Joshua Nuernberger DESMA 157A Eddo Stern Fall 2010 Marathon Running Game The Road Based on the Novel by Cormac McCarthy
THE ROAD GAME DESCRIPTION The near future -- gray skies, barren wastelands, and abandoned cities; no life in sight. A father and a son, wearing rags, tattered clothes, and worn-out shoes, leave their empty home with little supplies remaining. They must reach the one destination of hope, the ocean; opposing them lies the wilderness, the unknown, and whatever may lie in the wasteland. The Road is a board-game based on the concept of a post-apocalyptic world. One player controls the characters, Father, and Son. The second player controls the characters, Mercenaries. The objective of Player 1 (Father and Son) is to get the Son to the end of the Road, the Ocean. The objective of Player 2 (Mercenaries) is to kill the Son. GAME ITEMS Game Board Running Box 2 Shoe Tokens Roads: [20] Regular Roads [4] Supply Roads Cards: Shoes [8] (Ragged Shoes +1) [2] (Worn Shoes +2) [3] (Leather Shoes +3) [2] (Hiking Boots +4) [1] Weapons [6] (Pistol +1) [3] (Magnum +2) [2] (Hunting Rifle +3) [1] Supplies: [4] Lightning: [4] Tokens: Player 1: Father Son Player 2: Mercenary 1 Mercenary 2 Mercenary 3 Pieces: Briefcases [4] Outposts [4] Trees [4]
SETTING UP THE GAME BOARD The Road At the beginning of the game, the board is randomized to create a new ROAD from the starting point (SAFE HOUSE) to the goal, which is termed as THE OCEAN. The road is created by rolling ONE die from the starting point. If the number is ODD, continue the road to the left (upwards). If the number is EVEN, continue the road to the right (downwards). After each roll, continue the road towards the Ocean horizontally until the next fork. Repeat until the entire road is set. If the road hits an edge, go along the edge until you reach the ocean. Briefcases Place the four BRIEFCASES at the location of the TRIANGLE intersections on the edge of the game board. Outposts Place the four OUTPOSTS at the location of the SQUARE intersections on the edge of the game board. Trees Place the four TREES on the orange tiles between the CIRCLE intersections on the game board in the square brackets [ ]. Players Player 1: The Father and Son tokens start on the left edge of the game board on the first tile, the SAFE HOUSE. Player 2: Place the mercenaries on the three X intersections on the game board. Cards Deal 4 cards to each player at the beginning of the game. PLAYING THE GAME CHARACTERS FATHER - gets ONE Resource Card per outpost or briefcase; can attack and use weapons SON - gets TWO Resource Cards per outpost or briefcase; cannot attack or use weapons MERCENARY - gets ONE Resource Card per outpost or briefcase; can attack and use weapons MOVING Moving is calculated by by throwing the shoe tokens into the RUNNING BOX (Player 1 goes first). Throw in one shoe, and then throw in the second shoe. Whichever tile is under the TIP of the FOOT is the tile that the shoe lands in. Count the number of tiles between the shoes and multiply it by two. This becomes the number of spaces that the player can move. For example: a player may land in squares 2 and 7. Between those lie squares Three, Four, Five, and Six; i.e. 4 tiles x 2 = 8 movement points. If any shoe lands in the NULL ZONES (outside the tiles), then the player cannot move that turn. NOTE: If players occupy the same space as an opponent at the beginning of the turn, they can still attack on that turn.
Moves on the road take up ONE point. Moves off the road take up TWO points. For example, if you roll shoes and get 8 movement points, you can only move 4 spaces off the road. Players cannot move through OPPOSING PLAYERS without battling them first. Players cannot move through FALLEN TREES (road blocks). Special Movements If players throw both shoes onto the SAME tile in the running box, they get a CARD and get to move the added number of spaces on the board (if both shoes land on 2, you get 4 movement points; if both land on 3, you get 6 movement points; etc). CARDS Shoe Cards Shoes act as a BONUS to the Shoe roll when moving at the beginning of a turn. They must be played right after a shoe roll and before a player moves. If a player throws both their Shoes and wishes to increase the maximum distance, they can play a shoe card and move the further shoes up that number of tiles. For example, a Worn Shoes of +2 Steps allows the player to move his or her game token up two tiles in the running box. If the tile number exceeds 8, cap the furthest shoes at tile 8. After playing, discard the card. Only one shoes card can be played per turn. Supply Cards Some roads (4) are SUPPLY ROADS and are RED; players must discard a SUPPLY CARD when they are next to the road in order to pass the road. After that, the road returns to normal (BLACK) and can be passed by anyone without using a supply card. Lightning Cards Lightning cards allow players to knock down a TREE to any adjacent point on that hexagonal tile. That single point becomes road blocked and no players can pass through it. You cannot block any point that a player is currently occupying. After playing, DISCARD the Lightning. Weapon Cards See Battling (point 3). BRIEFCASES & OUTPOSTS Briefcases If a player passes through or lands on a BRIEFCASE, they gain a resource, and no more resources may be gathered from that briefcase (Flip the BRIEFCASE upside down). Outposts Outposts act as BRIEFCASES by giving players resources but also serve as a shield for either player. If
a player reaches an outpost, the opponent cannot attack that player until the outpost is destroyed. If the attacking player wishes to destroy an outpost, they must attack it as in battle mode and defeat it in order to remove the outpost from play. Special Ability The SON has a special ability which allows him to gain 2 Resource Cards per briefcase or outpost. After gaining the resources, flip the BRIEFCASE or OUTPOST upside down and no more resources may be gathered from it. BATTLES Battling If Player 1 or Player 2 occupy an opponent s space, engage in battle. If either player occupies the same space as the other player at the beginning of a turn, the player may choose to battle after moving, but engaging in battle will end the turn. Battle Mode 1. Players THROW SHOES in the running box. a. Multiply the number of tiles in between the two shoes by two to reach the number of battle points. OR: If player lands on the same tile with both shoes, add the two numbers up to arrive at the number of battle points (player does not get extra resource cards in battle mode by landing on the same tile). b. If the SON is on the same game board space as the FATHER, the father gets +1 tile to his furthest boot on the shoe roll. c. Before the multiplier, players may choose to increase the tile distance between the shoes by playing a WEAPON CARDS in battle. Weapon Cards increase the distance of the furthest shoe based on + attribute of the Weapons Card. The furthest shoe is capped at tile 8. d. Weapon Cards must be played after the roll, but before the turn is over, and are DISCARDED after use. 2. The player with the HIGHEST DISTANCE wins; if there is a TIE, then the defender wins. a. If the attacker wins the battle, his turn is over, unless there is a second attacker on the same tile, and his opponent (or outpost) is destroyed. b. If the attacker loses the battle, the attacker survives, and his turn is over, unless there is a second attacker on the same tile. c. After all characters attack, end the attacking player s turn. 3. Opposing player can choose to attack next round, or flee in any direction. 4. Each game Token (Mercenary, Father) can only attack up to ONE opposing character (or outpost) per turn. NOTE: Son cannot attack and cannot use weapons to defend or attack. (i.e. He can only defend himself without any cards.) Special Ability Player 1 (Father & Son) has the option to DISCARD all of their cards after losing a battle against the Mercenaries (with Father or Son) in order to stay alive -- afterward, switch to Player 1 s turn. If Player 1 does not have any cards, then this option is invalid. This move does not apply to OUTPOST battles.
VICTORY CONDITIONS Player 1 (Father & Son) Reaches the OCEAN with the game token SON. OR: All Mercenaries are dead. Player 2 (Mercenaries) Eliminate game token SON.
GAME PHOTOS Prototype:
Final: