Escape the Rat Race
Escape the Rat Race Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Win
To successfully Escape the Rat Race, be the first player to collect three experiences for each decade of your working life: 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Once paid for, place them in front of you as Memories for the world to see.
Setting Up
- Separate out the Salary Cards, Character Cards and Playing Cards. Shuffle each well. Place the Salary Cards face-down in the centre of the table. This is the Salary Deck. (If using version with coins, remove all salary cards and replace with coins using the coin bag.)
- Deal five Playing Cards to each player and place the rest face-down in the centre of the table next to the Salary Cards. This is the Draw Deck.
- Deal one Character Card to each player face-down and place the rest back in the box, you won't need them this game.
- All players reveal their Character Card together.
- When you're ready to start, the oldest person goes first (lying about your age is encouraged).
Layout
The rulebook's layout diagram shows the following areas:
- Salary Deck (centre of the table, face-down)
- Draw Deck (centre of the table, face-down)
- Spent Pile (next to the Salary Deck)
- Discard Pile (next to the Draw Deck)
- For each player: Bank, Memories, and Character Card
On Your Turn
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Draw a Salary Card from the Salary Deck and receive the salary based on your character; either a professional or entrepreneur. Place face up in your Bank. (If using coins the same rules apply, each side of the coin holds a different salary; E for entrepreneur and P for professional.)
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Draw one card from the Draw Deck and add this to your hand. If starting your turn with fewer than five cards you may still only draw one.
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Play Action Cards and/or buy experiences from your hand using the Salary Cards in your Bank. Play as many cards as you wish/can afford on your turn.
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Finish your turn with five cards in your hand by either discarding down to, or drawing up to five.
Top Tip: No change is given when spending Salary Cards, but one salary card can buy multiple experiences.
The Cards
Playing Cards
There are three types of Playing Card: Experience, Timeless and Action.
Playing card - Experience
Collect experiences from the decades of your working life; 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Once paid for, place them in front of you as Memories. Experiences can be collected in any order.
Playing card - Timeless
A Timeless experience can be played on any started decade but cannot start a new decade or be later moved. If stolen from another player it can be placed on any started decade.
Playing card - Action
To play, place in the Discard Pile on your turn and carry out the Action written on the card. Free to play, you may use as many as you like on your turn.
Salary Card
Collect a Salary each turn and place face up in your Bank. To spend, move from your Bank to the Spent Pile next to the Salary Deck. If you do not wish to spend your salary you can save it each turn.
Experience Card Anatomy
- Cost: to play this experience you must pay the amount shown (for example, 6000).
- Decade: the set this experience belongs to (20s, 30s, 40s or 50s).
- Title
- Description: added flavour text.
- Penalty: if card holds a penalty it must be completed before adding to Memories. The penalty is shown on the card (for example, "Show all players your hand" or "Do not pick up at the end of your turn").
Character Cards
Each player has one Character Card, which determines the type of salary they receive from their Bank.
Character card - Entrepreneur
You're an Entrepreneur, you've made your own path but it's not always smooth sailing. The pay cheques are irregular with highs and lows… you're holding out for the jackpot.
Character card - Professional
As a Professional you have followed the well-trodden path and collect a regular salary. Your parents are chuffed and you pay the bills. Very sensible, not boring at all…
Action Cards
Action cards are grouped under four headings on the printed sheet: Further Your Strategy, Block Your Opponents, Sabotage Their Plans, and Steal Their Stuff.
Further Your Strategy
Win the Lottery Draw an additional three Salary Cards. This does not end your turn so go wild with your new-found cash. ACTION: Draw three salary cards and add them to your bank.
Blast from the Past Turn back through the Discard Pile for a maximum of ten cards and add one card to your hand. Once you have gone past a card you cannot return to it. ACTION: Turn back through the discard pile and choose a card to add to your hand (max 10 cards).
Wildcard Experience Play this card in front of you in your Memories where it counts as one experience from any decade. You can start a decade with this card and move it between decades. ACTION: Use as one experience in any decade.
On Secondment Once played, for the rest of your turn all Salary Cards in your Bank are switched to the opposite career salary. You can play this at any time in your turn. ACTION: Switch all salary cards in your bank to opposite career salary for one turn.
Block Your Opponents
Out of Office You can play this at any point in the game to stop an action played against you. However, you cannot play this to block another block. ACTION: Refuse any action played against you.
Return to Sender Play this card at any point in the game to stop an action played against you and instead force it on the person who played it. You cannot play this to block another block. ACTION: Return any action back upon the person who played it.
Round the World This Round The World Trip counts as an entire decade and can change decades once played. Play it on an empty decade or where you already have experiences. When played you must discard your remaining hand, your turn is over. Do not pick up five cards, you must wait until your next turn. ACTION: Use as a full decade or to complete any decade. PENALTY: Discard your hand. Your turn is over, don't pick up until your next turn.
On the printed sheet, the Round the World card is set in a green panel, and the label "Hit the Jackpot" appears beneath its illustration.
Sabotage Their Plans
Pandemic Play this card on top of the Character Card of an opponent. On their next turn they will be unable to add any experiences to their Memories (including wildcards). ACTION: Play on an opponent and for one turn they cannot add to their experiences.
Amnesia This card can only be used on a completed decade. Once played, place your opponent's decade and your remaining hand on the Discard Pile. Your turn is over, don't pick up until your next turn. ACTION: Wipe out an opponent's completed decade. PENALTY: Discard your hand. Your turn is over, don't pick up until your next turn.
House Swap At any point in your turn (and with any number of cards remaining in your hand), swap your hand with an opponent. ACTION: Swap your entire hand with another player.
Pension Age Increase You cannot win the game if you hold this card. It can only be given to another player by using an action card (e.g. House Swap) or discarded by sacrificing an entire decade. Blame the Government, not us… ACTION: Unable to retire if you hold this card. PENALTY: Discard using an action or sacrifice one completed decade.
On the printed sheet, the Pension Age Increase card is set in a red panel, and the label "Avoid avoid avoid" appears beneath it.
Steal Their Stuff
Pick Pocket Steal any card from an opponent's hand without looking. Bit of a gamble, but it might just pay off. ACTION: Steal one card from an opponent's hand without looking.
Burglar Steal any card from an opponent's hand, you can take a peek before you do. ACTION: Look at an opponent's hand and steal any card.
Heist Play on an opponent to steal all of the Salary Cards in their Bank. Remember, when in your Bank you can only use the salary aligned to your career. This could be marvellous… or devastating. ACTION: Steal entire savings from an opponent's bank.
Identity Theft Steal an opponent's incomplete decade (completed are off limits) and add to your Memories. Timeless cards can be reassigned to a different decade, any unwanted cards can be discarded. ACTION: Steal an opponent's incomplete decade to add to your experiences.