Di Renjie Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Preparation
• Hand Cards
  • Starting Hand Cards
• Game Turn and Phases
  • What is a Clue?
  • Phase I: Reveals a Hidden Clue
  • Phase II: Request Hand Cards
  • Phase III: Presents a Hidden Clue
  • Phase IV: Draws Zero, One or Two Cards
• Game End
• Scoring

Components

(54 cards)

Three types of Crime Element: Target, Weapon and Location.

• Six Targets x 3
• Five Weapons x 3
• Five Locations x 3

Other Components:

• Five Suspects x 1
• Assassin x 1 (Expansion)
• Each player should prepare a piece of paper and a pen or a pencil to take notes during the game.

Preparation

1. The youngest player is the Starting Player.
2. Set aside all five Suspect cards and the one Assassin card from the game deck.
3. Game Objective: Take one each of the T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 cards, shuffle them and randomly draw one to immediately place it face down under the game box. Then, repeat this process for the W and L cards, drawing one each from the five cards and placing them face down under the game box.
   • These three crime cards (one T, one W, and one L) will only be revealed at the end of the game, after all players have written down their conclusions.
4. Hints: Shuffle the remaining thirteen cards (of incorrect crime elements) face down and deal two cards to each player.
   • Option Rule: In a two to four player game, pass three cards instead of two.
   • Each player reviews the cards they received, writes them down as the incorrect crime elements, and then returns the cards face down.
   • Reshuffle these thirteen cards face down and add them to the game deck.
5. Suspects: Shuffle all five Suspect cards face down and deal one to each player. This card is part of the player's hand and should be kept secret.
   • If any Suspect cards remain, add them to the game deck.
   • In a six-player game, the last player (on the right hand side of the starting player) does not receive a Suspect card.
   • Option Rule: In a two-player game, deal two cards instead of one.

Hand Cards

6. Assassin: Add the Assassin card into the game deck.
7. Hand cards: Shuffle the game deck face down and deal a number of cards to each player accordingly.
   • In a two to four player game, deal nine cards to each player and place the remaining game deck in the middle of the table.
   • In a five-player game, deal nine cards to each player.
   • In a six-player game, deal seven cards to the first five players (including the starting player) and ten cards to the last player.
   • Assassin: Pass one additional card to the last player. Whoever receives the Assassin card is the Assassin for the game and should keep this information secret until the end of the game.

Starting Hand Cards

The table below gives the number of cards in each player's starting hand (Starting Player column, then seating 2 to 6), as printed. The green 11 entries are the last player's hand when the Assassin card is in play.

Number of Players	Starting Player	2	3	4	5	6
2	10	10
3	10	10	10
4	10	10	10	10
5	10	10	10

Translator's note: the table's hand totals count the Suspect card that is dealt in step 5 (for example, nine dealt cards plus one Suspect card gives 10). The table is transcribed as printed; its 2-player figure (10) does not add the second Suspect card from the two-player option rule in step 5.

Game Turn and Phases

The starting player begins the game and each player continues to take a turn in clockwise order. Each turn is played in four phases:

• I: Reveals a Hidden Clue
• II: Request Hand Cards
• III: Presents a Hidden Clue
• IV: Draws Zero, One or Two Cards

The player who is taking the turn is the active player.

During the game, players must always keep their hand cards secret from the other players.

The game ends at the end of the last player's (on the right hand side of the starting player) turn when eight or more clues are revealed.

What is a Clue?

A Clue is a set of three cards in the same type and the same number, such as three cards of Target 1 (T1).

A Suspect or Assassin card may replace the most bottom card to deceive other players. Further explanation is found in the Phase III - Presents a Hidden Clue section.

A Clue is always presented in Hidden form until it is revealed in Phase I or at the end of the game.

• A Hidden Clue is a set of three face down cards.
• A Revealed Clue is a set of three cards with one top card facing up.

Phase I: Reveals a Hidden Clue

If a player has a Hidden Clue in his player area during this phase, he must turn the top card face up, making it a Revealed Clue. Otherwise, the player continues to Phase II immediately. A player can only reveal a Clue in his play area and can only reveal one Clue per turn.

The two cards under the top card in a Revealed Clue remain hidden but may be viewed by other players as follows.

When a player reveals a 2nd, 4th, 6th or 8th Clue in his play area, he may secretly examine a Hidden or Revealed Clue in another player's play area.

When examining a Clue, the player secretly reviews all three cards in that Clue. After examining the Clue, the player returns the cards in their original order and cannot re-examine the same Clue later during the game.

Assassin: When secretly examining a Clue, if the player finds an Assassin card, do not disclose it to the other players.

Phase II: Request Hand Cards

In this phase, the Active Player must make one of the following requests and the other player(s) may give the active player one hand card that meets the condition of the request:

1. A specific type of card, such as a target, weapon, or location.
2. A specific number from 1 to 5.

After the active player makes a request, the other players, in clockwise order, may each secretly give a hand card to the active player.

For example, when the active player requests a Location card, Player A can give him an L1 card and Player C can give him an L5 card.

Players may choose not to give a hand card, even if they have a card in hand that meets the request.

Other players should never disclose what they have in hand and can never pass a Suspect card to another player.

The active player cannot request a specific type when all cards of that type have already been revealed. For example, when the W1, W2, W3, W4, and W5 cards are all shown as Revealed Clues, the active player cannot request a Weapon card.

The active player cannot request a specific number when all items of the number have already been revealed. For example, when the T2, W2, and L2 cards are shown as Revealed Clues, the active player cannot request a number 2 card.

Target 6 (T6) is considered a wild card that can be given to the active player following any request.

For example, when the active player requests a Weapon or a number 3 card, another player may give him a Target 6 card.

If no one gives a card to the active player, he immediately draws one card from top of the deck or randomly draws one hand card from any one player who has three or more cards in hand.

Assassin: The Assassin card cannot be given to the active player at any time. When the active player draws an Assassin card, the active player does not become the Assassin and should not disclose the card to other players.

Phase III: Presents a Hidden Clue

When the active player is able to create a Clue with or without a Suspect, he must create it with three cards from his hand and place it in his play area as a Hidden Clue. If no set of cards can be made into a Clue, the player continues to Phase IV.

The active player may only play one Clue per turn, even if he has more complete sets in his hand.

A basic Clue is created by three cards of the same type and number.

In addition, there are three other methods to create a Clue:

1. A Suspect with the same number may replace the 3rd (bottom) card of the matching number Clue.
2. Any Suspect may replace the 3rd (bottom) card of the T6 Clue.
3. Assassin: The Assassin player may use the Assassin card to replace the 3rd (bottom) card of any Clue. Only the Assassin player can take this action.

Assassin: The Assassin player may choose not to present a Clue.

Phase IV: Draws Zero, One or Two Cards

Before the end of the turn, players may choose one of the following methods to draw zero, one or two cards:

1. If the game deck has two cards or more, players may draw two cards from the top of the deck.
2. Choose two different players who did not give a card during Phase Two and randomly draw a card from each player.
3. Draw a card from top of the deck and randomly draw a card from a player who did not give a card during Phase Two.

When drawing from player hands, the active player can only draw from a player with three or more cards in hand.

When Phase IV ends, the active player's turn is over and the next player in clockwise order begins his turn.

When the last player (player who sits on the right side of the starting player) finishes his turn and there are eight or more Revealed Clues on the table, the game ends.

Game End

When the game ends, turn the top card of all Hidden Clues face up so there are only Revealed Clues on the table. Players cannot secretly examine any Clue at this time.

Each player secretly writes down what they deduced to be the three crime cards under the game box.

Assassin: If playing with the Assassin, non-assassin players must also secretly write down the identity of the Assassin player in the game.

After all players have written down their answers, reveal the three crime cards under the game box.

Assassin: The Assassin player must come forward and reveal himself/herself at this time.

Scoring

If players together as a team successfully deduce all three elements, each player receives points for the Clues he played and the number of correct crime cards he deduced. The player with most points wins the game. In case of a tie, the tied players share the victory. Scoring is as follows:

• Players receive 1 point for every two Clues played.
• Players receive 1 point for one correct crime card identified, 3 points for two, or 6 points for all three.

For example, at the end of the game, Player A played three Clues and made one correct deduction. He receives 2 points total (1 point for the Clues he played and 1 point for the objective card he identified).

In the same game, Player B played one Clue and deduced two of the crime cards correctly. He receives 3 points total (zero points for the Clue he played and 3 points for getting two of the objective cards right).

Player B wins.

Assassin: The Assassin player receives 1 point for every Clue he played and 1 point for one correct deduction, 3 points for two, or 6 points for all three.

Assassin: In addition, each non-assassin player receives 3 points for identifying the Assassin player. If no one is able to identify the Assassin player, the Assassin player receives 5 points.