Cheese Master
Cheese Master Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 40 double-sided cards
- 32 plate cards: In the center of each plate card is a number. Use these cards to give your answer to the question "how much cheese is left?". The small number on a yellow background matches the number on the reverse side of the card.
- 8 cheesemaker cards: These cards show how many points you have left, from 7 to 0. Each time you lose points, rotate the card clockwise so that the value on the top side of the card equals your number of points.
- 6 dice
- 3 yellow dice
- 3 orange dice
- Each die face shows either cheese (in various amounts) or a character. If you are playing for the first time, use only the yellow dice. In later games you can add the orange dice: they bring new characters and new counting rules into the game.
- 7 wooden cheese wheels: Use them when you give your final answer.
About the Game
Roll the dice and count how much cheese is left, ahead of the other players.
Setup
- Each player takes a set of five cards of one color: 1 cheesemaker card; 4 plate cards (double-sided, with numbers from 0 to 7+). Put the remaining cards back in the box.
- Each player places their cheesemaker card in front of them (the number "7" must be on top) and holds their plate cards in hand.
- Take cheese wheels: one fewer than the number of players. Place them in the middle of the table. Put the remaining wheels back in the box.
- Place the dice in the middle of the table so that all players can reach them. You may examine the faces of the dice before the game starts.
For the first games we recommend using only the yellow dice. Leave the orange ones in the box: they make the counting rules harder (see the Orange Dice section).
Example setup for a four-player game: each player has a cheesemaker card in front of them and plate cards 0 to 7+ in hand; three cheese wheels are in the middle of the table with the dice.
Gameplay
The game consists of several rounds and ends when all players but one have been eliminated (see Elimination). This is a game of speed and observation. In each round the players roll the dice and count how many pieces of cheese are left. A round consists of these stages:
- One player rolls all the dice into the middle of the table (in the first round the dice are rolled by the owner of the game).
- All players try to count the pieces of cheese on the dice as quickly as possible (everyone acts simultaneously; there are no "turns" in this game).
To count the pieces of cheese, apply the effects of the rolled dice in the following order (top to bottom):
| Face | Effect |
|---|---|
| +1 / +2 / +3 | Count the pieces of cheese on the faces. |
| -1 (Mouse King) | The Mouse King eats 1 piece of cheese no matter what! |
| Innkeeper | The Innkeeper chases away all dogs, cats and mice (except the Mouse King). |
| Dog | The dog chases away 1 cat. |
| Cat | Each cat chases away 1 mouse (except the Mouse King). |
| Mouse (-1 / -2) | Each mouse eats 1 piece of cheese (2 mice = 2 pieces, etc.). |
Subtract 1 for each piece of cheese eaten. Do not apply the effects of characters that have been chased away!
- When a player finishes counting the pieces of cheese, they must do the following (strictly in this order):
- Place one of their plate cards in front of them so that the number in the center of the card matches their estimated number of pieces of cheese.
- Take a cheese wheel from the middle of the table and place it on the plate card, covering the number, to lock in the final answer. After that the plate card may not be changed.
Example
Andrey rolls three yellow dice into the middle of the table. Looking at them carefully, he realizes that only 2 pieces of cheese are left. He places the plate card with the number "2" on the table and then puts one of the cheese wheels on it.
The round ends as soon as there are no cheese wheels left in the middle of the table. Since there is one fewer wheel than there are players, someone will be left with an empty plate!
End of a Round
- The player left without a cheese wheel immediately loses 1 point. They rotate (or flip) their cheesemaker card so that the number on top becomes 1 lower.
- Players who guessed the number of remaining pieces of cheese incorrectly immediately lose 2 points. They rotate (or flip) their cheesemaker cards so that the number on top becomes 2 lower.
Example
Anna made a mistake: she placed the card with the number "3", but only 2 pieces of cheese were left! She rotates her cheesemaker card by 180 degrees: now she has only 5 points.
If you have fewer than 4 points left, flip your cheesemaker card over and continue counting.
Example
Andrey had 4 points and lost 2 in the current round. He flips his cheesemaker card and places it so that the number "2" is on top.
- Now you can begin a new round. Put the cheese wheels back in the middle of the table. The player who did not manage to take a cheese wheel in this round chooses who rolls the dice next.
Elimination
When a player loses all their points, they rotate their cheesemaker card so that the number "0" is on top, and they are eliminated from the game. Do not forget to remove one cheese wheel, so that there is always 1 fewer than the number of players.
Penalties
All sorts of things can happen in the pursuit of cheese! If you make one of these mistakes, you immediately lose 1 point:
- you dropped the dice off the edge of the table;
- you touched a die after the roll, before the end of the current round;
- you took a cheese wheel before placing your plate card.
End of the Game
The last remaining player wins. In case of a tie, the players replay the last round to determine the winner.
Example
In the last round Andrey had 2 points left, but his guess was wrong, so he loses both points. Anna had 1 point left, but she did not manage to take a cheese wheel and also lost her last point. Since both players were eliminated at the same time, they get their points back and start the round again.
Orange Dice
When all players are comfortable with the 3 yellow dice, you can add new effects by using 1, 2 or 3 orange dice. First add the die with the dog face, then the innkeeper, then the Mouse King.
King of the Cheese Mountain
If you want to play longer, you can start with one random yellow die. In the second and third games add 1 yellow die each, and starting with the fourth game add an orange die each, in the order given above. The player who wins the most games wins. They become the true King of the Cheese Mountain!
Reference Card
| Face | Effect |
|---|---|
| +1 / +2 / +3 | Count the pieces of cheese on the faces. |
| -1 (Mouse King) | The Mouse King eats 1 piece of cheese no matter what! |
| Innkeeper | The Innkeeper chases away all dogs, cats and mice (except the Mouse King). |
| Dog | The dog chases away 1 cat. |
| Cat | Each cat chases away 1 mouse (except the Mouse King). |
| Mouse (-1 / -2) | Each mouse eats 1 piece of cheese (2 mice = 2 pieces, etc.). |
Counting Example
- The dice show 4 pieces of cheese (3+1).
- The Mouse King eats 1 piece.
- The dog chases away the cat.
- As a result, the cat does not chase away a mouse.
- The mouse eats 1 piece.
- 2 pieces of cheese remain!