Masquerade Trick Party Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Overview
• Preparation (for 3 or 4 players)
  • 1. Preparation of character cards
  • 2. Preparation of number cards
  • 3. Select a lead player
  • 4. Passing the number cards
• How to play
  • 1. Flow of the game
  • 2. Lead player plays a card
  • 3. Other players play a card
  • 4. Check the winner of the trick
  • 5. End of trick
  • 6. Preparing for the next trick
  • 7. Preparing for the second trick-taking
  • 8. Pointing to role cards
  • 9. Pointing check
• Game winner check (end of deal)
  • 1. Mission 2, successful pointing
  • 2. Mission 1, successful trick taking
  • Worked example (from the rulebook's illustration)
• Ending
  • 1. Jester wins: Birth of the Court Jester
  • 2. Knight wins: Peace in the Castle
  • 3. Assassin wins: The Tragedy of the Masquerade
  • 4. King wins: The Throne Ceremony
  • 5-1. Only the Prince wins: Courtship of the Princess
  • 5-2. Only the Princess wins: Courtship of the Prince
  • 5-3. Princess and Prince win at the same time: Affinity
• Variant for 2 players
  • 1. Preparation
  • 2. Flow of the game
  • 3. Pointing to role cards
  • 4. Game winner check
• Variant for solo player
  • 1. Preparation
  • 2. Game winner check

Components

• 24 Playing Cards: four suit marks, shown as a sword, an orange oval, a blue goblet and a crown. Each of the sword, oval and goblet marks has 7 cards, numbered 1 to 7. The crown mark has 3 cards, numbered 1 to 3. The crown is the trump card.
• 6 Role Cards, each with an order number and a character name. Order numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5. Each character has two different missions.
• 1 Summary sheet (cut into 4 pieces before use).
• 1 Rulebook.

Number rank runs from low (1) to high (7). Suit ranks run from lowest to highest: sword, oval, goblet, crown.

Players: 1 to 4 (with the 2-player and solo variants described at the end). Playing time: 10 to 15 minutes. Age: 10 and up.

Overview

Players play trick taking as they complete missions for each role, such as princesses, princes, assassins, etc. After trick taking, players point to the role card designated for the mission.

The player who completes two missions wins the game.

Preparation (for 3 or 4 players)

The 1 and 2 player variants are on the last page.

1. Preparation of character cards

For 3 players: Remove the jester from the role cards and put it away in the box.

Shuffle the role cards and deal face down to each player. Check the cards and place them face down in front of you. You can check your role cards at any time during the game. The two extra role cards are placed face down in the center of the table.

2. Preparation of number cards

For 3 players: Remove the rank 6 and 7 playing cards (6 cards in total) from the number cards and put them away in the box.

Shuffle the number cards and deal them face down to each player. Each player has a hand of 6 cards.

3. Select a lead player

The most recently masked player becomes the lead player. If not, choose the youngest player.

4. Passing the number cards

Each player places a card from his or her hand, face down, in front of the player to his or her left. After all players have placed their cards, take the card placed in front of you and add it to your hand.

The game is now ready to be played.

How to play

This game is a trick taking game.

1. Flow of the game

The game consists of ten trick taking followed by one pointing. This process is called one deal.

After one deal, if any player has completed his or her mission, that player is the winner of the game.

Before starting the game, decide whether you want to repeat the deal until the game winner appears, or whether you want to deal the same number of times as the number of players.

2. Lead player plays a card

The lead player puts any card from his or her hand face up in front of him or her.

3. Other players play a card

Starting with the player to the left of the lead player, clockwise, one card from the hand is placed face up in front of him or her. If the player has a card of the same suit as the card played by the lead player, he or she must play that card (must follow). If not, any card may be played.

4. Check the winner of the trick

After all players have played one card each, check the winner of the trick.

The player with the highest numbered lead suit (the same suit as the lead player) is the winner of the trick.

If a crown is shown: The player with the highest numbered crown suit is the winner of the trick.

5. End of trick

The winner of the trick turns his or her card face down and places it in front of him or her. All other cards are placed face down beside the table. The cards placed in front of you are placed side by side so that other players can see how many tricks you have won.

Cards placed face down cannot be seen during the game.

6. Preparing for the next trick

If there are still cards in hand, the winner of the trick becomes the new lead player and repeats steps (2) through (5).

When the hand runs out: The winner of the last trick (6th and 10th) may check either one of the two character cards face down in the center of the table.

7. Preparing for the second trick-taking

Shuffle the numbered cards that have been set aside on the side of the table, and deal four cards face down to each player.

For 4 players: The extra 2 cards are put away in a box.

Each player then passes one card from his or her hand as in Game Preparation (4) Passing the Number Cards. After the preparation, repeat the process from (2) to (6) again.

8. Pointing to role cards

After the winner of the 10th trick finishes looking at one of the role cards face down in the center of the table, each player is asked to guess where the role card on Mission 2 of his or her role card is located.

After deciding which role card to point to, the winner of the 10th trick calls out and all players point to the role card on the table with their fingers at the same time.

9. Pointing check

After everyone has finished pointing, the winner of the 10th trick says, "Order number 1, please come forward," and calls out order number 1 through 5.

When the same number as your order number is called, reveal both your role card and the role card you pointed to.

If no one comes forward, skip the order number.

After checking up to order number 5, reveal the role card placed in the center of the table if it is face down.

Game winner check (end of deal)

The winner of the game is the player who successfully completed both Mission 1 and Mission 2. If not, the winner is the player who succeeded only in Mission 2.

If more than one player succeeds in a mission, the player with the youngest order number is the winner.

The princess and the prince may be winners at the same time.

1. Mission 2, successful pointing

Check the player who succeeded in Mission 2.

If there is only one player, that player is the winner of the deal.

If there is more than one player, check if he or she succeeded in Mission 1.

If there is no one, there is no winner of the deal.

2. Mission 1, successful trick taking

If there is more than one player who has successfully completed Mission 2, check if he or she has successfully completed Mission 1.

If there is only one, that player is the winner of the deal.

If there is more than one player, the player with the lowest order number is the winner of the deal.

*If the Princess and Prince players succeed in Mission 1 and 2 at the same time, they are both winners.

Worked example (from the rulebook's illustration)

The rulebook's illustration of this check is reproduced here in words.

• Mission 2 succeeded: the order no. 2 knight points to the assassin; the order no. 3 assassin points to the princess; the order no. 5 princess points at the prince.
• Mission 1 succeeded: the order no. 3 assassin has tricks won that are neither the most nor the least; the order no. 5 princess has the minimum number of tricks won.
• Order number comparison: the order no. 3 assassin wins over the order no. 5 princess.

Ending

When the winner of the deal is determined, read out the following.

1. Jester wins: Birth of the Court Jester

"Great king, please enjoy my dance." The jester says, and performs a magnificent dance. The delighted king said, "Excellent, you are worthy of being a court jester!" and the masquerade ended with a round of applause.

2. Knight wins: Peace in the Castle

"What are you doing there?" The knight called out when he spotted a suspicious person trying to get out from the masquerade hall onto the balcony. The prowler clicked his tongue, ducked, and disappeared into the darkness of the night. The knight's brilliant work brought the masquerade to an uneventful conclusion.

3. Assassin wins: The Tragedy of the Masquerade

"I've had too much to drink." The princess stepped out onto the balcony from the masquerade hall. A suspicious person looms behind her, "Good bye, my beautiful princess," and a deadly blade flashes in the moonlit night. It will take some more time for the participants of the masquerade to realize this sad tragedy.

4. King wins: The Throne Ceremony

The king noticed the prince's wisdom, which could not be concealed even through his mask. "You are the new king." The king took the prince's hand and proclaimed the birth of a new king to the masquerade participants. The kingdom would grow even more with the new young king.

5-1. Only the Prince wins: Courtship of the Princess

When the prince first saw the charming princess in masquerade, he immediately took her hand and led her to the balcony. "Marry me, my beauty," he said. The prince embraced the princess and kissed her passionately.

5-2. Only the Princess wins: Courtship of the Prince

The princess of a neighboring kingdom had loved the prince for a long time. However, she never had the opportunity to approach the prince. That is why the masquerade was the perfect opportunity. The princess invited the prince to the balcony, put the love potion in her mouth, and gently kissed him. "My prince, now we can be together forever."

5-3. Princess and Prince win at the same time: Affinity

For the first time in masquerade, they talk to each other. It did not take long for the princess and prince to fall in love. After that, the prince worked hard to be recognized by the king, and the princess persuaded her parents. After a year, the two were finally married. From then on, they held the masquerade every year, and the kingdom grew even more.

Variant for 2 players

Please read the rules for 3 and 4 players first.

1. Preparation

Put away the Jester's role cards and the playing cards of ranks 6 and 7 in a box.

Shuffle the four role cards except the knight and deal them to each player, placing the two extra cards face down in the center of the table.

Note on the printed text: as printed, the four non-knight role cards are dealt to the two players and the two "extra cards" are then placed in the center. The rulebook does not state which role cards make up the two extra cards, and the count does not otherwise reconcile. Transcribed as printed; the player-facing intent is not confirmed by the source.

The knight acts as the third player. Shuffle the playing cards and deal them face down to the three players, including the knight.

Two players decide who is the lead player, choose one card, and pass. The cards dealt to the knight are revealed and rearranged so that the cards on the left side have the highest rank. If the numbers are the same, rearrange them in the following order: sword, oval, goblet.

Example (as shown in the rulebook): a row of playing cards reads, from left to right, crown 3, sword 5, oval 3, goblet 3, sword 1, oval 1.

2. Flow of the game

Trick taking plays as well as 3 and 4 player rules. The same applies to the winner of the 6th and 10th tricks, who may look at a role card in the center of the table.

The knight cannot see the role card even if he wins the trick.

How the knight works: The knight tries to win a trick three times. If he wins less than three times, he plays the cards that can be played in order from the left side of the row, and if he wins more than three times, he plays the cards that can be played in order from the right side of the row.

3. Pointing to role cards

The two players point at the same time. The knight does not point.

4. Game winner check

The winner is checked as in the 3 and 4 player rule. If neither of the two players wins the deal, the knight is the winner.

Variant for solo player

Please read the rules for 2 players first.

1. Preparation

Put away the Jester's role cards and the playing cards of ranks 6 and 7 in a box.

Shuffle the Princess and Prince role cards and place them face down in the center of the table. Place the role cards of the assassin diagonally to the left, the knight diagonally to the right, and the king in front of you, face up.

The player's role card is the king.

Shuffle the playing cards and deal them face down to the knight, the assassin, and the king.

Pass one card between the assassin and the player. The player can freely choose which card to exchange, but the assassin's card is chosen at random.

The knight's playing cards are revealed and rearranged as in the 2-player rule. The assassin's playing card remains face down.

The lead player is always the assassin. Play trick taking 10 times.

2. Game winner check

After 10 tricks, if both missions 1 and 2 are successful, the player wins the game.

Variant rules, Holy Knight: The player chooses a card to play for the knight. The knight stands more excellently according to the king's instructions.

Variant rules, Prince's Discipline: Change your role card to the prince. Assassins and knights will stand in your way.