Pinched! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
- Wild Valuables
Setup
- Location Setup
Flow of Play
End of Game & Scoring
Rules for each of the Locations (Manors & the Bank)
Rules Reference
Credits

Components

5 Location boards: 4 Manors (Diamond, Club, Spade, Heart) - Double-sided: Standard side and the advanced variant on the back, the Crown side. Each board shows the Location's owner, the Location's symbol, the player count it is used with, Valuables cards slots, and its unique abilities.
1 Bank - Special location for 4-5 players.
1 River board - Used in every game.
25 Location cards - 5 sets of cards representing 5 Locations per player, each set showing the Location's symbol and the Location's owner.
176 Valuables Cards - Ten types of Valuables (gemstone, cut crystal, gold bars, jewelry box, bust, patterned fabric, framed picture, chalice, teapot, and key), in decks of 11, 11, 14, 14, 17, 17, 20, 20, 23 and 29 copies respectively. Each card shows its Type (an icon), its Selling thresholds (the number of copies needed to sell for a given value), and the Number of cards of that type in the deck (e.g. the gold bars card shows thresholds of 2/3/4 copies selling for 1/2/4 Wealth, out of 14 cards in that type's deck).
Pocket Watch - Week (Round) tracker. Requires assembly (2 faces - pick your favourite).
The Mastermind Token - Requires assembly.
The Lisa Mona - A unique Treasure token, used with the Diamond Manor. Requires assembly.
Safe token - used with the Club Manor.
2 Diamond tokens - used with the Diamond Manor.
5 Clue tokens - used with the Diamond Manor.
5 Sealed Letter tokens - used with the Diamond Manor.
5 Burglar Stash boards - Each has a Sold Valuables slot, a player symbol, and 3 Valuables cards slots.
Rufus token and Gordie token - used with the Spade Manor.
Secret Passage token and 6 Curse cards - used with the Heart Manor.

Wild Valuables

Some Valuables command a high price because of their artistic merit, some others because of their rarity. But the most flexible Valuable of all, is information. Wild Valuables represent documents that the owners would very much prefer if they were not released to the public. In your hands they are a powerful, flexible tool, and can be counted as any one Valuable of any type.

Wild Valuables are wild. They can be used as if they were an additional copy of any Valuable type in your Stash. Whenever you gain a Wild Valuable, immediately place it on any of the 3 slots on your Stash. This Wild Valuable counts as 1 copy of the Valuables that are on that slot. If you have placed it in an empty slot, it will count as whichever Valuable type you choose to place there afterwards.
A slot that contains only Wild Valuables still counts as empty. So it must be filled as soon as a non-wild Valuable is gained (see point 2 of Stashing Rules below).

Setup

Choose & set up Locations: Select the Locations that you will play with. For your first game, use the manors shown in the "Basic Setup" below. Set up each Location according to its specific instructions in the "Location Setup" section. Place the chosen locations one below the other to form the play area. The River is not a Location, but it is always in play (see River step, below). If you are playing with the Bank, place it beside the River Board.
Distribute player materials: Give each player a Stash board and their set of matching Location cards. Remove the Location cards of the Locations that are not in play. The River is not a location and does not have a location card.
Prepare the Valuables deck: Shuffle the Valuables cards and form a face down deck. Deal one card face up to each slot on all the boards, including the River.
Deal starting Valuables: Deal 3 Valuables to each player to place into their Stash board. Valuables of the same type must go into the same Stash slot (different types are detailed in the Components section). If you draw a Wild card, place it in any slot. They will be explained later.
Assign first Mastermind: After a whispered parley among the scoundrels at the table, the one deemed most likely to steal a 16th Century Flemish masterpiece is entrusted with both The Mastermind's token and the Pocket Watch. Should consensus elude them, they either start a tavern brawl to settle the issue, or choose a starting player randomly.
Set Pocket Watch: Set the Pocket Watch to the starting slot depending on the player count: 5 for 2 players, 4 for 3-4 players, 3 for 5 players. This number is the number of Rounds to go.

Location Setup

Pinched! includes five double-sided Location boards, each with unique abilities: The Standard side and the Crown side, which offers a more advanced variant.

For your first game, use the Basic Setup shown below. For future games, we suggest you try one of the recommended setups that we have listed below. Once you're really familiar with the game, you may try to mix and match Locations and sides according to your preferences.

Basic Setup

2 players: 3 Locations - Diamond (Standard), Club (Standard), Heart (Standard) (see example)
3 players: 4 Locations - Diamond (Standard), Club (Standard), Spade (Standard), Heart (Standard)
4 players: 4 Locations - Diamond (Standard), Club (Standard), Heart (Standard), Bank (Crown)
5 players: 5 Locations - Diamond (Standard), Club (Standard), Spade (Standard), Heart (Standard), Bank (Crown)

Recommended Location setups

2 players - "Paranoid Proprietor": Diamond (Crown), Club (Standard), Heart (Standard)
3 players - "The Search for Lisa Mona": Diamond (Crown), Club (Crown), Spade (Standard), Heart (Standard)
4 players - "Cursed Secrets": Diamond (Standard), Spade (Crown), Heart (Crown), Bank (Crown)
5 players - "The Full Monty": Diamond (Crown), Club (Crown), Spade (Crown), Heart (Crown), Bank (Crown)

You are ready to start the game.

Flow of Play

The game takes place over a series of Weeks (Rounds). Each Week, every burglar* (player) gets one Day (Turn) as The Mastermind, planning a Heist, while on the other Days, they try to piggyback on someone else's grand plan.

At the end of each Week, the Pocket Watch goes down by one. When the Pocket Watch ticks down to 1, at the end of that Week, the burglar who has "redistributed" the most Wealth (cough, the richest) wins.

*In the rules, "burglars" always refers to all players, including The Mastermind. Some rules may specify that they apply only to The Mastermind, or to the other burglars.

1. Morning - The Plan

During the Morning phase, everybody prepares for the Night. All burglars simultaneously select which Location they will visit during the Night phase. The Mastermind selects the Location of their planned Heist, while the other burglars try to guess where The Mastermind intends to break into.

(If playing with Spade Manor): The Mastermind performs the Rufus/Gordie step (see The Spade Manor, below).
The Mastermind chooses a Location card and places it face down in front of them. This will be the Heist's Location for the Day.
At the same time, the other burglars try to guess the Heist's Location by placing one of their Location cards face down.
All burglars simultaneously reveal their Location cards.

Pro Burglar Tip: Table talk is highly encouraged during this phase. The more talk, the more fun! Stay in character as the sly, scheming burglars you are! This is your chance to direct, misdirect, plan - and mis-plan. Declare your intentions, or don't. Bluff, double bluff, or quadruple bluff. When aiming for the Bank, it's often wise to say it out loud - depending on your track record for honesty, others may follow you... or not.

2. Night - The Heist

During the Night phase, the Heist is in motion! Burglars resolve actions in clockwise order, starting with The Mastermind. Those who showed up at the Location of the Heist, steal some Valuables.

If The Mastermind outsmarts everyone and executes their Heist alone, they get to rob the entire place for themselves - stealing all the Valuables and potentially triggering special benefits, depending on the Location.

If more than one burglar shows up at the Heist Location:

The Mastermind steals one Valuable from the Location.
Then, the other burglars who guessed correctly, in clockwise order, starting after The Mastermind, steal one Valuable each.
The Mastermind then steals an additional Valuable. If none remain, they draw one from the top of the deck.
Some Locations may trigger special abilities (see "Rules for each of the Locations", below).

If The Mastermind shows up at the Heist Location alone:

The Mastermind steals all Valuables in that Location.
Some Locations may trigger special abilities (see "Rules for each of the Locations", below).

3. Post Heist - Stash, Sell and Dump

After the Heist, all burglars must stash their Valuables. Only The Mastermind may sell their Valuables, and must dump any remaining ones that don't fit in their Stash.

Whenever burglars gain Valuables for any reason, they must immediately follow the Stashing Rules.

Stashing Rules

If a burglar has any Valuables in hand that match a type already in their Stash, they must place all those Valuables in the same single slot on their Stash board. There is no limit to the number of copies of a type they can have in a slot.
If there are any empty slots in their Stash, they must use them to store all Valuables of a new type from their hand.
Any remaining Valuables that can't be stored may be kept in hand until the next time they are Mastermind.

Once all burglars have stashed their Valuables, The Mastermind performs the Sell & Dump step, while the other burglars simultaneously perform the River step (see below).

Sell & Dump (The Mastermind Only)

The Mastermind may sell any number of sets from their Stash, taking the following steps:

Choose one of the 3 sets on your Stash board that you wish to sell, and count the number of copies you have in that set. Compare the number of copies with the thresholds printed on the cards of that set to check how much value you sell them for. Flip cards face down from your set equal to the selling value and place them in the designated slot in your Stash. Each face down card is worth 1 Wealth.
Discard any cards from the set that are in excess of the Wealth scored. The first time this happens, create the discard pile by placing the discarded cards face up beside the Valuables deck.
Once a slot in the Stash is freed up through selling, you may place another set in that slot from your hand. This newly placed set can now be sold.
You may sell as many sets as you wish in this way.
Once you cannot or would not like to sell any more sets, you must discard any remaining cards in hand that cannot be stashed, placing them face up in the discard pile (see point 2).

River Step (Everyone else)

While The Mastermind performs the Sell & Dump step, starting with the burglar to the left of The Mastermind, each player chooses one of the 3 face up cards from the River, stashes it according to the Stashing Rules, then draws 1 card to refill the River. The River is not a Location for the purposes of planning Heists.

Replenish

Refill all empty slots on the Location boards with new Valuables. In the rare event that the Valuables deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new Valuables deck.
Pass The Mastermind token to the burglar on the left.
If the Heart Manor is in play: Slide the Secret Passage token to its open position (see Heart Manor, below).
If The Mastermind token returns to the First Mastermind (the one with the Pocket Watch), tick the Pocket Watch down by one step. If the watch was already showing "1" for this round, then proceed to the End of Game & Scoring Phase.

End of Game & Scoring

The game ends at the end of the Week when the Pocket Watch indicates 1 (THE FINAL WEEK) (Week 5 in a 2-player game, Week 4 in 3- and 4-player games, and Week 3 in a 5-player game). Proceed with the following steps:

Burglars who possess the Rufus and/or Gordie tokens (see Spade Manor / Spade Manor - Crown side, below) perform their Rufus/Gordie ability one last time.
All burglars may sell any remaining Valuables from their Stash, following standard rules, including refilling their Stash from their hand and selling again.
Burglars total their Wealth by counting the number of face down (sold) Valuables.
Add any bonus Wealth from Lisa Mona, Diamond tokens, and Clue tokens to each burglar's total.
Subtract the value of any Curse cards still in hand (see Heart Manor - Crown side, below).

The burglar with the most Wealth wins.

If there's a tie, the tied burglar with the most Gold Bars among their Wealth cards wins. If there's still a tie, the victory is shared.

Rules for each of the Locations (Manors & the Bank)

Diamond Manor - Standard side (2-5 players)

Silverstone Manor

Lady Silverstone is an eccentric collector of artefacts from far-away lands, and a shameless gem-hoarder. With her silver-lined spectacles and satin blouse, she waltzes through the vast halls of her sprawling estate. Among her prized possessions, one stands above all else: The Lisa Mona, a portrait so radiant it outshines even her most glittering diamonds. But there she hangs, surrounded by glinting cornice, a captive and lonely beauty. It's high time someone freed this masterpiece from her lavish prison...

The Diamond Manor contains a few Treasures that score points at the end of the game. The Lisa Mona is worth 3 Wealth at the end of the game, and the 2 Diamonds each worth 1 Wealth.

During Setup:

Place the Lisa Mona and the 2 Diamond tokens beside the Silverstone Manor board.

Special Rules:

The first Mastermind to visit the Diamond Manor alone steals the Lisa Mona and places it in front of them. It is worth 3 Wealth at the end of the game.
The next Mastermind to visit the Diamond Manor alone may take one of the Diamond tokens (if any remain). Each Diamond is worth 1 Wealth. A single Mastermind may claim more than one Diamond across different visits. The 3 special Treasures are unique and will not get replenished.

Diamond Manor - Crown side (3-5 players)

As shadows lengthen along the walls, Lady Silverstone gazes at the eyes of her cherished portrait. "So," she murmurs, "the vultures are circling you now, my precious." She rises with a sigh. "Time to carry you to the highest tower. Let them try and steal you from me now..."

The Crown side functions similarly to the Standard side, but the Lisa Mona is hidden in a secret Location. A letter reveals where it is - but only to those clever enough to find it first! Be warned: as more burglars read the letter, it becomes harder to end up alone at the secret Location!

During Setup:

Place the Lisa Mona beside the Diamond Manor board.
Take the five Sealed Letter tokens and remove any that refer to Locations not in play.
Shuffle the remaining Sealed Letter tokens and place one face down on the Diamond Manor board. Return the rest to the box.
Place Clue tokens equal to the number of players beside the board.
Do not use Diamond tokens on this side of the Manor.

Special Rules:

If The Mastermind visits the Diamond Manor alone, they may look at the face down Sealed Letter token to learn the Location where the Lisa Mona has been hidden. They also take a Clue token, which is worth 2 Wealth at the end of the game. The Location is not revealed to the other burglars.
In a future Heist, if a Mastermind already has a Clue token and visits the Location where the Lisa Mona was hidden alone, they may steal the Lisa Mona, placing it beside their Stash. Reveal the Sealed Letter token to confirm that The Mastermind is in the right location. Once the Lisa Mona is stolen, the burglars can still obtain the Clue tokens for points in the Diamond Manor.
On the Crown side, the Lisa Mona is worth 5 Wealth at the end of the game.

Club Manor - Standard side (2-5 players)

Schloss Tonnengold

Admiral Tonnengold retired decades ago after amassing a fortune in gold. But his years of seafaring and government-sanctioned marauding have had a lasting effect on his mind. His sleep, now haunted by fears of betrayal and mutiny, brings him no rest. Every creak of the floorboards sends his tortured imagination spiralling: Was that a thief? A more sinister intruder? Not a second to lose! It's time to lock up his most treasured possessions inside a safe and protect them from nasty, grasping fingers.

During Setup:

Place the Safe token on the leftmost space of the Safe track.

Special Rules:

If a Heist occurs in the Club Manor, and The Mastermind is not alone, move the Safe token one space to the right. The Safe cannot be opened, but more Valuables will be hidden inside.
If The Mastermind is alone, they break into the Safe and draw a number of Valuables from the deck equal to the number shown on the current space of the Safe track.
After opening the Safe, reset the Safe token to the leftmost space.
If the Safe token is already on the leftmost space, nothing happens.

(The Safe track's starting position reads 0-1-2-3; after a Heist it slides to increase toward 3, and after opening it slides back to reset to 0.)

Club Manor - Crown side (2-5 players)

With each clinking coin and every vanished heap of gold, there is no doubt: "This ship's hold is infested with rats - and what! NO! my golden goblet is gone!" As despair sets in, paranoia burrows deep: the Admiral now locks away his treasure by the shovelful...

On the Crown side, the owner is even more paranoid. All rules are the same as the Standard side, but the Safe can contain even more Valuables! (The Safe track's starting position reads 1-2-4-6.)

Spade Manor - Standard side (3-5 players)

Castello Verdeggianti

The life of the Marchesa Cassandra Verdeggianti among the nobility of her realm has long been the subject of hushed whispers and envious sighs. An expert cavaliere and fencer with a high-flying temperament, feared by suitors and enemies alike. But even the Marchesa has her weakness... her pampered, precious pooches! Each Day, these immaculately groomed dogs are served the finest pasticcini in gold-plated bowls, delicately spoon-fed with silver cutlery while she drowns them in kisses and cuddles.

In the Spade Manor, The Mastermind has the chance to befriend one of the estate's fluffy guardians. A "loyal" dog might just help you snag a few extra goodies on your next Heist.

During Setup:

Place the Rufus token on its designated slot on the Spade Manor board.

Special Rules:

If The Mastermind visits the Spade Manor alone, they may befriend Rufus, placing his token in front of them. If another burglar already has the Rufus token, they take it from them.
On their next Turn as The Mastermind, if Rufus is still with them (before the Morning phase), they may take all 3 face up cards from the River. Then, refill the River.

Spade Manor - Crown side (4-5 players)

"Oh look! Who comes running behind Rufus, it's the adorable Gordie... and what does he bring along, attached to his collar?"

During Setup:

Place both the Rufus and Gordie tokens on their designated slots.

Special Rules:

If The Mastermind visits the Spade Manor alone, they may befriend either Rufus or Gordie - whichever is not taken by them or another player. If both dogs are taken, The Mastermind takes a dog of their choice from another player.
On their next Turn as The Mastermind (before the Morning phase):
1. If they have Rufus, they may take all 3 River cards. Then, refill the River.
2. If they have Gordie, they may take 1 face up card from any Manor. Then, immediately refill that slot.
A burglar can have both Rufus and Gordie at the same time, and receive both benefits.

Heart Manor - Standard side (2-5 players)

Château Mille-feuille

The Duc de Montgâteau-sur-Canapé is the very embodiment of charm, elegance, and—above all—impeccable taste. Lavish soirées at the château see course after course of the most exquisite pâtisseries served on heirloom céramiques, with an endless array of cutlery that glints like starlight under crystal chandeliers.

But behind the velvet drapes and gilded mirrors lie darker tales. Whispered rumours tell of untold riches buried deep within the heart of the château, and some even claim that it serves as a gateway to every other vault in the city...

The Heart Manor contains a hidden passage leading to other Locations.

During Setup:

Slide the Secret Passage token to its open position.

Special Rules:

During a Heist at the Heart Manor, if the Secret Passage is still open, a burglar may choose to take a face up card from any other Manor instead of one from the Heart Manor.
If they do, close the Secret Passage by sliding the token to the closed position. Only one burglar may use the Secret Passage on a given Heist.
If The Mastermind is alone, they steal all Valuables and may also use the Secret Passage.
At the end of the Heist, during the replenish phase, set the Secret Passage to the open position.

Heart Manor - Crown side (4-5 players)

Tread lightly - for the faintest whispers warn that the château's vibrant, winding halls are but a siren's lure. Those who dare enter this opulent maze return cursed, haunted by the souls of other trespassers and now are doomed to wander its corridors forever.

This side includes a "Cursed" Secret Passage. Use it to grab more Valuables - if you're willing to risk getting cursed...

During Setup:

Slide the Secret Passage token to the open position.
Shuffle the 6 Curse cards and place them face down on the Heart Manor board.

Special Rules:

During a Heist at the Heart Manor, if the Secret Passage is still open, a burglar may take two face up cards from other Manors (either two from the same Manor or one from two different Manors), instead of one card from the Heart Manor.
If they do, they must draw a Curse card and close the Secret Passage. Only one burglar may use the Secret Passage during a given Heist.
Curse cards are secret and should not be revealed.
In each future Heist, in any Location, each burglar who is on a Heist (The Mastermind and all burglars that show up in the correct Location) can choose one of their Curse cards and pass it to another burglar of their choice who is also on that Heist.
A burglar cannot pass a Curse card during the same Heist in which they received it.
If no Curse cards remain in the deck, the passage still works - but no Curse is drawn.
If The Mastermind is alone, they steal all Valuables and may also use the Secret Passage.
At the end of the Heist, during the replenish phase, set the Secret Passage to the open position.

Bank - Crown side (4-5 players)

Stonewall Bank

Stonewall Bank stands not merely as a vault, but as a monument to impenetrability. Nine concentric layers of security encase its legendary core chamber, each guarded by relentless sentinels and thick walls. No burglar has ever breached more than a single layer. To dream of reaching the inner vault alone is complete and utter folly, even for the most cunning of Masterminds. No, such a daunting task demands a crew—a fellowship of thieves, each playing their part with precision... But as whispers of the ultimate Heist spread through the underworld, they also reach the ears of the city guards. If all burglars make a move on the same night, the guards will be there to pinch them!

The Bank is a high-stakes Location recommended for 4 players and required for 5. The Bank has only one side, the Crown side. Unlike other Locations, here, you want company - unless everyone shows up, in which case... the heat is on.

During Setup:

Place the Bank beside the River Board with its Crown side face up.

Special Rules:

When the Heist is at the Bank:

If only The Mastermind shows up, they draw 2 Valuables from the top of the deck.
If some - but not all - burglars show up, each participant draws 4 Valuables.
If all burglars show up, the Heist fails. No one gets anything.

Rules Reference

Game Objective

Redistribute (ahem, pinch) the most Wealth by the end of the final Week. Face down sold Valuables are worth 1 each. Add Bonus points from special tokens. Subtract any Curses!

Game Round Structure

Each Week, every burglar gets one Day as The Mastermind.

Morning - The Plan

(If applicable): The Mastermind triggers Rufus/Gordie (if owned).
The Mastermind chooses the Location of the Heist and places the Location card face down.
Other burglars choose a Location with their own cards (face down).
Reveal all Location cards simultaneously.
TABLE TALK, BLUFFING, AND MISDIRECTION ARE ENCOURAGED!

Night - The Heist

The Heist commences in the Location that The Mastermind chose.

The Mastermind steals 1 Valuable from that Location - or all, if nobody else went there.
Any other burglars that went to the right Location steal one Valuable in clockwise order.
The Mastermind steals 1 more.

Post Heist - Stash, Sell, & Dump

Stashing Rules (all burglars):

Fill empty slots with a new type (all cards of that type).
Add matching types to existing stacks.
Wild Valuables must be added to any slot or an empty slot (count as any type).

Mastermind only: Sell & Dump

Sell one or more sets from their Stash.
Flip sold cards face down in their designated space = 1 each.
Discard any un-stashed cards face up beside the Valuables deck.

Others: River

In turn order (left of The Mastermind), take 1 face up River card.
Refill River to 3, before each burglar chooses.
Stash following Stashing Rules.
Leftover cards may stay in hand till they are The Mastermind.

Replenish

Refill all empty slots on Location boards with Valuables.
Pass The Mastermind token to the left.
Heart Manor in play: slide the Secret Passage token to open.
If The Mastermind token returns to the Pocket Watch holder, they tick the Watch down one step.

End of Game & Scoring

After 5 Weeks (2p), 4 Weeks (3-4p), or 3 Weeks (5p):

Spade Manor in play: Resolve Rufus/Gordie one last time.
All burglars sell remaining Valuables from their Stash.
Face down (stolen) cards are worth 1 each.
Add bonuses (Lisa Mona, Diamonds, Clues).
Subtract Curses.

MOST WEALTH WINS!

Tiebreaker 1: Most Gold Bars Tiebreaker 2: Shared victory

Credits

Designed by David Gordon & Jonathan Gilmour-Long Game Direction: David Chircop Art Direction: Mark Casha & Max Kosek Product & Graphic Design: Max Kosek Art: Ves Redesiuk, Max Kosek & Kasia Brzezińska Development: David Chircop, Harry Apartoglou & Max Kosek Project Management: David Chircop & Marvin Zammit Rulebook Editing: Alexandre Limoges & Christian Paller Marketing: Eveline Foubert Special Thanks: Aphrodite Andreou, Christopher Borg & Ema Grech