Vamp on the Batwalk Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Two Player Rules
• Gameplay
  • Step 1 - Play
  • Step 2 - Score
  • Step 3 - End of Round
• End of Game
• Scoring Examples

Components

• 1 Box / Batwalk (used to track scores)
• 6 Player Standees (used on the score track)
• 42 Vamp Cards (7 of each suit). Suits are shown on the card backs; the card fronts are numbered.
• 6 Player Reference Cards (1 of each suit)

Setup

1. Assemble the Batwalk.
2. Each player chooses a "vamp" standee and places it on the 'start' space of the batwalk. Whenever you score a point, move your standee one space on the batwalk to track your current score.
3. Then take the reference card that matches your "vamp's" color.
4. Gather the cards matching the suits of the chosen vampires and shuffle them together (excluding the reference cards, these stay in front of the players). Set the unused cards and standees aside, as they will not be used for this game. Note: If you are playing a two player game, include a third standee and suit of cards (see the Two Player Rules below for more info).
5. Deal 5 cards to each player face-down (see note below before picking them up).

IMPORTANT: When picking up your cards, hold them so that you can only see the suits on the back, and your opponent(s) can see the values on the front. While you won't be able to see your own card values, you can look at your opponent's cards to figure out what you might have.

Two Player Rules

You and your opponent face off against last season's trendsetter. While their style is good, it is also predictable. Follow the normal setup instructions for a three player game, but deal the third hand for the trendsetter in a row, face-up.

As the most fashionable, the trendsetter is the start player. On their turn, play the leftmost card in their hand. The game plays, ends, and scores as usual with one exception: if the trendsetter ever scores 5 points they win immediately.

Gameplay

Step 1 - Play

To start the game, the most fashionable player begins the round by choosing any card from their hand and playing it face-up on the table, beginning the "show". This card starts as the "lead" card. Continuing clockwise, each player must play one card from their hand. You can play any card from your hand on your turn, regardless of what other cards have been played in the show. Once each player has played their card, the show ends, and you score according to the rules in step 2.

Step 2 - Score

The first card played in a show starts as the lead card, but through the course of a show, other cards can take the lead according to these rules:

• HIGH CARD: When you play a numbered card, it becomes the lead card if it shares a suit with the current lead card and has a higher value.
• STEALING THE SHOW: When you play a card with the same value (number, star, or garlic) as the lead card but of a different suit, immediately score a bonus point. If this was a numbered card, the highest number of the suit you played now becomes the new lead card.
• STAR: When you play a star card, it always takes the lead regardless of its suit unless a garlic card has been played in the same show.
• GARLIC: Normally garlic cards are considered the lowest-valued cards and are beaten by any other card. If a star card is played in the same show as a garlic card, the most recently played garlic card becomes the lead card. Once this happens, garlic cards become the highest-valued cards and can only be beaten by another garlic card stealing the show.

Once everyone has played a card, the player with the current lead card scores a point and moves their standee 1 space forward down the Batwalk. Take the played cards and place them FACE-DOWN off to the side. The player to their right starts the next show.

Step 3 - End of Round

Each round ends after you have played all five shows. Take all of the played cards as well as the leftover cards from the deck and shuffle them together and deal 5 cards to each player FACE-DOWN. The player sitting to the right of the last show's winner starts the next round.

End of Game

After three rounds, the game ends and the player with the most points wins. If there is a tie, play another round to determine the final victor. If a player manages to score 10 points then they win immediately!

Scoring Examples

No card is ever truly out of the running to take the lead, as newly played cards can turn previously played cards into the lead card.

1. (Red 2, Blue 3, Green 1, Blue 2) Red 2 starts as the lead card. Blue 3 is a higher value, but not of the lead suit so it does NOT take the lead. Green 1 is a lower value and not of the lead suit, so it does NOT take the lead. Blue 2 steals the show from Red 2 (scoring a point) because it is the same value, and takes the lead. However, there's a higher Blue card, Blue 3, so it takes the lead. Blue 3 wins the show and scores a point.

2. (Red Garlic, Blue 3, Red 3, Green Star) Red Garlic starts as the lead card. Blue 3 takes the lead as any card played after garlic takes the lead. Red 3 steals the show from Blue 3 (scoring a point) because it is the same value, and takes the lead. Green star would normally take the lead, but since a garlic has been played, the Red Garlic actually takes the lead. Red Garlic wins the show and scores a point.

3. (Blue 3, Yellow 3, Yellow 5, Blue Star) Blue 3 starts as the lead card. Yellow 3 steals the show from Blue 3 (scoring a point) because it is the same value, and takes the lead. Yellow 5 takes the lead because it is a higher value than Yellow 3. Blue Star takes the lead because star cards always take the lead as long as there is no garlic. Blue Star wins the show and scores a point.

4. (Blue Star, Yellow Star, Red Garlic, Blue Garlic) Blue Star starts as the lead card. Yellow Star steals the show from Blue Star (scoring a point) because it is the same value, and takes the lead. Red Garlic takes the lead because a star has been played. Blue Garlic steals the show from Red Garlic (scoring a point) because it is the same value, and takes the lead. Blue Garlic wins the show and scores a point.