Components
- Trap the Cap board
- 16 caps in 4 colors
- 1 golden cap
- 1 dice
- Instructions
Object 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.
Game Play
To begin, each player receives 4 caps of one color and places these on the hideout of the same color. 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 color 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 color can occupy the same square at one time. Should a cap of another color 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.
End of the Game
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 color 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 color 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.
Continue Reading
