Soda Smugglers
Soda Smugglers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 36 Luggage Cards
- Empty suitcase — x12
- 1-bottle suitcase — x12
- 2-bottle suitcase — x7
- 3-bottle suitcase — x5
- 80 Bottle Cap Tokens
- Value 1 — x32
- Value 3 — x20
- Value 5 — x12
- Value 10 — x8
- Value 20 — x5
- Value 30 — x3
- 7 Border Guard Action Tokens
- Arrest — x3
- Accept Bribe — x2
- Inspect Suitcase — x2
- 8 Event Cards (optional)
Game by Reiner Knizia. Art by Paul K. Halkyon.
3-8 Players. 20 Minutes.
Objective
Each round, one player takes a turn in the role of a Border Guard while the other players act as Travelers. The border guard tries to confiscate as many soda bottles as possible while the travelers attempt to sneak bottles across the border or trick the border guard into unduly arresting them. After each player has been the border guard (twice in a 3-4 player game, once in a 5-8 player game), the game ends and whoever has the most bottle caps wins!
Game Setup
Keep all the bottle cap tokens within reach as a general stock. Each player starts with two 1's, one 3, and one 5 for a total value of 10 bottle caps. Players keep their bottle caps face up in front of them.
The number of players determines the number of each border guard action token used in the game (remaining action tokens are returned to the box).
Border Guard Action Tokens:
| Players | Accept Bribe | Inspect Suitcase | Arrest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 Players | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 Players | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 Players | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 7 Players | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 Players | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Play
The game is played over multiple rounds. The player who most recently drank a soda becomes the border guard for the first round. Then the role of border guard is passed in a clockwise direction with each subsequent round.
Each round is played as follows:
- The border guard displays the action tokens faceup in front of them.
- The border guard shuffles the suitcase cards and distributes a hand of 5 cards to each of the other players (the travelers). The remaining cards are placed as a facedown deck in the middle.
- The travelers select their luggage and offer a bribe:
- Each traveler places two suitcase cards facedown in front of themselves—this is their luggage.
- Travelers place one card facedown in front their luggage—this is their bribe. Discard remaining cards facedown onto the deck in the middle.
- Once all travelers are ready, they simultaneously flip their bribe faceup.
- The border guard may spend any number of their action tokens, but only in this order:
I. Accept Bribes
First, the border guard may (but does not have to) accept one bribe per "accept bribe" token. They select a traveler by placing one bribe in front of them. The traveler must pay the border guard bottlecaps equal to the number of bottles depicted on their bribe (faceup card). For this, the traveler is now waved through. They reveal their luggage (two facedown cards) and they gain bottlecaps from the stock equal to the number of bottles depicted on these two cards. All of the cards of this traveler are then discarded facedown onto the deck in the middle.
Example: Traveler E hands over a bribe of 2 bottle caps to the border guard and is then waved through. Traveler E reveals her luggage (containing a total of 5 bottles) and receives 5 bottle caps from the stock. Then she discards her cards.
II. Inspect Suitcases
Then the border guard searches suitcases. They may place an "inspect suitcase" token next to any traveler's facedown suitcase. That traveler must now reveal the contents of that suitcase by flipping the card faceup.
Attention: The border guard may only inspect one suitcase per player; each "inspect suitcase" token must involve a different player.
III. Make Arrests
Finally, the border guard may (but does not have to) arrest one traveler per "arrest" token. They place an arrest token next to any traveler (whether that traveler has been searched or not). That traveler must now reveal the contents of both their suitcases. There are two possible outcomes:
a) If the traveler has a total of two or more bottles in their luggage, they have been caught smuggling. The bottles are confiscated and border guard receives the corresponding number of bottlecaps from the stock.
b) If the traveler has only one (or no) bottle in their luggage, they were unduly arrested. The border guard must wholeheartedly apologize (yes please :) and hand over two of their own bottlecaps to the traveler. If the traveler has one bottle in their luggage, they also receive one bottlecap from the stock.
Attention: Bribes are never included when determining the number of bottles in a traveler's luggage.
Example: After searching the left suitcase (finding 1 bottle), the border guard decides to make an arrest. But the second suitcase is empty... The arrest is wrong! The traveler receives an apology and 2 bottle caps from the border guard and also 1 bottle from the stock.
All the cards of the arrested players are then discarded facedown onto the deck in the middle.
V. Wave Through
After the border guard has applied all the action tokens they want to use (in the proper order), they must wave through the remaining travelers. These travelers reveal the contents of their luggage and receive bottlecaps from the stock equal to the number of depicted bottles shown on their two cards. Travelers do not collect anything for their bribe cards.
All the cards are returned facedown to the stack in the middle. The role of the border guard passes clockwise to the next player, and a new round starts...
Game End
After each player has been the border guard (twice in a 3-4 player game, once in a 5-8 player game), the game ends. The player who possesses the most bottlecaps wins! In case of a tie, all tied players share the victory.
Credits
Reiner Knizia thanks all the playtesters who contributed to the development of the game, in particular Iain Adams, Sebastian Bleasdale, Drak, Ross Inglis, Kevin Jacklin, and Dave Spring.
Optional: Event Cards
Shuffle the following eight event cards facedown at the start of the game. At the start of each round, when the border guard displays their action tiles, they also reveal one of the event cards which is then valid for this round. At the end of the round, the event card is discarded. The below descriptions provide supplemental details and clarifications for the event cards:
Birthday – The border guard celebrates their birthday and is in a good mood: The border guard receives a birthday present of two bottlecaps from the stock. The travelers are now allowed up to two bottles in total in their suitcases. If the border guard unduly arrests a traveler for having two or less bottles, they hand over two of their own bottlecaps to that traveler; the traveler also receive bottlecaps from the stock equal to the number of depicted bottles shown on their two cards.
Breakage – The border guard accidentally breaks their bottle(s) and is now grumpy: The border guard must return one of their bottlecaps to the stock for each arrest token being used in the game (1-3 total). The travelers are not allowed to carry any bottles at all in their suitcases.
Night Shift – The border guard is on night shift where darkness offers more opportunities to look the other way: The border guard may use this card as an additional "accept bribe" token.
Temptation – The border guard, as the only officer on duty, is tempted to take advantage: The border guard may decide to accept the bribes of all the travelers and wave them all through – but it is either all travelers, or play the round as usual.
Superior Officer – Under the watchful eye of their superior, the border guard appears very keen: The border guard may not accept any bribes, but they may use this card as an additional "search suitcase" token. Travelers do not offer bribes, and therefore discard three cards.
Sniffer Dog – The border guard is aided by a sniffer dog (he's a good boy!): This card replaces the use of one "search suitcase" token. While searching suitcases, the border guard may place this card in front of a traveler who must then open one of their suitcases which contains the most bottles. If their suitcases contain equal numbers of bottles, the traveler does not reveal this fact but simply decides which suitcase to open. Remember: The border guard may only search one suitcase per player; each search must involve a different player.
Tip-Off – The border guard receives a tip-off and is keen to make the arrest: The border guard may use this card as an additional "arrest" token. If a traveler is unduly arrested with this card, the border guard does not hand over any bottles to the traveler.
Holiday Season – The start of the holiday season brings travelers with much luggage: Each traveler must use three suitcases as their luggage instead of two. After placing the facedown bribe card, each player then has only one remaining card to discard.