Lie, Cheat & Steal
Lie, Cheat & Steal Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Set-Up
- Choose a token and place it on START.
- The person to be banker issues each player and himself $50,000 from the bank. All players start the game with a salary of $20,000 which is collected every time they pass START. (The amount of salary may vary during play.)
- Shuffle each card deck individually and place on the appropriate rectangle in the center of the board. Now you are ready to play Lie, Cheat & Steal.
Play
Each player rolls the dice and the player with the highest point total goes first. That player then rolls the dice and moves his token clockwise the number of spaces indicated by the dice. The player then follows the instructions on the space on which he lands (i.e., Collect BLACK EYE card, etc.).
Votes
Before the dice are rolled on any given turn, that player may buy up to 20 votes from the bank at $1,000 per vote.
Votes may also be gained from your good fortune in politics. You may also receive votes from other players as penalties when you accuse them of fraud, crimes, and libel, or when you succeed in libeling them. However, when you are required to pay a penalty in votes and have fewer votes than you need, you must buy the votes immediately at the following prices: $1,000 per vote for the first 20 votes, $2,000 per vote for each vote over 20 votes. If you cannot afford to buy the necessary votes, you must declare bankruptcy.
Cards
There are three decks of cards: $ cards, BLACK EYE cards, and FEATHER-IN-YOUR-CAP cards.
$ Cards
These cards are in increments of $10,000, ranging from PAY $100,000 to COLLECT $100,000.
When you land on a $ space, pick up a $ card and read it to yourself. You can be honest and collect or pay the amount on the card, or you can lie and cheat by stating that the card says collect any amount from the bank up to $100,000. But watch out, you may get caught! You can be accused of fraud by any player landing on a PRESS BOX space.
Players are not required to show $ cards, but they must keep them until the next time they pass START. The cards are then returned to the bottom of the deck. When another player lands on a PRESS BOX space, he may accuse any one player holding a $ card of fraud. The accused player then must show his $ card to everyone and return it to the bottom of the $ card stack. If he has cheated, he must now pay the difference to the bank and give 50 votes to the accuser in the PRESS BOX. If the accused player was honest concerning the amount paid or collected on the $ card there is no penalty for the accuser.
BLACK EYE Cards
These cards are the source of scandalous information about all players. They are used when a player lands on a PRESS BOX space and wishes to accuse other players of scandal.
If you hold a BLACK EYE card when you land on a PRESS BOX space, you may accuse any other player of any one of the five crimes listed below. The face of the BLACK EYE card does not have to be shown. (It may be blank. But if it is, be careful, you may be facing a libel suit!) A BLACK EYE card may be used against any player, but once used, that card may not be used against a different player. However, it may be used over and over against the same player.
The accused player who does not defend himself must give 50 votes to the accuser in the PRESS BOX. Or, if he has a GOOD CHARACTER card, he may show it, return it to the bottom of the stack, and pay nothing to the accuser.
On the other hand, if the accused player has the appropriate DEFENSE card for the crime of which he has been accused, the accused player collects 100 votes from the accuser. The card must be shown and both it and the BLACK EYE card that was used are returned to the bottom of their stacks.
| The five BLACK EYE crimes are | The corresponding DEFENSE cards state |
|---|---|
| (a) Attending a pot party | (a) You are an undercover narcotics agent |
| (b) Deserting from the Army | (b) You find your honorable discharge papers |
| (c) Embezzling | (c) Your bank books have been forged |
| (d) Non-payment of 50 traffic violations | (d) All computers are unreliable |
| (e) Escaping from a chain gang | (e) Your twin brother escaped from a chain gang |
NOTE: The PRESS never questions whether or not the BLACK EYE card is valid. The accused player who suspects that the accuser in the PRESS BOX is using a blank BLACK EYE card may sue the accuser for libel in the COURT OF LAST RESORT.
FEATHER-IN-YOUR-CAP Cards
These cards help to protect your good name as a politician. Each player keeps the FEATHER-IN-YOUR-CAP card drawn until needed. There are three types of FEATHER-IN-YOUR-CAP cards:
- Good Character cards: These cards may be used to reduce any vote obligation by 50 votes. When used, the card must be shown and returned to the bottom of the stack.
- Defense cards: DEFENSE cards are used in defense of BLACK EYE crime accusations.
- Subpoena cards: A SUBPOENA card may be used on any future turn to send any player to the WITNESS STAND. (It is particularly timely to serve it on a player who is about to win.) The card must be shown and returned to the bottom of the FEATHER-IN-YOUR-CAP card stack.
Special Board Spaces
PRESS BOX: The PRESS BOX gives you the opportunity to accuse other players of crimes (using the BLACK EYE cards) or of fraud (cheating on $ cards). Only one accusation may be made against one player at the time you land on the PRESS BOX space. Use the opportunity wisely.
COURT OF LAST RESORT: This space is used to seek revenge on other players. You may stop here on any turn that would take you to, or past this space.
If you suspect that a player used a blank BLACK EYE card when he accused you of a crime, you may stop in the COURT OF LAST RESORT and sue for libel, only on your first opportunity after the crime accusation was made.
A LIBEL SUIT IS FILED AS FOLLOWS: If you wish to sue for libel you must pay the bank a $50,000 filing fee. A demand is now made to see the BLACK EYE card which was used to accuse you of a crime. The player who accused you must now show that card. If it is blank, you collect $100,000 from him and 50 votes from the bank.
However, life may not be so simple. If he has the appropriate BLACK EYE card you must give 50 votes to him. (A GOOD CHARACTER card may, of course, be used to avoid paying the votes.)
ALL cards shown in court are returned to the bottom of the stack.
THE WITNESS STAND: The WITNESS STAND is a dangerous path which may bankrupt the politician unlucky enough to be sent there. There are two ways you can be sent to the WITNESS STAND:
- By landing on the U.S. SENATE INVESTIGATION space, or
- By another player's use of a SUBPOENA card against you.
In either case, you start on the space marked "WITNESS STAND". You do not pass START or collect salary on the way.
While you are on the WITNESS STAND or on a space between the WITNESS STAND and the main board, you may not buy any votes from the bank.
JAIL: If you are sent to JAIL for any reason, you lose your next turn. After which you return to the main path through START, collecting your salary at the same time.
ENTER BUSINESS: When you land on the ENTER BUSINESS space, you must start on your way through that path on your next turn. You may only use one die on each turn until you return to the main path.
ENTER LOCAL POLITICS: The same procedure as outlined in ENTER BUSINESS (above) must be followed.
ANONYMOUS TIP: When you land on the ANONYMOUS TIP space, any and all players may bid money for the privilege of drawing the next BLACK EYE card. At least $5,000 must be bid and paid to the bank, or the card goes to no one.
STATE CONVENTION: If you land on the STATE CONVENTION space you collect ten votes from all players who have fewer votes than you. (Players with no votes do not have to pay.)
Bankruptcy
Whenever you are required to pay more money or votes than you have (or can afford to buy), you must declare bankruptcy. The bank never buys back any votes, so it is always a good idea to keep extra money on hand. If it becomes necessary, any player may sell his votes to any other player who is willing to buy them. Bankruptcy proceedings are as follows:
- Pay as much of your debt or obligation as possible. If some of what you owe is to the bank, you must pay that part before you pay any player.
- Go to JAIL and lose your next turn.
- Return any remaining votes to the bank. Turn in all FEATHER-IN-YOUR-CAP, BLACK-EYE, and $ cards.
- All BLACK EYE cards used by other players against you must be turned in.
- Your salary reverts to $20,000.
Miscellaneous Notes
Taxes, money, and votes "lost" are returned to the bank. Only the OLD POLITICIAN FUND is kept separate.
Any player's salary may not be reduced below zero dollars ($0). If a player is instructed to reduce his salary by more than its amount, the salary remains at zero dollars.
Note on Honesty
Confine all lying, cheating, and stealing within the rules of the game: no pilfering from the bank, concealment of wealth, votes, etc. Also, each player must be honest about how much he took from the bank on each $ card (when questioned) and which BLACK EYE card was used on which player.