Honor System

Game of the Year

University Games 1997

Object

To have the best year that you possibly can. Players measure their success by the points they earn from collecting Family Tokens, Fame Tokens, Red Letter Day Tokens, Holiday Cards, and money. The winner is the player with the most total points and the most points in at least one category (Fame, Family, Red Letter Days, Holidays, Money).

Set Up

1. Split the cards into four decks: Hazard, Chance, Lucky Number, and Holiday.

2. Shuffle the Hazard and Chance decks separately, then place them on the game board.

3. Give each player one Holiday Card.

4. Each player secretly chooses a Lucky Number from the deck, looks at it, and places it face down in front of him.

5. Give each player $800 and 1 Red Letter Day Token, 1 Fame Token, and 1 Family Token. Each player places his tokens face down in front of him.

6. Each player chooses a playing piece and places it at Start (near January 1).

Playing the Game

1. The youngest player goes first. Play passes to the left.

2. On each turn, a player spins the calendar spinner and moves forward the exact number of days shown on either of the calendar pages (the player gets to choose).

3. When the red pages appear, the player moves ahead to the next day with a red border. When the blue pages appear, the player moves ahead to the next day with a blue border.

4. Some days have borders that are half red and half blue. For the purposes of movement, these days count as both red and blue. For example, if a player is on January 5 and spins a red page (or a blue page), he moves ahead to January 8.

Landing on a Picture Day

1. When a player lands on a day with a picture, he consults the Calendar of Events and reads that day's entry aloud.

2. Usually, players will take a Chance Card (or move ahead) when they land on a space with a red border and a Hazard Card (or move back) when they land on a space with a blue border. In some cases, the Calendar entry will instruct more than one player to take a card or move.

3. The Calendar of Events provides instructions for days with half red/half blue borders. Some players will take Chance Cards and some will take Hazard Cards.

4. When a player lands on a picture without a border, the Calendar of Events will provide instructions.

5. The instructions from the Calendar of Events and cards must be followed immediately. After following these instructions, a player's turn is over, unless the instructions move him to another picture day. If this happens, the player continues to follow the instructions in the Calendar of Events and on the cards as long as he reaches another picture day. When a player lands on a day without a picture, his turn is over.

6. A player does not follow the instructions for a picture day when he is sent to a picture day during another player's turn, or as the result of April Fools' Day (see April 1 in the Calendar of Events).

Chance and Hazard Cards

1.When players take a Chance Card or a Hazard Card, they read the card aloud, then follow its instructions.

2. When cards mention the "leading player" or the "last player," these terms refer to the players' positions on the board (not the number of points they have). The leading player is the player whose playing piece is farthest along on the board.

3. When players are instructed to take a token that is not available, they may take the token of their choice. For example, if all of the Fame Tokens are taken and a player is instructed to take a Fame Token, he may take either a Red Letter Day Token or a Family Token.

Landing on a Non-Picture Day

1. When a player lands on a day that does not have a picture, he may, at his option, continue to move forward and pay $100 to the bank for each day that he moves.

2. If a player does not reach a picture day, the other players, at their options, may move this player forward (usually to a blue space!) and pay $100 to the bank for each day that they move him.

3. When a player reaches a picture day as the result of extra days that were purchased (either by him or by another player), he follows the instructions for landing on picture days.

4. Players may not pay to continue moving if they land on a picture space, and other players may not pay to move them.

Lucky Numbers and Birthdays

1. Every time that a player finishes moving on, or is sent to, his Lucky Number, he reveals his Lucky Number Card and collects $200 from the bank. After collecting the money, he flips his Lucky Number Card back over.

2. Every time that a player ends a move on another player's Lucky Number, that player reveals his Lucky Number Card, and collects $200 from the moving player, then flips his Lucky Number Card back over. For example, Player 1's Lucky Number is 9, and Player 2 lands on February 9. Player 1 reveals his Lucky Number Card and collects $200 from Player 2.

3. When a player ends his move on his own birthday, he receives a present in the amount of $200 from every player.

4. When a player ends his move on another player's birthday, he must pay that player $200.

5. While a player is in the month of his birth, he does not have to follow the instructions on Hazard Cards or make any payments.

The End of a Quarter

1. The first player to pass the end of a quarter (March 31, June 30, September 30) collects 3 tokens of his choice from the bank.

2. The second player to pass the end of a quarter collects 2 tokens of his choice.

3. As each player passes the end of a quarter, he collects $400 from the bank.

4. If a player is forced to move back, then passes the end of a quarter that he already passed, he collects another $400. He may not collect additional tokens.

Holiday Cards

1. After a player is finished moving, he may, at his option, take a vacation if he holds a Holiday Card. He turns in a Holiday Card and moves forward 14 spaces. If he lands on a picture space, he follows he instructions in the Calendar of Events. If he does not land on a picture space, his turn is over.

2. Players may not start a vacation after November 15.

3. Players may only use one Holiday Card per turn.

4. Players may not use a Holiday Card after landing on a picture space.

Tokens

1. On each turn, a player may buy one token of his choice by paying $500 to the bank.

2. Players should keep their tokens face down, so that other players do not know which tokens they have.

3. Players may not trade or sell tokens to other players, or to the bank.

4. When players do not have enough money, they must use tokens as payment instead. Players use one token no matter how much they owe (for example, if Player 1 has only $100 and lands on Player 2's Lucky Number, Player 1 gives one token to Player 2).

5. When players do not have a token and are required to give a token to another player, they must buy a token from the bank and give it to the other player. If players do not have a specific type of token, they may substitute another token or a Holiday Card, or buy the correct token from the bank. For example, Player 1 is instructed to give a Family Token to Player 2, but Player 1 has no Family Tokens. Player 1 may either give a Red Letter Day Token, a Fame Token, or a Holiday Card to Player 2, or buy a Family Token from the bank and give it to Player 2.

6. When players have no money, no Holiday Cards, and no tokens, they are not required to pay anything. Once they collect money, tokens, or Holiday Cards, they begin to pay again when instructed to do so.

Special Rules for December

1. When a player starts his turn in December, he must use the lower of the two numbers that show on the calendar spinner.

2. If a color appears when the player is past the last picture day of that color, he may not move. For example, when a player on