Ostfriesenlauf

Ostfriesenlauf Rulebook

Table of Contents

The Game
Preparation
- The Game for 4 Players
Game Play
Questions about Gotham Race
The Game for 1, 2 or 3 Players
- Example
The Cards

The Game

Number of players: 1-4, Age: 10+

Game Contents: 4 Playing figures, 1 Game board, 60 Action cards (4 types), 1 Finish sign with stand, 1 set of rules.

The players run the race with their playing figures. The runners are moved with the help of the action cards, the instructions on which relate to the position of the figure in the race. Beginning with the player in last position, the players place a card face down in the middle of the table. Once all players have placed their card, the cards will be turned over and their instructions carried out one after another.

The positions of the runners can change according to the instructions. Therefore you cannot always be sure that the runner you want to move will actually be the one to be moved.

The winner is the first to move his figure across the finish line. This is also possible by going backwards through the finish, so crossing the finish line from the wrong direction.

Preparation

The Game for 4 Players

Each player chooses a playing figure.
The action cards are sorted according to their four different backs ('1', '2', '3' and '4'), then each deck is shuffled and placed face down on the four corresponding spaces on the board.
The players in turn take one action card from each of the decks.
The Finish tile is pushed into the stand and it is placed by the race track on the fish which is inscribed 'Ziel' ('Finish').

Board labels (game board diagram): Spaces for the Action card decks (Cards with '1', '2' and '3'); Starting space for the Finish sign; Spaces for the Finish sign; 'Deposit' space for the Action cards; Starting space for the playing figures (Start numbers 1 to 4); Space for the Action card deck (Cards with '4').

Game Play

The First Round

To begin the game, the start spaces are awarded. The player whose birthplace is furthest north (or closest to Gotham) places his figure on the starting space with the number 4.
The second places his figure on the starting space with the number 3. In turn the other players also place their figures on the starting spaces.
The start player takes an action card from one of the four decks (so that he now has a hand of five cards).
The start player now places one of his action cards face down on the 'deposit' space in the middle of the board.
The player with the second highest start number also takes one card, then places one of his action cards on the 'deposit' space on which the start player had previously placed his card.
Next the player with the third highest number, and then the player with the lowest start number, in turn take a new action card and place an action card.

The Race

The complete card pile on the 'deposit' space is turned over. Starting with the uppermost card, one of the players reads the cards out aloud one after another, and according to the instructions, the other players carry out the actions with their figures (after each action card is read out).
The figures are always moved on the inside lane. If the inside lane is occupied, the figure will be placed on a lane further out (see example 1).

Example 1: If figure A moves 5 spaces forwards, it will be placed on the inside lane.

The Following Rounds

The following rounds proceed in the same way as the first round:

Draw cards
Place cards

The difference lies in the turn order of the placement of the action cards on the 'deposit' space:

The player whose figure is in last position, places his card first.

Example 2: The player with figure A is in last position. He is first to place an action card on the 'deposit'. Then the players with figures C and B follow ('who is inside is in front') and finally the player with figure D.

After that comes the action card of the second to last player, etc. until the leading player has placed his action card. If two or more figures are stood on the same location, the player whose figure is stood on the outermost lane places his action card first. Once all players have placed their action card, one of the players again turns over all the action cards together, reads them out from the top and the action is carried out immediately.

The Finish

The game ends when, after all four action cards (cards on the 'deposit') have been uncovered and carried out, a player has crossed over the finish line.
If several players have crossed the finish line, the winner is the one who has gone the furthest beyond the finish (this also applies to players who have finished in the opposite way to the main direction – count the spaces!)
If according to the instructions of an action card, the finish is moved and after carrying out the actions of the four cards a figure is stood beyond the finish line, then this figure has won.

Example 3: In this example, the finish sign is moved to the snail. Were all four action cards from the 'deposit' read and carried out, then Figure A has won – the finish 'crossed over' it and it is stood 'beyond' the finish line so to speak.

Questions about Gotham Race

What do action cards do? The action cards are used to move the figures (also see Page 8). Note that the instructions on the action cards always relate to the position of the figures! This can lead to one having to move an opposing figure forwards with his action card. Some action cards tell the player to move the finish in a certain direction.

Why do the cards have different backs? The number on the back indicates which figure in the race the text of the action card relates to. For example, if there is a '2' on the back, then the text of these action cards always applies to the figure in second position (e.g. 'The 2nd moves four spaces forwards'). Thus the players can see by means of the back, which figure another player would like to move.

Which way does the main direction run? The main direction runs clockwise. An action card can specify a deviation to this, by which a figure must go backwards ('The last moves six spaces back'). By such means it is allowed to reach the finish in the opposite way to the main direction.

How are the positions of the players determined? The positions of the players are determined by means of the situation of the figures in the main direction (clockwise). A figure that crosses the finish against the main direction is still considered to be in 'last position'.

What happens when figures stand on the same location? If two or more figures are stood on the same location, the figure in front is the one on the innermost lane. If the space on the inside lane becomes free, the figure on the outer lane immediately shifts inwards.

What happens when all the cards of an action card deck have been taken? The start player takes all the cards from the discard pile, sorts them according to their backs, shuffles the four piles and inserts them under the appropriate decks.

The Game for 1, 2 or 3 Players

With 1, 2 or 3 players, the game is still played with all the figures. According to their position in the race, an action card will be placed for each of the ownerless figures. These action cards always correspond to the position of the figure at that moment. E.g. if the figure is in third position, then a card will be taken from the deck with the '3' on the back of the cards and be placed on the 'deposit' pile.

Example

The situation of the figures changes after every action. The following picture shows a possible arrangement of the figures at the start of a round. Firstly the players place their action cards on the 'deposit' space. The player in last position ('D') begins.

As his figure D is in fourth place and his action card will be carried out first, he places an action card which relates to the figure in fourth place.

The other players can see this from the back of the placed card. They now also place a card one after another (Player C, Player B, and lastly Player A).

Now the complete card pile is turned over and the uppermost card read out.

The first action card instructs the players to move the figure in last position (D) four spaces forwards.

As the inside lane of this space is occupied, the figure is placed on a lane further out.

After this movement, the figures are in new positions. First position – Figure A; Second position – Figure B; Third position – Figure D; Last position – Figure C.

Now the next card will be read out. This moves the figure in third position (D) two spaces forwards.

After this action, figure 'D' stands in second position.

With the last but one card, the figure in third position (B) is moved three spaces forwards.

The last action card instructs the players to swap the places of the figure in last position (C) and the figure in first position (B).

At the end of this round the result is:

Figure C – first position
Figure A – second position
Figure D – third position
Figure B – last position

The Cards

The First

...moves two spaces back
...moves two spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves three spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves four spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves five spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves five spaces in front of the 2nd
...swaps places with the 2nd
...moves one space behind the 2nd
...moves three spaces in front of the 3rd
...moves six spaces behind the 4th
Move the Finish to the hedgehog

The Second

...moves back to the Start
...moves two spaces back
...moves two spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves three spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves four spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves five spaces forwards
...moves six spaces forwards
...moves one space behind the 1st (2 cards)
...swaps places with the 3rd
...moves three spaces behind the 3rd
Move the Finish to the tortoise

The Third

...moves three spaces back
...moves two spaces forwards
...moves three spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves four spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves five spaces forwards
...moves six spaces forwards
...moves seven spaces forwards
...moves four spaces behind the 1st
...swaps places with the 2nd
...moves one space behind the 2nd
...moves five spaces behind the last (2 cards)
Move the Finish to the snail

The Fourth / The Last

...moves six spaces back
...moves two spaces forwards
...moves three spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves four spaces forwards (2 cards)
...moves five spaces forwards
...moves six spaces forwards
...moves seven spaces forwards
...moves one space in front of the 1st
...swaps places with the 1st
...moves five spaces behind the 1st
...moves two spaces behind the 2nd
...moves four spaces in front of the 3rd
Move the Finish to the Sheep