New York Kings Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
• Setup
• Overview
• Game Flow
• MISSION Cards
• Turn Structure
  • 1. Corruption
  • 2. Resource Cards
  • 3. Characters
    • Movements
    • Special Movements
    • Using RESOURCE Cards for Movement Bonuses
    • Actions
      • A/ Accepting an Available Mission
      • B/ Accomplishing a Mission Already Accepted
      • C/ Provoking Opposing Characters
      • D/ Recruiting (Extra Action of Your Affranchi)
        • Recruiting in a Peripheral District
• NYPD: The Police
  • Control
  • Interrogation
  • Resisting an Interrogation
  • Characters in Police Custody
• End of the Game
• The Underworld Rule (La Règle du Milieu)
• Hierarchy of "Forces"

Object of the Game

Playing against the clock, the police and their rivals, roaming the city to recruit henchmen and carry out missions, the player who has amassed the greatest fortune (the only true value in the underworld) is declared the winner.

Components

• 1 game board depicting Manhattan (20 districts) and its 4 surrounding districts
• 19 "ADDRESS" tiles for Manhattan (BROADWAY and the surrounding districts have no tile)
• 1 black bag
• 5 "AFFRANCHI" (made man) character cards
• 20 "HOMME DE MAIN" (henchman) character cards
• 25 corresponding mini cards (figures) to locate the characters
• 25 stands to make the figures stand up (5 in each colour: black, red, white, blue, yellow)
• 1 "PREMIER JOUEUR" (First Player) card (Dealer)
• 32 "RESSOURCES" (Resource) cards
• 90 "bundles of bills" (10 worth $0, 25 worth $1,000, 25 worth $2,000, 30 worth $5,000)
• 25 "MISSION" cards
• 4 "POLICE CAR" tokens
• 10 six-sided POKER dice (faces 9, 10, J, Q, K, A)
• 1 rulebook

Setup

1. Each player chooses one "AFFRANCHI" card from the 5 available (the 5 "aces": Johnny, Francky, Tony, Lino and Julia). This is the character they play for the game. They also take 5 stands of one colour and insert the mini figure corresponding to their affranchi into one of them. The 4 remaining stands will hold the figures of the henchmen they recruit during play. Unchosen affranchi (cards and figures) take no part in the game and are returned to the box.

2. Deal two bundles of bills of each value to each player: two of $5,000, two of $2,000, two of $1,000 and two of $0. Players must keep their fortune secret until the end of the game. Set the remaining bundles aside by value ($1,000 / $2,000 / $5,000) to form a "bank", from which each player takes or gives bills won or spent during the game, and which can be used to make change at any time. In a game with fewer than 5 players, unassigned $0 bundles are not used and are returned to the box.

3. Shuffle the 20 "HOMME DE MAIN" (henchman) cards and place them face down as a draw pile on the edge of the board. Place the 20 corresponding figures beside them. Reveal the first 4 cards and place them, with their corresponding figures, on the edge of the board next to the 4 outer districts, in this order: BROOKLYN, then UNION CITY, BRONX and QUEENS.

4. Remove the "The Five Families meet / End of the game" card from the "MISSION" cards.

5. Shuffle the remaining 24 "MISSION" cards and form a face-down draw pile. Take the top 5, shuffle them face down together with the "The Five Families meet / End of the game" card, and place these 6 cards at the bottom of the draw pile. The card marking the end of the game is therefore, at random, one of the last 6 cards.

6. Place the 19 "ADDRESS" tiles in the black bag.

7. Reveal the first 3 "MISSION" cards from the draw pile and place one, in order, on each "MISSION" space of the board provided for this purpose (1, 2 and 3). Draw at random from the black bag the address tiles needed for the "ACCEPT" and "ACCOMPLISH" spaces of the revealed MISSION cards (see "MISSION CARDS").

8. Shuffle the 32 "RESOURCE" cards and place them face down as a draw pile on the edge of the board.

The night is only beginning, and so is the game...

Overview

The overview diagram of the playing area shows, as labelled in the rulebook:

• The board: Manhattan (20 districts) with the surrounding districts BROOKLYN, UNION CITY, BRONX and QUEENS, plus the Hudson River, the East River and Central Park.
• "Cellules de garde à vue" (police custody cells), shown as blue pieces at the top left of the board.
• Numbered callouts (1 to 8) that match the setup steps above, pointing to the pieces they describe (the stands, the henchman cards and figures, the MISSION spaces, the ADDRESS tiles, the RESOURCE deck, the POLICE CAR tokens).
• "Emplacements pour cartes MISSION" (MISSION card spaces), numbered 1, 2 and 3 on the board.
• "Carte PREMIER JOUEUR" (FIRST PLAYER card), shown at the lower left.
• "Tuiles ADRESSE" (ADDRESS tiles), shown at the lower right.
• "Jetons VOITURE DE POLICE" (POLICE CAR tokens).
• The character card and its figure on a coloured stand (shown in a close-up photo).
• The bank of bundles of bills ($1,000, $2,000 and $5,000) at the left of the board.

Game Flow

The game is played as a series of turns. Each turn is made up of the following phases, to be played in this order:

1. CORRUPTION: Players bid for control of the POLICE and for the FIRST PLAYER position for this turn.
2. RESOURCE CARDS: Players draw "RESOURCE" cards.
3. CHARACTERS: Each player carries out the MOVEMENTS and then the ACTIONS of the characters they control.
4. END OF TURN: Remove from the game the "MISSION" card on the last space of the board (no. 3), place a new one on the first space (no. 1), shifting the other two. Then begin a new turn.

When the "MISSION: The Five Families meet / End of the game" card is revealed, players finish the current turn and play one more turn, the last. Then reveal each player's fortune to determine the winner (see END OF THE GAME).

MISSION Cards

"MISSION" cards are the main means of earning money, and therefore of winning the game. There are always three available, placed on spaces "1", "2" and "3" of the board.

As soon as a player accepts one, they IMMEDIATELY place a new one on space no. 1 and, if necessary, shift the others to the right.

Also, at the end of each turn, the last available mission (no. 3) is removed from the game, a new one appears on space no. 1, and the two others shift to the right.

The MISSION card shows the following:

• The number (1 or 2) indicates the number of characters (henchmen and/or affranchi) needed to ACCEPT and ACCOMPLISH the mission.
• The symbol "at risk" indicates that the mission is risky. The character(s) who accept it are exposed to a police interrogation. See "INTERROGATION".
• The first ADDRESS tile: as soon as the MISSION card is revealed, draw an ADDRESS tile at random from the black bag and place it face up on this card's space. This is the address where the mission can be accepted by the characters (henchmen and/or affranchi); the card is then taken. See "ACCEPTING A MISSION".
• The second ADDRESS tile: as soon as the MISSION card is revealed, draw a second ADDRESS tile at random from the bag and place it face up on this card's space. This is the address where the mission must be accomplished by the character(s). If a "?" is present, the destination address is not yet known and will only be drawn at the moment a player accepts the card. See "ACCOMPLISHING A MISSION".
• The amount ($4,000 to $12,000) is the reward the player receives immediately as soon as they have accomplished the mission.

The colours of the ADDRESS tiles help locate them on the board:

• White: Lower Manhattan
• Grey: Midtown
• Black: Upper Manhattan

The diagram shows an example card with flavour text: "There's loads of great stuff that just fell off a truck."

Turn Structure

1. Corruption

Each player places face down in front of them TWO of their bills. Players may use their $0 bills. The committed sums are revealed simultaneously.

The player who reveals the largest sum places the FIRST PLAYER card in front of them. They play first in this turn AND control the movements of the Police cars during this turn.

Whatever the result, ALL the bills of value committed by ALL players are returned to the bank. Only the $0 bills are kept by the players.

In case of a tie in the bids, the first place is decided at random: each player concerned rolls a die, and the highest value wins (ties are re-rolled).

2. Resource Cards

Starting with the FIRST PLAYER and then clockwise, each player draws as many RESOURCE cards from the draw pile as the maximum number of characters they control in the same family (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs or Spades). Affranchi count in all families.

Example: A player controlling their Affranchi, Looxy (Queen of Spades) and Angelo (Jack of Hearts) draws 2 cards, because their largest families (Spades and Hearts) are each composed of two characters (the Affranchi counting in each). If they then recruit Charlie (9 of Hearts), they draw 3 cards in this phase, since their largest family (Hearts) is now composed of three characters (Angelo, Charlie and their Affranchi).

A player may never hold more than 5 cards in hand. Choose and discard the surplus cards.

Each RESOURCE card can be played in one of two ways, at its owner's choice:

• For the EVENT printed on the card. Each card indicates when it can be played during the game and what its effect is. Card effects are resolved immediately, in the order played. A player may play as many as they wish. Played cards are discarded.
• OR to make an additional MOVEMENT when moving their characters. The card, whatever it is, is then discarded and its effect is not applied.

When the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile, and add a new POLICE car to Broadway (up to the 4 available). Police forces thus grow in strength as the affranchi use the city's mafia resources.

The icons on a RESOURCE card show:

• BLUE: the card can be played during your own turn.
• RED: the card can be played during the turn of one of your opponents.
• BLACK: the card can be played during another phase (common to all, or a "fusillade").

The effect of the card, when it is used for its effect (and not for a movement bonus), is printed on the card.

Example card shown: "JUICY JOB", with the text "ACCOMPLISH MISSION: The mission you have just accomplished pays an additional $3,000."

3. Characters

Starting with the FIRST PLAYER and then clockwise, each player carries out, on their turn, the MOVEMENTS and then the ACTIONS of the characters they control.

A turn passes to the next player only when the previous player has finished all their movements AND actions.

Movements

Following the connections that link the districts on the board, you may move each character you control, in any order you choose, each by at most TWO contiguous districts.

• When a Police vehicle is present on a district, ALL characters must stop there to be subjected to a check, and their movement is immediately stopped. They may, however, freely leave again on the following turn.
• If they have an "at risk" mission in progress, there is also an attempted interrogation (see "NYPD: THE POLICE").
• Characters of the same player located at the same address are ALWAYS considered to be together, in the same vehicle. Place these characters' cards side by side.
• You may group or separate your characters, or pick up or drop them along the way, but you may never move the same character twice in one turn, and never move a character more than 2 districts.

In addition, the FIRST PLAYER (and only them) may move each Police vehicle present on the board by at most 2 contiguous districts, at any time during their movements.

Special Movements

GRAND CENTRAL (SUBWAY): Special movement

• Characters (not Police) present at the start of their turn on GRAND CENTRAL may take the subway and move up to 3 consecutive districts, to the same district or to different districts.
• Characters travelling by subway ignore Police checks for their whole journey.
• This movement replaces their normal movement.
• Restriction: a character or group may not take the subway at GRAND CENTRAL if they have an "at risk" MISSION in progress.

FINANCIAL (HELIPORT): Special movement

• Characters (not Police) present at the start of their turn on FINANCIAL may board a helicopter.
• By paying $1,000 per character, you may place them on any district of the game board (the same or different districts).
• This movement replaces their normal movement.
• No restriction concerning at-risk missions.

Using RESOURCE Cards for Movement Bonuses

You may extend a movement by one additional connected district by discarding one of your RESOURCE cards. The effect printed on the card does not apply when it is used for this movement bonus. You may discard several of your RESOURCE cards to benefit from several additional movements.

A "bonus" movement concerns ALL your characters located at the same address and heading to the same destination, and requires only one RESOURCE card.

A special movement, or a movement stopped by Police for a check, may also be extended in this way.

Once ALL movements have been fully carried out, the active player may then carry out the ACTIONS of their characters.

Actions

Each character you control (your Affranchi and each of your henchmen) may individually carry out ONE action, chosen from the following three:

• A/ ACCEPT an available mission, or
• B/ ACCOMPLISH a mission already accepted, or
• C/ PROVOKE other opposing characters.

Your Affranchi, and only them, may in addition carry out one extra action:

• D/ Attempt to RECRUIT a henchman.

A/ Accepting an Available Mission

A character or group of characters (Affranchi and/or henchmen) located at the "departure" address (ACCEPT) shown on an available MISSION card may accept it, if their number is sufficient. A lone character therefore cannot accept a mission requiring 2 characters.

Then take the MISSION card and attach it to the card of the character or group of characters that accepted it.

If the destination of the mission was still unknown (presence of a "?" on the card), the player who accepts it immediately draws a tile from the bag. They consult it secretly and place it, face down, on the "ACCOMPLISH" space of the card. They will therefore be the only one to know it until the mission is accomplished.

A character may accept only one mission at a time and must accomplish it before accepting another. In the underworld, one does not abandon a job one has accepted.

A mission may only be accepted with characters you control.

Your henchmen may accept and accomplish missions on your behalf autonomously, with or without the presence of your Affranchi.

IMPORTANT: As soon as you accept a MISSION, draw a new one IMMEDIATELY. Place it on space "1" of the board and, if necessary, shift the others to the right to fill the gap. Draw from the bag the address tiles for this new MISSION.

B/ Accomplishing a Mission Already Accepted

A character or group present in sufficient number at the "destination" address (ACCOMPLISH) of a MISSION they have already accepted may accomplish it.

If the "destination" address was secret and known only to the player carrying out the mission, they must reveal it and show everyone that they have arrived in the right district.

The card is then discarded, the 2 address tiles are returned to the black bag, and the player immediately takes from the bank the reward the mission pays, as shown on the card.

If, because their "associate" has been eliminated, a character finds themselves alone with a "2" mission in progress, the player who controls them must attach a new "associate" to them so that the mission can be accomplished.

If a lone character is eliminated (or placed in police custody, "garde à vue") while a mission is in progress, the mission is removed from the game and its address tiles are returned to the black bag.

IMPORTANT: A mission bearing the "at risk" symbol may be neither ACCEPTED nor ACCOMPLISHED on a district where the Police are present (see "NYPD: THE POLICE").

C/ Provoking Opposing Characters

Your characters may provoke opposing characters located on the same district.

If several opposing players control characters there, you must choose which player you provoke. ALL characters present from both opposing camps take part in the provocation.

Each player involved (provoker and provoked) must place $2,000 of their fortune on the table, forming the "pot", and takes 5 dice. The provocation then enters the intimidation phase.

Intimidation phase

1. Each player first rolls 3 dice, which determine their starting strength. A player's strength is defined by combining the values of the 3 dice and the values of their characters present.
2. Whatever the number of dice thrown and the number of characters present, at most 5 values (dice and/or characters present) are counted to determine a camp's strength.
3. The order of "hands" is that of poker (see "Hierarchy of Forces", page 12).
4. The player with the weakest hand then decides whether to fold (se coucher).
   • If they do not fold, it is the turn of their opponent to have the choice of this option, in anticipation of a future draw that could turn against them.
   • In case of equal strength, the provoked player decides first.
   • A player who folds pays immediately $2,000 more into the pot, and the whole pot goes to their opponent. That is the price to pay for caution (or cowardice), and the provocation ends.

Artillery phase

If nobody folds, each player adds $1,000 more to the pot and rolls a 4th die, modifying each player's strength. At this point in the altercation, the artillery has come out and the threat becomes more precise.

Either of the two camps may still fold under the same rule (the weakest hand declares first), paying an additional $2,000 into the pot.

Fusillade phase

If nobody folds, each player adds a further $1,000 into the pot and rolls the 5th and final die. This is the FUSILLADE.

• The player who finally has the strongest hand takes the pot and, moreover, eliminates ONE opposing character present, chosen by the victim. The eliminated character's figure and card are removed from the game. If that character had a mission in progress, the mission is also removed from the game and its address tiles return to the black bag.
• In case of a tie, each player loses one character of their choice, and the pot is not shared.
• If, in order to pay the pot, fold or continue, a player must give more bills than they have, they give up everything they have. Beware of a player who has nothing left to lose.

DEATH OF AN AFFRANCHI: If, during a fusillade, you lose your Affranchi, you are immediately eliminated from the game! Your bills, RESOURCE cards and henchmen are discarded.

To stay in play, it is therefore often more prudent to lose a few bills when your Affranchi is alone facing a provocation that you feel may turn against you.

The example cards shown on this page are "Machine Gun", "Strike Face", "Bullet Proof" and a "FUSILLADE" card (the text of the last one is only partly legible in the scan), plus the henchman card "El Niño" (9 of Clubs).

D/ Recruiting (Extra Action of Your Affranchi)

The AFFRANCHI, and only they, may additionally, on their turn, attempt to recruit a henchman (and only one). This extra, optional action may be carried out before or after their "normal" action (A, B, C or none).

Recruiting in a Peripheral District

Henchmen appear in the regular bars of the 4 peripheral districts (BROOKLYN, UNION CITY, BRONX and QUEENS). When an Affranchi goes to one of these districts, they may attempt to recruit the henchman there.

To do so, the player announces the sum they offer (minimum $1,000, maximum $10,000). The player then rolls one die for each $1,000 offered.

• If at least one of the dice rolled gives a result HIGHER than the henchman's value, the henchman accepts the offer and the player pays the announced sum to the bank. The player then takes the henchman's card, and places its figure on a stand of their colour on the district where they recruited them. They now control this character until the end of the game (unless the henchman dies, a special RESOURCE card removes them, or the player decides to part with them, see below).
• If no die gives a higher result, but at least one die gives a result EQUAL to the henchman's value, the henchman hesitates. The player may engage them if they immediately add $1,000 to their offer. If they do not want to, or cannot, add $1,000, they do not recruit the henchman, but lose their RECRUIT action for the turn (they keep their money).
• If ALL the dice rolled give a result LOWER than the henchman's value, the henchman refuses the offer. The player loses their RECRUIT action for this turn but keeps their money.

Example: with their Affranchi, a player tries to recruit Fat Max (King of Clubs) and offers $3,000. They roll 3 dice and get "9", "J" and "K". Fat Max hesitates. The player may engage him by immediately adding $1,000 (for $4,000 in total), or refuse and keep their money.

Recruiting at a Distance

As soon as a player controls a henchman, they have access to that henchman's phone book.

Each henchman has the telephone numbers of the henchmen who surround them in the values of their own family: the two values immediately above and below them in the same suit.

Example: as long as you control Looxy (Queen of Spades), she gives you the numbers of The Lord (King of Spades) and Furyo (Jack of Spades), the two values surrounding her in spades. Charlie (9 of Hearts) gives only the number of Eddy (10 of Hearts), and Hard Jack (King of Diamonds) gives only that of Diamond (Queen of Diamonds).

When a henchman whose number you have appears on the board, your Affranchi may, for their RECRUIT action, attempt to recruit them at a distance, without having to go to where the henchman is. Follow exactly the same procedure. A henchman recruited at a distance begins their "service" on the district where they are located at the time of their recruitment.

Replacing Recruited Henchmen

However a henchman is recruited, as soon as a player engages a henchman, they IMMEDIATELY draw a new henchman card from the draw pile and place it where the recruited one was. There is therefore ALWAYS a henchman available in each of the 4 peripheral districts.

When the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile. If the discard pile is also empty, there are no more henchmen available in New York that night.

At all times, an Affranchi may not control more than 4 henchmen (the limit of their available coloured stands). If they want to recruit an additional henchman, they must first part with one of their own, discarding that henchman's card and figure and thereby recovering a stand.

A player may part with a henchman at any moment during their turn, unless the henchman is in a police custody cell ("cellule de garde à vue") or the henchman has a mission in progress.

Some RESOURCE cards also allow a player to recruit a henchman under the conditions described on those cards. This special recruitment counts as the RECRUIT action for that turn.

NYPD: The Police

The 4 Police vehicles (tokens) enter play progressively during the game, at the Police station of BROADWAY. Place 2 at the start of the game, and one more each time the RESOURCE card draw pile is empty. They are moved by the first player during their movements.

Police vehicles have a dual role in the game: CONTROL and INTERROGATION.

Control

Only discarding one or more RESOURCE cards allows a movement to be continued beyond a Police check. Characters may, however, freely leave a district where the Police are if they were there at the start of their turn.

Moreover, no character may ACCEPT or ACCOMPLISH an "at risk" mission where the Police are. Any other action is possible.

Interrogation

As soon as the Police are on the same district as a character or group having a mission in progress bearing the "at risk" symbol, they IMMEDIATELY make an attempted interrogation of that character or group.

• This may happen after the Police's movements, or when characters voluntarily arrive on a district where at least one Police vehicle is present.
• If several characters belonging to several players may be interrogated at the address where the Police arrive, the player who moved the Police chooses which player is interrogated.

Resolution:

1. The interrogated player rolls 3 dice and adds the values of their characters present to determine their strength.
2. The player who moved the Police also rolls 3 dice for the Police, and each Police vehicle present adds its value (a JACK, "J") to determine the Police strength. If a player voluntarily went to the district where the Police are, the first player rolls the dice for the Police.
3. If the interrogated player has the stronger hand, the Police did not find the object of the "risk" during the check, and the attempted interrogation ends with no consequence.
4. If the interrogated player has the weaker hand (or in case of a tie), the Police have found the object of the "risk". They arrest ALL the player's characters present, who are IMMEDIATELY placed in police custody on cell no. 3 of the board. The mission is then abandoned: discard it and return its ADDRESS tiles to the bag.

Resisting an Interrogation

Only the presence of an Affranchi allows resisting, if the player wishes, a placement in custody by challenging the Police to a fusillade. Henchmen alone will docilely go to prison.

Each side then rolls its 4th and then its 5th die.

• If the player wins, all Police vehicles present are eliminated and will be replaced at BROADWAY by the first player at the start of the next turn.
• If the Police win (or in case of a tie), the player loses one of their characters present, of their choice, and the others are placed in custody on cell no. 3.

Characters in Police Custody

Interrogated characters enter cell no. 3. At each of their subsequent turns, during the MOVEMENT phase, players move their characters placed in custody out of ONE cell toward the exit (no. 2, then no. 1). They may also discard RESOURCE cards to make "bonus" movements there. Characters leaving cell no. 1 are placed back at BROADWAY.

IMPORTANT: As long as they are in custody, a character (even an Affranchi) no longer adds its value to determine the number of cards to draw during the RESOURCE CARDS phase. There are no other limitations.

End of the Game

When the MISSION card "The Five Families meet" is revealed, it announces the imminent end of the game.

No new MISSION card is then revealed. Finish the current turn, then play one new turn, the last.

At the end of this last turn, each player reveals to everyone the amount of their fortune.

The player who has amassed the greatest fortune is declared the winner, and the assembly of the Five Families names them the new King of New York.

Tie-breakers:

1. In case of a tie in fortune, the player controlling the most henchmen wins.
2. In case of a further tie, the value of the henchmen is taken into account. A player controlling a King, a Queen and a 10 beats a player controlling a King, a Queen and a 9.
3. If there is still a tie, the oldest player is declared the winner.

The Underworld Rule (La Règle du Milieu)

Suggested interpretation of the New York Kings rules.

At any time, any exchange of information, money and RESOURCE cards between players is possible, as long as it does not conflict with these rules (maximum number of cards in hand, order of the phases of the game, etc.).

For example, a player may propose buying a favourable Police movement from the first player who moves it; buying a card they badly need from the player who says they hold it; buying the telephone number of a henchman that another player possesses, so as to be able to recruit that henchman at a distance themselves; and any other arrangement between Affranchi you can imagine.

Hierarchy of "Forces"

The strength of a player (or of the Police) is defined by combining the values of the dice rolled and the values of their characters present (a "J" for each Police vehicle present).

Whatever the number of dice rolled and characters present, at most 5 values (dice and/or characters) are counted to determine a camp's strength.

The order of "forces" is that of poker, in this increasing order (from the weakest combination to the strongest):

1. Highest value (A): the highest value present in the hand, without any other combination. The ascending order of values is always the same: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A.
2. Pair: two values of the same rank. The pair of higher value beats the lower.
3. Two pairs: the double pair whose stronger pair is higher wins.
4. Three of a kind (brelan): three values of the same rank. The three of a kind of higher value wins.
5. Straight (suite): 5 consecutive values. The highest value of a straight wins.
6. Full house: a three of a kind and a pair. The value of the three of a kind wins (a full house of Kings over Jacks beats a full house of Queens over Aces).
7. Four of a kind (carré): four values of the same rank. The highest value wins.

If both players have the same combination at the same height (for example, each has a three of a kind of "K"), the player with the highest unused card or die value (not used in the combination) wins. This is always limited to 5 values maximum counted.

The dice have no specific suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs or spades), so the "Flush" (colour) and "Straight flush" combinations of classic poker do not exist in this variant.