 are played to the top row of the spread, and cards 6-10 are played on the bottom row. As soon as a card is played, the player takes the card that was face-down on their spread in the position that the face-up card was played to, and adds it to their hand. (The position that each card must be played to is on the overview cards and is also depicted in the rulebook.)
Note that cards 1 and 10 are played to the left and right of the spread in their own position and therefore decrease the hand size of a player by 1 for each of these they play (as there isn't a face-down card sitting in these locations). Also note that the 11 (Elevenses) card is played to the centre of the table and ends the game immediately.
A player may play a Tea Party card that came from another player's hand (due to a card effect). A player may not play a Tea Party card if another copy of that card is already played face-up in their spread. Such a card will have to be held onto, or passed on or removed from a player's hand via a card effect (explained later).
If, after playing a card face-up to their spread, a player now has the three cards that their Guest card has pictured on it face-up in their spread, they must turn their Guest card over. This will add 2 value to their morning tea (see THE END OF THE GAME, below). After turning their Guest card face-up, the player may swap the position of any two plates at the table - keeping whatever Suspicion cubes are on them!
Finally, after having played a card, added the face-down card from the card's position in the spread to their hand (if the card played was numbered 2-9), and revealing their Guest card (if able), the player must carry out the special action written on the card they just played. These actions often allow the player to add or move Suspicion cubes from guests' plates, or to interrupt a player's plans in other ways. (Please see the SPECIAL ACTIONS section later in the rules for a full description of the different card effects.)
Making 1-2 Re-arrangements
When a player chooses this action, they will attempt to set themselves up for future turns by re-arranging the face-down cards in their spread and the cards in their hand.
To perform a re-arrangement, the player chooses a Tea Party card from their hand and swaps it with a face-down card still in their spread. This should be done without the other players seeing what is on the cards. The player may perform a second re-arrangement if they wish and may even place the card they just picked up back in their spread.
Note that the card(s) being placed into the spread must remain face-down, so the position a card is placed to does not need to match its number. A player may re-arrange a Tea Party card from another player's hand. (Of course, it will now be recognisable due to its differently coloured back.)
The End of the Game
Each Tea Party card not only has a position number and a special effect, but also gives each player a certain number of teaspoons (see the card values under Special Actions, below).
As soon as any player plays an "Elevenses" card it is 11 o'clock and the constable rings the doorbell. The game ends immediately. Each player announces the total teaspoon value of all the face-up cards in their spread to determine who has the most valuable morning tea. This will not necessarily be the player who played the "Elevenses" card (there are occasions when a player will be happy to play the 11, even if they aren't going to have the most valuable tea). The player with the most teaspoons on their face-up Tea Party cards takes 3 Suspicion cubes from the Sugar Bowl card into their hand, and so on, according to this table:
| No. of players | 2 | 3 | 4-5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 3 cubes | 3 cubes | 3 cubes |
| 2nd place | 1 cube | 1 cube | 2 cubes |
| 3rd place | – | 0 | 1 cube |
| 4th & 5th places | – | – | 0 |
This information is also on the reverse of the Starting Server card.
In the case of a tie for most valuable morning tea, the player who played the "Elevenses" card breaks the tie. If that player was not one of the tied players, the tie is won by the tied player closest to the left of the one who played the 11.
After taking the Suspicion cubes they earned (if any), the players will now take turns adding these extra Suspicion cubes to the plates in front of the guest(s) of their choosing. The order for adding this late suspicion goes clockwise around the table (not in order of most teaspoons on cards) starting with the player who played the "Elevenses" card. If placing multiple cubes, the player may choose to place them all on one plate, or across multiple plates (including Mrs Lansdowne's).
An example of scoring at the end of a 3-player game:
- One player's Tea Party has a value of 8 teaspoons. They receive 1 Suspicion cube to place at the end of the game. Because they played the Elevenses card they will place their cube first.
- Another player's Tea Party has a value of 13 teaspoons. They receive 3 Suspicion cubes to place at the end of the game.
- A third player's Tea Party also has a value of 8 teaspoons. They receive 0 Suspicion cubes to place at the end of the game because they came third in Tea Party value (the Elevenses card breaks ties).
Determining the Winner
Now that all the Suspicion cubes for the game have been placed on the guests' plates, the player with the most Suspicion cubes must reveal their Guilt card to show if they were guilty or innocent of the murder. If there is a tie for most suspicion, then all tied players must reveal their Guilt cards. This player (or players) will be arrested and lose the game.
If the most suspicious player (or one of the most suspicious players if tied) reveals a murder weapon on their Guilt card, then the innocent player with the least Suspicion cubes on their plate wins the game.
In the case of a tie for least suspicion, the tie is broken as for the most valuable morning tea: if one of the tied players had played the "Elevenses" card, they win; otherwise the tied player closest in turn order to the player of the 11 card (closest to their left) will win.
If the murderer was not arrested, then they should reveal their true identity now. They will win the game instead, having escaped the suspicion of the police.
Note that the winning or losing "player" could be the non-playing character (Mrs Lansdowne) in the centre of the table!
Playing with 5 Players
The game is almost identical when playing with 5 players, except that when dealing out the Guilt cards, 2 murder weapon cards and 3 innocent cards should be used to set up the game.
In the 5-player game there are two murderers, but neither player knows whom the other guilty party is. (One supposes that one of the guests poisoned Mrs Lansdowne, then the other, coming upon her and believing her asleep, stabbed her.)
In the 5-player game there is also no "unowned" Mrs Lansdowne player in the centre of the table.
For an innocent player to win, only one of the two murderers need to be arrested. If neither murderer is arrested, they both share the victory.
Special Actions
Each Tea Party card has a position number, a value in teaspoons, and a special action. The special action is carried out after the card is played (see Playing a Tea Party Card). The cards are listed below by number.
1: Scones (Value 0)
This card allows the player to add 2 Suspicion cubes from the Sugar Bowl card to guest plates. The player may place 2 cubes on one guest's plate, or 1 on two different plates. The player may place cubes on Mrs Lansdowne's plate in the centre of the table. (This card is played to the left of a player's spread, so no card is drawn after playing it.)
2: Salmon Canapés (Value 1)
This card allows the player to add 1 Suspicion cube from the Sugar Bowl card to a guest's plate, including Mrs Lansdowne's plate in the centre of the table.
3: Biscuits (Value 1)
This card allows the player to move up to 2 Suspicion cubes that are already placed on guest plates (including their own). The cubes may be taken from one or two different plates and may be placed on different plates, or the same one (including Mrs Lansdowne's plate in the centre of the table).
4: Tarts (Value 1)
This card allows the player to move 1 Suspicion cube that is already placed on a guest's plate to a different plate (including Mrs Lansdowne's plate in the centre of the table).
5: Hors d'Oeuvres (Value 1)
This card allows the player to look at another player's Guilt card (or Mrs Lansdowne's Guilt card in the centre of the table). The Guilt card may not be shown to other players, and should be returned face-down to the table. The current player may choose to tell others what was on the Guilt card... But can one trust what others say?
6: Tartlets (Value 2)
After playing this card, every player chooses a card from their hand and passes it face-down to the player on their left. This card will then be added to that player's hand. Players may not look at what card they are receiving before choosing the card they wish to pass on - cards are chosen simultaneously. A player may not pass an 11 (Elevenses) card. If a player only has an 11 in their hand, they must say so, and slide the card they are being passed from the player on their right to the player on their left (without looking at it).
7: Macaroons (Value 2)
Similar to Tartlets, after playing this card, every player chooses a card from their hand and passes it face-down to the player on their right. This card will then be added to that player's hand. Players may not look at what card they are receiving before choosing the card they wish to pass on - cards are chosen simultaneously. A player may not pass an 11 (Elevenses) card. If a player only has an 11 in their hand, they must say so, and slide the card they are passed from the player on their left to the player on their right (without looking at it).
8: Ham Sandwiches (Value 2)
After playing this card, the player chooses another player to swap a hand card with. They must select the player they wish to swap with, who then shows them their hand (without the other players seeing). If the current player wishes to take one of their cards, they take it, placing it into their own hand, and then they must give a different card from their own hand to the player they took from. The 11 (Elevenses) card may not swap hands, but it's good to know where one is if a player sees it...
9: Cakes (Value 2)
This is almost like the reverse of Ham Sandwiches. After playing this card, the current player may have a card taken from their hand and replaced with another. The current player must choose another player. They show this player their hand of cards (without the other players seeing). If this player wants to, they may take one of the cards from the current player's hand and replace it with one of the cards in their own hand. The 11 (Elevenses) card may not swap hands, but it's good to know where one is if a player sees it...
10: Cucumber Sandwiches (Value 3)
The Cucumber Sandwiches card adds 3 teaspoons to the value of your spread. After playing it, the current player must swap any two Guilt cards on the table - without looking at them or revealing them to others. They may swap their own Guilt card and even Mrs Lansdowne's. (This card is played to the right of a player's spread, so no card is drawn after playing it.)
11: Elevenses (Value 0)
By playing this card to the centre of the table, the current player will end the game. This card also acts as a tie-breaker. To play this card, the player must have at least six Tea Party cards already face-up in their spread. (This card can never be passed, swapped or stolen.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Transcriber's note: the printed rulebook contains several misspellings (for example "becasue", "suspision", "suspiscious", "payer's", "fornt", "meurderer", "benefical"). They are corrected here for readability; no rule text is changed by these corrections.
"Why wouldn't I say a player is the murderer once I look at their Guilt card and see that they are?"
You may! But be wary - declaring another is guilty may paint you as the murderer trying to pin the crime on someone else. Also, giving away that you are not the murderer is still risky as the murderer (and others) are still going to want to put suspicion on you. Don't forget there are ways to rearrange Guilt cards and plates on the table. Perhaps you will end up with it if you are too vocal!
"If I don't look at a player's Guilt card, how will I ever know who the murderer is?"
Many clues will be revealed by watching what other players do (or don't do), and by what they say (or don't say). And remember, if you are not guilty you don't simply want to know who the murderer is, you want to have the least Suspicion cubes to win, so being too obvious may not be to your advantage.
"How can I win if I am the murderer?"
Don't be too obvious - don't play cards that have you place or move suspicion or move plates or Guilt cards when doing so will be obvious that you are trying to protect yourself. Don't forget to bluff (after looking at a Guilt card you may say it was the murderer's card even when it wasn't), and try diversionary tactics, i.e. moving the plates of two innocent players when it may be more beneficial to get rid of all the Suspicion cubes in front of you.
The more often you play, the more tactics you will discover.