Quack-Quack, Corrupt Ducks Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Goal
• Setup
• Round
• Power Struggle
• Notes
• Combination
• Bombs
• Round End
• Bonus
• Game End
• 2/4 Players Game

Components

• 40 class cards
• 1 monument card
• 19 coins
• 1 round marking die
• 1 reference disc
• 1 rulebook / 1 rule summary

The class cards are:

• Secret inspector x1
• Governor x5
• Secretary x9
• Guard x11
• Farmer x4
• Craftsman x4
• Merchant x4
• Agitator x2

Farmer, Craftsman, Merchant and Agitator are together called the People (14 cards).

The number on a card indicates the number of cards of its class in the deck.

You can listen to BGM when you play the reference disc on the CD player.

Goal

1. The game consists of a total of 5 rounds, with multiple power struggles repeated for each round.
2. The goal of each round is to empty cards in your hand as soon as you can. The faster you empty your cards, the many coin you gain.
3. After 5 rounds, the player or team with the most coins wins.

Setup

1. Shuffle all the class cards and deal the cards out according to how many players there are. The content of your cards are secret from the opponents.

Players	2	3	4
Cards	12	11	10

2. The remaining class cards are stacked face-down between the players. This is the class deck. (For 4 players, skip this step because there are no cards remained.)
3. Players will play the cards from their hands during the game. So you need some space to put down cards. This space is called the yard.
4. Use the round marking die (fitted into the hole in the center of the reference disc) to mark the current round. And place the coins in supply.
5. The player who has the monument card is the leading player in a new round. If it's the first round of the game, the most greedy-looking player is the leading player. Play proceeds clockwise from there.

(Figure: an example of a 3 players game, showing Player A, Player B and Player C around the yard and the class deck, with turn order from Player A to Player B.)

Round

1. Each round is played over of a number of power struggles. The player who plays the strongest combination wins the power struggle. 'Play' means putting the cards in your hand down in front of you.
2. The player who won the power struggle starts a new power struggle.

Power Struggle

1. The leading player play 1 card ('Single') or 2 cards ('Pair') of the same class. (All 'People' are considered to be of the same class.) The card(s) that are played are called 'Combinations'. But you can't play 'Governor' as the first combination of the power struggle.

2. And the next player has their turn. In your turn, you can decide whether to participate or pass.

   • ① Participating: To participate in the power struggle, play a combination of 1 or 2 cards of the same class. The combination you play must be stronger than the last combination played in the previous player's turn. (refer to 'Combination') It's even better if you say "Quack" for 1 card and "Quack-quack" for 2 cards.
   • ② Passing: If you don't want or not be able to participate, pass your turn. Even if your turn comes back later, you will no longer be able to participate in the current power struggle (but be able to participate in the new power struggle later). At this time, (if you want) you can take the top 2 cards on the class deck, and then discard 2 cards face-down from your hand. (This means a change of status during the period of chaos.) It is also possible to discard the taken cards. However, if you have only 1 card left in your hand, you cannot replace the card.

3. If all but one player passes, or if 'Revolution' or 'Secret Inspection' is declared, the current power struggle ends. The only player left without passing, or the player who declared 'Revolution' or 'Secret Inspection' is the winner of the current power struggle.

4. When the power struggle ends, you gathers all the cards you played or discarded face-down. This is the discard pile.

5. The player who won the power struggle starts a new power struggle.

Notes

• When the class deck is empty at any time, shuffle the discard pile to create a new class deck.
• In 4 players game, there is no class deck. If you want to pass and replace your cards, exchange 2 cards with your teammate sitting opposite you. (refer to '2 / 4 players game') If there is only 1 card left in either hand, you cannot exchange the card.
• If you are the leading player and only have 'Governor' in your hand, you cannot start a power struggle. (refer to 'Combination') In this case, you are immediately eliminated from the round and placed in last place for the round. The next player becomes the leading player instead of you and starts a new power struggle. If another player is subsequently eliminated, the newly eliminated player will be ranked second from last.

Combination

• The strength of the combinations, except for 'Revolution' and 'Secret Inspection', is shown in the following chart. See the 3 conditions below the chart.

Chart: The strength of the combinations.

• Single: 1 Secret inspector → 1 People → 1 Guard → 1 Secretary
• Pair: 2 People → 2 Guards → 2 Secretaries
• Governor: 1 Governor

1. In general: The smaller the number on the card, the stronger the combination. In other words, it is stronger in the order of 'People → Guard → Secretary → Governor'. However the 'Secret inspector' is the weakest combination as a single (because the 'Secret inspector' is disguised as a beggar).
2. Pair: Pairs are stronger than Singles (because the number of heads is important in a fight). For example, 2 'People' are stronger than 1 'secretary'. But the 'Governor' is an exception, stronger than pairs.
3. Governor: The 'Governor' must be played as a single. It is stronger than pairs. However, a noble 'Governor' can only be played when the previously played combination is a pair (because 'Governor' does not deal with the little ones that are not worth exploiting). 'Governor' is generally the strongest combination, but subdued by 'Revolution' or 'Secret Inspection'.

Bombs

'Revolution' or 'Secret Inspection' subdues the 'Governor'. These are kind of special bombs that are distinct from normal combinations. You can only play these bombs when the last combination played is 'Governor'.

1. You can declare 'Revolution' when you have 3 different types of 'People' in your hand (Farmer / Craftsman / Merchant / Agitator).

   • ① Play 3 different types of people at once and declare, "We can't live! Fight for revolution!"
   • ② The next player can also join the revolution. When you join the revolution, you play 1 'People' (regardless of type) and shout, "The revolution!" Other players can join one after another in the same way.
   • ③ Players who played 'Governor' in the current power struggle can also join the revolution. (It doesn't matter where you stick to survive!) However, the player who declared 'Revolution' cannot rejoin the revolution, and the players who has already passed cannot join the revolution, too.
   • ④ The player who declared 'Revolution' starts a new power struggle.

   Figure: Governor is subdued by Revolution (3 different People played at once), and the joining players are shown.

2. You can declare 'Secret Inspection' when you have 1 'Secret Inspector' and 1 'Guard' in your hand.

   • ① Play 1 'Secret Inspector' and 1 'Guard' at once and declare, "Here comes the secret inspector!"
   • ② The other players can also join the secret inspection in the same way as joining the revolution. When you join, you play 1 'Guard' and shout, "The secret inspection!"
   • ③ The player who declared 'Secret inspection' starts a new power struggle.
   • ④ You can't declare 'Secret Inspection' without 1 'Guard'.

   Figure: Governor is subdued by Secret inspection (Secret Inspector and Guard played at once), and the joining Guard is shown.

3. If 'Revolution' or 'Secret inspection' is declared, other players who have not passed can only decide whether to join or not. This means that they cannot have the chance to replace the cards in their hands. There is no combination to win 'Revolution' and 'Secret inspection', so the current power struggle ends immediately after joining.

Round End

1. As soon as one player is the first to empty their hands in any way during a power struggle (e.g. joining the revolution), that player gain 2 coins as a reward and go out of this round. (In 2 players game, refer to '2/4 Players Game')
2. Even if someone has emptied their hand, if there is any player who can play a stronger combination, continue the current power struggle. If the player who empty their hand is the winner of the power struggle, the next player starts a new power struggle.
3. The player who emptied their hand for the second time gains 1 coin, and go out of the round in the same way. The player who emptied their hand for the third time gains the monument card (on the Virtue (頌德碑) side, not the Vice (惡德碑) side) with everyone's applause (in honor of the greedless soul). Continue the round until only one player fails to empty their hand. (In 2 / 3 players game, the player who fails to empty their hand gains the monument.)
4. The player who gained the monument card is the leading player in the next round. (The player who gains the monument card in the 5th round earn bigger applause.)

Figure: Monument card.

Bonus

Earn extra rewards if the following conditions are met: If both conditions are met, apply 1 first. (in 2 players game, refer to '2/4 players game')

1. If you are the first player to empty your hand with the monument card, earn an extra reward. (To show and celebrate your greed, flip over the monument card!) You gain 2 coins according to the general rule, and then 1 more coin.
2. If you empty your hand by declaring / joining 'Revolution' or 'Secret inspection', earn an extra reward. You gain coin(s) or the monument card according to the general rules, and then receive 1 coin from the player who currently has the most coins. If there are multiple targets, receive 1 coin from each. However, if the target is only yourself, it has no effect.

Game End

• If the 5th round is over, check the number of coins you have received so far. The player or the team with the most total coins win the game. If it's a tie, they'll proceed to the 6th round and decide the final winner. The leading player in the 6th round is determined by the player who has the monument card.

2/4 Players Game

1. In 2 players game, follow these exceptions:

   • ① In each round, the first player to empty their hand gains 1 coin. The opponent player gain the monument card and starts the next round. The monument card does not provide a chance for a bonus.
   • ② If you empty your hand by declaring / joining 'Revolution' or 'Secret inspection', gain 1 extra coin from supply.
   • ③ Instead of playing 5 rounds, the player who gains 4 coins first wins the game.

2. In 4 players game, follow these exceptions:

   • ① Players facing each other form the same team. During the game, each player earns and holds coins individually.
   • ② If you want to replace cards when passing your turn, hand 2 cards to your teammate and get 2 cards of your teammate's choice. You might get the card(s) you handed over back. However, if your teammate has passed the current power struggle or gone out, you can't exchange the cards.
   • ③ Teammates should not exchange opinions directly. For example, it is prohibited to tell your teammates to play or exchange certain cards.
   • ④ At the end of the game, the team with the most total coins win the game.