Honor System

I Love Lucy

INSTRUCTIONS

Ages 8 to Adult 2 to 4 Players
(6 and up, if reader available)

OBJECT

Be the first player to arrive at the Mertz’s apartment with at least $100 and the character cards of Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel.

EQUIPMENT

I Love Lucy Gameboard
  8 Bonus Cards
  1 packet / Love Lucy Money
  32 I Love Lucy Cards
  2 Dice
  36 Ay...Yi...Yi...Yi Cards
  4 Markers
  64 Character Cards

SET-UP

1. Shuffle the I Love Lucy cards and the Ay... Yi... Yi... Yi cards and place each deck face down in its appropriate place on the gameboard.

2. Each player selects a marker and places it on the starting space - Ricardo’s 3D.

3. Appoint one player to act as banker. The banker gives each player one of each of the seven character cards, plus $100 as follows: Two $20 bills, three $10 bills and six $5 bills (I Love Lucy money, of course).

4. The banker gives one Vitameatavegamin and one Lucy’s Meat Market Sales Pitch Bonus Card to each player.

Begin the game by choosing a player to go first (highest number rolled on one die; the one who has seen the most “I Love Lucy” episodes, etc.). The player seated to the left of the starting player goes next, and so on.

SUMMARY OF PLAY

Each player takes turns throwing the dice and moving his or her marker along the path, following the instructions written on the space where their marker lands. If the space refers to a type of card, the player draws the corresponding card and follows the instructions.

THE SYMBOL SPACES

“Draw/...” and “Give/...” spaces: These direct a player to either draw a character card from another player or give a character card to another player.

“Draw” means to pick any character card, without seeing what it is, from the hand of the player indicated. “Give” means to give any character card from your hand to the player indicated.

“Right,” “Left” and “Choice” indicates which player to draw a card from, or which player to give a card to. “Right” refers to the player on your immediate right, “Left” refers to the player on your immediate left, and “Choice” refers to any player in the game.

FOR EXAMPLE: “Give/Left” means you must take any character card you choose from your hand and give it to the player on your immediate left.

“Receive/Choice” Spaces: Receive any character card of your choice from the bank.

NOTE: If the bank does not have the character card of your choice, you may request that character card from any player, and that player must give the card to you if he or she has it. If he or she does not have the card, you do not get a card and your turn is over.)

“Take 10,” “Pay 5” and “Give or Pay...” Spaces: “Take 10” means you receive ten dollars from every player; “Pay 5” means you pay each player five dollars from your ‘stash’ (not from the bank). “Give or Pay...” means you can either give each player a character card from your hand or pay each player ten or fifteen dollars, whichever is indicated on the space.

“Return to...” Spaces: Move your marker immediately to the space indicated. Do not pay or receive the $20 as directed on that space.

Fire Escape Spaces:
If, when you reach the entrance to the Fire Escape (space marked ‘Fire Escape’), you have at least $100 and the character cards of Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel (required to win), your turn ends there. On your next turn, take the shortcut directly up the Fire Escape toward the Mertz’s apartment.

NOTE: Even if your roll on the dice will take you past the Fire Escape space, end your turn on that space if you have enough money and cards necessary to win. If you do not have the required character cards and money, continue along the game path as your dice roll allows; you may not use the shortcut up the Fire Escape.

Once a player reaches the entrance to the Fire Escape space and has the necessary amount of money and character cards to win, the player is “safe” and cannot be affected by the other players.

If, after passing the “Return to...” spaces you still do not have the necessary character cards and money needed to win when you reach the Fire Escape, go directly to the Fire Escape entrance and your turn ends. On your next turn proceed with normal play.

Once you are anywhere on the Fire Escape, you must roll doubles to enter the Mertz’s apartment. You may advance on the Fire Escape (rolls permitting) but may not enter the apartment until any doubles are rolled.

THE CARDS

I LOVE LUCY CARDS: When you land on an I Love Lucy space, draw an I Love Lucy card from the top of the deck, follow the instructions, and then return the card to the bottom of the deck (with the exception as noted below).

The I Love Lucy cards instruct a player to collect a specific character card from the bank, or to receive a character card of choice from the bank.

I Love Lucy Cards Exceptions: Note that two cards can be saved for future use - they allow a player to give an Ay... Yi... Yi... Yi card to any player. If you get one of these cards, you may use it against any player immediately after drawing an Ay... Yi... Yi... Yi card that you do not want to use. That player must then follow the instructions on the Ay... Yi... Yi... Yi card received from you. Then return both cards to the bottom of their respective decks.

AY... Yl... Yl... Yl CARDS: When a player lands on an Ay... Yi... Yl... Yi space, draw a card from the top of the deck, follow the instructions, and then return the card to the bottom of the deck.

An Ay... Yi... Yi... Yi card will either direct a player to imitate an action, lose a turn or move their marker back a certain number of spaces. If a player chooses not to imitate the action, they lose their next turn. Each player must imitate the action~to the best of their ability.

BONUS CARDS: Players may use each of their Bonus Cards only one time during the game in place of following directions on a space on which they have landed. Players must read the copy aloud on the Bonus Card, return the card to the bank and the banker then pays the amount of money indicated on the card to the player.

CHARACTER CARDS: There are cards for seven characters: Lucy, Ricky, Fred, Ethel (all of which are needed to win), and Little Ricky, Mrs. Trumball and Carolyn Appleby. Each player starts with one each of the seven character cards. Throughout the game, players give or receive character cards according to the instructions on the I Love Lucy cards and on the gameboard.

WINNING THE GAME

The first player to be on the Fire Escape with $100, have at least one character card for each of the four main characters (Lucy, Ricky, Fred, Ethel) and roll doubles, advances to the space marked Mertz’s and is the Winner!

Additional Rules and Clarifications

If you are directed to give money to another player or to the bank and you don’t have enough money or any Bonus Cards left, you do not have to pay anything. If you have a Bonus Card, you must utilize it to receive the money allowed on the card, and then pay your required debt.

If you land on the space marked “Return to the square of your choice,” move immediately to any space (other than the Fire Escape or the Mertz’s) but do not follow the instructions listed on that space.

If the count on the dice would take you past the Mertz’s, then you do not move, and your turn ends.

It is acceptable for players to have more than one character card for the same character (in fact, collecting “extra” cards for the same character can make it difficult for other players to get a specific character card that they may need). Of course, it is always a good idea to have extra money!