Ship Show Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Overview
  • Sales Period
• Game Setup
  • Initial Warehouse Setup (Team Building Exercise!)
  • Best Practices for Stocking the Warehouse
• How to Play
  • Week One
    • Stocker Shift
  • Tips for Stockers!
  • Shipper Shift
  • Week Two
    • Stocker Shift
    • Shipper Shift
  • Week Three
    • Stocker Shift
    • Shipper Shift
  • Monthly Sale!
  • Equipment Request Form
• Scoring
• Gaining a Promotion: Increasing Difficulty
  • Tray Diagram

Game Components

• 300 Order Ticket Cards
• 300 Product Tiles
• 2 Sand Timers (see note below)
• 9 Wooden Boxes
• Equipment Request Form
• Warehouse Screen

Feel free to use any timer you wish. You can also scan the QR code and use the timer on the website.

Overview

Stockers and Shippers are the two roles of the warehouse team. Teammates work in shifts and collaborate to ship orders out and maintain Everything, Inc's reputation for lightning-fast service.

• Stockers fill the warehouse with products using the Product Tiles. During their shifts, Stockers work together to organize those products in ways that will make sense for the Shippers.
• Shippers fill customer orders using the Order Ticket Cards by finding and packing the correct products from the warehouse.

Sales Period

Each game, or Sales Period, consists of four weeks.

• Week 1: Shift 1 - Stockers; Shift 2 - Shippers
• Week 2: Shift 1; Shift 2
• Week 3: Shift 1; Shift 2
• Week 4: The Big Monthly Sale!

The first three weeks contain one shift for each role, with the fourth week culminating in the big Monthly Sale.

At the end of the Sales Period, the team's performance will be evaluated by the Higher Ups. Employee benefits will be given out according to how well the team did!

Game Setup

Split into two groups: Stockers and Shippers. It is recommended to have no more than two Stockers in the warehouse, but there can be an unlimited amount of Shippers.

You will need a large, flat area to create your Warehouse.

Place the Equipment Request Form within reach of all the players. Now, remove two Batches of Product Tiles at random from the tray (20 tiles in total) and place them within the Warehouse space.

Each Batch will be labeled with a number, so you can easily find all the Product Tiles and Order Tickets that are included within it. For this initial setup, we will only be playing with the Product Tiles from the two selected Batches, so leave their matching Order Tickets in the box.

In this example, Batches 8 and 2 are shown.

Sticky note: Interested in a new job position? You can try switching roles after the Sales Period ends!

Initial Warehouse Setup (Team Building Exercise!)

Working together, the Stockers and Shippers will have 3 minutes (blue timer) to organize these 20 Product Tiles however they see fit in order to stock the empty Warehouse. Employees can place the tiles anywhere they like inside the Warehouse, in whatever relations they feel make sense. Grouping tiles into crossword-like grid configurations to indicate relationships helps, but is not always necessary.

Example of a grouping of Product Tiles organized together inside the Warehouse (the example layout is labeled with the categories: food, round things, animals, related to paper, electronics, sharp things, body parts).

Best Practices for Stocking the Warehouse

• Employees can place Product Tiles into as many groups as they wish.
• It may help to place similar groupings of items close to each other. For example, the food group is close to the animals group, as animals can sometimes be food.
• Don't worry if there are items that don't fit neatly into a category. Your Warehouse will be reorganized many times over the course of the Sales Period.

Once employees are finished stocking the Warehouse, the Sales Period starts and the first week of shifts can begin! If the timer runs out before then, the remaining Product Tiles must be added to the Warehouse unsorted.

How to Play

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Week One

Stocker Shift

At the start of their shift, one Stocker should take a new Batch from the box. This time, you will need the full Batch, meaning the ten Product Tiles and their ten matching Order Tickets. Set aside the Order Tickets facedown for the Shippers to use during their shift.

Working together, the Stockers will have 2 minutes and 30 seconds (orange timer) to work with this new Batch of Product Tiles, stocking them facedown this time, where they see fit within the existing groups inside the Warehouse, without letting the Shippers know where each product has been placed. Stockers may NOT discuss out loud what the Product Tiles show, or where they have been placed in the Warehouse, but can whisper private information to each other when needed.

Stocker Tip: You can use the included Warehouse Screen if you want additional privacy while sorting Product Tiles.

Remember, you want to set up the Shippers for success, so try your best to organize these new Product Tiles into groups that share traits in some way. Stockers may reorganize the Product Tile groupings if needed, but without sharing any information with the Shippers.

Tips for Stockers!

When playing Product Tiles facedown in the Warehouse, use positioning, orientation, distance between tiles, and anything else that will help clue the Shippers in to where the products they will need to ship might be located.

In this example, the Stockers have a batch that includes two animals. The Stockers reorganized the animals that were placed in the Warehouse during the Warehouse setup so that animals found in water are now at the bottom, and animals that fly are on the top. Though ducks can fly, they are also found next to water, so the duck is placed in the middle. As an additional clue to distinguish the duck from the bat, the Stockers placed the food items, including the drumstick, next to the duck.

Once Stockers have sorted all the Product Tiles from this new batch, or once the 2 minutes and 30 seconds (orange timer) shift ends, it's time for the Shipper shift to start. Any Product Tiles left that haven't been placed into a group after the end of the Stocker Shift should be placed into the Warehouse unsorted.

Before clocking out from their shift, the Stockers hand the 10 Order Ticket cards (that correspond with the 10 Product Tiles they just placed in the warehouse facedown) to the Shippers. These are now the order "Queue" that the Shippers will work from. Once this is done, the Shippers may start their shift.

Shipper Shift

Shippers will have 2 minutes and 30 seconds (orange timer) to work through the Queue, selecting Order Tickets to ship one at a time. Shippers are encouraged to communicate among themselves once the timer starts.

NOTICE: Shippers may only look at the product side of the Order Ticket cards during their shift!

Tips for Shippers! Look carefully at ALL of the Product Tiles before making your first guess, and openly discuss the possibilities with your fellow Shippers.

To complete an Order Ticket, the Shippers will attempt to reveal the correct Product Tile that matches the Order Ticket. Once all Shippers agree on which tile to reveal, flip it over and leave it face up the rest of the game.

• If it matches the product on the Order Ticket, that Order Ticket becomes a Completed Order! Every successfully delivered Order Ticket should be placed onto the Completed Order space in the Equipment Upgrade Shop where it can be converted into an Everything Dollar at the end of each shift for later use.
• Continue picking Order Tickets from the Queue and guessing the location of their matching Product Tile within the Warehouse until every Order Ticket is shipped correctly within the time limit, the timer runs out, or until you guess incorrectly. (See below for dealing with incorrect guesses).
• If the Product Tile revealed does not match the product on the Order Ticket, the Order Ticket that corresponds to the revealed tile becomes a Customer Return. Place all Customer Returns in a separate pile so you can track them during your shift. During your first week of work, you may have up to three Customer Returns. If you exceed three Customer Returns, your Warehouse floor will be shut down for the day, and your shift will end early!

Incorrect guess example: If you guess that a tile will be a donut, but flip it to reveal a tire, you must then locate the tire Order Ticket card in the Queue and remove it as a Customer Return. DO NOT REMOVE the donut Order Ticket card from the queue, as that tile is still somewhere facedown in the Warehouse. (Discard the revealed tire tile; do not discard the donut Order Ticket.)

Company Conduct Rule: During the Shipper shift, Stockers are prohibited from making comments, noises, faces, or otherwise communicating with Shippers unless an Equipment Upgrade is in play, which will be discussed on pages 9-10.

At the end of the Shipper Shift, any Customer Returns should be placed back into the box. Any Product Tiles revealed during this shift are to remain permanently flipped for the remainder of the Sales Period, even if they were revealed incorrectly. All completed orders are now converted into Everything Dollars. Any unfulfilled Order Tickets should be handed back to the Stockers at the end of the Shipper Shift.

Important Note! Depending on how efficiently the Shippers have worked, there may be some facedown Product Tiles still left in the Warehouse at the end of each Shipper shift. This is normal.

Week Two

Great job completing your first week! If everything was ship-shape, all the products you placed in the Warehouse would've been successfully shipped out.

Stocker Shift

Just like last week, this shift will also take place over 2 minutes and 30 seconds (orange timer). Grab another Batch of Product Tiles and their matching Order Tickets at random, add them to the Queue, and start stocking the warehouse!

There are likely some facedown Product Tiles still stocked inside the Warehouse. Feel free to look at or reorganize these Product Tiles, as long as you don't reveal them to the Shippers. You may also spend your shift reorganizing any of the faceup tiles, as long as you don't go over your allotted time.

During this time, Shippers may discuss how they want to spend any of their Everything Dollars using the Equipment Request Form! (See page 9-10 for more info.)

At the end of this shift, Stockers should now shuffle the Queue and hand the Shippers the first ten Order Tickets, and keep any remaining Order Tickets for the next Stocker shift.

Shipper Shift

This shift will be just like the first, but now your Queue may contain a combination of Order Tickets from this week and last week.

Shippers should continue choosing Order Tickets, deciding on their location together, and flipping Product Tiles in the warehouse until:

• the timer runs out,
• all Order Tickets are successfully fulfilled,
• or they get two Customer Returns.

Bulletin Board Notice: Shippers may only have TWO Customer Returns maximum during the second week shift.

At this point, any unfulfilled Order Tickets should be handed back to the Stockers to be added to the Queue and all completed orders should be converted into Everything Dollars.

After this shift ends, the second work week is over! Celebrate with a mandatory holiday party during your lunch hour! (Snacks and silly hats provided upon request.)

Week Three

Stocker Shift

This shift should be played exactly like the previous one. Stocking the warehouse with a new Batch of Product Tiles should be a breeze by now!

Shipper Shift

Same shift, different week.

This shift will also play out just like the previous one, except you are only allowed ONE single Customer Return this time, so be careful!

If there are still at least two facedown Product Tiles in the Warehouse when this shift ends, the Monthly Sale can begin! If not, consult the Performance Review section on page 11 to see how the team's performance will be rated.

Monthly Sale!

It's finally here! Sales forecasts project a record sales day for Everything, Inc, so it's all hands on deck for the Shippers!

All remaining Order Tickets from the Queue (representing all of the facedown Product Tiles left in the Warehouse) should be given to the Shippers to fulfill during the Monthly Sale. Working without a time limit, Shippers should continue guessing and flipping to ship ALL the remaining Order Tickets. If you miss a single product, the Monthly Sale will end and the remaining facedown tiles and Everything Dollars will be tallied. Consult the Performance Review section to see how the team did and whether or not you're in line for a promotion.

Equipment Request Form

Shippers should place every correctly delivered Order Ticket face up in the Completed Orders space within the Equipment Request Form. After the end of each shift, Shippers should convert these Completed Orders into Everything Dollars by placing them facedown in the Everything Dollars space. Each card equals one Everything Dollar, which can be spent to buy Equipment Upgrades which are bonus abilities that can assist Shippers during their shifts. Any unused Everything Dollars will be tallied up after the Monthly Sale and will add to your performance evaluation, so spend wisely!

Shippers are free to spend their Everything Dollars during either Stocker's or Shipper's shift. Note that using Everything Dollars during a shift does not stop the timer.

The cost to buy each Equipment Upgrade is indicated in a circle within that Perk's space, moving from left to right. To purchase an Upgrade, place a Wooden Box on the dollar amount spent to buy it. Every Equipment Upgrade will go up in price each time it's purchased, and if you reach the final dollar amount, you cannot buy that Upgrade again.

The Equipment Request Form card shows three Equipment Upgrades (Forklift, Label Maker, Walkie Talkie), each with purchase costs of $2, $4 and $6 printed on the card, and states: "We give YOU the tools you need to succeed!" The card lists the Correct Orders and Everything, Inc Bucks spaces. It refers the reader to page 10 of the Employee Handbook for more equipment details.

Equipment Upgrades

• Forklift: Shippers may guess out loud a product on one facedown Product Tile without flipping it over. Stockers confirm whether or not the guess is correct. If it is, they flip the tile. If not, they move it to a new location in the Warehouse keeping it facedown.
• Label Maker: Shippers can ask the Stockers to label one group of Product Tiles inside the Warehouse. Stockers must discuss secretly and provide a one-word label that describes the chosen group. (A group must be at least two tiles that have touching edges, and diagonals do not count as a group.) This perk also can be used before the shift timer begins.
• Walkie Talkie: Shippers can make two guesses at once, and flip both Product Tiles. If one is incorrect, both are incorrect. (This power is best used when you are fairly certain where the tiles are, but can't find a clue that distinguishes one from the other). An incorrect guess made while using the Walkie Talkie is considered one Customer Return, rather than two.

Tips for Using Equipment Upgrades:

• Balance the Equipment Upgrades you buy to get more bang for your buck!
• You cannot spend Everything Dollars during the same shift that you earn them. They will have to wait in the Completed Orders slot until they can be converted during the next shift.
• Everything Dollars can be spent during Monthly Sale, but you cannot earn any more money after the third shift is over.

Scoring

When you finish a Sales Period, consult this chart for your performance review, and to see if your team might be in line for any promotions!

• No facedown tiles, with $30 remaining: Amazing job, team! You have been approved for an immediate promotion! (See the next page to learn about your new position!)
• If you are already at the Warehouse Manager level, congratulations! In recognition of your achievements, the Board of Directors have all stepped down, and placed you and your team in charge of Everything, Inc.! Rejoice from the top of the corporate ladder.
• No facedown tiles, with $25-29 remaining: Your team has been recommended for a promotion! (See the next page). You've also earned a round of golf and a power lunch aboard the founder's private jet!
• No facedown tiles, with $20-25 remaining: You've earned unlimited use of the company car! You should also consider applying for a promotion soon. See the next page to learn about open positions!
• No facedown tiles, with $15-20 remaining: Enjoy your new Comprehensive Healthcare Package*, a 401(k), stock options, and a living wage! A little extra effort might put you in line for a promotion soon. (*Dental Plan extra)
• No facedown tiles, with $10-15 remaining: No promotions are on the horizon for your team, but you've unlocked the Unlimited 25% Employee Discount! Happy shopping!
• No facedown tiles, with less than $10 remaining: The entire team will receive free Everything, Inc. t-shirts! (Please specify shirt size in Employee Portal)
• 1 hidden tile remaining: Pizza Party! (Two slices per employee maximum)
• 2 hidden tiles remaining: A one-time coupon will be issued to the team for 10% off one Everything, Inc. product
• 3 hidden tiles remaining: Simply the satisfaction of putting in a hard day's work and a firm pat on the back with a reaffirming "good job"

Gaining a Promotion: Increasing Difficulty

Each time you complete a Sales Period (by finishing the Monthly Sale with zero facedown Product Tiles left in the Warehouse), you should consider giving yourself a little upward mobility by increasing your next game's difficulty!

• Level 1: Employees (as outlined in rules above):
  • Initial Setup is done by all employees
  • Each Batch added to Warehouse per shift contains 10 Order Tickets
  • Maximum of 3 Customer Returns during Week One, 2 during Week Two, 1 during Week Three
• Level 2: Team Leaders. Same as Level 1 with the following exception:
  • There are no Customer Returns allowed during Shipper shifts. A single incorrect guess ends the shift
• Level 3: Assistant Supervisors. Same as Level 2 with the following exception:
  • Initial Setup is done by the Shipper silently. No explanation may be provided to the Stockers about the choices made
• Level 4: Supervisors. Same as Level 3 with the following exception:
  • Place a box on the first space of each Equipment Upgrade on the Equipment Request Form. Each perk starts at a cost of $4
• Level 5: Assistant Managers. Same as Level 4 with the following exception:
  • Each batch added to Warehouse per shift contains 8 Order Tickets
• Level 6: Warehouse Managers. Same as Level 5 with the following exception:
  • The Monthly Sale shift is timed, Shippers have to complete all the orders

Tray Diagram

The tray diagram shows the Order Ticket Cards for Batches 1-15 on the left side of the tray and Batches 16-30 on the right side, with the Product Tiles (Batches numbered 1 through 30) in the centre of the tray, the Sand Timers and the Cubes (wooden boxes) in the lower centre.