Trial by Trolley
Trial by Trolley Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Setup
Whichever of you last pondered murderin' folks will start the game as the Conductor!
Place the track mat with the North and South Tracks in the center of the table and turn it so that the end with just one track is pointing directly at the Conductor.
Now separate the Innocent, Guilty, and Modifier cards into three decks. Shuffle these decks well and place them face down on the table where everyone can reach them without stretching their backs too hard.
Everyone else should separate into two teams sitting on either side of the Conductor. Don't worry if the teams aren't exactly even, they're going to change every round anyway.
How to Play
1. Everyone draws some cards
- One player on each team is gonna draw three Innocent cards. Keep these secret from the other team.
- Someone else on each team is gonna draw three Guilty cards. Keep these cards secret from the other team as well.
- Finally, a different player is gonna draw three Modifier cards. You know the drill: don't show the other team!
If you don't have exactly three people on each team, don't worry. You can share the responsibility of drawing and placing cards together. If there are more than three people, every extra player should draw three Modifier cards and choose one to play during step 5 below. In large games, you'll have lots of Modifiers on the tracks!
2. Each team plays a random Innocent card
To start the tracks, each team draws a random card from the Innocent track deck and places it onto their own track. Make sure it lines up with the starting trolley board.
3. Each team chooses an Innocent card
Then each player who drew Innocent cards chooses one card from their hand to play onto their own team's track. Make sure to place it where the track ended, extendin' the track. Discard any unused cards.
4. Each team chooses a Guilty card
Next, each player who drew Guilty cards chooses one card from their hand and places it onto the other team's track. This card should be placed as the final piece of track. Their goal is to sabotage the other track and convince the Conductor that everyone on THAT track needs to die. Discard any unused cards.
5. Each team chooses a Modifier card
Finally, each player who drew Modifier cards plays one of their Modifiers onto any character on any track. Then discard any unused cards.
A word to the wise: these Modifier cards can be applied to anything on the track. For example, on the card "A homicidal mime" you can play a Modifier on the mime or you can aim your Modifier at the poor victim. Maybe that lady has an 80% chance to be the next Hitler. WHO KNEW?
6. Each team argues for their lives
Now, here's the important part! The Conductor needs to make a choice and send the trolley barreling down one of the tracks murdering everyone and everything on that track.
But before the Conductor makes their decision, each team should argue as if their lives depend on it, to get the Conductor to save their track and murder their opponents!
Once the Conductor has made up their mind, they throw the lever and everyone on the chosen track dies. Each player whose track was murdered receives a "death" token, a black mark upon their soul.
7. Onto the next choice!
All cards played during the round are discarded into a pile next to their respective decks. (If the deck ever runs out of cards, shuffle the discard pile and create a new deck and continue to play)
The player to the left of the Conductor becomes the new Conductor for the next round. Rotate the track board so that the end with a single track is facing this new player. Divide the rest of the players into two roughly even teams based on the position of this new conductor. In this way, the teams are different every round!
Repeat steps 1-7. When everyone has been the Conductor, the game ends! (In a 3 or 4 player game, you'll go until everyone has been the Conductor twice.)
Who Wins?
The carnage continues until every player has a chance to be the Conductor... until each player has felt the terrible weight of the lever in their hands. After that, the player with the fewest death tokens wins!
In the Case of a Tie
Return home to your families and be grateful that your work on the trolley is done.
Trolley Tom Variant
Trolley Tom is here to lend a helping hand! If you're playing with this variant, give the Trolley Tom token or miniature to the player with the most death tokens at the start of each round. Whoever holds this token may draw an additional three Modifier cards during step 1 and may play an additional Modifier card during step 5.
Accomplices to Murder Variant
If you want more Modifiers in your game, every person playing should draw three Modifier cards and choose one to play during each round. This will make the rounds longer, and more complicated, but maybe that's what you're into. We won't judge!
Game Credits
Game design: Scott Houser
Development: Ben Kepner, James Hudson, Derek Funkhouser, Aris Bionat, Rob DenBleyker, Dan Stong
Illustration: Trisha Romo, Stacey Silva, Denise Magdale, Paul Blair, Autumn Netherton, Steve Steinaway, Chance Kubesh, Geoff Galt, Cara Curley
Graphic design: Kate Finch
Rulebook: Ben Kepner, Kate Finch
Playtesters: Paul Houser, Ben Alleman, Travis Hancock, Austyn Hill, Zach Alleman, Daniel Schudalla, Daniel Gilbert, Taylor Daniels, Josh Hullet, Sarah Hullet, Todd Thongthai, Chris Floyd, Craig Sawyer, Jimmy Cook, Sarah Boka, James Levandusky, Dan Whitlow
© Copyright 2019, Explosm, LLC and Skybound, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this product may be reproduced without specific permission. Reprinted 2020, 2021.
Cyanide & Happiness created by: Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, and Dave McElfatrick.