Cosmic Wimpout Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• How to Play
  • Flashes
  • Freight Trains and the Supernova
  • Special Situations
  • Example of Play
• More Fun Rules
  • The Guiding Light
  • Opening Roll
  • Last Licks
  • End Game
  • Freight Train
  • Full House ("Amherst Rule")
  • Scoreboard Rules

How to Play

Agree on a game goal (usually 300 or 500 points). The first player starts by rolling all five cubes. Next, count the points rolled on that first throw.

The 5 and 10 dice count as five and ten points unless three or five of the same face are rolled at once.

Flashes

Three matching faces on the same throw is known as a flash:

• Three half-moons = 20
• Three pyramids = 30
• Three starbursts = 40
• Three 5s = 50
• Three stars = 60
• Three 10s = 100

The Flaming Sun is WILD. It can be used to score 5 or 10 points (you must if it's the only scoring cube in that roll), as part of a flash, or as a non-scoring cube and then it can be re-rolled. The Flaming Sun Rule says that you must make a flash with the sun if you roll it with a pair.

Freight Trains and the Supernova

Five matching faces rolled at once are a Freight Train:

• Five half-moons = 200 points
• Five starbursts = 400 points
• Five 5s = 500 points
• Five stars = Instant Winner
• Five 10s = Supernova

If you roll five tens, that is just Too Many Points. This is a Supernova. You are instantly out of the game.

Any time you roll something other than numbers, Flashes or Freight Trains, that's a Wimpout. Your turn is over and you've lost all points accumulated in that turn. Wimping out with five cubes is called a Train Wreck.

Special Situations

You have the option to stop, accumulate points and end your turn anytime you roll and don't wimp out except in the following situations:

• Opening Roll - You need at least 35 points to get in the game.
• You May Not Want To But You Must - If after any series of rolls you score with all 5 dice, you must continue your turn, rolling all five cubes.
• The Futtless Rule - States that all flashes must be cleared.

To clear a flash, you must score additional points by continuing to roll the non-scoring cubes (or all 5 if you've scored with five cubes) or you wimp out. The reroll clause states that you cannot match any one of the flash faces when clearing. If you match a flash face when clearing, you must reroll all those cubes just rolled until you can keep 'em or Wimp out.

Ending the Game/Last Licks - When the player reaches the Game Goal, all other players get one last chance to catch up and pass the leader.

Example of Play

Imaginary Roll: three starbursts and a fourth, non-scoring starburst, plus a 5. That's 45 points - the fourth matching face is non-scoring. According to the Futtless Rule you must roll the non-scoring cube. If you roll a four (a pyramid), the Reroll Clause says you must reroll that cube. Say you roll a ten, that would give you 55 points. The You May Not Want To But You Must rule comes into effect now and you Must roll all five dice.

You roll: two stars, a Flaming Sun, a pyramid, and a half-moon. The Flaming Sun Rule says you have to make this a 60 point flash and The Futtless Rule says you have to clear it by rolling the two remaining dice (without rolling a star - reroll clause). Say you roll a 5 and a 10 - that would give you 75 points - but you must roll them all again (Y.M.N.W.T.B.Y.M).

So you roll: a pyramid, a half-moon, a pyramid, a star, and a non-scoring starburst. This Cosmic Wimpout is a classic Train Wreck and you lose all your points for the turn. Sometimes you're in the Cosmos... sometimes you Wimp out!

For many this is just the beginning. The game is ever changing and open to new rules and interpretations so the Guiding Light was developed. The Guiding Light says any new rule may be added at any time provided all players agree. The proposed new rule may go into effect the next time the situation occurs.

Some players practice Cosmic Cube Control. Energizing your cubes contributes to the fun; some say it's a necessary ritual to ensure unfailing tesseract compliance.

Most players agree that hesitation is a bad idea... so roll, already!

More Fun Rules

The fun and excitement of playing Cosmic Wimpout has just begun. Since the game is ever changing and open to new rules and interpretations, the Guiding Light was developed to assist you as you introduce your rules in the game:

The Guiding Light

The Guiding Light says that any new rule may be added at any time provided all players agree.

The new rule must go into effect the next time the same situation occurs.

Opening Roll

You need 35 points on your first roll to get into the game. Otherwise, you must keep rolling.

Last Licks

Once a player's score has passed the previously agreed upon winning total (500 is recommended), then LAST LICKS begin. Each of the other players gets one last chance to try and pass the leader's score. Any player who fails to take over the lead is out of the game. Anytime a leader is passed, the old leader gets a Last Lick to try to pass the new leader. This continues until everyone has Wimped Out, leaving the player with the highest total score as the Winner.

End Game

End Game is played instead of Last Licks.

When one player passes the winning total, all other players have one last chance to pass the leader. The player with the highest score at the end of the final roll is the winner. There are no Last Licks.

The End Game rule causes a different strategy than Last Licks as a player must try to be well ahead of the other player(s) before going over the winning total.

Freight Train

If on a roll of all five dice, you roll five matching faces, it's a Freight Train.

Here's what happens when you roll five of each kind on a single throw:

• Five half-moons = 200 points
• Five starbursts = 400 points
• Five 5s = 500 points
• Five stars = Instant Winner
• Five 10s = Supernova

If you roll five tens, that is just Too Many Points. This is a Supernova. You are instantly out of the game. (This roll is also called a Freight Train Train Wreck)

Full House ("Amherst Rule")

If you are rolling two dice after a Flash, and you roll a pair, you have the option of taking an extra Last Lick, or rolling again. Most players roll again. The Flash must still be cleared.

Scoreboard Rules

Keep Rolling Rule - No two players can be on the same spot at the same time. If you want to take your points for the turn, but another player is on that spot, you must keep rolling.

Wellenda - If any one of your cubes lands on (or touches) another player's marker, you have to repeat the roll. The same is true if your cubes land on one another and stack up. (Yes, it happens)