Scheffeln
Scheffeln Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 8 business tiles
- 8 character cards
- 24 movement cards
- 32 money tokens (ascending values from A (0-2000) to H (14000-16000))
- 8 wooden pieces (cars)
- 1 starting player token
- this rulebook
Basic Game for 2-4 Players: Setup
- Take the 8 business tiles and arrange them in a circle in alphabetical order (A-H).
- Place the 8 wooden car pieces in random order on the street spaces of the business tiles, with 1 car on each business.
- Place the character cards face up on the table, in reach of all players.
- Arrange the money tokens into stacks by the letters on their backs (A-H). Shuffle the 4 tokens of each stack and place the stacks face down on their corresponding businesses. Turn the top token of each stack face up.
- The youngest player begins and gets the starting player token.
- The starting player shuffles the movement cards and deals 4 cards to each player.
- Beginning with the starting player and continuing in clockwise order, each player chooses one of the character cards from the center of the table and places it in front of him. This chosen character is the current representative of the player.
Playing The Game
Beginning with the starting player, the players will take turns playing one movement card at a time in clockwise order. After all players have played all of their cards, the round is over and the Scheffeln Phase will begin.
Turns
When it is your turn, you must play a movement card. You may play a movement card for one of two possible actions:
1. Move
Play the card face up. The car with the color matching the card must then be moved in accordance with the Moving Rules (see page 12). (You can play any card, it doesn't matter which person is representing you! All players can always move any car in this manner.)
2. Exchange
Discard the card face down. You must now change your representative. Return your character card back to the center of the table and choose a new, different one from the available character cards. You are not allowed to take a character card from another player!
IMPORTANT: You cannot take the Exchange action for your last turn of a round. Your last movement card must always be played face up!
Maximum of 2 cars on each business
Each business may contain a maximum of 2 cars. The second car to reach a business is always placed on top of the first.
Moving Rules
Playing a movement card will cause the car of the same color as the card to become the active car. The active car is then moved one step forward (clockwise) to the next business, respecting the following rules:
Moving a single car:
If the active car is a single car or a car on top of another before moving, then only the active car will move.
- If there are no cars at the next business, then it will stop there.
- If there is already exactly 1 car at the next business, then the active car will stop there and be placed on top of this car.
- If there are already 2 cars at the next business, then the active car will skip over that business and continue moving until it reaches a business that has less than 2 cars.
A single car is moved to the next business without a car or with only one car.
Moving two cars together:
If the active car is beneath another before moving, then both cars will move together. When the car on the bottom at a business is moved, it will always take the car on top with it.
- When 2 cars move together, they must move to the next business that has no cars, skipping over all businesses with cars on them.
When two cars move together, they must move to the next business that has no cars.
Scheffeln Phase
The Scheffeln Phase begins after all players have played all of their cards. Each player now checks where the car of his current representative has landed.
- If a player's car is alone at a business or on top of another car, then the player takes the top money token of that business.
- If a player's car is beneath another, then he receives nothing.
Example: The red car has landed on Lucre District. The player with the red character card may take the top money token. Yellow is beneath red and gets no money.
After The Scheffeln Phase
- The players keep their current character cards and the cars remain on their current businesses.
- The starting player token is handed to the next player clockwise.
- The new starting player collects all of the 24 movement cards, shuffles them, and deals 4 cards to each player.
- The top money token of each stack is turned face up.
The next round begins by playing movement cards, beginning with the starting player.
Game End
The game ends when at least 1 business tile has no more money tokens. The player with the most money wins! In case of a tie, all tied players share in the victory!
Speed-Scheffeln (Variant for 3-8 players)
This is the fast-paced version of Scheffeln. All players play at the same time. Up to 8 players can participate!
Setup
- Arrange the business tiles in a circle (the order doesn't matter) and place 1 car on each.
- Shuffle all of the money tokens together. Do not sort them by letters! Build 8 stacks of 4 random money tokens each and place one stack face down on each business tile. Turn the top token of each stack face up.
- Place all 8 character cards on the table, in reach of all players. (In this variant, players do not choose a character card at the start of the game.)
- The starting player shuffles the movement cards and deals 7 of them face down in a row. (This row will determine which cars will move at the end of the round.)
Playing The Game
- Going from right to left, the starting player turns each movement card face up.
- After the final card is turned face up, each player simultaneously attempts to determine where the cars will land after moving and which character will earn the most money. Note: the movement cards will take effect later from left to right!
- When a player has come to a decision, he may immediately take a character card from the center. (The first player to touch a card becomes its owner. The player must take that card!)
- When the second-to-last player has taken a card, he counts down from 5 to 0. The last player without a character card has 5 seconds to take one! If he has not come to a decision by then, he goes away empty-handed.
Moving
Next, from left to right, the movement cards take their effect and the cars are moved, following the normal Moving Rules (see page 12).
Scheffeln Phase
Each player gets money as described in the Scheffeln Phase (see page 13).
After the Scheffeln Phase
- The character cards are returned to the center and the cars remain on their current businesses.
- The starting player token is handed to the next player clockwise.
- The top money token of each stack is turned face up and the next round begins.
- The new starting player collects all of the 24 movement cards, shuffles them, and deals 7 face down in a row.
Game End
The game ends when at least 1 business tile has no more money tokens. The player with the most money wins! In case of a tie, all tied players share in the victory!
'RUN'-Expansion (not included in base game)
This expansion includes 6 additional movement cards. The run cards are shuffled in with the normal movement cards. They have the following functions:
- Evasion (1x): Take a car which is on top of another and place it on any business tile that does not currently have a car.
- Backward (2x): Move 1 car of your choice 1 step backwards (counterclockwise). All normal moving rules apply, but in counterclockwise motion.
- Nasty exchange (1x): Exchange your character card for another. You may exchange it for the character card of another player.
- Joker (2x): Move 1 car of your choice 1 step forward.
Note: A run card may be played face up even if it is the last card in your hand.
Scheffeln Mafia-Style (exclusive expansion for Spieleschmiede)
In addition to the normal rules, Mafia-Style has the following rules:
Setup:
Before starting, the additional black Mafia car is placed beneath the car on the business tile 'Dinero Docks'.
Moving:
The Mafia car will move (following the normal Moving Rules) each time a player discards a movement card face down to change his representative.
Scheffeln Phase:
If the black Mafia car is not beneath another, then the Mafia will get the money token from its current business. Of all the players who gained money tokens this round, the Mafia's money token is given to the player whose car is on the least valuable business. That player gets the Mafia's token in addition to his own.
Note: The values of the businesses increase from the lowest (A, 'Dinero Docks') to the highest (H, 'Splendid Boulevard').