The Game of Life: Quarter-Life Crisis
The Game of Life: Quarter-Life Crisis Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Set Up
The first time you play, pop the cardboard savings tokens out of their frame.
- Insert the spinner base into the gameboard.
- Choose a car and add a peg. (That emotionless little guy is you!) Put your car on the START space. Place the savings token that matches your car on the zero space of the savings tracker. As you collect (and lose) money, you'll move your token along the tracker.
- Sort the cards into four decks. Put the Action deck in its place on the board. Give each player an "On Your Turn" card for reference. Keep the other decks nearby.
- Job cards
- House cards
- Action cards
- "On Your Turn" cards
- Get a Job! (Now we sound like your parents.) Each of you draws two Job cards, keeps their favourite (cough cough highest-paying) and returns the other card to the deck. Place your Job card in front of you.
- Example Job card: RIDE-SHARE DRIVER, SALARY 60K, with a second salary figure of 80K. "Your salary increases if you have a spouse."
- Example Job card: ONLINE CERTIFIED THERAPIST, SIDE GIG: "Whenever someone spins 3, the bank pays you 20K." "Every Job comes with a Side Gig. If you or another player spins your Side Gig number when spinning to move, you get to collect 20K from the bank."
- Get a House! (We use that word loosely.) Each of you draws two House cards, keeps their favourite (cough cough cheapest rent) and returns the other card to the deck. Place your House card in front of you.
- Force the player who's best at maths to be the banker. They give everyone money. Just kidding – you don't start with any money. You're broke, remember?
Play
The player who cried last goes first.
On Your Turn
- Spin and move forward that number of spaces. On your first turn, decide which direction to move. When you come to a junction, you choose which road to take. You're allowed to loop around to spaces that you've already been on, as long as you're always moving in the same direction. No changing direction! Stop immediately if you hit a STOP space. See STOP SPACES for what to do.
- Have you passed or landed on any of these spaces?
- PAYDAY: Payday! For each of these spaces you pass or land on, collect your salary from the bank. Remember to collect your increased salary if you have a spouse!
- RENT: Rent! For each of these spaces you pass or land on, pay the rent amount on your House card.
- RISKY ROAD (−100K / +100K): Risky Road! If you land on one of these spaces, collect or pay the amount shown.
- WATCH OUT! If you land on a space that another player is already on, you've had a car crash! Both of you must pay 10K to the bank for not having car insurance.
- Draw an Action card. See ACTION CARDS for details.
- Don't have enough money to complete an action? See LOANS and dive deeper into the dark abyss of debt!
- Count up your money. Then move your token to that number on the savings tracker. The tracker lets you see how well (or terribly) your opponents are doing.
That's it! You can stare at your phone, or whatever, while the next person in a clockwise direction has their turn.
"On Your Turn" card (reference summary): 1. Spin and move. Stop immediately, do that action, spin again. 2. Collect money or pay the bank for each Payday and Rent space you pass or land on. 3. Draw an Action card. 4. Move your token along the savings tracker.
Stop Spaces
Stop immediately if you reach one of these spaces, even if you have moves left. After you complete the action, spin again. Only pick up an Action card at the end of your turn, after you spin.
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SPOUSE (STOP): If you're single, get hitched! Add a peg to your car. If you already have a spouse, get divorced! Kick your spouse peg out of your car. Now spin again! If you have a card that protects you from divorce, you can play it on this space!
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JOB (STOP): New Job. Draw two new Job cards and keep your favourite. Return the other card (and your old Job) to the bottom of the deck. Now spin again!
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HOUSE (STOP): New House. Time to move! Draw two new House cards and keep your favourite. Return the other card (and your old House) to the bottom of the deck. Now spin again!
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BABY (STOP): The first time you stop on this space, spin to see how many babies you have and how much baby shower money you'll get!
SPIN COLLECT 1–2 1 baby and 20K 3–4 Twins and 40K 5–6 Triplets and 60K Pop those pegs into your car and spin again!
If you stop on this space again, you don't spin for kids. Instead, you have to pay childcare – 20K per kid in your car. Now spin again!
Action Cards
When you draw an Action card, do what it says, and then return it to the bottom of the deck (unless it says otherwise). Some Action cards require you to spin. These spins do not count towards Side Gigs.
- DARE (D symbol): Cards with this symbol let you sabotage another player. If you choose to do the dare on a card, you get to give that card to the player of your choice – they then must do the action (pay, get divorced, etc.) instead of you. If you don't do the dare (coward), the card affects just you.
- PENALTY (P symbol): Cards with this symbol have a penalty that lasts after your turn. Hold onto the card as a reminder of the penalty. Once you've completed the requirement on the card, return it to the bottom of the deck.
Loans
If you don't have enough money to complete an action, take out a bank loan.
- Take cash from the bank, plus one bank loan certificate for every 10K you need to borrow.
- Pay the loan off at any time by returning each certificate to the bank along with 10K in cash.
- You have to pay off all loans before you can win.
Win
The first player to reach 500K at the end of a turn wins. Congrats, you're free of crippling debt! Well, in this game, at least.
Components
Gameboard, spinner and base, 100 cards, 4 cars, money pack, 4 savings tokens and 24 pegs.