Loose Caboose! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object
• Setup
• How to Play
• Add Tracks & Move the Caboose
  • Adding Tracks
  • If the Caboose Derails
  • Taking Penalty Cards
  • Cancelling Out Penalty Cards
  • Broken Tracks
• Pass
• Ending the Game

Contents

• 50 track cards
• 4 dice
• 1 wooden caboose token

Object

Extend the railway with Track cards and roll the dice to see how many spaces the runaway Caboose token will move. If the Caboose rolls off the tracks, you must take penalty cards from the back of the line. Whoever ends up with the fewest penalty points wins!

Setup

1. Shuffle the Track cards and stack them in a face-down draw pile within easy reach of all players.
2. Build an initial railway of 3 Track cards in the center of the playing area by drawing 1 card at a time and placing them next to each other, making sure that the rails connect properly. (See: "Adding Tracks" for more.)
3. Put the Caboose on the middle Track card and decide as a group which way it's moving. (The Caboose will travel in this direction throughout the rest of the game.)
4. Randomly remove the following number of cards from the draw pile, based on the number of players, and return them to the box, out of play: 2 Players: 13 cards | 3 Players: 11 cards | 4 Players: 7 cards
5. Each player draws 2 cards from the top of the draw pile. (Keep your cards secret from opponents!)
6. Leave room in front of you for a personal "penalty" pile.

How to Play

Whoever last traveled by train goes first and play continues to the left. On your turn, start by drawing 1 card from the draw pile into your hand (there is no hand limit). Then, you must take one of the following actions:

• Add Tracks & Move the Caboose
• Pass

Add Tracks & Move the Caboose

First, choose one or more cards with the same value from your hand and add them to the front of the railway. (Be sure to follow the guidelines under "Adding Tracks".)

Next, roll dice matching the number on the card(s) you played. Example: If you played two "3" cards, roll three dice.

Add up the total number of wheels rolled and move the Caboose that number of Track cards toward the front of the railway. If the Caboose ends on a Track card, this ends your turn. However, if it moves past the front of the railway, it derails!

Adding Tracks

To extend the railway, you may connect Track cards by placing them either vertically or horizontally with two limitations:

• Cards cannot overlap.
• You cannot position cards in such a way that the railway will make a loop.

If the Caboose Derails

Leave the Caboose on the front-most card of the railway and collect penalty cards from the back of the railway equal to the number of Track cards the Caboose wasn't able to move. (See: "Taking Penalty Cards" for more.)

Example: You roll the dice and get 3 wheels. The Caboose must move forward 3 Track cards, however you can only move it 1 card forward before it goes past the front of the railway and derails. Move the Caboose to the front-most card and take 2 penalty cards from the back of the railway.

Taking Penalty Cards

Whenever you have to take a penalty card, do so by taking cards one at a time from the back of the railway, adding the cards face up to your penalty pile in the order you collected them.

Note: If the Caboose is on the last available card and you still need to take any penalties, draw the remaining cards from the top of the draw pile.

Cancelling Out Penalty Cards

Whenever you add a card to your penalty pile, if the number matches the top card, both cards immediately cancel each other. Place them face up in a discard pile, next to the draw pile. If you take multiple penalty cards, it's possible you may cancel out multiple cards in your penalty pile. However, each card can only cancel out one other card.

Notes:

• You are allowed to view the cards in your penalty pile. Through clever planning it's possible to get rid of a lot of penalty points!
• It's possible for cards collected in the same turn to cancel each other out.

Broken Tracks

There are 4 Broken Track cards in the deck. If the Caboose passes over (or stops on) a Broken Track card during your turn, you must take a penalty card from the back of the railway and bank it for the duration of the game: place this card face down at the bottom of your penalty pile. If the Caboose passes over multiple Broken Tracks on your turn, you must bank a penalty card for each one.

Pass

If you cannot, or choose not to play, you may pass and end your turn. Advance the Caboose 1 card towards the end of the railway and collect 1 penalty card, as per above. If the Caboose is already at the end of the railway when you pass your turn, simply collect 1 penalty card.

Ending the Game

The game ends when the draw pile is empty, and whoever drew the last card completes their turn. (If they need to take penalty cards and the Caboose is on the only railway card, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.) Then all players add any cards remaining in their hands to their penalty piles.

Note: Cards remaining in your hand at the end of the game do not cancel out cards in your penalty pile (or each other).

Add up the values of all the cards in your penalty pile (including any that you had to bank). Whoever has the fewest penalty points wins! In the case of a tie, the tied player with the fewest penalty cards wins. If there is still a tie, all tied players share the victory.