Stool Pigeon
Stool Pigeon Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Winner!
After the last round, everyone reveals their CRIME SCENE cards and adds up their total value. The player with the lowest CRIME SCENE value escapes the law and WINS!
Setup
- Shuffle the deck.
- Deal each player 4 cards face down.
- DO NOT LOOK AT THE CARDS!
- Place remainder of deck in the middle of table.
- Each player peeks at their 2 bottom cards once and ONLY once!
- Chose the first player and begin.
Card composition: witness cards, pigeon cards (4 of each type), and special cards (1 of each type).
Gameplay
Each player's turn begins by drawing either the top card of the DRAW or PLAY pile (if available). Players can not draw eliminated cards or faceup Pigeon cards from the PLAY pile.
Look at the card, try to memorize it, and switch it out with one of your CRIME SCENE face down cards. Then, quickly play the CRIME SCENE card face up on the PLAY pile. It's that simple! Remember, you cannot immediately PLAY the card you DRAW, it must first enter your CRIME SCENE. Once a card is played:
- If it is a PIGEON card, perform the action as described on that card and also referenced in the back of this rulebook.
- If it is the RAT, put it back in your CRIME SCENE, leaving you with one additional card... RATS!
- If it is the MEATBALL, bummer! Treat it as any other Witness card, but there is ONLY ONE in the game!
- If it is a WITNESS card (a card with just a number), then all players race to quickly eliminate the exact same witness card from any CRIME SCENE if they can remember where one is located.
- To eliminate a WITNESS card this way you must be the first to play the matching WITNESS card on the top of the PLAY pile. Remember, these cards can be played from ANY player's CRIME SCENE including your own.
- If you make a mistake, you must put that card back, and then take the top card from the DRAW pile (no peeking) and add it to your CRIME SCENE area. There is no limit to the number of CRIME SCENE cards you may accumulate.
- If you eliminated a card from an opponent's CRIME SCENE, give them one of your CRIME SCENE cards to replace it.
Play proceeds clockwise and the end is triggered when someone knocks. (See "Ending the Game")
Ending the Game
As their turn, if a player believes they have the lowest total value in their CRIME SCENE they can knock instead of drawing and playing a card. Each other player MUST take one last turn after the knock. All cards are then revealed and the player with the lowest total value in their CRIME SCENE wins!
Tiebreaker: If player's score is tied, the player with the fewest number of cards wins. Still tied? Then the player with the lowest card wins. Still tied? No one wins... play again!
Eliminating Witnesses
It is a race to eliminate! Only the FIRST player to play a matching witness card on the PLAY pile gets to eliminate that card!
You cannot eliminate a pigeon card by stacking it on a similar pigeon card or a witness card with the same number as the pigeon card.
OOPS... Hey, sometimes stool happens... if eliminating goes wrong and the cards do not match, put that card back where it came from and then the offending player must take a penalty card from the top of the DRAW pile (no peeking) and add it to their CRIME SCENE.
A played witness continues to be available until another card is correctly eliminated or the next card is played on top of it.
The Rat!
If you play the RAT, even on accident, it will scurry right back to your CRIME SCENE and you must keep the other card drawn that turn as an unpleasant reminder! You can use pigeon card actions to SWAP the RAT card over to another player's CRIME SCENE or eliminate the RAT altogether using the KINGPIN's eliminate action! The RAT card value is determined at the end of the game by drawing the top card of the DRAW pile and placing that card on the RAT card.
Extras
One handed: One last thing, we highly suggest players use only one hand for playing and eliminating cards. You gotta give the other players a chance!
House rules: If there is ever a rule dispute that the rulebook does not cover, you should argue loudly (as pigeons do) and then all players take a vote. The result of the vote becomes a house rule and should be strictly followed henceforth!
Pigeon Card Reference
Stool Pigeon (value 7)
Take a peek at ANY facedown card on the table... that's right, ANY card!
Bamboozle (value 5)
Pick any two facedown cards on the table and swap them. You do not need to swap one of your own cards.
Vendetta (value 3)
Take a peek at any facedown card on the table and then swap ANY two cards. You do not need to swap a card you peeked at... Sneaky huh!
Kingpin (value 1)
Eliminate ANY one of your CRIME SCENE cards or add the next card from the DRAW pile to another player's CRIME SCENE!
Rat
The RAT can only be swapped to another player or eliminated by the KINGPIN. The RAT value is the top card of the DRAW pile at the end of the game.
Meatball (value 0)
Worth zero points, baby! Definitely pick it up if someone is silly enough to play it!
Components
54 Cards, 4 Player Aids, 1 Rulebook. 2-6 Players, Ages 8+.