Trap the Cap
Trap the Cap Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- Trap the Cap board
- 16 caps in 4 colours
- 1 golden cap
- 1 dice
Aim of the game
The players try to hunt and trap as many caps belonging to other players as they can and to carry these off to their hideout without being caught themselves.
Basic rules
To begin, each player receives 4 caps of one colour and places these on the hideout of the same colour. From here each sets out on his hunt and it is to here that trapped caps are brought.
The players throw the dice in turn and move the same number of spaces as points thrown on the dice. The direction of a move is left up to each player; he can move backwards, forwards, to the right or left, as he chooses. Only one direction can be taken within a move. The whole move must be made with one cap. The player is also free to decide which cap he moves and how many caps he has on the board at any one time.
Trapping
Caps are trapped when another player's cap lands directly on the same square. The newly arrived cap slips over the other cap. A player on his way back to his hideout to unload any trapped caps can continue to trap caps that happen to be in his way, i.e., any time he lands on an occupied space.
Releasing caps
If a player manages to bring back his booty of trapped caps to his hideout and discovers caps of his own colour among those trapped, he is permitted to set these free and send them out onto the board again. Trapped caps belonging to the other players are set safely under "lock and key".
The Hideout
A player's hideout is also his starting point. Once a cap has left its hideout it can only return if carrying trapped caps. To re-enter the hideout it is not necessary to throw the exact number needed.
Example
A player is standing 2 squares in front of his hideout and throws a 5. He enters his hideout (the hideout counts as 1), sets down his prisoners and moves back onto the board with the remaining 2 points of his throw.
Grey squares
The grey squares on the board are resting places. Up to 3 caps at a time can rest on the same grey square; here they cannot be trapped.
Yellow squares
On yellow squares several caps of one colour can occupy the same square at one time. Should a cap of another colour land on an occupied yellow square, however, this cap takes all the other caps on that square.
Six
If a 6 is thrown, the player takes another turn.
Finish
Before beginning the game players must agree on one of two methods to decide the winner. If they play an "offensive game", the game ends when caps of only one colour are left on the board. The winner is the player who managed to trap the highest number of other players' caps.
If the players decide to play a "defensive game", the game also finishes when caps of only one colour are left on the board. The winner this time is the player whose caps are still on the board. Thus here the number of caps trapped by each player is irrelevant.
Variants
Partners Game
The basic rules of "Trap the Cap®" are followed, except that when there are 4 players they split into two teams. Each player still throws for himself and may only move his own caps. However, each pair of players only traps caps belonging to the opposing team. Each player may free not only his own caps but also those of his partner. The winner will not be a single player, but a team of 2.
Total Partners Game
This variation is played just like the "Partners Game", except that when a player throws the dice he may move any cap belonging to his team. For example, if blue and yellow are playing together, the blue player can also move yellow caps if this will help his team.
The Tower Race
This game is played to the basic rules, except that once caps have moved out of their hideout, they may not return to it. This means that it is not possible to lock up captured caps. At the end of the game, there will be just one very tall tower of caps. The player whose cap is on top is the winner.
The Golden Cap Game
As in the basic game, each player starts with his caps in his hideout. The golden cap is placed on the square in the centre of the board.
Each player now tries to trap the golden cap and get it back to his hideout, thereby setting it free. Whoever has the golden cap has a strong advantage:
- he can attack opposing caps on the resting places as well as in the normal way
- the golden cap can move forwards and backwards in the same move and so catch more than one cap in the same go.
For example, if the player throws a 5, he may move forwards 2 spaces, trap a cap and then move back 3 spaces to trap another cap.
So all caps who are within 6 spaces of the golden cap are in danger. However, the golden cap can be captured by other players in the usual way.
Before the start of the game, players agree on how the winner shall be decided. It can either be the player who owns the golden cap at the end or the player who has the most prisoners.