Crows Overkill
Crows Overkill Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 43 Bird Cards
- 30 Shamisen Cards
- 4 Time Cards
- 4 Reference Cards
Game Elements
Bird Card — shows the number and name of the bird(s) depicted, an icon of the bird(s), and the kind and number of bird required, along with its effect.
Time Card — shows the time.
Shamisen Card — shows the card's name and effect. There are 3 languages on the card: Japanese, Chinese, and English.
Reference Card (Double-sided) — When players stay in the game, place it with the "Occupied" side up. When players drop out of the game, flip it with the "Return home" side up.
Setup
- Take the 4 Time Cards, stack them according to the order of 2:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m and 8:00 a.m., from top to bottom, forming a "Time pile".
- Shuffle the 30 Shamisen Cards facedown and deal 2 cards to each player, forming their starting hand. Players should keep their hands hidden from other players. Place the remaining cards in the center of the table to form the "Shamisen draw pile".
- Take the 2 "Bell card" and place them aside, shuffle the remaining 41 Bird Cards facedown and deal 3 cards in front of each player with the side faceup. Place the cards with a same type on a same column. Cards should be placed so that players can see the "bird type and number" of the other cards in the column.
- Separate the remaining Bird cards into 2 piles of roughly equal size. Shuffle 1 "Bell card" into a pile and another one into another pile. Place a pile on top of another to form the "Bird draw pile".
- The player who slept at the latest hour last night starts the game.
The table is set up with the Time pile, the Shamisen draw pile, and the Bird draw pile in the center, a Shamisen discard pile and a Bird discard pile beside them, and each player's starting hand and birds in front of them.
Goal of the Game
In this game, players play as guests at a red-light district. Many birds gather in front of each player. The player must kill or move birds to prevent them from crying. If bird(s) cry, that player must go home (out of the game). The player who manages to stay for the longest time will be the winner.
Gameplay
Beginning with the starting player, players take turns in clockwise order.
During a player's turn, he must perform the following actions in order:
- Draw Cards — Draw 2 Shamisen cards and deal 3 Bird cards in front of him.
- Play Cards — Play any number of Shamisen cards to reduce Bird cards in front of him.
- Declare End of the Turn — Check the Time to determine whether he is out of the game.
The game continues until all players but one are out of the game.
Draw Cards
Draw 2 Shamisen cards from the Shamisen draw pile.
Draw 3 Bird cards from the Bird draw pile and deal them in front of the player faceup. Place the cards with a same type on a same column. Cards should be placed so that players can see the "bird type and number" of the other cards in the column.
Note 1: Whenever a player draws a "Bell card", immediately remove the top card from the Time pile and place it back to the box, and then discard the Bell card onto the "Bird discard pile" faceup.
Note 2: Continued. If there is only one card in the Time pile, skip the remove action.
Note 3: Whenever a player draws a "Bell card", place only two or less Bird cards in front of him.
If a Draw pile runs out, shuffle the corresponding Discard pile to form a new Draw pile.
Play Cards
Play any number of Shamisen cards, simply follow the instructions on the card, to reduce Bird cards in front of the player.
Note: Player may choose NOT to perform the instructions on the card, but to kill 1 Bird.
Discard the used Shamisen cards onto the "Shamisen discard pile" faceup and discard the killed Bird cards onto the "Bird discard pile" faceup.
Declare End of the Turn
Check the Time card on the top of the Time pile.
If ALL of the Birds in front of the player are fewer than the conditions of Birds crying: The Birds do not cry. The player on his left takes his turn now.
Note: When the turn is over, players can only keep up to 5 Shamisen cards. Discard the extra cards onto the Shamisen discard pile.
If ONE of the Birds in front of the player is greater than or equal to the conditions of Birds crying: The Birds cry. He must go home. Discard all of the Shamisen and Bird cards onto the corresponding discard piles and drop out of the game.
The conditions of Birds crying are listed below:
| Time | Condition |
|---|---|
| 丑 (2:00 a.m.) | 8 Crows |
| 寅 (4:00 a.m.) | 5 Crows |
| 卯 (6:00 a.m.) | 3 Crows or 2 Cocks |
| 辰 (8:00 a.m.) | 3 Crows, 1 Cock or 1 Warbler |
End of the Game
The game continues until all players but one are out of the game. The remaining player will be the winner.
Description of the Bird Cards
| Kind & Number | Effect | Pcs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Bat | Bat never cries (never causes a player to drop out). When a player plays a Shamisen card, he must target Bat at first, unless otherwise stated by Shamisen cards. | 5 |
| 1 Crow | When players declare end of the turn, Crow may cry according to the number and the time. | 15 |
| 2 Crows | (as above) | 7 |
| 3 Crows | (as above) | 3 |
| 1 Cock | When players declare end of the turn, Cock may cry according to the number and the time. | 5 |
| 2 Cocks | (as above) | 2 |
| 1 Warbler | When players declare end of the turn, Warbler may cry according to the number and the time. | 2 |
| 1 Owl | When players declare end of the turn, Owl must cry (cause a player to drop out of the game). | 2 |
| Bell | Advance the time. | 2 |
Note: To kill or move 2 Crows, 3 Crows, or 2 Cocks Cards, players must kill or move the matching number of birds at once. It means that players can not kill or move only 1 crow in the 2 Crows card. Players can use several cards at once to kill or move birds.
Description of the Shamisen Cards
Stones | 2 pcs Kill up to 2 Birds. Note: You may choose 2 different types of Birds. For example, kill one Crow and one Cock.
Dart | 2 pcs Kill 1 Bird and may ignore the effect of Bat(s). Note: You may still use this card to kill a Bat.
Watergun | 3 pcs Move up to 2 Birds to another player. Note: You may choose 2 different types of Birds, but you must move them to only 1 player.
Scarecrow | 3 pcs Move 1 Bird Card to another player. Note: You may move the "3 Crows" Card by using this card, because it represents a Bird Card.
Cast Net | 2 pcs Kill all Birds of 1 type. Note: When there are Bat(s) in front of you, you must kill Bat(s) at first.
Trap Net | 3 pcs Flip the top card of the Bird draw pile and kill all Birds of that type. Note: When you flip a "Bell card", nothing happens.
Fusuma Door | 3 pcs When you are targeted by another player: cancel the effect of that card. Note: You may cancel Watergun, Scarecrow, Scissors, Pick, Room Change, and Whistle.
Mirror | 2 pcs Copy the effect of the top card of the Shamisen discard pile OR when you are targeted by another player: reflect the effect of that card to another player. Note 1: You can choose the player who targets you. Note 2: The effect which is reflected may not be reflected again or be canceled.
Singing | 2 pcs Draw 2 Shamisen cards from the Shamisen draw pile.
Scissors | 2 pcs Draw 1 Shamisen card from a player.
Pick | 2 pcs Choose a player and 1 type of Birds. Swap all Birds of the chosen type with those of him. Note: You can choose the player with no Birds of the chosen type.
Room Change | 1 pcs Choose a player. Exchange ALL of your Birds with those of him. Note: You can choose the player with no Birds.
Whistle | 1 pcs Choose a player. Draw 2 Bird cards from the Bird draw pile and deal them in front of him faceup. Note: If the effect is canceled by Fusuma Door, deal those Bird cards in front of you.
Night Bird | 2 pcs Shuffle ALL of your Bird cards facedown, starting from you in clockwise order, deal 1 card in front of each player faceup until finished. Note: The effect may not be canceled or reflected.