Excape Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Contents
• Game Idea
• Set Up
• The Dice and Their Combinations
• Playing the First Round
  • Rolling the Dice
  • Placing the Dice
  • Removing Opponents' Dice
• Playing Further Rounds
  • Moving the Counter
• Game End
• Credits

Overview

Roll an X — you're NiX!

A Game by Reiner Knizia

• Players: 3-6
• Age: 8 and up
• Duration: c. 30 minutes

AMIGO Spiel No. 8200

German Edition: © 1998 by AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH. English Translation: Reiner Knizia and Kevin Jacklin.

Contents

• 12 dice in six colours:
  • 6 dice each with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and X
  • 6 dice each with numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and X
• 6 wooden counters in six colours
• 6 cardboard indicators, with bases, in six colours
• 1 board:
  • scoring spaces, numbered 1 to 20
  • start space
  • finish space
  • dice ladder, with rungs value 0 to 5
• ...and 1 rulebook

Game Idea

Players need some luck and the willingness to take risks to speedily advance their counters. By cunning use of the dice, it is possible for players to slow down their opponents. The player whose counter first reaches the finish wins the game.

Set Up

Assemble the board and place it in the middle of the table. Each player takes a counter, an indicator with base, and two dice, all of one colour. Each player places his counter on the start space, and positions the indicator in front of him to show what colour he is in the game. One player begins, then play proceeds clockwise.

The Dice and Their Combinations

Each player has two dice. On one the highest number is a 7, on the other the highest number is a 6. Both dice are always rolled together. The highest combination of the two is 7 and 6, in short "76". When comparing two dice combinations, the higher number takes precedence.

Example: "71" is higher than "64"; "32" is higher than "31"

Playing the First Round

On his turn, the player rolls his dice one or more times. If he finishes with a valid combination, then he places both his dice onto an empty rung of the dice ladder, possibly thereby kicking other players' dice off the board.

Rolling the Dice

The player rolls both his dice. He may choose to accept his combination, or he may continue rolling both dice to obtain a better result. He may re-roll as often as he wishes, unless an X appears. In this case he does not have a valid combination, and his turn is over. In general, for each X rolled the player must retreat his counter by one scoring space. If he rolls X-X, he must retreat by two spaces. In the first round all counters will be on the start space, therefore they cannot be retreated.

Exception: In the player's first roll of every turn, each X counts as 0, without invalidating the combination. Only on the second and subsequent dice rolls will an X invalidate the combination, and finish the player's turn.

Doubles: If a player rolls the combination 1-1, 2-2, or 3-3, then he immediately advances his counter by one, two or three spaces respectively. After that the player may, if he wishes, choose to re-roll.

Example 1: Alex rolls the combination X-X. As this is his first roll, this counts as a valid combination "00". Alex chooses to re-roll. He obtains a "42", and then rolls again, getting 7-X — an invalid combination. Alex's turn is finished. Because his counter is on the start space, it cannot be retreated.

Placing the Dice

If the player accepts a valid dice combination, he places both his dice onto an empty rung of the ladder, irrespective of other combinations on other rungs. The rungs with values 1 to 5 may only be occupied by one pair of dice. The 0 rung may be occupied by any number of pairs.

Combinations containing an X may be placed on a rung if originating from a player's first roll.

Example 2: It is Beatrice's turn. She rolls a "41", then a double, "33". She advances her counter by 3 spaces. She re-rolls again, obtaining a "64". Accepting this combination, she places her dice on rung 5.

Removing Opponents' Dice

When placing his dice on a rung, the player compares his combination with each combination on higher rungs. Dice combinations on higher rungs that are equal to or lower than the player's combination are removed and returned to their respective players. The placement of one pair of dice may cause several other pairs to be removed. No dice are removed if the player places a lower combination on any rung.

Example 3: It is Carl's turn. He rolls a 3-X. As it is his first roll, this counts as "30". Carl re-rolls and obtains a "42", and then again for a "64". He accepts the "64" and places his dice onto rung 4, thereby causing the removal of Beatrice's dice (who has an equal "64" on rung 5).

Example 4: It is Diana's turn. In her first roll, she accepts a 7-X, counting as "70". She could place her dice onto rung 3, thereby causing the removal of Carl's dice ("64" on rung 4). However, Diana chooses to place her dice on rung 5, hence Carl's dice remain.

Playing Further Rounds

From the second round onwards, each player conducts the following activities in his turn:

1. Move his counter;
2. Roll his dice;
3. Place his dice; and
4. Remove opponents' dice.

Moving the Counter

If, one round later, at the start of his turn a player's dice are on the dice ladder, the player advances his counter. The counter moves the number of spaces equal to the rung on the ladder. Then he retrieves his dice from the ladder. If, at the start of his turn, a player's dice are not on the ladder, his counter does not move.

More than one counter may occupy a scoring space.

Then the following actions are conducted, as described for playing the first round: Rolling the Dice, Placing the Dice and Removing Opponents' Dice.

Example 5: It is Alex's turn again. His counter does not move, since his dice are not on the ladder (he rolled an invalid combination). He now rolls a "21", and re-rolls obtaining a "61", placing this combination on rung 3.

Example 6: Beatrice follows Alex. Her dice are not located on the ladder either. She rolls a "32", and re-rolls an invalid X-X. This finishes her turn, and she must retreat her counter by 2 spaces.

Example 7: At the beginning of Carl's turn his dice are still on rung 4 of the ladder. Therefore he moves his counter by 4 spaces, and retrieves the dice. He rolls a "71" which he accepts, placing his dice on rung 2. This causes the removal of both Diana's ("70" on rung 5) and Alex's ("61" on rung 3).

Game End

The player whose counter first reaches the finish space wins EXXTRA.

Credits

Many thanks are extended from the author to Chris Lawson for his significant contribution in the development of EXXTRA.

If you have any questions, we'll be pleased to help you:

AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH Waldstraße 23 - D5 D-63128 Dietzenbach Germany

MCMXCVIII All rights reserved.

Version: 1.2 Last Revised: 16 March, 1998 By: Kevin Jacklin