Bad Apples Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Components
  • Two-Piece Board
  • Burlap Sack
  • Apples
  • Bidding Tokens
• Game Setup
• How to Play
• Worm-Infested Apples
• How to Win

Game Overview

The goal of Bad Apples is to be the player with the most points after ten rounds. Each player starts with a set of apples and bidding tokens. The numbers on the apples represent the point values. Each round, every player discretely puts one of their apples into the burlap sack. These apples will be collectively auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Moving clockwise, players either raise the bid using their bidding tokens or pass. Every time a player passes, that player receives a small amount of bidding tokens as a consolation. Next, an apple is withdrawn from the burlap sack for everyone to see. The remaining players now have more insight to determine the potential point total of all the submitted apples. The last player remaining wins the auction and collects all the apples.

Components

• Two-Piece Board
• Burlap Sack
• 60 Apples
• 100 Black Bidding Tokens
• 25 Gold Bidding Tokens

Two-Piece Board

The board is in two pieces. The illustration shows a row of five numbered bidding spaces (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and a row of six apple spaces. (Transcriber note: the component illustration is the only source for the board layout at this point; the placement rules follow in the rules pages.)

Burlap Sack

The burlap sack is used to hold the submitted apples.

Apples

The components list gives 60 apples. The component illustration shows apples marked 3, 9, 15, 21, and -6, and one apple marked "Eats Highest Apple". (Transcriber note: the illustration shows only these examples; the full apple set is not printed on this page.)

Bidding Tokens

• 100 Black Bidding Tokens
• 25 Gold Bidding Tokens

Game Setup

1. Each player selects their own colored set of ten apples.

   • You can look at your apples but keep them hidden from other players.

   The ten apples in each player's set are: Eats Highest Apple, -9, -6, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 21, and Eats Lowest Apple.

2. Each player receives fifteen points worth of bidding tokens.

   • There are two values of bidding tokens. Black tokens are worth one point and gold tokens are worth five points.

3. Connect the two-piece board and place in the center of the group.

4. Fill the baskets on the board with bidding tokens.

   • Start with the lowest-numbered basket.
   • The value of tokens placed in each basket should correspond to the number listed on the basket.
   • Depending on the number of players, fill the necessary number of baskets.

Players	Baskets Filled
4	3
5	4
6	5

This is the setup for a four-player game.

How to Play

The goal is to be the player with the most points at the end of the game. Points are accumulated through apples and bidding tokens.

The game is played in rounds. There are ten rounds total. In every round, an auction for a sack of apples is held. Follow these steps during each round:

1. Each player puts one apple from their set into the burlap sack. The apples in the burlap sack will be up for auction. The winning bidder will collect all the apples submitted.

   • An apple is worth the number of points listed on the apple.
   • You can look at your apples and select the apple of your choice.
   • Do not show your apple to other players.
   • You should remember the value of your apple.

   Since each player submitted one apple, each player knows only a small fraction of the potential point total.

2. Without looking into the sack, the starting player pulls one apple from the burlap sack and places it faceup below the first basket on the board.

   • The player who most recently ate an apple starts the first round.
   • All future rounds will be started by the player who won the auction in the previous round.

   Players now have more insight to determine the potential point total of all the submitted apples.

3. The starting player makes the first bid. A bid of zero is allowed. Players may not bid more bidding tokens than they have.

   • Bids are stated out loud.
   • Players do not need to disclose the value of the tokens they possess.

4. Moving clockwise, the next player must either raise the bid or pass.

   • If a player does not have enough bidding tokens to raise the bid, the player must pass.

   The first player to pass collects the bidding tokens from the first basket. The player then pulls one apple from the burlap sack without looking and places the apple faceup below the second basket. Players who pass cannot bid for the remainder of the round.

Worm-Infested Apples

Each player has two apples in their set that contain a worm. These worm-infested apples are submitted into the burlap sack like normal. Worm-infested apples affect the total point value at the end of the auction.

• Eats Lowest Apple (worm): This type of worm removes the lowest-numbered apple on the board at the end of the auction.
• Eats Highest Apple (worm): This type of worm removes the highest-numbered apple on the board at the end of the auction.

At the end of the auction, remove the worm-infested apple and its corresponding apple. The player who won the auction does not keep these apples with their winnings. These apples are removed from play.

• A worm can only remove one apple. If there are multiple apples of the same value, only one is removed.
• The "Eats Lowest Apple" worm can remove a positive-valued apple and the "Eats Highest Apple" worm can remove a negative-valued apple.

In this 4-player example, the 15-point apple would be removed. (Example board: 3, 15, Eats Highest Apple worm, 6.)

In this 4-player example, the 6-point apple would be removed. (Example board: Eats Lowest Apple worm, 9, 6, 12.)

If two of the same type of worms are played, they cancel each other out. They are both removed from play at the end of the auction. If three of the same type of worms are played, two cancel each other out and the third removes its corresponding apple. Worms can only be removed in pairs.

In this 4-player example, both worms would be removed. (Example board: Eats Lowest Apple worm, 9, Eats Lowest Apple worm, 12.)

How to Win

After the final round, players add up their points. The player with the most points wins!

• Each apple won at auction is worth the number of points listed on the apple.
• Each black bidding token is worth one point and each gold bidding token is worth five points.
• Winning an auction is not required to win the game.

The rules page shows four example point totals:

• Player 1: apples 12, -6, 21, 9, 9, 12, 15, and 15 (87 points), plus four black bidding tokens (4 points) = 91 points.
• Player 2: apples 15, 6, 3, -9, 12, and 3 (30 points), plus three gold bidding tokens (15 points) and two black bidding tokens (2 points) = 47 points.
• Player 3: apples 15, -6, 6, and 21 (36 points), plus seven gold bidding tokens (35 points) and four black bidding tokens (4 points) = 75 points.
• Player 4: apples -6, 9, 3, 12, 6, 6, 3, and 9 (42 points), plus four gold bidding tokens (20 points) and two black bidding tokens (2 points) = 61 points as printed.

Transcriber note: the printed Player 4 total is 61, but the apples and tokens drawn in that example add up to 64 (42 + 20 + 2) under the stated values. The printed total is transcribed as-is and has not been corrected.

Player one has the most total points. They win.