Tortuga 1667
Tortuga 1667 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Rules Overview
Players will be divided into teams of British and French pirates. In games with an odd number of players, there will also be a Dutch pirate. You will begin the game on either the Flying Dutchman or the Jolly Roger, but the other players on your ship will not necessarily be on your team. During the game you will use Vote cards to participate in Attacks to get treasure from the Spanish Galleon, in Mutinies to maroon selfish captains, and in Brawls to control the two pieces of treasure on Tortuga. You will also view, reveal, and force other players to reveal Event cards in order to help your friends and harm your enemies. When the Spanish Armada Event card is revealed, the team (French or British) with the most treasure wins the game. Treasure in both ships' holds and in the French and British areas on Tortuga are added together. In games with an odd number of players, if teams are tied when the Spanish Armada card is revealed, the Dutch player wins.
Set Up
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Lay out the playing mat in the center of the table. Place the orange explosion token aside.
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Pull out the needed Loyalty cards based on the table below. Shuffle and deal one to each player, face-down. Secretly view your Loyalty card and place it face-down. This is your team. You may not reveal your Loyalty card until the game is over.
# of players British French Dutch 2 1 1 — 3 1 1 1 4 2 2 — 5 2 2 1 6 3 3 — 7 3 3 1 8 4 4 — 9 4 4 1 -
Shuffle the Vote cards and deal 3 to each player face-down. You may view these cards at anytime, but you may not show them to other players. Place the remaining Vote cards in a face-down stack on the table to form the Vote deck.
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The Event cards have the Tortuga 1667 logo on their backs. Prepare the Event deck by first choosing 3 of the starred Event cards, either randomly or through group consensus. Place the other starred Event cards back in the game box, as they will not be used during the game.
Note: If you are playing with 2 or 3 players, also remove all Albatross cards from the Event deck. It is also recommended that you do not use the Facade or Cabin Fever starred cards.
Place the Spanish Armada card aside. Shuffle all other Event cards (including the 3 chosen starred cards) and place them in a face-down deck on the table. Place the Spanish Armada card at the bottom of this deck. Place the top 5 Event cards of the completed deck face-down in a row next to the 1-5 spots on the playing mat.
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Each player selects a Brethren of the Coast card and places it in front of them. Place the pawns that match the selected Brethren of the Coast cards into the pouch and place any unused pawns back in the box. Shake the pawns in the pouch and draw them out one at a time at random, placing them on alternating ships (Flying Dutchman and Jolly Roger) from top to bottom. The first pawn drawn will be the captain of the Flying Dutchman, the second will be captain of the Jolly Roger, the third will be First Mate on the Flying Dutchman, etc. If there is an odd number of pawns, the last pawn drawn will be the last pawn in line on the Flying Dutchman. Your pawn is the one that matches the color of your Brethren of the Coast card.
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Place 4 treasure tokens on the Spanish Galleon. Place 1 token in each team's treasure area on Tortuga. Give 1 treasure token to each captain. The captain of the Flying Dutchman should place their treasure token in either treasure hold on their ship. Next, the captain of the Jolly Roger should place their treasure token in either treasure hold on their ship. During the game, treasure will be added to the treasure holds. There is no limit to the amount of treasure that can be stored in either of the ships' holds.
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Play begins with the Captain of the Jolly Roger selecting an action. Proceed clockwise.
Game set up is now complete!
How To Play
Pawns will move around during the game. Whenever your pawn is at the front of a ship, you are that ship's Captain. Whenever your pawn is the second in line on a ship, you are that ship's First Mate. Whenever your pawn is at the back of the line on a ship, regardless of the number of pawns on that ship, you are that ship's Cabin Boy. It is possible to be the First Mate and the Cabin Boy simultaneously (if you are second in line on a ship with only two pawns) or to be the Captain and the Cabin Boy simultaneously (if you are alone on your ship). There may never be more than 5 pawns on a ship. Whenever your pawn is the highest-ranking pawn on Tortuga, you are the Governor of Tortuga.
On your turn, you must perform any 1 action listed on the following pages. You must state which action you are going to use before using it. Players only get 1 total action per turn, but if you are a Captain, First Mate, Cabin Boy, or the Governor of Tortuga you may choose your action from the "All Players" potential actions list or from your position's potential actions list. These actions are also listed on the back of your Brethren of the Coast cards. (Note: In 2-player games, each player gets to perform 2 actions on each turn.)
Potential Actions
Players can choose one of the following actions to complete on their turn.
All Players
- View 2 Event cards — Secretly view the front of any 2 of the 5 face-down Event cards. After viewing, place them both back in their same positions face-down.
- Reveal 1 Event card — Flip over any 1 of the 5 face-down Event cards. Reveal this card to all players and resolve the consequences listed on the card. Replace the revealed card with the top card from the Event deck face-down.
- Force another player to choose between 2 Event cards — Point to any 2 of the 5 face-down Event cards and choose any other player. The player you chose selects either of those 2 face-down Event cards without viewing it first, reveals it to all players, and resolves. The other Event card remains in its position unseen. Replace the revealed card with the top card from the Event deck face-down.
- Move to or from a Rowboat — Move your pawn from either ship or Tortuga to an adjoining Rowboat. Or, move your pawn from a Rowboat to the back of the line on Tortuga or to the back of the line on the adjoining ship.
Captains
- Call for an Attack — Successful Attacks let you take treasure from the Spanish Galleon. If the Spanish Galleon is out of treasure, successful Attacks let you take treasure from the other pirate ship. See "Vote Cards" section for details.
- Maroon any crewmate to Tortuga — Maroon any other pawn on your ship to Tortuga. You may not maroon yourself.
First Mates
- Call for a Mutiny — Successful Mutinies maroon your captain to Tortuga. See "Vote Cards" section for details.
Cabin Boys
- Move 1 treasure on your ship from one hold to the other — Move 1 treasure token already on your ship from the British treasure hold to the French treasure hold, or vice versa.
Governor of Tortuga
- Call for a Brawl — Brawls move the 2 pieces of treasure already on Tortuga to one or both treasure areas on Tortuga. See "Vote Cards" section for details.
Vote Cards
Attacks, Mutinies, and Brawls are all types of Votes. When a Vote is called for, all players participating in the Vote will put 1 of their Vote cards face-down into the middle. For each type of Vote, the top Vote card from the Vote deck is also placed face-down in the middle. All cards in the middle are then shuffled and revealed, and the result of the Vote is carried out.
After the Vote is complete, mix and place all played Vote cards face-down at the bottom of the Vote deck. Each player who participated in the Vote draws a new Vote card from the top of the Vote deck.
Attack
The Captain of a ship may call for an Attack as their action. If the Captain is the only player on the ship, he may still call for an Attack. Only players on the attacking Captain's ship participate in the Vote.
Only the top section of the Vote card matters in an Attack and contains a Cannon, a Torch, or Water. Every 1 Water cancels out 1 Torch. If there is at least 1 Cannon, and at least 1 "successful" Torch played in the Vote, the Captain may take 1 piece of treasure from the Spanish Galleon and place it in either hold on his ship. If the Spanish Galleon is out of treasure the Captain may take 1 piece of treasure from either treasure hold on the other pirate ship (Flying Dutchman or Jolly Roger), even if the other ship has no pawns on it, and place it in either hold on his ship.
Example: If 2 Cannons, 1 Torch, and 1 Water were played, the attack would fail since the Water cancelled the Torch and there were no "successful" Torches.
Example: If 1 Cannon, 2 Torches, and 1 Water were played, the attack would succeed since there is 1 Cannon and only 1 of the Torches was cancelled by water, thus leaving 1 "successful" Torch.
Example: If 2 Cannons and 2 Torches were played, the attack would succeed. However, you still only take 1 piece of treasure.
Brawl
The Governor of Tortuga may call for a Brawl as their action. If the Governor is the only player on Tortuga, he may still call for a Brawl. Only players on Tortuga participate in the Vote.
Only the middle section of the Vote card matters in a Brawl and contains either a British flag or a French flag. If a majority of the revealed cards are British flags, place both pieces of treasure on Tortuga in the British treasure area. If a majority are French flags, place both pieces of treasure on Tortuga in the French treasure area. If there is a tie, place 1 piece of treasure in each area. The two pieces of treasure on Tortuga always remain on Tortuga, but they may be moved to either of the areas on Tortuga in future Brawls.
Mutiny
The First Mate of a ship may call for a Mutiny as their action. Only players on that ship, except for the captain, participate in the Vote.
Only the bottom section of the Vote card matters in a Mutiny and contains either a Skull or a Helm. If a majority of the revealed cards have a Skull, then the captain on the mutinying ship is marooned to Tortuga. If a majority have a Helm or there is a tie, nothing happens.
Special Vote cards
Two Vote cards in the game have two symbols in each section. Each symbol is counted towards the Vote total.
Example: Two Vote cards are revealed in a Brawl. One card has 1 British flag and the other special Vote card has 2 French flags. The French team would win the Brawl since it is 2 flags to 1.
Getting Marooned & Tortuga
If a pawn on a ship gets marooned to Tortuga, pawns ranked behind it on the same ship will move up to fill in the empty pawn position. If the Captain is marooned, the First Mate becomes Captain. If everyone on a ship has been marooned, the treasure that is on that ship remains on that ship in the same treasure holds. That treasure still counts towards a team's total treasure unless it is moved later in the game. If a player boards an empty ship, they become Captain of that ship.
If you are marooned to Tortuga, your pawn is placed at the back of the line on Tortuga. For example, if Tortuga is currently empty then the "back of the line" is the Governor's position. For another example, if Tortuga already has 2 pawns on it, the "back of the line" is the "3" position. While on Tortuga you still get turns and you may still perform player actions as normal.
If you are already on Tortuga and you get marooned again, two things happen to you. First, your pawn is moved to the back of the line on Tortuga and pawns that were ranked behind you move up. (If you are alone on Tortuga your position does not change.) Second, one of your Vote cards is chosen at random by another player and placed unseen at the bottom of the Vote card deck. You will play with fewer Vote cards for the rest of the game. If you are marooned multiple times while on Tortuga, you will lose multiple Vote cards. If you lose all of your Vote cards you may still call for a Vote if in a position to do so but you will not be able to participate.
Rowboats
Moving to a Rowboat takes one action. Therefore, it takes two total actions to get from Tortuga to a ship or from a ship to Tortuga, since you must move to the Rowboat as one action, and move to the ship or Tortuga as the second action. If there is a pawn currently on a Rowboat, no other pawn may move onto that Rowboat since each Rowboat holds only 1 pawn at a time. If your pawn is on a Rowboat, you do not participate in Votes. You are allowed to "sit" on the Rowboat and perform other actions (e.g., viewing and revealing cards) in order to block other pawns. If you are marooned while on a Rowboat, you must return your pawn to the back of the line on Tortuga, but you do not lose a Vote card.
Ending & Winning the Game
As soon as the Event deck runs out and the only unrevealed Event cards left are the 5 in the row, shuffle those 5 cards and lay them out in a new row. The Spanish Armada card will be one of those final 5 cards and revealed cards will no longer be replaced.
Immediately when the Spanish Armada is revealed, the team with the most treasure wins the game. You can win with your team regardless of where your pawn is when the game ends.
In games with an odd number of players, if teams are tied when the Spanish Armada card is revealed, the Dutch player wins.
In games with an even number of players, if teams are tied when the Spanish Armada card is revealed, remove the Spanish Armada card from the game and shuffle all discarded and unrevealed Event cards into a new Event deck. Do not shuffle in cards that are currently in front of a player, such as an Albatross, Letter of Marque, or a Treasure Map. Lay out 5 new Event cards in the row and continue playing where you left off. The first team to take the lead wins the game.
Important Gameplay Info
This game is about knowledge and communication. Revealing Event cards at random may hurt your team so it's often in your best interest to use an action to view the cards first, or to rely on the knowledge of a trusted ally. You can also use your team's knowledge to force an enemy to reveal harmful cards and suffer the consequences. If your team is in the lead, it may be to your team's advantage to go through the deck quickly so that you can end the game before the other team catches up.
A big part of the game is managing the Vote cards in your hand so you don't get stuck using a card that works against your strategy. If Attacking with your team, you can collaborate or mislead about who is going to play a Cannon, who is going to play a Torch, etc. In the Vote card deck there are 30% Cannons, 30% Waters, and 40% Torches (not counting the two special Vote cards).
Players may look through the discard pile at any time. A player may use their own paper or device to keep track of where viewed cards are in the line of Event cards (Tortuga 1667 is not a memory game!). While you are encouraged to communicate verbally with others in the open about where certain Event cards are located, you may not pass notes, devices, whispers, or texts to share information. As soon as an action is stated, Event cards are pointed to, a Vote card is played, or a pawn is let go of, there are no take-backs (unless house rules mercifully dictate otherwise).
Below you will find clarifications about each Event card and some advanced optional rules for experienced players. If you'd like, you may begin playing and read the rest as needed. Remember, when the Spanish Armada card is revealed, the team with the most treasure wins the game!
Event Cards
In the descriptions below, "any player" includes yourself. "Another player" does not include yourself. All card resolutions are mandatory when revealed.
Helpful Cards (6)
Letter of Marque (3) — Revealer moves any player currently on Tortuga or a Rowboat to the back of the line of either ship. Revealer may also save this card and use it as a future action. Using it as a future action costs that entire future turn. In 2-player games (where you get 2 actions each turn instead of 1), if you reveal a Letter of Marque and immediately use it, that counts as 1 action. If you reveal and save a Letter of Marque, that counts as 1 action. If you play a Letter of Marque that was saved in an earlier turn, that also counts as 1 action.
Pistol (3) — Revealer points to another player. That player is marooned. Pistols can not be saved to use as a later action.
Hurtful Cards (6)
Albatross (3) — Revealer keeps this card face-up in front of them for the rest of the game. If at any point a ship has 2 total Albatross' on board, all players on that ship are marooned to Tortuga. Example: The First Mate revealed an Albatross earlier in the game and has it in front of him. If anyone on that First Mate's ship (including himself) reveals another Albatross, everyone on that ship (even those players without Albatross cards) are marooned to Tortuga. If you possess 2 Albatross cards and you enter a ship, everyone on the ship (including you, who just joined the ship) is immediately marooned to Tortuga. You are essentially a walking bomb. Albatross cards have no effect on Tortuga. If more than 1 player enters Tortuga simultaneously because they all were marooned from Albatross cards, they reverse their rank order (Cabin Boy would get best-ranked open pawn spot on Tortuga, Captain would get worst, etc.).
Black Spot (3) — Revealer is marooned.
Treasure Maps (3)
Revealer gives the Treasure Map to another player. When the player given the card ("the owner") uses a Treasure Map, it does not count as an action. A player may be given and possess multiple Treasure Maps. In 2 and 3-player games, players still must give revealed Treasure Maps to another player.
Atlantis (1) — Owner may move from one ship to the back of the line on the other ship immediately before any player's turn (including their own). As soon as a player states which action they will use for their turn, it is too late for the owner of Atlantis to use Atlantis before that turn. Using Atlantis does not count as an action. Owner may not use this card to move from Tortuga or a Rowboat to a ship. Discard after use.
El Dorado (1) — Owner immediately draws 1 extra Vote card. In any one future Vote, owner may play two Vote cards instead of the usual one. Players given El Dorado (including those playing down Vote cards from being marooned while on Tortuga) may keep the El Dorado card and not use its ability in order to keep more Vote cards in their hand. Discard the El Dorado card after using two cards in a Vote.
Fountain of Youth (1) — Owner may choose to not be marooned after revealing a Black Spot, getting shot with a Pistol, being marooned by their captain, or being marooned from a successful Mutiny. If they use this card to prevent being marooned by their captain, that counts as the captain's action. Discard after use.
Starred Cards (add 3 into each game)
Black Powder — Revealer places the explosion token on either Rowboat. That Rowboat may not be used for the rest of the game. If a player is currently on that Rowboat they are marooned to the back of the line on Tortuga. The only way to move to a ship without its Rowboat is to use a Letter of Marque or Atlantis.
Cabin Fever — Revealer chooses 1 other player. Revealer and the chosen player's Loyalty cards are shuffled and redistributed to each of them. They each secretly view their new Loyalty card.
Crow's Nest — Revealer places any one player's hand of Vote cards face-down in the Vote deck. Revealer then privately searches the entire Vote deck for any Vote cards to replace the cards that were in that player's hand. Shuffle the Vote deck after completing. Be sure to replace that player's hand with the same number of Vote cards they had when Crow's Nest was revealed.
Eight Bells — All pawns on the revealer's boat or island are put into the pouch and drawn out randomly back onto that boat or island. There is no effect if the revealer is alone or is on a Rowboat.
Facade — Revealer swaps pawn positions with the player sitting on their right.
Pirate Code — Revealer keeps. Revealer may not participate in the next two Votes (Attack, Mutiny, or Brawl) that they would have been a part of. They may still call for a Vote if in a position to do so. If they are alone for a Vote, a Vote card is still added from the deck. Turn this card sideways after missing the first Vote to help you keep track. Discard after not participating in the second Vote.
Scurvy — All players on the same ship or island as the revealer, including the revealer, lose their next turn. Those players still lose their next turn even if they are moved off of the Scurvy revealer's ship or island. Players losing their turn may still participate in relevant Brawls, Mutinies, or Attacks called for by non-skipped players. In 2-player games, skipped players miss both actions for their next turn.
Stormy Seas — All treasure on the revealer's ship is returned to the Spanish Galleon (if on a ship) or the Tortuga treasures are returned to their original starting areas (if on Tortuga). Remember, if there is treasure on the Spanish Galleon, captains can not attack each other's ships until the treasure on the Galleon is gone. There is no effect if the revealer is on a ship with no treasure or is on a Rowboat.
Game-Ender (1)
Spanish Armada — The game ends when the Spanish Armada card is revealed. If the Spanish Armada card is the last card left, players may not use an action to view cards or to force other players to reveal cards.
Optional Advanced Rules
For a longer, more chaotic game, groups may place 4-8 starred Event cards in the Event deck during set-up instead of the usual 3.
For a shorter game, after you've built the Event deck remove any number of Event cards from the top of the deck and place them back in the box without viewing them. The more Event cards you remove, the shorter the game will be. You also won't know how many of each card is available in the game. Another way to shorten the game is to use a 30-second timer. If a player does not choose their action by the time the timer ends, they must immediately view 2 Event cards for their action. If a player is forced to reveal a card, they may have 30 seconds to decide which card to reveal. If they have not chosen when the timer ends, the forcer chooses which card they will reveal.
For a more strategic, less deceptive game, all players can play with their Loyalty cards face-up. A variation of this is to pass out 1 British Loyalty card face-up, 1 French Loyalty card face-up, and the other Loyalty cards face-down.
For a speedy, insane, and somewhat hilarious "crazy-person" game, put all 8 game-changer cards in the Event deck during set-up. During gameplay, players are not allowed to view Event cards as an action, meaning that each card revealed will be a surprise. Let the madness begin!
For the mind games to begin right away, during set-up place 1 treasure in each treasure area on Tortuga, place 3 treasures in the British hold on the Flying Dutchman, and place 3 treasures in the French hold on the Jolly Roger. After passing out Loyalty cards, randomly draw out the pawns one at a time. Each player may choose their starting ship and pawn position when their pawn is drawn out. Players may also choose to begin on Tortuga. Ships may begin unevenly. After all pawns have been placed, the pawn closest to the front of each ship is the captain. Move pawns up to fill any empty spaces on the ships.
The Flying Dutchman & The Jolly Roger
Since the pirate crews in this game are an assembly of All-Star pirates, we decided to give them fictional All-Star ships. The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship, glowing with eerie light and full of the dead. For 400 years pirates and sailors have claimed to see it haunting the ocean. The Jolly Roger is actually the name of the famous smiling skull and crossbones that we have come to use to represent pirates. Pirate ships began flying flags using variations of the Jolly Roger in the late 1600s.
Tortuga History
Tortuga, a small island off of Haiti, was an important pirate settlement and hideout during the golden age of piracy. British, French, and Dutch pirates lived together on the island in a loose alliance and formed a pirate government known as "The Brethren of the Coast." Rich from its support of piracy and protected by the Brethren, Tortuga was full of taverns, gambling houses, and prostitutes.
The French and British governments, in an attempt to weaken the mighty Spanish, would often legalize piracy by giving pirates letters of marque. These gave pirates permission to unofficially plunder Spanish ships and towns. Many of the pirates on Tortuga chose the privateering life over full-blown piracy, which was illegal. Loyalty to country was fleeting, though, and pirates often walked the line between patriotism and rebellion.
The Pirates (Brethren of the Coast)
Henry Morgan — Henry Morgan was one of the most successful privateers to ever live, launching many of his attacks out of Tortuga. Morgan sacked dozens of Spanish towns and ships. Unlike most privateers, Morgan stayed loyal to his British homeland, lived to enjoy his treasure, was knighted by King Charles II, and was even appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.
Charlotte De Berry — Charlotte was kidnapped and forced to marry a merchant ship captain. She persuaded the crew to mutiny, decapitated her husband, and became captain of the ship. Some say that she was a fictional character popularized by Edward Lloyd's "History of the Pirates," while others say she was the fiercest female pirate to sail the Caribbean.
Johnson the Terror — Daniel Johnson was a merchant sailor when he was captured by a Spanish warship and sold as a slave. He escaped to Tortuga and enlisted as a privateer, attacking Panama alongside Henry Morgan. His thirst for revenge on his Spanish enslavers earned him the nickname "Johnson the Terror." The Spanish once offered a hefty reward of $25,000 for his capture.
Francois L'Ollonais — Francois, perhaps the most famous French buccaneer to sail the Caribbean, based many of his pirate expeditions out of Tortuga. He came to be known as "The Bane of the Spanish" because of his violent raids and fascination with torture. He once ate the heart of one of his captives. Karma caught up with him when he was eaten by cannibals in Panama in 1667.
Anne Dieu-Le-Veut — Anne was sent to Tortuga from France as a criminal and was widowed twice before famous buccaneer Laurens de Graaf proposed to her at the point of her gun. Though it was usually bad luck to have a woman onboard, Anne accompanied de Graaf and fought alongside him. It is believed that after years of piracy Anne and Laurens settled in Louisiana with their children.
Bertrand D'Ogeron — Bertrand fought in the French navy and grew tobacco in Santo Domingo before being appointed governor of Tortuga from 1665 until 1673. He offered high commissions to privateers to attack Spanish ships and towns. Tortuga flourished under his governorship as he encouraged cooperation between the French, British, and Dutch against the powerful Spaniards.
Rock Braziliano — Rock grew up in Dutch-controlled Brazil and was active in the Caribbean from 1654 until his disappearance in 1671. He got his start when he mutinied his captain near Port Royal, and made his living attacking Spanish ships and towns alongside Henry Morgan and Francois L'Ollonais. Rock was known to roast his prisoners alive.
Lawrence Prince — Lawrence was a Dutchman active in the Caribbean from 1659-1671 working as a British privateer. After his successful raid of Granada, Lawrence was recruited by Henry Morgan to be an officer in the sacking of Panama. Lawrence later became a wealthy landowner in Jamaica before returning to England in 1715.
Bartholomew Portugues — Bartholomew raided the coast of New Spain from 1666-1669 and was one of the first pirates to lay down a set of guiding rules known as "The Pirate Code." After being captured near Cuba, Bartholomew escaped with a knife, floated to shore using wine bottles, crossed 120 miles of jungle, recruited a new crew, and returned to capture the very ship that had held him prisoner.
Credits
Rules & Gameplay: Travis Hancock. Illustrations: Sarah Keele. Graphic Design: Holly Hancock.
Part of the Dark Cities Series. For more information about Tortuga 1667 and the Dark Cities Series, please visit www.facadegames.com