Sauschwer
Sauschwer Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 scale, consisting of a beam and small wooden pegs
- 188 playing cards: the front of each card names an object, the back shows its weight
- 8 pig-cheek markers
- 1 very heavy pig named Helmut
Setup
- Shuffle the cards. Each player places three of them face up in front of them. ATTENTION: NOBODY may look at the backs of the cards!
- Set the remaining cards aside as a draw pile.
- Each player takes one pig-cheek marker.
- Build a scale in the middle of the table by setting the beam on the small wooden peg.
- Draw a card and place it, as you like, on the red or the violet side of the scale, without looking at its back.
- Place Helmut, the heavyweight pig, on the same side of the scale as the card.
- Get paper and a pencil ready.
(See Fig. 1.)
Game Idea
More and more objects are placed on the two sides of a beam scale. Whoever can correctly judge which side of the scale is the heavier one receives victory points.
Playing the Game
You play clockwise in turn order. The heaviest player begins.
On your turn, choose one of your cards and place it on the side of the scale where Helmut is not sitting (see Fig. 2).
Then estimate the total weight of the objects on one side and the total weight of the objects on the other side. Take Helmut and set him on the side of the scale that, in your opinion, now carries more weight (see Fig. 3). Of course you may also leave Helmut where he is.
Remember: Helmut must always be placed on the (supposedly) heavier side!
Finally, draw a new card, which shows that you wish to end your turn. All other players may now doubt that Helmut sits on the correct (heavier) side. If nobody doubts the correctness of Helmut's position, the next player takes a turn.
Ending a Round
A round ends as soon as one of the players doubts the correctness of Helmut's position. Anyone who wants to doubt calls out loudly: "Stop!" Whoever calls first is the doubter for this round.
Alternatively, a round also ends after the eighth card has been placed and the player whose turn it is has decided where Helmut should sit.
At the end of the round, each player places their pig-cheek marker in front of them so that the colour of the (in their opinion) heavier side of the scale faces up (see Fig. 4). To do this, the players first hold their pig-cheek markers hidden in their hands, then reveal them all at the same time. The player who placed the last card must place their pig-cheek marker so that the visible colour matches the side of the scale on which Helmut sits. If there is a doubter, the doubter places their pig-cheek marker with the other side facing up.
(In Fig. 4 the two roles are labelled "card placer" and "doubter".)
Then all placed cards are turned face up, and the heavier side of the scale is determined by calculating the total weight of each side separately (see Fig. 5).
Scoring
Whoever placed their pig-cheek marker with the colour of the heavier side facing up has guessed correctly. Now check how many players guessed wrongly. Each player who guessed correctly receives as many points as there are players who guessed wrongly (see Fig. 6).
If Helmut's position was correctly doubted, the doubter additionally receives one special point. If the doubter doubted wrongly, one point is deducted from them. Write down each player's score.
End of the Game
The game ends after six rounds, or as soon as one of the players has reached at least 20 points. Whoever has collected the most points wins.
Figure Examples
- Fig. 5: Here the violet side of the scale is heavier than the red. Helmut is on the wrong side. The doubter was right.
- Fig. 6: Here three players guessed wrongly with their markers (red). Whoever guessed correctly (violet) receives three points. The doubter even receives four points.