Princess Jing
Princess Jing Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Content
- 1 game board
- 4 magic mirror holders
- 6 captains
- 2 princesses
- 2 maids
- 6 legendary animals
- 25 screens
- 6 secret objective cards
Each screen is a small standee tower that is assembled from a frame and a two-sided image panel, so a screen can be slid over any of the character or landscape cards to hide which one it holds.
The Princesses Run Away!
Goal of the Game
Princesses Jing and Fang are trying to run away from the Forbidden City to meet their beloved captains. Aided in their escape by their maids, the princesses must now race across the chamber of the screens undetected. Beware of the magic mirror holders, they can unmask the princesses at any time!
Setup
Each player chooses a color and takes 5 empty screens. Then, each player inserts behind three of the five screens: the princess, the maid and one magic mirror holder.
Then, players proceed with the following steps:
- They place 15 empty screens on the three central lines of the game board.
- They secretly mix their 5 screens and place them, in the order of their choice, on the first line of the board facing them.
- Finally, each player chooses one of his three captains and places him on the central position, at the entrance of the chamber of the screens, on the opposite side of the board. Then the youngest player starts the game.
Game Turn
Princess Jing is played over a series of turns. During a turn, a player takes the following steps:
- Move a screen (Required)
- Point at an opponent's screen (Optional)
Move a Screen (Required)
The player must make one of the two movements:
- Exchange the position of two adjacent screens.
Or
- Withdraw a princess or a magic mirror holder.
Exchange the Position of Two Adjacent Screens
The player exchanges the position of two adjacent screens, anywhere on the board. This exchange can be done orthogonally or diagonally. However:
- It is forbidden to rotate or flip a screen.
- It is forbidden to cancel the last move of the opponent by performing the opposite move.
Place your Princess screen in a space where you feel that your opponent will play. This way, he might move your princess without knowing it!
Withdraw a Princess or a Magic Mirror Holder
The player withdraws the screen with his princess or magic mirror holder and exchanges it with a screen from his starting line. This exchange always takes place with an empty screen. The player proceeds as follows:
- He reveals to his opponent the screen with his princess or his magic mirror holder.
- His opponent closes his eyes.
- He exchanges the position of the revealed screen with one of the empty screens from his starting line.
Point at an Opponent's Screen (Optional)
Once the player finishes his move, he may point at one of the screens on the board to try to unmask the opposing princess. His opponent must then reveal the chosen screen to show if it hides the princess or not.
- If the princess is hidden behind that screen, its owner must bring her back (see the action of bringing back a princess or a magic mirror holder above). Then, the player gets an extra turn.
- However, if the princess is not revealed, the opponent gets an extra turn instead (he will play twice in a row).
In any case, it is impossible to play more than 2 turns in a row.
When you spot the opposing princess, you do not have to point her out right away. Follow her path and use your knowledge at a better time for you, for example, when you will be 1 or 2 spaces away from victory.
The Magic Mirror Holders
The magic mirror holders are the best way to know behind which screen the opponent princess hides. They can be moved like any other screens and it is, of course, better to keep their positions secret.
Look into the mirror with discretion even if you need to do that often! Or your opponent will notice and discover your next move.
End of the Game
The first player who places his princess exactly in front of the captain who is waiting for her, wins the game.
Expert Mode: The Legendary Animals
The princesses Jing and Fang have begun their escape across the chamber of screens to join their beloved captains. But the night the guard's numbers have been tripled and it is impossible for the princesses to recognize their lovers because though they talked to each other for a long time, they were always behind the screens! The legend says that the princesses would be able to recognize their lover thanks to animals they met during their escape. Each animal symbolizes one of the qualities of the beloved.
- The Crane for honesty.
- The Fox for wisdom.
- The Owl for clairvoyance.
Goal of the Game
The goal of the game is the same as: The Princesses Run Away! Except now there are three times as many guards to choose from. The players will have to identify which captain their princess is in love with based on the two legendary animals associated with him.
The Legendary Animals & Secret Objective
Legendary animals symbolize the qualities of the captains whom the princesses fell in love with. Players must first find the animals, using their magic mirror holders and then consult their Secret Objective card to find out which of the 3 captains is the true beloved of their princess. At the beginning of the game, each player secretly chooses two of their three legendary animals and draws one of their three Secret Objective cards.
Unused items can then be placed back in the box.
Example: During the game, you've discovered each of your legendary animals: the fox and the crane. Check out your objective card! You now know that the beloved captain is the third one. You now have to move your princess in front of him to win the game.
Setup
Each player chooses a color, draws one of his Secret Objective cards and takes 10 empty screens. Then, each player inserts behind six of the ten screens: the princess, the maid, the two magic mirror holders and the two of the three legendary animals.
Then, players proceed with the following steps:
- They place 5 empty screens on the central lines of the game board.
- They secretly mix their 10 screens and place them, in the order of their choice, on the two first lines of the board facing them. Their princess and maid screens must be placed on the first line facing them.
- Finally, each player takes his three captains and places them on three of the five positions, at the entrance of the chamber of screens, on the opposite side facing him and places his Secret Objective card face down, in front of him. The youngest player starts the game.
Game Turn
The Legendary Animals is played the same as The Princesses Run Away! with an additional option: The Stunning Paralysis. During his turn, a player performs the following steps:
- Move a screen (Required)
- Point at an opponent's screen (Optional)
During his opponent's turn, a player may:
- Attempt a stunning paralysis (Special)
The Stunning Paralysis (Special)
If at any point in the game, a player places his Princess screen in front of one of his opponent's magic mirror holders, the magic mirror holder may attempt a stunning paralysis.
The stunning paralysis is a kind of poker stunt that can allow players to win the game immediately but it is obviously very risky.
When a player attempts a stunning paralysis, he proceeds as follows:
- As soon as his opponent places the screen with their Princess in front of one of his magic mirror holders, points at it and calls: "PRINCESS JING!".
- His opponent reveals the chosen screen and the player checks if their princess is hiding behind it.
- If the opposing princess is hiding behind that screen, she finds herself paralyzed and the player who found her gets five turns to continue to find the missing clues and join their beloved captain. If they succeed in that time, they are declared the winner.
- In all other cases, the opposing player immediately wins the game.
Try to locate the opposing princess (without necessarily returning her to the starting line) so you can discreetly place a mirror holder nearby, hoping that your opponent will place his princess in front of it and you can try the stunning paralysis.
End of the Game
The first player who places his Princess screen exactly in front of the beloved captain, identified by the two legendary animals, wins the game.
Credits
A game by Roberto Fraga. Illustrated by Naïade. © Matagot 2017.