Kung Fu (2009)
Kung Fu (2009) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective
The players are young adepts of Kung Fu who take their final exam in the Shaolin monastery in front of their masters. Making use of four styles of fighting known to them, the adepts have to present interesting combinations. The fighter who gains the most points for the combinations presented during the exam is the winner.
Honesty
In order to enjoy playing Kung Fu as much as possible, the players have to be honest with one another (except from Innocent cheating) and reach agreements in contentious situations.
Game Components
The game contains the following components:
- 68 hit cards
- 52 fight combination cards
- game rules
In case any elements are missing, please contact the publisher by email – the missing pieces will be supplied as soon as possible.
Hit Cards
They are held by each player in their hand. Exchanging the cards with other participants, the players aim at collecting appropriate hits and completing chosen combinations.
There are five different types of hit cards in the deck, matching different styles in Kung Fu fighting:
- Tiger style (16 cards)
- Monkey style (16 cards)
- Crab style (16 cards)
- Crane style (16 cards)
- Dragon style (4 cards)
Dragon Style
The dragon style, being the most universal, can replace any other hit in a combination. It serves as a wild card in the game.
Combination Cards
Fight combinations are tasks given to the players by Kung Fu masters. There are three types of combinations in the deck:
Easy
- 24 cards
- Worth: 1 point.
- To complete the combination: 4 hits.
- Background: jungle.
Normal
- 20 cards
- Worth: 2 points.
- To complete the combination: 5 hits, min. 3 different, max. 3 the same.
- Background: steppe.
Difficult
- 8 cards
- Worth: 4 points.
- To complete the combination: 5 hits, at least 4 the same.
- Background: mountains.
Game Setup
Before the beginning of the game:
- Take all the elements out of the box.
- Separate hit cards from combination cards.
- Put the combination cards in three piles (easy, normal and difficult). The piles should be shuffled and placed face down in the middle of the table.
- Shuffle the hit cards and deal 5 cards to each player. The remaining cards should be put face down in an easily accessible place.
- Three players simultaneously reveal one top card from each combination pile and place them face up next to the appropriate piles.
- You are ready to take the exam – the game begins.
Notice: in order to make the game-play shorter (especially with just few people playing) you can remove some combination cards (we suggest doing it in the 2-2-1 proportion). Place the removed combinations face down in the box.
Game Overview
The game-play in Kung Fu is not typical. It takes place in real time, which means that the game is not divided into traditional turns or rounds. All the participants play at the same time.
The game is very dynamic and rather uncontrollable.
The players have to complete combinations to gain points.
A combination is completed when the player has collected the hit cards marked on the combination card and arranged them appropriately – from left to right.
An example of the correct arrangement is shown on the rules sheet, as is an incorrect arrangement.
Naturally, in most cases players will not have appropriate combinations. So they have to obtain them and they do it by trading cards in a way almost unbounded by any rules.
There is one principle – everyone can trade with everyone at any time – all that matters is speed, loud voice and being persuasive.
Trading is not regulated by any rules, but it can take place only among the players (you cannot "trade" with the deck or the discard pile).
You can exchange cards: one for one, one for several, several for several, give somebody a card for free (or for the promise of a future favor), or in any other way agreed on by the players. Innocent cheating is allowed (see: frame).
When a player collects the hit cards necessary for the chosen combination – and arranges them correctly – they energetically put them on the table, shouting „KUNG FU".
The game pauses! The players cannot trade, complete combinations, or even talk.
If they do – they are punished (see: Punishment).
They collectively check whether the player who has said „KUNG FU" has realized the combination correctly.
If the combination is correct:
- The player places their hit cards used for completing the combination – face up – on the discard pile (created next to the hit pile).
- The player takes the combination – it marks their points.
- The player draws new cards from the hit pile (without looking at them) to have 5 cards in hand (if they have more than 5 cards, they do not discard them). If there are not enough cards, the discard pile should be re-shuffled to create a new hit pile.
- If any other player has fewer than 5 cards, they draw cards to have 5. Notice: the players who have drawn cards do not look at them yet.
- The player reveals a new combination from the appropriate pile – the one from which a combination has been realized.
- The game is resumed and the players can use their new cards.
If the player has not completed the combination correctly – they are punished and the game is resumed. Notice: the players who have fewer than 5 cards do not draw cards in this situation.
If two (or more) players have shouted „KUNG FU" – the participants should collectively agree on who has been first. The second player has to wait until the game is resumed.
Impasse
If none of the players can complete a combination for a longer period of time, the participants should agree that the game has reached an impasse. Then they put their hit cards aside for a while, place the combinations at the bottoms of the appropriate piles and play three new combinations – one from each pile.
Punishment
The player discards all of their hit cards and is temporarily out of play until any other player completes a combination.
Innocent Cheating
When trading with another person, a player can give them a card which is different from the one they have agreed on. The moment the "cheated" player touches the card, the deal is considered to be complete and there is nothing one can do – they have to accept the card.
This, of course, can be prevented by playing "open cards", although in the game-play chaos it is easy to forget about that.
Ending the Game
The game ends when the last combination from any of the piles is completed.
The players count their points (4 for a difficult combination, 2 for a normal one, 1 for an easy one). The player who has gathered the most points wins and becomes the best fighter in Shaolin.
If there is a tie – the player who has completed the most difficult combinations wins, and if there is still a tie – the player who has completed the most normal combinations wins.
If there is a tie in this situation – both (all) players with the highest number of points are considered winners.
Additional Rule: Severe Punishment
The players may agree that as a punishment one also has to discard one of their completed combinations – the choice belongs to the punished.