Raccoon Robbers
Raccoon Robbers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 18 backyard tiles: 13 single fields and 5 common fields
- 1 wild token
- 1 bonus token
- 3 houses (2 parts each)
- 1 wall (3 parts)
- 1 golden trash can (3 parts)
- 4 swap cards tokens
- 48 climbing cards (12 × 1 arrow and 4 × 2 arrows each color)
- 12 wild climbing cards (8 × 1 arrow and 4 × 2 arrows)
- 10 mischief cards
- 4 raccoon bosses (big raccoons, optionally with stickers)
- 12 gang members (small raccoons, 3 of each color, optionally with stickers)
Goal of the Game
Be the first to get their raccoon boss to the golden trash can. To do this, you need to collect points with your raccoons. This way you help your boss to move forward as fast as possible!
Preparation
Carefully detach all cardboard pieces from the punchboards before your first game. Optionally, you can embellish the individual raccoon gangs with the stickers. To do this, stick 1 type of sticker on all raccoons of one color. Then, assemble the wall and the golden trash can. These two pieces fit in the game box when assembled. So, you just have to assemble the houses before each further game.
Game Setup
- Arrange the 3 houses on the playing area, next to each other, and in good view of all players. Take your seats and make sure everyone of you has easy access to all houses.
- Place the wild token onto the red house, and the bonus token onto the blue house. In a game with 3 or 4 players use the bonus token with the side showing 4 ravens up and in a game with 2 players the side showing 2 ravens up. (See rules for 2-player-game.)
- Build the path in front of the houses. You need the wall, the backyard tiles, and the trash can. The path starts with the wall and ends with the trash can. Spread the backyard tiles between them. There are 13 small single fields and 5 big common fields. Use 5 common fields for the first games and spread them, as evenly as possible, between the single fields. In subsequent games, you can reduce the number of common fields to make the game even more exciting. Note: Do not place any common fields next to the wall or the trash can.
- Each player chooses a gang of raccoons. Take 3 gang members of one color and the according raccoon boss. Place your raccoon boss onto the wall and 1 of your gang members in front of each house.
- Shuffle all cards. Each player draws 4 cards as their hand. Keep the remaining cards as a draw pile in good reach of all players. Leave some space next to it for the discard pile.
- Finally, each of you takes 1 swap cards token.
How to Play
Take your turns in clockwise direction. The player with the biggest raccoon belly starts. During your turn, you must choose if you want to climb and/or be mischievous OR if you want to leap and advance with the raccoon boss. You can play as many hand cards as you want. To play them put them face up in front of you. You must play at least 1 card each turn.
You must choose 1 house at the beginning of your turn. This is the house where you perform the movement(s) of your card(s). You are not allowed to split the movement(s) on different houses. You must perform all climbing cards that you play in one move as 1 total movement.
Climb
The climbing cards make you move your raccoons upwards. The colors of the cards match the colors of the houses you play them for - red cards for the red house, green cards for the green house and blue cards for the blue house. The order of fields is indicated by yellow arrows on the houses from bottom to top.
- Climbing card with 1 arrow: Move your raccoon up 1 field.
- Climbing card with 2 arrows: Move your raccoon up 2 fields, if it is alone in the lowest position at the start of your turn. This also applies when it stands in front of the house. Otherwise, it only climbs up 1 field.
- Wild climbing card: For wild climbing cards the same rules apply as for climbing cards, with the difference, that you can use them for any house. You may play wild climbing cards only.
Note: If you play several climbing cards on your turn, move your raccoon up by the total number of arrows.
Be Mischievous
As cute as raccoons may look, they do not grant victory to each other! Mischief cards make you move an opponent's raccoon downwards 1 field for each arrow. Generally, you can use mischief cards for any house, but in your turn you can play mischief cards only on the house, you have chosen previously. If you play several mischief cards on your turn, you may split them up to move even more than 1 opponent raccoon or perform them all as 1 summarized movement for 1 single opponent raccoon.
You may combine climbing cards and mischief cards on your turn. Note: Perform mischief cards only AFTER you have already performed all climbing cards in this turn. Mind the following rules for single and common fields.
Rules for Single and Common Fields
Each house has 5 single fields and 1 common field. Only 1 raccoon can be at a single field at the same time. Up to 4 raccoons can share a common field. All raccoons that are on a common field must not be pushed down.
Each time a raccoon's movement ends on an occupied single field, it pushes the raccoon in question down 1 field. If the raccoon you just pushed lands on an occupied space too, also put the next raccoon down 1 space. This can lead to a chain reaction. A chain reaction ends at the latest on the common field or down in front of the house.
Example: Cathy chooses the green house. She plays 3 cards. At first, she performs both green climbing cards showing 1 arrow and 2 arrows. Because her raccoon is alone in the lowest position, she moves it up 3 fields. The field she aimed for is occupied by another raccoon, which gets pushed down 1 field. This initiates a chain reaction, that causes a further raccoon to fall on the field where a third raccoon is located. Thus, that raccoon lands on the common field. As if that has not been nasty enough, Cathy then performs the mischief card she played. She pushes down a raccoon 1 field. Because of that, it gets pushed on the common field where another raccoon is located. The chain reaction ends on the common field. (The example's raccoon colour icons are not reproduced here.)
Leap and Advance with the Raccoon Boss
Any time before your turn you may decide to leap. To do so, play 2 climbing cards of the according house color. You may replace 1 of these 2 cards with a wild climbing card. You may leap from any high you like. Each leap is worth a different score that is displayed next to each field. After its leap the raccoon starts in front of the house again. Your raccoon must not switch between the houses during the game.
Now, move your raccoon boss according to the achieved score towards the golden trash can. There are single fields and common fields in the backyard too. If a raccoon boss ends up on an occupied single field at the end of your turn, move the raccoon boss that stood there 1 field back. Here, too, chain reactions can occur. See rules for single and common fields.
Example: A raccoon leaps from the common field at the green house. This field is worth 2 points. As a result, the orange raccoon boss advances 2 fields and lands onto a safe common field.
Ending Your Turn
At the end of your turn put your played cards face up on the discard pile. Then draw 2 cards from the draw pile. There is no limit of cards on your hand. Then it is the next player's turn in clockwise order. When the draw pile is used up, shuffle the discard pile, and place it as a face down draw pile.
Rules for Tokens
At the start of the game the wild marker is on the red house and the bonus marker is on the blue house. As soon as your raccoon moves to the top position at one of the two houses you can take the according marker and put it in front of you, visible for all players. Your racoon can be in top position when it is on the lowest field, if all the other raccoons still are in front of the house.
You can take advantage of a token while it is in front of you until another player takes it from you. Because if an opposing raccoon climbs to the top position of this house during the game, the corresponding person can grab the marker from you, regardless of whether it is their turn. However, if the person forgets to take the marker, you can continue to use it for yourself until the person eventually notices it and grabs the marker from you. The advantage of the marker may not be used retrospectively.
Wild Marker
If you own the wild marker you may use all red climbing cards as wild climbing cards. This also applies to leaping.
Bonus Marker
This marker gives you advantages when "leaping and advancing with the raccoon boss". If you have the marker, your raccoon boss may always move 1 additional field when he advances.
When playing with 3 or 4 players: Is there someone hanging on the tail of their skirt? Not only does your own raccoon boss advance 1 additional field, but also the raccoon boss who is last and alone at the end of your turn. Also move it forward 1 field. This can also be your own raccoon boss. If there are several raccoon bosses in last place, you can choose 1 of them to move forward.
(The marker's front side is for 3-4 players; its back side is for 2 players.)
Rules for the Swap Cards Token
At the start of your turn, you may exchange 1 or more cards from your hand exactly once in the game. To do this, put your swap cards tile back into the box. Then put any number of cards from your hand face up on the discard pile and draw the same number of cards from the draw pile. Afterwards, make your regular move.
Game End
Was your raccoon boss the first to be on the golden trash can? The game ends immediately and you win. The golden trash can is finally yours!
2-Player Game
Game Setup
The setup is the same as for the base game, but with the following changes:
- Only use the red house and the blue house.
- Place the two markers on the houses. Place the bonus marker so that the side with the 2 ravens is visible.
- Build the path in the 2-player-game exclusively from single fields.
- Your raccoon gang consists of 2 gang members and 1 raccoon boss. Put 1 gang member in front of each house and the raccoon boss onto the wall.
- / 6. Shuffle the cards and take the swap cards tokens as usual.
- Additionally, choose 2 unused raccoons of 1 color and put 1 of them in front of each house. These are called the raccoon rowdies.
How to Play
Use the same rules as in the game for 3 or 4 players, including the rules for single and common fields, with the following changes:
Climb: If you draw 1 green card at the end of your turn, you must play it IMMEDIATELY. It affects 1 of the racoon rowdies. Choose 1 of the 2 houses and move the corresponding raccoon rowdy. It does not have to be the house of your turn. If you draw several green cards in a row, then perform the movements of them one by one. With each green card you can choose again for which house you want to use it. Keep drawing cards until you have drawn 2 non-green cards.
Be mischievous: You can also use mischief cards to move 1 raccoon rowdy down at the house you chose on your turn.
Leap and advance with the raccoon boss: Your gang members leap as usual. The raccoon rowdies do not leap. If a raccoon rowdy is at the topmost field and must climb, it simply starts again at the lowest field of the house and continues its movement.
Note: If 1 of the raccoon rowdies is alone in the top position at a house, then put the corresponding marker back onto this house. This way, the player who last owned it will no longer be able to take advantage of its benefits.