Sebastian Fitzek Killercruise Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Playing Materials
  • Before Your First Game
• How Do You Assemble The Ship?
• How To Set Up The Game
• What Do You Have To Do?
• How To Play
• How Do You Move Playing Figures?
  • 1. Move A Playing Figure
  • 2. Unlock Rooms
  • 3. Leave A Key At The Collection Point
• Finished Your Turn?
• Have You Drawn One Or More Killer Cards?
• Used Up The Draw Pile For The Figure Cards?
• Used Up The Draw Pile For The Passenger Cards?
• Save Passengers From The Killer—But How?
• Take Passenger Cards With You
• The Killer Finds Passenger Cards
• The Killer Comes Across A Playing Figure
• What Happens Next With The Unlocked Rooms?
  • 1. What Happens On The Middle Deck?
  • 2. What Happens On The Lower Deck?
• Has The Killer Come Across A Clue?
• Game Over!
• Play Variation—"Under Time Pressure"
• Summary
• Need Help Dismantling The Game?
• Credits

Playing Materials

• 1 ship playing board
• 1 invitation with envelope
• 2 room plans
• 2 puzzle cards (with solutions on the back)
• 8 playing figures (2 versions of each: 1x white background, 1x red background): Daniel Bonhoeffer, Martin Schwartz, Gerlinde Dobkowitz, Dr. Elena Beck
• 1 killer
• 9 playing figure stands
• 12 killer cards (6 single and 6 double)
• 48 figure cards
• 20 clue cards
• 36 passenger cards
• 24 ship rooms (12 rooms each for the middle and upper decks, lettered A to M)

Before Your First Game

Insert the 8 playing figures and the killer into the stand in the matching color.

How Do You Assemble The Ship?

Remove all of the playing materials from the box and put them to one side.

Now fold out the stern with tabs H1 and H2 and the bow with tabs B1 and B2. Put tabs H1 and H2 and tabs B1 and B2 together.

Carefully turn the base of the game box over–this forms the ship's hull. Push the bow and stern sections towards this central section. Magnets hold the 3 parts of the ship–bow, hull, and stern–together. Now the ship is fully assembled. Slide it to the middle of the table so that everyone can reach it. You are now looking at the lower deck with its rooms (A to M).

How To Set Up The Game

Set the scene! Open the envelope and read the invitation.

Take the 2 puzzle cards and place them face-up in front of you. Keep the solutions on the back concealed. There are a total of 24 different puzzles–i.e., 12 play variations per puzzle card. Choose which puzzle you wish to play.

Next, you'll need the clue cards. There are clues on the front. Don't read them! Turn the clue cards over to the number side instead. You will need 12 clue cards for each puzzle. Find the clue cards bearing the numbers that match the puzzle. Return the remaining clue cards to the box lid; you won't need them for this game. The puzzle on the puzzle card now tells you the order in which you must distribute the clue cards to the rooms on the lower deck. Start with the yellow room A and continue to the light blue room B, until you reach the white room M.

By the way: for reasons of legibility, there's no room J. The ship has a total of 3 decks. You have already placed the clue cards ready on the lower deck. Now lay first the middle deck and then the upper deck on top of this.

You will need all 24 rooms for this. You will recognize the 12 rooms on the middle deck by their blue carpet; the 12 rooms on the upper deck have a wooden floor.

Be sure to lay the rooms with the same letter on top of each other as precisely as possible. Place room A on the middle deck over room A on the lower deck, for instance, and room A on the upper deck on top of this. The same applies for all of the rooms on the ship lettered B to M.

Now you need the 8 playing figures and the killer. Place the killer in any of the rooms on the ship's upper deck. Select 3 playing figures with a white background. Place each of these in a different room. At the start of the game, make sure that none of the playing figures is in the same room as the killer.

Place the remaining playing figures (1 with a white background and 4 with a red background) next to the ship. You will need these later.

Shuffle the 48 figure cards and distribute them face down according to the number of players:

• If there are 2 players, give each player 6 figure cards.
• If there are 3 or 4 players, give each player 4 figure cards.

Each player picks up the figure cards they have been dealt. You shouldn't show your figure cards to each other, but you can always discuss them.

Take the killer cards. Depending on your chosen level of difficulty, you must now shuffle the corresponding number of these cards together with the remaining figure cards:

• For the easy level, you will need 8 killer cards: 4 single and 4 double killer cards.
• For the medium level, you will need 10 killer cards: 5 single and 5 double killer cards.
• For the difficult level, you will need 12 killer cards: 6 single and 6 double killer cards.

Depending on the level of difficulty, divide the remaining figure cards into piles of equal sizes. Shuffle the killer cards and (without looking at them!) add 2 to each pile:

• For the easy level, you will need 4 piles.
• For the medium level, you will need 5 piles.
• For the difficult level, you will need 6 piles.

Then place these piles on top of each other to form one large pile. This is now your draw pile. You mustn't shuffle this pile anymore. Place the pile on the chimney field.

Now shuffle all of the passenger cards and place them as a face-down passenger pile on the corresponding field. The "Er kriegt euch" ("He's going to get you!") writing should face upwards.

Now take 4 passenger cards from the passenger pile, turn them over, and distribute them to the corresponding rooms. The colors of the room and passenger card must match.

On rare occasions, the following may happen:

• Is the passenger card meant to go in the room where the killer is? Then put it there.
• Is the passenger card meant to go in a room and the condition on it has already been fulfilled (see Save Passengers From The Killer)? Then return it to the box lid. You do not have to draw another passenger card to replace it.

What Do You Have To Do?

The killer has been hot on your heels from the very start. First, you must save your own skin and the passenger cards (= passengers) before the killer gets to them. At the same time, you must complete 2 challenges: find the missing person – your fourth playing figure – on the middle deck! You will need to unlock several rooms on the upper deck to reach the middle deck. You will then move down to the lower deck where you must track down the unscrupulous psychopath. Clues will provide hints as to where the killer is hiding on the lower deck. Can you decipher them correctly before he gets you?

How To Play

You all play together, against the game. This means that you either all win or all lose. The last player to read Passenger 23 starts. What? No one has read it yet? You really should! Okay, then the youngest player starts. Play then continues in a clockwise direction.

Tip: Be sure to coordinate your next moves well with each other during the game. Decide together how best to proceed.

How Do You Move Playing Figures?

The figure cards help you to move the playing figures around the ship. Each of you can use any of the playing figures – but only if you have the corresponding figure card in your hand and play it.

Is it your turn? Then you must play at least 1 figure card. You may choose to play several figure cards though. You will need a figure card for each playing figure you wish to move.

For each figure card, you may perform one of the following actions:

1. Move a playing figure
2. Unlock rooms
3. Leave a key at the collection point

1. Move A Playing Figure

You can move the playing figures from room to room. There are 3 possible ways to move:

a) Move to an adjacent room: You may move the playing figure pictured on your figure card to one of the neighboring rooms. So the room to the left or right of your current position.

b) Move to the specified room: The background color of the figure card indicates which room you may move the pictured playing figure to. Do you want to use this move? Then jump directly to the corresponding room with this playing figure.

c) Move to any room on the ship: Is the pictured playing figure already standing in the room indicated on the figure card? Then you can use this figure card to perform a special move: you may move the playing figure to a room of your choice. Move the playing figure there directly.

Discard the figure cards you use face-up on the discard pile (swimming-pool) – in the order you played them in.

Careful: Want to use multiple figure cards for the same playing figure? Then you must play the figure cards one after each other and place them on the discard pile.

By the way: Any number of playing figures may be placed in the same room.

2. Unlock Rooms

Want to explore the 2 lower decks? Then you must unlock the rooms above first. So unlock the upper deck, then the middle deck. You don't have to unlock all 12 rooms on the upper and middle decks though.

You will need 2 matching keys to unlock each room.

Where do you get the keys?

A key of a certain color is depicted on each figure card. Check which keys you need for the key combination to unlock a room. Each of the 12 rooms has a different combination. The combination always consists of 2 keys of different colors.

Example: Sami uses the green and purple keys to unlock room A.

Tip: The symbols on the key rings and in the rooms allow you to better distinguish between the colors.

When can you unlock a room?

The following conditions must be fulfilled before you can unlock a room:

• There must be at least 1 playing figure in the room.
• The killer must not be in the room.
• There cannot be any passenger cards in the room either.
• You must have 2 keys matching the key combination for the room.

Do you have the right keys?

Then put the 2 corresponding figure cards on the discard pile. You have now unlocked the room. Lift the playing figure(s) standing in this room. Take the room and put it aside with the picture facing up. Then place the playing figure(s) in the room on the middle or lower deck that has just been unlocked. Collect the unlocked rooms in 2 piles. Make 1 pile for the rooms on the upper deck and 1 pile for the rooms on the middle deck. What happens next with the unlocked room? Find out more in the section on What Happens Next With The Unlocked Rooms?

Tip: You can use the figure cards in your hand and the collected keys to unlock a room. What are "collected keys"? Find out more in 3. Leave A Key At The Collection Point.

3. Leave A Key At The Collection Point

You can leave any number of figure cards face up at the collection point. These figure cards are available to you and your fellow players as collected keys. Each of you can use these collected keys during your turn. Any number of figure cards may be left at the collection point.

Careful: Figure cards left at the collection point can only be used as keys. You cannot use them to move playing figures anymore.

Did you use a key you took from the collection point? Then place the corresponding figure card on the discard pile.

Tip: Take a look which playing figures are not yet or no longer in play. It is best to use the figure cards for these playing figures as keys!

Finished Your Turn?

Have you played at least one figure card and do not want to play any more? Then your turn is over. Take as many figure cards from the draw pile as you need to return to your original number of cards.

Have You Drawn One Or More Killer Cards?

Take the figure cards from the draw pile one at a time! Have you drawn a killer card? Then you must always play it immediately, then place it face up on the discard pile. Move the killer on the corresponding number of rooms in a clockwise direction. Depending on the killer card, it may move 1 or 2 rooms.

• The killer moves on 1 room. Place 1 passenger card in the corresponding room.
• The killer moves on 2 rooms. Place 2 passenger cards in the corresponding room.

Then draw 1 or 2 passenger cards from the passenger pile as appropriate and place them in the corresponding rooms. Multiple passenger cards can be placed in 1 room.

Do you have to place a passenger card in the room where the killer is? Then put it there. The killer does not get the passenger card in this case.

For each killer card you draw, also draw 1 figure card.

REMEMBER: You must follow the procedure described above and play cards immediately! Drawn a killer card? Then move the killer forward the corresponding number of rooms. You then immediately place the corresponding number of passenger cards in the rooms. Only then should you draw a new figure card from the draw pile!

Used Up The Draw Pile For The Figure Cards?

Then simply turn the discard pile over and – without shuffling – place it on the chimney.

Used Up The Draw Pile For The Passenger Cards?

That's not good ... It means you've lost.

Save Passengers From The Killer—But How?

Use the playing figures to save passengers. Each passenger card corresponds to one passenger.

To save a passenger, you must fulfill the condition on the passenger card. There are 3 different conditions:

1. Playing figure: The pictured playing figure must be in the room in which this passenger card is located.
2. Room: You must take this passenger card to the room shown on the card.
3. Teamwork: Any 2 playing figures must be in the room where this passenger card is located.

Have you fulfilled the condition? Then take the corresponding passenger card from the room and return it to the box lid.

Take Passenger Cards With You

Is a playing figure in the same room as one or more passenger cards? Then they can take one passenger card with them when they move. There are now two options:

• Place the passenger card in the new room.
• The condition on the passenger card has been fulfilled and it can be returned to the box lid.

The Killer Finds Passenger Cards

Has the killer entered a room containing one or more passenger cards? Then you must turn over all of these passenger cards so that the killer side faces up and place the card(s) in a free "He's going to get you!" field. Once the killer has collected at least 5 passenger cards, you have all lost immediately.

Careful: Has the killer moved on 2 rooms? Then he collects all of the passenger cards he finds along his way.

The Killer Comes Across A Playing Figure

Ouch, that hurts! You should not move any playing figures into a room where the killer is. And be careful not to move the killer into rooms where playing figures are. If this is the case then the following happens:

FIRST ENCOUNTER: Will the killer remain in a room or is he just passing through? And does he meet at least one playing figure on his way? Oh dear! The killer has taken you by surprise. You narrowly manage to escape with nothing more than a black eye. The playing figure(s) must now be removed from the game and returned to the box lid. Each playing figure removed from the game is replaced with the slightly injured body double (figure with a red background). These playing figures should be left standing ready beside the ship until they are needed. Place the playing figure in the room where it was caught by the killer. Then continue playing. Now try to make sure that this playing figure does not meet the killer a second time.

SECOND ENCOUNTER: This second encounter seals the fate of the playing figure. Has the slightly injured body double come face-to-face with the killer again? Then this time he shows no mercy and eliminates them. They're out of the game and must be returned to the box lid. You now have 1 playing figure less at your disposal. From now on, you can only use the figure cards for this playing figure as keys.

Example: The killer is in room A and moves on two rooms – to room C. The playing figure Daniel Bonhoeffer with a white background is in room B. The playing figure Gerlinde Dobkowitz with a red background is in room C. So the killer meets both playing figures. Daniel Bonhoeffer gets a red background. Gerlinde Dobkowitz is removed from the game.

What Happens Next With The Unlocked Rooms?

Have you unlocked a room? That's great! Depending which deck you're on, different tasks must be completed:

1. What Happens On The Middle Deck?

Your task is to find the missing person – namely your fourth playing figure. It's not in play yet. You must unlock a total of 4 rooms on the upper deck. Only then can you free the missing person and unlock rooms to the lower deck: Have you opened 4 rooms on the upper deck, as described in Unlock Rooms? Then take the pile with the 4 rooms from the upper deck and turn it over.

You will now see letters and lines. The letters represent the room letters. Search for the letter matching the letter of the first unlocked room. Follow the line. You will end up at a different letter.

Remember this and start with this letter on the second unlocked room. From now on, the letter on the front is no longer relevant. For the next 3 rooms, always use the letter from the previous row, start with this in the next room, and follow the lines to the next letter. Repeat this with the third and fourth unlocked rooms. Did you reach the final letter? You will find the missing person in the room matching this letter. The following conditions must now be fulfilled. Only then may you place the missing person – your fourth playing figure – in this room:

• This room must be unlocked on the upper deck.
• At least one playing figure must be in this room. The killer may not be in this room.

Have these two conditions not been fulfilled? Then you must unlock the room first – as described above – and then move a playing figure there.

2. What Happens On The Lower Deck?

You then have to find the psychopath hiding on the lower deck. To do this, you will need to unlock the rooms on the middle deck to get to the lower deck. On the lower deck, you will find clue cards. Have you unlocked a room to the lower deck? Then take the clue, turn it over, and read it out loud. Then put it back in the room, face up. You will collect more and more clues over the course of the game. They will tell you where on the lower deck the psychopath is hiding.

Have you worked out where on the lower deck the psychopath is hiding? Do you think you've collected enough clues? Have you worked out where the psychopath is hiding? Then it is time for the showdown: move any playing figure into the room where you suspect the psychopath is hiding. The room must be unlocked down to the lower deck, of course, and the killer may not be there.

Now take the puzzle card and have a look at the solution:

• Does your suspicion match the solution on the puzzle card? Congratulations! You've found the psychopath! The killer can't hurt anyone anymore. All's well that ends well.
• The solutions do not match? Oh dear ... the psychopath has duped you! You have lost the game.

Tip: You don't need to unlock all of the rooms to the lower deck. On average, 4 to 7 rooms are enough. Remember: Is a room on the lower deck still locked? But you don't think that the psychopath is in that particular room? Then don't forget that there's also a clue there. It might help you.

Has The Killer Come Across A Clue?

Then nothing happens. He simply leaves it be.

Game Over!

The game can end in 1 of 6 different ways:

• You're saved! If you manage to find the ruthless psychopath on the lower deck, then you've won. It doesn't matter if you haven't found the missing person by then.
• You've lost! You lose if 5 passenger cards have been placed on "He's going to get you!" fields.
• You're doomed! The passenger pile has been used up and you still haven't found the psychopath.
• That's it! The psychopath is in a different room to the one you suspected.
• Massacre! The killer gets all of your playing figures.
• Is today Friday the thirteenth? Then you've all automatically lost!

Play Variation—"Under Time Pressure"

Here's how to play Killer Cruise against the clock:

You'll need a timer (e.g., a smartphone) to count down 2 minutes for this play variation.

Play according to the rules described above with the following play variations: Choose a difficulty level and set the game up. Now you'll need your smartphone. Set the timer for 2 minutes. Are you ready? Then start the timer and begin playing. Has the time run out? Then take 2 passenger cards from the draw pile and place them in the appropriate rooms. Restart the timer. You have another 2 minutes until the next passenger cards come into play.

Careful: Did you draw a killer card? Then no passenger cards come into play.

Summary

When it's your turn, you must play at least one figure card. You have the following options:

1. Move the corresponding playing figure a. To a neighboring room b. Jump to the room shown c. Use a special move to jump to any room

A playing figure may always take one passenger card with them. Get the passengers to safety, away from the killer!

2. Unlock rooms and give up the 2 corresponding keys
3. Leave a key at the collection point

You've unlocked a room—now what?

a. Middle deck: Unlock 4 rooms, then follow the lines b. Lower deck: Attempt to correctly interpret the clues

The killer always runs the moment you draw a killer card.

Most frequent game end:

• You've lost: The killer has 5 passenger cards.
• You've won: You find the psychopath hiding on the lower deck.

Need Help Dismantling The Game?

Undo tabs H1 and H2 and tabs B1 and B2. First fold the ship's bow with the flaps into the box. And then the ship's stern. Or scan the anchor here and watch the video on how to dismantle the game.

Credits

Sebastian Fitzek Killercruise www.sebastianfitzek.de © 2020 moses. Verlag GmbH

This work has been mediated by AVA international GmbH, The Literary Agency, www.ava-international.de

Author: Marco Teubner Inspired by Sebastian Fitzek and Jörn Stollmann Illustration: Jörn Stollmann Design: Kreativbunker Product Management: Anneli Ganser Copy-Editing: Nicola Berger Production: Anja Trentepohl Translation: Birgit Irgang

moses. Verlag GmbH, Arnoldstraße 13d, D-47906 Kempen. CH: Dessauer, 8045 Zürich. www.moses-verlag.de

2. Auflage 2020, Art.-Nr.: 90358

Colour and content modification reserved.

The author and the moses. Publishing Company extends their thanks to all players from Bödefeld, Antdorf, Kempen, Düsseldorf, Herne, Bochum, Bocholt and Berlin. Special thanks to: Anja T., Daniel, Adrian, Ina, Lisa, Nora, Till, Ali, Friederike, Nicola, Benito, Sarah und Sandra. Marco Teubner thanks especially Susan – his captain!