The Game of Life: Twists & Turns

The Game of Life: Twists & Turns Rulebook

For 2 to 4 players. Ages 9 and up. Source: official Hasbro rulebook (2007) and Quick Rules Card, transcribed from a scanned copy. Button names on the LIFEPod that were illegible in the scan are left out.

Object of the Game

Travel around the gameboard and experience all that LIFE has to offer. Visit the four sections of the gameboard or focus on just one. Buy a house, buy a car, start a family; the choices are yours. Along the way, things will happen. These things could give you money or LIFE Points or they could take them away. At the end of the game, the LIFEPod will automatically convert everything you own (including cars, houses, and cash) into LIFE Points. The player with the most points wins.

These rules give a thorough look into the game. To get into the game faster, use the Quick Rules Card and the LIFEPod Reference cards.

Setup

Place the gameboard on a flat surface.
Divide the cards into 3 decks: LIFE cards, Reference cards and Career cards. Each player takes one Reference card. Shuffle the LIFE cards and place them facedown next to the board. Shuffle the Career cards and deal them evenly to all players. Place extra cards out of play.
Give each player a Visa Game Card and the matching colored scorecard, skateboard and car upgrades (economy car and luxury car pawns). Each player also gets 5 arrow clips and a Reference card. Place unused pieces out of play.
Players choose a career and attach that Career card faceup to the scorecard using an arrow clip. Make sure the arrow clip points to the starting salary. All players start on the lowest step of their career ladder ($5,000). Look at your career requirements. You cannot be promoted to levels that require degrees until you have met all of the requirements.
Place the LIFEPod next to Player 1 (the player with the red Visa Game Card with 0001 as the last 4 digits).
Players put their skateboards on any START space. You can share START spaces. If your career requires a lot of degrees, you may want to start in Learn It!
After inserting batteries (see Batteries below), use the switch on the bottom of the LIFEPod to turn it on.

Deciding how many turns (years) to play

Decide how many turns/years you'll play. You can play as many or as few turns/years as you'd like. Each turn represents one year. We recommend playing at least 10 turns for your first game. Times estimated are for 4-player games; a game with fewer players could take less time. If you are playing for the first time, it may take a little longer.

10 years = about 40 minutes
15 years = about 1 hour
30 years = about 2 hours

To enter the number of turns/years:

Press the YEARS button on the LIFEPod.
Enter the number of years you want to play. NOTE: To play 10 years, press 1 and 0.
Press ENTER.

If at any time you press the wrong button, press CLEAR.

Playing the Game

Player 1 goes first. Play then passes to the left.

On your turn

Put your Visa Game Card into the LIFEPod. The player whose Visa Game Card ends with 0001 goes first. The LIFEPod automatically pays your salary before spinning the spinner. (Each player starts with a $5,000 salary. This will increase if you get promotions.) The LIFEPod also pays your bills, gives you LIFE Points for life events and calculates the value of your houses and cars. IMPORTANT: Always press the button to start your turn (spin). If you don't, you won't get paid! If you take turns in the wrong order, the LIFEPod might count down the years too quickly. TIP: The spinner light stays on for 60 seconds. Don't miss it! On your first turn, a $5,000 salary will be added to your account. After that, your current salary is automatically added each time you insert your card and press the button.
The LIFEPod updates your account, then starts to "spin".
Which number did the spinner light stop at? Move that number of spaces around the board. Always move clockwise around the circles; follow the arrows, because sometimes you can go in more than one direction. Instead of moving the number you spun, you can use your turn to move directly to any START space. This ends your turn. On your next turn, you can start out on a new path.
- If you pass over a PINK space, you must resolve it (see below).
- If you reach a RED space, STOP, even if you have moves left.
Follow the instructions for the space you land on. You do something on every space, including blank ones (see The Gameboard Spaces).
Enter what you've earned/lost into the LIFEPod and watch your account change (see Enter/Subtract Money or LIFE Points). Your Reference card will help you. Use your arrow clips and scorecard to keep track of things.
Your turn ends. Take out your Visa Game Card and pass the LIFEPod to the player on your left. Your turn ends when the next player inserts his/her card and "spins." When everyone has taken a turn, the LIFEPod counts down one year!

Tip: If you want to see your total flash on the screen again, you can put your card back into the LIFEPod at any time.

Each section of the gameboard takes you to a different place in life where you can do different things to earn money and LIFE Points. The deeper you go into each section, the bigger the rewards. For information on each of the gameboard spaces, refer to the Quick Rules Card.

Red and pink spaces

IMPORTANT: STOP at red spaces, even if you have moves left! Follow the instructions, then end your turn.

If you land on or pass over a pink space, follow the instructions, then continue your turn. This may happen more than once on your turn! You may pass over a pink space, but upon ending your move, you must resolve it.

Debt

There are no loans in this game. Instead, you can go into debt, but at a cost. Each time you start your turn with a negative account, the LIFEPod will deduct 10% interest.

LIFE cards

There are four events on every LIFE card, one for each section on the board. Draw a card and read the event next to the icon matching the section you are in. Some cards will give you LIFE Points or money and some will take them away. Some may give you promotions or let you do things with other players. If the card tells you to pick another player, you must pick a player that has already taken a turn. If you can't pick another player, because no one else has taken a turn yet, draw another card.

The Gameboard Spaces

Blank and START spaces

Land on a blank or START space and draw a LIFE card. Read the event next to the matching colored icon then follow the instructions. If the card tells you to pick another player, you must pick one that has already taken a turn.

Car/House spaces

Land on a car or house space and you could buy/sell a car or house. If you choose not to buy/sell a car/house, draw a LIFE card and follow its instructions instead.

Lottery spaces

Land on "Lottery" and anyone could hit it big!

Remove your Visa Game Card from the LIFEPod.
Press LOTTERY. This is how much you could win. The amount goes up each time there isn't a winner.
You think of 3 numbers (from 1 to 10) and tell the other players.
The other players each think of 1 number (from those left) and announce it. No sharing numbers.
Press the spin button. The player whose number comes up wins the lottery. NOTE: Keep "spinning" until you have a winner.
To collect, the winner inserts his/her Visa Game Card. Then give the LIFEPod to the player whose turn it is.

If you don't want to play the lottery, draw a LIFE card instead.

Business Venture / Auction

Land on "Business Venture" or "Auction" and you can choose to invest/bid from $10,000 to $100,000.

Subtract your investment/bid from your account.
Press CHANCE. A 1 or 2 doubles your investment; 0 means you lose.
If you win, multiply the amount you invested/bid by 2 and add that to your account.

If you don't want to invest/bid, draw a LIFE card instead (follow the instructions for a blank space).

Get Married

Reach "Get Married" and STOP, even if you have moves left.

If you're not married:

Press MARRIAGE.
The LIFEPod automatically subtracts $1,000 from each of the other players and gives it to you as a wedding gift.
You also get 3,000 LIFE Points now and an additional 1,500 LIFE Points on every turn from now on.

If you're already married:

Press MARRIAGE.
The LIFEPod subtracts $500 from each of the other players and gives it to you as an anniversary gift.
You also get 3,000 LIFE Points.

Babies

Land on a space that lets you have babies:

Press BABY.
Then press 1 to add one baby or 2 to add two babies.
Now press ENTER. Congratulations! Your family just got bigger.
From now on the LIFEPod gives you 350 LIFE Points for each baby you have. It also subtracts between 10% and 40% of your salary for each baby. Child care is expensive!

If you are "Trying for a Baby", STOP, even if you have moves left, and press CHANCE. A 0 = no baby (your turn ends); a 1 = 1 baby; and a 2 = twins!

Land on "Baby Boy" or "Baby Girl" and press BABY, then 1 and ENTER. Land on "Twins" and press BABY, then 2 and ENTER.

You can have a maximum of two babies per year and nine per lifetime. If you already have nine children, then draw a LIFE card instead. Keep track of your children using the arrow clip on your scorecard.

Pay Travel Expenses

Reach "Pay Travel Expenses" and STOP, even if you have moves left. Now subtract $20,000 from your account.

+ LIFE Points and PAY spaces

Land on or pass over a "+ LIFE POINTS" space and add the indicated number of LIFE Points to your account. Land on or pass over a "PAY" space and subtract the indicated amount from your account.

Earn Degree and Earn Ph.D.

Some jobs require you to have a degree. If you don't have the required degree, you CANNOT advance even if you get a promotion. If you land on or pass over "Earn Degree," add 2,000 LIFE Points to your account. Keep track of your degrees using the arrow clip on your scorecard.

Reach "Earn Ph.D." and STOP, even if you have moves left. Add 3,000 LIFE Points to your account and give yourself 1 promotion. Keep track of your degrees using the arrow clip on your scorecard.

Promotions

Land on or pass over "+1 Promotion," and move the arrow clip one step up your career ladder (as long as you meet the requirements). Press SALARY, enter your new salary, then press ENTER to give yourself the promotion. If you haven't met the requirements, leave your salary where it is. If your next job is risky (with "?"), you must press CHANCE. A 1 or 2 gets you the promotion. Anything else and you must leave your salary where it is.

Land on or pass over "+2 Promotions," and move the arrow clip two steps up your career ladder (as long as you meet the requirements). Press SALARY, enter your new salary, then press ENTER to give yourself the promotions. If you haven't met the requirements, leave your salary where it is. If your next job is risky (with "?"), you must press CHANCE. A 1 or 2 gets you the promotions. If you spin a 0, you get one more try. Press CHANCE again. If you still don't get it, tough break. Better luck next time.

May Choose a New Career

Land on or pass over "May Choose a New Career" and you may do just that. Pick another Career card to replace yours. You start your new career at the same step you left your old one (the salary may not be the same, though), provided you meet the requirements for that career. Changing careers is optional.

The four sections of the board

Spend time with family and friends. Here you can get married and have children.
It's all about travel and adventure! A global expedition? A small vacation? Maybe an Auction? Lots of LIFE Points await but things could get expensive!
Learn It! Go to school! Here are more career and salary options. In some cases, this is the only way to reach higher salaries, but it takes time and puts you in debt. You won't make much money but you could earn lots of LIFE Points.
Earn It! Enter the work-force! This is the money-making path!

Careers

Each career ladder runs from beginner to expert, letting you increase your earnings as you advance. All players start at the first step ($5,000) and work their way down.

When you get a promotion(s), move the arrow clip up your career ladder and enter your new salary into the LIFEPod:

Press SALARY. Do NOT press ENTER yet when entering salaries.
Enter your new salary.
Press ENTER.
You'll receive your new salary on your next turn.

Qualifications

You may need a degree or Ph.D. to climb some career ladders. If you don't have the right qualifications, you'll be stuck on the level before the degree icons unless you go back to Learn It! and complete your studies or change your career.

Also, some career ladders require a "lucky break" to advance. Any career level with a "?" requires that you take a chance before earning that promotion. Press CHANCE. If you spin a 1 or 2, you get the promotion. If not, you must land on another promotion (or get one on a card) and try again. If you land on a +2 Promotions space and your new career is risky, press CHANCE. A 1 or 2 gets you the promotions. If you spin a 0, you get one more try. Press CHANCE again. If you still don't get it, tough break. Better luck next time.

Cars

If you land on the car space you can choose to buy a car. There are two cars for sale. You can own more than one car at a time, but not more than one of each type.

If you buy the $10,000 economy car, the LIFEPod automatically adds +1 to your move and gives you 100 LIFE Points per turn. However, every year your car's value decreases by $1,000 and after 10 years, it disappears off the screen.

If you buy the $50,000 luxury car, the LIFEPod automatically adds +2 to your move and gives you 200 LIFE Points per turn. This car loses $5,000 of its value every year for the first 8 years, however; then it becomes a classic after 15 years and increases $5,000 in value every year from then on.

Both luxury and economy cars reduce your salary by 10% each turn.

If you don't want to buy/sell a car, draw a LIFE card instead.

Buying/Selling cars

Press CAR. The car icon will flash on-screen.
Press the buy button to buy or the sell button to sell. Now scroll through the cars (by pressing the arrow buttons) to see their prices/values.
Press ENTER when you see the car you want to buy/sell. The LIFEPod charges you the price of the car and highlights it on-screen, or it pays you the value of the car and takes it off-screen.
If you bought a car: take the matching car piece and fit it onto your skateboard. If you sold a car and you have no cars left: take the car piece off your skateboard. To remove the car piece, hold the car by the front tires and lift the front of the car off.

Houses

If you land on the house space you can choose to buy a house. There are three houses on the market: the modest $200,000, the mid-sized $500,000 and the $1,000,000 mansion. You can own more than one house at a time, but not more than one of each type. Each house's value increases 6% every year, and you earn 100 LIFE Points per turn.

If you don't want to buy or sell a house, draw a LIFE card instead.

Buying/Selling houses

Press HOUSE. The house icon will flash on-screen.
Press the buy button to buy and the sell button to sell. Now scroll through the houses (by pressing the arrow buttons) to see their prices and values.
Press ENTER when you see the house you want to buy/sell. The LIFEPod charges you the price of the house and highlights it on-screen, or pays you the value of the house and takes it off-screen.
If you bought a house: take the arrow clip and mark the house you bought on your scorecard.
If you sold a house and you have no houses left: remove the arrow clip from your scorecard.

Enter/Subtract Money

Make sure your Visa Game Card is in the LIFEPod.

Press the MONEY button.
Press the add button to add or the subtract button to subtract.
Enter the amount.
Press ENTER.

Enter/Subtract LIFE Points

Press the LIFE POINTS button.
Press the add button to add or the subtract button to subtract.
Enter the amount.
Press ENTER.

The LIFEPod

The LIFEPod takes care of all of the details of daily living. It spins the spinner, pays your salary and expenses and keeps track of everything you own. Whenever your Visa Game Card is in the LIFEPod, look on-screen to see how much money and LIFE Points you have, if you're married and have babies and which houses and cars you own. Watch your balance change when you enter money or LIFE Points. The LIFEPod even counts down the rounds and tells you when the game is over.

Each time you play, it uses a different ratio to calculate how many LIFE Points your money is worth. A LIFE Point could be worth anything between $80 and $120, but you won't know how much while you play. This means that no two games are ever the same. See the Strategy section for a deeper explanation of the Money to LIFE Point conversion.

The screen shows: houses, cars, babies, married/single, money, number of years left, and LIFE Points. Everything you do in life is shown on the screen. Use the number buttons to enter amounts (years, money or LIFE Points). Most buttons have other uses as well.

Buttons

SALARY: Got a promotion? Enter your new salary and move the arrow clip on your career ladder. Do not press ENTER when entering your salary until you have keyed in the amount.
CHANCE: Take a chance. Spin 0, 1 or 2 to discover the outcome.
MARRIAGE: Get married or celebrate your anniversary and earn lots of LIFE Points.
HOUSE: Buy/sell a house.
CAR: Buy/sell a car. If you buy a car, take a car mover and fit it onto your skateboard.
YEARS: Enter the number of years (turns).

Beeps

Good Beeps: The LIFEPod beeps when you press a button or enter money. It may also play you a tune when something really good happens.

Bad Beeps: If you try to do something that the LIFEPod doesn't understand, you'll hear a double beep. Don't panic! Press CLEAR and try again. Check your Reference card to make sure you're pressing the right buttons. If the screen goes blank, press a button to wake it up.

How do I know the LIFEPod has registered my money/LIFE Points?

The LIFEPod beeps and your balance goes up or down when you add/subtract money or LIFE Points. If this hasn't happened, you'll hear a double beep and your total will not change. Press CLEAR and try again.

What happened to my money?

Your balance might not always be as healthy as you expect. Remember, you could have expenses; or if someone gets married, you could be paying to give them a wedding present.

Changing game length

It's easy to change the game length if you want to end the game quickly or add some extra turns (this can be done at any time during your game).

Make the game shorter/longer:

Make sure everyone has taken the same number of turns.
Press YEARS and enter the number of turns you want to play.
Press ENTER.
Player 1: put your Visa Game Card into the LIFEPod and press the spin button.

Example: all players have taken their last turn. The year-count is 01. You want to play an extra five rounds. Remove all cards and enter the new year-count (1 year remaining + 5 additional years = 6) into the LIFEPod.

To end a game early:

Make sure everyone has taken the same number of turns.
Press YEARS and enter the year-count (the exact number shown in the scan is illegible).
Press ENTER.
Player 1: put your Visa Game Card into the LIFEPod and press the spin button.
Follow the steps for calculating your score under Ending the Game.

Ending the Game

Play until you have run out of years. The LIFEPod will play a finale. IMPORTANT: The first player's card will be in the LIFEPod when this happens.

Make sure the first player's Visa Game Card is in the LIFEPod. It now converts everything on the first player's card into LIFE Points (using a different, unknown ratio each time you play). Leave the card in the LIFEPod until the LIFE Point total flashes on the screen. Remember your total!
Take turns putting your Visa Game Cards into the LIFEPod and having your LIFE Points calculated.
Compare totals. The player with the most LIFE Points wins!

When the game ends, the LIFEPod automatically sells your houses and cars for their current value, THEN converts your money to LIFE Points using the secret formula. If you are in debt after your houses and cars are sold, you will LOSE LIFE Points from your current total based on the secret formula, so even if you spend most of your time getting LIFE Points during the game, you'll want to have enough money to support your lifestyle and not end the game in debt.

Strategy

Want to win at a game of LIFE? Here's what you need to know to make the right choices at the right times. Since LIFE Points represent all of the wonderful experiences you can have in life, they are worth more than money in this game. When making your decisions, keep in mind that 1 LIFE Point equals an average of $100. (It could be anywhere from $80 to $120, but you won't know that because each game is different.) Since the value of money is random, it is always a safer bet to concentrate on LIFE Points, but they may be harder to come by than money.

The following chart summarizes all of the strategic choices you can make in the game so that you can make them wisely (this excludes all the Twists and Turns in the LIFE card deck that can have a dramatic effect on your plans!).

Choice	Money one-time	Money per turn	LIFE Points one-time	LIFE Points per turn	Strategic advantage
Degree	-$20,000		2,000		Some promotions require it
Ph.D.	-$10,000		3,000		Some promotions require it
Economy Car	-$10,000	-10% of salary		100	+1 to average spin
Luxury Car	-$50,000	-10% of salary		200	+2 to average spin

Note: the degree and Ph.D. rows are inferred from the Expanded Tips below ("a college degree costs $20,000", "a Ph.D. costs an additional $10,000", 2,000 and 3,000 LIFE Points); the original chart layout was not legible in the scan.

Expanded tips

Cars. In the game, there are several factors to weigh when deciding what kind of car to buy, and when:

If you have debt, you'll have to pay 10% interest on it each time you take a turn. So carefully consider how much money you might be losing by buying a car while in debt; you might want to wait and buy one after you've lowered your debt.
At the end of the game, cars are sold for their current value, which varies depending on their age and make: economy cars lose $1,000 a year in value and luxury cars lose $5,000 a year. Add up how many years you expect to own the car and see if it makes sense to buy.
Luxury cars cost five times as much as economy cars but provide twice as many LIFE Points per turn. Luxury cars become "classics" after 15 years and increase in value $5,000 a year after that. However, don't forget that both luxury and economy cars reduce your salary by 10% each turn.
Don't buy more car than you can afford. You want to make sure you earn enough money to support your lifestyle while staying out of debt. At 10% interest charged each turn, outstanding debt is pretty expensive.

Houses. In the game, there are several factors to weigh when considering what kind of house to buy and when:

Houses increase 6% in value each year, but they represent a substantial expense when first purchased, from $200,000 to $1 million.
You pay 10% per year on any outstanding debt you carry, so be careful when buying a more expensive house to make sure you know you can afford it. For example, buying a $1 million house would add $100,000 a year to your debt in interest unless you have sufficient money saved to pay for it.
Because houses increase in value by 6% a year, higher-priced homes earn more over time than lower-priced homes. Just be sure to offset these earnings by any debt you carry.
If you buy an expensive house but later go into debt, consider selling it and buying a cheaper house the next time you land on a House Space.

Education. In the game, a college degree costs $20,000 but can more than pay for itself through increased earnings. Plus, you earn a one-time bonus of 2,000 LIFE Points, which corresponds to anywhere from $160,000 to $240,000, depending on the formula used during the game. In the game, a Ph.D. costs an additional $10,000, but some job promotions require an advanced degree. Check your Career card promotion requirements before deciding which degree you want.

Careers. Sometimes in the game you'll have an opportunity to choose a new career or start over on a new LIFE Path. Doing so may require additional education or reduce your salary initially, but it may be worth it to you in the long run.

Learn It! On the "Learn It" track, you can earn LIFE Points for learning creative pursuits outside a college degree program, such as pottery classes, joining a nature club or learning sign language. However, you can also lose points for missed learning opportunities, like failing auto repair class. The LIFE Points you earn sometimes far outweigh salary advances, reflecting the importance of gaining life experience outside a job. For example, one of the LIFE Cards awards 800 points for volunteering with your favorite charity.

Marriage. In the game, you earn a substantial number of LIFE Points when you get married because it enhances your quality of life and helps you gain new life experiences: 3,000 points when you marry, and then 1,500 each turn thereafter. Plus, if you land on a Get Married space and are already married, you will receive a $500 "anniversary gift" from each player, as well as 3,000 LIFE Points.

Kids. In the game, having kids earns you substantial LIFE Points (350 per child initially and then 350 per kid each year thereafter) and a one-time dollar amount ($500 per child) because they enhance your quality of life and provide you with a variety of valuable life experiences. However, children can also be expensive: your salary is reduced by 10% per kid, per year, up to 40%. So, it's important to carefully consider how many children you want to have and when you can afford them.

Batteries

Make sure the LIFEPod is OFF. Now loosen the screw on the battery compartment (located on the underside), and remove the door. Insert 2 AA-size batteries (alkaline recommended), making sure to align the + and - symbols with the markings in the plastic. Replace the door and tighten the screw. 2 AA (LR6) batteries are required and are not included. Batteries should be replaced by an adult.

Battery cautions:

Always follow the instructions carefully. Use only batteries specified and be sure to insert them correctly by matching the + and - polarity markings.
Do not mix old batteries and new batteries, or standard (carbon-zinc) with alkaline batteries.
Remove exhausted or dead batteries from the product.
Remove batteries if the product is not to be played with for a long time.
Do not short-circuit the supply terminals.
Should this product cause, or be affected by, local electrical interference, move it away from other electrical equipment. Reset (switching off and back on again or removing and re-inserting batteries) if necessary.
Rechargeable batteries: do not mix these with other types of batteries. Always remove from the product before recharging. Recharge batteries under adult supervision. Do not recharge other types of batteries.

To avoid battery leakage, be sure to insert the batteries correctly and always follow the game and battery manufacturers' instructions; do not mix old and new batteries or alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc) or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries; always remove weak or dead batteries from the product.