Pool Party Stars
Pool Party Stars Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 40 Guest cards
- 12 Secret Rule cards
- 4 Attribute Guides
Setup
- Shuffle the Secret Rule deck (a) and the Guest deck (b) separately and place them on the table.
- Each player receives 3 Guest cards and 1 Secret Rule card.
- The player who was most recently in a pool is the first player.
Card Structure
Each Guest card has three attributes, divided into three categories: Species, Outfit and Item. See the image below for all the possibilities in each category:
- Species: Animal, Monster, Robot, Plant
- Outfit: Swimsuit, Sport, Costume, Pajamas
- Item: Drink, Food, Book, Gift
The Secret Rule cards forbid only 1 of the 12 attributes found on the Guest cards, for example "Forbidden Monster" or "Forbidden Book". There is exactly 1 card for each attribute among the Secret Rule cards.
How to Play
On your turn, each player may take one of the two actions below. Starting with the first player and alternating clockwise until the end of the game:
1. Suggest a Guest for the Party!
The player chooses a Guest card from their hand and places it in the centre of the table (regardless of their own Secret Rule). This guest is called the Guest of the Turn (see "Example 1: Introducing a Guest" below).
Then, clockwise, each player must say whether the guest can enter the party or whether their Secret Rule bars that guest.
Example: If a player has the Secret Rule "Forbidden Pajamas", they MUST bar the entry of every guest that has the "Pajamas" icon among its attributes.
- If your Secret Rule forbids a guest's entry, you MUST say that the guest is barred from the party.
- If you do not have the Secret Rule needed to bar that guest, you MUST let them in.
IMPORTANT: No lying!
Get into the spirit! Make up random reasons to approve or refuse that guest's entry. For example: "The only one who can wear a kimono at this party is me!", "I don't like bearded cacti!", etc. The reason cannot be any Secret Rule present in the game.
If anyone bars the Guest of the Turn, the next player (to your left) is not questioned, and the Guest of the Turn card is left at the end of the Waiting Line in the centre of the table, placed side by side.
If no one bars the Guest of the Turn, that guest is promoted to a VIP Guest of the player who played them. The card must be placed face down in front of that player, and it is worth 1 victory point at the end of the game.
After deciding the fate of the Guest of the Turn, the player draws a new Guest card (keeping 3 in hand) and passes the turn to the next player.
(If there are no more cards in the Guest deck, the players continue playing with the cards in their hands.)
2. Deduce Another Player's Secret Rule
Instead of playing a Guest, the player may try to discover another player's Secret Rule.
To do this, point to the chosen player and say which Secret Rule you think they have. (You may look at your Attribute Guide to see which rules exist in the game.)
- If the guess is correct, the questioned player reveals their Secret Rule, shuffles it into the Rules deck, and draws a new Secret Rule card. The player who correctly deduced the other's Rule takes half of the Guest cards (rounded up) that are in the party's Waiting Line, placed in the centre of the table.
- Guests acquired this way become VIP Guests, so the cards must be placed face down in front of the player who received them.
- If the guess is wrong, the questioned player only says that their Secret Rule is not that one, and nothing else happens. (However, the other players now have a clue about their Secret Rule.)
(If you want to play a more competitive mode, add the following rule:)
- If the guess is wrong, the player who made the guess loses one of their VIP Guests, removing it from the game. (See "Example 2: Deducing a Secret Rule" below.)
The turn then passes to the next player clockwise.
End of Game
The game ends immediately when, on a player's turn, that player has no more Guest cards in hand. In this case, that player also may not try to discover another player's Secret Rule.
The player with the most VIP Guest cards wins the game.
If there is a tie, the player with the greater variety of different Guest Species wins.
Example of a tie: Player A has only Robot and Monster cards. Player B has Robot, Monster and Plant cards. Player B is the winner.
If the tie persists, the player with the greater variety of different Outfits wins. If the tie still persists, the player with the greater variety of different Items wins. If the tie still persists after that, the players share the victory.
Example 1: Introducing a Guest
- Dani, on their turn, introduces a guest (Animal - Swimsuit - Food). Dani's Secret Rule does not apply to their own guests.
- The next player (Lari), who has the "Forbidden Costume" rule, makes up a fictitious reason and lets the Guest of the Turn pass.
- The next player (Ana) has the "Forbidden Animal" rule and must bar the Guest of the Turn. Ana says some reason and prevents the guest from entering the party.
Because of this, Dani's turn ends (no other player is questioned), the guest goes to the Waiting Line in the centre of the table, and the turn passes to the next player (Lari).
Dialogue in the illustration: Lari: "I like the oranges she is bringing to the party. By me, she gets in." Ana: "Hmm... I find her float very flashy. Sorry, not allowed in."
Example 2: Deducing a Secret Rule
Player 2 (Lari), on their turn, points at Ana and questions whether her rule is "Forbidden Animal". Ana is correct, so Ana reveals her card, shuffles it and draws another card from the Rules deck. Lari takes half of the guests in the Waiting Line and adds them to their VIP Guests.
Dialogue in the illustration: Lari: "Is your rule Forbidden Animal?" Ana: "Correct!"