Hats Off
Hats Off Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of Game
Each player tries to land as many of his 6 HATS as possible in his own COLOR TARGET AREA as quickly as possible.
Playing Parts
1 PLAYING BOARD, 4 LAUNCHERS with SLIDE-O-MATIC SCOREKEEPER, 24 HATS (6 HATS each for up to 4 players).
General Rules and Information
A. The PLAYING BOARD consists of 4 COLOR TARGET AREAS. Each COLOR TARGET AREA has 9 holes.
B. Each player chooses a COLOR TARGET AREA, 6 same color HATS and a same color LAUNCHER (color of LAUNCHER is determined by insert).
C. Place PLAYING BOARD in center of table or on floor so that each player sits across from his COLOR TARGET AREA, with a corner of the PLAYING BOARD facing him. See Diagram.
D. Each player places his LAUNCHER near corner of PLAYING BOARD, at any distance he chooses. See Diagram.
E. All players position their HATS within easy reach, so they can be picked up quickly during the game.
F. To launch a hat: Place HAT on the raised section of LAUNCHING LEVER. Hold top of LAUNCHER (where it is marked "HOLD DOWN HERE") with one hand while pressing LAUNCHING LEVER down and releasing it suddenly with the other hand. See Diagram.
G. Pick up and launch one HAT at a time.
H. All players try out their LAUNCHERS (by launching a few HATS) to determine best distance between LAUNCHER and COLOR TARGET AREA.
I. Each game consists of a series of rounds.
J. Before starting each round, players are permitted to hold LAUNCHER with one hand but cannot pick up a HAT until game starts.
To Play
- The first round starts by one player calling "READY-SET-GO" (Players take turns giving the "READY-SET-GO" signal clockwise for each round).
At the signal, all players try to launch their 6 HATS as quickly as possible and land as many as possible in holes of their own COLOR TARGET AREA.
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The first player who has launched all of his 6 HATS shouts "HATS OFF". The other players must now stop launching immediately. Any HAT launched after the call does not count but a HAT already in flight during the call does count.
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All players announce their SCORE VALUES (see scoring) and record them on their respective "SLIDE-O-MATIC" SCOREKEEPERS. After each round, players take back all their own color HATS and get ready for the next round.
The game continues until one player has reached a total of 75 points - he is the WINNER. If 2 or more players reach 75 points in the same round, the player with the most points above 75 is the winner.
After each game, players reset the SLIDE-O-MATIC SCOREKEEPERS TO "0". Players may exchange LAUNCHERS (together with matching color HATS and matching COLOR TARGET AREAS) after each game.
Scoring
- A player scores 5 POINTS for each HAT that lands in a hole of his own COLOR TARGET AREA.
NOTE:
- There is no score for HATS which land in another player's COLOR TARGET AREA.
- There is no score for HATS which are not in "point down in hole position" at end of round.
- There is no score for HATS which land outside of the PLAYING BOARD.
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A player scores a BONUS of 10 POINTS for each of his own HATS which land inside of any other HAT in his own COLOR TARGET AREA. (Regardless of whether it lands in his own HAT or in a HAT of another player.) See Diagrams.
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The player who calls "HATS OFF" gets a "HATS OFF" BONUS of 5 POINTS, if he landed at least one HAT in his own COLOR TARGET AREA. (If he is first to finish the round and calls "HATS OFF" without having landed a HAT in his own COLOR TARGET AREA, he does not get the "HATS OFF" BONUS.)
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If 2 or more players call "HATS OFF" simultaneously, each player gets the "HATS OFF" BONUS.
Examples of Scoring
The printed examples are pictorial. A solid V stands for a HAT of the player's own color and a dashed V for a HAT of another player's color. Each example shows its total:
- 15 POINTS: own-color HATS labelled 10 and 5, nested.
- 10 POINTS: own-color HAT labelled 10, with a dashed HAT labelled 0 nested below it.
- 5 POINTS: dashed HAT labelled 0 with own-color HAT labelled 5 below it.
- 0 POINTS: two dashed HATS, both labelled 0.
- 25 POINTS: own-color HATS labelled 10, 10 and 5, nested.
- 20 POINTS: own-color HATS labelled 10 and 10, with a dashed HAT labelled 0 below them.
- 15 POINTS: own-color HATS labelled 10 and 5 with a dashed HAT labelled 0 between them.