Rules for Incan Gold

Incan Gold is an exciting game where players are thieves exploring the king's castle to steal gold and treasures. This is a "push-your-luck" game where you must decide how far into the castle you dare to go before being caught by the guards. The further you go, the more gold you can find, but the risk also increases!

The game is based on the classic board game Diamant/Incan Gold by Alan R. Moon and Bruno Faidutti, but adapted for play with regular playing cards. It accommodates 3-8 players and typically takes 20-30 minutes to play.

To play Incan Gold you need:

• A regular deck of 52 cards (no jokers in the first round)
• Jokers (optional, used as treasures)
• Gold tokens - can be buttons, chips, matchsticks, or other small objects representing gold

Card values: Ace = 1 gold, cards 2-10 = face value in gold, face cards (Jack, Queen, King) = guards, jokers = treasures.

The game consists of four rounds where players explore the king's castle four times. At the start of each round:

• Shuffle all cards thoroughly
• Hold the deck face down in a pile
• Jokers are not used in the first round
• From the second round, you can shuffle in one joker, and another in the third round
• Place the gold tokens in a pile nearby

Determine who will be the first player - this can be done by drawing lots or having the person who last held real gold start!

A round starts with the first player drawing the top card and placing it face up on the table. This shows what is in the first room of the castle:

• Number cards (A-10): There is as much gold in the room as the number on the card. Divide gold tokens equally among all players. Any gold tokens that cannot be divided equally are placed on the card.
• Face cards: There is a guard in the room. This increases the risk but has no immediate effect.

After each card, all players must simultaneously decide whether to continue or leave the castle. Count to three and simultaneously show thumbs up (continue) or thumbs down (leave the castle).

Players who choose to leave the castle:

• Keep all gold they have collected this round
• Share any gold tokens lying on cards in the path equally among themselves
• Place the gold in a safe place - it cannot be lost
• Cannot get more gold this round

If only one player leaves the castle at the same time as there is a joker (treasure) on the path, that player gets the joker which gives bonus points.

The danger of continuing is that you can be caught by the guards and lose all gold from this round:

• First face card: No immediate danger, but increased risk
• Second matching face card: All players still in the castle are caught! They lose all gold collected this round and must flee empty-handed

Example: If a Jack appears first and later another Jack appears, everyone still inside is caught. The same applies to two Queens or two Kings.

Jokers can be used as treasures for extra excitement:

• Round 1: No jokers
• Round 2: Shuffle in one joker - worth 5 gold tokens
• Round 3: Shuffle in another joker - worth 10 gold tokens
• Round 4: Both jokers can be in - worth 15 gold tokens

A joker can only be retrieved if exactly one player leaves the castle in the same turn as the joker lies on the path. If several leave simultaneously, the joker remains.

A round ends in two ways:

• All players have left the castle: The round is over and the next round begins
• Second matching face card is drawn: All remaining players lose their gold and flee

The second matching face card is removed from the game. Any jokers remaining on the path are lost forever. Shuffle all remaining cards before the next round.

After four rounds, count all the gold:

• Count all gold tokens each player has collected
• Add bonus points for jokers (5, 10, or 15 points)
• The player with the most gold tokens wins!

In case of a tie, the player with the most jokers wins. If still tied, play an extra round or share the victory!

Here are some tips for succeeding as a gold thief:

• Watch the guards: Remember which face cards have already been drawn
• Timing is everything: Sometimes it pays to leave early to secure the gold
• Observe other players: If many leave simultaneously, it might pay to be the last one
• First round: Be careful since there's not much gold to earn
• Last round: Take bigger chances since it's the last opportunity
• Joker hunting: Try to be the only one leaving when there are jokers on the path