Dragon Quest: Slime Race
Dragon Quest: Slime Race Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 1 Folding Game Board with a Race Track, Odds Board, and Score Track
- 5 Slime Figures (Red, Orange, Green, Blue, and Purple)
- 5 Monster Figures (Dragon, Teeny Sanguini, Dracky, Golem, and Ghost)
- 15 Monster Coins (3 each of 5 types)
- 60 Cards
There are three types of cards:
A. 45 Slime cards (9 each of 5 colors)
B. 13 Rank Cards (these have gray boxes)
C. 2 Dash Cards (a 1 Dash card and a 2 Dash card, also with gray boxes)
- 1 Odds Board
If you prefer, place the plastic container that holds the playing pieces on top of the Odds Board on the folding game board. Then you can place this Odds Board on top of the plastic container and create a raised Odds Board.
- 1 Rulebook
Game Setup
Before starting the game, decide the Target Points. This will be the number of points the winner must reach to end the game. Players must discuss and decide if they want to play until someone reaches 20 points, 30 points, 40 points, or 50 points.
1. Choose Your Monster
- Each player chooses a monster and takes the monster figure and the 3 matching monster coins (hereafter referred to as coins). Place your monster figure on the zero space on the Score Track.
2. Place the Slime Figures
- Place the Slime Figures (hereafter referred to as slimes in the text) on top of the numbers with their matching colors at the Race Track's starting line.
3. Prepare Cards
- Shuffle all 60 cards and deal 7 cards to each player. These cards become each player's hand. Place the remaining undealt cards face down in the center of the game board. These cards form the draw deck.
Now you're ready to race!
Check Before You Bet!
Slime Race isn't a game where you always want the same slime to win or lose. In this game, you predict and bet on which two slimes will win each race!
For example, say you bet on the space where row 2 and column 4 intersect on the Odds Table. If 1st place is the Orange Slime and 2nd place is the Blue Slime, or 1st place is the Blue Slime and 2nd place is the Orange Slime, you get points.
But why is the multiplier different depending on the combination? This is because each slime has a different speed!
- The numbers on the Slime Cards are different for each slime.
For example, let's compare the Red and Purple Slime Cards.
The Red Slime is the fastest, with +5, +9, and +10 cards.
The Purple Slime is the slowest, with +3, +4, and +5 cards.
Faster slimes are more likely to win, and slower slimes are less likely to win. The multiplier is higher for combinations with slower slimes.
Here are the slimes from fastest to slowest:
- Red
- Orange
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
The slimes are lined up in this order on the starting line, with the fastest Red Slime on the inside track and the slowest Purple Slime on the outside track.
Bet Your Coins!
- Before betting begins, play rock-paper-scissors to determine the order. Then, starting with the person who lost rock-paper-scissors, bet one coin at a time on the odds table in a clockwise direction.
- When betting coins, take a good look at your cards and think about your strategy. For instance, if you have a lot of blue cards, you might bet on a combination with the Blue Slime.
Each player bets one coin on their turn. Continue for 3 rounds until all players have bet all 3 of their coins.
When betting, you may place your coin in an empty space, on top of a coin or coins you placed on a previous round, or on top of another player's coin.
- Once everyone has bet their coins, it's time to start the race.
Start the Race!
- Use the same order as you did while betting coins. The player who lost rock-paper-scissors goes first, and turns will proceed clockwise. When it's your turn, follow these steps:
- Draw one card from the top of the deck.
- Add the drawn card to your hand, giving you 8 total cards.
- Choose one card from your hand and play it face up.
- Move a slime according to the effect of the card.
Special situation: What if the draw deck runs out and you can no longer draw cards?
- You must continue playing with only the cards left in your hand. Each time you play, you will end the turn with one less card in your hand. However, 1st and 2nd place will always be decided before you run out of cards.
You cannot pass. You must play one card from your hand every turn!
Move played cards to a discard pile.
- How you move a slime depends on the type of card.
A. Moving with a Slime Card
- The slime that matches the color of the card will move forward the number of spaces printed on the card.
For example, if a card has the Red Slime and +5, move the Red Slime forward 5 spaces.
If you play a card with the color of a slime who has already reached the goal, you can't move the slime. The card will go to the discard pile with no effect.
B. Moving with a Rank Card
Each of these cards will have gray boxes in the corners with a number or Japanese letters inside a slime, a plus (+) sign, and another number.
Move the slime in the designated place (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or ビリ (Last)) the number of spaces printed on the card. Please note, if the card has ビリ in the corner, it's referring to the slime in last place.
ビリ (biri) is an abbreviation for びりっけつ (biriketsu), a slang term meaning last place or lowest rank.
- For a Rank Card, the color doesn't matter. Move the designated slime the number of spaces printed on the card.
It's difficult to find the right timing to play a Rank Card because the order keeps changing.
It's a big reversal when the last place slime moves 35 spaces forward!
C1. Moving with a 1 Dash Card
This card has gray boxes in the corners with a 1 inside a slime and the word "DASH!" This card affects the slime currently in 1st place.
- The 1st place slime moves forward a number of spaces equal to the number of empty spaces between 1st and 2nd place.
For example, if there are 3 empty spaces between the 1st place slime and the 2nd place slime, the 1st place slime will move forward 3 spaces. (In this example, there would now be 6 empty spaces between 1st and 2nd place.)
C2. Moving with a 2 Dash Card
This card has gray boxes in the corners with a 2 inside a slime and the word "DASH!" This card affects the slime currently in 2nd place.
- Move the 2nd place slime to the space immediately behind the 1st place slime.
The further away a 2nd slime you bet on is from 1st place, the more this card is recommended!
No matter how many spaces 2nd place is behind 1st place, the 2nd place slime will move to the space right behind the 1st slime as soon as he is in first place!
Special Situations: Slimes Tied, on the Starting Line, or Finished
What if two or more slimes are tied during the race?
If there are 2 or more slimes tied for the same rank, and someone plays a card affecting that rank, the cards will no longer be effective. The slimes will not move. Please note, the slimes following tied slimes still have the same rank as they would have if no slimes were tied.
- For instance, imagine that two slimes are currently tied for 2nd place. The 2nd and 3rd place Rank Cards, along with the 2 Dash card, are no longer valid. After the two tied slimes, the next slime is 4th place, and the last slime is still ビリ (Last).
- Now imagine that three slimes are currently tied for 2nd place. The Rank Cards for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, along with the Dash 2 card, are no longer valid. The last slime is still ビリ (Last).
What if two or more slimes haven't left the starting line?
If all slimes are still on the starting line, no Rank Cards or Dash Cards are valid. If two, three, or four slimes are still on the starting line, they are effectively tied for ビリ (Last) place, rendering any rank cards affecting those places not valid.
If only one slime is still on the starting line, that slime must be in last place and will be affected by the ビリ (Last) Rank Card.
- Imagine that only two slimes are still on the starting line. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Rank Cards, along with the Dash Cards, are all valid. However, the 4th and ビリ (Last) Rank Cards will not be valid.
What if a slime has already reached the goal?
- Once a slime reaches the goal and 1st place is decided, the rank of the slimes still racing will shift. In other words, the remaining slime that is in the front is currently 1st in rank. Also, both the 4th place and ビリ (Last) Rank Cards now affect the slime in last place.
Finish the Race and Calculate Score
When 2 slimes reach the finish line and 1st and 2nd place are decided, the race is over!
- Players who bet coins on the winning combination of the 1st and 2nd place slimes gain points.
For players who bet on the winning combination, calculate their score like this:
(Number of coins bet on the correct space) x (Multiplier) = (Number of points)
For example, if you bet 1 coin on space 1-3 (Red and Green), and those slimes won the race, you multiply 1 x 7 to gain 7 points.
If you bet 2 coins on space 3-5 (Green and Purple), and those slimes won the race, you multiply 2 x 17 to gain 34 points.
Players who gain points move their monster figure forward that number of spaces on the Score Track.
Special situation: What if the race ends and no one bet on the right combination of slimes?
- Unfortunately, no one gains points.
After points are calculated, players take back their coins.
If the Target Points have not been reached, race again. If the Target Points have been reached, the player with the highest total score wins.
- To start the race again, please start from "2. Place the Slime Figures" in "Game Setup."
Special situation: What if two or more players reach the Target Points at the same time?
- After the race when the Target Points are reached, the person with the most total points wins. If more than one player ties for the most points, they both win.
Special Situations
This section repeats the special situations above as a summary list.
What if two or more slimes are tied during the race?
If there are 2 or more slimes tied for the same rank, and someone plays a card affecting that rank, the cards will no longer be effective. The slimes will not move. Please note, the slimes following tied slimes still have the same rank as they would have if no slimes were tied.
- For instance, imagine that two slimes are currently tied for 2nd place. The 2nd and 3rd place Rank Cards, along with the 2 Dash card, are no longer valid. After the two tied slimes, the next slime is 4th place, and the last slime is still ビリ (Last).
- Now imagine that three slimes are currently tied for 2nd place. The Rank Cards for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, along with the Dash 2 card, are no longer valid. The last slime is still ビリ (Last).
What if two or more slimes haven't left the starting line?
If all slimes are still on the starting line, no Rank Cards or Dash Cards are valid. If two, three, or four slimes are still on the starting line, they are effectively tied for ビリ (Last) place, rendering any rank cards affecting those places not valid.
If only one slime is still on the starting line, that slime must be in last place and will be affected by the ビリ (Last) Rank Card.
- Imagine that only two slimes are still on the starting line. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Rank Cards, along with the Dash Cards, are all valid. However, the 4th and ビリ (Last) Rank Cards will not be valid.
What if a slime has already reached the goal?
- Once a slime reaches the goal and 1st place is decided, the rank of the slimes still racing will shift. In other words, the remaining slime that is in the front is currently 1st in rank. Also, both the 4th place and ビリ (Last) Rank Cards now affect the slime in last place.
What if the draw deck runs out and you can no longer draw cards?
- You must continue playing with only the cards left in your hand. Each time you play, you will end the turn with one less card in your hand. However, 1st and 2nd place will always be decided before you run out of cards.
What if the race ends and no one bet on the right combination of slimes?
- Unfortunately, no one gets points because they are all left out.
What if two or more players reach the Target Points at the same time?
- After the race when the Target Points are reached, the person with the most total points wins. If more than one player ties for the most points, they both win.