Times Square
Times Square Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 1 game board
- 6 game figures — Champagne Charlie, Saucy Sue, 2 Bodyguards, Dancing Deb, Handsome Hal
- 55 cards
Preparation
- Place the game board between the two players (A and B), so that each is adjacent to his nightclub on the square. Each nightclub has two entrance spaces on the strip.
- Place Saucy Sue on the middle space with the sewer cover.
- Place Champagne Charlie on the same space, but on the dark edge. Charlie always moves on this dark strip, while the other figures move on the lighter and wider strip.
- Place the two Bodyguards on either side of Saucy Sue, but with one space between each Bodyguard and Saucy Sue.
- One player takes Handsome Hal in one fist and Dancing Deb in the other. The other player chooses one fist and takes the figure in the chosen fist. Each player now places his figure in the empty space between Saucy Sue and the Bodyguard closest to his side of the board.
- Shuffle the cards and deal 8 cards face-down to each player as his starting hand. Place the remaining cards face-down next to the board as a supply.
- The player who has Handsome Hal on his side of the board begins. The players then alternate turns.
Playing the Game
By playing cards, the players try to move Handsome Hal, Dancing Deb, Saucy Sue, and her Bodyguards to their entrances. For each figure on their entrance spaces, Champagne Charlie moves 1 space their direction.
On a player's turn, he executes three actions in the order shown:
- 1a. Play one or more cards and move figure(s), or 1b. Lure a figure to Handsome Hal, or 1c. Trade cards
- Draw card(s) (only with 1a and 1c)
- Move Champagne Charlie
1a. Play one or more cards and move figure(s)
- Each card represents one of the four figures (Saucy Sue, Handsome Hal, Dancing Deb, and Bodyguards). By playing a card, the player can move the corresponding figure. Champagne Charlie is not moved in this way.
- On a player's turn, he may play one or more cards. If he plays several cards, they must all be the same color.
- He plays and executes the cards one at a time (see Description of Cards below).
- A player may not play a card that cannot be completely executed.
- Players place played cards face-up on a discard stack next to the supply.
- Basically, any figure can stand on any space, and several figures can stand on the same space.
Special rules for Saucy Sue and her two Bodyguards: These three figures must always be on three different spaces. Saucy Sue must always be on a space between the two Bodyguards. Saucy Sue and her Bodyguards may not stand on the same space nor be moved to the same space. The distance between Saucy Sue and her Bodyguards can be of any size as long as the above rules are followed.
1b. Lure figure to Handsome Hal
Instead of playing a card or cards, a player may simply move Saucy Sue or one of her Bodyguards to the space where Handsome Hal is standing (see also Special Function for Handsome Hal). Note that the special rules for Saucy Sue and her Bodyguards still apply.
1c. Trade cards
Instead of playing card(s) or moving a Saucy Sue or one of her Bodyguards to Handsome Hal, a player may discard any number of cards face-up on the discard stack.
2. Draw cards (only with 1a and 1c)
After the player executes action 1a or 1c, the player draws cards from the face-down supply to bring his hand back to 8 cards.
If the player choose action 1b (Lure to Handsome Hal), he played no cards, and, thus draws no cards.
When the face-down supply is exhausted, shuffle the discard stack and place it as the new face-down supply.
3. Move Champagne Charlie
The player does not move Champagne Charlie by playing cards. Instead, the player may move Champagne Charlie toward his nightclub based on the following:
- move 1 space for each figure that stands on either of the player's entrance spaces, and/or
- move 1 space when Saucy Sue and both Bodyguards stand on his side of the board, that is, on his side of the middle space (with the sewer cover).
Champagne Charlie always stays on the dark edge of the strip.
Now, the next player takes his turn.
Game End
The game ends immediately when a player moves either Champagne Charlie or Saucy Sue to one of his 2 entrance spaces. This player wins the game.
If no player manages this before the card supply is twice exhausted, the game ends then. In this case, the winner is the player with Saucy Sue on his side of the board. If she stands on the middle space (with the sewer cover), the winner is the player with Champagne Charlie on his side of the board. If he stands in the middle, the game is tied. Players may count cards in the supply at any time.
Description of Cards
Saucy Sue — 12 x Saucy Sue may be moved 1 space.
By playing 2 Saucy Sue cards, the player may move the entire group 1 space (see Special Function for Saucy Sue).
Bodyguards — 4 x Move 1 Bodyguard 1 space.
Bodyguards — 10 x Both Bodyguards may each be moved 1 space or the player may move 1 Bodyguard 2 spaces (but not just back and forth!).
Bodyguards — 2 x Both Bodyguards are moved so they occupy the spaces adjacent to Saucy Sue.
Handsome Hal — 2 x 1, 8 x 2, 2 x 3 Move Handsome Hal the number of spaces shown on the card.
Dancing Deb — 1 x 1, 3 x 2, 5 x 3, 3 x 4, 1 x 5 Move Dancing Deb the number of spaces shown on the card.
Dancing Deb — 2 x Move Dancing Deb to the middle space on the board (with the sewer cover).
Special Function for Saucy Sue
Saucy Sue moves with her Bodyguards.
When a player plays two Saucy Sue cards at the same time, the player may move Saucy Sue and her 2 Bodyguards as a group. The player moves each of the 3 figures 1 space in the same direction (see also Detailed Example, 1st Turn).
Special Function for Handsome Hal
Handsome Hal attracts others with his charm.
A player can choose to play no cards and use his action to cause Handsome Hal to attract either Saucy Sue or 1 of her Bodyguards to the space he stands on (see also Detailed Example, 4th Turn). However, this does not allow him to break the special rules for Saucy Sue and her Bodyguards.
Dancing Deb knows Handsome Hal's game and cannot be attracted by his charm.
Special Function for Dancing Deb
Dancing Deb can influence another figure to move as she wants.
A player can use a Dancing Deb card as a joker to move one of the other figures (Saucy Sue, Handsome Hal, or one of the Bodyguards - but not Champagne Charlie). Dancing Deb must be between Saucy Sue and the player's end of the board to use this function. It is not important which half of the board Saucy Sue is on (see also Detailed Example, 2nd Turn).
However, if a player uses a Dancing Deb card to move another figure, he must always move the figure type chosen and not Dancing Deb when he plays a Dancing Deb card in the rest of the game. A player may not, for example, use a Dancing Deb card to move one of the Bodyguards and then another Dancing Deb card to move Dancing Deb.
If the player chooses to use Dancing Deb to move Saucy Sue, Dancing Deb must always be between Saucy Sue and the player's end of the board, or he cannot use Dancing Deb cards to move Saucy Sue.
Detailed Example
Both players A and B have taken several turns, the board looks as follows, and these examples show how the next turns could be played:
1st Turn
Player A plays two Saucy Sue cards together to move Saucy Sue and her two Bodyguards as a group 1 space. Then, she plays 2 more Saucy Sue cards to move Saucy Sue 2 spaces. Next, she moves Champagne Charlie 2 spaces in his direction: 1 space for the Bodyguard standing in his entrance and 1 space for Saucy Sue and both her Bodyguards standing on his side of the board.
2nd Turn
Player B can use the special function of Dancing Deb, as she stands between Saucy Sue and the player's end of the board. He plays a value 2 Dancing Deb card to move the left Bodyguard 2 spaces. Then he plays 2 value 3 Dancing Deb cards to move the right Bodyguard 6 spaces. Next, he moves Champagne Charlie 1 space as Dancing Deb is in his entrance.
3rd Turn
Player A plays a Dancing Deb card with a sewer cover to move Dancing Deb to the middle space. Then, he plays a value 5 Dancing Deb card to move Dancing Deb 5 spaces in his direction. As he has no figures on his entrance, he does not move Champagne Charlie.
4th Turn
Player B plays no card and uses his turn to use the special function of Handsome Hal, and attracts Saucy Sue to the space with Handsome Hal. As he has no figures on his entrance, he does not move Champagne Charlie.
Credits
Author: Reiner Knizia is the author of several Rio Grande Games, including Medici, Lost Cities, and Circus Flohcati.
Development: TM-Spiele
Graphics: Claus Stephan und Mirko Suzuki
Author and Publisher thank all those who helped playtest the game.
© 2006 KOSMOS Verlag / Rio Grande Games. Art.-Nr: 690045.