Heat
Heat Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 34 Cards
- 15 Heat Tokens
- Money: 20 x $1, 20 x $5, 10 x $25
- Heat Board
Cubes work well for Heat tokens, and poker chips or the like for money. All the cards have a common back.
Setup
Fill the entire Heat board with tokens, one on each slot. Then go through the deck and remove any cards that don't have an icon at their bottom right matching the number of players (For example, when playing with 3, remove any cards that only have '4' and '5'). Shuffle the cards and begin!
Cards
- Title: Descriptive!
- Phase: When during a Stage the card will be executed.
- Icons: A simple version of what the card does.
- Text: A detailed version of the card's effects.
- Players: Which player counts this card is used with.
Drafting a plan
Before each Heist, you will draft to build your hand of cards. Deal two cards to each player to start their hand. Then, repeat three times:
- Each player simultaneously takes one card from their hand and passes it to the player on their left*.
- Each player draws a card from the deck, taking both it and the card they were passed into their hand.
At the end of the draft, each player will have a five card hand for the Heist.
*Before the second heist, pass to the right, and for the third, to the left again.
The Heist
A Heist consists of four Stages during which each player will choose a card to use. The cards you choose will become your Record for the Heist, laid out in a line in front of you from oldest to newest, left to right. The right-most (newest) card in your Record is always the card you are currently using.
To start a Stage, each player secretly chooses and then simultaneously reveals a card to add to their Record. First, all A effects are resolved, then B, then C. After the fourth Stage of a Heist, all the cards are shuffled back into the deck for a new Draft.
If a Stage would require more cards or Heat than is available, see Out of Heat/Cards/Money.
Talking a good game
As you become more familiar with the cards, it is not only allowed but encouraged to talk about your plans. It is not only encouraged but nearly required to lie about them. You don't want to both be robbing the bank at the same time, do you?
Gaining and returning Heat
Heat tokens represent the presence and attention of the police. When a card instructs you to take Heat, remove a Heat token from the board in the slot covering the least negative number and place it in front of yourself. When returning Heat, place it in the most negative spot available. It never matters which space a Heat token came from -- all Heat tokens are worth the same at any moment.
Out of heat / cards / money
If Phase B of a Stage would require more heat than is available, all players return 1 Heat before the Stage, then all players that did so also lose $3. This is repeated until enough Heat is available.
If there aren't enough cards for all players to draw during a phase, all players with actions that require card draws skip them.
Money is not limited. If you run out, use a substitute.
Heat Value
Each Heat token you have will cost you money at the end of the game. The value of each is represented by the worst completely empty row on the Heat board. Heat cost will fluctuate as the game goes on. The more attention players draw as a group, the worse the cost will become. On the example board (rows from -5 to -1 containing 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 slots respectively; -5 row full, -4 row with two tokens remaining, the rest empty), the Heat value is -$3.
Game End
The game ends after three Heists. Now players must pay up for their Heat tokens, returning money for each equal to the current value. For example, if a player had three Heat tokens given the example board, they would return $9. The player with the most money leftover wins! In a tie, the player with the least Heat wins. If still tied, victory is shared.
FAQ and other notes
- Some cards are multiphase, such as Interrogation. These cards are used during all listed phases.
- The 'start' of your record is the left side, the 'end' of your record is the right side.
- Remember that once played, a card is immediately part of your Record. So Heavy, Specialist, etc count themselves when activating.
- It is possible through unlikely circumstances to have a B phase where more than 15 Heat would be gained. In this case the game ends immediately, all players are arrested, and your game will be confiscated. Way to go.
- Timely play: If one player is taking too long, it is permissible to discuss amongst the other players how to divvy up their assets were 'an accident' to happen on their next Heist.
Card Texts
Each card shows its phase (A, B or C) in the top left. Cards that appear more than once in the deck are listed once.
Phase A
- Copycat Crime: For this Stage, this card becomes an exact copy of the card played by the player you passed cards to this draft. If it is an A, use it now.
- Backup Plan: Draw and add the top card of the deck to the end of your Record, then draw 2 cards. Use the new card for this Stage.
- Frame Up: Return 1 Heat. All B cards this Stage gain the additional text "+1 Heat".
- Informant: If you have the fewest (not tied) money, $3. Otherwise, draw a card.
- Lay Low: Return 1 Heat. If anyone else played a Lay Low, return 2 more Heat.
- The Feds: All players gaining Heat this Stage gain 1 extra Heat. You ignore all Heat gain in the next Stage.
- Circle Back: Swap this card for the previous card in your Record. Use that card this Stage.
- Word on the Street: After revealing, add a new card to the end of your Record from your hand. Use it this Stage. If it is an A, use it now.
Phase B
- Bank Job: 2 Heat. If no one else played a Bank Job this Stage, $5. Otherwise, $0.
- Break In: $3, 1 Heat.
- Cover Story: You may discard a card from your hand to the start of your Record. If you do, gain $3.
- Heavy: $2 for each B you have in your Record. +1 Heat for each Heavy in every Record.
- The Lift: $2.
- Specialist: Gain $1 for each of the letter (A, B, or C) that you have the most of in your Record.
Phase C
- Diversion: If you have more Heat than anyone else, $4. Otherwise, $1.
- Fence the Goods: If anyone else gained or is gaining $4 or more in this Stage, gain $4. Otherwise, $1.
- Kansas City Shuffle: $1 for each player with Heat.
- Leverage: $1 for every Heat gained by other players during this Stage.
- Under the Radar: If you have no Heat, $3. Otherwise, $1.
- Crackdown: Gain $ equal to current Heat value.
Multiphase
- Mastermind (A/C): A: Draw 2 cards. C: If you have the most cards in your hand, $2.
- Interrogation (A/C): A: Return 1 Heat. C: $1 for each player that returned Heat this Stage.