Pizza Roles
Pizza Roles Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Theme and Overview
In Pizza Roles, players simulate a conversation about ordering pizza to share, trying to make it match their secret Role as best they can, gaining points or losing points based on the Toppings at the end.
The game contains 10 Role cards, ...
To do this, players will play Conversation cards: 35 Conversation cards, ... to move and flip Topping cards: 8 Topping cards, ... between different Zones: 2 Zone cards, ... plus the Decision Dough and Mustache cards described later.
Ways to Play
Pizza Roles can be played competitively in VS mode with 3-6 players or cooperatively in Co-Op mode with 2-6 players. VS mode is recommended for your first game.
Read the VS mode rules first, even if you plan to play Co-Op!
VS Mode Setup
Place the On the Pizza card and the Not on the Pizza card apart from each other on the table, then place the eight Topping cards near the Not on the Pizza card, like below:
Randomly deal each player five Conversation cards (these are the only cards you get the whole game!) and one Secret Role/Reminder card (keep the Role side secret!).
To choose a starting player, toss the Decision Dough card in the air and see who it points at when it lands. If additional games are played, the player with the highest score in the previous game goes first.
VS Mode Gameplay
The eight Topping cards represent the state of the game. Conversation cards can move Toppings back and forth between Not on the Pizza and On the Pizza. Toppings can also be flipped to the Extra side to show another topping symbol for double the points (and can be flipped back again).
Only Toppings that are On the Pizza are scored at the end of the game.
Players take turns clockwise choosing either to play a Conversation card from their hand (do its effect, then discard) or say "pass" and do nothing. Most cards will manipulate the Toppings. For instance:
This How about... card lets the player either:
- move a Topping to On the Pizza
- move a Topping to Not on the Pizza
- flip over any Topping
Some cards are UNPLAYABLE. These cards can't be played! Their effects will trigger at game end.
Players may always choose to pass, but the game ends as soon as the majority of players pass IN A ROW.
Ending the Game
Immediately after the majority of players have passed in a row, players reveal their Secret Roles and score points. Points look like a green gain-points symbol and a red lose-points symbol.
Players win or lose independently. Each player with a score of 1 or higher is a joint winner! However, the player with the single highest score gains the Mustache card, allowing them to pose, brag, and be the starting player in the next game.
(see back for Scoring details)
Scoring
Points are gained or lost mostly from Roles, but can also come from Conversation cards STILL IN HAND.
Some cards award points based on whether a specific Role likes or dislikes the pizza. Meanie Mel and Friendly Fred neither like nor dislike the pizza. Other Roles like the pizza if the score from their Role card alone is 1 or greater; if it is 0 or less, they dislike the pizza.
Scoring is based on each instance of a topping symbol on a pizza, meaning "Extra" toppings will score twice. Only the Balanced Bill Role scores based on sets of toppings; all other Roles score each topping symbol independently.
3-Player Example:
Balanced Bill gets 1 point for a pair of Anchovy and Onion symbols, but he loses 1 from the extra unpaired Anchovy symbol. The score from his Role is 0, so he dislikes the pizza.
However, he also gets an extra point from his Social Anxiety, taking his score to 1. Even though he dislikes the pizza, he still wins!
Traditional Trevor started with 4 points, then lost 1 for each of the three Topping symbols. The score from his Role is 1, so he likes the pizza, and his total score is positive, so he wins!
Meanie Mel gets 2 points for Bill disliking the pizza, but loses 1 point for Trevor liking it. She also loses 1 point for the How about... card still in her hand. Her total score is 0, so she loses!
Co-Op Mode (3-6 Players)
In this mode, players must work together despite not knowing each others' Roles. Play is the same as VS mode with three exceptions:
- Players will be making two pizzas! During setup, flip over the two Zone cards so they show Pizza A and Pizza B, setting them apart from each other and the eight Topping cards. The Not on the Pizza zone where the Toppings start will be unlabeled (see below).
Each Role is scored independently based only on its preferred pizza.
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Flipped Toppings no longer score twice! They are instead counted as being on both pizzas. Set them between Pizza A and Pizza B.
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Players win or lose as a team. Players win only if EVERY player has a score of 1 or higher. If any score 0 or lower, all players lose!
Co-Op Mode for 2 or 3 Players
With 2 players or with 3 players who want a bigger challenge, deal each player an additional Role card and an additional Conversation card, then follow the rules for Co-Op mode. Players distribute points and effects from unplayed cards as they wish between their two Roles. Players win only if each Role's final score is at least 1.
Special Rules and Clarifications
Moving Flipped Toppings: In VS mode, a Topping on the Extra side can still be moved between zones. In Co-op mode, when a Topping is flipped from its Extra side, it may be put on either Pizza A or Pizza B.
Table Talk: Players should not show another player their Role, nor should they say or allude to anything specific about their Role. Talking about game actions that have taken place is fine, ie "Who put the mushrooms on?" or "Gee, So-and-so sure seems to want those anchovies.."
Passing: A player who has passed may later play Conversation cards. A player with no playable cards must pass.
When do we draw more cards? You don't! Players do not draw cards during gameplay (with the exception of the optional Mulligan rule). It is not a long game!
Mulligan - On any player's first turn, before playing or passing, that player may choose to put their hand of Conversation cards on the bottom of the deck and then draw a replacement hand. Multiple players may do this. (but it may be risky!)
For Kids - Pizza Roles is a great game for kids! However, depending on your child's age, experience, and reading level, you may wish to remove the more complex cards. (You can always add them back in at a later time) The more complex cards are marked with a complex-card symbol.