Wacky Challenge
Wacky Challenge Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 7 character cards.
- 35 race cards: 7 packs (one in the colour of each character) of 5 vehicle cards each — train, car, motorbike, boat, plane. Each vehicle card has a speed and covers several stages. The back of each race card shows a booster effect (see The Boosters).
- 5 hierarchy cards (grey background): train, car, motorbike, boat, plane.
- 8 starter cards (light brown background): 2 trains, 2 cars, 1 motorbike, 1 boat, 2 planes.
Card anatomy: the printed diagram labels the parts of a race card as stage (étape), half-stage (demi-étape), speed (vitesse), driver (pilote) and booster (booster). The booster label points to the reverse side of the card, which carries the booster effect.
Setup
- Each player chooses a character card and places it face up in front of them. The player then takes into hand the 5 race cards of the pack matching that character.
- The 5 hierarchy cards are laid face up, one below the other, in the centre of the table in this order from top to bottom: train (top), car, motorbike, boat, plane (bottom).
- Shuffle the 8 starter cards, then place face up to the right of the hierarchy cards a number of starter cards equal to the number of players plus one (for example, 5 starter cards for four players). Return the remaining starter cards to the box; they are not used in the game.
Gameplay
Choosing and revealing race cards
- Each player chooses one card from the race cards remaining in their hand and places it face down in front of them. When all players have chosen, every player simultaneously turns their card face up.
- Played race cards are placed to the left of the hierarchy cards, in the row matching their vehicle (c).
Taking cards
- Players then take turns choosing one race card or starter card from the area to the right of the hierarchy cards (e).
- The first player to choose is the player who played the race card with the vehicle highest in the hierarchy. If players are tied on vehicle, the tied player with the greatest speed goes first (f). The order continues down to the player who played the lowest vehicle in the hierarchy and/or the smallest speed.
- Any active booster effect must be taken into account when determining the order (see The Boosters).
- Each chosen card is placed face up in front of its player, to the right of their character card, next to the race cards already taken. Together these form the player's route (d).
- Half-stages (car, boat, plane) must be completed to win a stage. Half-stages may be reordered at any time to maximise the number of stages, since two half-stages assemble into one stage.
Hierarchy shift
- The vehicle on the race card or starter card that was not taken moves up one step in the hierarchy. If it was already at the top, it moves all the way to the bottom.
End of turn
- Race cards played to the left of the hierarchy cards move to the right-hand side (e).
- The race card that was the lowest is turned to its booster face (see The Boosters), and its owner performs the action if there is one. Once the booster has been resolved, the card is turned back to its vehicle face.
The Boosters
The reverse side of each race card carries a booster. When a booster is triggered, its owner resolves the effect shown below.
- Place the vehicle of your choice at the top of the hierarchy. The next vehicle you play will be the fastest of its category. You choose your vehicle once all other players have revealed theirs.
- Transform. The vehicle on the next card you play is momentarily transformed into the vehicle at the top of the hierarchy. If this transformation takes place, its speed becomes zero.
- Speed and ties. Speed is compared first; the hierarchy breaks ties. (The source prints this line beside a purple icon without a separate effect; it is transcribed as a reminder of the ordering rule.)
- Exchange. Exchange a card from your route with a card you still hold in hand. The card chosen from your hand cannot be the train.
End of the Game
- The game ends at the end of the 5th turn, when the players no longer have any race cards in hand.
- Each player may reorder their 5 route cards, then counts the number of complete stages they have reached. A half-stage does not count.
- Complete aerodromes (2 half-aerodromes) count as 4 stages. (The source uses "aerodromes" here while the card legend calls the plane pieces half-stages; transcribed as printed.)
- Each route card in the player's own colour gives 1 bonus stage.
- The player who has covered the most stages wins the game.
- In case of a tie, the player with the greatest accumulated speeds wins.
The violet player may receive an extra bonus of one stage if their route contains two starter cards. The source includes an example image of a violet route built from race and starter cards for this rule.