Flip Circus
Flip Circus Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 10 Performer tokens (double-sided)
- 5 Poster tiles
- 5 Applause tokens
- 2 Player Aids
Overview and Goal
In this deduction and memory game, gain the most pieces of the circus poster! To do so, group 3 of the same Performer tokens together by swapping their positions in the circus ring, flipping them over, or using their abilities.
The first player to get 3 of the 5 Poster tiles wins the game.
Elements and Setup
- Form the circus ring with the 10 Performer tokens as follows:
- Take the 5 Clown tokens and place them in a circle, face up.
- Shuffle the 5 remaining Performer tokens — with a random side up — and, taking care not to look at the back of the tokens, randomly place 1 between each pair of Clown tokens.
- Build the poster with the Poster tiles, then set it aside.
- Randomly choose the first player.
- Give 1 Applause token to the second player, then make a reserve in the middle of the circle with the remaining tokens.
Performer Tokens
Each Performer is associated with a color, seen in the background of their portrait. For example, the Magician is purple. On the top of each token, dots indicate which color (and therefore which Performer) might be on the back of this token. On the sides, icons serve as a reminder of the Performer's ability (see Performer Abilities).
Gameplay
The game plays over several turns and ends once one player gains a 3rd Poster tile. Take turns starting with the first player.
Turn Overview
On your turn, you must take 2 actions among the following (you may take the same action twice):
- Swap 2 adjacent Performer tokens (without flipping them).
- Flip 1 Performer token over (without moving it).
- Use 1 Performer's instant ability (Acrobat, Magician, or Fortune Teller).
At any time during your turn, you can also spend Applause tokens.
After taking 2 actions and spending any Applause tokens you choose to, your turn ends and your opponent takes their turn.
Applause Tokens
You can gain Applause tokens by grouping Clown tokens together (see Performer Abilities — Clown). Spend 1 Applause token to either:
- Take an extra action: Immediately take 1 of the 3 actions described in the previous section.
- Look at the back of a token: Immediately look at the back of 1 Performer token (and return it with the same face up).
There are only 5 Applause tokens in the game. However, there is no limit to the number of tokens you can spend on a single turn. Return any spent tokens to the reserve.
Taking Poster Tiles
If you group 3 tokens of the same Performer together (so that they are all adjacent and face up), check if their Poster tile is available. If so, follow these steps in order:
- Take the corresponding Poster tile. Once you take a tile, you keep it until the end of the game.
- Flip over the middle token of the 3 you grouped together. Then the game continues normally.
You may gain multiple Poster tiles on the same turn. If you gain a 3rd Poster tile, the game ends (see End of the Game).
The Performer takes a bow and lets the next act take the stage. Do not remove their token from the game.
There is no Poster tile for the Clown. Grouping Clown tokens together has different effects (see Performer Abilities — Clown).
The 5th Poster Tile
If both players each have 2 Poster tiles (meaning there is only 1 Poster tile left), a second win condition is introduced: At the end of your turn, if all 5 Clown tokens are face up in the circus ring (even if they are not adjacent), you take the 5th Poster tile and win the game.
Performer Abilities
All 6 Performers have unique abilities. There are 2 types of abilities: instant abilities and ongoing abilities. These abilities are summarized on each Player Aid.
Instant Abilities
Instant abilities are triggered when you take an action to use them. You can use the same Performer token multiple times in the same turn, as long as it remains face up and you use a separate action each time.
Acrobat: Swap places with the Performer token that is directly opposite the Acrobat in the circus ring.
Magician: Swap the positions of both Performer tokens adjacent to the Magician.
Fortune Teller: Secretly look at the back of both Performer tokens adjacent to the Fortune Teller.
Ongoing Abilities
Ongoing abilities are permanent and always active.
Strongman: He cannot be moved by the "Swap 2 adjacent Performer tokens" action. However, he can still be moved by the Acrobat or Magician, or if he is face down and you are moving the Performer on the other side of his token.
Animal Tamer: She is not affected by the other Performers' abilities. Therefore, she can be swapped with the Strongman, but the Acrobat cannot use her ability to swap places with the Animal Tamer and the Magician cannot swap her with the other adjacent Performer. Similarly, the Fortune Teller cannot look at the back of her token (but can still look at the other adjacent Performer).
Clown: If you create or add to a group of at least 2 Clown tokens (through any action or ability), you can either:
- Take 1 Applause token from the reserve.
OR
- Make your opponent return 1 of their Applause tokens to the reserve.
By swapping the Magician and the Clown, you make a group of 2 Clown tokens. You choose to gain 1 Applause token.
Player Aids
On each Player Aid (and the back of this rulebook), you'll find a reminder of the colorful dots on each Performer tile and a visual reference to help you deduce the distribution of Performers in the circus ring. Performers connected to each other in the picture are likely to be found on the back of each other's tokens. These reminders help you use the process of elimination to determine where each Performer might be in the circus ring.
All 10 Performer tokens are different. Each Performer appears on 3 tokens, except for the Clown, who appears on 5. Use this visual reference to see the distribution of Performers to help determine where each Performer might be in the circus ring.
End of the Game
The game ends once one player gains their 3rd Poster tile. This player immediately wins the game.
Important: If there is only 1 Poster tile left, you can win by either grouping 3 tokens for that Performer OR having all 5 Clown tokens face up anywhere in the circus ring.
Make a Mistake?
If you make a mistake that you can't fix (like using the Fortune Teller's ability when it should be canceled by the Animal Tamer), your opponent can immediately use the Clown's ability.
Team Mode (4 Players)
During setup, make 2 teams of 2 players. Alternate player seats so you are not next to your teammate. Continue setting up following the normal rules.
Take turns going clockwise.
Players on the same team share their Applause tokens in a communal reserve.
When you use the Fortune Teller's ability, your teammate can also secretly look at the back of both Performer tokens adjacent to the Fortune Teller.
One team wins the game when those players collectively have 3 Poster tiles.