The Game of Life
The Game of Life Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setting Up
- Attach the game parts to the gameboard as shown on the Assembly Sheet.
- LIFE Tiles: Each carries a secret message (a special achievement) and a dollar amount counting toward your total. Mix them LIFE-side-up near the board; draw 4 tiles and, without looking at the messages, stack them LIFE-side-up at Millionaire Estates. The rest form the draw pile.
- Cards: Separate into 4 decks—Career Cards, Salary Cards, House Deeds, and Stocks—placed facedown near the board.
- Insurance Policies & Bank Loans: Separate the Automobile Insurance Policies, Homeowner's Insurance Policies, and Bank Loans into piles.
- Money: Choose a banker (in charge of all money paid to and from the bank). The banker gives each player $10,000.
- Cars and Pegs: Choose a car and fit a people peg into the driver's seat.
Game Play
All players spin the wheel; the highest spinner takes the first turn, then play continues clockwise.
On your turn, spin the wheel (spin again if it stops between numbers), then move your car that many spaces. Always move forward, in the direction of the arrows. If you land on an occupied space, move ahead to the next open space. Follow the space directions, which ends your turn. (Your first turn is an exception—see Getting Started.)
Getting Started
On your first turn, decide either to start a career or to start college (college offers more career and salary options but takes time and puts you in debt).
- Start Career: Place your car on the START CAREER space, then: Draw a Career Card (have another player fan out the deck while you draw 1 at random; you may not keep a "Degree Required" card—if you draw one, draw again). Draw a Salary Card (draw 1). Place both faceup in front of you, then spin and move as on a regular turn.
- Start College: Place your car on the START COLLEGE space and borrow $40,000 from the bank for tuition (see Bank Loans). Then spin and move as on a regular turn. When you later reach Job Search, choose your Career and Salary cards.
Job Search: When you reach this space, stop (even with moves left). Have another player fan out the Career Card deck facedown while you draw 3 cards at random; choose 1 and return the other 2. Choose your Salary Card the same way. Place both faceup in front of you, then spin and move again.
The Spaces
Space colors:
- Orange: most spaces—you must follow the directions.
- Blue: optional—follow the directions only if you want to.
- Green (Pay Day): whenever you land on or pass, collect your salary from the bank.
- Red: the 3 red spaces are Job Search, Get Married, and Buy a House—stop (even with moves left), follow the directions, then spin and move again.
LIFE spaces: Whenever you land on a LIFE space, take 1 LIFE Tile from the draw pile (or from any opponent if the pile is empty). Do not look at the back; place it LIFE-side-up in front of you.
Career Spaces: The symbols match those on the 9 Career Cards. When you land on a Career Space: if an opponent owns the matching Career Card, pay that player the amount on the space; if you own it, pay nothing; if no player owns it, pay the bank. (Example: the Ski Accident space is a Doctor's Career Space.)
Taxes Due Spaces: The Accountant's Career Spaces—pay the Accountant the taxes on your Salary Card (if you are the Accountant, pay nothing; if there is none, pay the bank).
Special Police Officer Rule: Any opponent caught speeding (spinning 10) must pay the Police Officer $5,000. If you're the Police Officer, it's up to you to notice; if there's no Police Officer, there's no penalty for spinning 10.
Changing Careers: On the "You're Fired" and "Mid-Life Crisis" spaces, you must trade your Career and Salary cards for new ones (draw 1 Career Card; you may not keep a "Degree Required" card if you're not a college graduate). On Night School spaces, you may change careers and salaries: draw 2 Career Cards and choose either (or keep your own), then do the same with Salary Cards.
Pay Day: Whenever you land on or pass a Pay Day space, collect your salary from the bank before following any other directions (you may collect 2+ salaries on some turns).
Getting Married: Stop (even with moves left). Take a LIFE Tile and add 1 people peg to your car, then spin and move again.
Babies: On a Baby Boy or Baby Girl space, add 1 people peg; on a Twins space, add 2 pegs. On all of these, take a LIFE Tile too.
Buying a House: Stop (even with moves left). Draw 1 House Deed at random and pay the bank the price on it (borrow from the bank if short), then spin and move again.
Insurance, Stocks & Loans
- Automobile Insurance: Buy at the start of any of your turns—pay $10,000 and take 1 policy—protecting your car against accidents, damage, and theft.
- Homeowner's Insurance: Buy when you buy a house (or at the start of a later turn)—pay the insurance amount on your House Deed and take 1 policy—protecting against floods, tornadoes, and theft.
- Stocks: Buy 1 Stock at the start of any turn (pay $50,000, take 1 Stock of your choice). Whenever any player spins the number on your Stock, collect $10,000. You can own only 1 Stock (exceptions: the Stock Market Zooms space gives 1 free Stock; you can re-buy after losing your only Stock on a Stock Market Slumps space).
- Bank Loans: Borrow during any turn—take 1 or more loans, each worth $20,000. Repay all loans (with $5,000 interest each) when you retire or during any turn before then.
Retirement
When you reach the RETIRE space, stop (even with moves left), then:
- Repay any outstanding loans to the bank.
- Place your Career Card, Salary Card, Insurance Policies, and House Deed out of play (keep your Stock—you can still collect when players spin your number).
- If you think you might have the most money, place your car on Millionaire Estates (any number may retire there); otherwise place it on Countryside Acres.
- Wait there until all other players have retired.
If you retire at Millionaire Estates, your LIFE tiles are not safe—if the draw pile runs out, players may take tiles from you when they land on LIFE spaces. If you retire at Countryside Acres, collect 1 LIFE Tile, and your tiles are safe.
How to Win
After all players have retired, the players at Millionaire Estates count their money; the richest takes the 4 LIFE Tiles there (a tie splits them, 2 tiles each). Then all players turn their LIFE Tiles message-side-up and add up the dollar amounts, count their money, and add the two figures together (LIFE Tile value plus cash value). The player with the highest dollar amount wins!