The curse of the Ruby Rhino dates back to the 16th century when King Maximus Gluttonus IV stole the jewel from the tomb of the great Pharaoh Andaway in a desperate attempt to find a belated anniversary gift for his wife, Queen Beatrice.
Little did the king know that the Pharaoh placed a curse on the rhino so that anyone who took it would have all of their riches turned into worthless counterfeits.
Disgraced by the curse (and abandoned by the queen), the penniless king eventually buried the Ruby Rhino along with his fake fortune in a secret cavern that was recently unearthed by brave adventurers. Little did they know that there is a simple way to break the curse...
Components
- 20 fake gold coins
- 2 custom dice
- 2 dice roll legends
- 1 Ruby Rhino
Object of the Game
Be the first player to get rid of all of your fake gold coins and claim the Ruby Rhino.
Setup
Place the bottom of the game box (aka the treasure chest) in the center of the playing area. Distribute the fake gold coins to each player as follows:
- 2 players - 8 coins
- 3 players - 6 coins
- 4 players - 5 coins
- 5 players - 4 coins
Put the Ruby Rhino along with any leftover coins in the treasure chest. Place the dice roll legends within easy access of all players. Have a pen and paper handy to keep score.
Game Play
The last person to see a live rhinoceros goes first and play continues to the left. On your turn, roll both dice and take one of the following actions, depending on the outcome of your roll:
Collecting Coins from the Left
If you roll any combination that involves collecting coins from left, take the indicated number of coins from the player to your immediate left.
If that player does not have enough coins to match your roll, continue collecting from the next player to the left and so on.
Taking the Ruby Rhino
Anytime an action indicates "Take the Ruby Rhino", steal it from wherever it stands and place it in front of you.
Playing Notes
Take another turn anytime you roll matching dice.
Roll the dice every turn, even if you have no coins in front of you.
If you can't complete an action, simply pass the dice them to the next player.
Breaking the Curse and Ending a Round
A round ends as soon as one player holds only the Ruby Rhino without any fake gold coins. (Note: this may happen during another player's turn).
That person has broken the curse and wins all of the loose coins in the treasure chest as a reward. Count the winner's coins and write down the total.
Start a new round by redistributing the coins as before and placing the rest back in the treasure chest along with the rhino.
End of the Game
The first player to accumulate 50 points wins the game. For a longer or shorter game, set a different amount needed to win before playing.
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