Rock Science Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Goal of the Game
• The Components of the Game
• The Board
• Preparation
• Who Is the Starting Player and When Is It My Turn?
• Overview of the Game
• The Game Step-by-Step in More Detail
  • 1. Roll the Die
  • 2. Pick a Question Card and Reveal the Theme
  • 3. Choose Difficulty
  • 4. Betting
  • 5. Read and Answer the Question
  • 6. Move Pawns
  • 7. Next Player's Turn
• Who Is the Winner?
• Extra: The Rock Science Travel Version
  • What's Different?
  • How Long Game Do You Want?
  • How Do You Win?
  • Collect Points
  • 50/50
• Extra: The Rock Science Drinking Game

The Goal of the Game

To be the first to complete one lap around the board - through Rock knowledge, clever betting and a bit of luck.

The Components of the Game

• This rulebook.
• 1 board.
• 6 pawns.
• 151 question cards with the following three categories: "Song", "Album" and "Rock the Song".
• 151 question cards with the following three categories: "Rocker", "50/50" and "Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll".
• 1 die.
• 12 Betting Cards (6 "yes", 6 "no").
• 6 rules reference cards.

The Board

In Rock Science you move step by step around the board - the first player to complete one lap (20 steps) is the winner. Pick the starting space and put your pawns in it. The goal is the space located to the left of the starting space. It is a good idea to mark the starting space, for example by putting a beer cap or a lighter in the space.

Preparation

1. Sort the question cards in two piles. There are two kinds of question cards. Put each kind of cards in its own pile. Each type of question card has three categories of questions. One type of question card has the following categories: "Song", "Album" and "Rock the Song". The other kind of question card has the categories "Rocker", "50/50" and "Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll".

2. Give each player two Betting Cards. Each player is handed one "Yes" Betting Card and one "No" Betting Card.

3. Finally. Put the board in the middle of the table and give each player a rules reference card.

You're now ready to rock 'n' roll!

Who Is the Starting Player and When Is It My Turn?

The player who last attended a live rock gig is the starting player. We call the player who rolls the die and answers questions the "active player". When the active player has finished his round, the turn passes to the player to his left who will now be the new active player. And so on, clockwise around the table.

Overview of the Game

1. Roll the die. The active player rolls the die to see which one of the six question categories he will answer.
2. Pick a question card and reveal the theme. The player to the left of the active player picks a question card and reveals the theme of the question.
3. Choose difficulty. The active player chooses the level of difficulty (Poser, Fan or Scientist).
4. Bet. All other players are betting on whether or not the active player will correctly answer the question.
5. Read and answer the question. The player to the left reads the full question and the active player attempts to answer it.
6. Move pawns. The active player moves his pawn 1-3 steps if he answered the question correctly. All other players move their respective pawns 1 step if their betting was correct.
7. Next player's turn. The player to the left of the active player is the new active player and rolls the die (start over at 1. above).

The Game Step-by-Step in More Detail

1. Roll the Die

The active player starts his round by rolling the die. Each number on the die matches one of the six question categories in Rock Science. The question categories are numbered 1 to 6 on the question cards.

2. Pick a Question Card and Reveal the Theme

The number on the die decides which category of question the active player will answer. The player to the left of the active player picks a question card which shows the same number as the die. The question categories and their numbers are:

• 1 - Song (name the song or related trivia from, for example, a line from the lyrics)
• 2 - Album (name the album, the band/artist who made it or other album trivia)
• 3 - Rock the Song (special category: the active player gets to hum a song!)
• 4 - Rocker (member, manager, producer, media profile)
• 5 - 50/50 (mixed themes, two alternatives, "yes/no" or "true"/"false")
• 6 - Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll (gadgets, guitars, festivals, anecdotes, myths)

Each question also has a theme. Examples of themes are specific bands, time periods or guitar brands. The player to the left of the active player will let everyone know what the theme of the question is. Important: only the theme is revealed now, not the full question! (The question will be read aloud in step 5, after all betting has been made.)

*** Rock the Song - the special category ***

Rock the Song is different and follows these special rules. The active player (not the player to his left) grabs the question card and chooses one of the two songs listed on the card. He then tries - with sounds and gestures - to rock the song to the other players. Humming, drumming, dancing, anything goes except to sing the lyrics or give any other spoken clues. If at least one of the other players guesses the right song, the active player moves his pawn 2 steps forward. The first of the non-active players who guesses correctly also moves his pawn 2 steps forward.

3. Choose Difficulty

It's now time for the active player to choose difficulty. This means that the active player decides if he wants to answer a Poser question, a Fan question or a Scientist question.

The player chooses difficulty before the full question is read to him. However, the player knows the question category (for example, "Song") and the theme of the question (for example, "Early Iron Maiden"). As the player knows the category and theme of the question, he should be able to decide if he has the knowledge of a Poser, Fan or Scientist!

Rock Science has three levels of difficulty: Poser, Fan and Scientist.

• Poser. Someone with only general interest in the theme should have a decent chance.
• Fan. Only true rock fans know the answer.
• Scientist. How the hell did you know that?

*** Special case: Rock the Song ***

There is only one difficulty in the Rock the Song category. In other words, section 3 can be skipped if the question category is Rock the Song.

4. Betting

When playing Rock Science you will, apart from answering questions, bet on your friends' rock knowledge. All players except the active player will bet on whether or not the active player will manage to answer the question correctly. The betting is done after the category and theme is revealed, and after the active player has chosen the difficulty, but before the full question is read out.

The Betting Cards are used for the betting. All players (except the active player who cannot bet) put their chosen Betting Card upside-down on the table (the "yes" or "no" is hidden).

*** Special case: Rock the Song ***

There is no betting in Rock the Song. In other words, section 4 can be skipped if the question category is Rock the Song.

5. Read and Answer the Question

The player to the left of the active player now reads the full question. If the active player has chosen for example Poser, read the Poser question on the question card. The active player tries to answer the question and afterwards the remaining players reveal how they betted, i.e. they flip their Betting Cards (and reveal "yes" or "no").

To answer the question correctly, the active player must give the information on the answer side of the question card. If the answer contains more than one sentence, only information in the first sentence (before the first dot) is required. Also, text (in brackets) in the answer is not required.

*** Taking too long to answer? ***

As a rule, you should answer your question (or Rock the Song) within one minute. It takes time to answer certain questions, which is fine. But it's irritating to wait for too long.

6. Move Pawns

Active player. If the active player answers the question correctly, he may move his pawn forward on the board. The number of steps his pawn may move depends on the difficulty of the question:

• Poser. A correctly answered Poser question allows the player to move his pawn 1 step forward.
• Fan. A correctly answered Fan question allows the player to move his pawn 2 steps forward.
• Scientist. A correctly answered Scientist question allows the player to move his pawn 3 steps forward.

If the active player does not manage to answer the question in time (or gives an incorrect answer) his pawn may not move, regardless of difficulty!

All other players. Remaining players have been betting on whether or not the active player will be able to answer the question correctly. Each player who makes the right bet may move his pawn 1 step forward. Players who make the wrong bet may not move their pawns.

*** Special case: Rock the Song ***

The rules are different for the Rock the Song category. If at least one of the other players guesses the right song, the active player moves his pawn 2 steps forward. The first player who guesses correctly also moves his pawn 2 steps forward.

*** Special case: 50/50 ***

The 50/50 category comes with the threat of a penalty. If you pick Fan or Scientist difficulty, and don't answer the question correctly, you have to move your pawn backwards on the board!

With the 50/50 category, if you answer the question incorrectly:

• On Poser difficulty, you don't move your pawn (just as normal)
• On Fan difficulty, you move your pawn back 1 step
• On Scientist difficulty, you move your pawn back 2 steps

7. Next Player's Turn

After moving pawns (or not) as explained above, the active player's turn is over. The player to the left of the active player will now be the new active player, roll the die and so on. Start over at 1. above and go through all the steps again. Repeat until one of the players is the winner.

Who Is the Winner?

The player who is first to complete one lap around the board by entering the last space is the winner!

It is possible that two or more players enter the last space at the same time. If this happens, roll the die to determine category and grab a card (ignore Rock the Song - if it comes up, roll the die again). Don't read the theme. The difficulty is Poser (unless the players agree otherwise). Read the question out loud to the players who entered the last space. The first one to answer it correctly wins the game. If it's a draw, repeat (roll the die and pick a new card) until there's a winner.

*** Optional rule: No winning by betting ***

Some players do not like the fact that you may enter the last space on the board - and win the game - through simple betting. To avoid this, you may agree to use this special rule. If you do, a player who enters the last space on the board through betting does not win. Instead, he must immediately roll the die.

The player to his left draws a question card and reads the matching question on Poser level (ignore Rock the Song questions - if it comes up, roll the die again). If the player answers the question correctly, he wins the game. If not, play passes to his left as normal. When it's his turn again, he must again roll the die and answer the matching Poser question. A correct answer means he wins the game, an incorrect answer means he must wait another round. Repeat until he - or someone else - wins.

Extra: The Rock Science Travel Version

If you're going on a road trip or a festival, you can leave the Rock Science box at home and still play Rock Science! Just bring the die, a bunch of cards, blank paper and a pen. Then use these rules!

What's Different?

Instead of moving pawns on the board, you make notes on paper. All other rules are the same as the normal Rock Science rules.

How Long Game Do You Want?

First, decide how long the game should be. Note down the number of points you need to win. (You can also agree on any other number you like.)

• Short game: 10 points
• Normal game: 20 points
• Long game: 30 points

How Do You Win?

You win the game by being the first to get the number of points listed above.

Collect Points

On a piece of paper, make a column for each player. When a player answers a question correctly, bets correctly or Rocks the Song, you give that player points as follows:

• Poser question: 1 point
• Fan question: 2 points
• Scientist question: 3 points
• Betting: 1 point
• Rock the Song: 2 points (both the rocking player and the guessing player)

50/50

If you answer the question incorrectly on Poser difficulty, you don't get any points (just as normal). On Fan difficulty, you lose 1 point and on Scientist difficulty you lose 2 points. You can't have less than zero points.

Extra: The Rock Science Drinking Game

You want to get drunk, right? Here's one way how!

Play the game just as normal. When you answer a Poser question incorrectly, you have to drink a shot of hard spirits (vodka, whiskey, rum, whatever's at hand). When you answer a Fan question incorrectly, you have to drink half a glass of beer or wine. When you answer a Scientist question incorrectly, you have to drink a mouthful of beer/wine. Remember, rockers don't sip.

For incorrectly answered 50/50 questions, reverse the penalty (spirits for Scientist, half glass of beer for Fan and mouthful of beer for Poser).

But no drinking for failed attempts at Rock the Song questions, that's just mean.