The Sinking of the Titanic Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object
• Equipment
• Setting Up the Game
• Starting the Game
• Part One—Play While on the Ship
  • 1. Moving
  • 2. How the Ship Sinks
  • 3. How to Rescue Passengers
  • 4. To Collect Food and Water
  • 5. Abandoning Ship
    • A. Leaving in a Lifeboat
    • B. Lifeboat Launchings
    • C. Leaving Without a Lifeboat
• Part Two—Play While in the Sea
  • Introduction
  • 1. Swimming
  • 2. In the Lifeboat
    • A. Moving
    • B. Drawing Sea Adventure Cards
    • C. Drawing Island Adventure Cards
    • D. Taking Passengers, Food and Water from Another Player
  • 3. The Rescue Ship
    • A. After the Ship Sinks
    • B. Boarding the Rescue Ship
• Winning the Game

Object

To be the first player to board the RESCUE SHIP—with at least two passengers, two water tokens and two food tokens.

Equipment

Game Boards • Retainer Clips • Passenger Cards • Sea Adventure Cards • Island Adventure Cards • Lifeboats • Food Tokens • Water Tokens • Ship's Officers (Playing Pieces) • Dice • Metal Binder Screw and Post.

Setting Up the Game

1. Place METAL BINDER POST on flat surface and place BOARDS, in proper sequence, on POST. Insert METAL BINDER SCREW into POST and turn SCREW in clockwise direction until tight.
2. Swing BOARDS to open position. Slide RETAINER CLIPS onto SIDES of Sky Board and Sea Board.
3. Rotate Ship Board until it is straight across the WATER LINE. WHITE ARROW will be below sea. Note: RESCUE SHIP should not be seen when GAME BOARD is in proper starting position.
4. PLAY PIECES are attached to PLASTIC RUNNERS. REMOVE PLAY PIECES, MAKING SURE ALL PIECES HAVE A SMOOTH EDGE. DISCARD RUNNERS.
5. Each player selects a SHIP'S OFFICER as his playing piece and places him on the STARTING SPACE. Place LIFEBOATS on SPACES marked "Lifeboat" on the BOAT DECK of the SHIP.
6. Place FOOD TOKENS & WATER TOKENS near GAME BOARD.
7. Shuffle SEA ADVENTURE and ISLAND ADVENTURE cards separately, place each pack face down near GAME BOARD.
8. Shuffle the PASSENGER CARDS, and deal ONE card to each player. Place deck of cards with stateroom number facing up near the GAME BOARD. Note: (There are more cards for some staterooms than others.)

Starting the Game

Players roll the dice to determine who will have the first turn. The player with the highest number has the first turn and rolls again; play passes to the left.

Part One—Play While on the Ship

READ THE COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY BEFORE PLAYING THE GAME.

1. Moving

1. On his Turn, a player rolls both dice and may move any number of spaces, up to the total showing on the dice. (Sometimes, it is to a player's advantage to move less spaces than possible, as will be seen).
2. Players move along passageways (spaces with small dots) while attempting to reach staterooms (numbered spaces), water spaces (green spots), and food spaces (blue spots). The "Start" space counts as one space if moved through after the first turn.
3. A player can never move diagonally. A player cannot end his turn on a space occupied by another player, but may move THROUGH such a space.
4. BULKHEADS: A player cannot move through a bulkhead (heavy lines that separate passageways) EXCEPT when he rolls a double. Then, he may move through any one BULKHEAD.

EXAMPLE: A player would need to move thirteen spaces to go from START to Stateroom 10 without rolling a double (See Diagram A). If he rolls double three or a higher double on the dice, he moves from START through BULKHEAD to Stateroom 10, a total of five spaces (See Diagram B).

2. How the Ship Sinks

The Ship starts to sink after each player has taken his first turn. Then the Ship sinks one mark for each number 1 or number 6 rolled. A player sinks the Ship by advancing the WHITE ARROW on the back of the ship from mark to mark. He must advance the Arrow BEFORE moving his playing piece. (Important: If he moves his playing piece first, he loses his turn and must return it to the space where he started his turn. Then he advances the Arrow).

NOTE:

1. Anytime a 1-1, 6-1 or 6-6 is rolled the Ship sinks two marks.
2. When ONLY TWO PLAYERS the Ship sinks two marks for each 1 or 6 rolled and 4 marks for 1-1, 6-1 or 6-6.

3. How to Rescue Passengers

The number on the Passenger Card indicates the stateroom of the passenger that the player is assigned to rescue. Note that each stateroom has a definite entranceway which must be used upon entering or leaving a stateroom. A player upon reaching his assigned stateroom, rescues the passenger and turns that card passenger side up. This card now belongs to him. The player draws the top card from the deck of passenger cards for his new assignment. A player proceeds to his newly assigned stateroom beginning on his next turn. (He does not have to go back to start).

A. IF A NEWLY ASSIGNED STATEROOM IS UNDER THE WATER LINE card is returned to bottom of deck; draw another card.

B. SHOULD AN ASSIGNED STATEROOM SINK UNDER THE WATER LINE BEFORE THE PLAYER GETS TO IT, his Passenger Card is returned to bottom of deck. Player draws a new card.

C. If a player draws a card while in the same numbered STATEROOM, he must leave the stateroom on his next turn and then may re-enter on one of his following turns.

4. To Collect Food and Water

A player who ends his turn on a space with a blue spot, collects one food token. Any time he ends his turn on a space with a green spot, he collects one water token.

Example:

Player is moving from start to Stateroom 10. He rolls ten on the dice. He decides to move only seven spaces and ends his turn on a space with a blue spot; he collects one food token.

IMPORTANT—A player may accumulate any amount of passenger cards, food and water tokens.

5. Abandoning Ship

A. Leaving in a Lifeboat

When desired, a player may abandon his current stateroom assignment and proceed by the roll of the dice to a lifeboat. The Passenger Card for this assignment is returned to the bottom of the deck. It's not necessary to roll the exact number to enter a lifeboat. However, each lifeboat counts as a space. Lifeboats have a definite entranceway and each pair of lifeboats is separated by a bulkhead. When a lifeboat is reached, snap playing piece inside lifeboat. Only one playing piece may occupy a lifeboat. Player in lifeboat, waiting to be launched, continues to roll the dice on his turn, but does not move. HIS ROLL STILL EFFECTS THE SHIP'S SINKING. To be launched sooner, a player may move through a bulkhead to another lifeboat if he rolls a double on the dice.

B. Lifeboat Launchings

Lifeboats are launched one at a time as ship sinks and lifeboat touches edge of Lifeboat Launching Area (dark blue space in sea). Occupied lifeboats are placed in the Lifeboat Launching Area where they remain until the player takes his next turn. Any number of occupied lifeboats may be in the Launching Area at any given time. When an empty lifeboat is launched, it is immediately placed by one of the players on Island 1. The second empty lifeboat is placed on Island 2, etc.

C. Leaving Without a Lifeboat

A player is forced to move his playing piece directly to the Lifeboat Launching Area as soon as either (1) the last lifeboat is launched before he reaches it, or, (2) the Ship sinks past the centre dot on the space he occupies.

A PLAYER FORCED TO MOVE TO THE LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING AREA WITHOUT A LIFEBOAT LOSES ALL HIS PASSENGERS, FOOD & WATER. CARDS ARE RETURNED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DECK AND FOOD AND WATER TOKENS ARE RETURNED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PILES.

Part Two—Play While in the Sea

Introduction

While in the Sea, a player in a lifeboat still has the chance to gain Passengers, Food and Water. A player without a lifeboat must "swim" to an island to claim an empty lifeboat. Once a player has fulfilled the object of the game, he can move onto the Rescue Ship and win the game. The Ship still sinks whenever a 1 or 6 is rolled. A player still loses his turn if he moves his playing piece before sinking the Ship (see Part 2 - HOW THE SHIP SINKS).

1. Swimming

A player who leaves the Lifeboat Launching Area without a lifeboat is considered to be "swimming." He rolls only one dice and moves vertically or horizontally, but never diagonally. He moves his playing piece towards an island with a lifeboat. When he reaches an island with a lifeboat, he snaps his playing piece inside the lifeboat. If two or more players move towards the same island, the empty lifeboat belongs to the first player who reaches the island; the other players must go to other islands. It is not necessary to land on an island by exact count. A player "swimming" in the sea or on an island without a lifeboat CANNOT draw any Adventure card, however, when he rolls a 1 or 6 on the dice, he still sinks the Ship. He cannot rescue passengers or collect food and water tokens until he is in a lifeboat. He cannot move onto or through a space containing a lifeboat or playing piece.

2. In the Lifeboat

A. Moving

A player in a lifeboat on his turn rolls both dice. He uses the number on one dice to move vertically in either direction and the number on the other dice to move horizontally in either direction. He can never move diagonally. It is important to note, the numbers on the dice are always considered individually, never the total. When moving off the Launching Area, he may use any of the spaces surrounding the Launching Area as the first space of his move. He still sinks the Ship whenever he rolls a 1 or 6.

A Lifeboat cannot move through an island—reaching an island ends the turn. A lifeboat cannot move back through the lifeboat Launching Area or move onto or through a space containing a "swimmer" or another lifeboat.

B. Drawing Sea Adventure Cards

While in a lifeboat in the sea, a player draws a Sea Adventure card everytime he rolls a number 1 on the dice. Two cards are drawn if he rolls number 1 on both dice. A player may on his turn choose to draw a Sea Adventure card instead of rolling the dice. HE DOES NOT MOVE HIS LIFEBOAT WHEN A SEA ADVENTURE CARD IS DRAWN. Directions on cards MUST be followed. However, if a card states that a player loses something that he does not have, the card is ignored and player does not have to give up anything. Used cards are returned to bottom of deck. A player may NOT draw a Sea Adventure card while in the Lifeboat Launching Area or while "swimming" or while on an island. (A player always moves under these circumstances when a 1 is rolled.)

C. Drawing Island Adventure Cards

Player who arrives on an island IN A LIFEBOAT, draws an Island Adventure card when he lands. It is not necessary to land on an island by exact count, however, the number rolled must be high enough to allow the player to reach an Island. Directions on card MUST be followed. However, if card states that a player loses something that he does not have, the card is ignored. Used cards are returned to the bottom of the deck. A player may move to and from the same island as many times as he wishes.

D. Taking Passengers, Food and Water from Another Player

A Player who lands, BY EXACT COUNT, on a space next to another player or between two or more players (except diagonally), may demand from each player either one passenger or one food token or one water token that this player holds. This must be surrendered by the other player or players. This rule can be used to delay another player from boarding the Rescue Ship and winning the game.

3. The Rescue Ship

A. After the Ship Sinks

When the Ship has almost sunk, the WHITE ARROW will disappear under the water line. To bring Rescue Ship to the water line, continue play using WHITE HALF-POINTER. ONCE THE RESCUE SHIP IS FULLY ABOVE THE WATER LINE, THE SHIP IS COMPLETELY SUNK, AND YOU NO LONGER NEED TO SINK THE SHIP FOR EVERY NUMBER 1 OR NUMBER 6 ROLLED.

B. Boarding the Rescue Ship

A player cannot board the Rescue Ship (any of the 12 green spaces) until he can win the game and the Rescue Ship is completely above the water line. In order to board the Rescue Ship, a player must land by EXACT COUNT on any of the RESCUE SPACES.

Winning the Game

The first player to board the Rescue Ship with at least two passengers, two food tokens and two water tokens, wins the game.