Encore X ! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Material
• Game Idea
• Preparation
• Goal of the Game
• Game Play
• The Jokers
• Choosing a Combination and Crossing Off Boxes
  • Examples of correct and incorrect crossing off
  • Example
• Scoring
  • Scoring Columns
  • Scoring Diamonds
  • Scoring Crossing Points
  • Scoring Colors
  • Scoring Rows
• The X-Chips
  • Discarding
  • Using Chips and Bonuses
• Pass Track Bonuses
• End of the Game
• Solo Game

Material

• 3 color dice
• 3 number dice
• 1 pad
• 60 X-chips (in 6 colors)

Game Idea

In NOCH X-MAL! the aim is to cross off the boxes on your own score sheet so that as quickly as possible many columns, rows and scoring areas become full, so that you get rid of your 10 X-chips faster than the others.

Preparation

Each person receives a score sheet and takes 10 X-chips of one color. These are shuffled well and laid out face down in a row above each sheet. Each person rolls one number die and one color die to determine their start combo and writes the result at the top right into their pass track. Jokers (a color-joker or number-joker symbol) cannot be entered and must be rolled again. Each person also takes a pen (not included in the game).

Parts of the score sheet: X-chips; diamond field; crossing point; pass track; start combo; bonuses for completed rows; pass track fields; pass track bonuses; pink-outlined bonuses; bonuses for completed columns; joker track; area Colors; area Diamonds; area Crossing points.

Goal of the Game

Your goal is to be the first to discard all your 10 X-chips. Each time you reach an X-chip symbol on the score sheet, you may discard one of your X-chips.

Game Play

Whoever last touched something pink becomes the active person and starts the game.

On your turn you roll all 6 dice a single time. Then, as the active person, you choose a combination of 1 color die and 1 number die, set them aside, and cross off boxes on your sheet accordingly. All others may choose a combination (1 color die and 1 number die) only from the remaining 4 dice and likewise cross off boxes on their sheets. The dice are not "taken away" and several people may choose the same dice.

IMPORTANT: In the first 3 rolls, each person may choose from all rolled dice a combination of exactly 1 color die and 1 number die and cross off accordingly. Several people may make the same choice.

PASSING: You can always freely decide whether you want to use a roll or not. If the active person does not want to cross off anything on their sheet, all others may then choose a combination from the 6 unused dice.

In addition, each person who decides to "pass" may cross off fields on their pass track, which is located at the right edge of the sheet. To do so, look at how many of the 6 dice (including those the active person may have taken) show the color and the number that match your start combo. For each match you may cross off one empty field on the pass track from top to bottom. If you cross off a dark field, you immediately receive the bonus shown (see page 7). If not a single die matches, you may still cross off 1 field.

The Jokers

The color-joker and number-joker symbols are jokers. If you choose the color joker, you may freely choose a color. If you choose the number joker, you may choose a number from 1 to 5. Attention: no 6, even though there are color areas with 6 boxes.

IMPORTANT: For each joker symbol you use, you must strike off 1 black exclamation mark on your joker track. If you have no exclamation marks left, you cannot use joker symbols.

At the start you have 2 black exclamation marks available. The further exclamation marks are initially still gray and must be unlocked by you in the course of the game. (Gray = must still be unlocked; black = already available.)

Choosing a Combination and Crossing Off Boxes

To cross off boxes you must always choose a combination of 1 color die and 1 number die. If you choose, for example, a yellow color die and a number die showing "4", you must cross off 4 connected yellow boxes.

THE FOLLOWING RULES APPLY:

• The very first roll of each person must always be placed in start column H.
• All crosses must always be placed connected within one color block of the chosen color.
• Crosses may only be placed orthogonally (horizontally or vertically) adjacent to at least one already crossed box, or beginning in the start column. Boxes that touch only diagonally do not count as adjacent.
• It is not allowed to cross off fewer or more boxes than the number die shows.
• A color block consisting of several boxes does not have to be filled completely in one roll.
• Never more than 5 boxes can be crossed off in one roll.
• In one roll, the pips may not be split in order to cross off boxes in two different color blocks of the same color.

Examples of correct and incorrect crossing off

• CORRECT: All 5 crosses are connected and adjacent to other crosses (the orange block borders the already crossed red block).
• CORRECT: All 4 crosses are connected and adjacent to other crosses. However, two orange single boxes (marked with a circle) have now arisen, which can each only be crossed off with a "1". An orange "2" cannot be used for them.
• INCORRECT: Not all 3 crosses are connected.
• INCORRECT: The 3 crosses are connected, but do not border other crosses horizontally or vertically. Diagonal is not enough.

Example

Inka rolls the dice (shown only as a picture in the original). She decides on a combination (shown as a picture in the original) that lets her cross off 5 yellow boxes. She then crosses off these 5 yellow boxes (A). This is fine, since the first box lies in the start column and all 5 boxes are connected. In the first 3 rolls all others can make the same choice. Alternatively they would have 2 further options. They could also cross off the three red boxes (B) or 3 boxes from the green block of 4 (C). 4 green boxes would not be possible, because no 4 was rolled and the 5 cannot be used for it, since the number must always be used completely.

In later rolls (from the 4th roll on), Inka as the active player would have chosen the two dice and removed them from the display. Then all others would only have had the choice from the remaining 4 dice.

NOTE: To cross off the remaining box in the green block of 4, Inka needs a "1" in later rolls. She cannot choose a higher number and split the roll in order to cross off boxes in two different color blocks.

Scoring

For all scorings it applies that the person who reaches them first receives both the pink-outlined bonus and the white one.

After everyone has placed their crosses, the person who first reached the bonus announces the corresponding letter of the column or the corresponding area aloud and crosses off the bonuses. All others must blacken the corresponding pink-outlined bonus on their sheet. It is then no longer available. The white bonuses, however, can still be reached by all others. It does not matter at which time the bonus is reached (it then does not have to be announced any more).

IMPORTANT:

• Only the pink-outlined bonus is ever blackened. All others still have the possibility to reach the white bonus.
• In one roll you can also reach several bonuses.
• If someone manages in the same roll to be the first to reach the same bonus, this person also receives the pink-outlined bonus.

The bonuses are:

• Pass-field bonus: Cross off the topmost still free field on your pass track.
• Joker bonus (exclamation mark): Circle a gray joker on your joker track. The joker is now unlocked.
• X-chip symbol: Discard one of your X-chips (see also page 6).

Scoring Columns

Whenever you manage to fill a column (A-O) completely with crosses, you receive the stated bonus below this column. If you are the first to do so, you additionally receive the pink-outlined bonus. All others must then blacken the pink-outlined bonus of this column on their sheet. Attention: columns F-J have only pink bonuses.

EXAMPLE: After a few rolls Inka has just crossed off the 2 orange boxes and thereby fills a column. She says "Column C is full." and receives both bonuses (the pink-outlined one and the white joker bonus). All others blacken the pink-outlined bonus on their sheet and can now only reach the white bonus (the joker).

Scoring Diamonds

Whenever you cross off a box that shows a diamond, you also cross off a diamond symbol in the area Diamonds on your sheet. Always cross off the diamonds here from left to right and row by row from top to bottom.

If you manage to cross off a row completely, you receive the bonus shown next to it. If you are the first to do so, you additionally receive the pink-outlined bonus. All others must then blacken the pink-outlined bonus of this row ("Top", "Middle" or "Bottom") on their sheet.

Scoring Crossing Points

Whenever you manage to cross off all 4 boxes around one of the 12 crossing points (i.e. to "surround" it), you also cross off the leftmost not yet crossed-off crossing point with the identical Roman numeral (I, II or III) in the area Crossing points.

If you thereby manage to cross off a complete column or row there, you receive the displayed bonus. If you are the first to do so for the rows, you additionally receive the pink-outlined bonus. All others must then blacken the pink-outlined bonus of this row ("I", "II" or "III") on their sheet.

Scoring Colors

Whenever you manage to cross off all boxes of one color, you also cross off the corresponding color field in the area Colors. You receive the stated bonus below this color. If you are the first to do so, you additionally receive the pink-outlined bonus. All others must then blacken the pink-outlined bonus of this column on their sheet.

Note: Unlike all previous Noch Mal!(R) games, Noch X-Mal! does NOT end when the second color has been filled completely, but when someone has discarded all their X-chips (see page 7).

Scoring Rows

Whenever you manage to fill a row (P-V) completely with crosses, you may cross off the adjacent X-chip symbol and discard one of your X-chips.

The X-Chips

Discarding

Whenever you reach an X-chip symbol as a bonus, you cross it off and turn over your leftmost X-chip. If the chip shows a bonus, you must give this bonus away to another person. The person receiving it may use this bonus from the next turn on. If the X-chip shows no bonus, you simply throw it into the game box.

Using Chips and Bonuses

If you own a gifted X-chip, you may use it at any time in the game and throw it into the game box (several at once are also possible).

• Joker: Circle a gray joker on your joker track.
• +/-1: Raise or lower a rolled number value by 1. This value then applies only to you (the others may only use the rolled value). Important: a 5 can never become a 6 this way.
• All dice: You may also, as a non-active person, choose a combination from all 6 dice.

Pass Track Bonuses

• JOKER: Circle a gray joker on your joker track.
• COLOR BLOCK: You immediately cross off one complete color block. This block may be completely empty, but you may also complete an already begun color block. The color block must lie adjacent to at least one already crossed-off box. With this bonus you may also cross off a complete 6-block at once.
• BOMB: You immediately let a bomb detonate. To do so you may cross off up to 4 boxes of your choice within a 2x2 grid (regardless of color). ATTENTION: These crosses do not have to be adjacent to existing crosses or lie in start column H. In the further course of the game you may then also place further crosses adjacent to the bombed-away boxes. Fewer than 4 boxes may also be crossed off, and already crossed-off boxes may be included in the 2x2 grid.
  • EXAMPLE: Inka has just passed and reached the bomb field on her pass track. She may immediately let a bomb detonate and places 2x2 crosses at any place on her sheet (and can thereby still cross off 2 diamonds).
• THREE IN A ROW: You immediately cross off up to 3 boxes in one row (not column). They do not have to lie next to each other, but must be adjacent to already crossed-off boxes. This bonus is particularly suited to completing rows.
• X-CHIPS: If you are the first to reach the end of the pass track, you may immediately discard two X-chips. All others must then blacken the pink-outlined bonus.

After everyone has chosen a dice combination and entered it or passed, you hand the dice to the next person clockwise, who now becomes the active person and rolls with all 6 dice again.

End of the Game

The game ends after the roll in which (at least) one person manages to discard their 10 X-chips. If several people manage this in the same turn, whoever has crossed off more X-chip symbols wins. In case of another tie, whoever managed to cross off more fields on the pass track wins. In case of another tie, whoever managed to complete more columns wins. If there is still a tie, the victory is shared.

Solo Game

You can also play NOCH X-MAL! very well alone. Try to reach as many X-chip symbols as possible. The rules are changed as follows:

You roll only with 2 color dice and 2 number dice, and the X-chips are not needed.

After each roll you must make a diagonal stroke in one of the upper letter fields. In each of these letter fields a total of 2 strokes is thus made: once diagonally to the right and once diagonally to the left. When after 30 rolls all letter fields contain 2 strokes, the game ends with the scoring.

Using the following table you can see how good you were:

X-chip symbols	Level
> 25	So there are superheroes after all!
24 - 25	Will you be called "Lucky Devil" or "The Brain"?
22 - 23	You could play "NOCH X-MAL!" professionally!
20 - 21	Super! What a magnificent result!
18 - 19	Hopefully achieved without cheating!
16 - 17	Great! That went well.
14 - 15	This was probably not your first time...
12 - 13	Good, but it can be better.
10 - 11	Well, it's getting there.
8 - 9	Not bad at all.
6 - 7	Some practice is probably still needed.