Saloon Tycoon Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Credits
• Components List
• Game Setup
• How to Win
• Gameplay
  • Step 1 - Income
  • Step 2 - Actions
    • Tycoon Actions
    • Free Actions
  • Step 3 - End Turn
• Finishing a Tile
• Special Tiles
• Character Cards
  • Characters
• Game End & Final Scoring
  • The Final Round
  • Final Scoring
• An Example Turn

Credits

GAME DESIGN: Robert Couch

GAME DEVELOPMENT: A. J. Porfirio & Evan Derrick

ILLUSTRATION: Agnieszka Dabrowiecka

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Evan Derrick

PLAYTESTERS: Jason Slingerland, Kristine Couch, Laura Sherrod, Mike Sherrod, Lanier Wexford, Nathan Daugherty, Roger Hicks, and everyone at UnPub 2015!

COPYRIGHT 2016 VAN RYDER GAMES

Components List

• 12 Character cards (8 Citizens, 4 Outlaws)
• 20 Large tiles
• 20 Small tiles
• 10 Large Roof tiles
• 10 Small Roof tiles
• 4 Player Aid cards
• 37 Tycoon cards
• 24 Open Claim cards
• 32 Secret Claim cards
• 100 Supply cubes
• 40 Small gold nuggets (worth 1 gold each)
• 10 Large gold nuggets (worth 5 gold each)
• 8 Cowboy meeples
• Score Track board
• 4 Player boards
• Rules Booklet

Game Setup

The setup depicted on page 3 is for a 2-player game.

1. Give each player a Player board with the matching color Saloon tile and Cowboy meeples. Each player should place their Saloon tile on their Player board in the indicated space. Place any unused Player boards, Saloon tiles, and Cowboy meeples back in the box.

   Player boards are double-sided but the differences are simply aesthetic and do not affect gameplay. Players are encouraged to place their board so that the income track is at the bottom, facing them. If players wish, they can choose the side that allows them to orient their boards so that all the Saloon tiles face one another. While this does not affect gamplay, it does create a "crossroads" in the center of town that may add to the players' enjoyment of the game's theme.

2. Each player places one of their meeples on the zero space of the Score Track board.

3. Each player places their second meeple on the 1 space of the income track on their Player board.

4. Place the other tiles on the table with the side reflecting the cost face-up. Special tiles have an asterisk next to the name and are placed by themselves. Common tiles and Roof tiles should be stacked in their respective piles.

5. Shuffle the Tycoon cards and deal 3 cards to each player. Place the remaining deck face-down on the table. Leave room next to this deck for a discard pile.

6. Shuffle the Open Claim cards. Take Open Claim cards equal to the number of players +2 and place them face-up on the table. The remaining Open Claim cards should be returned to the game box.

   • 2 players = 4 Open Claim cards
   • 3 Players = 5 Open Claim cards
   • 4 Players = 6 Open Claim cards

7. Shuffle the Secret Claim cards and deal 4 to each player. Before the game begins, players must each choose 2 of their Secret Claim cards to keep and 2 to discard. All discarded and unused Secret Claim cards should remain hidden and be returned to the game box.

8. Place the Citizen and Outlaw cards face up on the table.

9. Place the Gold nuggets into a general pile. Give 3 Small Gold nuggets to each player. Small Gold nuggets are worth 1 gold, while Large Gold nuggets are worth 5 gold.

10. Place the Supply cubes in a general pile according to the number of players in the game:

    • 2 players = 40 cubes
    • 3 Players = 60 cubes
    • 4 Players = 80 cubes

    Set any remaining cubes aside. You may need these at the end of the game.

How to Win

Players will compete for Reputation points by building their saloon, attracting notable citizens, and accomplishing special goals called claims. The player with the most Reputation points at the end of the game is the winner!

Gameplay

The player who has most recently watched a Western film or TV show takes their turn first.

Saloon Tycoon is played with players taking turns one after the other. Every turn consists of these steps taken by the active player in the following order:

1. Income
2. Actions
3. End Turn

Step 1 - Income

Take gold from the general supply equal to your current income level, indicated by the Cowboy meeple on your Player board's income track. Your income level is always equivalent to the total number of tiles on your board. Every time you place a new tile on your board, whether it's a Small tile, a Large tile, or a Roof tile, adjust the meeple on your income track accordingly. You can always count your tiles to confirm your income level.

A player that has Flatfoot Fleming at their saloon takes 1 less gold than normal during the Income Step for as long as she is present. Do not move your Cowboy meeple that tracks your income down by 1 when Flatfoot is at your saloon. Instead, take one less gold during the Income Step.

Small Gold nuggets are worth 1 gold, while Large Gold nuggets are worth 5 gold. Players can make change as needed.

Note: You always earn at least 1 gold!

Flatfoot Flemming loves to prey on saloon owners foolish enough to attract her attention. The first player to have 10 gold on their turn immediately receives her Outlaw card. As long as she is present, that player receives 1 less gold during the Income step.

Step 2 - Actions

On your turn, you may perform one Tycoon action and any number of Free actions. These may be performed in any order that you wish.

Tycoon actions (one per turn)

• Earn 2 Gold
• Draw 2 Tycoon Cards
• Play a Tycoon Card
• Build a Tile
• Bribe a Character

Free actions (as often as you want and are able)

• Stake an Open Claim
• Supply Your Tiles

Tycoon Actions

You may perform one of these actions on your turn.

Earn 2 Gold

Take 2 gold from the general pile.

Draw 2 Tycoon Cards

Draw the top 2 cards from the Tycoon deck. You cannot have more than 5 Tycoon cards in your hand. If drawing would take you over that limit, you must discard enough cards BEFORE drawing so that the new cards will not put you over the limit. If there are ever not enough cards in the Tycoon deck, shuffle the discard pile to create a new Tycoon deck.

Play a Tycoon Card

Play and resolve 1 Tycoon card. These cards provide a variety of things such as gold, actions, supply cubes, and other special effects. Follow the instructions on the card and discard it once it has been resolved.

A player that has Moonshine Angie at their saloon must first discard a Tycoon card in order to play one. If you are unable to discard a Tycoon card (i.e., you only have one in your hand), you may not play one. This effect only applies when using an action to play a Tycoon card. If a card or tile allows you to play a Tycoon card you do not need to discard one first.

Moonshine Angie goes wherever the party is. In this case, that means the biggest, rowdiest saloon. The first player to buid 5 tiles receives her Outlaw card. As long as she is present, that player must discard a Tycoon card from their hand every time they want to play one.

Tycoon Card template

Each Tycoon card shows:

• Tycoon Card Name
• Flavor Text
• Card Ability

Example: after playing the Supply Wagon, you would receive 4 gold and 2 Supply cubes.

Build a Tile

Buy a tile, flip it over, and place it on your board in an available lot or above another finished tile. A finished tile is one with a supply cube on all the tile's spaces (see Supply Your Tiles below).

In order to build a tile, all of the following must be true:

• You must have enough gold to pay for the tile AND any additional costs for any lot(s) where you will place the tile (these lots may only be purchased when you are placing a tile).
• You must meet any prerequisites of the tile you are purchasing
• You must place the tile according to the following rules:
  • The tile must be placed immediately when purchased.
  • You must place the tile adjacent to another tile or on top of a finished tile.
  • The entire tile must completely fit within the spaces of the board.
  • You may not place a tile above the 3rd floor, except with a roof as explained in the Finishing a Tile section on pg. 6.
  • You may place a large tile on top of either a finished large tile or 2 finished small tiles; small tiles may only be placed on top of a finished small tile. Plan accordingly!

After placing the tile, immediately adjust your income up by 1. Additionally, score Reputation points if you built in any of the outer lots.

Note: Always adjust your income up by one whenever you build a tile, even a Roof tile! Your income track should match the number of tiles you've built.

Tile template

Each tile shows:

• Tile Name
• Cost
• Finishing Bonus
• Special Tile indicator (only on some tiles; indicated by an asterisk *)
• Prerequisite (only on some tiles)
• Supply Cube Space(s)

Example — Building a Small Tile

Jason has just purchased a Pharmacy tile. There are 3 places he could place it: in the empty lot next to his Saloon tile (for free); on top of his finished Kitchen tile (also for free); or in the lot next to the Laundry tile (which costs 2 gold but also earns him 1 Reputation point). He can NOT place it on top of the Saloon tile, nor can he place it in a lot that is not adjacent to a tile he has previously built.

He decides to place the Pharmacy on top of the Kitchen tile. He turns the tile over before placing it and then adjusts his income up by one.

Example — Building a Large Tile

Jason has now purchased the Whiskey Still tile. He can place it in the two lots adjacent to the Saloon tile (costing him 2 gold and earning him 1 Reputation point); on top of the finished Pharmacy and Pantry tiles (for free); or in two lots adjacent to the Pantry (costing him 7 gold and earning him 5 Reputation points). He can NOT place it on top of his Saloon tile because the Saloon tile is not yet finished (it is missing one Supply cube).

He decides to build in the two lots adjacent to his Saloon tile, paying the 2 gold necessary to build there. He turns the tile over before placing it, earns 1 Reputation point and adjust his income up by 1.

Bribe a Character

Pay 6 gold to move a Character card, either an Outlaw or a Citizen, from one player's saloon to another (including your own). Characters that have not arrived in town yet (i.e., they are still sitting to the side of the playing area and are not in a player's saloon yet) can not be bribed.

Note: You may not bribe a character once the end game has been triggered, nor may you play a Tycoon card that allows you to move a character!

Free Actions

You may perform these actions as often as you want during the Action Step, as long as you are able.

Stake an Open Claim

Note: Open Claim cards, which are displayed faceup on the table, have an orange border, while Secret Claim cards, which are kept in players' hands, have a red border.

Once you have completed all of the requirements for an Open Claim card, you may take that card and score the number of Reputation points indicated on the card. Once an Open Claim card has been scored it may not be scored again, but keep it as a reminder in case you need to check your score. Do NOT replace a completed Open Claim card with a new one.

This only applies to the Open Claim cards that are face up on the table. The Secret Claim cards in your hand are kept secret until final scoring at the end of the game.

Note: It is possible that a claim may become unattainable. If this occurs, the card may be removed from play but it is not replaced.

Open Claim Card template

Each Open Claim card shows:

• Open Claim Card Name
• Flavor Text
• Characters Required (not every Claim card will require characters to fulfill)
• Claim Requirements
• Reputation Points

Many Claim cards (both Open and Secret) will require you to have certain Characters in order to fulfill them. Often these Characters are specified by name and their portrait will be shown on the card. Some Claim cards, however, refer to Characters by their gender or title (for example, Have 3 Male Characters) and will show one of the following icons:

• Any Citizen
• Any Outlaw
• Any Female Character
• Any Male Character
• Any Character

Supply Your Tiles

Each tile has either 3 or 4 square spaces on it for Supply cubes. At any time during your turn you may place Supply cubes on your tiles as follows:

1. Pay 2 gold per Supply cube you would like to purchase (if Phineus Pillbottom is at your saloon, pay 3 gold per Supply cube instead).
2. Take the Supply cubes you purchased and place them on any tile on your board that has an open space.

You may not purchase Supply cubes if you do not have any open spaces on your tiles.

Note: If the general pile of Supply cubes is depleted, add additional cubes as needed, but note that the end of the game has been triggered.

If Phineus Pillbottom is making 'deals' for anyone other than hisself, than I'm a monkey's uncle! He's actually selling the exact same supplies, just at a worse price. A player that has Phineus at their saloon pays 3 gold per Supply cube instead of 2.

Step 3 - End Turn

If during your turn the general pile of Supply cubes is depleted, announce after your turn that the end game has been triggered and that each other player besides you will get 1 final turn. The player who triggers the end of the game will not get another turn.

Finishing a Tile

When you place a Supply cube on the last open space of a tile it is now considered finished. Finishing a tile gives you points, a bonus, and allows for additional tiles to be placed on top of it!

When you finish a tile, do the following:

1. Score the tile and move along the score track as follows:
   • +7 Reputation points for a Large tile
   • +5 Reputation points for a Small tile.
2. Take the one-time bonus indicated on the tile.
   • Gold – Simply take the indicated amount of gold from the supply.
   • Supply cubes – Take and immediately place the indicated number of Supply cubes. Any cubes you cannot place are lost and should remain in the general pile. Plan accordingly.
   • Draw cards – Draw the indicated number of cards from the Tycoon deck.
   • Play a card – You may play and resolve a card.
   • Action – Immediately take any action of your choice.
   • Citizen Bonus – The indicated Citizen comes to your saloon. Take the Character card and place it in front of you.
3. If the tile is on the 3rd floor, take the appropriate Roof tile (Small or Large), turn it over, place it on top and score +4 Reputation points.

Note: When placing a Roof tile, make sure to move your income up by 1. You always move your income up 1 space when you place a tile, even if it is a Roof tile.

Special Tiles

There is only one copy of each Special tile (denoted by an asterisk * next to the tile name). Special tiles always grant Character bonuses. That is, they will attract a Citizen to your saloon as denoted by the citizen's image on the tile!

Special tiles have prerequisites you must meet in order to build the tile. The requirements can be found on the tiles themselves, but here are the tiles and requirements in more detail.

Brothel

In order to build this tile, the player must already have placed a Guest Room tile.

Theater

The Theater must be placed above the Saloon tile either on the second or third floor. This will help patrons hear the music and want to see the show.

Whiskey Still

In order to build this tile, the player must already have built a Pharmacy tile. You need specialized ingredients and equipment to brew high quality whiskey.

Printing Press

The Printing Press may not be placed in a saloon that already has a Laundry tile. The hot, moist air would ruin the newsprint. You may, however, build a Laundry tile after building a Printing Press. Lucy Allen won't be happy, but she can't do anything about it at that point.

The Luxury Suite

The Luxury Suite must be placed on the third floor. The Widow Campbell expects a nice view for her money.

Jail

In order to build this tile, the player must already have built a Poker Room tile. With gambling, things can get a little rowdy. Sheriff Fletcher likes to remind folks of the consequences.

Stables

The Stables must be placed on the first floor. Horses can't climb stairs.

Schoolroom

The Schoolroom may not be placed in a saloon that already has a Poker Room tile. Miss Watson does not want her pupils influenced by such openly unsavory behavior. However, you may build a Poker Room after having built a Schoolroom (but please, think of the children).

Yeah, Sydney Smythe is THAT guy. A player that has Sydney at their saloon at the end of the game loses -5 Reputation points.

Character Cards

Each Character card shows:

• Character Name
• Character Art
• Flavor Text
• How Character is Acquired
• Gender and Title
• Bonus (Citizens) or Penalty (Outlaws)

Characters

The Characters of Saloon Tycoon are made up of Citizens and Outlaws. Citizens have blue borders on the bottom of the card while Outlaws have red borders. Some Claim cards refer specifically to the gender of a Character. In these cases the gender of a Character will factor into the goal of the Claim. If a Claim card does not specifically refer to their gender, it has no relationship to the goal for that Claim.

There are an equal number of male and female Characters, 6 of each.

Game End & Final Scoring

The Final Round

At any point during a player's turn if the general pile of Supply cubes is depleted, the end game has been triggered. Each player will get one final turn except for the player that triggered the end game.

Take any Supply cubes set aside at the beginning of the game and place them in the general pile. Players may buy and place as many Supply cubes as they want and are not limited to what was originally in the pile of Supply cubes.

Additionally, announce that the Characters may no longer be moved at all. The Bribe a Character action is no longer available for players to perform; Characters cannot be moved through card play (for example, the No-Good Troublemaker Tycoon card); and Characters cannot be acquired by finishing a tile. If you finish a tile during the last turn that would award you a Character, you do not receive it.

Note: Supply cubes are not limited to what is included with the game. In the extremely rare case that you run out of Supply cubes, continue as if you had placed them, scoring finished tiles as necessary.

Final Scoring

Each player scores additional Reputation points as follows:

1. Score your unfinished tiles: +3 points for a Large tile, +2 points for a Small tile (the supply cubes are worth nothing).
2. Score your Citizen cards: +5 points each.
3. Sidney Smythe Outlaw card: -5 points
4. Check for completed Secret Claim cards. For each card that you have completed, score Reputation points as indicated on the card. Note that you MUST have the requirements fulfilled when the game ends. Plan accordingly!

After adding up all the points, the player with the highest score wins! In the event of a tie, the player with the most gold wins. If still tied, the player with the most completed claims (Open and Secret) wins.

An Example Turn

Chase starts his turn with 2 gold, 5 tiles (his original Saloon tile, the Poker Room, the Theater, the Kitchen, and the Pharmacy), and 2 Characters, both of which are Outlaws (Flatfoot Flemming and Moonshine Angie). His income is at 5 (since he's built 5 tiles) which means that he would notmally take 5 gold during the Income Step, but because Flatfoot Flemming is hanging out at his saloon, he only takes 4 gold. He now has 6 gold total.

Before performing his one Tycoon action, Chase decides to perform a Free action: Supply Your Tiles. He uses his 6 gold to purchase 3 Supply cubes and places them on the Laundry tile. This earns him 5 Reputation points (for finishing a small tile) and he gets to draw 2 Tycoon cards, as that is the Laundry's one-time finishing bonus.

One of the cards Chase draws is the Supply Wagon and he decides to use his one Tycoon action to perform Play a Tycoon Card. Unfortunately, because of Moonshine Angie he must discard the second Tycoon card to do so. He discards his second Tycoon card to play Supply Wagon and takes 4 gold and 2 Supply cubes. He must immediately place the Supply cubes. He decides to place them on the Theater tile.

Chase decides to take the Supply Your Tiles action again (since it's a Free action he can do it as often as he wants, as long as he can afford it). He uses the 4 gold to purchase 2 more Supply cubes and places them on the Theater tile, finishing it. Since it's a large tile, he scores 7 points. Additionally, because it's on the third floor, he immediately places a roof tile on top and scores an additional 4 points.

Chase's one-time bonus for finishing the Theater tile is that Purty Nellie visits his saloon. He takes her Character card and places it with Flatfoot Flemming and Moonshine Angie.

Chase takes one final Free action: Stake an Open Claim. One of the Open Claim cards in the game is Ladies' Club, which requires a player to have three female Characters (it doesn't matter whether they're Citizens or Outlaws). Collecting Purty Nellie gives him his third female Character, so he takes the Ladies' Club card and immediately scores 6 points.

Chase checks to see if the general pile of Supply cubes was depleted during his turn. There are no Supply cubes left in the general pile, so the end game is triggered. Each other player gets one final turn, but not Chase.