ito
ito Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- The Spider's Thread - Prison Break -
- Components
- General Rules Overview
- Example
- Setup
- Full Rules Explanation and Game Phases
- 1. Decide the Theme
- 2. Announce Cards
- What Can and Can't Be Said
- 3. Free Discussion and Discard Cards
- 4. Stage Completed
- 5. Prepare for the Next Stage
- 6. Game End
- Additional Rules
- The Spider Code of Play
The Spider's Thread - Prison Break -
A fully cooperative discussion game
Players: 2 - 10 Play Time: about 30 minutes Ages: 8+
You are part of a crime syndicate called "The Spiders". One day you and your gang were caught in a trap set by your rivals.
However, you are not one to give up easily. With your gang's infamously named 'spider thread' concealed on your person, you plan your escape.
Due to its uniquely thin properties, you'll be able to make your move without your enemies ever noticing. You'll need to be careful though. The Thread may not take a lot of weight. You'll have to climb down one at a time to ensure the thread doesn't break.
The compound is large, your rival's movements are hard to map and there aren't many chances to speak openly. So you'll need to adapt well when deciding who will climb down next. Speaking plainly will reveal your intentions, so you'll need to develop a code in order to succeed.
Escape together or not at all!
Components
- 100 Number cards (1-100) + 6 blank spare cards
- 50 double-sided topic cards (Includes 5 pink cards for adults) + 6 blank spare cards
- 2 life gauge cards (3/2, 1/0)
- 1 Spider Web Sheet
- 2 Rule Booklets (including this one)
In this Rule Booklet, the word "card" refers to "Number cards".
General Rules Overview
This is a fully cooperative game where your goal is to escape from your prison together.
The theme is, "animal sizes".
Players are dealt number card(s), one in the first stage, from 1 to 100. Players begin with a shared pool of 3 life points. A theme card is used to determine the theme for the round and then play begins.
Example: "I'm about the size of a rhino." / "I guess I'm a hippo." / "Which one is bigger..??"
If you say a card's number at any point, the game immediately ends in a loss. Players must use the stage's theme to express their number to their teammates. Good communication is the key!
Example
If the theme was "animal sizes".
Smallest animal = 1, Largest animal = 100.
Low number examples (1-10): "My card's a plankton!" (1) / "Mine's an ant." (6)
High number examples (90-100): "I'm a whale." (94) / "I'm a giant squid." (100)
Middle of the range example: "I guess I'm a kid. Maybe around the size of a junior high school boy." (59)
Anyone can discard a card at any time. However, cards must be played in ascending order from lowest to highest. If a higher card is played before any lower cards that other players are holding, the group takes damage and loses one life point for each card skipped in this way.
Example: A player discards "HIPPO!" (78) before another player's "41" has been discarded. "Ahh! I had a 73…" / "I guess a rhino is lower…" / "So close!" / "That's a big hippo… hehehe"
If the group's life points reach zero, your escape fails and everyone loses together. All players must get rid of all of their cards in order to successfully complete the stage. If the group completes a stage, they move on to the next stage.
The group wins if they are able to complete the 3rd stage by discarding all of their cards in order without their life points reaching zero.
Setup
Example for 4 players:
- Shuffle all of the 'number cards' and place them face down to form the draw deck.
- Each player is dealt one card face down from the draw deck. Players may only look at their own cards.
- Shuffle the theme cards and place them face down next to the number cards.
- Place the life gauge cards on top of each other so that the 3 hearts (life points) side is face up on top.
- Place the 'Spider Thread Sheet' on top of the box to make a base for the discard pile.
Full Rules Explanation and Game Phases
There is no player order in this game.
- Decide the theme
- Announce cards
- Free discussion and discard cards → Take damage → Players have no cards in hand.
- Stage completed
- Prepare for the next stage
Step 3 is repeated until all cards are discarded.
- Game end
- Complete the 3rd stage —> All players win
- Life points run out —> All players are trapped and lose.
1. Decide the Theme
Draw two cards and agree on ONE theme that all players can express well. This will be the theme for this stage.
Players are free to choose their own theme once they have got the hang of the rules.
Use the blank cards provided to write down your own theme ideas.
2. Announce Cards
Players take turns expression their card number(s) in reference to the theme chosen in phase 1. There is no turn order, so any player can announce their word or phrase whenever they are ready.
However, players cannot just say their number. Doing so ends the game immediately.
The enjoyment of this game lies in the agonizing choice of which word or phrase best expresses the number on your card.
Example
Example choices, theme "food": Unpopular food = 1, Popular food = 100.
Low number examples (1-10): "My card's rotten meat." (1) / "Mine's moldy bread." (6)
High number examples (90-100): "For me, it's ramen." (94) / "A first-class chef's curry and rice." (100)
Middle of the range example: "I'm a supermarket tuna rice ball on sale." (59)
When a player is happy with their card's description, they place it face down in front of themselves. Once all players have done so, play moves on to the next step.
What Can and Can't Be Said
Nouns should be used wherever possible. eg. GORILLA
Adjectives may be used if a player is having trouble expressing their card(s) with a noun. "Mine's an animal that is a little smaller than a gorilla".
Additional descriptions are an excellent way of describing one's card. "Mine's a fairly muscly juvenile gorilla".
Players may freely change their card description. "You know what. Mine's more like a rhino than a gorilla".
Multiple players may use the same description for their card. "My card's a giraffe". "Yeah! So is mine!"
You'll be amused to see the different value people put on the same thing.
Ask each other questions to home in on other players' number cards. "Is your giraffe male or female?"
3. Free Discussion and Discard Cards
After all cards are face down, players openly discuss the order of the cards. Card descriptions may be changed at any time.
During this free discussion phase, any player at any time may place their card on top of the discard pile (the top of the box lid). As soon as the first card has been discarded, the great escape begins.
Before discarding your card, it's a good idea to check with your team by asking, "Is it ok if I discard my giraffe next?"
Participation throughout the group discussion is allowed even when a player has no cards in hand.
Slip-Ups
Cards must be discarded in ascending order (1—>100). If a number card is larger than any of the number cards in your hand, pause the game by immediately calling out, "STOP!". All number cards lower than the one just discarded are placed face-up next to the discard pile (that's on top of the box lid). The group loses a number of life points equal to the cards placed in this way. ie. If the number card 48 is discarded and there are two cards lower than 48 still in players' hands, those two cards are placed next to the discard pile and the group loses 2 life points.
This simulates more than one person trying to climb down the spider thread at the same time.
Play then resumes. Should the group's life points reach 0, the game ends and the escape is a failure.
4. Stage Completed
A stage is completed when players have discarded all of their cards and still have at least 1 life point remaining.
The group can then try tackling the next stage. (5. Prepare for the next stage).
If this was the 3rd stage completed, the group succeeds and the game is won.
5. Prepare for the Next Stage
- The group gains one lost life point for completing a stage. However, the group cannot have more than 3 life points at any one time. Extra life points gained this way are lost. In 2 player games, life points are never gained.
- Collect all of the number cards and reshuffle the deck.
- Each player is then dealt a new hand of cards from the deck. The number of cards dealt increases by one with each stage. (ie. two cards for stage 2 and three cards for stage 3).
*** From the 2nd stage onwards, when announcing your card, it is fine to just describe your lowest card. It's important to get an idea of your groups' lowest cards.
When ready, play continues from phase 1 again.
Escape with Momo-chan (3rd stage only)
Just before you reach the exit, you find another one of your gang's members, Momo-chan, tied up. You move to rescue her as you make your escape.
At the start of phase (2), draw and reveal one number card from the deck. Place it next to the discard pile. This represents Momo-chan.
During phase 2 (Announce Cards) of the 3rd stage, a special discussion is had by all players to determine the code word for the helpless Momo-chan.
The code word for Momo-chan's card will be extremely helpful as a reference point.
Example discussion of Momo-chan's card
The theme is "animal sizes". Her card is number 32.
- "She's a cat, right?"
- "Nah, I think she's a rabbit."
- "Let's go with a cat this time."
- "In that case, I only have cards smaller than a cat."
- "I have a dog that's slightly larger than a cat."
6. Game End
The game ends in the following circumstances:
- Complete the 3rd stage —> All players win
- Life points run out —> All players are trapped and lose.
Additional Rules
Timed Rules (Highly recommended)
An app on your phone may be used to play a timed game. These optional rules are an exciting way to play that may make it easier for those who find it hard to make decisions.
At the start of each stage, start the count down as soon as the first card is discarded to the top of the box. The time limit for each stage is as follows:
| Stage | Time Limit |
|---|---|
| 1st Stage | 10 mins |
| 2nd Stage | 10 mins |
| 3rd Stage | 15 mins |
The timer should not be stopped until every step is completed. This includes dealing with damage taken. If players run out of time, then whole group immediately loses.
There is no time limit during the discussion in phase 2, 'Announce cards'. The timer should be started after the first player to discard their card has been decided, but before the second player to discard their card is decided.
The Leader Rule (A change of pace)
If playing with the LEADER RULE, one person is chosen as the leader who will then decide the order of who will discard their card next.
This gives players a tantalizing taste of urgency where they must get the leader to figure out their number card.
It is recommended that in games of only a few players, the leader receives a hand of cards and plays as well. On the other hand, in games with a large number of players, is it better for the leader to not receive a hand of cards and only make play order decisions.
The Endless Corridor (For a real challenge!)
In this mode, the game doesn't end after the 3rd stage is cleared. It continues on and on to the 4th, 5th, 6th…stages.
The number of cards in players' hands continue to increase with each stage. (ie. 4 cards in the 4th stage, 5 cards in the 5th etc.)
Life points continue to be gained for completing stages as normal.
The Momo-chan card rule is used in every stage.
The Spider Code of Play
- Everyone having fun is the highest priority!
- Allow each other to have equal say in decisions.
- Have fun without dismissing others' opinions.