Sideshow Swap
Sideshow Swap Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Setup
The game consists of Performer cards, Tickets, and coins that we call Bux.
Step 1 — Deal the Performers (face down)
Shuffle and deal one (1) Performer card to each player. Place five (5) Performer cards in a line in the center area. Set aside the remaining cards without looking at them.
Step 2 — Deal the Tickets
Deal three (3) Ticket cards to each player. If a player gets a red Now Playing! Ticket, shuffle it back in, and draw another Ticket. Place the remaining Tickets in the center area - they become the Ticket Draw Deck.
Step 3 — Setup the Bank & Deal Bux
Put five (5) Bux for each player into a pile and place it in the center area. This is now the bank. To start, each player takes two (2) Bux from the bank.
2 Player Games
Use only the Tickets that have the two-star icon in the lower right-hand corner (on both the regular Admit One Tickets and the red Now Playing! Tickets).
7 or 8 Player Games
Only put 3 Performer cards in the center area during the game setup.
Gameplay
Reading is boring! You can watch the instructional video at: sideshowswap.com/play
Winning
The game ends when any player plays their last Ticket or when the Ticket Draw Deck runs out. The player with the highest numbered Performer card wins. The winner goes first the next game.
Gameplay
Whoever makes the best elephant noise goes first. You may now look at your Performer card and Tickets.
Your turn consists of 3 steps, they must be done in this order:
- YOU SHOULD collect your salary of 1 Bux from the Bank.
- YOU MAY take a Ticket from the Ticket Draw Deck and add it to your hand.
- YOU MUST play a Ticket from your hand OR swap your Performer card with one from the center area.
Play continues clockwise. If you forget to take your salary before Step 2 or 3, you don't get paid.
Reginald's Pro Tip
You may not want to take Tickets during your turn. One of the two ways to end the game is to run out of Tickets - since you can only play one per turn, you may not want to be hoarding them when you have a Performer with a high enough value to win.
Rules
Reading is boring! You can watch the instructional video at: sideshowswap.com/play
Performers
You can only have one Performer in your possession at any time. Performers are valued from 0-15.
Tickets & Bux
Tickets are action cards that cost Bux to play - prices are indicated on each Ticket. When you play a Ticket, you must read out loud what is written on it and follow the instructions. Played Tickets are discarded face up in the center area. Spent Bux are returned to the Bank.
If you don't have enough Bux to play a Ticket, you're out of luck. Tickets in the discard pile shouldn't be touched unless a played Ticket tells someone to do so.
Draw Tickets from the Ticket Draw Deck unless otherwise specified. You may not draw a Ticket if you have 5 or more Tickets in your hand. The total number of Tickets you have must be made visible to all players.
You can only play one Ticket on your turn. If you draw (or get handed) a Now Playing! Ticket, it must be played immediately. Drawing and playing a Now Playing! Ticket ends your turn.
When a Boooo!! Ticket is played, the targeted Ticket, the Boooo!! Ticket and all Bux used to pay are discarded.
Example Ticket - Plot Twist (price $2): "Choose 2 players (that are not you) and they must trade all their tickets with each other."
Example Now Playing! Ticket - Whoopsie Daisy!: "You must play this immediately. Keep your Performer revealed to all players until it gets swapped. Keep this Ticket in front of player until player's Performer is swapped."
Bank
If the Bank is out of Bux, you do not get a salary and you won't be able to collect Bux from played Tickets, so pay attention!
Visit sideshowswap.com for bonus gameplay variations.