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Gotcha! Game Rules


Components

  • 1 gameboard
  • 8 colored pawns
  • 4 orange card mats
  • 1 buzzer
  • 110 cards
  • 6 blank Create-Your-Own Rule Cards
  • Instructions

Object of the Game

Keep your eyes on your opponents as you make rules for them to follow. When you catch someone breaking a rule, be first to hit the buzzer and score. Don't forget to follow the rules yourself, though - otherwise someone might buzz you and say "Gotcha!"


Setup

Place the gameboard and buzzer where they are easily visible. Switch the buzzer to the "ON" position located on the underside of the unit. All scoring is centered around the buzzer, so make sure everyone can reach it!

Have each player choose a colored pawn and place it on the START space of the gameboard. Remove the 6 Create-Your-Own Rule Cards from the deck (). Shuffle all the remaining cards and deal 2 face down to each player. Players may look at their own hands.

Place the remaining cards next to the gameboard to form the draw pile. Place the 4 orange card mats near the gameboard. If you are playing with 3 players, only use 3 mats.

Since you decided to take the initiative and read the instructions, you go first.


Game Play

  1. Draw one card from the draw pile. This action starts your turn.

  2. Now play one card from your hand to create a new rule. This action ends your turn.



  3. Read the new rule aloud that you just played or altered; the rule is now active and players must act accordingly. Players are not responsible for folowing a rule until it has been read aloud.

  4. Play moves clockwise (to the left) and the next player draws a card to begin his or her turn.

  5. Catch any opponent breaking a rule at any point during play and be the first to press the buzzer and score. After pressing the buzzer you must call out which rule was broken and which player was the rule breaker.

    The buzzing player scores by advancing his pawn forward 2 spaces on the gameboard while the rule breaker moves backward 1 space.

  6. The first player to the Champ space wins!


If the draw pile runs out, leave the topmost, active rule cards where they are, remove al cards underneath and shuffle them together to form a new draw pile.



Playing Rule Cards

Rule Cards create rules that players will follow throughout the game. On each turn, you must choose which rule card to play from your hand. Only one card is played per turn. There are 3 types of rule cards in the deck; each has a different effect on the game.



A. Top Rule Cards

A Top Rule Card and a Bottom Rule Card work together to form one complete rule. The white Top Rule Card defines which players the Bottom Rule Card applies to.

Top Rule Cards are placed directly on the gameboard in their allotted space. The gameboard begins with 2 Top Rule Cards already printed on it (Male and Female).

To play a card, place it over the previous card of the same type, and read the entire rule card combination aloud for all to hear. In the example at the right, you would read aloud:

"Everyone wearing jeans must only whisper".

Top Rule Cards can be played even if the adjoining bottom rule card space is empty.


B. Bottom Rule Cards

The blue Bottom Rule Card defines the action that must be followed by the Top Rule Card it is paired with.

Bottom Rule Cards are placed directly on the gameboard in their allotted space.

To play a card, place it over the previous card of the same type, and read the entire rule card combination aloud. In this example, you would read aloud:

"Everyone wearing jeans must play air guitar before playing a card".


C. Individual Rule Cards

An Individual Rule Card only applies to the specific player it is given to and must be followed IN ADDITION to any applicable Top and Bottom Rule Cards in play. A player can only have one Individual Rule at a time. There cannot be more than 4 Individual Rules in play at a time and only 3 when playing with 3 players.

To play an Individual Rule Card, place it on an orange card mat. If there is an unused card mat, take one. If all mats are in play, take one away from another player - even yourself.

Place the Individual Rule Card from your hand onto the card mat atop the previous card. Give that mat to any player who does not already have an Individual Rule.

Just like every other rule, read the entire rule aloud. In the example at right, you would say:

"This player must high five before playing a card".


Scoring And Buzzing

All scoring is centered around the buzzer. There is no penalty for incorrect buzzing. To score you must be the first player to press the buzzer and announce which player broke which rule. Both you and the rule breaker now move:


  1. You correctly buzzed the rule breaker, so advance your pawn FORWARD 2 spaces toward the Champ space. If you caught more than one person breaking the same rule, you still only move forward 2 spaces.

  2. You are the rule breaker(s), so move your pawn BACKWARD 1 space toward the Wrong Way space. You can never move past the Wrong Way space, so you are never out of the game.

  3. You have only 1 turn to buzz a rule breaker for an offense. If more than 1 turn passes and nobody buzzed, the rule breaker gets away with it!

  4. If there is a disagreement whether a buzz was correct, ALL players must vote to decide the outcome. Majority rules. If a majority is not reached then nobody scores, and play continues.


End of the Game

The first player to advance to the CHAMP space wins!



Create-Your-Own Rule Cards

Included in the card deck are 6 blank Create-Your-Own-Rule Cards (3 blank Bottom Rule Cards & 3 blank Individual Rule Cards). When you think of your own funny rules, write them on these cards and then shuffle them into the card deck.




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Gotcha!

Price: $27.88