House Flippers
House Flippers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 gameboard.
- 283 cards:
- 231 Building cards (84 Countryside cards, including 4 Interior Decorator cards; 147 City cards, including 4 Interior Decorator cards and 8 Rent cards).
- 52 Golden Retirement cards (13 Beach Chair cards, 13 Hammock cards, 13 Float cards, 13 Yacht cards).
- 110 Money cubes (35 gray, 35 brown, 20 red, 20 yellow), simply called "cubes" in these rules (the cubes are limited to the quantity included).
- 12 Rent timers (4 gray, 4 brown, 2 red, 2 yellow), simply called "timers" in these rules.
- 1 rulebook.
Setup
Place the gameboard in the middle of the table.
Separately shuffle the 3 decks of cards: Countryside, City, and Golden Retirement. Divide each of these into three approximately equal decks. Place the three Countryside decks on the three Countryside spaces on the board, face up. Do the same for the City deck and Golden Retirement deck.
Each player takes a gray timer.
The remaining timers and cubes form the general supply; distribute them approximately equally to both sides of the board, so everyone can reach them.
Overview & Goal of the Game
Each timer represents a real estate property that periodically generates revenue, which you can invest in new decrepit properties that you can renovate, then resell to generate profit, which you can reinvest… Your goal: After working so much, you want to retire to relaxation under the coconut trees.
Playing the Game
Everyone simultaneously counts down, "3, 2, 1…" then shouts, "FLIP!". On this signal, everyone flips their gray timer, and the game begins.
In House Flippers, there are no turns: Everyone acts simultaneously and as quickly as possible.
Note on the Imprecision of the Timers
It is impossible to guarantee that identical-looking timers have the exact same duration. The rules of House Flippers take this variability into account: At the very beginning of the game, one player might be able to lay claim to a card before anyone else… but no one knows who it will be until it happens!
Collect Rent
Your real estate (timers) generate revenue for you… but you still need to remember to collect the rent!
When one of your timers has run out, this lets you collect rent from the general supply in the form of a cube matching the color of this timer. Then flip this timer again to start a new rental period, which ultimately will generate another cube.
At any time, you can flip a timer that you forgot to flip after collecting its cube.
Sell a Property to the Bank
Even though this way of increasing your funds is not the most profitable, you should not neglect it!
Swap 4 cubes of the same color for 1 cube of your choice from the general supply (a reminder for this action is printed in two places on the board).
Important
Cubes printed on cards and wooden cubes have the same value! You can use cubes printed on cards, wooden cubes, or both to pay for things. If you pay too many cubes printed on cards, take your "change" from the general supply in the form of wooden cubes. When you pay using a card, discard it to one side or the other of the board, on a discard pile.
The Different Actions Possible Are…
Acquire a Card from the Board
Buy a Property
In order to retire under the coconuts, you will have to work hard; don't be stingy with the elbow grease! You may wish to renovate and resell some properties, but rent others.
Each space on the board indicates a purchase cost, expressed in cubes, under the deck of cards there.
Renovate a decrepit property (only for cards depicting cubes)
To buy a property (cabana or house):
- Touch the top card of a deck with the index finger of one hand.
- Pay its cube cost to the general supply with the other hand.
- Then take the card, and place it face up in front of you, in your collection.
The building is immediately considered renovated.
Later, you can discard this card (i.e. sell the renovated building) to pay for a new acquisition (remember: cubes printed on cards are the same value as wooden cubes!).
Rent out a property (only for cards depicting a timer)
To buy a new rental property:
- Touch the top card of a deck with the index finger of one hand.
- Pay its cube cost to the general supply with the other hand.
- Then take the card and discard it. Take the depicted timer from the general supply and place it in your collection; flip it over so the sand starts flowing.
From now on, you can collect additional rent from this new timer.
Hire an Interior Decorator
There's nothing like appealing to a professional to increase the value of a property… and increase its rent.
Interior Decorator cards can be found in the Building card decks. You can acquire them like the other cards.
Any timer placed on such a card is worth double: When the sand has run out, you take 2 cubes of the same color from the general supply, instead of 1.
When you acquire an Interior Decorator card, place it in your collection, face up. As long as there is no timer on it, you have two options:
- At any time, you can move a timer from your collection onto it.
- You can place a newly acquired timer on it.
Once a timer is on an Interior Decorator card, you cannot replace it with another timer. Each timer can only be assigned to a single Interior Decorator card.
Prepare for Your Golden Retirement
Life is not only work! Enjoy the fruits of your labor! Go relax in the sun!
The top row of cards on the board contains only Golden Retirement cards.
Each time you manage to get one, you are one step closer to victory. Be sure to keep Golden Retirement cards face up in your collection so you can easily count them at any time.
Note
If several players want to buy the same card at the same time, the first one to touch it takes it. Please do not get sloppy with your transactions. In the head of the game, mistakes can happen very quickly! (Printed as "head"; read as "heat" of the game.)
Victory
As soon as you have completed any one of the Golden Retirement objectives below, shout, "I CRUSHED YOU ALL! IT'S THE GOOD LIFE FOR ME!" Bravo! You won the game.
- 3 different trios (3 identical).
- 4 different pairs (2 identical).
- 1 sextet (6 identical).
You have obtained enough wealth that you no longer need to work. Time for that golden retirement! Put away the boards, nails, saw, and all the other stuff. You take off to the islands to sip cocktails on the beach, lulled by the waves from the shade of the coconut trees, while the others continue to work themselves silly. Isn't life beautiful?