Overload Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Aim of the game
• Contents
• Preparing to play
• How to play
  • Start
  • Moving the playing pieces
  • Overtaking other playing pieces
  • If several playing pieces land on one square
  • Overload
  • Finish
• End of the game
• Play variations

Aim of the game

The aim of the game is to get as many counters to the finish as possible over several rounds. At the start, each player must decide how many counters they wish to begin with. They shouldn't risk too much, though, as more and more counters are added along the way. Whenever one playing piece overtakes other playing pieces, a counter is added to each of the playing pieces that have been overtaken. And if this means that a playing piece becomes overloaded, then it is out of the round and must start all over again. The first player to earn a certain number of points wins the game.

Contents

• 98 point chips (40x 1, 30x 2 and 28x 5 points)
• 1 bowl for the counters
• 8 playing board sections (1 start, 1 finish, 2 turns and 4 middle sections)
• 80 counters
• 10 playing pieces (in 5 colors)
• 1 die (with 8 sides, numbered from 1 to 8)

Preparing to play

Put the playing board together in a U shape. The playing board sections are printed on both sides. The side with special actions is only used for the play variations. The colors of the squares and their order are irrelevant. You will always need the start, end and turn sections. Not all of the middle sections are used when there are only 3 or 4 players:

• 3 players: only use 2 middle sections.
• 4 players: only use 3 middle sections.
• 5 players: use all playing board sections.

Each player must select a color and place their 2 playing pieces on the start square. Any spare playing pieces can be returned to the box.

The bowl is made of 5 pieces slotted together. Place the 80 counters in the bowl, beside the playing board. Stack the point chips ready beside the playing board. The youngest player starts and rolls the die first.

How to play

Start

Players can add a maximum of 8 counters from the bowl to playing pieces standing on the start square. They must decide how many counters they wish to add before they roll the die. If they forget to add counters, then they begin without any.

Tactical tip: At the start of the game, players should think very carefully about how many counters they wish to add to their playing pieces. Particularly in the first round, it is easy to add too many counters, and this might mean that a playing piece fails to reach the finish due to an overload (see below).

Moving the playing pieces

The player whose turn it is rolls the die and moves one of their playing pieces forward the number of squares shown on the die. The game proceeds in a clockwise direction. The next player then rolls the die and moves one of their playing pieces forward.

Players are always free to decide which of their two playing pieces they wish to move once they have rolled the die. Exception: If a player still has a playing piece on the start square, then they must move this first.

Overtaking other playing pieces

If one playing piece overtakes other playing pieces (whether it is their own playing piece or that of an opponent), 1 counter from the bowl must be added to each of the overtaken playing pieces.

Example 1: the blue player rolls a 5 and overtakes the red and yellow players. 1 counter is added to each of the overtaken playing pieces from the bowl.

If several playing pieces land on one square

If a player lands on a square where there is already a playing piece (whether it is their own or that of an opponent), then the player whose turn it is has two options:

• Give: They give 1 counter from their playing piece to the playing piece that they have caught up with. This can also lead to an overload (see below).
• Take: They take 1 counter from the playing piece they have caught up with and add it to their own playing piece.

If a player ends their go on a square where several playing pieces are already standing, the player can decide for each of these playing pieces whether they wish to give or take a counter.

If several playing pieces land on the same square and some of the playing pieces do not have any counters, then a counter must be taken or given to these playing pieces whenever possible.

Example 2: The red player rolls a 2 and lands on the same square as the yellow player. The red player decides to give one of its counters to the yellow player. They could also have decided to take one of the counters from the yellow player and to place it on their own playing piece.

Example 3: The yellow player rolls a 5 and moves its playing piece that is further behind forward 5 squares onto the same square as the other yellow playing piece and a red playing piece. The yellow player gives one of its counters to its other playing piece and takes a counter from the red playing piece.

Overload

Each playing piece can hold up to 8 counters. If a ninth counter has to be added to a playing piece, then it becomes overloaded and must return immediately to the start square without the player receiving any points (the 8 counters go back in the bowl).

The player can decide again how many counters they wish to begin with in their next turn. The player who overloaded an opponent's playing piece receives 1 point chip as a reward. Players do not receive point chips for overloading their own playing pieces.

Finish

As soon as a playing piece reaches the finish (the exact number of spaces doesn't have to be rolled!), the player receives the number of counters in point chips.

Bonus for 8 counters: If a player has exactly 8 counters on their playing piece when they reach the finish, then they receive 4 bonus points and can take a total of 12 points instead of just 8! Playing pieces that have reached the finish are immediately returned to the start square and the counters are put back in the bowl. Before the player can bring the playing piece into play again, they must decide how many counters they wish to put on it.

Example 4: The red player rolls a 6 and reaches the finish line. They then return their 5 counters to the bowl, take a 5-point chip and place their playing piece back on the start square. For the next round, they put 3 counters on their playing piece and move forward on their next turn. The green player rolls a 7 and also reaches the finish. They receive 12 points (8 points for the 8 counters + 4 bonus points).

End of the game

The game ends immediately when a player has earned a certain number of points; this depends on the number of players. This player wins the game!

• 3 players: 40 points.
• 4 players: 35 points.
• 5 players: 30 points.

Play variations

Another version of the board featuring special actions is printed on the back of the playing board sections. The players can decide at the start of the game how many playing board sections with special actions they wish to use. Whenever a player lands on a square with a special action during their turn, then they must complete this action. The possible actions are:

• Plus square: The playing piece receives 1 counter from the bowl (beware of overload!).
• Minus square: The playing piece must give up 1 counter (return it to the bowl).
• +/- square: The playing piece must move forward or back 1 square. Playing pieces therefore never remain on this square. If the player overtakes another playing piece and then lands back on the same square as this playing piece because of the +/- square, 1 counter is added to the other playing piece from the bowl. The other player must then decide whether they wish to give the playing piece another counter or to take one away.
• Double square (x2): All actions on this field are doubled. So, if a playing piece on this square is overtaken, they receive not 1 but 2 counters from the bowl. If there are several playing pieces on this square and another playing piece also lands here, 2 counters must be given or taken from each of the playing pieces standing here (wherever possible).