T-Rex's Holiday
T-Rex's Holiday Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Setup
- Each player receives a pen and a score sheet.
- Give 3 dice to the starting player, who is the one with the most scars from animal scratches.
- The game will proceed through several rounds until one of the players meets the condition to end the game. At that point, the player with the highest score wins.
How Each Round Plays
The player with 3 dice rolls them secretly, using their hands to hide the results.
They will pick 2 of the 3 dice to reveal to all players. The last die (known as the T-Rex die) will be temporarily hidden from all other players.
All players will pick 2 spaces on their score sheet to fill using the numbers on the 2 revealed dice. These 2 spaces can be anywhere (any room) on the score sheet as long as they abide by the rules of the room.
After all players have filled their score sheets, the player who rolled the dice will reveal the T-Rex die.
All players will fill the T-Rex die in a space that corresponds to a room that can accommodate the number on the die (shown in grey to the right of each room).
Tips: If you cannot legally fill in a space using the T-Rex die, skip this step. However, if you can legally fill in a space, you must do so.
(Example: the hidden die (T-Rex die) is 1. The "1" must go into a space in a room that can take a "1".)
After all players have completed this step, the player who rolled the dice will pass them to the player on their left to start the next round. Play will proceed clockwise until the game ends.
Rooms
There are 4 rooms in total. Every room has different rules for number placement and scoring.
Stacks and Posts
Numbers may be filled in any empty space. If a scoring area is filled with all the same number (ignoring any shaded numbers due to biscuits), score the number of points equal to the number filled plus any bonus points or multipliers.
Tips: The areas circled in red on the score sheet (each stack, each post/cat scratching post, each set of cat-house spaces) are all examples of scoring areas.
(Example: the numbers in a scoring area are not all the same, so it does not score. Example: the numbers in the scoring area are now all identical, so you score 5 + 2 = 7 points!)
Rows of Cars
Every row of cars must be filled from left to right in ascending order (numbers cannot be identical). The three rows of cars do not have to be filled sequentially; numbers may enter one row even when another row is incomplete.
If a number filled is equal to or less than a number in the same row, no more subsequent numbers can be filled in that row. Note using a biscuit can rectify this situation.
If a player fills a "6", they must cross off the rest of the spaces in that row and will receive a biscuit to use immediately.
Wherever the row of ascending numbers legally ends, use that last box to look up the number of points to score shown on the bottom row (the scoring boxes under the cars are 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, 15 for positions 1 to 6).
(Example: "4" is at the end of the run of ascending numbers; it is in the 4th position and will score 6 points. Because "3" is filled after the "4", it will neither score nor allow the player to continue to fill this row.)
(Example: "6" is the end of the run of ascending numbers; it is in the 5th position and will score 10 points. Because a "6" was placed, the player immediately crosses off all the boxes remaining in that row and receives 1 biscuit. Note the 4th box has been shaded with a biscuit to allow "6" to stretch to the 5th position.)
Sets of Cans
If the total numbers within a set of cans adds up to 14 or 15, score the points shown. The left set must be filled before starting on the middle set, which must be filled before starting on the right set.
Tips: Score 5 points if the 4 numbers add up to 14; else score 2 points if they add up to 15. Any other sum will not score.
Carp Streamer
When you fill the carp streamer row, you must fill from left to right and the numbers must be in descending order (large to small). You can earn points here as well as biscuits.
- If the space you fill has an empty space underneath, that empty space will be filled by the number from that round's T-Rex die, and that is the number of points you will score for legally filling. You still need to fill T-Rex die in a space that corresponds to a room that can accommodate the number on the die.
- If the space you fill has a biscuit underneath, you will gain 1 biscuit to be used immediately.
(Example: on this round, the revealed dice are "5" and "3". Player A decides to place a "5" into the first carp streamer box. This round's T-Rex die is a "4". A "4" is written into the box underneath. Player A will receive 4 points at the end of the game.)
How to Use Biscuits
T-Rex and her friends love biscuits, so biscuits will help you manage and control the damage. Biscuits are used to shade one filled space, nullifying the number in it. A few rules on using biscuits:
- Biscuits must be used immediately or wasted (they cannot be saved for later use).
- You can only use biscuits on a space that has already been filled.
- Only 1 biscuit can be used in each scoring area (e.g., 1 cat scratching post, 1 row of cars, 1 set of cans, or the bottom row of carp streamers).
(Example: the numbers in a scoring area are not all the same, so it does not score; after a biscuit is used to shade a number, the numbers are now all identical and you score 5 + 2 = 7 points! Example: the numbers in a row of cars are not ascending, so no more numbers can be filled in this row. Now the violating number has been shaded over by a biscuit, allowing you to fill more numbers and increase your score!)
End of Game and Scoring
When filling in the 2 revealed dice (not T-Rex die), if any player cannot legally fill both dice, the game ends at the end of the round. Specifically, the game ends if either condition occurs:
- There are no more empty spaces to fill, or
- There are no more empty spaces to fill in the "Stacks and Posts" and "Sets of Cans" areas, and no more numbers can legally be placed into the rows of cars (due to a "6" or the ascending rule) and the carp streamer (descending rule).
Special Note: Inability to fill in T-Rex die will not end the game!
Scoring Example (numbered on the illustrated score sheet)
- Total Score.
- "3" (number filled) + 2 = 5 points.
- "5" (number filled) x 2 = 10 points.
- 3 points, since this car is only legally filled to the 3rd position ("5").
- 3 points. As soon as the 6 is filled, cross off the remaining boxes in the row!
- 0 points. The total in this set of cans is 4+5+6+4 = 19, so it does not score.
- 2 points. Shaded out 1 number, so the remaining total is 4+6+5 = 15.
- 4 points. Follows the descending rule (numbers are in descending order).
- 0 points. Does not follow the descending rule (5 > 4), so will not score. Important! If a number that violates the descending rule has a scoring box underneath it, cross out the scoring box. Even if you use a biscuit to nullify the number, it still will not score.
Q&A
Q1: I have a space that can be filled by a revealed dice. Do I have to fill it in? A: Yes. You must fill in a space if you can.
Q2: I have a space that can be filled by the T-Rex die. Do I have to fill it in? A: Yes. If this results in a violation of the scoring rules, that area will not score or provide biscuits. For both Q1 and Q2, the following applies:
- If the numbers in a row of cars are no longer ascending after filling, no more numbers can be filled into that row. Score only up to the segment that meets the rule (always ascending).
- If the numbers in the carp streamer are no longer descending after filling, no more numbers can be filled into that row. The numbers in violation of the rule (always descending) will not score nor provide any biscuits.
Q3: After I put a 6 in the row of cars, can I fill in any more numbers in the same row? A: No, you cannot. As soon as you put a 6 in a row of cars, put a slash through the remaining boxes in the row. You cannot use a biscuit to undo this.
Q4: Can I deliberately fill a space with a number in violation of the scoring rules, and then use a biscuit in the future to nullify that number? A: You got it! This is one trick to help you score higher!
Q5: If I don't want to use a biscuit, can I decide not to use it? A: Yes you may, but you cannot save it for later use.
Advanced Rules
If you're a smart cookie, you must have noticed by now! Different rooms specify which numbers (shown in grey on the right of each room) the T-Rex die can be used for that room.
If you are familiar with the game, try these advanced rules:
- Before the game starts, roll dice to determine which two numbers are possible in each room.
- Roll until every number has changed, and every number is in at least 1 room.
This will give you a crazy game, just like if your pets have ripped apart your entire place!
Everyone can also decide whether to use the same setting, or for everyone to have their own custom set of numbers for each room.