The Forbidden City (game)
| The forbidden city | |
|---|---|
 The Forbidden City - game components |
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| Game data | |
| author | Alex Randolph , Johann Rüttinger |
| graphic | Ulrich Lichthardt , Johann Rüttinger |
| publishing company | Ravensburger / Otto Maier Verlag |
| Publishing year | 1992 |
| Art | Board game |
| Teammates | 2 to 4 |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Age | from 12 years
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| Awards | |
The Forbidden City is a board game by the game designers Alex Randolph and Johann Rüttinger , which was published by Otto Maier Verlag in 1992 . In the game, the players try to pull court officials as efficiently as possible into various pavilions in order to look for imperial clothes. At the same time, however, they also try to improve their position by bluffing .
The game was in the 1992 shortlist for game of the year received.
Theme and equipment
The game The Forbidden City was thematically set in the Forbidden City , a palace complex in Beijing , at a time when the Chinese emperor was losing approval and bureaucrats took over power. The wedding robes were stolen from the emperor of China and only court officials are able to find them.
In addition to instructions, the game material consists of a square game board on which a playing field with the imperial palace is depicted. The playing field comprises a square of 15 × 15 fields, but the corners and the middle fields are occupied by a total of eight pavilions. The center represents an area of 5 × 5, i.e. 25, fields, which marks the starting area of the imperial officials. There are also 25 characters, each consisting of a body and a hat and which are unique due to the color combination of the two elements. Also included in the game is an eight-sided cube that marks the active pavilion, eight sets with three clothing cards each for each pavilion, three six-sided dice of different sizes and four bribery boards on which the color combinations of the court officials' clothes are displayed with the help of two turntables can be adjusted.
Style of play
Game preparation
Before the game starts, the game board is placed in the center of the table and each player is given a bribe board. The 25 court officials are placed unsorted on the central starting field and the eight card sets are placed in the respective pavilions.
Game flow
The game starts with the selection of a starting player, who throws the eight-sided die and is placed on the corresponding pavilion based on the number thrown. All players now choose a court official who they assume will be able to reach the pavilion on their turn, or that another player will use this official. Each player secretly sets the colors of this official's clothing on their own bribery board and places them face down in front of them.
The game is played in turn and each player can make up to four individual moves in his turn, depending on the dice roll of the player sitting after him. The active player tries in his turn to bring a pawn to the target temple and get a clothing card there. To do this, he moves any pawn by moving it in a straight line until it ends up in a dead end or hits a wall. In the latter case, he may move straight on in another direction until he ends up in a dead end or decides to leave the figure standing. The train may only end in front of a wall or another obstacle, such as another pawn or in a pavilion entrance. When the active player has finished his first move, the player behind him rolls the smallest of the three six-sided dice, which can in principle show four symbols:
- a black field: the active player ends his turn, it is the next player's turn;
- a blank page: the active player may make another move;
- a pavilion: the active player rolls the eight-sided die and places it on the corresponding pavilion, which is now the new target.
- a kite: the active player may take a clothing card from another player.
If the player is allowed to make another move, he moves as in the first move with any piece and then the second largest die is rolled, which already has more black fields and no dragons. The largest die is thrown after the third move, it shows a black field on each of five sides and only one side is empty. If the player is allowed to move on after this throw, his total turn ends and it is the next player's turn.
If a player manages to reach a pavilion on his turn, he must show his bribery plaque and thus prove that he has drawn the correct officer to the goal. Then all other players show their boards and if no other player has guessed the correct officer, he receives the top clothing card of the pavilion set and places it face up in front of him. If another player has bet on the same officer, he receives the card, and if other players are correct, the player who is furthest behind the active player's turn is rewarded. After reaching the pavilion, the active player's turn ends. If a target pavilion is empty, the player may take any clothing card from another player from this pavilion. After taking a clothing card, the player rolls the eight-sided die to select a new pavilion. Then all players are allowed to rearrange the color combination on their bribery boards.
If a player who already has one or more clothing cards in front of him comes into the pavilion with a piece, he may bluff. He can drag any figure into the pavilion and asks all of his fellow players whether they believe that he actually has the right combination of colors on his board. If all players confirm this and it is correct, the player receives a clothing card as usual. If he lied and all players believed him, he takes a card from the pavilion as a reward for the successful bluff and is allowed to draw again. If at least one player does not answer the question and it was not a bluff, the honest active player may take a card from this player in addition to the pavilion card. However, if he is caught lying, he has to give a card to the first doubter and the latter also receives the card from the pavilion.
All playing figures that reach a pavilion are immediately removed from the game and placed on the terrace of exile. After the tenth piece has been removed, the rules are changed so that every player who reaches a pavilion gets not just one, but all cards from that pavilion. If a target pavilion is empty, the player may take all three clothing cards from this pavilion from his fellow players.
End of game and scoring
The game ends when the 15th pawn has reached a pavilion, followed by scoring. Only the clothes that the players have in front of them are rated. Each individual item is worth one point, each set of two items of clothing of the same color is worth 4 points, each set of three items of clothing of the same color is worth 10 points and each set of three different items of clothing of different colors is worth 6 points. The winner is the player with the most points.
Publication and reception
The game The Forbidden City was developed by the two game authors Alex Randolph and Johann Rüttinger and was published in 1992 by Otto Maier Verlag . In the same year the game was included in the shortlist for Game of the Year 1992.
In 1999, Alex Randolph released the game Rasende Roboter , another board game that is based on the same train mechanics as The Forbidden City .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l The Forbidden City , game instructions, Ravensburger 1992.
- ↑ The Forbidden City , versions at BoardGameGeek. Retrieved March 1, 2020 .
- ^ The forbidden city in the database of the game of the year e. V .; accessed on March 2, 2020
Web links
- The Forbidden City in the Luding games database
- The Forbidden City in the game database BoardGameGeek (English)