Las Vegas Royale
Las Vegas Royale Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Contents
- Las Vegas (basic/introductory game)
- Las Vegas Royale (main game)
- The Casino Tiles
- Lucky Punch (tile A1)
- Jackpot (tile A2)
- Prime Time (tile B1)
- Fifty Fifty (tile B2)
- High Five (tile C1)
- Bad Luck (tile C2)
- Pay Day (tile D1)
- Power Play (tile D2)
- No Entry! (tile E1)
- Knockout? (tile E2)
- Block It! (tile F1)
- Handicap (tile F2)
- Black Box (tile G1)
- Double Down (tile G2)
- Nice Dice (tile H1)
- My Choice (tile H2)
- Variant
- Credits
Game Contents
- 35 smaller dice (7 in each player color)
- 5 bigger dice (1 in each player color)
- 2 extra dice
- 9 blank dice (no pips)
- 1 dice arena
- 1 ring (three parts)
- 90 money cards (11x $30,000, 11x $40,000, 13x $50,000, 15x $60,000, 13x $70,000, 11x $80,000, 9x $90,000, 7x $100,000)
- 20 chips
- 8 tiles (double-sided)
- 15 counters and tokens
Before the first game please remove all parts carefully from the four punch boards.
If you are reading this manual for the first time, we recommend ignoring the text in the margins. They serve as a summary of the rules to help you refresh your memory and get back into the game.
Las Vegas (basic/introductory game)
(The rules for this largely correspond to the rules of the alea game "Las Vegas" from 2012. If you already know that game, you only need to review the changes which are highlighted in dark blue.)
Game Setup
Place the dice arena in the center of the table with the black hexagon in its center.
Assemble the ring with the six casinos (three parts) and put it around the dice arena (see illus.).
Shuffle the 90 money cards and set them aside in a face down pile. Then draw 2 cards and place them face up next to each other on the table. Repeat this process until 6 pairs of cards have been revealed. Place the pair of cards with the highest total value next to the 6 casino ("Sunset"). Place the cards slightly offset to each other so that you can always see their value. Place the pair with the next highest value next to the 5 casino ("Cleopatra"), etc. If two card pairs have the same total value, place the one with the higher money card next to the casino with the higher rank (see illus., casinos 5 + 4). Put the rest of the money cards aside for now. You will need them for the second and third rounds.
Each player gets eight dice in the color of their choice, plus two chips. Put the rest of the chips aside for now. You will need them for the second and third rounds.
All other game materials (such as tiles, the remaining dice and the counters and tokens) are not used in the base game.
Playing the Game
The game is played over three rounds, each consisting of approximately four to six turns of dice rolling per player.
The oldest player begins, then the other players follow in clockwise order. On your turn, roll all your remaining dice (first all 8, then fewer and fewer as the round goes on). To do that, throw them into the dice arena.
Choose exactly one of the rolled numbers. Place all dice of that number in the corresponding casino. It doesn't matter whether the selected casino already has dice from you or your opponents. Remove the remaining dice from the arena, then the next player in turn order rolls their dice and places them, and so on, until all players have placed all their dice.
Example: During his third turn, Ben rolls his remaining 5 dice: four 3s and a 5. He chooses the four 3s and places them all in the 3 casino. (He is not allowed to place less than all four of those dice!) Next turn, Ben will roll his last die and place it accordingly.
If you are out of dice, you pass for the rest of the round. (At the end of a round it might happen that only one player has any dice left and thus gets to take multiple turns in a row.)
The Chips
... may be used during the game to "sit out" your turn. If you are not satisfied with the result of your roll, you may pay one of your chips and pass the turn by removing all your dice from the arena. Play continues with the player to your left, as normal.
Payout
Payout starts when the last player has placed their final die in a casino.
First, check each casino to see if two or more players have placed the same number of dice there. The bigger die (also called "Biggy") counts as two smaller dice! Whenever there is a tie, those players remove all their dice from the casino.
Example 1: Anna has placed five dice in the 4 casino, Ben placed three, Carla placed one plus her "Biggy" (= equals three), and Denny placed one. Since they are tied, Ben and Carla remove their dice.
Example 2: Anna has placed her "Biggy" and Carla has placed two dice in the 2 casino. Ben and Denny placed one each: All four players remove their dice.
Now pay out the money cards next to the 1 casino ("Miracle"). The player with the most dice in the casino wins the money card with the higher value. The runner up wins the other money card. All other players leave the casino empty-handed. Pay out the other five casinos in the same manner.
After payout, if there are any money cards left in a casino, put them face down under the money card pile. Players may hide the money they won until the end of the game. Finally, take back all your dice and get ready for next round.
2 casino: Ben wins a $40,000 card. The other $40,000 card is put back under the pile.
3 casino: Carla wins the $70,000 card and Ben wins the $30,000 card. Denny gets nothing.
4 casino: Anna wins $80,000 and Denny wins $50,000.
Second and Third Round
Place a new pair of money cards next to each casino, just as described in section "Game setup". Each player receives 2 more chips (in addition to any leftover chips from the previous round).
The player who won the higher value money card in the 6 casino begins the next round (or the winner of the next lower ranked casino, in case nobody won anything there).
End of the Game
The game ends after three rounds. Count your money. Each leftover chip is worth $10,000. The player with the most money is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most money cards and chips is the winner. If there is still a tie, there are multiple winners.
Variant (for 2 players)
Apply all rules from the basic game with the following exceptions:
At the beginning of each round, roll all eight dice of a non-player color. Place them in the corresponding casinos. They stay there until the end of the round.
Evaluate the "neutral" dice at the end of each round as if they belong to an imaginary player. Any money they win is put under the money card pile.
Example 1: The $80,000 card is won by the neutral player. Put it under the money card pile. Ben wins the $30,000 card.
Example 2: Carla wins the $70,000 card, the neutral player wins the $40,000 card (back under the pile); Ben gets nothing.
These rules also apply when only 2 players play the main game "Las Vegas Royale".
Las Vegas Royale (main game)
Apply all the above rules, with the following exceptions:
Game Setup
At the beginning of each round, randomly select 3 tiles. Each tile has two sides so besides shuffling them, flip them over as well. Then randomly select a tile and place it next to the 1 casino. Repeat this process for the 2 and 3 casinos. The other casinos (4-6) remain empty.
Distribute the money cards (6 x 2 cards) as described in section "Game Setup" in the basic game. Then, set aside 6 x 2 money cards for rounds 2 and 3 (a total of 24 cards). They must remain face down. Put the rest of the money cards face up on the table. They serve as "bank".
Prepare the 2 black and 9 gray dice, plus the various counters and tokens and set them aside next to the board. You will need some of them, depending on the additional casino tiles. More details can be found in the tile descriptions below.
All remaining game setup steps match those of the Basic Game.
Playing the Game
The game plays in the exact same way as the "Las Vegas" basic game, with the following change: Whenever you place any dice in casinos 1, 2, or 3, you "activate" them and something new happens.
In rounds 2 and 3: You remove the three extra tiles, then follow the same process of randomly selecting 3 of them and place them next to casinos 1, 2, and 3. It may happen that the same tile is used multiple times. (If you don't want that to happen, put the used tiles aside after each round, or make sure their other face is used.)
Everything else is described in section "Second and third round" in the basic game.
End of the Game
The game ends after three rounds. The player with the most money is the winner. In case of a tie, the most money cards and chips decide the winner.
The Casino Tiles
Lucky Punch (tile A1)
Setup: Put the three hexagonal tokens* on the Lucky Punch tile.
When activated: Secretly choose 1-3 tokens and take them into your right hand (underneath the table). Make a fist and put it on the table. The player to your left must guess how many tokens you are holding in your hand. If they guess correctly, you get nothing. If they guess wrong, you get the reward: either 2 chips or $30,000 or $40,000. Return the three tokens to the tile.
* Instead of using the counters or tokens, you can also use the gray dice, unless tiles F1 or F2 are currently in play.
Jackpot (tile A2)
Setup: Put the JACKPOT counter* on the first space of this tile ($30,000) and ready the two black extra dice.
When activated: Throw both extra dice:
- If you rolled a 7 or a double, take the amount displayed beneath the JACKPOT counter from the bank. Then move the counter back onto the $30,000 space.
- If you didn't roll a 7 or a double, advance the counter to the next space (max. of $80,000).
Prime Time (tile B1)
Setup: Ready the two black extra dice.
Before payout: If you are the winner of this casino (i.e. you are about to receive the higher value card), throw both extra dice. You now have the option to place either zero, one or both of those dice in the corresponding casinos (even if you rolled a double!). During the subsequent payout they will count as your own dice!
Fifty Fifty (tile B2)
Setup: Ready the two black extra dice. Place the round counter* on the first space (the arrow space) of this tile.
When activated: Throw both extra dice and move the counter one space to the right. Then, if you choose to end your turn, you get the reward indicated below the counter ($0-$60,000).
However, you can gamble and try to increase your reward. Before you roll the dice again, you must bet higher or lower. Then you throw the dice and advance the counter.
- If you win your bet, you may choose again whether you want to take the reward or gamble.
- If you lose your bet, your turn ends and you get nothing.
- At your turn's end place the counter back on the first space.
If you roll the same number twice in a row, you lose the bet!
High Five (tile C1)
Setup: Place the HIGH FIVE token on the corresponding space on the tile.
When activated: When you place your fifth die (or 3 and your Biggy) in this casino, take the token. Exchange it during payout for $100,000 from the bank.
Bad Luck (tile C2)
Before payout: Each player with the lowest amount of dice in this casino (before removing any tied dice and including players with zero dice!) must pay $50,000 into the bank when the round ends.
If a player doesn't have enough money to pay, they must pay everything they have (including chips which are valued at $10,000). The bank can give change. (But chips are never paid out as "change".)
Pay Day (tile D1)
When activated: Count the casinos (not tiles!) that contain at least one die of your color. This includes the activated casino. Multiply the number of casinos by $10,000. If the total is $10,000 or $20,000, you receive 1 or 2 chips. For $30,000-$60,000 take that much money from the bank.
Power Play (tile D2)
Setup: Put the POWER PLAY token on the tile.
When activated: After placing your dice on this casino, if you, alone, have more dice here than any other player, take the token (from the tile or from an opponent) and place it on top of your remaining dice as a reminder. On your next turn, if you still have the token, you may pass the turn. If you do, rotate one of your remaining dice to a number of your choice and place it in the corresponding casino and resolve any effects that might have. If at any time during the round no player has a clear dice majority, the token is returned to the tile.
No Entry! (tile E1)
Setup: Place the NO ENTRY! token in the middle of this tile. Place the round counter* on the first space (the arrow space) of the running track.
When activated: Choose any casino (except the one with this tile) and place the NO ENTRY! token on its die illustration. That casino is now closed. No dice may be added or removed. This also applies to any tile activations.
In addition, advance the counter one space and take the reward indicated on the new space. Empty spaces and the arrow space don't get you a reward.
The next time a player activates this tile, they may move the NO ENTRY! token, but they don't have to. However, if they don't, they also won't move the counter and won't get a reward.
Knockout? (tile E2)
When activated: Each opponent must place one of their remaining dice in the bar on this tile (unless there are already 2 dice of that opponent in the bar). In exchange, you get back all your dice that are currently in the bar (if any).
Any dice in the bar are "knocked out" and will not count during payout. The "Biggy" only counts as one of the maximum of two dice in the bar.
Block It! (tile F1)
Setup: Place the nine blank gray dice on the dice space clusters of this tile, as indicated (2x 1, 2x 2, 1x 3 dice).
When activated: Choose one dice space cluster, take all blank dice from it and place them in one casino of your choice. During this round and during payout, treat any blank dice in casinos as belonging to an imaginary player.
Example: Casino 2 has the POWER PLAY tile and contains 1 blue, 1 yellow, and 2 red dice. You add 2 blank dice. The red player must immediately return the POWER PLAY token to the tile. If casino 2 stays that way, no player will win any money there.
In the 2-player game, the neutral dice that were placed at the beginning of the round and the blank gray dice count for different imaginary players!
Handicap (tile F2)
Setup: Distribute the nine gray blank dice as follows: one die each in casinos 1-3, two dice each in casinos 4-6.
When activated: Choose one blank die from any casino and place it onto an empty die picture on this tile. You get the reward shown: 1 chip (2x) or $30,000 (3x) or one of these two options (4x): to rotate one of your remaining dice to any number of your choice and then place it in the corresponding casino (this will not activate it!) or return one of your dice from any casino to your supply.
During payout: Any blank dice in casinos are treated as belonging to an imaginary player. That might affect the ranking within the casino and/or create ties.
You don't have to pick up any blank die, but you only get a reward if you do. You may only remove (or add) your own dice from a casino, not from or to a tile.
In the 2-player game, the neutral dice that were placed at the beginning of the round and the blank dice count for different imaginary players!
Black Box (tile G1)
Setup: Put the six BLACK BOX tokens face up on the corresponding spaces on the tile.
During payout: The player to the left of this casino's winner takes all 6 tokens and separates them into two piles (3+3, 4+2, or 5+1 tokens), as he wishes. The winner of the casino chooses one of the face down piles. They receive the reward shown on the chosen tokens: 2 chips or money ($40,000, $60,000, $80,000 or even $100,000).
Double Down (tile G2)
When activated: If you want, you may move as many of your dice from this casino to the corresponding space on the tile. These can be dice you just placed in this casino, or dice you placed here previously.
During payout: This tile is paid out exactly like a casino. After possible removals the winner gets $60,000, and the runner up gets $30,000 from the bank.
No dice may be placed or removed here by any other action.
Nice Dice (tile H1)
When activated: If you want, you may place a die you just rolled or one that you just placed on this casino, on this tile. Place that die onto the die space corresponding to its rolled number.
If there is already another die on that space (either your own or an opponent's die), place that die in the corresponding casino (this will not trigger that casino).
During payout: Each player removes their dice from this tile and then takes the corresponding reward: 1 or 2 chips or $30,000-$60,000.
My Choice (tile H2)
Setup: Ready the two black extra dice.
When activated: Throw both black extra dice and choose one of the results. Perform the corresponding action:
- 1: + 1 chip
- 2: + 2 chips
- 3: + $30,000
- 4: Activate any other tile, as if you had just placed dice in that casino. (Attention: This will not always trigger an action!)
- 5: Rotate one of your remaining dice to show a number of your choice, then place it in the corresponding casino (this will not activate that casino's tile!) or return one of your dice from a casino to your supply.
- 6: Place one of your remaining dice onto the golden framed gray space. If the space is occupied, return that die to its owner before. During payout, remove the die from the gray space and you get $60,000 from the bank.
Variant
Before the game, you can agree to use fewer or more than three tiles per round. The maximum is six tiles (one for each casino). Have fun!
Credits
More interesting variants and expansions to this game can be found on our website: www.aleaspiele.de.
The game designer and publisher thank the many test players for their commitment and numerous suggestions, especially Maja Dorn and the play groups from Ansbach, Bad Aibling, Burgoberbach, Cham, Fischbachau, Grassau, Harpfetsham, Krumbach, Lieberhausen, Oberhof, Reutte, Rotenburg and Siegsdorf.
Do you have comments, suggestions, or questions about this game? Contact us:
alea, Steinbichlweg 1, 83233 Bernau am Chiemsee. Telefon: 08051 970720. E-Mail: [email protected]
© 2018 Rüdiger Dorn / © 2019 Ravensburger Spieleverlag