Police 07
Police 07 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 rulebook
- 132 tickets, of which:
- 48 taxi tickets
- 48 bus tickets
- 32 metro tickets
- 2 tickets valid for every vehicle (JOKER)
- 2 double-move tickets
- 18 start cards
- 1 game board
- 6 playing pieces
- 1 travel log (Dr. Factor's log), with paper
- 5 notepads for the detectives
Where is Dr. Factor?
The game can be played by a minimum of two and a maximum of six players. One of them is Dr. Factor, who hides while travelling criss-cross in his escape. "Invisibly", by metro, taxi and bus, he slips out of the pursuers' ring, and only at certain intervals shows himself, barely for a moment.
The other players are the detectives of Police 07, who likewise travel by metro, taxi and bus and are constantly on Dr. Factor's trail in order to catch him.
Object of the Game
If one of the detectives manages to meet the invisible Dr. Factor at the same point, the master thief must give himself up, and with that the pursuers win. However, if Dr. Factor remains unnoticed, that is, keeps hiding, until the detectives have used up all their travel tickets, and with them all their possibilities to move, then Dr. Factor has won.
How Do We Start the Game?
Before the first game, punch out all the tickets and cards from the three stencilled sheets and put them into the corresponding compartments of the box.
The players decide who will be Dr. Factor. He receives the likewise punched-out playing piece, the travel log, and in addition 3 taxi, 3 bus and 2 metro tickets, but also the 2 tickets valid for every vehicle (JOKER) and the 2 double-move tickets.
The detectives each receive a playing piece, 9 taxi, 9 bus and 6 metro tickets.
If only two players play against Dr. Factor, each of them represents two detectives, so they take part in the chase with two pieces and double the quantity of tickets.
Then we shuffle the start cards and everyone draws one of them. The number on the card gives the number of the starting point on the game board, which depicts the map of Budapest. Dr. Factor and the detectives place their pieces on their starting points (stops) and the game can begin.
Rules of the Game
On the stylised pictorial map of Budapest made for the game there are 196 stops; from their colours, and from the lines running into them, it can be determined from where one can travel on and to where.
- Taxi: its route is yellow, its stop is a plain yellow dot. The taxi ticket is also yellow.
- Bus: its route is blue, its stop is always shared with the taxi's, so it is marked blue-yellow. The bus ticket is blue.
- Metro: (also the rapid railway) its route is red; at its stop we can transfer to both taxi and bus, therefore the station contains red, blue and yellow in its colours. The metro ticket is red.
With the chosen vehicle we may always go only one stop. Two pieces may never stand on one point. Apart from this, the players may choose their direction of travel at will; indeed, at the next move one may even travel back along the same stretch, for example.
Dr. Factor makes the first move, but at the second move he already takes off his piece and from then on he is "invisible". However, he is obliged to record every move of his in the travel log, hidden from the pursuers. He covers his entry with the ticket he used, and so lets the detectives know what vehicle he travelled by, but where to, that is left to the detectives' logical deduction.
Dr. Factor must show himself, his whereabouts, at regular intervals: first on the 3rd, then on the 8th, 13th and 18th move, and at the end of the game. These appearance stops are highlighted in the travel log with a marked window. When the master thief appears, he records his position in the log as usual, places his ticket on it, then puts his piece on the stop he has arrived at. He leaves it there until the next move; then he becomes invisible again and takes his piece off.
At such times the detectives may discuss the strategy of encirclement among themselves, and check in the travel log through which points they have driven their quarry to his present stop. In case of cheating, the master thief is to be considered caught.
After Dr. Factor's first move the detectives follow in an order corresponding to the direction of a clock's hands. They may travel one stop by a vehicle of their choice; the ticket used, however, must be handed over to Dr. Factor, and then each puts his piece on the stop reached.
The detectives have only a limited number of tickets for each means of transport, and they can no longer use the type of vehicle for which their tickets have run out. It is important that the detectives' stock of tickets always lies on the table so that Dr. Factor can see what means of transport his pursuers can still use.
Naturally, during his escape Dr. Factor may also use the tickets received from the detectives at each step. With the double-move ticket he can, understandably, move twice by himself, even with a combination of means of transport. With the ticket valid for every vehicle he can use any line, so for example the Danube water-bus line as well.
End of the Game
The game ends when one of the detectives arrives with his piece at the point where Dr. Factor is at that same time. In that case the master thief must show himself, and with that he has lost the game.
The game also ends if the pursuers, having used up their tickets, cannot move any more. With this Dr. Factor has won. This case occurs at the latest in the 24th move, but may happen earlier. Likewise, of course, Dr. Factor's capture too.
Tactical Instructions, Variations
The detectives should preferably split up so that they can encircle the master thief. It is recommended that, as a check or to examine the pursuers' concept later, the detectives themselves also keep a log in the notepad enclosed with the game.
For both sides the appearance stops are especially important. Dr. Factor must take care that none of the detectives can get away from the same circle at the point where he has to appear. The detectives, at the same time, should stand at points that allow quick relocation. Generally these are the metro stations.
Above all it applies to Dr. Factor that he should study the rulebook and the game board very thoroughly. On the map of Budapest there are many places where in reality there is no metro station or bus stop; these changes had to be subordinated to the playability of the game.
The players may also agree on various rule modifications. Such are:
- Dr. Factor, if he feels himself in great safety, may voluntarily show himself to the pursuers beyond the compulsory appearances as a bonus; in this case he may take one ticket from every pursuer at will, with which he can restrict their freedom of movement;
- the pursuers receive no tickets of any kind and may travel without limit; Dr. Factor, however, has a compulsory ticket use, purely for the purpose of covering the travel log, so that the detectives can see where he is going and by what;
- the game can be varied so that the drawing of start cards is omitted, everyone puts his piece on the stop he wishes; the point is that Dr. Factor places his piece last, likewise wherever he wishes.
In the above cases too, the remaining rules of the game remain unaffected.