Fliptown
Fliptown Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Setup
- About the Deck
- Overview of Gameplay
- Common Symbols to Know
- Phases of Play
- Phase 1: Shuffle Deck
- Phase 2: Set Sheriff Card
- Phase 3: Take Five Turns
- Phase 4: Resolve Poker Hand
- Phase 5: Pan and Work
- Phase 6: Sheriff Attempts Arrest
- Overview of Each Region
- Bonus Actions
- Using Gold to Modify Your Suit or Value Card
- Bounty Cards (2+ Players Only)
- End Game
- Play Against a Cowbot (Solo Play Only)
- Be a Wild West Character
- Solo Play Random Setup
- Texas Hold 'Em Poker Variant
- Solo Achievements
- Final Ranking
- Fun Fact
- Special Thanks
Components
- 4 dry erase boards
- 1 deck of 54 playing cards and tuck box
- 4 Cowbot cards
- 14 Character cards
- 12 Bounty cards
- 4 dry erase markers
Tracking Your Inventory
You keep track of your Cash, Gold, Stars and Wanted at the base of your map in the inventory area. Whenever you gain an item, circle the first matching symbol that isn't already circled. Whenever you spend/lose an item, cross out a circled symbol to indicate it has been spent/lost. If you reach the end of a track, track additional gained inventory off to the side.
Setup
- Each player takes a map (board) and places it in front of them
- For your first game, separate the Cowbot and Character cards and remove them from the game (these are not recommended until you have played the Standard Game at least once)
- Separate the two Joker cards and remove them from the game
- If playing solo, shuffle the deck and place it above your board over the area labeled "DRAW DECK". If playing with 2+ players, place the deck in the center of the table instead.
- For the Standard Game (recommended for your first game), each player begins with $4 and 2 gold. Circle these items in your inventory area.
- If playing with 2+ players, shuffle the Bounty deck and randomly choose 3 cards from this deck, placing them in the center of the table near the draw deck with their "7 stars" side face up. Place the rest of the Bounty cards back in the box. Bounty cards are not used in solo play.
Note that you also begin with the center Cemetery tombstone already circled.
About the Deck
JOKERS are not used in the game (unless playing the Wild Card character, see "Characters").
ACES always have a value of "1" except when resolving your poker hand, in which case an Ace may be the low or high card.
Searching the Discard Pile
At any point during the game, you may search the discard pile to see what cards are in it.
Overview of Gameplay
Your goal is to score as many points as possible. Points are shown as stars. Cash and gold give you spending power, allowing you to buy items, bribe the sheriff, or even modify cards. Additionally you may gain "Wanted," which represents how unlawful you are. The more you have, the more likely you are to be arrested.
The game takes place over three rounds with five turns per round. Each turn, you will flip over three cards from the deck (placing these above your board in solo play and in the center of the table if playing with 2+ players). These cards can be arranged/assigned as you wish and determine which region you visit (suit card), what site you visit within that region (value card), and what your poker card is (poker card). After three rounds, the game ends and final scoring takes place.
Common Symbols to Know
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hearts | Trail |
| Spades | Badlands |
| Diamonds | Mine |
| Clubs | Town |
| Tombstone | Cemetery |
| Gold nugget | Gold |
| Gold pan | Gold Pan |
| Dollar sign | Cash |
| Hammer | Hammer |
| Star | Star (points scored in-game) |
| Silver Star | Silver Star (points scored end-of-game) |
| Card | Card (values range from A-K) |
| Wanted poster | Wanted |
| Crossed-out poster | Cross Out Wanted |
| >= | Greater than or equal to |
| < | Less than |
Phases of Play
Each of the three rounds of play is made up of six phases:
- Shuffle Deck
- Set Sheriff Card
- Take Five Turns
- Resolve Poker Hand
- Pan and Work
- Sheriff Attempts Arrest
After completing all six phases, start a new round. After three rounds, the game ends.
THE LINEUP (if playing with 2+ players, this will be in the center of play, along with the Sheriff card). From left to right, above your map: Draw Deck, Suit Card, Value Card, Poker Card, with the Discard Pile off to the side and the Sheriff Card to the right of your map. The Character Card and Cowbot Card are not used in the Standard Game.
Phase 1: Shuffle Deck
To start each round, gather all cards (except any cards that have been stolen, if playing against a cowbot opponent), shuffle the deck, and place it above your map over the area labeled "DRAW DECK." If playing with 2+ players, place this deck in the center of the table instead.
Phase 2: Set Sheriff Card
Without looking at it, set aside the top card face down to the right your map. If playing with 2+ players, set this card in the center of the table near the draw deck. This card is known as the Sheriff Card. During phase 6, the Sheriff will attempt to arrest each player, and this card determines if the Sheriff is successful or not.
Phase 3: Take Five Turns
To take a turn, flip over three cards from the top of the deck and set them above the right side of your map in a row. This is known as the lineup. If playing with 2+ players, the deck and lineup should be in the center of the table instead.
For solo play, rearrange these cards as you wish, placing one card above SUIT CARD, one card above VALUE CARD and one card above POKER CARD. When you are satisfied with your arrangement, perform the actions on your map associated with these cards.
For 2+ players, the lineup should be thought of as "community cards." Each player will use these cards to determine their suit, value and poker card each turn, but rather than arrange them in front of you, instead announce to the group with cards you wish to use for your suit, value and poker cards. Players will play each turn simultaneously, and each player can choose different cards from the lineup to represent their suit, value and poker cards.
Your suit card (Heart, Spade, Diamond or Club) determines the region where you will take your action: Heart, TRAIL; spade, BADLANDS; diamond, MINE; or club, TOWN. Only the suit matters related to this card.
Your value card (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q or K) determines what site you visit within that region. Only the value matters related to this card. Whatever site you activate must be circled to note that you have visited it. Once circled, a site cannot be visited again except in the Town. Each site in Town is a unique building, and these may be visited more than once even if they have already been circled.
Your poker card determines what card you will add to your poker hand for that round. Both suit and value matter related to this card. Write down the poker card's value in the topmost empty card of the appropriate column on the far right panel of your map (first column for Round One; second column for Round Two; third column for Round Three) and circle the poker card's suit beside it. After five turns, you should have five cards in that column to make up your poker hand.
If you don't like the results of your suit and value cards, you may ignore them entirely and instead take your action in the Cemetery (see "CEMETERY"). Your poker card still counts toward your poker hand.
After all players have taken their turn and marked their map appropriately, move all three cards to a discard pile off to the side and take another turn. Repeat until all players have taken five turns.
Phase 4: Resolve Poker Hand
Unlike traditional poker, there is no ante, betting, drawing, folding or raising in this poker game. Instead, compare your five-card poker hand to the PAY TABLE below it to see what you've won. Any hand with worse than a pair is a losing hand that gains you nothing. Any hand with a pair or better is a win, and the payout varies based on how strong a poker hand you have. Don't forget that for poker, Aces may be treated as a low or high card!
Consult the Poker Hand Rankings below for an example of each hand type:
Example: A hand of Q (diamond circled), 8 (diamond circled), Q (spade circled), 4 (heart circled), 8 (club circled) — your poker hand for Hand #1 is two pair (Queens and 8s)!
Poker Hand Rankings
| Hand | Example |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | A-spades, K-spades, Q-spades, J-spades, 10-spades |
| Straight Flush | 8-diamonds, 7-diamonds, 6-diamonds, 5-diamonds, 4-diamonds |
| 4-of-a-Kind | Q-spades, Q-hearts, Q-diamonds, Q-clubs, 5-clubs |
| Full House | A-hearts, A-diamonds, A-spades, 5-spades, 5-clubs |
| Flush | Q-diamonds, 8-diamonds, 6-diamonds, 5-diamonds, 2-diamonds |
| Straight | 10-clubs, 9-hearts, 8-diamonds, 7-diamonds, 6-clubs |
| 3-of-a-Kind | Q-spades, Q-hearts, Q-clubs, 7-clubs, 2-hearts |
| Two Pair | A-hearts, A-spades, Q-diamonds, Q-clubs, 8-clubs |
| One Pair | K-spades, K-diamonds, 10-clubs, 7-diamonds, 4-diamonds |
Phase 5: Pan and Work
Next, you get to both pan for gold AND work for cash. Gold pans and hammers are tracked in your inventory area in the lower right corner.
Gain 1 gold per circled gold pan symbol you have. To begin the game, you have no circled gold pan symbols. You'll need to earn gold pans during the game. Once earned, you have them for the rest of the game.
Gain $2 per circled hammer symbol you have. To begin the game, you have no circled hammer symbols. Just like panning, you'll need to earn hammers during the game. Once earned, you have them for the rest of the game.
Example: You have 1 circled gold pan and 3 circled hammers. Therefore, you gain 1 gold and $6 during phase 5 of play.
Phase 6: Sheriff Attempts Arrest
Finally, the Sheriff will attempt to arrest all players. The more Wanted you have, the more likely it is that the Sheriff will arrest you. To resolve this phase, first decide if you want to bribe the Sheriff. Bribing the Sheriff guarantees that you will avoid arrest this round. To do so, you must pay 1 gold for every Wanted you have circled in your inventory. Then you may ignore the affect of the Sheriff card. You do not get to cross out Wanted when you bribe the Sheriff; this merely lets you avoid arrest this round.
If you do not want to bribe the Sheriff (or if you don't have enough gold to do so), you instead must determine if you are arrested. Once all players have bribed or declined to bribe, the Sheriff card is flipped over. If you bribed the Sheriff, you may ignore its value and it has no effect on you. Otherwise, you must compare the Sheriff card to the number of Wanted you have. Just like when resolving a robbery in the Badlands, if the Sheriff card is equal to or greater than your Wanted level, you succeed and avoid arrest.
However, if the value is less than your Wanted level, you fail to avoid arrest and the Sheriff forces you to pay your choice of the following:
| Round | Penalty for Arrest |
|---|---|
| Round One | -$10 or -4 stars |
| Round Two | -$14 or -6 stars |
| Round Three | -$18 or -8 stars |
If the Sheriff card is an Ace, treat it as a value of 1, Jack as a value of 11, Queen as 12 and King as 13.
If you cannot afford the cash, then you must lose stars. Likewise if you have 14 or more Wanted, then you must lose stars (although bribing is still allowed). If you do not have enough circled stars in your inventory to pay the full penalty, pay as many stars as you can afford. After resolving this phase, discard the Sheriff card.
Example: It is Round One and you currently have 8 Wanted. You are safe from the Sheriff with a card value of 8 or greater. You don't want to pay 8 gold to bribe the Sheriff, so you must reveal the Sheriff card — a "6", resulting in the Sheriff arresting you. Unfortunately, you don't have enough cash to pay the $10 bail, so you instead must lose 4 stars.
Overview of Each Region
Trail
Here's where you can blaze a trail to new discoveries. The further along the Trail you get, the better the rewards. The start of the Trail is at the far left of the map.
To access the Trail, your suit card must be a heart. To advance on the Trail, your value card must be equal to or greater than the card at the next site of the Trail. You may choose to either skip the reward listed below the card or gain the reward.
For each reward you skip, cross it out and keep advancing on the Trail, always moving from left to right. You may cross out as many rewards as you like in this manner so long as your value card is equal to or greater than the card at that site. Once a reward is crossed out, it is lost forever. You cannot backtrack on the Trail.
If you wish to gain the reward, circle it and do not advance further (until you take another Trail action). This is called making a trail stop. If a trail stop has a Wanted symbol next it, in addition to gaining the reward, you also must gain the Wanted listed. Yep, out here on the Trail you might have to do some underhanded things to get ahead!
Example: You choose the 4 of hearts as your suit card and the 7 of clubs as your value card. You could advance on the trail up to the 7 site if you wish, but you choose to go to the 3 site to make a trail stop, gaining a Cemetery action and 1 star. Because you skipped the first two rewards on the trail, you must cross them out.
Badlands
Here's where you can steal a chicken, rustle cattle, stick up a stagecoach or even rob a train. To access the Badlands, your suit card must be a spade. To attempt a robbery, circle the target matching your value card—chicken, cattle, stagecoach or train. If a target is already circled, you may NOT attempt to rob it again. Note that there is nothing to rob with a value of 1 (Ace).
Next, draw the top card from the deck and reveal it. This card is known as a robbery card.
If the robbery card is equal to or greater than the value of the target, you successfully rob it! Immediately gain all the Wanted, stars and cash listed below it.
If the robbery card is less than the value of the target, you fail to rob it. Gain all the Wanted, 1/2 the stars and no cash. Remember to circle the target even if you fail!
If you circle all three matching targets, you gain the bonus action to the right of them (see "BONUS ACTIONS"). You do not have to be successful in each robbery to gain the bonus.
After resolving a robbery, discard the robbery card.
If playing with 2+ players and multiple players are attempting a robbery on the same turn, each player should draw their own card from the draw deck to determine if they succeed in a robbery they are attempting.
Example: You choose the A of spades as your suit card and the 9 of diamonds as your value card, which allows you to attempt to rob the "9" stagecoach, which you circle. You immediately gain 3 Wanted. Then you flip to reveal a robbery card, the 2 of diamonds. Unfortunately this is less than 9, so you fail to rob the coach. You do not gain any cash and only gain 1/2 of the stars, in this case, 3 stars.
Mine
There's gold in them thar hills and you aim to find every last nugget! To access the Mine, your suit card must be a diamond. To descend into the underground mine, circle one of the two topmost chambers, depending on your value card. If your value card is Ace through 7, you access the chamber to the left. If your value card is 8 through King, you access the chamber to the right.
Once a mine chamber has been circled, you immediately gain all rewards within it. You may now move deeper in the mine from that chamber on a later turn, following the lines left or right so long as your value card is within the value range listed between the two connecting chambers. Chambers may only be accessed by descending from the mine entrance OR descending from any chamber that you already accessed previously. You cannot access a new chamber by ascending from a lower one. If no chamber is legally accessible, due to your value card not being within a value range to reach another chamber, then you cannot visit the Mine that turn.
Example: You choose the Q of diamonds as your suit card and the 5 of spades as your value card. This allows you to reach the topmost left mine chamber, which earns you 1 hammer and 1 gold (note these in your inventory area). On a later turn, you may descend deeper in the mine from the left chamber because you have already circled it, following the lines that connect chambers.
Silver Stars
Note that each chamber on the lowest level rewards you with silver stars, which have the same value as regular stars, but are not tallied until the end of the game. The number of silver stars you earn from a chamber depends on its scoring goal.
All chambers in the third and fourth mine level require you to gain 1 or more Wanted. Apparently, you'll need to jump some claims to earn the rewards in those deeper parts!
Town
Settle the Town and turn your pioneering spirit into profit. To access the Town, your suit card must be a club. Your value card determines the building you visit, which you indicate by circling that building's card.
Once circled, you may immediately gain the building's effect. In addition to the effect listed inside the building, you also gain the star/bonus action listed at the top of the building. You may gain the building effect first or the star/bonus action first, whichever you prefer. After taking the star/bonus action, be sure to cross the star/bonus action icon out. After visiting a building, you may return to that building on a future turn even if it has already been circled; however, you do NOT gain the star/bonus action again.
Whenever you purchase or gain an item in the Town, circle the matching item's symbol in the appropriate region as a reminder that you now own that item and can use it whenever you visit that region.
A — Undertaker – Dabble in the dead by befriending the undertaker and picking up a shovel to help you dig in the Cemetery. The first time you visit the Undertaker, gain the topmost reward, which allows you to ignore the requirement to gain 1 Wanted whenever you visit the Cemetery. Your first visit here also gives you the Mine (diamond) bonus action. If you return to the Undertaker a second time, gain the shovel, which rewards you with 1 star whenever you circle a tombstone in the Cemetery.
2 — Bank – Invest in a prosperous future at the Bank. Pay the banking fee of $4. Then choose to either BANK ON RED or BANK ON BLACK. At the start of each future turn, check the three cards in the lineup. If you banked on red and all three cards in the lineup reveal as red (any combination of diamonds and hearts) or if you banked on black and all three cards in the lineup reveal as black (any combination of clubs and spades), you gain stars equal to the round you are in: one star in round one, two stars in round two or three stars in round three. You may only bank on one color per visit. If you wish to bank on the other color, you may revisit the Bank and pay the banking fee again. Your first visit here also gives you 1 star.
3 — Hideout – If you have a lot of Wanted, this is a good place to lay low and let things cool down. Visit the Hideout and cross out up to 4 Wanted in your inventory area. Your first visit here also gives you 1 star.
4 — Stables – Saddle up a horse to improve your efficiency. You may only purchase one horse per visit and may only purchase each horse once, either the Work Horse (cost: $3), which gains you 1 hammer and 1 star, or the Trail Horse (cost: $4), which lets you modify your value card by +6 whenever you visit the Trail. You may own both horses and gain the ability of both. Your first visit here also gives you the Cemetery (tombstone) bonus action.
5 — General Store – Stock up on general items here. You may only purchase one item per visit and may only purchase each item once.
- Gold Pan and 1 star (cost: $3) – Gain 1 gold pan and 1 star.
- Pickaxe and 1 star (cost: $2) – Gain a pickaxe to modify your value card by + or - 2 whenever you visit the Mine, and gain 1 star.
- Bandana (cost: $1) – Gain the bandana, which lets you take 1 less Wanted whenever you rob in the Badlands.
Your first visit here also gives you the Trail (heart) bonus action.
Example: You choose the 7 of clubs as your suit card and the 5 of spades as your value card, which lets you circle the General Store. You decide to buy a bandana for $1, circling it in the Badlands region to note that you own that item. Additionally, because this is your first visit to the General Store, you also gain a Trail bonus action. Cross out the heart after taking it.
6 — Church – Wash away your sins at Church, where for every $1 you donate (pay), you may cross out a Wanted symbol from your inventory. You may donate up to $8 to cross out 8 Wanted per visit. Your first visit here also gives you 1 star.
7 — Hotel – The more times you check in to the hotel, the more stars you rack up! To check in, you must pay the room rate of $2. Each time you visit this site and check in, circle the leftmost uncircled silver star. At game end, score only the last circled star. Your first visit here also gives you the Badlands (spade) bonus action.
8 — Land Office – Visit here to claim land to call your own. To do so, choose any of the three land shapes, pay the land cost associated with that shape, and fill in the shape in the 9-box land grid. The drawn shape cannot overlap any squares that have already been claimed. The shape may be rotated and/or flipped as you wish before drawing it. If you cannot legally draw the shape, you cannot claim land. Score stars based on the value of each square that has been claimed. Your first visit here also gives you the Cemetery (tombstone) bonus action. If you return to the Land Office, you may choose to draw the same shape again or a different shape. Claim all 9 squares and gain a bonus 7 stars!
Town - Continued
9 — Gunsmith – The gunsmith is where you can buy a gun. The first time you visit the Gunsmith, you may purchase a Pistol (cost: $3), which lets you modify the robbery card by +3 whenever you rob in the Badlands. Your first visit here also gives you the Trail (heart) bonus action. If you return to the Gunsmith a second time and have already purchased the Pistol, you may upgrade it by purchasing a rifle (cost: $4), which improves your robbery modifier from +3 to +6 in the Badlands. If you purchase the rifle, you only get the rifle's modifier, not the pistol modifier, too.
10 — Bail Bonds – The Bail Bonds needs your help in tracking down the outlaws who've skipped out on their bail, and you're just the wrangler to get the job done. To do so, circle one of the three outlaw symbols at the top of the map—Jack, Queen or King. At the start of each future turn, whenever the lineup features a card with that value, you gain the reward of your choice: $4, 2 gold or cross out 2 Wanted symbols in your inventory area. You may hunt multiple outlaws, but can only circle one symbol per visit to the Bail Bonds. If more than one outlaw appears in the lineup, you gain a reward for each outlaw that matches a value you are hunting, even if the same outlaw appears more than once in the lineup. Your first visit here also gives you 1 star.
J — Sheriff's Office – They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Pay a visit to the Sheriff's Office and take a look at the Sheriff card that you set aside at the start of the round. Then choose to gain 1 star or cross out 2 Wanted in your inventory area. Your first visit here also gives you the Mine (diamond) bonus action.
Q — Saloon – Whoop it up at the Saloon, where for every $2 you pay, you gain 1 star. You may spend up to $16 to gain a maximum of 8 stars per visit. Your first visit here also gives you 1 star.
K — Prospector's Club – Turn gold into glory here, where for every 1 gold you pay, you gain 1 star. You may spend up to 8 gold to gain a maximum of 8 stars per visit. Your first visit here also gives you the Badlands (spade) bonus action.
Cemetery
At the Cemetery, one person's tombstone is another's treasure. Here's where you'll rob the graves to gain some valuable rewards. To access the Cemetery, ignore the results of your suit and value cards and instead take your action in the Cemetery. Circle any tombstone that is not already circled and then gain 1 Wanted for your gruesome behavior (unless you have visited the Undertaker in Town, who lets you avoid taking Wanted in the Cemetery).
Next, check to see if this activates the one-time reward listed between the tombstones. A reward is activated if both of its adjacent tombstones are circled. When this occurs, gain the listed reward between them, then cross that reward out. It is possible to circle a tombstone that activates two rewards at once. Don't forget to also take the shovel bonus of 1 star if you have that item (as a reminder, the shovel is gained by visiting the Undertaker a second time)!
Your poker card still counts toward your poker hand.
The Cemetery panel is headed USE ANY SUIT AND VALUE, with a shovel icon granting +1 star and an "IGNORE WANTED" icon (both unlocked in Town). It holds a 3x3 grid of nine tombstones, each marked with a Wanted poster, with a one-time reward between every orthogonally adjacent pair:
- Top row: M.T. TOMB — (spade bonus action) — cross tombstone — (2 stars) — DEE CAYED
- Between top and middle rows: 4x gold (left column), hammer (center column), heart bonus action (right column)
- Middle row: OTTO B. LIVIN — ($4) — skull-and-crossbones tombstone (this is the center tombstone you begin the game with already circled) — (2x gold) — IMA GONNER
- Between middle and bottom rows: diamond bonus action (left column), gold pan (center column), $8 (right column)
- Bottom row: ornate tombstone — (2 stars) — cross tombstone — (club bonus action) — C.U. SUNE
Example: From a previous turn, you had already circled the bottom-center tombstone. On this turn, you circle the bottom-right tombstone, which gains you 1 Town bonus action and 1 Wanted. On a future turn, if you circle the middle-right tombstone, that will unlock two rewards at once: 2 gold and $8 cash!
Bonus Actions
Many sites within a region allow you to take a bonus action. These actions are free to take (meaning they are considered part of the turn you are on) and are considered "open actions" with their respective region, meaning you do not need to adhere to your value card's value when taking them and can choose ANY value, gaining the rewards and Wanted as normal. If taking a bonus action triggers another bonus action, you get to take it, too. Bonus actions are identified by one of the following symbols:
Trail Bonus (heart) – Advance on the Trail to ANY Trail stop of your choosing regardless of its value requirement and gain the reward. You must cross out all skipped Trail rewards as normal.
Badlands Bonus (spade) – Attempt to rob ANY uncircled target in the Badlands regardless of its value requirement: chicken, cattle, stagecoach or train. Circle and resolve the target as normal.
Mine Bonus (diamond) – Access ANY uncircled mine chamber in the Mine regardless of its value requirement, so long as it is one that you can legally access. Circle and gain the reward as normal.
Town Bonus (club) – Access ANY building in the Town regardless of its value requirement. It may be a building you've already circled or one you haven't yet circled, in which case you should circle and resolve the building effect as normal.
Cemetery Bonus (tombstone) – Circle ANY tombstone in the Cemetery and resolve as normal. You still must gain 1 Wanted (unless you have befriended the Undertaker).
Using Gold to Modify Your Suit or Value Card
During any turn, gold may be spent to modify your suit card to the suit of your choice for a cost of 2 gold. The Bank (site 2 in the Town) must be resolved prior to modifying your card. In other words, you cannot modify a card in order to make the lineup pay off for your investment at the Bank. You MAY modify your suit card as it relates to resolving the cowbots' special abilities (i.e. changing your suit card to a suit that matches or does not match the cowbot's matching suit). If you modify to a suit that matches the cowbot's matching suit, the cowbot's special ability activates (see "Play Against a Cowbot").
MODIFY suit to suit of choice: 2 gold.
During any turn, gold may be spent to modify your value card for a cost of 1 gold per increase or decrease in value. For example, 3 gold could be spent to change a 9 value to a 6 or to a Queen. There is no limit to the number of gold you may spend to modify your value card. The Bail Bonds (site 10 in the Town) must be resolved prior to modifying your card. In other words, you cannot modify a card in order to make the lineup pay off for an outlaw you are hunting at the Bail Bonds. You may not modify an Ace to a King or vice versa (in other words, there is no "wraparound" effect.)
MODIFY value card +/-1 per gold spent.
You may not use gold to modify the Sheriff card, a robbery card or any poker cards.
Bounty Cards (2+ Players Only)
Each of the three Bounty cards in a game presents a goal that all players are racing to achieve. The first player or players who meet the required conditions of a Bounty during the same turn immediately gain the 7 stars indicated on the card (track these in your inventory, as normal). At the end of the turn, flip over the scored Bounty card to its lower "4 stars" side. Other players who later achieve the same Bounty score this lower point amount. A player can only score each Bounty once.
End Game
After three rounds, the game ends, and final points are tallied. Gain:
- 1 point for every $4 in your inventory (rounded down)
- 1 point for every 2 gold in your inventory (rounded down)
- Any end-of-game points from silver stars earned in the Mine and the Hotel
- 1 point for each star in your inventory
Total all the points and check the chart on the inside back page to see how well you did. Combine the words to get your wild west title! If playing with 2+ players, the player with the most points wins. If tied, the tied player with the least amount of Wanted wins, followed by most gold, then most cash. If still tied, the players share the victory.
Before returning the game to the box, it is strongly recommended that you "erase" your game boards using either the dry erase marker's eraser or a cleaning cloth/tissue so that the ink does not dry on the boards during storage.
Play Against a Cowbot (Solo Play Only)
Once you've gotten a standard game or two under your belt, instead of just playing to achieve a high score, try taking on one of the cowbots (robot opponents) to see who's the best in the west. During setup, choose one of the four cowbot opponents located on the cowbot cards or randomly pick one. Display it to the left of the draw deck.
Examples of Cowbot cards shown in the rules:
- Calamity Jane (hearts) — Special ability: If you gain any star this turn, Jane steals one card. ACTIVATES ONLY WHEN a heart IS IN THE LINEUP! Region multipliers: Trail 4X, Badlands 3X, Town 2X, Mine 1X.
- Wyatt Earp (clubs) — Special ability: If you gain any bonus action this turn, Wyatt steals one card. ACTIVATES ONLY WHEN a club IS IN THE LINEUP! Region multipliers: Town 4X, Mine 3X, Trail 2X, Badlands 1X.
Each cowbot card also has a line for points per stolen card (EASY / NORMAL / HARD) and a TOTAL line.
Decide if you want to play EASY, NORMAL or HARD mode.
On your turn, if at least 1 card in the lineup matches the suit of the cowbot you are playing against, that activates its special ability. Through its special ability, it may permanently "steal" a card from your deck. If it steals a card, draw the top card from the deck and, without looking at it, place it underneath the cowbot's card for end game scoring. The cowbot's special ability does NOT activate if its matching suit is not in the lineup. A cowbot will never steal more than one card per turn. You cannot choose to ignore a reward at a site to avoid having a card stolen.
At game end, tally your own score as normal. Then, calculate how many points the cowbot earns by referencing the cowbot card and using the following rules:
- Each stolen card earns the cowbot 1 point on EASY mode, 2 points on NORMAL mode and 3 points on HARD mode
- Each stop on the Trail that you didn't circle earns the cowbot points equal to its Trail multiplier
- Each target in the Badlands that you didn't circle earns the cowbot points equal to its Badlands multiplier
- Each chamber in the Mine that you didn't circle earns the cowbot points equal to its Mine multiplier
- Each building in the Town that you didn't circle earns the cowbot points equal to its Town multiplier
- Tally all four regions (4X, 3X, 2X, 1X) on HARD mode
- Tally the top three listed regions (4X, 3X and 2X), ignoring the last listed region (1X), on NORMAL mode
- Tally the top two listed regions (4X and 3X), ignoring the last two listed regions (2X and 1X), on EASY mode
Tally the cowbot's points and compare its score to yours. If you have more points than it, you win! If tied, flip over all of the cowbot's stolen cards and compare the cowbot's lowest stolen card value to your Wanted level. Whoever has the lowest value wins the tiebreaker. If still tied, the game is a draw!
Be a Wild West Character
At the beginning of the rules, the setup explains your starting resources in the Standard Game. However, if you prefer, each player can be a different wild west character, drawing one random character from the Character deck. Each character includes a different mix of starting resources, along with a special ability. After using your character's ability, tuck the card halfway under your map to hide the ability, indicating that it has been used. Note that the card value in the upper left corner only applies for SOLO PLAY RANDOM SETUP, as decribed below. It can be ignored otherwise.
Examples of Character cards shown in the rules:
- The Marshal (card value 6) — Starting resources: $5 | 2x gold | 1 star. Special ability: Once per game, when the Sheriff attempts arrest, you may discard the revealed Sheriff card and draw a new one.
- The Mayor (card value K) — Starting resources: $3 | 1x gold | 1 star. Special ability: Once per game, you may discard all the cards in the lineup and flip over three new ones (this does not count as a turn to do so).
- The Wild Card (card value 2) — Starting resources: $4 | cards. Special ability: Twice per game, discard any Suit or Value card in the lineup and replace it with a Joker, which may be used as a wild card. Return a Joker to the box after using it.
Clarification for 2+ players: the Marshal's special ability affects ALL players; the Mayor's special ability affects ALL players and must be used prior to any player taking their turn; the Wild Card's special ability does NOT affect the lineup for other players. Instead, place a joker beside the suit or value card you wish to affect in the lineup, which applies only to you.
Solo Play Random Setup
Want to let fate decide? If you are playing against a cowbot AND playing as a character, draw one card from the deck during setup—the suit dictates your opponent while the value dictates your character!
Texas Hold 'Em Poker Variant
Looking to spice up your game? Try this variant that improves your chances at the poker table. At the start of each round, after setting aside the Sheriff card, flip over two cards and place them off to the side near your poker area. During the "Resolve Poker Hand" phase, you may count these two cards toward your poker hand, choosing your best five cards out of the seven total available. Discard these cards once your poker hand is resolved.
If playing with 2+ players, give each player their own two starting poker cards at the start of each round. Players should keep these face down and secret from other players (you can look at your own cards) until the "Resolve Poker Hand" phase, at which time these cards should be revealed and resolved as described above.
Solo Achievements
How many can you accomplish?
- CIRCLE AT LEAST 6 SITES IN EACH REGION
- HAVE AT LEAST 7 IN TOTAL: gold pans AND hammers
- HAVE NO Wanted AT GAME END
- COLLECT EVERY gold IN THE MINE
- CIRCLE EVERY star ON THE TRAIL
- GAIN EVERY star BONUS IN TOWN
- CIRCLE AT LEAST ONE OF EACH: chicken, cattle, stagecoach, train
- CIRCLE ALL 8 OUTER tombstones IN THE CEMETERY
- GET A ROYAL FLUSH, STRAIGHT FLUSH OR FOUR-OF-A-KIND
- DO NOT HAVE ANY crossed-out gold pan
- HAVE AT LEAST $30 AND 15 gold AT GAME END
- HAVE 3 WINNING POKER HANDS, EACH BETTER THAN ONE PAIR
- HAVE 5 OR FEWER crossed-out Wanted; DO NOT GET ARRESTED
- DEFEAT ALL 4 COWBOTS IN NORMAL MODE
- DEFEAT ANY 1 COWBOT IN HARD MODE
- DON'T LET A COWBOT STEAL MORE THAN 1 CARD
- HAVE 20 OR MORE Wanted AT GAME END
- SCORE 24 OR MORE silver stars
- CIRCLE EVERY SITE IN A SINGLE REGION
- GET A LEGENDARY SCORE (80+)
Final Ranking
Your Score
| Score | Title |
|---|---|
| Less than 50 | TENDERFOOTED |
| 50-59 | RUSTY |
| 60-69 | PIONEERIN' |
| 70-79 | SHARPSHOOTIN' |
| 80+ | LEGENDARY |
Wanted Level
| Wanted | Title |
|---|---|
| 0-3 | DEPUTY |
| 4-6 | HOMESTEADER |
| 7-9 | BUCKAROO |
| 10-13 | DESPERADO |
| 14+ | OUTLAW |
Fun Fact
The King artwork is inspired by artist Naomi Ferrall's great-grandfather, the legendary Pancho Villa! She wanted to include him in the game as an homage to her heritage and a love letter to her infamous ancestor.
Special Thanks
We would like to extend a big "thanks, pardner" to Reed Ambrose, Stefan Barkow, Katie Barnett, Aaron Bradley, Chelsea Butler, Jeff Carter and The Glass Die, Marcel Claxton, Mark Dainty, Danny Devine, Sheri Drefke, Mike Foght, Tim Fowers, Tom Franco, Andreas Giesbert, Martin Gonzalvez, Kara Hamilton, Frank Harvie, Tom Heath, Bobby Hill, Matthijs Huijzer, Thinh Huu, Erick Israel, Michael Kelley, Mary Lutz, Andy Matthews, Randall Mcaleese, Gavin McGruddy, Vicky McKinley, Liam Merrick, Matt Miller, Rory Muldoon, Kevin Ngo, Jonny Pac, Irvin Pajarillo, Collin & Cindy Pastorius, Ann Marie Pelish, Yann Perrin, Anthony Phillips, Shem Phillips, Tony Pinch, Deborah E. Poole, Alex Radcliffe, Karl Rahenkamp, Matt Roberts, Sarah Shah, Tucker Smeades, Gustafo Spaki, Benny Sperling, Tin Vahtaric, Nathan Waddell, Amanda Wedden-Gribble, Paul S. Weintraub, Aaron Winderlich, John Wood, Eric Yurko, Teresa, Mom & Dad and everyone else who helped bring Fliptown to life.
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