Familienbande
Familienbande Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 70 cards with the portraits of the different family members (35 males, 35 female) with 3 special family characteristics on the left side (blue ears, yellow glasses, green noses, orange curls, and red lips).
- 1 scoring track (3 parts)
- 5 characteristic tiles
- 5 point markers in 5 different colors
Preparations
The three parts of the scoring track are joined and put on the table. All point markers are placed at the top of the scoring track. The five characteristic tiles are mixed face down. All players take a characteristic tile, note the characteristic and color, and place it face down in front of them. A start player is determined by any means desired. This player shuffles the portrait cards well and puts three cards face up in a row at the top right of the scoring track (see illustration 1). The cards represent the individuals in the first generation. Five cards are dealt to each player to form their hands. The remaining cards are placed face down as a draw pile.
Explanation of Play
The start player begins. Each player in order takes a turn in one of three ways:
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Causes a marriage: A player may place a card from their hand over (slightly overlapping) a single card that is already laid out. The played card must be of the opposite gender of the existing card. (Note: Male cards have a blue border; female cards, a pink border). The player immediately draws a new card from the draw pile. There is no scoring for a marriage.
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Brings descendants into play: A player may play a single card from their hand into the row (generation) below a pair of parents (married). A descendant may only be played if it shares three of the six characteristics shown by the chosen parents. Thus, if a descendant exhibits two noses, one nose between its parents is not enough. The parent cards must show at least two nose icons between them (illustration 2).
Example: The father card shows two ears and a lips. The mother card has two eyeglasses and an ear. A card with an ear, a lips, and a eyeglasses is an acceptable play. One with two lips and an eyeglasses would not be.
A pair of parents may have several descendants. These descendants do not have to be in the space directly below the parents, but they must be in the row (generation) directly below the parents (illustration 3). The player who plays a descendant may optionally discard a card and draw a new card from the draw pile. After a descendant is played, a scoring occurs (see Scoring).
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Or passes: A player may pass by drawing a card from the draw pile. On this turn, the player does not cause a marriage or bring a descendant into play.
The player who causes a marriage will have the same hand size at the end of the turn (Plays one, draws one). The player who brings a descendant into play will have a smaller hand size at turn's end (Plays one, doesn't draw one). The player who passes will have a larger hand size at the end of the turn (Doesn't play one, draws one).
This is important because any cards left in a player's hand at the end of the game will score as negative points (see Winner of the Game).
Further Generations
As soon as a descendant is played, it may be married by placing a new portrait card over it (overlapping it slightly). This new pair can produce suitable descendants as previously explained. In this way, new generations develop. Each generation is larger than the previous one. The first generation begins with three cards, can sustain a maximum of three pairs (marriages), and may produce a maximum of four descendants. The second generation may have a maximum of four marriages and only produce five descendants. The third generation (five marriages) may only produce six descendants. The fourth generation (six marriages) may only produce seven descendants (the fifth generation).
As soon as all possible descendants of a generation have been played, the previous generation's cards are all turned over. Any single cards in this generation may no longer marry.
The descendants in the fifth generation may never marry.
Explanations
Descendants do not have to be played directly below their parents. The player puts his portrait card (descendant) in the row below the parents and announces from which pair the descendant descended. Then everyone can determine whether it is a legitimate child. The descendant may descend from several pairs of parents (only scoring once) or only one. There is no rule that a generation must be complete before the next develops. Marriages can be introduced in the same generation as descendants are played if the correct conditions exist. In each generation, individual cards (singles) can remain unmarried. The game can end without all generations being complete (with the exception of the fifth generation).
End of the Game
The game ends immediately when the seventh descendant is played in the fifth generation. This final card is scored as normal.
Scoring
For each descendant played, scoring occurs and the point markers are progressed along the scoring track. For each descendant in the second generation, two points are awarded for every matching characteristic. For each descendant in the third generation, three points are given per matching characteristic. Four points are given in the fourth generation for each matching characteristic, and five in the fifth. Move the markers of the appropriate colors the proper number of spaces reflecting the points for each matching characteristic. For example, a descendant is legitimately played in the third generation. The descendant has the following characteristics:
- nose/green
- nose/green
- ear/blue
The green marker for the two noses moves six total spaces (3+3=6), and the blue marker for the one ear moves three spaces along the scoring track.
Winner of the Game
When the seventh portrait card has been placed in the fifth generation and scored, all players reveal their hidden characteristic tile. The players then subtract points for cards in their hands from the total of their characteristic points. The negative points are determined as follows: 1 negative point for the first remaining card, 2 negative points for the second card, 3 for the third, and so forth. For example, four cards remaining equals 10 points subtracted from that player's characteristic score (1+2+3+4=10).
After all deductions have been made, the player whose hidden family characteristic has the most points wins.
Notes
June 18, 2007; rule correction; after playing a descendant you may discard a card and replace it with one from the draw pile.