The Inventors Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object
• Equipment
• Preparation
• Playing the Game
• The Invention Track
• Patent Claim Clips
• The Royalty Track
• Winning the Game

Object

The object of the game is to amass the most money by wisely purchasing and investing in actual old time inventions.

Equipment

• A pair of dice
• 4 playing pieces
• A game board
• Inventors Money
• Patent Claim Clips
• Eureka Cards
• 12 Invention Cards
• The Incredible Patent Picker Move Maker Machine

Preparation

Place the game board on a flat surface. Insert the body of the Incredible Patent Picker-Move Maker Machine into its plastic base and set the Machine in the center of the board. Mix up the patent claim clips and stack them, numbered side down, in the slot as illustrated in the diagram. This magnificent invention is now ready to roll the dice and dispense patent claim clips.

Shuffle the Eureka cards and place them beside the Machine.

Select two players — one to act as banker and the other to be responsible for all invention cards and discarded patent claim clips. At the beginning of the game, each player receives from the bank $125,000 in Inventors Money and is dealt 3 Eureka cards. Each player selects a playing piece and places it on the corner space to his right.

Playing the Game

One player is selected to go first. Play then follows to the left. On a turn a player must do one of the following:

1. He may insert two dice into the top of the Machine, push the plunger and move along the Invention track (outside track) in a clockwise direction, the number of spaces indicated on the dice, or
2. He may play one Eureka card from his hand and draw a new Eureka card to replace it. Eureka cards are to be played on the Invention track only, or
3. He may return all his Eureka cards to the bottom of the deck and draw new ones.

The Invention Track

1. If a player lands on an "Invention" space, he may purchase that invention (if unowned) from the bank for the indicated price. Players may own any number of inventions.
2. When a player lands on a corner space by exact count, he must decide if he will follow the directions on that space or elect to enter the Royalty track (the connecting inside track) on his next turn.
3. When a player lands on an "Uh-Oh" space that requires him to pay a legal fee, the money is placed under the board at the "Law Office" corner. The first player who lands on the Law Office by exact roll of the dice can either choose to collect the money or enter the Royalty track on his next turn.
4. When a player lands on the "Steal an Invention" space, he may not steal an invention from a player who is at an entrance to, or on, the Royalty track.
5. If a player lands on an invention owned by another player, he must roll both dice and pay the owner $1,000 times the total of the dice. (This fee is never shared with an investor.)
6. If a player lands on an invention he already owns, he rolls both dice and collects from the bank $1,000 times the total.

Patent Claim Clips

Patent claims increase the value of an invention. They are acquired by landing on the appropriate spaces or by using a Eureka card. A player is entitled to a patent claim only if he owns an invention. He selects one of his invention cards and slips it into the slot (picture side up) as shown in the diagram. A clip will represent 0, 1 or 2 claims. Only one clip may be used on each invention card. Clips marked "0" do not increase the value of the invention. Patent claim clips may not be removed from the inventions to which they are originally attached.

The Royalty Track

When the owner of an invention lands on a corner space by exact count, or when he plays a Eureka card directing him to a corner space, he may elect to enter the inside Royalty track. At that time he places his token on the dollar sign ($) and announces which invention or inventions he will play on the track. Any number of inventions belonging to the same letter category (A, B or C) may be taken through the Royalty track together.

As soon as a player announces that he will enter the Royalty track, a player holding a "Silent Partner" card may invest in one of the inventions to be taken through the track. The Silent Partner pays an investment fee which is printed on the back of each invention card, and in return, receives half of all royalties and sales of the invention as it passes through the Royalty track.

If more than one player holds a Silent Partner card and wishes to become an investor, each player involved must roll one die, and the player rolling the highest number becomes the investor.

An "Eliminate Your Silent Partner" card may be used to get rid of an unwanted investor. Strategic Note: The holder of this card should remember to collect his investment fee first and then eliminate the Silent Partner, all in the same play. (Additional Silent Partner cards may not be played at this time.)

On his next turn, the player entering the Royalty track inserts only one die into the Machine, pushes the plunger and moves the indicated number of spaces in a clockwise direction.

1. If he lands on a "Royalty" space, he collects from the bank the amount specified on the back of each invention card. The numbers in the left-hand column of the chart correspond to the numbers on the Royalty track. First a player finds the corresponding number on the left hand column of the chart and reads across to determine the money due him. For example, if he lands on "5 Times Royalty" and he has an "A" invention with 1 claim, he receives $60,000. If he has a Silent Partner they each receive $30,000.
2. If he lands on a "3 Times Royalty or Sell for Twice Value" space, he may decide to sell his invention back to the bank. The money he receives, depending on the number of patent claims, is double the price indicated on the Actual Value Chart on the back of each invention card. If a player has more than one invention on the Royalty track and decides to sell, he must sell all of them back to the bank at that time.
3. If a player has a Silent Partner, all royalties and/or proceeds from selling are equally divided between both players.
4. When inventions are sold, a player moves his playing piece to the corner space on the outside Invention track. His inventions and patent claim clips are returned to the Invention Office, and the clips may not be used again during the game. The player may not follow the directions on the corner space.
5. If a player, on the Royalty track, lands by exact count on the next dollar sign, he may, on his next turn, enter the adjoining Royalty track with the same inventions (and investor, if there is one).
6. If a player does not land by exact count on the next dollar sign, he must continue his move onto the outside Invention track, counting the dollar sign and the corner as separate spaces. At that point he must return the inventions and patent claim clips which he took through the Royalty track. He then follows the instructions on the space occupied by his marker.
7. An invention is not out of the game after it has been taken through the Royalty track and returned to the Invention Office. Any player may then purchase the invention by landing on the appropriate square.

Winning the Game

The game ends when the last patent claim clip has been taken out of the Machine. At this time, each player adds together his cash on hand and the value of each of his inventions. Invention values are printed on the back of each invention card.

The player with the most money based on cash and inventions, wins.