Kojak Detective Game

Kojak Detective Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Object of the Game
The General Play of the Game
To Set Up the Game
Fast Playing Version: To Play the Game
The Advanced Game

Object of the Game

To be the first player to locate and arrest the known criminal hiding in one of the Game Board Buildings.

The General Play of the Game

Each player controls the movements of his own Kojak and Detective Partner. He uses these men to cover the area as swiftly as possible, seeking clues at the Movie House, Restaurant, Hotel and Bus Station.

Informers, located in these buildings, give the players information that helps reveal the location of the Criminal.

Strategy in the game develops in the speed with which the players are able to combine the work of their Kojak at Police Headquarters with their Detective in the field. The first player to get Kojak and his Detective at the correct building, thus arresting the Criminal, is the WINNER.

To Set Up the Game

Place the Game Board on a flat surface between the players.
Insert the tabs on the underside of the four building bases into the slots on the Game Board. Slide the bases sideways to lock them into place, as shown below.

Illustration #1 — Lock bases of buildings to Game Board by matching the color of each base with the color area on the Game Board. The illustration labels a Large Tab, a Small Tab, a Long Slot and a Short Slot. Place the large tab into the long slot and the small tab into the short slot.

Four similar bases, except for color, for four different buildings.

Matching color, place each turntable on its building base, as shown below.

Illustration #2 — Place each turntable on a base of matching color. Four turntables for four bases.

Set up the Informers.
- A. Carefully separate the Informer cards from the sheets, pressing out only those needed for the game being played at that time. Each set of Informer cards is used for 10 different games.
  - Note: Informer cards read — For Games 1-10; For Games 11-20; For Games 21-30; For Games 31-40; and For Games 41-50.
- B. Fold the Informer cards to be used so that the drawing of the Informer is on the outside, and the game and code letters are on the inside as shown below. Players must not see code letters.

Illustration #3 — Fold Informer cards. The illustration labels the Backs (which read "For Games 1-10"), the Fronts, the Informer, and the Game Numbers and Code Letters.

C. Each game must be played with the numbered Informer cards. Each set of Informers is used for 10 different games being played. Each set of Informers need not be played in consecutive numbered order.
- Note: Players may choose to play game #8 first and decide to play game #37 next.

Insert four Informers into each of the turntables.
- A. Informers of the same color are inserted into random vertical slots of the same turntable. Example: the red Informers are all on the red turntable, the blue on the blue turntable, etc.
- B. Pictures of the Informers face the outside of the turntable as shown below in Illustration #4.

Illustration #4 — Place Informers on turntables. Informer figures fit into random slots on each turntable, and all figures face to the outside.

C. When playing the game with 3 players only, 3 Informers of each color are inserted into each matching colored turntable. The unused Informers are placed out of sight.
D. When playing the game with 2 players only, 2 Informers of each color are inserted into each matching colored turntable. The unused Informers are placed out of sight.

Now assemble the buildings.
- A. Carefully press the buildings from the sheets of playing pieces. Fold them along the indicated lines and assemble them according to Illustrations #5, #6, #7 and #8.

Illustration #5 — Fold buildings as shown below. (Restaurant.)

Illustration #6 — Fold building as shown below. (Movie House.)

Illustration #7 — Fold two buildings and tab together as shown below. The color of the roofs must match. (Bus Stop.)

Illustration #8 — Fold two buildings and tab together as shown below. (Hotel.)

Place the sides of the buildings into the grooves of the bases.
- A. The color of the roof and the shape of the building match the color patch around each plastic base.
- B. The open areas on the front side of each building allow the Informers on the revolving turntables to go in and out of the buildings.
- C. The extensions of each building just rest on the board as shown in Illustration #9.
- D. After the buildings are in place, rotate each turntable until an Informer is positioned outside each building and is centered between the white lines on each side of the white arrow.

Illustration #9 — Place buildings on plastic bases. These side walls fit into the grooves of the plastic base. These three walls rest on the top of the Game Board. The arrow shows the direction of turntable rotation. The white lines are the lines of the Game Board. The movement of each slot to the open front center between the white lines is the movement of the turntable of one space.

Select playing pieces.
- A. Each player chooses a color for all of his playing pieces, which consist of the following:
  1. A Pawn, representing "Kojak".
  2. Two Cars, one for Kojak and one for Kojak's Detective Partner.
  3. A Detective Notebook.
  4. A Badge.
- B. Each player's pawn is placed at "start" in Headquarters.
- C. One car for use by Kojak is placed in the Lieutenant's parking lot. The second car for each player's Detective is placed in either of the Headquarter's parking lots.
- D. Carefully press out the Detective's notebooks and fold on the crease. Tear one clue sheet from the pad matching the game being played and place it in the notebook under the tabs. (See Illustration #10 on next page.)
- E. Each player's badge is folded in half like a tent and is placed on the roof of a building he decides to be his first destination for obtaining a clue. (See Illustration #11 on next page.)
Carefully press out the Solution Book, fold on the crease, and place it aside so that players are unable to read the game solution until the end of the game.
For playing the fast version game, which is explained first (starting on page 14), place the "Action" cards and the "Contact" cards out of the game. They are used in a more advanced game explained later, beginning on page 20.

Illustration #10 — Detective Notebooks. Fold Detective Notebooks and insert clue sheets for the game numbers being played. Fold on the crease. Slots hold the closed Informer Cards. Clue sheet, tab, and numbers for the game being played are labeled.

Illustration #11 — Player's Badge. Each player's badge is folded to form a tent.

Fast Playing Version: To Play the Game

Movements of Playing Pieces

The player with the high throw of dice goes first, and play continues clockwise.
There are two basic movements for the playing pieces.
- A. One move is for Pawns (Kojak) in Headquarters. Kojak begins the game on the "Start Space" and may jump in a player's turn into either the Radio Room or the Command Room. In later turns, Kojak may jump from either of the two rooms to the other room as often as strategy may direct.
- B. Another move is for the Player's Detective Car and Kojak's Car (later in the game), which both move along the white path spaces by the throw of the dice. Each spot on the dice is one space on the path.
In each turn, a player may choose to move either his Detective Car by rolling the dice OR jump his Kojak into either the Radio Room or Command Room, ignoring the white path spaces around Headquarters.

Obtaining a Clue

Three conditions must be met to obtain each clue.
- A. The Player's BADGE must be on the roof of the building to which the Player's Detective is driving to meet an Informer.
- B. The Player's DETECTIVE CAR must travel to and be in the Parking Lot of the building with the Badge.
- C. An INFORMER must be standing in a turntable holder that is in the front center (between the white lines) of the target building. (Building with Player's Badge.)
On the same turn that the above three conditions have been met, the player meeting these conditions may remove an Informer Card and read the Code found inside the Informer Fold for the numbered game being played.
A player may take only ONE Informer Card from each of the four buildings, during any one game.
Kojak's movement of jumping back and forth between the Radio Room and Command Room is used to satisfy 2 of the 3 necessary conditions that might be needed to remove an Informer Card and obtain additional clues.
- A. Kojak's jumping into the Radio Room allows his player in the same turn to move his badge to the roof of any building.
- B. Kojak's jumping into the Command Room allows his player in the same turn to turn the turntable under the building with his badge 1 or 2 spaces, clockwise (direction of white arrow), in an attempt to bring an Informer Card to the front center.
- C. A player's Kojak, remaining in either of the rooms, may be used as a player's turn in moving a badge or turntable.

Reading Information From Codes Found Inside the Informer Cards

A player removes the Informer Card provided all three conditions, as stated above, have been met and securely opens it and reads the Clue.
- A. The NUMBER represents the number of the game being played and the LETTER the code.
Open the Detective Notebook and read the statement of the Informer from the Clue Sheet opposite the Code Letter.
The Informer's Statement tells the player one of the four buildings the sought-after criminal is NOT hiding in.
Circle the name of the building the Criminal is NOT hiding in at the bottom of the Clue Sheet to keep track of clues received.
Close the Informer Card and hang it on the Detective Notebook, as shown in Diagram #12 on next page.

Illustration #12 — Place Informer Cards on Notebook When Collected. Informer cards collected are placed on the slots of the Detective Notebook cover.

Example of Finding Through the Use of Clues the Building Where the Criminal Is Hiding

Game #1 is used as an example and explains in steps how the solution is reached.

John, the player, receives the Green Informer from the Bus Station. The Informer card letter next to game number 1 is "B". Reading from the clue sheet, "B" quotes the Informer as saying, "I was at the Bus Station all day and Fats wasn't." John circles the Bus Station space at the bottom of his clue sheet, as shown, and hangs the clue card on his Notebook. The criminal cannot be hiding at the Bus Station.

Clue sheet for Game #1 (Stake Out Game, sheets for games 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), informer information:
- A. The diner's being sold. Fats isn't there.
- B. I was at the Bus Station all day and Fats wasn't.
- C. The hotel desk clerk hasn't seen Fats.
- D. Fats? No. He's not at the movies, that's for sure.
- E. Fats was in the diner yesterday, but he's long gone.
- F. No one at the Bus Station has seen Fats.
- G. The hotel is too good for Fats. He's not there.
- H. Fats is laying low and isn't at the movies.
- Building row: Restaurant, Bus Station, Hotel, Movie.
John receives the next clue from the Movie House and takes the Red Informer card. The Red Informer card shows the letter opposite number 1 is "G": from the clue sheet, "G" reads, "The hotel is too good for Fats. He's not there." John circles the Hotel space on his clue sheet and hangs the clue card on his Notebook. The criminal cannot be hiding at the Bus Station or the Hotel.
John receives the next clue from the Restaurant and takes the Blue Informer card. The Blue Informer card shows the letter opposite number 1 is "H". From the clue sheet, "H" reads, "Fats is laying low and isn't at the movies." John circles the Movie space on his clue sheet as shown and hangs the clue card on his Notebook. The criminal cannot be hiding at the Bus Station, Hotel or Movie.

Conclusion: John has now learned 3 of the 4 possible buildings that the criminal could not be hiding in, namely the Bus Station, Hotel and Movie. Therefore, the Criminal must be hiding in the Restaurant. (The solution is shown by the arrow to the Restaurant on the clue sheet.)

Making an Arrest of the Criminal to Win the Game

It takes both the Detective's Car and Kojak's Car to be in the parking lot of the correct hide-out building to make the arrest.
When a player knows, or thinks he knows, the correct hide-out building, he, in his turn, removes his Kojak from the Board and uses Kojak's car for Kojak's moves on the game path. A player may NOT remove his Kojak from Headquarters until he has at least 2 Informer Cards placed on his Detective Notebook.
Kojak's movement in the car is by the roll of the dice, just like the Detective Car. The player may move either his Detective's Car or Kojak's car (not both) in a turn.
When a player has both Kojak's car and his Detective's Car in the parking lot of the hide-out building (not necessarily by exact count), he announces to opponents in the same turn that he has found the hide-out building and he is going to make the arrest.

Note: In making an arrest, the player's badge does not have to be on the hide-out building nor does he need an informer out front.

Checking the Solution

Editor's note: the last printed sheet of the scan (PDF page 13) repeats this Checking the Solution text and the "Players May Attempt" text below it; it is transcribed once here.

The first Player to arrive at and announce what he thinks is the Hide-Out Building takes the Solution Book to check his answer.
The use of the Solution Book is explained inside the cover of the book.
If the answer in the book is different from the Player's announced answer, the player is out of the game and the game continues with the remaining players, without the first player announcing the correct answer. The player out of the game must keep the solution a secret from the other players.
If the answer in the booklet is the same as the player's announced answer, the game is over and the announcing player is the WINNER OF THE GAME.

Players May Attempt to Make an Arrest Without Obtaining Enough Clues to be Certain of the Correct Hide-Out

A player may move his Kojak from Headquarters and into his car when he has obtained at least TWO Informer Cards. Although the player with only TWO clues has to be guessing at the correct solution, if he is correct as in Rule No. 4 above, he WINS THE GAME. If he has made a wrong guess, he is out of the game.
Once a player has removed Kojak from Headquarters, he cannot return him to Headquarters, making it impossible for him to move his Badge or turn a turntable and is, therefore, unable to obtain additional clues, unless conditions for getting a clue are pre-set.

To play a more advanced, competitive game of KOJAK, read carefully the directions on the following pages. The advanced game takes longer to play, uses the Action and Contact Cards, and requires 4 Conditions to obtain each Clue instead of 3.

The Advanced Game

To Set Up the Game

The game is set up as in the fast version, but with the following additions.
- A. Separate the Red and Blue Contact Cards. Shuffle the Red Action Cards and place them in one pile, red side up, on the space marked "Action Cards."
- B. Deal 4 Blue Contact Cards to each player and place the remainder in a pile on the space marked "Contact Cards."

To Play the Game

Movements of Playing Pieces

The player with the high throw of dice goes first, and play continues clockwise.
There are two basic movements of playing pieces, which are both used to meet necessary conditions to gather clues. One move is for pawns (Kojaks) in Headquarters and the other for cars on the paths.
- A. The Detective cars move only by the throw of the dice. Each spot on the dice is one space on the path. Cars may move along the path and turn corners in any one direction each turn.
- B. Kojak begins the game on the start space in Headquarters and moves, following the arrows, around Headquarters the number of spaces as shown on Action Cards. Later, in an attempt to make the arrest, Kojak leaves Headquarters (Kojak pawn removed from the Game Board) and travels on the paths in his car which, like his Detective, moves by throws of the dice.
In each turn, a player may choose to move either his Detective car around the board by rolling the dice, or his Kojak around Headquarters by drawing an Action Card.

Obtaining a Clue

Four conditions must be met to obtain each clue:

The Player's Badge must be on the roof of the building to which the Detective is driving to meet the Informer.
The Player's Detective car must travel to the Parking Lot of the building with the Badge. It need not arrive there by exact count, but each parking lot counts as a space.
An Informer must be standing in a holder that is at the front center of the building.
Player must have Contact Card he can discard for the "right" to remove an Informer and read the code found inside the Informer fold for the numbered game being played.

The four conditions (from the previous page) must be met each time a player obtains an additional clue. A player may take only one Informer from any one building as each building contains identical clues.

Kojak's movement in Headquarters satisfies one or more of the 4 necessary conditions that might be missing to remove an Informer and obtain a clue.

A. Kojak's movement into the Radio Room allows his player to move his Badge to the roof of any building.
B. Kojak's movement into the Command Room allows his player to turn any turntable 1 or 2 spaces, clockwise. (The direction of the white arrow.)
C. Kojak's movement down the special path to the yellow space by the Computer Room allows his player to take 2 Contact Cards from pile.

When a player's Kojak enters the Radio Room (not necessarily by exact count), he may in the same turn change the location of his Badge ONLY from one building to another.
When a player's Kojak enters the Command Room (not necessarily by exact count), he may turn any turntable One or Two spaces in a clockwise direction, following the white arrow. He does this in the same turn that his Kojak arrives in the Command Room.
When a player's Kojak enters the last yellow space on the Computer Room path (not necessarily by exact count), he takes two "Contact Cards" and returns his Kojak to the Start Space in the same turn.

Note: Kojak leaves both the Radio Room and the Command Room by leaving through the entrances when he again wishes to travel around Headquarters.

A player removes an Informer Card to obtain additional clue information provided all 4 requirements have been met.

A. Badge on roof of correct building,
B. Detective car in Parking Lot,
C. Informer in front of building,
D. Contact Card available to discard.

Obtaining Additional Clues

Only one Informer card may be removed from each building by each player to obtain clues. Players may travel to buildings in any order, as well as meet requirements in any order.

The 4 requirements to obtain Clues are repeated in detail below:

A. Moving Badge to roof of another building. To do this, the player must move his Kojak into the Radio Room.
B. Moving Detective car to Parking Lot of building on which player's Badge has been placed. To do this, player must move his Detective's car along paths to destination by throw of dice.
C. Moving Informer to the front of the designated building. If the Informer is not in front, then the player must move the turntable 1 or 2 spaces, provided his Kojak is in the Command Room. If the movement of 1 or 2 spaces of the turntable fails to bring an Informer out to the center of the building, Kojak may remain in the Command Room and move the turntable again 1 or 2 spaces on the player's next turn.
D. A player must have in his possession a Contact Card so he is able to discard it in exchange for the Informer. If player does not have a Contact Card, he may obtain 2 from Contact pile by moving his Kojak into the Computer Room. To reach Computer Room, Kojak must travel by Action Cards down the special path until he reaches the last yellow space (not necessarily by exact count). Upon reaching the yellow space, the player draws 2 Contact Cards from the pile and places his Kojak on the "start" space all in the same turn.

Making an Arrest of Criminal to Win the Game

The arrest takes place in the same way as in the fast version game, except the player's badge does not have to be on the hide-out building, or an informer out or a contact card in his possession.