Roller Ghoster
Roller Ghoster Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 game board
- 4 Fortress battlements
- 2 Fortress walls
- 4 staircases
- 1 tower
- 1 arrival tile
- 1 die
- 4 Ghost figures
- 3 balls
Setup
Assembling the fortress for the first game
Detach all the pieces of the fortress from the game board.
- Insert the arrival tile into the lower part of the tower.
- Then insert the 4 Fortress battlements into the slots of the tower, making sure to insert the battlement that includes the entrance door on the side where the arrival tile is.
Important: the tower can be stored fully assembled in the box so that setup is easier for later games.
Setup before each game
- A. Place the large game board in the box.
- B. Then insert the two Fortress walls into the matching slots of the board.
- C. Hang the 4 staircases in the side slots of the fortress.
- D. Finally, insert the tower onto the fortress.
Important: make sure the staircase at the very top reaches the arrival tile with the entrance door.
The fortress is now assembled.
- E. Insert the three balls into the tower.
- F. Each player chooses a ghost and places it in the starting area in front of the first step of the staircase.
Object of the Game
The first player whose ghost reaches the entrance of the tower wins the game.
Playing the Game
Starting with the youngest player, the players take turns in clockwise order.
On his or her turn, the player rolls the die:
- If the die shows a number (1, 2 or 3) without the Arrow symbol, the player moves their ghost up the number of steps shown on the die.
- If the die shows a number (1 or 2) with the Arrow symbol, the player moves their ghost up the number of steps shown on the die, then turns the tower one notch clockwise. Watch out for the balls!
- If the die shows the Ghost symbol, the player moves another player's ghost forward one space.
How to Reach the Top of the Tower
Two paths on each staircase
On each of the 4 staircases there are two paths:
- The path with the steps along the wall (1) is safe. A ghost on this path is not at risk from falling balls. However, this path is longer than the outer path.
- The outer path (2) is shorter, but there is a risk that the balls will knock down the ghosts on it.
Steps of the staircase
Each time a player advances their ghost on the staircase, they must count every step, including the broken step and the steps on which other ghosts may be standing.
Important: if a player lands on a step occupied by another player, they skip that step and place their ghost on the next free step.
The broken step
If a player ends their movement on a broken step, they slide down the red arrow to the outer path space (C). If that space is already occupied by a ghost, the player places their ghost on the next free space (on the path along the wall or on a space of the outer path) (D).
- Exception: if this happens on the lowest step, the player places their ghost back in the starting area located before the first step of the staircase.
Important: a player only slides down the broken step if they end their movement there; otherwise they pass over it as if it were a normal step.
The star symbol on the corner step
When a player reaches a corner step showing the star symbol, they may decide, at their own risk, to then take the path along the wall or the outer path.
Tower Rotation
When a player rolls the die and gets a number (1 or 2) with an Arrow symbol, they must rotate the tower one notch (until it clicks). The four exits then open at the same time, and up to three balls may come out. If a ball knocks ghosts down, those ghosts fall into the trenches of the board. Ghosts remain in the trench until the next turn of their owner.
Important: as soon as the balls have finished falling, they must be placed back in the tower so that it always contains three.
Recovering Your Ghost
If, on its turn, a player's ghost is in a trench, that player rolls the die normally and may then move their ghost. The ghost restarts from the corner step with a star that is located just above the trench in which it fell. Climbing out of the trench to the star step counts as 1 movement. If that step is already occupied, the player places their ghost on the next free space.
End of the Game
The first player who reaches the space at the very top of the tower wins the game and becomes the king of Château Badabouh!
It is not compulsory to reach the last step with the exact number on the die. If a player has extra movement, it is simply not counted.
Clarifications
- If a ball does not knock a ghost entirely off the path, but the ghost is still on the path, it is nevertheless considered hit and must be placed in the trench corresponding to its staircase.
- If a ghost bounces from the trench onto the board, into another trench, or even outside the box, it must be put back in the trench corresponding to the staircase it fell from.
- The last step before the arrival step is not safe: ghosts there can be hit by a ball, just as on the outer paths.
- When a player rolls the Ghost symbol, they move another player's ghost up one step toward the summit. They may use this to make that ghost take the outer path, but only if the other player's ghost is on a corner step with a star or directly in front of a broken step.