Mamma Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Material
• Aim of the Game
• Preparation and Description
• The Game
• The Game Cards
• The Ingredients
• Stealing Ingredients
• The Park Bench
• W.C. (Water Closet = Bathroom)
• The Schoolbus and the Hospital
• Special Characteristics of the Characters
  • The Grandpa
  • The Grandma
  • The Mamma
  • The Wife
  • The Husband
  • The Son
• The Dinner Hour
• The Victory

Material

All 110 cards are utilized for this version.

The illustration, printed on both sides (one side: set-up at the beginning, other side: example of the phase called "Dinner Hour"), is only used in this version.

Aim of the Game

During his/her turn, each player can move one or more character cards in the 27 spaces of the area of play (the city), in order to make these characters buy the ingredients for the dinner.

The ingredients are represented by the horizontal cards with the green or red tablecloth and will give victory points (vp) to the characters that possess them at the end of the game.

Preparation and Description

These cards are the characters of the family of the game: Grandpa, Grandma, Mamma, Wife, Husband and Son.

The Grandpa, Grandma and the Mamma are the grandpa, the grandma and the mamma of the Wife.

The Son is the son of the Wife and the Husband.

Each character has a specific age (the upper left number) that will serve for the rule "Stealing Ingredients", explained later.

Take a complete series of 6 character cards, paying attention to take the Grandpa card with the logo of the game on its back.

Establish randomly the first player (known as Player A), who takes the character cards and secretly chooses one of them, placing the other 5 cards on the table, face down. All other players take one character card directly from the table, randomly.

The remaining cards must be removed from the game, face down.

In this manner, each player will have a secret character of the family, with which he/she will try to win the game...

Looking at the illustration, place on the table:

a) The 2 columns (A and B) of the 6 vertical cards, in the indicated sequence.

b) The 27 horizontal cards, numbered from 1 to 27 on their backs (C). The back numbers serve only to give the exact position of each card of the area of play.

c) The schoolbus card (S) and the traffic cards (T) in the indicated positions.

The 6 cards of column B are the characters of the family, who can be moved by the players in the 27 spaces of the area of play, in order to make them buy the ingredients for dinner (represented by the horizontal cards).

The 6 cards of column A are called reference cards and have some icons that represent the characteristics of each person (explained later). During the game, the players will place the money and the ingredients cards to the left of these cards (see below).

Form one deck with the movement cards, and another deck with the money cards. Shuffle the two decks separately and place them on the table, face up. They will be called the game cards.

Beginning from the top card of the money deck, place 1 card, face up, to the left of every reference card, beginning with the Grandpa.

Place on the table: the vertical wc card, the 2 horizontal substitute cards, the reference card (with the summary of the game turn and victory points), the 4 Guests cards and the 10 horizontal ingredients cards (with the green or red tablecloth). These 10 ingredients cards must be shuffled and placed face up, in its own vertical row.

Take the 5 Bus cards, shuffle them and place this small deck on the table, face down. All the players must study these cards before they are turned over, and will have to remember the top card and the sequence of the rest of the deck (see the Grandma card).

Beginning with Player A, each player chooses 1 game card from one of the two decks (movement or money), until all the players have 5 cards in their hands. During the game, every time a game card is played or discarded, it must be placed under the corresponding deck, always face up.

The Game

The game is played in turns.

The player to the left of Player A starts, then it continues clockwise.

During his/her turn, a player must choose one of the following 4 options, never exceeding the maximum hand size of 6 cards.

1. The player doesn't play any game card and takes up to 4 game cards from one or both of the movement or money decks, one at a time.

2. The player plays 1 game card and takes up to 2 game cards from one or both of the movement or money decks, one at a time.

3. The player plays 2 or more game cards and takes 1 game card from one of the movement or money decks.

4. The player discards 3 game cards and takes 1 game card from one of the movement or money decks.

If a player discards 3 game cards, he/she can choose 1 ingredients card that is in a vertical position to the left of any reference card, and turn it into a horizontal position. The purpose of this action is explained later, under the rule "Stealing Ingredients".

Also, during his/her turn, a player can assign a Guests card to one character, placing the Guests card to the left of the reference card of the chosen character. Each player can assign just one of these cards during the game, and not to a character with a Guest card (already assigned).

At the end of the game, this kind of card will give negative vp to the chosen character.

The 4 Guests cards have 4 different values: 6, 5, 4 or 3 negative vp. When a player assigns this card, he must place the highest Guests card available at the moment (the first player who places the Guests card will assign 6 negative vp, the second will assign 5 negative vp, and so on).

Hint: You should assign the Guests card to the secret character of another player (if you have realized who it is), and not to a neutral character.

The Game Cards

The number on each movement card represents movement points (mp). Each player, on his/her turn, can move one or more characters (B), the schoolbus (S) and the traffic cards (T), playing the movement cards with the necessary mp.

If a player moves one or more characters, every space costs 1 mp for each moving character.

If a player moves the schoolbus or a traffic card, the first space costs as many mp as the number printed on the schoolbus and traffic cards respectively, and any subsequent movement of those cards cost 1 mp. Any unused mp are lost.

Example in the illustration: a player moves the Grandma (1 mp) and the schoolbus (4+1 mp) as indicated by the arrows, playing 2 movement cards, each worth 3 mp for a total of 6 mp.

The movement of any card is permitted:

a) in any direction, but inside the area of play (C)

b) crossing the characters and the schoolbus cards

The movement of any card is not permitted:

a) into spaces already crossed in the same movement

b) crossing the traffic cards

At the end of movement, all cards must end up in an empty space.

The number on each money card represents the value of the card.

Any player can place one or more money cards, face up, to the left of one or more reference cards. In this manner, the player will add money to those characters.

A player can place these cards as the last action of his/her turn, after any shopping (see the ingredients cards).

No character, except the Grandpa, can have more than 2 money cards to the left of his/her reference card, but if a character already has 2 money cards, it's permitted to replace one or both with one or two cards of greater value, putting those of lower value under the money deck, face up.

The Grandpa can have up to 3 money cards, as explained later.

The Ingredients

The ingredients cards are important to the game: these cards will give vp to the characters that possess them at the end of the game.

If a player wants a specific character to buy a specific ingredients card, he/she must move and stop this character next to the ingredients card, when the character has enough money to buy it.

A character who doesn't move and stop next to the ingredients card or with insufficient money cannot buy the ingredients.

A character who moves and stops next to the ingredients card and has enough money must buy the ingredients card.

The cost of each ingredients card is indicated by the black number in the center of each card (1 or 2 or 3 money).

Exceptions:

a) the Husband always pays 2 money more.

b) the Mamma always pays 1 money less (she takes the ingredients cards that cost 1 money for free).

Any ingredients card bought by a character must be removed from the area of play and placed, in vertical position, to the left of the reference card of the buying character, removing at the same time the money cards necessary for purchasing the ingredients card from the left of the same reference card.

If a character pays more money than necessary, he/she loses the surplus, as no change can be given.

The ingredients card removed must be replaced with one of the substitute cards, in the same position.

Then, the current player must place in the area of play the next ingredients card (the top card in the vertical row of the ingredients cards), replacing a card of this kind, in a position at least 5 mp away from the buying character. If there are no positions available at 5 mp, a position at the furthest possible distance must be chosen (4 or 3 or 2 or 1). The card that the player removes from the area of play becomes a new substitute card.

Example in the illustration.

The Wife has one money card of 2, to the left of her reference card.

A player moves the Wife, as indicated by the arrow, playing 1 movement card, of 1 mp.

Having moved next to an ingredients card and having sufficient money, the Wife must buy the next ingredients card, which costs 1 money. The player:

a) takes this ingredients card and places it to the left of the Wife's reference card (in a vertical position)

b) places a substitute card in the empty space left in the area of play.

c) takes the top card in the vertical row of the ingredients cards and places it in the area of play, replacing one of the cards marked with the club-shaped symbol (at a distance of 5 mp from the Wife). The card removed from the area of play becomes a new substitute card.

d) removes the money card of 2 from the left of the Wife's reference card, for the buying of the ingredients card, placing this money card under the corresponding deck, face up.

If a character buys ingredients, he/she cannot be moved any more in the same turn.

Pay attention: some ingredients cards have the Mother-in-Law icon and will give negative vp (5 or 3 or 1) to the characters that possess these cards at the end of the game.

When the last ingredients card is bought, the Dinner Hour phase begins (see below).

Stealing Ingredients

Every time a player moves a character making him/her cross an older character (check the top left number on the characters' cards), the current player can choose 1 ingredients card, in vertical position, that is to the left of the older character's reference card, and place it to the left of the younger character's reference card, in vertical position.

Any character can steal ingredients from an older character, except

• the Son (he's not interested in them)
• the Grandpa (he's the oldest)

However, the Grandpa has one chance to steal ingredients: he must take the Child from the schoolbus (see below).

As general rule, no character can take away:

1. the ingredients cards from a character sitting on the bench, inside the w.c., in the Hospital or from the Grandma while she's on the Church card (see below).

2. the ingredients cards that are in horizontal position to the left of any reference card.

Therefore, it's important to turn the ingredients cards from the vertical position to the horizontal position, choosing the option to discard 3 cards (see above).

The Park Bench

It's permitted to move a character from a space next to the bench onto the bench card, at the cost of 1 mp. The bench can be occupied only by one character at a time.

A player must spend 3 mp if he/she wants to move a character from the bench into a space next to the bench.

As long as a character is on the bench card, it's not permitted to take any ingredients card away from that character (see the rule "Stealing Ingredients").

W.C. (Water Closet = Bathroom)

It's permitted to move a character from a space next to the w.c. onto the w.c. card, at the cost of 1 mp. In such a case, the card of this character must be removed from the area of play and placed in the space marked with the WC symbol in the illustration, also putting the vertical wc card to the left of this character's reference card.

This character is considered inside the wc and he/she will be out of play for the next 6 turns.

At the beginning of each of the next 6 turns, the player whose turn it is must move the card of the character inside the wc 1 space down, along the column indicated by the vertical line in the illustration.

The player of the 6th turn will move the card from the space marked with the down-arrow symbol in the illustration directly to the area of play again (the character exits from the wc), onto any empty space next to the wc card, or to the nearest empty space, if all the spaces next to the wc are occupied.

As long as there is a character inside the wc, no other character can enter it.

A character cannot be placed twice consecutively into the wc.

Example: a player makes the Grandpa enter the wc (the vertical wc card is placed to the left of his reference card). When the Grandpa exits from the wc after 6 turns, a player makes the Wife enter it (the vertical wc card is moved to the left of her reference card). After 6 turns the Wife exits from the wc. Only at that point, can any player make the Grandpa enter the wc again.

The Schoolbus and the Hospital

If a player moves the schoolbus making it cross the Wife or Son card, the schoolbus runs over the Wife or the Son. The character run over by the schoolbus must be placed on the Hospital card and will not be able to move, until it exits from the Hospital.

This can happen under two circumstances:

1. Every time a player moves and stops the Mamma next to the Hospital card, the character in the Hospital exits.

2. If the Wife is on the Hospital card and the Son is run over or if the Son is on the Hospital card and the Wife is run over, the last run over character card must be placed on the Hospital card and the character already in the Hospital exits (there is only 1 bed available).

The card that exits from the Hospital must be placed by the current player in any empty space next to the Hospital, or in the nearest empty space if all the spaces next to the Hospital are occupied.

If the schoolbus crosses a character other than the Wife and the Son, there is no effect.

Special Characteristics of the Characters

The Grandpa, the Grandpa with the Child, the Grandma, the Mamma and the Husband get respectively +3, +7, +5, +3 and -5 vp at the end of the game, as indicated on their cards and under the paragraph "The Victory".

The Grandpa

1. At the end of any turn, if both the schoolbus and the Grandpa cards are next to the School card, the Grandpa card must be turned over, showing the side "Grandpa with the Child".

The Grandpa with the Child can steal one vertical ingredients card from any other character, if any player makes the Grandpa with the Child cross this character.

As additional rules:

a) the Grandpa with the Child cannot steal the ingredients card with the Mother-in-Law icon.

b) the Grandpa with the Child can steal just 1 ingredients card in the game.

2. If a player moves and stops the Grandpa (or Grandpa with the Child) next to the bank card, from that moment on the Grandpa can have up to 3 money cards to the left of his reference card. When this happens, the bank card must be turned over, showing the side with the drawing of the Grandpa (until the end of the game).

The Grandma

1. If the Grandma is on or is moved next to a Bus Stop card by a player, this player can try to move the Grandma by Bus. The player declares, with a single attempt, "969" or "696" or "699" (the numbers of the City Buses). Then, the player takes the top card of the Bus deck. If the number of this card is the declared number, the player can move the Grandma directly next to the other Bus Stop card in the area of play (the Grandma moves by bus). After this movement, the player can still play game cards, moving the Grandma again (with movement cards).

If the number of the Bus card isn't the declared number, the Grandma card must be placed on the Church card and the player can't play other game cards this turn.

Only the Grandma can be placed on the Church card, and only on this occasion.

Every time a player takes the top card of the Bus deck, he/she must place this card under the deck, face down. Then, the player must also place the next top card under the deck, without looking at it. The sequence of the 5 cards remains the same, but in this manner, the top card changes.

2. A player must spend 3 mp if he/she wants to move the Grandma from the Church into a space next to the Church.

As long as the Grandma is on the Church card, it's not permitted to take the ingredients cards away from the Grandma (see the rule "Stealing Ingredients").

The Mamma

1. When a player makes the Mamma buy ingredients, she always pays 1 money less (she buys the ingredients cards that cost 1 money for free).

2. When a player moves and stops the Mamma next to the Hospital card, the Wife or Son's card in the Hospital exits.

The Wife

1. If the Wife is on or is moved next to the taxi card by a player, this player can move the Wife by taxi. The player chooses and removes 1 money card from the left of the Wife's reference card and multiplies by 3 the value of the chosen card. The result gives the maximum mp that the player can utilize to move the Wife by taxi.

After this movement, the player can still play game cards, moving the Wife again (with movement cards).

2. If the Wife is run over by the schoolbus, she must be placed on the Hospital card (as explained earlier).

The Husband

1. When the Husband buys ingredients, he always pays 2 money more.

The Son

1. If a player moves the Son making him cross the card of a character with the most money among the other 5 characters (or tied for most), this player can take the money card of the highest value from the left of that character's reference card and places it under the money deck, face up (the Son spends money at the amusement arcade).

2. If the Son is run over by the schoolbus, he must be placed on the Hospital card (as explained earlier). In addition to going to the Hospital, the current player chooses and removes half of the Son's vertical ingredients cards (rounded down) from the game (lost in the incident).

3. The Son can never steal ingredients.

The Dinner Hour

As soon as a player makes a character buy the last ingredients card, this player (known as Player X), places the last substitute card in the area of play and removes all 6 characters cards, wherever they are. If the Grandpa with the Child is in play, the schoolbus must also be removed. If the Grandpa is in play, the schoolbus remains in the area of play.

From this moment on, nobody can be placed into the w.c. or be run over and placed on the Hospital card.

All the rules regarding "Stealing Ingredients", the traffic cards, the bench, the bank, the school, the taxi, the bus and the church remain the same.

Beginning with Player X, whoever hasn't yet placed his/her Guests card does so now (see above).

Then, Player X chooses one of the removed character cards and places it in an empty space, in the first column available to the right of the area of play.

For example, the space indicated by this symbol (a black dot) in the illustration.

The next player places one of the remaining character cards in an empty space, in the first column available to the right of the area of play. All the players execute this action, one at a time. If a column is full of characters (already placed), the player must choose to place a character in an empty space in the next left column. In this phase, some players will place more than one character.

When all the characters have been placed in the last 2 or 3 right columns, the Dinner Hour phase begins, and the Player to the left of Player X is the first to play.

In the Dinner Hour phase each player will have 2 goals:

1. making his secret character reach the space in column B from where he/she started at the beginning of the game as quickly as possible, to sit at the table for dinner. This space is their "own seat at the table" (marked with the checkered symbol).

2. if a player knows which are the secret characters of the opponent players, he/she must make these characters reach their "seats at the table" in column B as late as possible.

In the Dinner Hour phase:

a) each player can play or discard a maximum of 3 game cards.

b) when each player moves one or more characters, he/she must consider the first space of each character's movement. If the first space is back (towards the right hand of the moving character) the player must spend 3 mp. If the first space is forwards (towards the left hand of the moving character), the player spends 2 mp. The next spaces of the same movement cost 1 mp.

Examples.

1. A player wants to move the Husband 4 spaces, of which the first space is to his left (cost: 2+1+1+1). Therefore the player must play movement cards (max. 3 cards) whose sum is at least 5 mp.

2. A player wants to move the Grandpa 1 space, towards his left (cost: 2) and the Wife back 2 spaces, of which the first space is to her right (cost: 3+1). Therefore, the player must play movement cards (max. 3 cards) whose sum is at least 6 mp.

When a character has reached the position from which he/she started at the beginning of the game, that character is sitting at the table. His/her card must be removed from the area of play and placed aside, to the right of any other cards already in place.

It's not permitted:

1. to move a character along column B. This means that a character must reach his/her "seat at the table" by moving from an adjacent area of play space.

2. to add money cards to the left of reference cards of the characters already sitting at the table.

As soon as a player makes the fourth character sit at the table, the game ends immediately. This player declares which of the last 2 characters remaining in the area of play will sit at the table fifth and sixth.

Example: if the Wife has received the Guests -3 vp card and has these 2 ingredients cards, she gets:

3 vp for the pair of fishes (found on both cards)

2 vp for the spaghetti and the salami of the second card

1 negative vp as indicated by the red number on the first card (Mother-in-Law)

3 negative vp for her Guests card

Her final sum is 1 vp.

The Victory

At this point, take paper and pen and write down the vp of each character, depending on the following criteria.

1. The drawings of the vertical and horizontal ingredients cards to the left of every reference card are checked.

Matching ingredients on 5 cards gives 15 vp

Matching ingredients on 4 cards gives 10 vp

Matching ingredients on 3 cards gives 6 vp

Matching ingredients on 2 cards gives 3 vp

Every individual ingredient on the ingredients cards that do not have the Mother-in-Law icon and that did not count toward matching above gives 1 vp

2. The red numbers on the ingredients cards with the Mother-in-Law icon are counted as negative vp (-5, -3, -1). These cards do not count toward individual ingredient scoring but can count towards matching ingredients.

3. The Guests card, if present, is counted as negative vp (-6 or -5 or -4 or -3).

4. Each character receives 1 vp per point of value of the money cards to the left of its reference card.

5. The Grandma gets 5 vp, the Mamma gets 3 vp, while the Husband gets 5 negative vp.

6. The Grandpa gets 7 vp if his card shows the side Grandpa with the Child, otherwise the Grandpa gets 3 vp.

7. All the characters get the following vp, depending on the order of their arrival to the table: +3, +2, +1, -1, -2, -3.

At this point, the players show their secret characters and whoever has the character with the most vp is the winner.

If there is a tie for points, whoever has made his/her character sit at the table first is the winner.

And now smile, dinner is ready...